Chapter 471

The silver-haired woman’s face hardened.

Ripples stirred briefly in her silver pupils, but soon she smiled again as if nothing had happened.

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. Why do you think so?”

“It doesn’t seem to be your true body. Are you a Chimera?”

“So it wasn’t just a guess. You’ve met a Dragon before?”

“Yes.”

“This might take a while. Shall we walk?”

“Sure.”

Zeon calmly walked alongside the silver-haired woman down the street.

She glanced around as they walked.

“What an incredible place.”

Her gaze stopped on the towering skyline of Neo Seoul beyond the great wall.

Countless skyscrapers jutting above the barrier filled her eyes.

“Even in Kurayan, I’ve never seen a city packed with buildings this tall. What did humans do while I was asleep? It’s astonishing.”

“That’s quite an admission. You’re acknowledging yourself as a Dragon.”

“No point denying it when you’re already certain. You’re right. I’m a Dragon, Silver Dragon Tesserina Caslow. Just call me Tesserina.”

“Yes, Lady Tesserina. Then this body is a Chimera, correct?”

“What a persistent human. As you said, this body is just a shell made using a Chimera. My true body is far, far away from here.”

“I thought so.”

Zeon nodded.

He had recognized her nature the moment he saw her.

It was the same feeling he’d sensed from Archidna and Nigel before her.

A distinct presence and aura that only Dragons possessed. Tesserina’s was faint, but it was there.

That had reminded him of Hyeltun, who was killed by Deoeden.

Hyeltun had used a Chimera as a vessel for external activity. That’s why Zeon had guessed Tesserina might be the same.

“Humans are truly remarkable. To build such a city in the middle of the desert, and these things, too.”

Tesserina took out a small flamethrower from her subspace.

It was a device designed for hunting low-level beasts, engraved with magic circles to maximize its power.

“It’s such a simple fire spell. Any mage in Kurayan could cast it, one of the most basic spells. The power is usually insignificant. But by engraving it into a tool like this, they’ve amplified it to unbelievable levels. Such creativity, it leaves me speechless.”

What she admired wasn’t the magic itself, but humanity’s creativity in applying it.

Most of what she had seen in the Goblin Market was like that.

The magic itself wasn’t great, but by merging it with technology, humans had achieved remarkable power.

Creativity and adaptability that could never be found among the humans of Kurayan.

When Tesserina had awakened from her long sleep, she had assumed Earth’s humans were living miserable lives. The planet had been too thoroughly ruined.

Even for Dragons, the desertified Earth was beyond restoration.

In a world overrun by monsters, she had never imagined humans could thrive like this.

Her guess had only been half right.

Indeed, most humans struggled in harsh environments. But Neo Seoul was different.

When she first discovered Neo Seoul after traveling the desert for so long, the shock had been indescribable.

It was like seeing a giant rose bloom in a wasteland.

Beautiful and enchanting, but hiding sharp thorns beneath its petals.

Even though she was only perceiving it through her Chimera vessel, the impact had been immense.

Tesserina had wondered how humans could build such a civilization amidst a world crawling with monsters.

Her question was answered when she approached Neo Seoul.

“There’s a corpse of one of my kind deep beneath this city. That’s why the monsters can’t get close.”

Only a Dragon could sense it.

The scent of a dead kin.

Humans, shameless as ever, had built a massive fortress atop the corpse, using it as a shield.

Thanks to that, they had escaped the monsters’ reach and built this towering civilization.

Zeon looked straight at Tesserina.

“So, are you angry?”

“Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Yes.”

“And if I were angry?”

“Then I’d have to stop your anger from reaching this place.”

“How amusing. Do you really think a mere human could stop a Dragon? Even if this is just a Chimera body, you cannot possibly stand against me.”

“What if that mere human has already slain a Dragon?”

“…”

Tesserina frowned deeply.

At first, she thought Zeon was bluffing.

It was absurd, no human could ever kill a Dragon. But when she looked into his eyes, she realized.

He was telling the truth.

“You… really did. How can a human…”

“Because Dragons are not gods.”

“Still, humans aren’t beings that can challenge Dragons.”

Tesserina stared at him with thoughtful eyes.

After a long silence, she sighed.

“Ha. Occasionally, there are humans like you. Short-lived creatures, barely a hundred years to live, yet they shine brighter than any other lifeform. They appear out of nowhere and change the world. It seems you’re one of them.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“I’ll promise not to bring harm to Neo Seoul. Besides, with this Chimera body, I doubt I could do much to you anyway.”

“I’ve heard that a Dragon’s promise is absolute. Is that true?”

