I’m Here to End This Fight

Chapter 213. Black Dragon Hall (4)

Yuri followed the bespectacled man excitedly.

Surprisingly, what greeted him was a single carriage.

“Get in.”

It was the first carriage he had seen since his first day at the Cradle, and even then, it wasn’t like the wagons from that day.

This carriage had a full roof.

The moment Yuri stepped into the carriage,

Clunk-.

The door was locked from the outside.

Yuri let out a wry chuckle in disbelief.

“Well, this isn’t a carriage… it’s basically a coffin.”

There were no windows, and the door couldn’t be opened from the inside.

Only a few small holes in the ceiling allowed slivers of light to seep in, dimly illuminating the interior.

As Yuri was scanning his surroundings, the carriage began to move.

Clatter, clatter-.

Listening to the sound of hooves, Yuri shouted outside.

“I’m going to receive a reward, right? This feels more like a prisoner transport.”

His dissatisfied cry received no response.

Yuri pouted.

‘Tch, do they really need to go this far?’

He understood, of course.

It was the Sword Master’s treasure vault, after all.

They were taking these measures to keep its location secret.

Still, knowing that didn’t make him feel any better.

The only small mercy was that the carriage was spacious enough for him to lie down comfortably.

So, Yuri laid down and closed his eyes.

How much time had passed?

Clip-clop, clip-clop-.

In the silence filled only with the sound of the carriage and his breathing.

“……”

Yuri quietly opened his eyes.

‘…We’re going uphill.’

He felt the carriage climbing a slight incline.

And then,

Splash-.

The scent of water and the sound of waves crashing.

Even though the carriage had stopped, it still swayed gently.

‘Are we moving by boat now?’

Yuri’s eyes gleamed in the darkness for a moment.

For the first time, the bespectacled man, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

“Before we reach the Black Dragon Vault, I will inform you of the precautions.”

Yuri listened intently to the stern voice.

“You are allowed only 1 hour in the Black Dragon Vault. Within that time, you must choose the item you wish to take out.”

“Just one hour? What happens if I exceed the time?”

“Additionally, you can only take one item with you.”

“…Excuse me? Are you listening to me?”

“All items stored in the Black Dragon Vault are strictly managed. If you are caught attempting to remove more than one item… you will face consequences.”

“Specifically, what consequences?”

For the first time, the bespectacled man answered Yuri’s question.

“A punishment where death would be the only hope.”

“…….”

“Yuri Holland, I have a general idea of what kind of person you are… but this time, it would be wise not to entertain any foolish thoughts.”

Yuri shrugged at the bespectacled man’s cold warning.

“Hey, I don’t always go overboard, you know?”

Yuri protested as if feeling wronged.

But again, there was no response.

The bespectacled man had once again finished speaking and sealed his lips.

Yuri, pouting, disappeared into the darkness.

Swoosh-.

The sound of water slicing continued as the boat sailed on.

Time passed again.

They had departed around noon, but it was already evening.

The light streaming in through the small holes was turning a deep red.

Around then, Yuri sat up.

‘We’re slowing down.’

He could clearly feel the boat’s speed decreasing.

Finally, the boat came to a complete stop.

Clunk-.

The locked entrance opened.

“Get out.”

The bespectacled man’s command.

As if waiting for this moment, Yuri swiftly jumped out and was left wide-eyed by the scene outside.

“…Huh?”

He expected to have arrived at a dock since the boat had stopped, but that wasn’t the case.

The Black Ship carrying Yuri was still afloat.

What surprised him even more was a colossal structure.

‘…That’s incredible.’

Four massive pillars jutted up from the water.

From these pillars, enormous chains extended and were connected to an octahedral metal structure.

Thanks to this, the metal structure floated above the water.

As Yuri stood there, staring blankly, the bespectacled man’s voice reached him.

“Earlier, you asked what would happen if you exceed the hour?”

There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

“If you want to become bloated fish food, go ahead and try.”

“…….”

“We’re moving. Follow me.”

The bespectacled man motioned with his chin, and Yuri followed his steps.

