CHAPTER 122: LUCK...?

"Haah... Haa... Haah..."

My breaths came in ragged gasps as I stumbled forward, my body trembling from exhaustion and sheer panic.

I had barely escaped.

That... thing—whatever it was—had almost killed me.

Tsk.

Talk about a fucking nightmare.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep moving. I should be dead right now. And for what? Because of some crazy girl who was obsessed with me?

I exhaled sharply.

Where the hell am I?

My eyes darted around. The world was drenched in darkness.

I took a cautious step forward. The ground was uneven, slick with moisture.

Something feels... wrong.

My hand instinctively went to my dagger, gripping the handle tightly. If I was going to die, I wasn’t going down without a fight.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in my throat.

The silence, it was unnerving as fuck.

And yet... I felt it.

Something was watching me.

I whipped my head around, scanning the darkness, but saw nothing. Just the same damp, lifeless cavern stretching endlessly in all directions. My fingers tightened around my weapon.

Damn it.

I should have escaped the palace when I had the chance. But I didn’t, and now... now I was paying the price.

Maybe I should’ve just accepted that psycho’s feelings. At least she would’ve protected me.

...No.

Not her.

I could tolerate anyone else. Anyone but her. She wasn’t just obsessive—she was controlling. The kind of person who would strip me of my will, mold me into her ideal possession, and never let go.

The thought alone sent a shiver of terror through me.

Screeeee!

I froze.

A sharp, piercing screech echoed through the cavern, sending chills down my spine.

"What was that?!"

My voice cracked as I whipped around, but all I was met with was the gaping void of darkness.

I can’t keep running forever.

I inhaled sharply, steeling myself. If I didn’t act now, I’d die.

No more hesitation.

With a surge of determination, I lunged forward, dagger outstretched, every nerve in my body on high alert.

I shut my eyes, relying solely on instinct.

Even before I started having those memories, I had always had this... sixth sense.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind lashed against my face. I swayed backward just in time, narrowly avoiding something that sliced through the air inches from where my head had been.

Screee!

The sound came again, but I refused to open my eyes.

I didn’t need to.

I felt it—a presence lunging toward me. My muscles coiled, and just as the attack came, I threw my arms up in defense.

"Argh!"

The impact was brutal.

A force slammed into me, hurling me backward. My body collided with the cavern wall, the sharp rock digging into my spine. Pain exploded through me, but I ignored it, pushing myself up immediately.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

A strange sizzling sound filled the air.

I didn’t hesitate.

I charged, dagger slashing forward, cutting through the unseen enemy with everything I had.

Screeeeeeeeeee!

My blade struck something solid, meeting resistance, but I pushed.

Deeper.

The dagger tore through flesh, and suddenly, a thick, burning liquid splattered across my hand.

"FUCK!"

I recoiled, the searing pain spreading like wildfire through my palm.

I staggered back, barely registering the sensation of my body crashing into the wall again. This time, the pain was unbearable, a white-hot agony that sent stars bursting in my vision.

I gasped for breath, my mind spinning.

I... I can’t take much more of this.

Gritting my teeth, I forced my eyes open.

And what I saw made my blood run cold.

My vision, now adjusted to the darkness, took in the grotesque sight before me—a massive creature, its golden scales slick with blood, lay motionless on the ground. Its body twitched, its wings—yes, wings—spread out unnaturally, riddled with gashes. A putrid green liquid oozed from its wounds, sizzling as it met the ground, burning through the stone like acid.

My dagger was still lodged deep in its flesh.

I exhaled shakily.

Wait.

WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE.

Did I....

Did I...

Did I just kill the dragon?!

But how is this possible? I thought it was supposed to be a blue flame thrower.

This was one of the weakest dragons in existence—the kind that relied on poison rather than brute strength. And yet... it was dead?

Shit.

I had come into contact with its poison!

Panic surged through me as I staggered backward. I needed to get out of here. Now.

Gritting my teeth, I turned back toward the beast. My dagger was still lodged deep in its side, glistening with thick, dark ichor. I had to retrieve it. Without it, I was defenseless.

I yanked the blade free.

Screeeeeeeeee!

A shrill, ear-splitting screech ripped through the cavern. My blood ran cold.

Fuck.

It wasn’t dead.

Before I could react, its tail lashed out like a whip, slamming into my side. A crushing force exploded through my ribs as I was sent flying. Pain shot through my arm, and I landed hard against the jagged cave floor.

I barely had time to register the agony before I felt it—my elbow, twisted at an unnatural angle.

Damn it!

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up. The dragon loomed before me, eyes glowing with malice. Its maw parted slightly, a sinister hiss filling the air. I could hear the faint, sickening sizzle of poison gathering at the back of its throat.

I did not want to get hit by that.

Heart pounding, I spun on my heel and sprinted deeper into the cave.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

A sharp, crackling sound rang out behind me, but I didn’t dare look back.

I cursed under my breath. This was supposed to be one of the weakest dragons in existence, but a dragon was still a dragon.

"My dagger," I thought grimly.

It was my only weapon, my only defense. I couldn’t afford to run too far without it.

If only I had spent more time reading those damn books on magic. Maybe I could’ve discovered something—anything—that would have helped me in a moment like this.

But now?

I was utterly defenseless.

Unless...

The dagger. That guy said it should have some pretty damn strong poison. Shouldn’t it have started taking effect by now?

A loose rock caught my foot, and before I could react, I crashed to the ground. My head slammed against a jagged stone.

"Argh!" I gasped, pain exploding through my skull. A warm, sticky sensation trickled down my face.

Blood.

I sucked in a sharp breath, pushing myself up, and hesitantly glanced behind me.

Nothing.

The dragon wasn’t chasing me.

O...kay?

Cautiously, I retraced my steps, my fingers still pressed against my bleeding nose.

And then—I saw it.

The dragon.

Or rather, its corpse.

Its massive body lay still, dark ichor pooling beneath it. But something was off. The dragon’s flesh... it wasn’t just wounded—it was melting from the inside out.

Not from the dagger’s poison.

But from its own acid.

I let out a slow exhale. It must have tried to unleash one final acid blast before dying, but something went wrong. The attack must have backfired, consuming it from within.

Tsk.

I approached the disintegrating carcass.

My dagger was gone, completely dissolved by the corrosive sludge. The dragon’s body had nearly liquefied, leaving nothing behind.

Almost nothing.

My gaze flickered to the remaining debris. There—amidst the sizzling remains—was what I had been hoping for.

The mana core.

Intact.