"Let’s try again."
Amid her joy, Hulim quickly calmed down and attempted to cast the spell once more.
"Ignition...... Ah!"
Before the flame could appear, a sharp headache struck her.
She hastily stopped channeling mana.
As the mana in her body settled, the intense pain gradually faded.
"Still not working huh...... Well, progress is progress, I guess."
Hulim gave up on further attempts.
She sheathed Helkem, picked up her portable bag, and planned to explore the nearby ruins.
During her month here, Hulim had discovered many interesting ancient records in these ruins. Though they were all obscure texts carved into stone walls, she had learned quite a few ancient languages while studying magic arrays at Manacos—so she could interpret some of the inscriptions.
Naturally, this also had to do with the fact that the ruins remaining above ground weren’t particularly ancient.
Just as Hulim set off, she suddenly spotted a dark shape rapidly approaching from the horizon.
"What’s that?"
She stared curiously at the silhouette.
She wasn’t worried it would land here—after all, she had fully tested the reliability of this Safe Zone over the past month.
"But it’s really huge. What could it be?"
Hulim stayed put without a care, casually guessing the identity of the dark shape.
As it drew closer, its form became increasingly clear:
Massive wingspan, red scales, golden slit pupils, and—
"Roar——!!!"
A thunderous roar that seemed to shake the entire sky.
"Dr...Dragon!!!?"
Hulim’s eyes widened in shock.
Dragons were famous throughout the world, but very few people had ever seen one in person.
At the very least, this was Hulim’s first time encountering a real dragon.
As apex creatures in Himlir, every adult dragon possessed at least Rank B strength. Some dragons that spent years cultivating themselves could even reach Rank A!
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
As for Rank S, they were no stranger in Himlir’s ancient legends—there were even tales of ancient civilizations destroyed by dragons.
"Truly worthy of Myrnabyss, the center of the world—you can even see dragons here."
Hulim couldn’t help but marvel.
"Wait...... Why does it feel like it’s getting closer? It must just be passing by......"
Whoosh——!!!
A violent gust of wind, carrying sand and fallen leaves, blew straight at her.
Hulim instinctively closed her eyes.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh......
Vaguely, she heard a familiar sound.
Then......
Boom——!!!
It was as if something heavy had crashed to the ground directly in front of her, sending violent tremors through the earth beneath her feet.
Hulim opened her eyes, only to find herself engulfed in a large shadow. A massive object had suddenly appeared, completely blocking her view.
Slowly, Hulim lifted her head.
She locked eyes with a pair of enormous golden slit pupils.
Those pupils stared coldly at her......
"......"
"Grrr~!"
The dragon let out a threatening growl, revealing its sharp, menacing fangs.
Then, it opened its jaws and roared at the tiny creature before it.
"Roar——!!!"
The terrifying sonic boom, like a massive storm, nearly blew Hulim off her feet.
......
Meanwhile, in Langard.
At the entrance of Manacos Magic Academy.
Miko and Alicia were seeing Arthur off.
"Congratulations on your graduation, Senior Arthur!"
"Happy graduation, Arthur~!"
"Thank you, Princess Alicia! Miko!"
Arthur replied with a smile.
"Arthur, what do you plan to do next?"
"I’m going to become a full-time adventurer."
Arthur answered, then looked at Alice, who was sitting in a wheelchair nearby. She had insisted on coming to his graduation ceremony.
"......I’ll be a full-time adventurer, then take Alice around the world to find the culprit behind the Parasitic Demon Seed. I’ll eliminate it and restore Alice’s health."
"Brother Arthur...... Thank you. But really, won’t I be a burden to you?"
Arthur patted Alice’s head gently.
"Alice, haven’t I told you before? We’ll never be burdens to each other—because we’re each other’s greatest reliance."
"Brother Arthur......"
"Alice......"
"Meow~!"
"Huh???"
"Huh?"
A black cat suddenly darted between them.
It had appeared out of nowhere, sitting neatly on the armrest of Alice’s wheelchair.
"Eh? When did this black cat get here?"
Miko looked shocked.
"You didn’t notice either, Miko?" Alicia exclaimed. "I thought I was seeing things."
Unlike the two, who were astonished by the cat’s sudden appearance, the innocent Alice’s eyes lit up as she reached out to it.
"What a cute cat~!"
The black cat with golden eyes didn’t dodge. It even leaned into Alice’s hand, rubbing against her affectionately—seeming completely fearless of strangers.
"It’s you. Could it be you’ve come to see me off too?"
Arthur knelt down with a smile, meeting the cat’s gaze.
"Meow~!"
As if understanding his words, the black cat meowed at him while continuing to enjoy Alice’s pets.
"Arthur, do you know this cat?"
"Yeah, I do."
Arthur nodded, reaching out to stroke the cat’s head.
"It’s very smart—and extremely powerful. It’s helped me many times. In return, I often bring it delicious food. All in all, it’s like a friend to me."
"Really? That’s so cool! Can I pet it too?"
"Uh...... You’ll have to ask it."
Miko looked at the cat with eager eyes.
To her surprise,
the black cat glanced back at her, wearing what seemed like a look of disdain, then turned its head proudly, continuing to soak up Alice’s attention.
"Eh...... Eh???"
"Wait, what’s that supposed to mean!?"
Miko instantly flared up.
Did she just...... get looked down on by this cat?
"Hey hey hey, you gotta explain yourself! What’s your problem? You wanna fight? C’mon, I’ll take you on......"
Miko glared at the cat, waving her fists as she demanded an answer.
"Miko, calm down! Calm down! Please calm down......"
Alicia hugged her tightly from behind, desperately trying to stop her from doing something tragic—like a catgirl fighting a cat......
