#190

The mountain range, which he had never felt so vast before, felt endlessly large during the not-so-long journey down with Kiyen on his back.

Even when he got lost among the dense trees, he had never feared the darkness. But now, even on a familiar path, a vague fear washed over him as if he had lost his way. The more his back, carrying Kiyen, became soaked, the more he felt that way.

The blood flowing through his damp clothes carried a foul, metallic scent, no different from human blood. He felt like he was suffocating from the intensifying smell of blood. Denying the familiar smell of death, Cullen pressed on silently.

His wings, which had always spread beautifully, hung limply, scraping the ground. The sound of the dirt being scraped with each step often drove Cullen mad, but he endured it.

Only when the lights of the campsite came into view did Cullen let out a shallow breath, having not truly rested. He spotted the tethered horses and his mind cleared slightly.

“Cullen-nim.”

Lasano called out to him as he walked without looking back. Cullen, who was approaching the tethered horses and about to mount immediately, turned his head. He needed Lasano’s help for a moment. To minimize the widening of Kiyen’s wounds, Lasano needed to assist him in mounting.

“Lasano, I need your help for a moment. I’ll leave first, so you should pack up the luggage.”

“There is something you must know. I couldn’t say it earlier, but…”

Lasano’s expression was grim.

“There is no High Priest anymore.”

His hand, about to grasp the reins, faltered. Frowning, Cullen asked in a low voice.

“What do you mean by that?”

As he heard those words, Kiyen’s body felt like it was slipping, so Cullen tightened his grip on his arms and said again.

“Just a while ago, when we spoke, you talked about the High Priest and Common Priests without any issue. It doesn’t make sense.”

Lasano let out a sigh with a face that seemed to be going mad from strong denial. He wiped his dry face and finally opened his mouth.

“Common Priests still exist. But there are no more High Priests in the Aksha Temple. High Priests were originally born as prophets and healers for the Larciel Imperial Family. However, the Larciel Empire no longer exists, and the time of judgment the goddess warned of has passed. Therefore, High Priests are now….”

“Stop. Do not displease me with unconfirmed words.”

Cullen warned, revealing killing intent. Nothing made sense in the situation. Moreover, there were several incomprehensible statements. The fact that the time of judgment had passed while Demonic Beasts roamed freely, and that High Priests had originally been created solely for the Larciel Imperial Family, were things he had never heard before.

Putting everything else aside, Cullen did not have the mental capacity to rationally accept Lasano’s words. He was already in a rush, and anger flared up at Lasano for delaying him. He realized his emotions were out of control, but that wasn’t what was important right now.

“I will search the entire continent if I must. So, for now….”

He took a deep breath, about to tell them to depart, when Kiyen flinched. Cullen’s eyes widened as he observed Kiyen, and immediately, Kiyen coughed and vomited blood.

The unconscious pale face grew even paler, and simultaneously, his back became hot and wet. If he were human, it would have been enough to kill him long ago. The feeling of his clothes being soaked in blood made his mind go blank.

Even though he knew he had to do something, his body froze. Cullen, who had been so calm moments ago while tending to Kiyen, was now panicking at his every movement. He felt as if he had returned to a helpless past.

No, in truth, Cullen had always been helpless in the face of death. No matter how strong he became, he was never strong enough to protect someone. He froze, feeling like a completely useless being.

Lasano then grabbed Cullen again.

“Lord Cullen, there is another way.”

His red eyes, calmer than before, looked at Cullen. He seemed to have just realized something. He whispered urgently.

“Even if a High Priest exists, it’s uncertain when we can meet them. It’s also uncertain if Kiyen-nim can hold on that long. The method is for you, Lord Cullen, to heal him.”

Startled by the word “healing,” which felt so distant from him, Cat tugged at Cullen’s clothes.

“Can Cullen-nim heal?”

Lasano nodded at Cat’s earnest voice.

“Yes, Lord Cullen has divine power.”

At those words, Cullen finally recalled an event from a few days prior. The refreshing energy he felt from his hand and the change it brought about. A small opening had appeared in the suffocating despair.

…I have to try.

Even if it was very weak and he wasn’t sure if it was divine power, he had to do something. As soon as he heard Lasano, Cullen looked at the children and said,

“I will lay Kiyen-nim down. Please bring something to put underneath him, anything will do.”

As soon as Cullen finished speaking, White quickly brought a blanket from nearby. The child laid the blanket on the ground, and Cullen carefully laid Kiyen down. The blood that had stained their clothes began to dot the blanket as well. Seeing the blood still flowing, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Cullen carefully examined Kiyen. There were too many injuries to know where to start. Despite having seen many more horrific sights, the fact that the subject was Kiyen made Cullen unable to act calmly.

Nevertheless, he had to. Gritting his teeth, he placed his hand on the most severe injury, a penetrating wound in the abdomen. Seeing the wound, which exposed his insides, made him feel dizzy for a moment. This sight was so human-like. He was clearly a Dragon, but his unconscious state, revealing his vulnerable insides, made him feel only human.

But he was still a Dragon. He was alive even with such a wound.

Clinging to that single hope, Cullen pressed his palm firmly against the bleeding wound. The wound, which could not be easily stopped from bleeding, continued to spew out dark red blood. Cullen gritted his teeth at the warmth he felt in his palm.

