The Depths of the Dungeon – Part 05

“That was quite fun, human. Now your wish has been granted.”

Hikaru had asked the Fire Drakon to fly to the royal capital and order the king to stop the war. All for Lavia’s sake.

Lavia was currently being hunted for the murder of Count Morgstadt because the king wanted to use her as an instrument for battle. The kingdom of Ponsonia was on the verge of waging war on its neighbor, the Quinbrand Empire, and it wanted Lavia, a powerful Mage, as an asset. Instead of making her pay for her crimes, she was to be used in the war.

A threat had appeared in the capital, demanding the king to be dethroned. This would send the royal court into chaos, and the murder of Count Morgstadt would become irrelevant. A dispute over the next ruler would begin. As far as Hikaru was concerned, he just wanted to get rid of the idiots hunting Lavia. They could even leave the country amidst the chaos.

“Yup, that was my wish.”

“What a peculiar wish! Once we return to the forest, we will part ways.”

“Wait. I still have one more wish.”

The drakon groaned. “Your last one was perplexing enough. I am a little afraid to ask.”

Hikaru couldn’t believe a creature so huge would even say such a thing. He really wanted to save the other wish for Lavia, but unfortunately, she was still unconscious. Probably just asleep from extreme fatigue.

“Can dragon scales be used for weapons?” Hikaru asked.

“I believe so. But my scales are extremely tough. Unless you use holy mana, I doubt you can process them.”

“Holy mana… You mentioned it earlier, too. What is it exactly?”

“Magical energy that is harnessed from the power of drakons. Your ignorance suggests that the technology has been lost. Truly sad.”

“…”

There was technology that Hikaru was unaware of. The Fire Drakon had been trapped underground for centuries, so the technology was lost during that time—probably due to war or something similar. Hikaru wanted to know more about this holy mana, but the Fire Drakon had already made it to the vast forest where the Forest of Deception was located, toppling down trees as it landed. He had to hurry, or the Four Eastern Stars might find them.

Now what?

“Oh, I almost forgot. Take some of my hair with you. By simply wrapping it around a staff, the holy mana will boost your magical powers.”

Holy mana again.

“Fine. That’ll do.”

The drakon laughed. “Humans sure are greedy! I feel much better.”

Hikaru pulled the drakon’s hair.

“Ow,” the Fire Drakon mumbled.

Hikaru took the ones that just happened to fall out. He then dismounted, carrying Lavia on his back. It was time for them to part.

“So where are you headed now?” Hikaru asked.

“To the home of drakons, of course. What is your name, human from another world?”

“Hikaru.”

The Fire Drakon exhaled sharply. “We shall meet again, Hikaru. Numerous people have come here from different worlds and brought great changes, and you are no exception.”

With a thunderous laugh, the massive Fire Drakon hovered in the air, soaring higher into the night sky. Hikaru acted quickly, shielding Lavia from the shockwaves produced by the creature’s laughter. The Fire Drakon then fused into the night sky, vanishing as if slipping through a rift in space.

“Just had to be a pain in the butt until the very end.”

“Hmm… Hikaru?”

Lavia woke up. She saw Hikaru holding her, and she rested her face on his chest.

“I’m sorry. I guess I was asleep,” she said. “I had the weirdest dream. I was riding a giant drakon through the night sky…”

That actually happened, but Hikaru decided to explain that some other time. There were a lot of things he wanted to tell Lavia.

“Can you walk? I want to be back in Cotton-elka before dawn.”

“Yeah.”

Hikaru pulled on Lavia’s hand and started walking.

It was still dark when they arrived in Cotton-elka, but the villagers were awake, and the adventurers were discussing what to do with the giant creature. The Four Eastern Stars wore frowns.

Hikaru made an error. The church that he had planned to use as a bed was half-destroyed by the White Dragon. He pulled a blanket out of the rubble and wrapped himself and Lavia in it. Hikaru, too, was completely exhausted.


The royal castle of Ponsonia. It was the morning after the incident that would later be known as the Fire Drakon Catastrophe.

Summoned to the throne room, Kujastria found herself face-to-face with the king and his chief advisors. Their expressions were not ones of admiration for the brave girl who had faced the Fire Drakon.

The king of Ponsonia, her own father, eyed her indignantly. “You overstepped your authority, Kujastria.”

The king, now in his fifties, had thinning hair that was cut just below his ears, and was sticky with greasy sweat. His once toned body had recently lost weight. He was glaring at Kujastria.

Although the man was dressed in the king’s regalia, complete with the crown and mantle, the royal staff resting beside him on his throne, there was nothing majestic, dignified, or wise about him.

