Chapter 341

Chapter 341

Exchetra continued as I remained silent.

“It was inevitable that I didn’t know the third condition. Because only Julius, who heard the summoned blue dragon’s words, knew that much. After all, twists in novels are all like that.”

“…”

“So, that’s it. Exchetra thought she could summon the blue dragon if she achieved only two conditions. However, the progress of the summoning ritual soon came to mean the sacrifice of the Golden Dragon. It automatically became like that, so it didn’t matter what Kaichen chose.”

My trembling fingertips were now cold. I wanted to block Exchetra’s mouth, but my legs didn’t move as if they were nailed down.

“Do you know why? Because, for the blue dragon, the Golden Dragon would do anything, no matter what. He never had a choice in the first place. He appeared to protect the world that the blue dragon loves, right? He would do anything for the blue dragon. So sacrificing himself for the blue dragon is nothing.”

It was a futile conclusion.

Did the original Kaichen know? Maybe he realized it at the last moment. That he would be sacrificed.

He probably subconsciously knew that he had no choice. After all, he was the incarnation of the Golden Dragon.

“If Kaichen were held hostage, would the blue dragon make a deal?”

“…What are you trying to say? You didn’t wait to explain this to me, did you?”

There was a clear difference in power between her and me, and acknowledging it hurt my pride.

“Well, I wanted to take it easy. Squirming like that is kind of cute.”

Saying that, she pointed with her chin below the altar.

In the scene of chaos, Julius was swinging his sword, screaming, and cutting down nobles. I felt like I was going to shed tears any moment.

With a distorted face as if he was being possessed, Julius swung his sword. For him, this moment alone would be hell.

Exchetra, who said finding that squirming cute, felt even more like a mad person.

“You’re really insane.”

“Haha, amusing.”

“…”

“You speak as if you’re not crazy at all.”

Squelch-

The sound of grinding teeth leaked out between my lips. Exchetra, with her narrowed eyes, reached out both hands towards the purple sphere.

“Dalia.”

Her calling my name was terrifying.

Thud- My knees buckled. As soon as she reached out her hands towards the purple sphere, an immense weight crushed me.

The weight of Exchetra’s magic momentarily felt so frightening that I bit my tongue, but I swallowed it. My elbows touched the ground, and my head involuntarily bowed.

“I enjoy seeing anyone contort in pain.”

“…Ugh.”

“That expression of despair and screaming in agony.”

Crackling-

Although not visible, I felt the purple sphere writhing. The wand didn’t disappear, but the eerie sensation was something I had felt before.

It felt like my neck would break. But despite my lips trembling and dripping blood, I raised my head.

As if something was about to be born, the writhing purple sphere suddenly surged towards the sun, which was eclipsed by the solar eclipse.

A brief flash occurred around the black sun.

As the gravity increased several times, all I could do was barely raise my head. Something that sparkled in my field of vision quickly fell to the ground.

It was a familiar color. Bright gold. It was as vivid as the sun falling. My trembling lips parted with great effort.

Crash!

The ground caved in as if a meteorite had fallen.

If it were an ordinary human, they would have been crushed, but fortunately or unfortunately, the madman didn’t die.

“Master—!”

As if in response to my voice that burst out in a scream, Kaichen’s body writhed. Like me, he seemed to be experiencing strange gravity, which was extremely difficult to move.

At the same time, the purple magic that had taken countless lives completed a giant magic circle under the black sun of the total eclipse.

It was a magic circle I had seen before. The magic circle in the north made Kaichen feel powerless for the first time he was born.

At the same time, the familiar energy enveloping my body was the terrifying time magic.

“Kyahaha!” Exchetra’s laughter pierced my ears.

Only then did I understand the meaning of the “checkmate” she had said to me. My body trembled.

From the moment she confirmed my existence, the game was over. Exchetra’s magical influence had already decided the outcome.

I was the “king” Exchetra was aiming for from the beginning.

Barely standing up, I met Kaichen’s eyes. His expression contorted in despair as if experiencing a horrific hell, tearing at my heart.

It was a moment of despair. At that moment, there was only one thing I could do.

As blood spilled from the impact of the fall, my vision darkened as I reached out to Kaichen for the last time.