MAGICALLY HUNGER II: A Cultivation Level-Up Saga Read online

  [Oh, I suppose it isn’t hard to guess. It is correct,] Desertio said. Then it added a few more words, [If you are already aware of this, the story will be quicker. The creation of the Meuse Desert and the drought was caused by the aging of this body. It is proof that this body is approaching death. I want to see you help with the post-processing.]

  “My help...?”

  [Uhh, to be precise, I would like you to deliver my message to the sea dragon that is linked to you.]

  Theodore briefly recalled Aquilo’s face. He hadn’t seen her face for a while, but his impression of her was clear in his mind. Theodore couldn’t help remembering her beauty, which was more striking than many women. His relationship with Aquilo was one of the most powerful trump cards he had, so he would prefer not to use it. Additionally, he had no confidence to deal with her a second time.

  ‘She isn’t the type to be dragged around.’

  It might be possible if Theodore was much stronger than Aquilo, but that possibility wasn’t worth discussing when he was only at the 7th Circle. He couldn’t help feeling worried.

  As Theodore remained silent, Desertio continued speaking, [This is a request based on the discipline of the dragons. If you listen to my favor, this body will give you something that is equivalent to the favor.]

  “Then please explain this to me.”

  [It is very simple. In the past, a dragon would use ‘Reduction’ in destroying the territory of other species. This discipline was made by the leaders when looking at the bitter past. It is the Ritual of Reduction.]

  The Ritual of Reduction...

  It didn’t seem to be a secret, so Desertio continued talking in a voice that the others could hear.

  It was a type of pledge. The storm of power which burst out when a dragon died couldn’t be compared to the output before it. In Desertio’s case, it would generate a hot wind which would sweep through the entire Central Continent.

  Therefore, the dragon leaders created a reduction ceremony. It was a discipline which allowed a dragon with the opposite property to calm down the aftermath. For a dragon with the power of weathering, the dragon that controlled water was the right choice for the ritual.

  [It is a ritual that has become unknown now, but this body wants to maintain the wishes of the leaders. Please let me finish my life by using your link.]

  “Um...”

  Then all of a sudden, Mujak interrupted, “Wait! Desert dragon, I have something to say to you!”

  [This body has nothing to say to you.]

  “Damn, listen to me first!” Mujak called out.

  Maybe it was due to Desertio’s modest attitude, or perhaps the anger simmering inside Mujak finally exploded…

  However, Mujak forgot who his opponent was as he hollered with a red face, “Take some responsibility for being the cause of the drought! You should apologize to the people of our kingdom rather than ask that young man! Do you know how many people have died because of you?”

  The dragons’ ‘Reduction’ was a sacred ceremony for them, but it was a national disaster for others. The fury of the Austen guardians, who had accumulated damage for hundreds of years, was reasonable in many ways.

  However, unlike when Desertio conversed with Theodore, it replied in an emotionless voice, [That is human logic.]

  Desertio had the gaze of a transcendent being who looked down on all things.

  [Do you remember and mourn the number of ants you have stepped on during your life?]

  Everyone froze for a moment. The attitude of comparing humans to ants, it clearly showed the gap between a human and dragon. Theodore tensed up again. Desertio wasn’t concerned about humans. He wanted to preserve the leader’s wishes, but he didn’t care about those who had already died.

  ‘Damn, I’m not in a situation to worry about whether I should accept it!’

  Despite Desertio’s modest attitude, Theodore had no other option. Realizing this, Theodore hurriedly opened his mouth. He had to finish this before Mujak made things worse.

  “Desertio! I will accept that request.”

  * * *

  After that, they made swift progress. The catalysts needed for the summoning magic were stacked in a pile in the laboratory. Additionally, after receiving Satomer’s knowledge, Theodore could be called the best summoner in modern times.

  With Aquamarine, sapphire, a blue drake’s heart, and a magic circle written for elementals, this was literally the best performance. Theodore finished his work and sighed, ‘Sigh, I’ve roughly prepared it.’

