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Chapter : 19 Pursuit
The northern part of the continent was divided into permafrost, snowy plains, and snow-covered mountains.
The permafrost region, being closer to the central lands, had a relatively milder climate, allowing coniferous plants to grow naturally.
But “relatively” was the key word—it was far from warm.
An average temperature of minus 4 to 5 degrees Celsius was normal, and during the harsh season, it could drop to minus 15 degrees.
And that harsh season was just beginning.
Anyone sleeping outdoors would freeze to death. Food, let alone water, was nearly impossible to find.
In such a climate, mere survival in the North was a constant challenge.
That’s why—
“I’ll go with the soldiers right away to find my brother.”
Serapia had to find Adrian as quickly as possible.
She tightly fastened her thick fur coat. Yet the cold that crept in was nothing short of murderous.
And with every gust, Serapia couldn’t shake off the growing unease blooming in her chest.
It had been two weeks since Adrian disappeared.
Two weeks in this deadly cold meant he was most likely dead.
Especially without any proper gear—there was simply no way he’d still be alive.
“Sir Kai, please search for my brother with the soldiers as well.”
“……”
Kai didn’t answer.
His lips pressed into a firm line, his face clearly conflicted, as if he had something he wanted to say.
Eventually, he slowly opened his mouth.
“…I don’t understand why we need to find Lord Adrian.”
To Kai, Adrian vanishing on his own was the best outcome.
There was no need, no reason to search for him.
He spoke his mind honestly, and Serapia responded with just one word:
“Family.”
The relationship formed the moment one is born—therapeutic in some ways, but inescapable, often hurtful.
The closer the bond, the deeper the wounds it could inflict—wounds that could never fully heal.
Perhaps that’s why family could also be a kind of sickness.
And when that sickness spreads, it must be treated.
That was why the previous count had cast Adrian out—severing their blood ties as parent and child.
But Serapia and Adrian weren’t even blood-related in the first place.
“If it were you, Sir Kai, I’d do the same.”
And the same went for Kai and Serapia. They weren’t connected by blood either.
“We’re family.”
Family.
“…Understood.”
Kai nodded.
But this didn’t mean he accepted Adrian.
It was merely an act of loyalty, of knightly duty.
And Kai’s loyalty and chivalry were for one person only—
Serapia.
Only her.
“I’ll search the snow-covered mountains this time.”
“Then I’ll check the snowy plains and the permafrost region.”
Serapia gave a small, grateful smile.
Then, without wasting another second, she set off.
Her silver hair swayed side to side with each step, and Kai, watching her quietly, eventually followed.
Meanwhile—
Cold metal armor clung to Kai’s skin, biting with the mountain’s chill.
Using aura to shield himself, Kai pushed through the snow alongside the soldiers, climbing higher.
After some time, they reached midway up the snowy mountain.
“There’s something there!”
At the soldier’s shout, Kai turned and saw something half-buried in snow.
They quickly dug it out—revealing a massive 4-meter-long corpse.
“It’s an Alacron.”
A monster native to the snowy mountains.
Judging by the frozen state of the body, it had likely died at least a day ago.
But the condition of the corpse was disturbing.
Chunks of flesh were violently ripped off—it looked like it had been devoured.
“So that’s why we haven’t seen many monsters lately…”
“Looks like the mountain monsters are fighting over territory.”
The soldiers quickly came to a conclusion: this corpse was the result of a monster battle.
And indeed, the torn flesh did look like it had been bitten into.
Only a monster could’ve done this. No human could eat monster flesh—it would drive them insane.
Which made their assumption reasonable:
“Lord Adrian likely isn’t on this mountain.”
But Kai thought differently.
He inspected the corpse closely.
The bite marks… were off.
They weren’t from a monster’s teeth. They looked more like a human had chewed on the flesh.
One part was even cleanly sliced—as if with a blade.
Kai reached a chilling conclusion:
“He ate it… another monster.”
This was Adrian’s doing.
The soldiers couldn’t even imagine Adrian eating a monster.
Not because he wouldn’t—but because no one could.
