The battle finally ended.
Not with death.
But with chains.
The gigantic cavern remained half-destroyed beneath flickering crimson crystal light. Broken stone pillars lay scattered across the battlefield while deep cracks spread throughout the floor like scars left behind by monsters and men alike.
Smoke still lingered in the air.
Blood stained the black stone.
And heavy breathing echoed throughout the cavern.
Yet despite the destruction—
The Exploration Unit survived.
Both drakes were restrained.
The female drake remained chained near the gigantic nest while suppression runes glowed continuously around her dark-scaled body. Beside her, the male drake struggled far more violently against the reinforced creature-control restraints wrapped around its forelimbs, wings, neck, and torso.
The enchanted chains groaned loudly every time the massive predator moved.
But they held.
Barely.
Several explorers remained seated directly on the cavern floor breathing heavily while healers moved between the injured quickly.
Broken bones.
Burns.
Mana exhaustion.
Cuts.
Yet—
No deaths.
The realization itself felt unreal.
One mercenary suddenly laughed.
Loudly.
Almost hysterically.
"We actually survived…"
Another explorer sitting nearby burst into laughter too.
Then another.
And another.
Soon—
The entire cavern echoed with exhausted laughter.
Not elegant laughter.
Not noble composure.
The laughter of people who had touched death directly—
And somehow returned alive.
One younger mage collapsed backward onto the stone floor while staring toward the cavern ceiling.
"We chained drakes…"
He laughed breathlessly afterward.
"WE ACTUALLY CHAINED DRAKES!"
Several explorers roared with laughter hearing that.
Meanwhile—
A few mercenaries walked near the restrained male drake carefully.
The gigantic predator growled lowly beneath the suppression restraints while golden eyes burned with fury and humiliation.
One mercenary lightly kicked the drake's armored forelimb.
"Still wanna burn us now, huh?"
Another laughed loudly.
"You nearly cooked me alive earlier!"
A third combatant raised his fist dramatically.
"Who rules the mountain now?!"
Several nearby explorers immediately joined the teasing.
Some lightly struck the drake's scales with weapons.
Others mocked the predators openly now that the danger had passed.
Not out of hatred.
Relief.
Humans often laughed loudest after surviving terror.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly observed the scene from near the broken crystal formations.
The black-haired man's breathing remained controlled despite the exhaustion hidden beneath his calm expression.
Though only slightly—
His mana reserves had genuinely dropped this time.
Sairen sighed deeply through the soul-link.
"…You exhausted yourself again."
Kel calmly sat against a broken stone pillar.
"Still alive."
The guardian sounded irritated immediately.
"That is not reassuring."
Kel ignored her.
His dark eyes slowly shifted toward the chained drakes.
The male continued glaring murderously toward the humans mocking it.
The female remained quieter.
Watching.
Unlike ordinary monsters—
Drakes possessed intelligence.
Not human-level perhaps.
But enough to understand humiliation.
Defeat.
Intent.
And right now—
Both creatures looked ready to kill every human present the moment restraints weakened.
Meanwhile—
The expedition slowly stabilized.
Cookfires were established near safer sections of the cavern while scouts secured surrounding tunnels carefully. Several mages reinforced the creature-control formations continuously to prevent accidental restraint failure.
The atmosphere gradually transformed.
From battlefield—
Into temporary camp.
One expedition cook, a massive bald mercenary named Huron, loudly shouted while stirring an enormous iron pot above roaring flames.
"If you idiots don't eat now you'll collapse tomorrow!"
The smell of cooked monster meat and herbs slowly spread throughout the cavern afterward.
Warm.
Heavy.
Comforting.
Several explorers immediately gathered around the fires with visible relief.
Food after surviving battle always tasted better.
The atmosphere slowly became lively again.
People retold moments from the battle exaggeratedly.
One mage dramatically described Kel "flying through dragonfire."
Another mercenary claimed Landon "tried wrestling a drake."
Landon himself sat quietly near one side of the cavern while healers treated injuries across his arms.
His silver-gray eyes occasionally shifted toward Kel silently.
Respect deepened further now.
Because today—
Even Landon fully understood something terrifying.
His lord still hid most of his strength.
That realization alone sent chills through him.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly stood from his resting position.
The cavern quieted slightly noticing his movement.
Without saying anything—
Kel walked toward the cookfire.
Then picked up two enormous iron bowls personally.
Each filled with freshly cooked monster meat.
Several explorers blinked in confusion.
"…What is he doing?"
Kel ignored them.
Carrying both bowls calmly—
He walked directly toward the restrained drakes.
The atmosphere instantly became tense again.
Several mercenaries instinctively grabbed weapons.
"My lo—"
Landon almost spoke before stopping himself immediately.
Kel approached the chained predators without hesitation.
The male drake immediately growled deeply while pulling violently against the restraints.
Golden eyes radiated killing intent.
Yet Kel continued walking calmly until he reached them.
Then—
He placed the bowls down before both drakes.
Silence spread throughout the cavern.
The male drake stared at the food suspiciously.
The female remained unmoving.
Watching Kel carefully.
The black-haired man calmly sat down near them afterward.
Not far away.
Close enough that either drake could likely kill him instantly if restraints failed.
Several explorers looked horrified.
"…Is he insane?"
Kel ignored everyone.
Instead—
He simply picked up his own bowl calmly and began eating beside the drakes.
The atmosphere became strangely quiet.
Even the drakes themselves appeared momentarily confused.
Then finally—
Kel spoke.
"We are not enemies anymore."
That was all.
No threats.
No grand speech.
No domination.
Just those simple words.
Then Kel continued eating quietly.
The cavern remained silent afterward.
The male drake growled lowly while staring at him intensely.
Its golden eyes remained full of fury.
Distrust.
Pride.
Yet—
It did not attack.
The female drake slowly lowered her head slightly toward the bowl.
Then paused.
Still watching Kel.
Sairen softly murmured through the soul-link.
"…You really believe they'll understand?"
Kel calmly ate another piece of meat before replying internally.
"Intelligent creatures always understand intent eventually."
The guardian remained silent briefly afterward.
Meanwhile—
The explorers quietly watched the bizarre scene before them.
The man who fought drakes head-on…
Now sat beside them calmly sharing a meal.
One scholar whispered softly.
"…What kind of person even does this?"
No one answered.
Because truthfully—
None of them understood Kel completely anymore.
Not as an alchemist.
Not as strategist.
Not even as fighter.
The black-haired man sitting beside chained sky predators beneath crimson crystal light felt strangely distant now.
As if he belonged somewhere between humanity and something else entirely.
And amidst the quiet cavern—
The female drake finally lowered her head fully toward the bowl.
Then slowly—
Began eating.