  A blue magic circle flashed under his feet, and the perfection was at a level which anyone who studied magic would admire. Right now, there were only a few researchers in the field of summoning magic.

  “Wow, isn’t this magic circle really amazing? It is on a different dimension from the basic principles shown in magic books. How can he do this?”

  “Theo is amazing. This is new summoning magic...”

  Unlike Sylvia and William, Veronica didn’t look very impressed. It wasn’t hard to guess why, so Theodore smiled bitterly and walked toward her. “Tower Master.”

  “I know it can’t be helped, but I don’t like it,” Veronica grumbled angrily.

  The red dragon blood flowing through her body refused to meet with a sea dragon. Veronica was irritated despite never meeting Aquilo before. It wouldn’t be strange if they fought when meeting face-to-face.

  “Well, I’ll look at your face and try to endure it.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But you should keep one thing in mind.” Veronica pointed an index finger and touched the tip of Theodore’s nose. “I will blow away all enemies in front of me.”

  “... Please be lenient.” That was the only thing he could say.

  Theodore stood inside the summoning circle again and took in a deep breath. “Then let’s get started.”

  It was fairly difficult to summon a dragon, but Theodore didn’t have much trouble. The biggest problem with summoning was compromising with the invited being. However, Aquilo had already agreed to be summoned.

  Moreover, she had said she would help him once unconditionally, so she wouldn’t refuse his summons. Theodore rotated his seven circles and recited a spell.

  “Inform her.”

  A large-scale ritual was normally required, but he just needed to look deeply in his connection with Aquilo.

  “Ruler of the ocean, master of the waves. I use your name and blood to be reunited in this place.”

  As the spell was chanted, the magic circle scattered a blue light. The blood flowing inside Theodore’s body slowly cooled as resonance.

  Then as the blood of the Sea Dragon Aquilo strengthened, Theodore’s body temperature was lowered to a point which couldn’t be human. Theodore’s face was turning white when he finally heard the voice.

  「What? You called me after a long time, Boy.」 The drowsy voice mixed with charm was truly strange.

  Theodore was glad to hear the voice and replied, ‘Aquilo.’

  「You didn’t call me just to speak my name, did you? Huh?」

  ‘Of course not. It is something more troublesome...’

  「There is a lot of time, so explain it to me.」

  As Aquilo stated, there was a lot of time. It was usually a significant burden to use summoning magic, but Aquilo and Theodore were able to hold a long conversation because of the connection with each other. After talking for 30 minutes, Aquilo readily accepted his summons.

  「Okay, I understand that this is caused by my link with you.」

  ‘Then you will come when called?’

  「No, it is annoying, so I’ll just come now.」

  ‘What? Wait...!’

  Theodore stepped aside hurriedly as the magic circle flashed.

  Pahat!

  Her sapphire-like blue hair and her two fluorescent eyes which shone with playfulness soon appeared. As always, Aquilo was wearing an outfit which made it hard to look at her. It was a thin piece of cloth covering the important pa
rts, just enough to shake a man’s heart. However, it was strange that it didn’t look crude on her.

  “... Why are you always so naked?” Theodore said, turning his eyes away.

  Meanwhile, Aquilo fluttered her clothing with a naughty smile. His eyes couldn’t help being drawn to her exposed flesh.

  “Boy, aren’t you enjoying it? Men are all the same.”

  “C-Cough.”

  Aquilo teased Theodore as she stepped out of the magic circle. After looking around, she grumbled, “Ah, I don’t like the desert because the air is too dirty. I never would’ve come if this wasn’t happening.”

  Then she suddenly stopped and stepped toward Veronica. Clearly, it wasn’t a one-sided rivalry. The red dragon and blue dragon... The hostility engraved in their blood was the same. As the red and the blue stared at each other, it was Aquilo who opened her mouth first.

  “Who is this, the red clan famous for their brutality?” She said with a bright smile which almost made Theodore misunderstand it as a greeting.

