Dragon Empire,
Two days had passed.
I was being bullied by my teammates.
Yep. I trained a lot with Master Krishna inside his Range Shiftling, where I trained for two whole days while only half a day passed in Dragon Empire.
After returning to the hotel, I was immediately jailed by my teammates.
Apparently, "sowwy" wasn't enough.
They demanded a full explanation — especially Mala. What's even her problem?
[Lila]: So Sir Krishna is supposed to be your mentor, and you kept it a secret?
She spoke calmly, though there was fury hidden in her eyes.
Sowwy.
[Grimori]: That man is one of the Big Three of Immortalus Society and the most famous sorcerer alive, and you kept it a secret?
Sowwy.
[Kel]: I expected more from you.
He sighed.
Sowwy.
[Mala]: You shouldn't hide things like that.
She said angrily.
Soww—?
What?! Her elder sister is literally a member of Team GATTSKALT and she has the right to blame me?
[Pratik]: Your elder sister herself is part of Team GATTSKALT and you're blaming me?!
[Mala]: So what? Grimori's elder brother is none other than Sir Tego himself.
???
[Pratik]: In that case, I should be the one imprisoning all of you.
The moment I said that, she kicked the cage I was locked inside.
[Mala]: Shut up, moron. Being an apprentice of that man is impossible. He is cold and efficient. He's the strongest sorcerer in Immortalus Society after Legendary General Sir Gomo. Sir Krishna never took an apprentice before. Taking you must mean something special.
I see.
Well, maybe he just randomly decided to start taking apprentices and picked me first.
[Mala]: Shouldn't you just apologise already? You're way too stubborn.
Huh? I've been apologising for the last half hour, ma'am. This girl...
[Kel]: By the way, we should leave for the Sleeping Deity Temple. Girishika will be meeting us there.
[Grimori]: You're right. Especially now that she's going to become the Queen of this Empire.
Shouldn't that make her an empress instead? Ranking systems really vary a lot.
It was true.
After the war, people were given two choices — Subject Monarchy or Ruler's Monarchy.
That naturally created conflict. Some chose Subject Monarchy while others preferred Ruler's Monarchy.
In the end, a partition was made.
Two planets went to those who chose Subject Monarchy, while three planets accepted Ruler's Monarchy.
Surprisingly, it didn't create much chaos.
Sorcerer Hunter Commander Griho personally guided the process.
He also took the Hunting Dragon, Crocus, into custody and imprisoned him here on Planet Moro — now part of the Ruler's Monarchy.
When I returned from training, I even met him.
Crocus' face was fully wrapped in bandages, though his body was mostly healed.
Even then, he challenged me.
He said we would fight again after facing hardships and becoming stronger.
After eleven years, to be precise.
The planets had also been renamed.
The planets under Ruler's Monarchy were:
1)Moro
2)Grento
3)Subac
The planets under Subject Monarchy were:
1)Bluenos
2)Reder
Planet Moro suffered the greatest damage since it was the center of the entire war.
Anyway, today was Girishika's coronation.
It seemed she had called us to the Sleeping Deity Temple.
Maybe it was some kind of ritual.
Or perhaps just a farewell.
Now that I think about it… I feel like I might cry.
She was an idiot. Chaotic too.
But she still felt like a little sister to me.
Grimori opened my cage.
I was finally free.
I felt fully motivated for whatever came next.
[Mala]: Don't take it for granted. We only freed you for this ceremony. You'll be imprisoned again later.
I am completely demotivated now.
After One Hour~
Sleeping Deity Temple,
We finally arrived.
Surprisingly, the place was completely undamaged and shining brightly.
It looked like someone cleaned it regularly.
However, Girishika had said this place had been restricted for centuries.
Maybe there was some hidden mystery behind it.
Even Kel seemed uneasy here.
Grimori's eyes were sharp, constantly observing every movement around us.
Lila had her spells activated just in case.
Mala—
She walked around without a single care in the world.
What kind of fool does that?
As we approached the doors, they slowly opened.
The doors were gigantic and made entirely of gold.
If I sold them, I could probably become filthy rich.
Maybe I should ask Girishika later.
The temple itself wasn't that huge — around fifty meters tall and five hundred meters long.
It was built from gold and silver.
Nearby stood a gigantic bronze statue.
The temple had been overtaken by trees and vines over time, but the bronze statue remained mostly untouched.
Maybe copper ions don't support vegetation much.
After walking deeper inside, we finally reached the Sleeping Deity idol.
Wait… what?!
What kind of idol was this?
It didn't give any holy or divine feeling at all.