“It is. But I can’t speak for the others. Not every Dragon will make the same choice. They’re more aggressive, and their pride pierces the heavens. They’ll never forgive humans for using the corpse of one of our kind this way.”

“That’s a problem for later. Either way, thank you for your wise decision.”

Zeon bowed slightly.

Tesserina looked amused by his gesture.

She was over two thousand years old.

She had lived through ages that humans couldn’t even imagine. She had met countless extraordinary beings.

But never anyone like Zeon.

Even if this body was only a Chimera, it still carried the aura of a Dragon.

That presence alone was overwhelming, enough to paralyze ordinary humans. That was why no one had dared approach her despite her beauty.

Yet Zeon stood before that pressure and spoke without hesitation.

In all her long life, she had never encountered a human like him.

Then Zeon asked,

“Have you been sleeping the whole time since coming to Earth?”

“Yes. I had no choice. I needed to recover the power I spent crossing over.”

“The other Dragons didn’t seem to do that.”

“It depends on their nature. Some forcefully draw on nature to recover and grow, but I prefer the natural way. Rest and sleep are enough for me to heal. There’s no need to strain myself.”

“Or maybe you’re just lazy?”

“From a human point of view, maybe. But our kind grows and restores ourselves just by resting and sleeping. To me, the most natural state is the most perfect one. Power gained by force always breaks harmony.”

Among Dragons, the Silver clan was the most peaceful, and Tesserina was one of them.

That was why she didn’t flare up at Zeon’s provocations.

“You’re different from Lord Nigel.”

“You met him?”

“Yes.”

“How is he?”

“He abandoned his Dragon body and became a Half-Demon Dragon.”

“A Half-Demon Dragon? Not transferring his consciousness into a Chimera, like me?”

Tesserina looked puzzled.

Zeon explained in detail the circumstances under which he had met Nigel and what he had witnessed.

As he spoke, Tesserina’s expression grew darker.

Nigel had been far older and stronger than she was.

Wise, powerful, beyond measure.

For such a Dragon to transform himself into an entirely new species, it was something no Dragon’s power should have been capable of.

“It must have been because of the gem containing the remnants of Lord Krasias’ will, right?”

“I think so. Do you know why Krasias left behind his residual thoughts?”

“I don’t. I didn’t even know he had left anything behind until you told me. I’m sorry I can’t give you an answer.”

“No need to apologize.”

Zeon shook his head.

From their conversation, he could tell her temperament was gentle.

She wouldn’t cause trouble unless provoked.

There was no reason to irritate her over something she didn’t know.

Then Tesserina spoke suddenly, as if remembering something.

“Come to think of it, you never introduced yourself properly.”

She had heard the guards call his name, but hearing it from his own mouth was different.

A direct introduction meant closeness, not formality.

“My name is Zeon.”

“Zeon. A good name.”

“Thank you.”

“Zeon, I have a favor to ask. Show me around this place. There are parts of the city I can’t enter in this form. I could force my way in, but that wouldn’t end well for either of us.”

“That’s not difficult. I can do that.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Follow me. I’ll start by showing you Shinchon, where the Goblin Market is.”

Zeon led Tesserina out of the Goblin Market.

She followed, her eyes filled with curiosity as she took in every sight he showed her.

Among them was a newly built village at the edge of the Shinchon desert.

People were building houses using sand-hardening compounds.

Watching humans lay bricks mixed with that material left a deep impression on Tesserina.

As a Dragon, she could have created something far grander in an instant with magic.

Even through a Chimera body, that much was easy.

To Dragons, magic was as natural as breathing.

That was why there had never been a need for such effort.

She had never experienced hardship herself, yet paradoxically, these human efforts looked almost sacred to her.

Laboring and sweating to build a home for themselves and their families, such a thing was something she could never experience in her entire life.

“It’s beautiful.”

“What is?”

“Humans. They live brief lives, yet they pour their hearts into their families and struggle for them. Maybe that love is what makes them strong.”

“Don’t Dragons have familial love?”

“We’re born perfect. We live alone from the start. There’s no opportunity to feel family bonds.”

“I see.”

Zeon nodded, taking in the new knowledge.

Tesserina asked,

“How many more of those houses will they build?”

“I don’t know, but probably several times more than this.”

“These are people who can’t enter the inner wall, right?”

“Yes. Only the chosen can live there. Ordinary people can’t enter even if they die trying.”

“I thought so.”

Tesserina nodded with a bitter look.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion roared from the direction of the slums.

They turned to see a building collapse, flames rising high into the air.

From the rubble, something shot upward.

A creature, dark and bat-like.

“What’s that?”

“A vampire. And one that’s nearly pure-blooded…”

Tesserina answered Zeon’s question.