Seven days.
For the Dragon Race, that span of time was neither long nor short. It was roughly the length of a brief nap.
Inside the dim cave, the Platinum Dragon Lord opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.
Two figures were slowly approaching.
One wore a black kimono and carried a faint smile on his face, giving off an impression of benevolence.
At the memory of certain unpleasant experiences, the Platinum Dragon Lord began trembling unconsciously.
The fear once branded deep into his Soul surged up like a tide.
As for the other figure, it surprised him somewhat.
Keno looked at the familiar captive before her with a complicated expression, while the ring on her finger emitted a faint glow.
Item: [Negative Penalty Resistance Ring]
A Vampire-exclusive item that could resist negative penalties caused by the environment.
Because of the effects of the World-Class Item [Hygieia's Chalice], this area was filled with an extremely dense aura of life.
For an Undead, this place was undoubtedly very uncomfortable.
However, thanks to this ring, Keno did not have to worry about the life force here harming her Vampire body.
So she was not wearing a mask. She had not even put on her usual signature red cloak, and her golden hair fluttered in the breeze.
"It's been a long time, Tsa-san…"
The Platinum Dragon Lord had once remotely controlled the Platinum Armor and joined the Thirteen Heroes as the Silver Knight, spending a period of time adventuring with them.
"Tsa" was the alias he had used back then.
"It really has been a long time since we last met. As expected, you haven't changed at all."
After a brief moment of surprise, the Platinum Dragon Lord looked at the two of them, seemed to understand something, then smiled at his former companion.
"Hmph! Do you think I enjoy staying in a child's body?"
"I was not mocking you. I'm simply relieved to see that an old friend is still well…"
A reunion with an old friend, and under these circumstances no less.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's already wavering heart could not help settling somewhat, and the scales within him tilted even further.
"Evileye… could you step away for a moment? There are some things I need to discuss alone with this… lord."
After reminiscing briefly, the Platinum Dragon Lord spoke.
"…You're not planning to trick me again, are you?"
Those words pierced the Platinum Dragon Lord's heart like a sharp sword, making it ache.
He knew she was not thinking of the same thing he was.
Even so, hearing that from a former companion still brought back unpleasant memories.
Riku…
"Although I did deceive everyone once, you know… I do not like lying."
Another lie.
The Platinum Dragon Lord mocked himself inwardly.
What was the point of remembering such things now?
These hands were already filthy beyond repair. Things had long since come to this, had they not?
Even so, he did not want to keep repeating such actions.
Perhaps it really was time to make a change.
Hearing this, Keno turned her gaze to the side.
"Don't worry."
Naohara stroked Keno's golden hair and soothed her.
The Platinum Dragon Lord had once been a member of the Thirteen Heroes after all. Although certain unpleasant things had happened, those memories could not be erased.
Keno did not know what they were going to discuss next.
But as a former companion, she still wanted to preserve his life as much as possible.
Times had changed.
There were fewer and fewer old acquaintances from the Thirteen Heroes left. That was hardly something to be happy about.
After Keno left, only the two of them remained.
"Since our last battle, this seems to be the first time we've met in quite a while."
Naohara looked at the sealed Platinum Dragon Lord.
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and the golden chains instantly vanished like smoke.
"I doubt I will ever forget that memory for the rest of my life. And compared to last time, you have become even stronger."
"I can sense the power of that sword within you. It… seems to be devouring your flesh and your Dragon Soul."
The Platinum Dragon Lord rose to his feet, his expression unchanged.
What did it matter if the chains on him had vanished? As long as the man before him remained, he was no different from a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
As he spoke, his form began to change as well.
His massive dragon body shrank, finally taking the shape of a Dragonoid.
His blue pupils shone like gemstones in the sunlight, his long silver hair had a metallic luster, and a glossy sheen flowed across his body.
"A sharp sense."
Naohara picked up the Chalice beside him, poured a cup of the Water of Life, and took a small sip before speaking.
He had placed the [Dragon Destruction Sword] inside his body.
