Chapter 46: Chapter 46 – Finished
Crowne looked up. "What is this place?" he asked.
Doran shook his head. "I don’t know, but it seems like an ancient tomb belonging to a king or something similar. There are many treasures here. Aren’t you going to..."
When Doran turned toward Crowne, he realized Crowne was no longer there. He had already gone ahead with a torch in his hand, exploring the ancient tomb. Crowne soon found piles of gold and immediately took everything, storing them all inside his inventory.
Doran was a bit surprised when he saw that. He thought Crowne had no interest in treasure, but his assumption was completely wrong.
"Humans will always be humans. They love gold and wealth," said Doran, shaking his head slowly.
**
Sylvara, Velrisa, and Ronan walked through the cave corridor. They were heading toward the exit, wanting to go where Crowne was since there was nothing left inside the cave. The lich that had been there was gone as well, having escaped.
"Why is Master taking so long?" murmured Sylvara.
Ronan, who was walking in the back, suddenly froze. He almost forgot that they came here together with Crowne. His fear made him forget, but when he remembered, panic filled his face.
"We must hurry! The old man might be in trouble!" he shouted in panic.
Velrisa only glanced at him. Ronan ran ahead of them, faster than before. Now, he was leading the way. Velrisa and Sylvara, however, continued walking calmly. They were not rushing, nor did they look worried.
Ronan turned around. "Why are you still back there? Come on!" he urged.
He started running again but looked back after a few steps, seeing Sylvara and Velrisa walking lazily. They even stopped. Ronan clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I knew it. You two don’t even care about my lord," he muttered.
He then continued running toward the cave’s exit, leaving Velrisa and Sylvara behind. Both women looked toward the left, where they saw a tunnel leading downward. They looked at each other and nodded.
"Let’s go," said Sylvara.
Velrisa was about to step forward but stopped. "Our lord is already fine," she said. She turned around and began walking after Ronan. "Let’s just wait outside," she added.
Sylvara looked at her, hesitating for a moment, but finally nodded and followed. Their faces were calm, as if nothing serious had happened.
Even the situation they were in did not make them panic, nor were they worried about Crowne’s safety. They truly believed he would be fine.
"I will give this beast to Master as his first servant," said Velrisa.
Sylvara frowned. "Are you sure that thing is a beast? It looks more like a monster to me."
"This creature is a mix of many living beings, and one of them is a beast. Master should be able to tame it. If not, I’ll keep it myself. I’m sure it will be useful later," Velrisa replied.
Sylvara’s frown deepened. She didn’t agree. The creature Velrisa was holding looked disgusting and strange. It felt like something that should be destroyed, not kept as a servant.
"That thing has no mind. It will only rampage," Sylvara complained.
"It’s not as you think. You’ll see for yourself later."
Sylvara looked at Velrisa’s face, then at the grotesque creature, switching her gaze between them. She shrugged.
"Whatever you say."
**
"Master, we’ve arrived," said Doran.
Crowne jumped down from Doran’s back. They were now above ground. Crowne turned around but could no longer see the ancient tomb from up there. He ignored it and began walking upward, heading toward the exit.
"Have they already gone outside?" he muttered.
He and Doran walked slowly through the secret passage. Within a few minutes, they finally reached the end. When they turned left, light came into view. That was the exit of the cave.
Crowne walked toward it, followed by Doran. The dragon had taken on a smaller form, no larger than the size of a palm. He deliberately shrank his body to fit through the narrow tunnel and also to avoid drawing too much attention.
Doran’s eyes remained sharp, filled with arrogance. He was an ancient magical beast who had lived for hundreds of years and had been feared by countless creatures. Naturally, he looked down on all living beings, including Crowne. But now, he dared not do so anymore.
He was Crowne’s servant now. To defy or disobey Crowne would be the same as suicide.
"Ah, finally, we’re out," said Crowne.
The moment he and Doran stepped outside the cave, three pairs of eyes immediately turned toward him. Ronan rushed forward and began checking Crowne’s body. Once he confirmed that Crowne was unharmed, he sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness, you’re safe," said Ronan.
When Ronan looked at Crowne’s shoulder, he noticed a small dragon sitting there. He stared at it for a long time, rubbed his eyes twice, thinking it was just an illusion. But it was real.
"Is this cute little dragon the beast you just tamed?" Ronan asked.
"Hey, human!" barked Doran with a heavy voice, his narrow eyes glaring sharply at Ronan. "How dare you call me cute?! I am Doran, the great dragon who—"
Ronan leaned closer, staring at the small dragon with sparkling eyes like a child who had found a new toy. "He can talk! And his voice sounds like an angry little kid. Hahaha!"
Doran’s face turned red. "I’ll kill you, foolish human! I’ll peel off your skin and throw it into the deepest abyss!"
"Oooh, I’m so scared. Please don’t kill me!" Ronan said with a mocking tone, barely holding back laughter.
It was obvious from his face that he wasn’t scared at all. Doran was furious. He wanted to attack Ronan, but a single glance from Crowne made him stop. He lowered his head obediently, though inside, he still despised Ronan deeply.
"Is everything finished?" Crowne asked.
Sylvara and Velrisa both nodded. "Yes. Everything’s done."
Velrisa frowned slightly. "You tamed a beast yourself? Where did you find such a cute little dragon?" she asked.
Doran couldn’t hold his anger anymore. He was fed up. At that moment, he jumped down from Crowne’s shoulder and expanded his body to its true size. His mouth opened wide, ready to unleash an attack toward Velrisa. But the moment their eyes met, Doran froze.
He saw an overwhelming power deep within Velrisa’s gaze that sent chills down his entire body.
"You want to fight me?" Velrisa asked.
Doran immediately shrank again and sat on Crowne’s shoulder. He glanced at Sylvara and sensed the same terrifying power within her. He gulped nervously.
"What is this? How does he have monsters this powerful as his servants?" Doran thought as he looked at Crowne. "Just who is he, really?"