Chapter 150: Druka’s Tip
"As long as I can track him and monitor his progress, I should be able to defeat him easily."
Romeov’s hand twitched as he prepared to summon a tracing spell, his gaze locked on the boy who had somehow slipped out of his control.
His lips curled into a confident smirk, but before the incantation could form, a ripple of distortion opened behind him.
A large, clawed hand shot out of the void and shoved him forward like a toy. His aim is to place a tracking spell on Auren.
"Not on my watch," Ugha growled. He blocked him before reaching Auren and flicked him with his special move.
PANG!
"Wait—No—!"
SHOOM!
Romeov’s voice was swallowed as he tumbled into the spiraling vortex Ugha summoned. The portal slammed shut with a resonating snap.
And just like that, the troublemaker Emperor of Austerra vanished, snatched away mid-spell.
...
THUD!
The floor of Austerra’s throne room trembled as Romeov landed flat on his backside.
Dozens of heads whipped toward him, eyes turning from curious to shock in an instant.
Nobles in flowing silks, armored knights with gleaming insignias, and robed magisters all stood frozen, their murmurs dying into stunned silence.
They had been in the middle of a heated discussion about the empire’s instability and the looming threat called Dark Fate, when suddenly, their emperor fell from the sky like a drunken pigeon.
Romeov groaned, dusting himself off.
His eyes darted to the side—where a perfect copy of himself, a dummy projection, sat stiffly upon the throne.
"Ah," he muttered.
With a snap of his fingers, the illusion dispersed into smoke and walked as if everything is normal. He then brushed down his armor and slid casually into the now-empty chair at the center as though nothing unusual had happened.
"Ahem."
His smile widened into a charming, disarming grin. "Apologies. I had something important to deal with first."
The hall remained utterly silent. Some stared at him in disbelief, others in barely contained rage.
Beside him, Wilfred’s eye twitched violently.
Romeov turned to the man with exaggerated cheer, "Shall we begin?"
Wilfred crossed his arms, the veins in his forehead tightening. "Shouldn’t you explain yourself first, Lord Romeov?"
But Romeov wasn’t listening. His mind was still stuck on Ugha’s promise.
That Essence of Eternal Flame should be mine...
His lips curled again. Instead of answering Wilfred, he leaned forward and addressed the hall.
"I have an important task for you all. Specifically, I want a certain individual traced. Across the empire... no, across every continent if needed."
His sudden request made every single one inside curious and at the same time, interested.
Then he added with a wide smile, "Those who can give me a tip on finding this person, will be greatly rewarded on top of any treasures and territory of your choice."
And just like that, another manhunt for Auren has been placed.
...
The Desert
Back under the blistering sun, Auren stood between Ugha and Bonbon, his clothes clinging with sweat. Before them, the furious Primordial, Akhub, growled like a caged beast.
"I already sent your emperor friend away. Do you still need something from me?" Ugha asked dryly.
"Hmph." You’re just lucky I am not in my best form. But you better watch out." Akhub’s glare lingered on Auren for a beat too long before he turned away.
"Hmp!"
With a whip of his cloak, his tiny body vanished into a dimensional portal, leaving only the faint hum of power in his wake.
The silence afterward was deafening.
Auren finally exhaled and took his chance.
"I have a question about Druka."
Both Bonbon and Ugha turned toward him, their faces almost bored.
"Druka? So you’ve heard of him too. What is it that you wanna know about that sleepy lizard?" Bonbon said, his beady eyes sparkling as always.
"Do you know where he is right now? And... how I can meet him?"
The words hung in the air like a stone thrown into still water.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then—
"MWAHAHAHAHA!"
Ugha burst into booming laughter, clutching his stomach. Bonbon toppled onto the sand, rolling like a tiny dog.
"You... want to meet Druka?!" Bonbon squeaked, tears forming in his tiny eyes. "Why? Are you suicidal?"
"I happen to have a message for him," Auren replied evenly, though his lips twitched.
Another fit of laughter exploded. Bonbon’s tiny wings flapped helplessly as he writhed. "A message? From who, God Himself?"
Auren forced a polite smile. "Sort of."
Inside, his thoughts burned. I can’t tell them that an Angel named Gabriel sent me, can I?
But the moment the name surfaced in his mind, both Primordials froze.
The air itself seemed to harden.
Ugha stepped closer, his massive shadow stretching over Auren. His voice was sharp as steel.
"Speak boy, what do you mean Angel Gabriel has a message for him?"
Auren stumbled back in shock. He can read my mind?!
Bonbon’s smile faded into a serious stare.
