Chapter 20

# Chapter 20: < Saw a Dragon >

After stepping out of the prison, Kale placed the dragon he was carrying in front of the cats.

"It must be in pain."

"Poor thing."

On and Hong, who had been silent until now, circled around the dragon, but the dragon bared its teeth in caution. It probably had never seen any beings other than humans in its four years of life.

Kale checked his watch. The timing seemed perfect for the escape.

"It must be in pain."

On approached and nudged Kale's leg with its paw. It seemed to recall the potion Kale had brought from the magic box. Unable to ask for it, On acted this way.

"Stay still."

Kale had brought the potion to use it. However, he needed to remove the mana control device first. The potion would only work properly when the dragon's heart, the source of its mana, was free.

Kale headed to the opposite side of the prison, where the torturer usually stood. Although his hearing wasn't good, he could hear the sound of Choi Han fighting from a distance. The battle would likely end soon.

"Let's see."

Kale felt the wall of the cave where the torturer had been. He kicked the torturer away and carefully felt the wall. The dragon, seeing the torturer it had kicked, bared its teeth but soon focused on Kale.

'The last arrangement by Benyon should be around here.'

Like the people of the Duke's family, Benyon was extremely worried about external intrusions when he was present. To prepare for such situations, he had created a secret escape route. The torturer, who didn't know about this place, couldn't escape.

'I heard there's a particularly flat spot here—this is it.'

In the uneven cave wall, there was a roughly palm-sized flat area. Despite the clean appearance that reflected Benyon's obsession with cleanliness, the people of the Duke's family had been trained in martial arts for generations.

'If a force of a certain intensity is applied to this spot, the wall will open.'

It wasn't a magical device but a mechanical one that would activate with the force. Kale turned his head to the person who had just entered.

"Is it over?"

"Yes."

Choi Han lightly swung his sword in the air, scattering the blood, and approached Kale. His gaze shifted to the dragon and twisted. It was a common reaction to seeing a small, blood-soaked creature. Choi Han's eyes, glaring at the torturer, were fierce.

"Choi Han."

So, Kale called him, and Choi Han, still glaring at the torturer, reported.

"As you said, I left the fleeing laborers alone and incapacitated those with combat abilities."

"Good job."

Kale praised him and pointed to the flat spot on the wall.

"Hit it with your fist."

"With all your strength?"

Will the cave collapse?

"No. Just enough. Imagine pushing this wall in about 10 cm."

"Hmm. Just a little, you mean."

"Exactly."

Just a little. Kale, who couldn't do it himself, stepped back from Choi Han. Seeing this, Choi Han understood it as a sign to hurry and immediately clenched his fist and hit the wall.

Bang!

"Wow."

"Oh."

While the cats were amazed, Kale roughly picked up the dragon.

Squeak—

A chilling sound echoed from the wall, and with a rumble, a space large enough for an adult to pass through appeared on one side of the cave wall. Choi Han immediately picked up a torch.

"Let's go."

At Kale's words, the cats climbed onto Choi Han's back, and he led the way into the tunnel. Kale followed behind. The dragon, silent, was only breathing heavily. But its eyes, which stared at Kale, were fierce.

Gratitude for being saved was overshadowed by the dragon's wariness of further violence and its distrust and hatred of humans.

"Stop glaring."

Kale muttered to the dragon in his arms.

'Ah, I'm a bit out of breath.'

Kale panted, trying to keep up with Choi Han, who was running leisurely. Should he have given the dragon to Choi Han? The 1-meter-long dragon was quite heavy. If he could just get the ancient power 'Heart's Vitality,' it wouldn't be this difficult.

Feeling like he might throw it in a fit of anger, Kale tightly held the dragon. He couldn't leave it here after all the trouble he went through.

The dragon watched him. Kale's black clothes were getting soaked with the dragon's blood.

After running for a few minutes through the narrow, dark tunnel, Choi Han said to Kale.

"There's a wall ahead."

"Hit the center with your fist. Then keep running."

"Understood!"

