The Foreigner on the Periphery - Chapter 165

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Jenkinson frowned. “Are you trying to push that nonsense hypothesis again? Did Rod try to take his child’s body to prolong his lifespan, and discard his old body?” 

“No, that was a huge misunderstanding.” 

It was only then that he remembered what Minjun had just said. ‘Whose hand did Rod die?’ It was a sentence he wouldn’t choose if it was considered a suicide

“Did you find it?” Minjun had spoken otherwise.

“Aren’t Lord’s direct heirs still busy searching for the murderer?” 

It was true. Kentius and a few remained silent, but the rest of the brothers were still busy chasing evidence. “Jenkinson, I don’t think Lord had any intention of giving Dragon Hearts to his children in the first place.” 

“Don’t turn around. So did you find the culprit? Who is it?!” 

“That will is nothing more than a basis and a means to hand over your heart to the next Lord. I never thought of splitting it up and handing it down to my children. I didn’t want to drive it to a young dragon who wasn’t even an elder.” 

“Why?” 

“Rod must have known before he died that someone was targeting him. That there is only one ‘group’ that can succeed in such an attempt. I left a will because I was convinced that my children did not have the ability to prove their crimes, let alone the ability to take revenge on such a great organization. Direct descendants who are not qualified have no choice but to yield their hearts to the next Lord. I gave you a chance, but you failed, so you have a justification.” 

It was to lead the dragons and hand over power to the successors who have the ability to fight the ‘enemy’. “It’s an enemy that’s strong enough, subtle enough, and leaves no traces to be prepared for.” 

When Jenkinson confirmed Rod’s death, he remembered the first suspect Minjun had mentioned. “Committee!” 

Eventually, he turned around and came back to my first guess. “They were committee bastards after all! By the way, the proof?!” 

“Wait a minute, from the correction. You are half right and half wrong.” 

“What?” 

“The real culprit infiltrated Earth as a member of the committee, but he did not do it for the committee.” 

Jenkinson quickly grasped the hidden meaning. “Are they Kavites?! Did you do it secretly at the tribal level without informing the committee?” 

“No, it wasn’t those ducklings who killed Lord.” 

“Then, Endelion?” 

Minjun shook his head. The dragon bit his teeth. Then there was only one candidate left. Except for one race that returned after a long hiatus, fought a war, and then disappeared again, those who would do that… 

“The Toads!” 

“The targets of those sent by the Tax Collection Command seemed clear. In order to prove my tax evasion, I even framed Inais as an accomplice. But was that really all?” 

Did he really come to Earth just for that?

Minjun had bound the spirits of the Toads he killed and read their memories. And he discovered an unexpected secret. “When do you think they came to Earth? It was the very day before Rod’s death was confirmed.” 

“What?!” 

“Those bastards didn’t send troops simply because of me. Nominally, that’s correct, but secretly added one mission. For their own purposes, not informed by the Commission Headquarters.” 

Carbite either did not know this fact or had only suspicions without physical evidence. “That beast… No, a quiet rift has begun between the ancient races as well. Now that you have the universe in your hands, all you have left is to eat your own flesh, right?” 

Toad had noticed that the Kavites were plotting something strange against the dragon. It doesn’t make sense for the members of the committee to not know that the frontier dimension dragons were also aware of it in the first place. As a result of their own investigation, they had recently captured the circumstances in which Carbite had carried out a notable operation on Earth. From there, he caught one bold piece of evidence… “Carbite has been watching Rod for a long time. I went too deep beyond the level of checking on people with anti-committee tendencies. To the extent that Rod himself noticed. The Toads have long since wondered why.”

As everyone knew, the Dragon Lord was special. He was a prominent figure among dragons. “Even after searching the entire dimensional database, there was no other dragon like Lord.” 

It was a natural story. However, he couldn’t explain why to Jenkinson. He then continued the explanation in the manner that he learned only through Todd’s memories. “Currently, the lineages of dragons are all mixed together, so it is meaningless to distinguish them, but… But something was different. Didn’t even the dragons feel that way? What was the secret to making seventeen lovers and even having children in a matter of decades? I instinctively felt a strong attraction to him. Even Carbite was after him, Toads wanted to know his secret.” 

Hearing those words, Jenkinson’s eyes burned with unconcealable anger. “So they decided to kidnap Rod.” 

*** 

Even dragons that were not in hibernation slept. However, it was a light kind of sleep in which half-consciousness was maintained, and therefore he dreamed. It was for this reason that the Dragon Lord woke up from a nightmare.

‘It must have been a dream.’ 

He could see the ceiling of the bedroom where he had stayed for several days. The master bedroom in the penthouse at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong. From there, he got up. Polymorph’s back was wet with sweat, probably too elaborate. 

He looked at the clock. ‘Have I slept for an hour?’ 