  Veronica frowned and countered. Her bright smile was impressive as well. “Aren’t you the one famous for pirating?”

  This time, it was Aquilo’s eyebrows which twitched. “You, a quarter dragon... Do you intend to go against a pureblood dragon?”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve already killed one. Aren’t sea dragons more incompetent when out of water?”

  “...Ha, haha.”

  “Ah, did I hit the bullseye? I’m sorry.”

  Veronica made an expression that showed she wasn’t sorry at all, while Aquilo’s lips twitched. Killing intent rose between the two beauties. It was an atmosphere which seemed like a fight would occur at any moment.

  The gazes of the group naturally rested on one man, Theodore.

  ‘Damn.’

  Theodore had already thought it would be like this, so he eventually sighed and walked in between them.

  Chapter 203

  Fortunately, a bloody battle didn’t start between Veronica and Aquilo. It was thanks to Theodore. They didn’t stop exchanging barbs through words, but that was enough. Both were transcendent beings capable of destroying an army, so Theodore hoped that the tension between the two would end with just arguing. He couldn’t think about laughing at all.

  The problem was that he was at the center of the tug of war. In that sense, Aquilo was really cunning. Unlike her attitude, she knew she was at a disadvantage in the desert and had no intention of fighting. After all, she wasn’t a beast made of pure violence but an intelligent being.

  “By the way, hasn’t it been a while? Boy.” As such, Aquilo ignored Veronica and grabbed Theodore’s right arm out of the blue. Her thin, slender arms wrapped tightly around him. “Even if you couldn’t call me properly, couldn’t you at least say hello? Isn’t that too much?”

  “S-Sorry...?”

  “You are lacking sincerity. Don’t you know it is showing on your face?”

  It was as she said. This was the first time he had experienced something like this. Theodore had spent his youth reading books, and his past experience with women could be counted on one hand. He couldn’t think logically because of the texture pressing against his right arm. His body and mind were simultaneously confused, so he didn’t know how to answer and remained silent.

  Aquilo smiled like she knew that. ‘Kuk, what a cute response.’

  She had experienced it in the cave, but men like Theodore shouldn’t be openly seduced. Rather, she had to gradually narrow the distance until his vigilance broke down. Aquilo remembered the pleasure of putting her teeth into ripe fruit for the first time and couldn’t help licking her upper lip.

  ‘It looks like there are a few competitors but...’

  One of them was a silver-haired girl staring at her from behind Theodore. For a human, she didn’t have a bad appearance. It was the same for the woman mixed with the savage blood of the red clan. There was also the high elf she hadn’t met yet.

  Aquilo had never failed in her seductions, so it was the first time she had rivals. However, this difficulty was what Aquilo wanted. She would beat all her competitors and completely take away his mind and body—

  “...Hah...” A sweet sigh was let out.

  Theodore flushed red due to his close proximity to her, but Aquilo was so excited that she didn’t even realize it. Like most cool-blooded animals, a flush appeared on her pale face when she became excited.

  Then as Theodore was about to lose his breath...

  “Hey.” Veronica finally reached the limit of her patience and grabbed Aquilo’s shoulder. “Fish, don’t stick to the kid.”

  An unpleasant sound was heard from her hand. Veronica’s grip was enough to break a large rock. It was at a level that not even Aquilo could resist. Theodore was afraid there would be a fight...

  However, Aquilo just dropped his arm coolly and said, “It is truly savage. Do you have the blood of an ogre inside you?”

  “What are you saying?!”

  “Well, I can feel relieved now. You can never beat me.”

  Veronica frowned at the unknown meaning of Aquilo’s words. She didn’t know why, but Aquilo seemed one step ahead in this quarrel. From then on, neither of them spoke. Aquilo gave a strange smirk, and Veronica seemed deeply troubled.

  ‘... The previous growls were scary, but I don’t like this silence.’ Theodore sighed as he felt the weight of the silence on his shoulders.

  One person was a dragon, the strongest species in the material world, and the other was a magician who hunted dragons. This unnatural silence lasted until they met again with Desertio.

