Chapter 268

Chapter 268

Archelon blinked its enormous eyes, then stretched its head out and pushed it toward Zeon.

“Archelon!”

Zeon reached out and stroked Archelon’s head. Then Archelon closed both eyes and accepted Zeon’s touch.

“Ah! I, I......”

Claire made a noisy fuss beside him, but Archelon did not even glance at her.

All of Archelon’s senses were open only toward Zeon.

Zeon said,

“You really are dying. How did this happen?”

“It was attacked by a black sea anemone controlled by a Curse Caster.”

Someone’s voice came from behind Zeon.

When he turned around, he saw a small old man wearing glasses and a mature woman.

The old man’s face was full of wrinkles, and from the woman with brown skin and blue eyes, Zeon could feel a strong life force like a cactus blooming alone in the desert.

Zeon recognized them at once.

“Old Man Pabilsa, Sister Kaylee!”

“It really is you, Zeon. To think that little boy grew up this splendidly.”

“It’s been a long time, Zeon!”

The two approached Zeon.

Time had made the old man even older, and had grown the boy and girl into adults.

Kaylee looked Zeon up and down and said,

“You really have grown so much.”

“You too, Sister.”

“It’s been eight years, right?”

“I think it has been about that long.”

“We should have met again under better circumstances. I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly. You were the only one I could think of......”

“You said it was attacked by a black sea anemone controlled by a Curse Caster?”

“Yes! Archelon was attacked in our place while trying to protect us. That is why it is dying.”

Kaylee stroked Archelon’s head with a bitter expression.

“That cowardly Curse Caster bastard. To launch a surprise attack with a vicious monster like a black sea anemone. If Archelon hadn’t been attacked so suddenly, it would have won.”

Archelon’s shell possessed tremendous defensive power.

It was so hard that the attacks of most monsters could not even scratch it.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of a monster called a black sea anemone.”

Zeon knew most monsters fairly well. Yet he had never even heard of a monster called a black sea anemone.

Pabilsa said,

“That would be because it is not a monster that exists in nature.”

“Then......”

“It is a Chimera. I do not know how, but the Curse Caster controlled a Chimera.”

“How can a Curse Caster use a Chimera? The compatibility doesn’t match.”

Zeon asked with an incredulous expression.

A Chimera was a kind of synthetic lifeform.

A little from here, a little from there—in that way, the biological tissues of various lifeforms were gathered and combined.

Gathering the materials did not mean synthesis would succeed.

Creating a new lifeform through human power was close to impossible. In truth, it was the realm of creating life.

Among those Zeon knew, only the Dragon Hieltun had created Chimeras and used them as his limbs.

He had never seen a human who had succeeded in creating a Chimera.

So when he heard that a Curse Caster had created a Chimera, he could only feel suspicious.

A Curse Caster was, as the name suggested, an Awakened specialized in spreading curses, and had no connection to creating Chimeras.

Pabilsa answered,

“I do not know the method either. He might have created it himself, or he might have obtained something someone else had created by chance.”

“Is the black sea anemone that terrifying?”

“Its main body is barely around ten meters. If judged by size alone, it cannot compare to Archelon.”

“Then why did Archelon......?”

“The problem is its tentacles. Thousands, even tens of thousands of tentacles grow from the top of its head, and their length stretches to several hundred meters or more. They wrap around an opponent in an instant and suck out all their bodily fluids. It was only because it was Archelon that it withstood the creature’s attack. If it had been any other person or monster, they would have been devoured by it in an instant.”

“Hmm!”

“I still cannot believe it. That such a Chimera exists in this world.”

Pabilsa trembled as though even recalling the black sea anemone filled him with terror.

Zeon looked at Archelon’s head.

The wounds inflicted by the black sea anemone’s tentacles still remained on its head.

‘Could the Curse Caster’s true identity be a dragon?’

Zeon frowned without realizing it.

If the opponent truly was a dragon, that would be the worst possible situation. But Zeon thought the possibility was slim.