It was an unintentional nap. He had a lot to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting, so he intended to stay up all night reviewing his materials. He wouldn’t do anything worse than tipping a glass with a prisoner friend. He fell asleep nonetheless. The dragon knew why. ‘The next period of hibernation is right around the corner.’ 

It would probably be the last hibernation of his life. And if he were to wake up again, he would continue to live without the next hibernation period and die a natural death. He felt nervous. He did not inform his own people, but there would be one surprise item added to the Balaur meeting. 

It was the election of the next Dragon Lord. He had a good face to hate and reject his fellow countrymen, but he had his own strategy. 

“…” He tried to concentrate on his work, shaking off his thoughts, but the contents of the dream he just had followed closely.

He saw his late parents in a dream. They looked at themselves with pale faces and cried out. He was immersed in darkness and blood, screaming inaudibly. Despite his efforts, he woke up not fully understanding what his parents were saying. In fact, he did not personally witness the death of his parents. Witnesses who fought together on the fronts assured the couple that they would not have survived. Even more devastating was that the bodies were never found. 

An ancient race had “robbed” them of the dead. Therefore, the Dragon Heart, which should have originally belonged to the Lord, was also passed on to them. The anger that the Dragon Lord felt when faced with the memory was deep. Just imagining what the ancient race would have done with the corpses of two dragons who were far more powerful than he was now made him angry. 

“?!” As he got up from his seat, he felt a strange sensation. It was weird. “Why are you doing this?” 

There was a feeling of powerlessness rising in the body. No matter how polymorphed it was, this felt gross. How long had it been like this…? Oh, yes. It was at the height of the war. At that time, the dragons who were cornered put down their pride and made weapons with dragon blood. At that time, he volunteered and provided a considerable amount of blood. Although he was a key force, it was an inevitable measure because he could not exist on all fronts at the same time. 

In addition to this, his blood was exceptionally toxic. As he could remember, at the time, he used to lie in bed all day suffering from a blood draw. The feeling now was the same as then. However… Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at – “ ”

‘The amount of blood is fine?’ Then why…? 

It was then. 

—–! 

He noticed something in him. The tension running down his back. ‘Why didn’t I know this until now?!’ 

A dull, distant sense belatedly struck him in the back of the head. The nerves of his whole body were on edge. The sound of a strong wind pierced through the thick glass windows. It was no ordinary natural phenomenon. The gust of wind that hit the center of the ICC building where the hotel was located possessed powerful magic. Rod, who was at the center of it, managed to analyze it. 

‘Evidence destruction and spatial condensation!’ 

All the ghosts, revenants, and spirits around you must have already been swept away by the storm and thrown out to sea. It was such a powerful force. If one were to investigate this place later, the traces of magic must have been completely erased. The same was true when looking into the spirit world. He also realized that the teleport was blocked at the source. The flow of magical power was strangely twisted, so it would not be clearly distinguishable from the outside. 

‘Why was I sleeping until this point?’ 

His body felt heavy. Far too heavy. 

‘No way!’ He looked down at his hands. The ring he was wearing was missing. It was transformed into a wave of magical energy as if it were melting and penetrated the body. Even if one were to try to take it off now, it was impossible. It was won on a bet with Raymond just yesterday. The face of the ancient dragon, which he did not doubt was his friend, flashed in his mind. 

‘Raymond, what is this? It wasn’t like this until the other day.’ 

‘Hmm? I can’t even remember where I got it. Recently, I had the slaves clean up once, and it seems that the deep ones have been rearranged toward the entrance. Would you choose that?’

‘Yes. I’m tempted.’ 

As he picked out the ring, Raymond’s expression of surprise asked if I had anything like this in his safe. Was it all smoke? He could remember the words he muttered in front of him one day. ‘I’m looking for a way to avoid death right now.’ 

To them? Could it have been passed on to those who were targeting him? “It’s pretty tough. If it was a decent dragon, I wouldn’t have been able to break it.” 

A voice came from the darkness. The Dragon Lord glared at him with a sweaty expression. Then he witnessed an unwelcome visitor. “You···!” 

He knew his opponent. It was a face he never imagined would be reunited here. He pretended to be calm and sneered at him. “Were you still alive? Turtles are said to be long-lived animals, but even for such things, their lives are quite long.” 

Peering out of the shadows, Toad smiled. The dragon remembered him clearly. On the front lines in the heat of war he had crashed a few times. They took turns half-killing each other, but in the end, no one was able to completely stop their breath. Each time, he was resentful of that fact and looked for the next opportunity. 

However, in the end, the war ended without both of them fulfilling their wishes. The dragon felt old resentment, anger, hatred, and loathing rekindled. Toad returned it like a mirror to see if the emotion was fully conveyed. However, when returned, it was wrapped in a more leisurely and cold tone. 

“Congratulations. Twins?” 

The dragon’s face hardened. It was a secret that few knew. Even Raymond didn’t know. 

“Could it be that Raymond joined hands with you guys?” 