By using himself as a sacrifice, some sort of special transformation had occurred between the two during the process.
Perhaps it was because of the Rune Characters, or perhaps it was because he had absorbed too much Dragon Power.
In short, the [Dragon Destruction Sword] had begun to merge with his body.
Whether this process was good or bad was still unclear, but for now, the advantages outweighed the drawbacks.
His Dragon Lord form was suited to long-range attacks and magical bombardment.
His Dragonoid form was suited to close combat and physical attacks.
Back when he was still in the game, the reason he had chosen the [Sword Saint] class was so that he could continue fighting in close combat after exhausting his mana.
However, since coming to the New World, he had rarely used that combat plan, because there had simply been no opponent capable of pushing him that far.
That became especially true after he transformed into a Pureblood Dragon.
But the current situation had solved that problem.
In addition to raising his attributes across the board, the [Dragon Destruction Sword]'s own abilities were becoming part of his body.
It was roughly equivalent to becoming a permanent buff.
At that point, he should be able to perfectly integrate the power of all his classes and use the special skills of the [Sword Saint] class with the body of a giant dragon.
For example, he could activate [Spacial Slash] with his tail or wings.
Or perhaps he could make use of the [Dragon Destruction Sword]'s transformation into a World-Class Item and let the weapon drive his own evolution, thereby stepping onto an alternative path toward godhood?
"So… what have you decided?"
Naohara set aside his thoughts and asked calmly.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's choice would affect part of Nazarick's next strategic direction.
"I can accept, but you must agree to some conditions."
"Let's hear them."
Naohara was not surprised, because he had already anticipated this.
The Brightness Dragon Lord and the Vampiric Dragon Lord had analyzed before that the Platinum Dragon Lord had roughly a sixty percent chance of accepting and a forty percent chance of refusing.
Of course, those probabilities were not fixed. They could still be influenced by other factors.
For example, Keno, a former companion from the Thirteen Heroes. That was also one of the reasons Naohara had brought her to meet the Platinum Dragon Lord.
"I can hand over the game items that once belonged to the captain, as well as the game items belonging to the Demon God King. I can even surrender the Wild Magic I possess."
"But the condition for all of this is that you give me freedom. Let me witness the changes in this world for myself. Let me believe that neither you nor your companions will become a second Eight Greed Kings!"
The Platinum Dragon Lord stated his conditions.
His tone was firm. Just as the Brightness Dragon Lord had said, the bargaining chips he held were substantial, substantial enough to make refusal difficult.
Although his thinking had undergone certain changes, he still considered himself a guardian of the world who maintained its balance.
"Quite generous. But the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord seemed to be searching for your items before. How can you be certain those things haven't been taken?"
Naohara spoke unhurriedly, his tone like the surface of a calm lake, without a single ripple.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's words confirmed one thing for him. The so-called Demon God Uprising from back then really had been the work of players.
The Demon God King…
Keno had once said that the Thirteen Heroes' final enemy was called the Divine Dragon. That meant he was probably a Dragonoid player, just like him.
Combining that with the information he had learned earlier, the captain of the Thirteen Heroes had activated magic surpassing the Tenth Tier, summoned a powerful angel to descend, and so on.
Most likely, two players had fought. Then the captain activated the Super-Tier Magic [Nibelung I] or [Pantheon] to summon an angel, ultimately achieving victory.
But after the battle ended, the Platinum Dragon Lord had stabbed his own captain in the back, seized the Eight Greed Kings' Guild Weapon, then publicly claimed that the captain had died in battle and had entrusted the weapon to him.
The exact details were unknown, but it should not be too far off.
Presumably, the Platinum Dragon Lord would not speak of that history either.
"There is no way Deep Darkness could have obtained those items. On the first day of my disappearance, those items were already transferred."
The Platinum Dragon Lord had several bases across the continent.
The main force he managed was located in the distant east, temporarily administered by a trusted Dragon Lord under his command.