He had wandered the desert for eight years and had not seen a dragon.

More than anything, a dragon’s size far exceeded one hundred meters. It was larger than Archelon.

Their sense of self and pride were as great as their size, and they would not tolerate Polymorphing into a mere human.

If anything, they would rather create and command a clone as a Chimera.

‘Using a Chimera to command another Chimera? That isn’t a dragon’s style.’

Although the only dragon Zeon had met was Hieltun, he had grasped their disposition and nature to some extent.

‘If it isn’t a dragon, did the Curse Caster obtain an item related to Chimeras from a dungeon?’

This side was far more likely.

Unexpected items were sometimes excavated from dungeons.

Among them were many objects that could not be understood through human common sense.

If he had obtained a Chimera-related item in a dungeon, then it was not impossible.

Just as Zeon was deep in thought about the Curse Caster, someone spoke to him.

“You came!”

When Zeon turned around, Urtian was walking over with his wife, Deborah.

“It’s been a long time.”

“I never thought I’d see you again this soon.”

“Neither did I.”

It felt as though it had only been yesterday that he had left Steel Fortress and returned to Neo Seoul. Standing here again now felt somewhat strange.

Zeon introduced the two people who had come with him to Urtian and the others.

“This is Lee Jung-ho and Claire from Neo Seoul.”

“Good to meet you.”

“I’ll be in your care.”

“Hello.”

Urtian and the two exchanged brief greetings.

At that moment, Pabilsa said with an apologetic expression,

“I am sorry. After we arrived here by chance, I heard about you from Lord Urtian. He said he had received great help from you......”

“I see.”

After being attacked by the black sea anemone, Archelon had made a desperate escape.

It tore apart all the tentacles wrapped around its body by force and took one difficult step after another.

Perhaps because the black sea anemone could not move while extending its tentacles, it did not pursue Archelon.

Thanks to that, Archelon escaped the black sea anemone’s clutches, wandered the desert, and arrived here by chance.

Urtian could not even describe how shocked he had been when he saw the enormous turtle thudding toward Steel Fortress.

He had intended to mobilize Steel Fortress’s entire fighting force and attack Archelon. The one who stopped him then was Deborah.

Because Deborah was a Tamer, she quickly realized that Archelon had no intention of attacking.

Archelon was badly wounded and asking for help.

Deborah could not bring herself to refuse Archelon’s request. That was why she accepted Archelon and the people riding inside it, then sent Aslan and Duduyan to Zeon.

After hearing the whole story, Zeon asked Pabilsa,

“I heard we have to find Moby Dick to heal Archelon. Is that right?”

“That is right.”

“How is that possible?”

“How much do you know about Moby Dick?”

“I only know the name.”

“Moby Dick is, as the name suggests, an enormous whale. A gigantic whale that swims freely through the sky and beneath the ground.”

“Wait. It flies through the sky?”

“Yes! It can fly through the sky as well.”

At Pabilsa’s words, Zeon looked at Lee Jung-ho.

Lee Jung-ho shook his head.

This was also the first time he had learned that Moby Dick could fly through the sky.

Zeon asked Pabilsa,

“Is that possible?”

“There is nothing impossible about it. This is not a world where common sense applies anymore, is it? Moby Dick swims through sand and swims through the sky. I do not know how such a lifeform came to be......”

“But is there a way to find it? If it swims through both sand and sky, it should be hard to find. And why do we need to find it?”

“I saw it clearly with my own eyes. I saw it heal a wounded giant Mammoth.”

The scene from that day was still vivid in Pabilsa’s eyes.

The sight of a massive lifeform nearly one hundred meters long scattering mystical light from high in the sky.

On the ground was a wounded Mammoth.

He did not know what monster had attacked it, but the Mammoth was dying with deep wounds. Yet when it received the light Moby Dick scattered, the Mammoth’s wounds recovered in an instant.