“Your Highness, do you not understand what you have done?” a man rebuked.

Standing next to the king was the grand chamberlain, who was responsible for managing the attendants working in the royal castle. Normally, such disrespect towards the royal family would not be tolerated, but the grand chamberlain was the king’s favorite. He was by the king’s side instead of the Prime Minister.

His fat, slimy lips quivered. “Because of your conversation with that savage creature, monsters are becoming more active, and now you’re telling His Majesty the glorious king to abdicate the throne.”

“Do not mention that!” the king snarled. “It’s bad luck.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Since the Fire Drakon’s departure, the king had been surrounded by sycophants—aristocrats who lacked competence but clung to their positions in hopes of lining their pockets by becoming the king’s cronies. They let a few nobles with official ranks run the government, while they secured their own interests.

The crown prince, Austrin, was first in line for the throne and could inherit it without taking any action. However, he was not present at the moment, and in a way, this was the right decision. After all, the king would hardly remain calm after being told by the Fire Drakon to relinquish his throne.

The sycophants quickly dismissed the mythical drakon as a mere monster, claiming it had held the people of the royal capital hostage and forced the king to abdicate the throne. They also asserted that the brave King had decided to fight the monster.

“I understand how His Majesty feels,” one said.

“What a disaster.”

“Perhaps Her Highness wished to grab the spotlight.”

Kujastria received no words of compassion, despite her arrival without being fully healed. She had sustained an injury from a shard of glass during the Fire Drakon’s last display of power, and her arm was only wrapped in a bandage. At just 17 years old, she was too young to handle such an extraordinary being. Drained of energy and spirit, and having not slept a wink since the incident, she stood tall amidst the crowd of nobles. Only a very small fraction of them watched her with concern.

Roland N. Zaracia’s discovery of the spell for crossing worlds gave momentum to the nobility who were dedicated to research and practice. However, their efforts were dampened by the tragic fate of Roland’s parents, who were ordered to commit suicide by poisoning for stealing national treasures. This incident demoralized the practical aristocrats, leaving the status quo unchanged, with corrupt aristocrats dominating and perpetuating injustice and collusion.

“We should focus on more pressing matters, such as our plan of action if the Fire Drakon returns,” spoke Lawrence D. Falcon, the renowned Sword Saint, as he stepped in next to Kujastria. “Your Highness, please excuse us as we discuss matters of national security.”

Although he was essentially suggesting that politics were not for children’s ears, Kujastria still mouthed a “thank you” to him. It was obvious that he was only trying to avoid offending the noblemen. Now that Kujastria was dismissed, she could receive proper treatment for her wounds. She bowed to the others before exiting the throne room, alone. Kujastria refused to have attendants, preferring to show that she was powerless to avoid any unnecessary conflicts with her brother, the crown prince—proof of her wisdom.

She was able to control her emotions to the extent that she could easily ignore whatever her father, the grand chamberlain, and the other nobles said to her.

What in the world was that Fire Drakon up to anyway?

That was what bothered Kujastria.

If His Majesty doesn’t give up the throne, would it really set the castle on fire?

Kujastria shuddered. By the looks of it, her father would never relinquish the throne. What would the people of the royal capital think once they learned about the Fire Drakon’s warning? The aristocrats were not unified; some belonged to the crown prince faction. Perhaps they would recommend that her father stepped down.

This kingdom will fall into chaos.

She stopped and looked up at the sky through the hallway window.

The sky above the royal city was a clear blue, stinging her sleep-deprived eyes.

Become a VIP
Question icon
Become a VIP and enjoy the benefits of being able to read chapters in advance of the current release schedule.

  • Read +1 extra chapters (inc. Ad-FREE experience)
    $5 / month
  • Read +2 extra chapters (inc. Ad-FREE experience)
    $10 / month
  • Read +4 extra chapters (inc. Ad-FREE experience)
    $20 / month

RELEASE RATE

Rule Breaker (Light Novel)

Speed up schedule by 10 hours

5150 / 55000

Current schedule: Every 70 hours

SPEED UP SCHEDULE
Question icon
Use Krystals to speed up the schedule of this novel. When the bar is completely filled, the schedule will be updated manually by an admin and the chapters will release at a rate 10 hours faster. E.g. 70 Publish Hours will be reduced to 60 Published Hours. Any excess Krystals donated will be credited to the next speed-up schedule if available or refunded to your account

Novel Schedule

Rule Breaker (Light Novel)

Schedule will be reduced when the goal is reached

Balance: 0

Comment (0)

Get More Krystals