The Argland Council State itself was merely one experimental nation among the many experiments run by his organization. If necessary, it could be abandoned at any time.
Before taking action back then, the Platinum Dragon Lord had sent a Message to an unknown existence.
Aside from the Blue Sky Dragon Lord, there was another confidant of his, a Dragon Lord who had trained in the Paladin class.
(PS: It was mentioned in the original work that in the distant eastern lands, there were rumors of a dragon who had trained in the Paladin class and could use magic from another system, one of the four major systems of Tier Magic.)
As long as something happened to the Platinum Dragon Lord, the Blue Sky Dragon Lord would be responsible for transferring the Guild Weapon, while the other confidant would flee with all the game items and hide until he appeared again.
"Preparing for the worst. Very thorough."
Hearing this, Naohara could not help clapping his hands, a look of appreciation appearing on his face.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's move had indeed been excellent. For a True Dragon Lord to consider the possibility of his own defeat was truly impressive.
"It was only a precaution. I never thought it would actually…"
At this point, the Platinum Dragon Lord sighed, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
Even now, he still found it somewhat difficult to accept the fact that he had been completely crushed, and a sense of frustration welled up in him.
"But Tsa, you should know that this alone is not enough."
Nazarick had no shortage of items. Even Cash Shop Items were too numerous to count.
If counting only Wild Magic, the Platinum Dragon Lord's bargaining chips were still somewhat lacking.
"After I witness the changes in this world, if there are no problems, I will offer up one World-Class Item along with my loyalty. If there are problems, then even if you continue humiliating me like before, it will be useless."
"And here is some information regarding the 'Primordial Mother.' This is the final bargaining chip I am willing to provide for now."
The Platinum Dragon Lord spoke with a firm expression.
He knew very well that for players who possessed a Guild, these items were not truly indispensable. Their deep reserves were enough for them to ignore such things.
Unless it was a World-Class Item.
But precisely because the Platinum Dragon Lord understood that so well, how could he possibly hand over a World-Class Item now?
A bargaining chip was only real when held in one's own hand.
Only a fool would play their strongest card at the start.
"One World-Class Item?" Naohara frowned slightly and asked in confusion.
"The Demon God King's World-Class Item is not with me. The situation back then… was complicated. The item's whereabouts are unknown. It is suspected to have been taken in advance by some powerful individual."
The Platinum Dragon Lord immediately explained, a trace of helplessness in his voice.
Through his Wild Magic perception, Naohara knew the other party was not lying, and doubt rose in his heart.
"Mm… fine."
"After the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord is dealt with, I can promise to let you go into the outside world. But before that, there is one thing you must hand over."
"What is it?"
"The Eight Greed Kings' Guild Weapon!"
"What!?"
[Wasn't that thing taken by you long ago?]
The Platinum Dragon Lord froze at once.
He had always thought the Guild Weapon had already fallen into their hands.
But what was going on now? Judging from Naohara's words, it seemed they had not obtained the Guild Weapon.
Could it be that Brightness…
"Is there a problem?"
"…No. I understand."
In the end, the Platinum Dragon Lord said nothing. If handled properly, this matter might allow him to counter Brightness instead.
"Then I look forward to working together."
Naohara kept smiling, then took a few steps toward the Platinum Dragon Lord, opening his eyes as he walked.
With a hint of teasing in his tone, he said, "Although we once became enemies due to certain unavoidable reasons, we can absolutely become friends."
"How does that saying go? Although you no longer have a father, you still have me. I can certainly become your guide and show you the path ahead."
His fist clenched.
It really clenched.
The Platinum Dragon Lord, who had been deep in thought, nearly choked on his breath when he heard that.
If only he could beat this guy…
...
After teasing the Platinum Dragon Lord a bit, Naohara left.
He picked up the little girl waiting at the entrance and, in passing, gave the poor Evil Tree nearby a few Demon corpses above level 85. Then he headed for the fourth floor.
It was good for a child to have ideas of his own.
As his father, he should give him some encouragement at the right time.
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