It just looked like a human sleeping comfortably on a throne.
A human, not a Dragoling.
Was this supposed to be some kind of joke?
Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind us.
I turned around and saw Girishika.
I sighed in relief.
My teammates relaxed too.
[Pratik]: Hey, you're late, young hag. Tell me why you called us here.
She giggled.
I didn't even make a joke, right?
"I am not Girishika."
Suddenly, the figure standing before us transformed into a human.
The same face.
This human...
...was the Sleeping Deity.
"My name is Kae. I shall personally see you off."
What?!
A chill crawled down my spine.
My instincts screamed at me.
I couldn't move.
None of my teammates could move either.
The spell Lila was preparing shattered instantly.
Suddenly, dizziness hit me.
It felt like something was pulling me apart.
Everything turned black—
And when I opened my eyes again, a chill ran down my spine.
I turned around.
My teammates were lying unconscious on the ground.
This place…
…wasn't Planet Moro.
Wait.
This wasn't even the Dragon Empire Galaxy.
We had been teleported to an entirely different galaxy?!
Planet Moro,
Kae calmly walked away from the temple.
Kae(thinking): Now then… perhaps I should collect some samples.
The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, he vanished.
The next instant, he appeared inside Asura Community — more specifically, inside Emperor Shayya's courtroom.
He bowed respectfully.
[Shayya]: What do you want?
[Kae]: The hand of Teger.
[Shayya]: I see. Proceed.
Kae descended into the dungeons beneath the courtroom and entered one of the deepest prison chambers.
The place was completely dark.
A Dragoling hung there in chains.
It looked like he hadn't been fed for days.
It was Teger.
His eyes were gone — Kara had blinded him long ago (ref. to chap 22).
His face was horribly disfigured.
The moment he sensed someone entering, he trembled in fear.
Kae giggled softly.
[Kae]: It seems Lord Shayya was rather merciless with you.
Teger couldn't answer.
His mouth had been sealed shut (again ref. to chap 22).
[Kae]: Do not worry. I did not come to increase your suffering.
Kae bent down and picked up the severed hand lying nearby.
[Kae]: In fact, I came to lessen your burden.
A pause.
[Kae]: See? Ah… my apologies. You cannot see it anymore.
With another quiet laugh, Kae left the prison.
Dragon Empire Galaxy,
In the dark depths of space, a gigantic humanoid figure suddenly teleported in.
A massive horn extended from his forehead.
He wore a yellow military uniform carrying the insignia of Emperor Buster.
Among Buster Community, Emperor Busters were considered one of the most dangerous rank holders.
Two shining medals rested proudly on his chest.
Black sunglasses covered his eyes.
A tag on his coat read:
"Reso."
His name was Reso.
Reso(thinking): What a mess. I was assigned observation duty again. I wish I could get a proper mission and fight some monsters already. Maybe I should just destroy this empire—no, the Supreme Authority would erase me for that. I suppose I should stick to my duty. Though if someone interrupts me, I won't mind—
"Seems I finally have a visitor."
Reso heard a voice and turned around.
A figure floated silently in space behind him.
It was Krishna.
[Reso]: Aren't you impatient? I am only here for observational purposes.
He spoke calmly.
[Krishna]: Why would a dog of Buster Community observe Dragon Empire territory?
Reso clenched his teeth.
[Krishna]: Angry already? During these two days, I did some research. And I discovered something interesting. Buster Community manipulated Girishika's father and forced him into committing horrific acts so they could eventually purchase Dragon Empire from him. But the plan failed because a certain team of sorcerers sided with Girishika and defeated her father twenty years ago.
Krishna's eyes sharpened.
[Krishna]: Tell me, Buster dog. What explanation do you have for that?
Reso struggled to suppress his anger.
[Reso]: So what? These creatures are born to die. Supreme Authority is divine. They are destined to rule over every—
[Krishna]: Who are you to decide that?
His voice remained calm.
[Krishna]: You destroyed countless lives. How exactly do you plan to repay them?
[Reso]: None of my concern. I simply follow the orders of Buster Community.
[Krishna]: Then allow me to assist you with your observation personally.
A terrifying silence spread through space.
[Krishna]: Range Shiftling… ZEROTH DIMENSION.
To be continued...
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EXTRAS:-
Favorite Foods (Canon)
Pratik — Paneer and chapati
Mala — Capsicum and chapati
Grimori — Green vegetables
Kel — Chocolate
Lila — Sweet foods
Girishika — Toffee
Arun — Dosa
Krishna — Rice
Kae — Spicy food