However, there was no refreshing sensation flowing through his body like last time. The touched area became faintly warm, but the wound did not heal. Disappointment turned into fear and choked him.

“I don’t feel any change.”

With a cracking voice, Cullen looked up at Lasano. His purple eyes beneath furrowed dark eyebrows were desperate. Lasano sat down with him, looking at him. Placing his hand on Cullen’s hand, Lasano said,

“It might be difficult the first time. Using power is also an experience. Think of the original Kiyen and wish for it earnestly. Imagine him before he was injured. You can do it.”

His trembling hands steadied slightly. Cullen closed his eyes and took a breath. He pictured Kiyen before he was terribly injured. The white body looking down at him, pressing him, and the beautiful face smiling faintly flashed through his mind. Something welled up, threatening to spill out.

Longing and guilt surged simultaneously. If I hadn’t said we should leave, he would have been fine. If I hadn’t confessed my love to him, we wouldn’t have come this far.

The sin was entirely his. If he hadn’t appeared, Kiyen wouldn’t have experienced this. So please, please let him atone for at least a minimal part of his debt.

Wishing earnestly, Cullen lowered his head. Something small began to stir in his hand, where he had felt nothing before. Along with a dizzying sensation, he felt a force, not blood, flowing from his heart. The energy that had been coursing through his entire body began to gather in his hand.

“It’s healing…!”

Lasano whispered, gripping Cullen’s hand tightly. Startled, Cullen opened his eyes. He was afraid of what Kiyen’s appearance would be, but he looked down.

The wound was healing, little by little.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but as the bleeding slowly stopped, he saw flesh regenerating. A surge of exhilaration washed over him, followed by a chill down his spine. Kiyen’s wounds were too deep and numerous, and he didn’t know if his power could heal them all.

While Cullen concentrated, barely able to breathe, Black, who had been watching him, spoke.

“Lord Cullen, stay here.”

Confused, Cullen turned his head and saw Black’s pupils had become sharp. His pupils, much darker than his gray irises, clearly showed tension. The same was true for White and Cat.

The children were all gazing intently in the direction they had originally been heading, south. Their usually listless wings were now sharply raised.

“What is it?”

Lasano asked, and Cat said,

“Something else is coming this way. Not one, but two.”

White continued what Cat had mumbled, looking at a distant place where nothing could be felt or seen.

“I think that was the mother from before….”

White blinked her white eyelashes, looked at Cullen and Lasano alternately, and said,

“We will protect you. Stay here with the guardian.”

Cat was already preparing to move forward. Whether it was an illusion or not, her wings, which seemed to have grown slightly larger than before, were noticeable. Everyone, including Cat, was the same.

“No. Didn’t you just experience it? You all lack experience, so I must be here.”

However, White shook her head calmly.

“We don’t die.”

Saying that, White looked sadly at Kiyen. She opened her mouth again to stop the children, but Black spread his wings and took flight. At the same time, without any warning, something shot out from the flat clearing.

Screech!

Lasano quickly stood up and conjured a red barrier. Two small Demonic Beasts, which had shot up precisely towards their location, twisted their long bodies and lunged. With a ‘clang!’ sound, Lasano’s Magic and the Demonic Beasts’ attacks collided.

Cullen gritted his teeth, shielding Kiyen. Whether it was because they were significantly smaller than the mother he had witnessed earlier, or because they were agitated by Kiyen, he couldn’t sense their energy. A chill ran down his spine, wondering what would have happened if they had emerged from where Kiyen was.

“I will block them, so you can focus on Kiyen-nim, Lord Cullen.”

Lasano looked strained but did not back down. Meanwhile, the flying Dragons, appearing slightly more skilled than they had been in their initial panic, began to unleash attacks.

The Demonic Beasts, opening their mouths filled with dense, sharp teeth, twisted their bodies. The two creatures, as large as giant trees, flinched at the sudden attack but did not die. Though smaller, their shells were as thick as their mother’s. Their bulging exteriors, which withstood Magic, were harder than stone.

Boom!

A large fireball thrown by Cat struck a Demonic Beast. As the legs on the dotted exterior melted black from the fire, a powerful impact sound echoed in their ears. This time, perhaps because the attack had landed properly, the Demonic Beast screamed.

Kiiiiiiiiii!

A scream filled with rage was heard, and the Demonic Beasts changed direction. Drawn by the attacks directed at them, they stopped heading towards the Dragons and turned their heads towards Cullen’s location. Despite their long bodies, their charging speed was terrifying.

Clang!

A Demonic Beast collided with Lasano’s shield. As he staggered and held his ground, one of them changed its strategy. Without any chance to stop it, it burrowed into the ground and disappeared. Cullen was certain. The place it would reappear was obvious. Cullen’s gaze turned to Kiyen.

“Lord Cullen!”

As White screamed, the ground trembled, and then the earth caved in as if to swallow Kiyen whole.

Seeing that, Cullen’s eyes widened and he reacted. Instinctively, he moved the hand he had placed over Kiyen, but it wasn’t faster than the rapidly collapsing ground.

As his hand swept through the air, Cullen felt his heart sink. He superimposed the image of the Demonic Beast lurking below with its maw open. He pushed off the ground to stand, but the thought that it was too late flashed through his mind.

“Get out of the way!”

Just then, a familiar voice echoed from behind.