They headed towards the bow of the ship.

There, a simple bridge was set up leading to the octahedral structure.

Thump, thump-.

Just as Yuri crossed the simple bridge and stepped into the entrance of the octahedral structure—

Flinch-!

Yuri recoiled in shock at the waves of pressure coming from all directions.

‘…This is intense.’

The oppressive auras were coming from more than a dozen sources.

They remained hidden, releasing killing intent aimed at Yuri, as if warning him of the consequences should he try anything reckless.

Even more daunting was that each of these individuals was not someone Yuri could underestimate.

‘To think that such powerful figures… are here just to guard a vault?’

To deploy such a formidable force merely to open a treasure vault was staggering.

Yuri’s pace slowed slightly, prompting another warning from the bespectacled man.

“Keep up, and don’t look around. Lose sight of me, and you’ll never get out of here.”

With that, the bespectacled man pulled out an object from his coat.

Yuri quickly caught up, glancing over the man’s shoulder.

‘A compass?’

The object was an oddly shaped compass.

However, it wasn’t a typical compass; the needle kept moving erratically.

The bespectacled man followed the compass, leading Yuri.

Yuri shifted his focus from the compass to his surroundings.

‘…This passage is like a maze.’

The passage, wide enough for three or four people to walk side by side, was clearly maze-like.

It wasn’t just a simple maze either; the surrounding humidity confirmed that.

‘…Everything is soaked in water.’

The floors, walls, and even the ceiling were all damp.

This indicated that the entire place was originally submerged underwater.

‘So, preparing to access the Black Dragon Vault means raising this structure and draining the water inside.’

How intricate must this place be for it to take days just to drain the water?

Yuri swallowed hard.

‘So, when he said I’d end up as bloated fish food, this is what he meant.’

If he exceeded the time limit, the whole structure would fill with water.

And he’d be trapped in this complex underwater maze.

‘Would the rooms containing the items also flood?’

That question was soon answered.

Thud-.

The bespectacled man stopped in front of a large door.

“Beyond this door is the true Black Dragon Vault. Inside, there is an hourglass that syncs with this one here.”

He pointed to a large hourglass beside the door.

“When you enter the Black Dragon Vault, I will start the hourglass. After you’ve chosen the item you wish to take out, flip the hourglass upside down again to call for me.”

“Can’t I just carry it out myself?”

“Items inside the Black Dragon Vault are sealed in special containers that require dismantling.”

“…So, it’s impossible to carry out more than one item anyway?”

“Human greed often leads to actions beyond imagination.”

“…….”

“If you fail to return within the hour, I will leave immediately. Remember that.”

“…Understood.”

It was now clear.

The Black Dragon Vault would flood as well.

Yuri’s anticipation swelled.

‘These items are hidden so securely… How valuable must they be?’

As Yuri pondered this,

“Enter.”

Click-.

The bespectacled man pulled a long handle to open the door.

With a loud rumble, the doors parted to the sides.

Rumble-.

Yuri walked in calmly, and the door closed behind him.

Click-.

Swish-.

Sand began to flow through the hourglass.

Yuri glanced at it briefly before examining the interior of the Black Dragon Vault.

‘It’s vast… and damp.’

The Black Dragon Vault was a cylindrical structure with three floors.

As expected, the place was still quite humid, likely because the water hadn’t fully drained yet.

Display cases were installed at regular intervals along the rounded walls, with square crystalline objects inside.

‘Should I go right?’

Yuri turned lightly.

He soon encountered the first display case and chuckled.

“Money’s really no object here, huh.”

The display case, seemingly carved from stone, was embedded with costly luminous stones, casting light on the item within.

Every display case likely contained luminous stones.

‘No wonder this vast space is so bright.’

Yuri clicked his tongue and inspected the item on the display.

‘Is this the special sealed container?’

It was a transparent tetrahedral crystal.

However, its edges were reinforced with dark red metal.

Inside, a small dagger floated, illuminated by the light of the luminous stones.

‘Judging by the appearance, it’s no ordinary item.’

