After leaving the lord’s castle, Kranol’s first stop was an herbalist’s shop.
Emergency herbs capable of suppressing his madness were always essential.
The herbalist’s eyes widened when he saw the hefty bundle of herbs his regular customer intended to purchase.
“This is insane. Stillness Herb, Relaxation Herb, and even Serenity Blossom.... Are you trying to clear out my entire shop?”
“Selling more is good for business. What are you worried about?”
“You always ignore the proper mixing ratios and dosages and chew them raw! Are you certain you’re all right?”
Kranol did not answer. He merely held out his coin pouch.
This was why his expenses were always so high.
Ninety-five percent of his income went toward herbs.
‘I realized it for certain this time. My madness is my greatest weakness.’
The Golden Elixir had allowed him to survive the immediate crisis, but his madness would eventually worsen again.
If he lost control as he had before, he would ultimately commit an indiscriminate massacre.
Kranol hated being unable to control himself.
‘It was fortunate that no one witnessed it.’
He had reduced no fewer than three mercenaries to minced flesh that very day.
Fortunately, it had happened on a deserted road, so there had been no witnesses.
Of course, that was probably why the mercenaries had attacked him there in the first place.
‘In any case, I’ll have to make a rather long journey.’
Kranol had struck a deal with the Lord of Birsi.
His new A-rank request was to completely purify the corrupted western region.
Naturally, it was even more difficult than subjugating the Rot Dragon.
That was why the lord had promised to grant him one additional request on top of giving him the Sky Boots.
‘The lord may be suspicious, but we even swore an Oath of the Star.’
The Oath of the Star.
It was a promise sworn upon the Guardian Star of the corresponding safe zone.
Anyone who broke such an oath would suffer the Star’s ‘Divine Retribution.’
A bolt of lightning might suddenly strike them, or their entire body might burst into flames.
At the very least, there was no need to worry about being deceived in a transaction bound by an Oath of the Star.
‘That lord must be desperate to establish the trade route as quickly as possible.’
Kranol had originally planned to hunt a Rot Dragon first to alleviate his madness.
However, unexpected variables had thoroughly complicated the situation.
For now, he would head toward his immediate objective while first finding a way to replenish his exhausted funds.
‘The Vortex Cavern. There’s another Rot Dragon hiding in that dungeon.’
It was a journey that could accomplish two goals at once.
First, he would ultimately extract his reward from the lord.
He could also hunt the Rot Dragon and obtain the item he needed to alleviate his madness.
Of course, the journey would be anything but easy.
‘I won’t reach the Vortex Cavern without proper equipment.’
Kranol visited several shops throughout the Birsi Territory.
He purchased dried provisions, a waterskin, a lantern, blankets, and other equipment necessary for the journey.
By the time he finished, his coin pouch was completely empty.
‘I really do need money if I’m going to remain sane.’
Financial resources were essential if Kranol wished to live a relatively peaceful life.
The herbs that suppressed his madness already cost an enormous amount.
There was a reason he constantly found himself struggling financially despite completing requests reckless enough to earn him the nickname Mad Dog.
‘Now, should I find a companion?’
Almost no one was reckless enough to challenge a dungeon alone.
It was far more efficient to enter as a team.
Roles were usually divided in detail, including defense, reconnaissance, forward scouting, healing, and trap disarming.
A party might be unnecessary for the nest of a lowest-rank demonic beast, but forming one was essential when entering a dungeon.
“Hmm.”
Kranol had never been particularly inclined toward cooperative activities.
The mercenaries had also been reluctant to approach him.
Between his infamy as the Mad Dog and his reputation as a weakling, forming a team had been difficult.
‘Besides, I don’t have any money left to hire someone.’
In that case, the solution was simple.
Kranol spoke into the empty air.
“You. Come travel with me.”
“SKREEE?”
“...Hmm. So you were behind me.”
Why would he need to hire anyone?
He already had someone.
An absurdly overpowered companion who spent the entire day following him around.
***
Kranol walked beyond the territory’s outskirts.
Since there was no one else around, the hatchling released its invisibility and followed close behind him.
Perhaps the little creature was still unfamiliar with the world, as it gazed around at everything with fascination.
“SKRREEE.”
Kranol had developed some interest in the hatchling.
It was one of only two Gold Emperor Dragons in the entire world.
The offspring of Act One’s final boss.
“Hmm.”
Judging solely by its appearance, it was genuinely tiny and adorable.
As befitted a young hatchling, it possessed a small body like that of a kitten and soft, immature scales.
It also had a rather plump belly, though the hatchling vehemently denied it.
Its four slightly protruding horns and the tail that twitched in accordance with its emotions made it look especially like a doll.
‘There’s nothing threatening about it, no matter how I look at it.’
However, he could not allow its charming appearance to deceive him.
This creature was a demonic beast that would eventually grow into an immense calamity.
Had the Black-Gold Dragon of Act One not nearly destroyed an entire continent in the original story?
‘Though it was thanks to this creature that my Hidden Trait was unlocked.’
The Hidden Trait, Catastrophe Affinity.
This trait was the greatest contributor to transforming Kranol into an absurdly overpowered character, and it could only be unlocked under special conditions.
He had to directly confront a tremendous calamity and subjugate the calamity itself.
‘In the original story, Kranol’s ability was unlocked after his madness erupted and he walked into a volcano alone. Even as nearly half his body burned, he became so consumed by madness that he gained the power to control the volcano’s activity at will.’
Naturally, it was an insane act that required him to risk his own life.
Even the maddened Kranol of the original story had nearly died.
That was why the current Kranol had not even considered attempting it.
