SSS-Class Revival Hunter-Chapter 213: What the Goddess Has (3)

The Gold Dragon lived in a huge tower known as the Heavenly Killer Spear that was rumored to pierce the sky. The tower had another name, the Golden Sky Pavilion Tower, because it was made of gold. Its oldest name was Netherworld River Pavilion Tower, which essentially meant peeking at the otherworld from the land of living.

Seven thousand years had passed since the Gold Dragon built the tower. No matter where one turned their head in the southeastern part of the kingdom, they could see it. It had been there long before the kingdom was founded.

Even after seven millennia, the gold enveloping the tower’s walls was still brilliant and holy, like an umbilical cord connecting the earth and heavens. People worshiped the tower as one of the mysteries of the world.

The sky pavilion never changed. Humans, however, did. Even though they were slaves to the dragons, they established their own nation.

“All nobles, listen. I issue a royal decree for a punitive expedition. I’m going to organize an army for this expedition. The lords are required to send out their soldiers.”

The dragons laughed. Humans were foolish and weak. Due to their short life, it was unlikely for their nation to last a long time. The dragons were right, but the humans weren’t stupid enough to forget which species had been enslaving them.

The kingdom made it a national mission to eliminate all dragons from the world.

“The amount of soldiers you need to dispatch depends on your title. A marquis is required to send one thousand soldiers. A viscount, two hundred. A baron, fifty. An honorary viscount...”

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers gathered, forming one grand army. Nevertheless, the punitive expedition failed purely due to the Gold Dragon’s Authority. Every dragon was born with an ability of their own, and the Gold Dragon’s Authority was all about instincts—it liberated human greed.

Once a brave warrior stepped into the Gold Dragon’s land, bloodlust consumed them. Innocent soldiers became overwhelmed with lust. The adventurers who had called each other sworn brothers started fighting over the loot.

The kingdom’s first, second, and third punitive expeditions were grand failures. That was how things had been so far, so the Gold Dragon thought this expedition would be no different.

The Gold Dragon looked at the woman in front of her. The woman resembled a flower bud just before full bloom. The dragon could faintly smell a poisonous scent from the cracks seeping from the woman’s petals.

“How do you stay sane?” the dragon asked.

Speaking proficient dragontongue, the flower bud imitating a human said, “It’s simple. I already live by my instincts. I get something because I want it. I kill because I’m alive. If someone who follows their instincts is called a madman, then I’ve been crazy for a long time. Dragon Emperor of Gold, you may be able to bring a crazy person back to their senses, but you cannot make someone who is already mad even madder.”

“That makes sense.”

The Gold Dragon looked over the girl’s shoulder at the dozens of humans rallied behind her. None of them spoke.

The Gold Dragon continued, “But that’s just you. How do they also maintain their sanity?”

Amethyst smiled. “Well, you’re right. It’s strange. Why do you think that’s the case? Take a guess, Dragon Emperor.”

The Gold Dragon looked at the human leader again. There was nothing wrong with her power. The humans were breathing heavily, their fists were clenched at their sides, as if they wanted to kill each other at any moment. Their faces were also red from the desire to knock someone down and violate them. Despite their silence, desires swirled within them.

The humans had one thing in common. A stronger emotion than bloodthirst and lust dominated them. The Gold Dragon was better than anyone else at reading emotions, so she easily recognized what it was—fear.

“I see. They’re all afraid you will hate them.”

The flower bud’s smile was in full bloom. “Yes, they love me so much.”

The Gold Dragon was thrilled by the answer. Those people were seething in bloodthirst and lust. It was just that they wished not to be hated by Amethyst or disappoint her, so these feelings alone overcame their instincts. They didn’t fear death as much as they feared these outcomes.

The Gold Dragon had to ask again, “Love?”

That was love?

Amethyst nodded. “Yes, people often say they love themselves the most, as if it’s the most natural thing. What is the true meaning of love, then?”

She hummed. Every sound that came out from her mouth sounded like a musical note.

“There are very few people who truly love themselves so much that they can’t help themselves. It’s very rare. When people say they love themselves, what they mean is that they don’t want to die and lose everything.

Amethyst slowly extended her hand. “In that case, it would be safe to call the feeling of not wanting to lose me love. Ultimate Sword Duchess?”

A duchess approached Amethyst’s side and kneeled down to kiss her hand. The duchess was an Ascendant who had been living for over two thousand years. She was also, without a doubt, the strongest swordswoman in the kingdom, yet she kneeled like it was a very natural thing to do.

“Rather than lose me, they would rather give up their lives. That is who I am to these people. The Netherworld River Pavilion Tower is said to be impregnable, but it turns out the only way to break through its defense is love. Cliche, but fun. What about you? Are you having fun too?”

The Gold Dragon could tell who was the strong and the weak in this situation. She trembled.

“I want to live. Don’t kill me, please.”