"Of course we can. We usually pretend we don’t, since mortal problems are beneath us. But when you start dropping names like the angel Gabriel..." He shook his tiny head.
"That changes everything."
Auren gulped. I think I just stepped into troublesome waters way too deep.
"And you better be prepared to drown," Ugha added, his gaze narrowing.
The two Primordials closed in, studying his thoughts with piercing intensity.
Auren’s pulse raced.
’shit.’
He wanted to scream, to run, but the truth within him burned too bright to hide.
"Tell us," Ugha said at last, his voice like distant thunder.
"What was Gabriel’s message for Druka?"
"I-is it safe to say it?" Auren whispered.
Bonbon and Ugha shared a look, then nodded.
Auren hesitated before blurting, "It was something like... Throne Div— Throne Division?"
"Throne Divergence," Ugha corrected grimly. His expression darkened.
"Yeah, that one."
"And?" Bonbon perched on Ugha’s shoulder, listening intently.
"He also said something about leaving Kalibu for Druka to guard. Since he won’t be around."
"Is Druka invited?" Ugha pressed.
Auren shook his head. "No. That’s why Gabriel wanted him to stay. To keep watch, he said."
For the first time, both Primordials fell completely silent. Their mocking laughter now gone.
Their eyes glazed slightly, as though communicating in ways Auren couldn’t comprehend.
Three minutes stretched like hours.
Then Bonbon hopped down. Without a word, he opened a shimmering portal.
"I’ll leave him to you," he said flatly before leaping inside it was as if he is in a hurry.
The portal sealed shut, leaving only Ugha and Auren in the desert.
"And there he goes again," Auren muttered, exasperated.
Ugha tilted his head toward the blazing sun. His usual grin had faded, replaced by something heavy. Turn’s out, Auren’s piece of news was not as simple as it seems, considering that it made the two Primordials frown.
"So... it’s that time again." Ugha took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for a trouble.
Auren swallowed. "If you don’t mind me asking, what is the Throne Divergence?"
"You don’t want to know, kid," Ugha replied, though his eyes studied Auren with something close to expectation. "But I do know someone who can lead you to Druka- if that’s what you want."
Auren frowned. "How about you? Are you telling me that you don’t know where he is?"
"It’s not that I don’t know. It’s that I’d rather not."
"Why?"
Ugha smirked faintly.
"Because meeting Druka is basically meeting death. Even for us Primordials. He’s a lazy beast with a temper worse than wildfire. Wake him, and he’ll kill you without hesitation... unless you’re someone he deems worthy like that weird one."
Auren went quiet and curious with those words.
He then remembered Robert’s lessons a couple of years ago where he spoke about the legend —Druka, the most powerful and mysterious Primordial Beast that is residing somewhere at the Thaasa Nation.
A land sealed by colossal walls no outsider had breached. No teleportation, no flight, no visitors. A world completely cut off from even the emperors and only the Primordials knew about them.
Ugha continued, "If you ask me, you’d be better off training here, prepare for your duel in coming ten years and get a shot to becoming Emperor of Wha-lah. I think’s that’s a better plan than going north to disturb that sleeping disaster."
"But the message from Gabriel..."
"You don’t need to worry about that, unless you’re ready to stain your hands with millions of lives."
Auren’s chest tightened. "What do you mean?"
"Because waking Druka isn’t just dangerou, kid. It’s catastrophic! His body isn’t just sleeping deep under Thaasa—it is Thaasa."
Auren blinked, getting an idea just how massive this primordial actually is.
"You mean..."
Ugha’s eyes drifted northward.
"Wake Druka, and you wake the land itself. The walls, the ground, the foundation of the nation... all of it rests on his back. To rouse him is to destroy the entire country, along with the millions who live there."
Auren’s breath caught. So the quest was doomed from the start.
Ugha sighed, sensing his despair. "Not entirely."
Auren’s eyes lit up. "There’s another way?"
Ugha summoned a bottle of wine, uncorked it with a flick, and drank deeply before throwing it back on the sand where it melted.
Bhrlugggh~
After wiping his mouth, he said, "If you want to speak to Druka, you’ll need to go through the only person he actually speaks to. Someone who can deliver your message without tearing Thaasa apart."
"And who is that?" Auren quickly followed, trying his best to suck that information out.
Ugha grinned as if remembering a long forgotten joke.
"He is an interesting man named Goku."
Auren froze. The familiar name hit him like a punch.
But Ugha wasn’t finished.
His tone sharpened, deadly serious this time.
"He happens to be the ruler of Thaasa. And if you value your life, never... ever... call him fat."