A dagger with ornate blue decorations.

If it was stored in the Black Dragon Vault, its history would surely be remarkable.

‘Is there no description?’

Yuri looked around the display, but there was no explanation for the item, only the number 1-1.

Yuri moved on, quickly inspecting the display cases along the wall.

The special sealed containers varied only in size, but their storage method was consistent with

the first one.

Floating in the air, illuminated by luminous stones.

Starting with the dagger, there were helmets, gloves, a spear, leather-bound books without titles, and even the horn and eyes of some beast.

After examining around a dozen items, Yuri checked the hourglass and frowned.

‘As expected… I won’t be able to see everything at this pace.’

He hadn’t even covered a quarter of the first floor, yet nearly ten minutes had already passed.

At this rate, he wouldn’t find what he wanted in time.

Yuri recalled what Johan had told him yesterday.

[You know what you need to grab from the Black Dragon Vault, right? Go for the elixirs! Ignore everything else!]

Elixirs and potions.

Those were the only items Yuri needed to focus on.

Johan had repeatedly stressed that Yuri should choose an elixir over anything else.

[Usually, potions are more potent than elixirs. That’s because potions are refined and mixed to maximize their effects. However, there are elixirs with such extraordinary potency that they surpass anything humans could create.]

An unrefined elixir… Or rather, an elixir so pure that it didn’t require refinement.

An elixir perfected by nature itself, impossible for humans to replicate.

Johan had told him to aim for those.

[If the Black Dragon Vault has such elixirs, the best ones would be those that exhibit a faint will of their own. Such elixirs are often referred to as… spirit elixirs.]

After explaining this, Johan had also issued a warning.

[However, those spirit elixirs are picky. If you consume one that doesn’t match your affinity, it could be your last day alive.]

Johan didn’t stop at a warning; he also provided a solution.

[Finding a spirit elixir that suits you is simple. Just observe and sense it. One of them will recognize and call to you.]

Recalling Johan’s advice, Yuri walked towards the center of the Black Dragon Vault.

Thunk-.

Standing in the middle of the circular space, Yuri closed his eyes.

‘The old man suggested checking each one in person, but… that would take too long.’

How long would it take to search through this vast place?

Johan likely didn’t realize how big this place was or how many items were stored here, which was why he gave that advice.

So Yuri came up with another method.

“Phew……”

After a deep breath, he calmly cleared his mind.

From Yuri’s body, thin strands of magic threads began to unfurl.

Screech-.

As Yuri had grown, the magic threads he released had become thinner and longer compared to when he first learned the technique.

They were now extensive enough to cover the entire Black Dragon Vault.

Ssssss-.

Yuri channeled his energy through the threads with strong intent.

‘Raise your hand if you want to come with me!’

Buzz-.

Yuri’s presence and intent flowed through the magic threads, permeating every corner of the Black Dragon Vault.

At first, there was no reaction.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes… then five.

Despite the time passing without change, Yuri waited patiently.

They were probably still being shy, so he decided to wait.

He was certain there would be a response.

And soon…

‘There it is!’

Before long, he sensed three distinct auras.

One that cautiously emitted its presence, one that fervently asserted its existence, and another that felt commanding and imposing.

Two were on the second floor, and one on the third.

All three spirit elixirs were calling to Yuri in their own way.

‘Oh? There are three?’

He had 45 minutes left.

That was more than enough time to check out all three.

Yuri smiled in satisfaction and headed towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

Squeak-.

But he soon came to a halt.

“…Huh?”

His voice sounded slightly surprised.

Yuri, as if mesmerized by something, veered off course.

It wasn’t towards the stairs to the second floor.

Squeak, squeak, squeak-.

The sound of Yuri’s shoes skidding on the wet floor echoed eerily within the Black Dragon Vault.

Squeak-.

Finally, Yuri stopped in front of a particular display case.

With a hardened expression, he stared at ‘it’ inside the special sealed container.

Illuminated by the luminous stones, the object floated within the crystal case.

It was none other than…

“This… could it be…”

…a human leg.