The dragon shrank back to her human form. At the top floor of the pavilion tower, there was a flower garden with a fountain in the middle. The dragon sat by the golden fountain, the shivers wracking her body sending ripples on the water surface.

Amethyst stroked the Gold Dragon’s chin. “Of course I won’t. I can’t kill you. You’re too beautiful.”

“Please.”

“But you haven’t answered my question yet. Dragon Emperor of Gold, do you know how to care for those who have already died?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t, but I think others might. Other dragon emperors. I’m acquainted with them. I’ll tell you their names and locations.”

Amethyst’s touch was soft and understanding. “Yes, three punitive expeditions have taken place to take this place down. The most recent one was twenty years ago. The number of casualties at that time was approximately a hundred thousand. If I include those who couldn’t be tallied, the number was most likely around two hundred thousand. The royal family and nobles will make one hell of a fuss, demanding me to cut off your head.”

The dragon trembled harder.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it somehow.”

Water splashed. Amethyst let the Gold Dragon down in the water, her hair spreading in all directions and swaying alongside the ripples.

“But I need something in return.”

“What?” the dragon asked.

“Please love me.”

Water droplets fell from the fountain.

Gold Dragon’s Gaze

Class: EX

Effect: Instincts overwhelm anyone who enters the Skill Range. Their rationality becomes paralyzed and dull. The desires and greed that they have been suppressing are unleashed.

This Skill reveals a person’s true nature. It can be used on living people as well as objects. If you wish, you will be able to recognize the nature of all things. You will view the world from an omniscient perspective.

※You are also included in the Skill Range.

The Gold Dragon became Viscountess Amethyst’s pet.

“You will find the Earthbone Dragon in the desert stretching beyond the mountains.”

The Gold Dragon gave her all to her lover after falling in love for the first time in her life. She used her power and recited her knowledge for Amethyst, sacrificing her future for her lover’s sake. Though she knew very well what kind of destruction awaited a dragon who fell in love with a human, her knowledge mattered less than the blink of her lover’s eyelids.

“Earthbone Dragon, you say?” freeωebnovēl.c૦m

“Yes, the Earthbone Dragon has the power of immortality. Everything she touches turns into sand and scatters. When she takes the scattered lives in her grasp, they gain eternal life. The method is a bit unorthodox, but...”

Amethyst laughed. “Interesting.”

The dragon was happy.

Earthbone Dragon’s Skull

Class: SSS+

Effect: You can store memories of the living in a Box.

This Box can only be destroyed by you, the person who possesses the Skill. As long as the Box is not destroyed, you can create a vessel carrying the same memories over and over again.

This new vessel can travel around the universe, form new memories, and update those in the Box. Of course, they need your permission to do so. Even if the vessel perishes, the Box will not take any damage.

Grant the privilege of immortality to those around you.

※The memories of the vessel being cannot be updated in the Box.

The Earthbone Dragon soon became Amethyst’s pet.

“Maybe we’re still a little short on ingredients.”

The Gold and Earthbone Dragons rubbed their cheeks against Amethyst’s knees. She slowly played with the Gold Dragon’s blonde hair with one hand and the Earthbone Dragon’s black hair with the other. Every time her hands touched their foreheads, the dragons trembled with bliss.

“I’ve gained the eyes that see everything and the mind that can store memories. But it’s still not enough to bring back those who have already died. Is there no good way to do this?”

“You’ll find the Icewater Dragon at the end of the Great Lake,” the Gold Dragon said softly. “The place where she lives is bitterly cold. The wind howls with snow, and the waterway is covered in ice.”

“Interesting. Tell me more, please.”

“The Icewater Dragon freezes the person she likes in a special way... She turns them into a pillar of ice. Only the Icewater Dragon can destroy or melt the pillars. When she melts the ice pillar, the person trapped inside surprisingly comes back to life as if they had just closed their eyes for a moment.”

“In other words...”

The Gold Dragon placed her face on Amethyst’s lap and looked up at her significant half. “The Icewater Dragon has the power to stop time. If one can stop time, it means that they’re also able to accelerate it. They can basically control time. Don’t you think so?”

Viscountess Amethyst smiled. “You’re cute.”

The dragon became even happier.

Icewater Dragon’s Breath

Class: EX

Effect: You can control how time affects others.

It’s possible to rewind or freeze time. You can send the person to any moment in the timeline you observe.

※You cannot send the person to a moment in time you haven’t directly observed.

The Icewater Dragon became Amethyst’s pet.

Everything was ready. Amethyst could finally heave a sigh of relief.

“That’s good.”

Her relieved sigh made the dragons happy.

“It really is.”

Amethyst herself was also happy. Probably.

Act 3: Kingdom Hunt.

At this point, no politician could stop Viscountess Amethyst.