Who could have imagined that the unlock condition would be fulfilled when this hatchling slammed into his abdomen?
‘It’s considered a calamity despite being this young. That must mean its potential is extraordinarily destructive.’
That was not all.
Thanks to the hatchling, he had even consumed the Golden Elixir.
As a result, his formerly frail body had acquired the Heavenly Martial Physique (Heaven-Wrought Body) trait.
‘It really is a little bundle of good fortune.’
However, Kranol did not completely lower his guard.
He never trusted anyone who approached him first without question.
That applied even to a young demonic beast like this one.
‘Has it truly submitted to me?’
The cautious Kranol decided to test it.
“I’m bored. I suppose I’ll kill myself.”
“SKREEEEEE!!!”
The moment he said it, the hatchling hurriedly flew toward him and tugged frantically at his clothes.
It even began wailing while repeatedly thumping its head against his chest.
Kranol had only been testing it, but calming the crying hatchling proved difficult.
“All right. I understand. I’m not going to die, so stop crying.”
“SKREEEEE!”
Only after he repeatedly assured it that he would not die did the hatchling finally stop crying and calm down.
Had it been that pleased by his promise to stay alive?
The creature, which had been sobbing only moments ago, spread its wings wide and began flying around excitedly.
“SKREEEEE!”
‘Good grief.’
Kranol found it utterly absurd.
It was a strange creature, crying one moment and rejoicing the next.
Why was it so delighted merely because he had promised not to die?
‘We haven’t even known each other for long.’
In any case, it was an exceedingly peculiar hatchling.
‘At least I don’t have to worry about it betraying me.’
It had passed his test as a traveling companion.
However, one question remained unanswered.
A hatchling should ordinarily live in its parent’s nest.
Why, then, had this creature been dying from Corpse Disease in a completely unrelated place?
“How did you end up alone?”
“SKREEEEE!”
The hatchling earnestly explained while gesturing with its tiny forepaws.
Kranol nodded seriously.
“I have no idea what you’re saying.”
He could not understand the creature at all.
How was he supposed to learn anything when they could not communicate?
‘Perhaps it was driven out of its parent’s nest after contracting Corpse Disease.’
Humans also dreaded Corpse Disease, but dragons were especially repulsed by it.
The illness was accompanied by a horrific skin condition that made its victim resemble an undead creature.
Arrogant dragons therefore regarded it as a stain upon the nobility of their species.
Moreover, it was a contagious chronic disease. What dragon would willingly tolerate it?
‘Some dragons lack maternal instincts. Rarely, they even devour their own offspring.’
Only then did Kranol feel that he had roughly grasped the situation.
The hatchling had probably been abandoned by its parent.
If that were true, its unusual attachment to Kranol also made sense.
He was the only one who had taken in the creature while it was dying.
“Hmm.”
What would happen if Kranol died as well?
The hatchling was probably terrified of being left alone again.
Perhaps it believed that without him, no one would ever allow it to stay by their side.
“You’re a troublesome creature.”
“SKREE!”
When Kranol tried to stroke it, the hatchling raised a forepaw defensively.
It seemed to be warning him not to treat it like a pet.
Only moments ago, it had tearfully begged him not to die, yet it remained fiercely proud about matters like this.
A dragon was still a dragon, after all.
After considering it for a moment, Kranol took some dried meat from his backpack.
“Are you hungry?”
“SKREE!”
Perhaps it had been unable to eat properly while it was ill.
The hatchling’s eyes sparkled as drool ran from its mouth.
Kranol tossed it a strip of dried meat.
“This is your meal. Eat.”
The drooling hatchling immediately pounced on the dried meat.
It ravenously chewed the meat with its underdeveloped teeth.
Kranol watched it and let out a faint laugh.
“SKRREEE.”
He extended his hand.
This time, the hatchling did not refuse.
Kranol stroked it.
“Oh.”
It felt far more pleasant than he had expected.
The hatchling’s immature golden scales were slightly soft rather than hard.
Apparently enjoying the sensation, it purred and stretched its body out at length.
“The more I look at you, the more you resemble a plump little kitten.”
“SKREEEEE?!”
When Kranol offered his indifferent assessment, the horrified hatchling became furious.
The two continued traveling together while bickering in that manner.
The hatchling consumed some of his provisions and could occasionally be troublesome, but thanks to its presence, he no longer felt as lonely as he had when traveling alone.
‘To be honest, the three months I spent adapting to this world were miserable.’
He had endured many hardships.
After transmigrating, even his manner of speaking had changed to resemble that of the story’s characters, and his disposition had grown increasingly sensitive.
He had not enjoyed a single peaceful night’s sleep, leaving deep shadows beneath his eyes.
The headache that tormented him twenty-four hours a day had ruined his temperament.
‘Still, things are a little better now that this creature is here.’
Watching the hatchling follow close behind eased some of his exhaustion and desolation.
He began to understand why people kept pets.
They offered their owners a surprising number of benefits.
That was why Kranol wanted to extract even more from this little bundle of good fortune.
“Is there anything else besides the Golden Elixir in your Subspace Storage?”
“SKREE!”
The hatchling vigorously shook its head.
It appeared there were no other valuable items in its subspace.
Kranol was feeling considerably disappointed when—
[You have formed a bond with 『The Abandoned Hatchling』.]
[The Hidden Trait, ‘Catastrophe Affinity,’ has activated in response to this calamity.]
[You can now copy the calamity’s exclusive skills.]
‘Ah, it finally appeared.’
Kranol nodded in satisfaction.
He had not given away his precious dried meat despite his limited resources for nothing.
This hatchling would become the first calamity to grow alongside him.