A miracle had unfolded in the middle of the desert.

“How could I remain still after seeing that? I drove Archelon and followed Moby Dick. And I discovered its nest.”

“Its nest?”

“It might be a resting place. What does the name matter? In any case, I discovered the mysterious place where Moby Dick rests. I saw with my own eyes Moby Dick, which had been floating in the sky, descend to the ground for the first time and rest.”

“Where is that place?”

“I cannot explain it in words. I do not have your ability to find paths in the desert.”

“Then how?”

“Do we not have Archelon? Archelon remembers, at least roughly, the path to the nest.”

Archelon determined direction through scents in the air.

Since it had smelled the air of Moby Dick’s nest, it should be able to determine the rough direction.

After that, they would have to receive Zeon’s help.

“But in its current state......”

“It is saving its strength for the final journey. If it squeezes out its remaining energy, it should somehow be able to reach Moby Dick’s nest.”

“Understood. Then we have no choice but to pray Archelon can hold out until then.”

The enormous old turtle was breathing with difficulty.

It looked exactly like a veteran of a hundred battles facing its final battle.

At that moment, Claire, who was beside Archelon, said,

“I’ll take good care of Archelon so it doesn’t collapse.”

“Do you perhaps have a Skill that heals tamed monsters?”

“Yes! Although its Grade is low, and Archelon is so enormous that it won’t be a great help, I should at least be able to restore some of its vitality from time to time.”

“That is a relief.”

Deborah let out a sigh of relief.

Because she too was a Tamer, she knew very well that Archelon’s condition was precarious.

Pabilsa had said they could somehow reach Moby Dick’s nest, but from what she saw, it would not be easy.

Right now, Archelon was in a precarious state like a candle about to go out. No one knew when it might suddenly be extinguished.

High-grade Tamers possessed a Cure Skill that could heal tamed monsters. If Deborah’s Grade rose beyond where it was now, she too would probably obtain a Cure Skill.

“Since it isn’t a monster I tamed personally, the effect will be reduced by half.”

“That should still be enough. Its will is so strong......”

Deborah reached out and stroked Archelon’s head.

The old, enormous turtle did not refuse her warm touch.

Concern appeared on Claire’s face.

“I can manage Archelon’s condition, but if it suffers a major shock or attack, there will be nothing I can do.”

“You can leave that to Mr. Zeon.”

The two women’s gazes naturally turned toward Zeon.

Zeon stood with his arms crossed and his head lowered, so no one could tell what he was thinking. But Deborah’s faith in him was firm.

“In this desert, there is nothing Mr. Zeon cannot protect if he decides to protect it.”

“It seems your faith in him is absolute.”

“You will come to know it as well, Lady Claire. What Mr. Zeon can do in the desert.”

“I......”

“So please help Mr. Zeon well so he can bring Archelon to Moby Dick’s nest.”

Deborah looked at Claire with warm eyes.

Claire could not look directly into her eyes.

“Everything will go well, because Mr. Zeon is with us.”

“I hope so.”

“Hehe! Believe. Then good results will follow.”

Deborah patted Claire’s back for a moment, then left.

Claire stood still and stared for a long while at Deborah’s back as she grew distant.

Clap!

At that moment, Urtian clapped his hands and brought everyone back to their senses.

“Now, instead of standing around here, let us all go inside. I will host dinner tonight.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the middle of the sandstone mountain.

A large basket was descending from there.

Lee Jung-ho murmured,

“So that is the entrance to Steel Fortress? They built a colony in naturally blessed terrain.”

It seemed like this place could defend against thousands of monsters rushing in at once.

“Excellent.”

“What is excellent?”

At Zeon’s question beside him, Lee Jung-ho smiled coldly.

“Everything......”

“Leave it alone.”

“What are you referring to?”

“When the time comes, they will trade with Neo Seoul on their own. Before that, it would be better not to forcibly annex them and make the problem bigger.”

“Is that a warning?”

“It is a request.”