He couldn’t leave two defenseless females and a tribe under construction here while he ran off to such a distant place.
[Don’t want to eat bugs…]
Besides, precious minerals and meat are what a dragon should eat; consuming insects is truly displeasing to a dragon.
Restlessness.
An unprecedented sense of restlessness surged in his heart.
For a dragon who believes in the supremacy of strength, hunger is equivalent to weakness, and weakness is an unforgivable sin.
He whipped his tail fiercely against the rock wall beside him, sending a shower of rubble flying.
No, he must find food.
A large amount of food, enough to sustain his upcoming activities.
At that moment, a long-forgotten, almost discarded thought surfaced from the depths of his “human” memory like a lifeline.
—The main god.
Immersed in his new life as a dragon, he had nearly forgotten his most fundamental identity.
For the beings within the main god space, a world is merely one among countless “instances.”
When resources are scarce in one instance, isn’t it perfectly logical to go to another instance to obtain supplies?
Once this thought took root, it became an unstoppable wildfire.
Balthazar immediately focused his mind and sent an inquiry to that omnipresent, cold will.
[Inquiry received.]
[Situation assessment: S-rank mission “World of Gods and Demons, Strategic Mission.” Current world environment confirmed as “extremely harsh,” directly affecting the host “Balthazar’s” survival ability and mission progress.]
[Judgment: Application reasonable.]
[Permission granted to initiate “Temporary Resource Acquisition Mission.” You will temporarily leave the current mission world, but your time flow will be locked. Upon return, no time will have passed in the current world.]
[Note: The temporary mission world is randomly selected. Difficulty is based on your basic needs, and unknown risks exist.]
[All loot acquired during the mission must be settled through the main god upon return to the “World of Gods and Demons.” Some items exceeding current world rules may be sealed or erased.]
[Preparing for teleportation. Countdown: 10, 9, 8…]
There was almost no time for him to reconsider.
A shock ran through Balthazar, followed immediately by a wave of ecstatic joy.
He immediately issued an order to the group of people before him:
“Stay… here!”
“Do not… go out!”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, a white pillar of light materialized out of thin air, completely enveloping his massive form.
In Klar’s utterly dumbfounded gaze, the dragon’s figure vanished from the spot in an instant.
“What…?”
Olga stared incredulously at the scene before her, which almost defied her common sense.
“How…? This…?”
Olga instinctively rushed forward a couple of steps.
Her normally elegant gait became somewhat disordered in her haste.
Her slender hands made a few futile grabs at the empty space where Balthazar had just been coiled, only catching a few wisps of rapidly dissipating white light-dust.
“No spatial rift… no magical residue…”
This former queen who once stood at the pinnacle of Dark Elf magic widened her amber eyes, staring fixedly at the empty rocky ground before her.
Her keen perception frantically scanned the surroundings, trying to analyze the composition of that “spell,” but the result was a blank slate.
“What principle is this based on…?”
Olga muttered to herself.
The brief panic that should have arisen from losing her shelter was now swirling in her eyes, replaced by an almost fanatical thirst for knowledge.
“Squeak squeak woof!”
Hearing the noise behind her, she turned to look at the group of Kobolds who, thrown into chaos by the dragon’s sudden disappearance, were even considering dropping their picks and fleeing.
“Silence!”
A sharp shout infused with magic exploded in the cave.
Dark magic coalesced into a whip in Olga’s hand, lashing the ground fiercely and leaving a charred mark.
“Who dares stop working?”
She held her head high.
Even covered in dust and grime, the queenly pressure emanating from her made these lowly monsters tremble.
Quiet as dead chickens.
Having regained a quiet environment for thinking, Olga looked toward the now-empty deepest part of the cave.
Her desire for revenge was temporarily supplanted by curiosity.
[Balthazar… just how many secrets are you hiding?]
She slowly walked over to the patch of ground still retaining a dark red heat—the spot where the giant beast had coiled just seconds ago.
As a queen who once stood at the peak of Dark Elf magic, she should have felt fear toward this phenomenon beyond her comprehension.
Unknown power usually means uncontrollable risk, and for an avenger bent on revenge, the uncontrollable is the most taboo factor.
But at this moment, beyond the rational alarm bells, a more viscous, more fervent emotion was taking root like vines within her chest.
Olga slowly crouched down, disregarding the grime on the ground.
She extended her well-maintained, slender fingers and gently stroked the rock scorching hot from the dragon’s belly heat.
The heat transmitted from her fingertips traveled along her nerve endings straight to her heart, making her breath, which had stalled in shock, quicken slightly.
[It’s not just power…]
Her gaze gradually grew hazy, and an unnatural flush rose on her cheeks.
If it were an ordinary magical beast or a dragon relying solely on brute force, she was confident she could manipulate it with her intellect and magic, using it as a hunting hound to tear at her enemies.
But this dragon was different.
He knew this world’s secrets. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
He could devour the “god’s” body.
And now…
he even wielded the authority to cross worlds—an authority she, a grand mage, couldn’t even analyze.
“What exactly… are you?”
Olga murmured, her fingertips tracing the rough rock as if caressing a lover’s skin.
An intense, electric thrill of awe mixed with voyeuristic desire shot up her spine.
That massive, tyrannical, intensely masculine figure was now indelible in her mind.
The false contract originally forged solely for revenge had now mutated in her heart.
Was this what she had always yearned for?
Not those weak, incompetent kin, nor those slaves who only knew how to wag their tails and beg.
But an absolutely powerful, convention-shattering, mystery-filled…
true tyrant.
[Ah… this is the subject worthy of my assistance… no, worthy of my research.]
Olga bit her lower lip sharply, trying to use the pain to mask the almost uncontrollable smile at the corner of her mouth.
She told herself this was merely a scholar’s thirst for unknown truths, merely a “deep analysis” necessary to better utilize this weapon.
Yes, she just wanted to take this dragon apart, examine his structure, his soul, see just how many more surprises he could bring.
“Queen… Your Majesty?”
A timid call interrupted her train of thought.
The haze in Olga’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by her usual icy haughtiness.
She abruptly stood up, turned, and looked down imperiously at the bewildered Kobold leader, Klar.
“What are you looking at?”
She snorted coldly.
Magic condensed into a black whip shadow in her hand, lashing the rock beside Klar’s feet and sending sparks flying.
“Your master has gone to conquer new hunting grounds. If the expansion work here doesn’t meet the standards before he returns with the spoils…”
Olga narrowed her eyes, dangerous glints flashing in her beautiful pupils.
At this moment, only by berating these lowly creatures could she vent the indescribable agitation in her heart.
“…I will skin you worthless creatures and make you into a carpet to welcome his triumphant return.”
“Do you understand?!”
“Yes!! Yes!!”
Amidst the Kobolds’ terrified screams and the renewed, frantic sounds of chiseling stone, Olga turned her back to the crowd.
She looked again at that empty space, crossing her arms, her fingers digging deeply into the soft flesh of her arms.
[Come back soon… my… dragon.]