“Huh. You can’t imagine that old dragon stupid enough to join hands with maggots? He didn’t even know there was such a thing in his rare in the first place.” 

Not only had he been collecting treasure for thousands of years, but Raymond, who has changed dwelling dimensions several times, couldn’t remember how it got there. It was a common occurrence for ancient dragons overflowing with treasure. If one were to call the janitor and look at the records, they could track it down, but the two dragons decided not to go that far. Feeling ashamed of his 129-game losing streak, Raymond didn’t want to call anyone else. 

“The only dragon on Earth who is deeply interested in and curious about Endelion’s magical tools. A dragon that needs armor because of its new ‘cub’. A dragon who always makes a bet with the same friend every time he stops by in Hong Kong. It was very easy to make something that a dragon would pick up.” 

Hell, how long had he been observing him?

“Thanks for choosing it as expected and even installing it for research… I think I can put the rest of the plan aside. Thank you.” 

It seemed that he had prepared various traps beside the ring. Seeing that the twins were also mentioned, there were probably plans among them to hold Inais and Al hostage and blackmail them. 

“…!” Inside the spacious penthouse, intruders surrounded him on all sides. It was all Toads. “The time has come to put an end to a long grudge. I think I want to tear it to pieces right here… but I also have circumstances. You should go with us.” 

The Dragon Lord did not hesitate. In this state, it could not even exert its original power. Knowing that teleportation was impossible, he tried to release the polymorph and return to the main body.

The penthouse was practically the same as the top floor of the ICC, and the swimming pool and rooftop club located above it will be empty. If they didn’t destroy the floor below, and control it as precisely as possible and blow only the top of the roof, there would be no victims… 

“…!” The dragon froze in an instant. As soon as he tried to release the polymorph, a strange magical power surged inside his body. And in a very sharp and ferocious form, it aimed at his brain. The alien giggled with a look of joy. “How is it, do you miss it? Don’t the memories come alive?” 

The dragon remembered this pattern. Oh, if only given a little more time. If he had had a few more days of research, he would have been able to figure out the ring’s identity. But those guys… came in just hours after he got his hands on it. Absorbed into his fingers was a magical tool for capturing dragons. A binding tool that converted the mana within the body into uncontrollable heat energy and turned the body into ashes when the bound dragon casted a spell. 

However, in the old days, it was in the form of a huge chain net tailored to the dragon’s size. Endelion, those bizarre geniuses, had developed their technology in the meantime. Originally designed for tentacles, it must have been camouflaged in the form of a ‘tentacle hanger’ protector that could be freely adjusted in size. Was it a preparation for a war that may break out again in the future?

“I have developed incomparably since then. If you memorize a spell in its current state, only the organs that control magic will be selected and cooked neatly. In terms of you guys…”

The Toad surrounded them and gradually closed the distance. Dragon realized he had no options left. ‘If you were prepared like this, you could have killed me. However, they’re trying to kidnap them.’ 

Hostage taking? If that happens, an all-out war would break out. If one wanted to start a war, there were better ways. 

‘No, my disappearance will remain a mystery.’ The face of this kidnapping story would never be known to the world. The storm they had now unleashed on the top of the building would help. It was similar to what happens when preparing for some huge spell. 

The intended design was clear. This was enough to raise the hypothesis that the Dragon Lord opened the Abyss door and disappeared while experimenting with a newly created planetary spell. 

‘Why do you want to kidnap me?’ 

He could only think of one thing. It would be the same reason why ancient races robbed their parents’ bodies.

‘He wants my body!’ 

The dragon shook his head in a sense of crisis. Was there a way to get away without unlocking the polymorph? How could he ask for outside help? 

None came to mind, Was it okay to hand this body over to the ancient race? Absolutely impossible. After all, he was dead the moment he was captured. 

He wasn’t afraid to die. However, he was afraid his plans wouldn’t be carried out. And···. 

‘No. My Dragon Heart… No!’ The future of the race was at stake here. 

“…!” He then saw a storm outside the window. The people of the same country must have already noticed the change and were keeping an eye on this building. Without daring to approach, he made up his mind.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered an apology that would never be delivered. It was aimed at the attendants who would be staying together in this building. They would all be locked together in the hotel without knowing why.

‘I hope there aren’t many victims.’ 

At that moment… 

Dig! A dazzling flash of light emanated from the dragon’s body. The Toads screamed in fright. “No… you crazy lizard!” 

The dragon must have just cast a spell. From there, the brain must ripen and die before the polymorph was fully released. However, even if the caster died, the polymorph would be maintained for a short time when the mana evaporates. It was best to catch them alive, but it didn’t matter if they took the body with them. In addition to this…

‘Crazy bastard! You may think I won’t hold on, but I will!’ The Toad exclaimed. “Just kill me! Kill it and seal it in subspace…” 

At that moment, with all the dragons gathered in Hong Kong watching, the upper floors of the ICC building exploded.