There were six duchesses in the kingdom, each having a faction of her own. The artists’ faction followed the Ludic Duchess. The pathfinder faction pledged allegiance to the Ultimate Sword Duchess. The religious faction placed their faith in the Pantheon Duchess. The Innerbound Duchess led the Innerbound faction. The Foundation Duchess commanded the Foundation faction.

All the six duchesses “loved” Amethyst. Even in the unprecedented situation of a viscountess owning dragons, the nobles were unable to openly raise oppositions.

If the royal family considered Amethyst to be dangerous, there was a chance of stopping her. After all, a royal family would be able to stop a noble if no one else could. The ruler of the kingdom was the Sun Queen. She had been on the throne for over ninety years. In the past sixty years, she hadn’t attended a single meeting in the Noble Assembly.

When a rebellion had broken out sixty years ago, the Sun Queen executed her own daughter. The nation could only be sustained by killing one’s family. She was unable to consider such a nation worthy nor did she have a reason to live in a kingdom she didn’t care for. The queen incarcerated herself.

During the sixty years that the sun was imprisoned, the kingdom rotted and crumbled. Petals had the strongest scent when they were rotting.

“Your Majesty, please grant my request,” Amethyst said softly. “You regret killing your daughter, don’t you? You think a rebellion broke out because you ruled the country. No matter what policy you implement or how you take care of national affairs, someone will inevitably be sacrificed somewhere in this kingdom. In politics, the more you do, the more sacrifices you have to make. It’s the same for everyone, so you can’t escape fate. Doing nothing may be better.”

The queen said nothing.

“Let the wise exercise their wisdom. Whoever wants to gain power, let them come get it. You simply exist. If that is the only road you can walk on...”

Amethyst sat by the throne and reached out her hand, touching the queen’s cheek. She slowly stroked the face that had been blank for the past sixty years.

“Please leave it to me.”

A scent like hand-crushed peaches filled the throne room.

“No one could suppress the Red Fingernails' riot and the Stone Assembly, but I did. I crushed the rebellion that the Skybreaker Cat started in the southeast.

“I revived the royal army that had been abolished by an unequal treaty. The Gold Dragon had threatened the southern part of the kingdom, the Earthbone Dragon had been encroaching on the Great Desert, and the Icewater Dragon had frozen the waterway east of the Great Lake. I defeated the first, took in the second, and captured the third.

“The Ludic Duchess, the Absolute Sword Duchess, the Pantheon Duchess, the Innerbound Duchess, the Foundation Duchess. The six duchesses were rotting away in time, but their hearts are beating again after giving me their love. See? I’ve accomplished tasks no one else did. I’m capable. The most capable.”

The whispers of the generation’s most competent subject were sweeter than the praises that the treacherous subjects of the golden age uttered. Her purple eyes were in the shapes of crescent moons.

“So, Your Majesty, please leave it to me. Are you afraid that you will make a bad decision? Go ahead. If you do, I’ll correct it. Are you afraid that you may lose your mind? It’s okay. Go mad. You can just go crazy for me.”

The emotionless queen, who had once been praised as the sun of the kingdom, was puzzled. She finally asked, “Why? If you’re so capable, the kingdom will be of no use to you. While you can give everything to the kingdom, it has nothing to give you. Why do you want my favor? I can’t give you anything.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, you’re mistaken about something.”

“What exactly?”

Amethyst gently pressed her palm on the queen’s lap and stood up, her eyes locked on the monarch. “I’m having an audience with you. What I want is you, Your Majesty. Just like you want and dream of someone infinitely more capable than yourself, I want you. Please become my incompetent ruler.”

She leaned in, close enough for the queen to feel Amethyst’s breath on her face.

“I will make you the wisest ruler of all times.”

The peach scent crumbled the stone statue. The sun was captivated by the peach blossoms. As she crumbled, the queen spoke one last time.

“The sins I have already committed are grave. Many people have died. I don’t deserve to live as a wise ruler, so shouldn’t I apologize to everyone by remaining an incompetent ruler in history? Just as you cannot bring back the dead, you cannot undo sins that have already been committed. It would be good for me to die so you can serve a new ruler.”

It was the same as the curse that the Noir Witch had once poured out. Amethyst couldn’t give a good answer.

“Haha, it’s okay, Your Majesty.”

It was different now. She was a little more capable.

“I can care for those who are already dead and everyone else in the universe.”

“How?”

Amethyst smiled coquettishly. “Please leave everything to me. But love me, please.”

In December of that year, Amethyst became a duchess—the Kaleido Duchess. It was the seventh dukedom created in the kingdom’s history, and the youngest dukedom to be established.

In the kingdom, there was a custom of people giving other names to the duchesses. The Ultimate Sword Duchess was the Absolute Sword Duchess, and the Unconditioned Duchess was the Ludic Duchess.

The Kaleido Duchess was often called by the name the people gave her— National Doomfall Duchess. She was the duchess who had brought down the country to her advantage.