  * * *

  “It has been a while, Old Man,” Aquilo said after entering the situation control room.

  It was a nickname which didn’t suit an ancient dragon like Desertio, who had lived for almost a million years. However, Desertio didn’t become angry as he replied in a rather shaky voice, [This voice, is it Aquilo?]

  “Of course, it is. I knew this would happen, but I didn’t expect to be the one in charge.”

  [Haha, me as well. I didn’t know that a tomboy would be my end... You didn’t return for more than a thousand years, so I thought you had already forgotten about this old man.]

  Then Aquilo replied cheekily, “Who is the one that lives in the desert? Even now, it is hard to breathe in this place. If you weren’t dying, I wouldn’t have come to you.”

  [Y-Yes. Thank you...]

  Like a grandfather listening to his cute granddaughter, Desertio didn’t refute Aquilo’s ridiculous words. The majesty of the dragon, who treated a sword master as an ant, was indeed a mess.

  Was he weak toward Aquilo or was it because they were the same species? The words between the two dragons were no different from the conversation between an ordinary father and daughter.

  Then Aquilo asked, “But don’t you still have a few hundred years left? There is still some life force left.”

  [Umm, there is perhaps 300 years left. But it is hard to imagine that this opportunity could come again. It will be difficult for you to be present when the time comes.]

  “It makes sense, but...”

  To humans, death was absolute oblivion and fear. However, it was a natural ending for dragons. Born from nature, they would go back to nature.

  Their powerful teeth and claws, solid leather, and scales... All the blessings they received when they were born would be returned to the material world. Sand dragons became grains of sand, sea dragons became water, and fire dragons became lava. They were part of the world and would be reborn in a slightly different form.

  The many years that Desertio had experienced were enough for him to understand this. Aquilo was still young, so she didn’t understand it yet.

  [Don’t feel too much regret. I am satisfied with my life.]

  He had lived for a long time. He had watched, fought, negotiated and killed many humans, elves, dwarves, and dragons. It would be a lie to say he felt no hesitation, but he had decided to end his life. This was the right ti
me to do so while respecting the leader’s wishes.

  Aquilo shook her head and muttered in a small voice, “Who feels regret, Old Man.”

  [Hehehe, you feel regretful. You can’t put up a false pretense in front of this old man.]

  “... Annoying.” The sly mask of a dragon was there, but she seemed more like a girl who wasn’t being honest. Desertio laughed at her and shifted his gaze. He looked at the human who had been chosen by this volatile child, the man who had brought him this joyful relationship today.

  [Young magician, you are this body’s benefactor. What is your name?]

  Theodore was surprised by the sudden question, “Theodore Miller.”

  [Yes, Theodore Miller. You are the benefactor who will bring a satisfying end to this body. As I said before, I would like to thank you and will give you a corresponding reward,] Desertio said. Then he continued talking, [I don’t have anything other than this body. Since a thousand years ago, my power has been out of control, and all the treasures I had gathered all turned to sand. If you are expecting treasures or gold, I have to apologize for not being able to meet those expectations.]

  Theodore had already guessed this much. Treasures from the Age of Mythology had long turned into grains of sand from the power of weathering. In addition to that, Gluttony had said that sand dragons didn’t have much interest in goods. It was the opposite of water dragons who enjoyed stacking up treasures like mountains.

  However, a dragon wouldn’t lie about giving a reward due to his high pride. After all, Desertio hadn’t said that he would repay Theodore in gold.

  Then Desertio called out to Paragranum, [Ruins manager, are you listening?]

  “... Yes, I’m listening.”

  [Quickly open the entrance for a moment.]

  Paragranum was troubled for a moment. However, the opponent was a dragon who could destroy the outer walls, so she unlocked the entrance. Although it couldn’t be seen from the control room, Desertio had a clear view of the entrance.

  Then after a short silence, the sand dragon spoke again, [...Now, it is inside. You can close the door again and take it.]