The cats jumped from Choi Han's shoulders and started running on the ground. Choi Han clenched his fist and hit the center of the wall with the same force as before.

Bang!

The wall crumbled instantly, and the night sky was visible. They were outside the cave. This time, Kale took the lead and looked around.

The reason the mana orbit disruption device was needed throughout the mountain was that Benyon had installed a video storage device at the entrance to this secret passage. He was a thorough person.

Kale knew roughly where the entrance to this passage was but not exactly, so he needed to disrupt the mana orbit throughout the mountain.

Time was running out. They needed to get out of the video storage device's range within 1-2 minutes. But it was enough time.

Choi Han followed Kale, leaving traces in various places or erasing them. Having survived in the Dark Forest for a long time, he was an expert in tracking. After running in the opposite direction of the secret passage exit for 2 minutes, Kale checked his watch and said.

"Stop."

The whirring sound of the mana orbit disruption device suddenly stopped.

"Phew."

Kale took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. The more his heart raced, the more the unbreakable shield around his heart gathered its strength, preparing for an emergency.

'I don't even plan to use it.'

But Kale didn't intend to use this shield yet. After releasing the dragon and parting ways with Choi Han in the next city, he planned to obtain the 'Heart's Vitality' to strengthen this shield. He intended to use it afterward.

With some free time, Kale looked around and bent his head to look at the dragon he had brought. A chuckle escaped his lips.

The rebellious look was gone, and the dragon was gazing at the night sky with eyes full of emotion. It was the first time in four years that it had seen the outside world. Kale understood the emotion to some extent and wanted to give it some time, but he couldn't.

He placed the dragon on the bushes and looked at it. The dragon also looked at him. Its eyes, now filled with defiance and caution, were back. It crouched and bristled.

'Not bowing like this, it must have been beaten for four years.'

So, Kale personally liked this dragon. It was different from him.

Kale, who grew up as an orphan and was beaten, had submitted. After that, he didn't want to be a protagonist like Choi Han. Having submitted in a place he could call home, he lacked the strength to fight the world.

"Hey."

After confirming that the dragon was looking at him, Kale took out a glove and a large scissor-like cutter from his magic bag. The scissor had numerous magic symbols engraved on both blades. He put on the glove that didn't conduct electricity.

This cutter was one of the two items Kale had borrowed from Villous, which had to be borrowed in Villous's name. It couldn't be borrowed with money.

'I don't know why this is necessary, but Master, I hope to see you alive in the capital.'

'Who do you think is going to die?'

'But I know you're planning to cause trouble.'

'...Shut up.'

Recalling his conversation with Villous, Kale suddenly noticed the atmosphere had become eerily quiet. Choi Han looked confused at the fierce-looking scissor, and the cat siblings had moved away to stand behind Choi Han.

The dragon had a look of enlightenment.

"Tsk."

Kale clicked his tongue at the reaction and approached the dragon. The collar with the mana control device was made of a material similar to rubber. If it were metal, it wouldn't fit a growing dragon, so it was made of a flexible material.

He grabbed the dragon's neck.

"Gasp."

The cats inhaled sharply. But Kale, wanting to act quickly, ignored their reaction and moved. The cutter was aimed at the neck. The sharp blade glinted in the moonlight, and the dragon stared only at Kale's eyes. Kale's eyes were indifferent and monotonous. The dragon closed its eyes.

At that moment, a cutting sound filled the space.

Sizzle. Sizzle. The mana control collar, now powerless, was held in Kale's hand, emitting a small electric current.

"What are you looking at?"

Kale asked the dragon, which opened its eyes and looked at him, and then took off one glove and handed it to Choi Han. Taking the glove, Choi Han received the collar from Kale and took out a potion from his pocket.

It was a top-grade potion. It had cost a lot of money. Later, asking for pocket money would be embarrassing. Kale clicked his tongue and looked sharply at the dragon.

"Do you know how much money I spent on you?"

The dragon heard a familiar phrase. It had heard it since birth. After spending a lot of money, why don't you listen? You need to be beaten. So, it was beaten. They said it shouldn't think and should listen well.

But.

"Since I spent money