Chapter 132: The Undead Named “Funa”

The Dragon named Fafnir had a dream. In the dream, it possessed sharp claws and fangs.

When it soared over villages, it would hunt the plump livestock that caught its eye, and whenever it saw anything shiny, it felt the urge to claim it as its own.

A being with Strength could do as it pleased. In the world of Monsters, “logic” was just that simple.

However, such a creature was eventually defeated. “You won. Everything I have is at your disposal.”

Power would always bow to a greater Strength, but that was merely a lie it used to comfort itself.

If given another chance, it would bared its fangs at the enemy before it once again without hesitation.

At the time, it did not understand why it felt that way. It was only later that it realized this was likely something called “pride.”

The “Human” who defeated it was not a common inhabitant of these lands.

She wore silver-white plate armor and held a sharp sword capable of severing a Dragon Scale.

“If possible, please take me to a certain place. I will pay you, of course.”

“‘Payment’? What is that?”

“How should I put it? It’s those shiny things you like, right?”

As a Strong One, she could have made far more reckless demands, yet this girl actually offered “payment”?

Still… it was quite annoying to let her ride on its back. With a swipe of its claw, the Dragon released a simple Barrier, grabbed the tiny Human, and took to the sky.

Upon reaching their destination, the girl complained for a while but still paid the Gold Coins as promised. Though the amount was far less than what the dragon usually plundered, a strange sense of satisfaction bloomed in its heart.

From then on, it took the Dragon named Fafnir a long time to understand what these new emotions were.

At the same time, it found someone it could call a “friend.”

However, every dream must eventually come to an end.

It was not actually a Dragon, and certainly not “Fafnir.” It was merely a tiny “undead” spirit that possessed all of the Dragon’s memories and experiences.

It could not quite remember how things had ended up this way.

It only remembered that in order to protect a “precious thing,” Fafnir had fought a desperate battle against four others who were just as powerful.

Did it feel resentment? Not really. It was not that Dragon, after all.

Did it feel regret? Not particularly. It clearly remembered sending its friend away from the battlefield at the final moment.

If there was one thing to be said, it was perhaps a lingering sorrow.

It did not know how much time had passed since then, and it feared it would never again see that strong yet fragile friend.

“Who are you?”

From the bushes along the shore, a “little person” peeked out and asked in a youthful voice.

“I… call myself Fu Na. I live in the deepest part of this Lake.”

“Oh? Then we’re neighbors from now on! I just moved here today. My name, my name… I don’t seem to have a name…”

“Is that so? In that case, I shall call you ‘Fulin.’ My friend once said that the lily is a pure and beautiful flower.”

Thus, the undead spirit named Fu Na found itself surrounded by many little creatures with butterfly wings.

Reminiscing about its old friend, it selflessly taught them the things it had learned from that girl, as well as the knowledge and experiences remaining in its mind.

Thanks to them, life became much more interesting after it woke up.

It knew that it had not only been born from the Dragon’s remains, but that many living things in this Lake—even these little creatures with butterfly wings—had received the blessing of the Dragon’s flesh and Magic.

They were called “Fairies.” They possessed the ability to acquire the Memory of living beings, and their aptitude for learning Magic was remarkably high.

It was only a pity that their small bodies could not hold much Magic.

To help them protect themselves, it taught them a type of Illusion Magic. The Fairy race seemed to have a natural, high affinity for this Magic.

Sometimes, even Fu Na could not distinguish between “reality” and the “illusion” they created.

With its help, the Fairy tribe gradually grew stronger. The first Fulin used the Dragon Bone in the Lake to set up a Barrier.

Of course, under Fu Na’s guidance, these little ones did not harm Humans. The Barrier was merely a large-scale Illusion Magic.

An unknown amount of time passed, and generations of Fulin came and went. Then, one day, an ominous White Mist suddenly drifted over the surface of the Lake.

Most creatures that touched the Mist died instantly. The few Monsters that survived either went mad or their bodies began to rot.

The Lake and its surrounding Forest slowly lost their former prosperity.

Yet, that group of fragile little ones refused to leave.

They constantly tried to “heal” the surrounding Forest, stubbornly remaining near the Lake to stay by its side.

Finally, one day, it realized the nature of this ominous Mist. It was a type of evil Curse leaking from the remains of Fafnir.

The Dragon Fafnir was not without hatred and malice; it was simply that the spirit born from it had not been tainted by those things.

This Lake, known as Boneyard, had flourished because of its bones and would eventually be destroyed by them as well.

But…

It had to at least save those Fairies… it had to save the friends who had accompanied it through the long years.

But how could it purify that Curse?

Fu Na racked its brain to recall everything in its Memory.

‘Everything in this world is essentially “Energy” or “information,” and the final destination for all of it is an existence called the “Ley Line.”‘

‘To be honest, I thought this kind of thing only existed in “games.” It’s really similar to a “Dungeon”—it absorbs Energy and then generates “Monsters” and “Treasure Chests”…’

‘A Boss can also undergo Revival in a Dungeon. In this world, the essence of Revival is the Dungeon absorbing the corresponding Monster’s Soul and then regenerating a body to stuff it back into…’

The “nonsense” of its friend, which it hadn’t understood at all back then, surfaced in its mind.

Ley Line? Energy? Information? Dungeon? Soul?

Wait, if the Curse of malice was essentially a phenomenon caused by the “residual Soul” of Fafnir…

Then again, wasn’t it also a fragment of the Dragon Fafnir’s Soul?

If it wanted to resolve this White Mist, it would likely disappear from this world as well.

Still… that was fine. It had lived a full life during its long “undead existence.”

It was only a pity that it would never get the news it had been waiting for regarding its old friend.

It finally understood what the Ley Line was.

It only hoped that irresponsible person would find this place soon.

That way, perhaps both of its wishes might come true.