Consuming monster flesh would drive a person mad. It was common knowledge, a law of nature on the continent.
But Kai had seen it.
He had witnessed Adrian tear into the heart of Dermechsus.
He saw it with his own two eyes.
It was no illusion.
Back then, Adrian had temporarily gone mad but recovered quickly.
At the time, Kai had wondered how that was possible.
Now it made sense.
“He’s finally been consumed by madness.”
Adrian had lost his mind.
It was inevitable.
Looking back, Adrian had disappeared right after eating Dermechsus’s heart.
Now Kai understood.
He hadn’t been hiding—he couldn’t show himself.
Adrian had lost his humanity.
At that very moment, Adrian was likely wandering the mountain in madness—slaughtering monsters, feasting on them, amassing more and more madness.
He was becoming something else.
A monster.
Which meant… Adrian couldn’t be left alone.
An insane Adrian roaming the mountains?
He had to be stopped.
He had to die.
“What shall we do?” the soldiers asked.
Kai didn’t hesitate.
“This is no longer a ‘search’ mission.”
“We continue the pursuit.”
They were now hunting Adrian—to kill him.
He was likely still on this mountain.
Even in this lethal climate, where a person couldn’t survive a single day, Kai didn’t believe Adrian was dead.
He was alive.
But today, Adrian would die.
Kai followed the trail, leading the soldiers higher up the mountain.
And then—
BOOM!
An explosion shook the mountain.
At the same time—
The mysterious figure that had suddenly attacked me…
As the blizzard cleared—emotions burst forth: hatred, joy, ecstasy.
A beast—black with hate and madness, seething with blind bloodlust.
Its low growl oozed insanity, as if wringing every drop from its veins.
A hunger for blood.
A ravenous craving.
It looked like it could tear me apart at any moment.
“Gelu Drake…”
Gelu Drake.
A mutated version of a Drake, with “Gelu”—meaning ice—added as a prefix.
Literally, it meant Ice Drake.
It was a subspecies of the Drake.
The two could interbreed, though they rarely did due to differing habitats.
Still, they shared a common ancestor:
The Dragon.
Even the name “Drake” derived from Dragon—not just because of their appearance, but their lineage.
Drakes split off from Dragons eons ago.
They belonged to the same family.
Just as tigers and cats belong to the feline family, Drakes and Dragons shared blood.
Though vastly different in power, Dragons were their distant kin.
Dragons—the strongest beings on the continent. Natural disasters in the shape of living things.
Dragons were called the pinnacle of biological evolution.
Creatures could evolve to suit a specific environment, like surviving -70°C in the mountains.
But adaptation to a single environment is a double-edged sword. If that environment collapses, they die.
A snow mountain beast thrown into southern heat would die within a day.
Adapting to every environment?
Impossible.
Except—
For the Dragon.
Dragons could survive anywhere: frigid winters, blazing heat, salty seas, arid deserts, dense jungles.
In every environment, Dragons were apex predators.
One Dragon could burn a kingdom to the ground without a single scratch.
They were virtually invincible.
And Drakes were descended from them.
Though lesser, they remained powerful predators.
Hence, this one—the ruler of the snowy mountains.
Its skin color said everything.
Most mountain monsters were white—to blend in and avoid predators.
But not the Gelu Drake.
Its deep reddish-brown hide didn’t bother with camouflage.
It was the top predator.
Born from Dragons, its wings had atrophied, but it gained unmatched ground speed.
Its muscular tail gave it balance and crushing power.
Despite its fearsome look, it was nearly herbivorous—technically omnivorous, but it evolved that way.
It dug through snow with claws to eat moss and herbs beneath.
Thus, it rarely descended from the mountain peak.
“So then why…?”
Fear gripped me.
My instincts screamed at me to run—but my body refused to move.
Frozen—not from cold, but terror.
Like a statue of ice.
Yet—at the same time—
A thrill surged through me.
I couldn’t hide it.
Drakes were classified in the Dragon family.
That meant…
They carried the genetic code of the Dragon.
In my past life, I could never consume a Dragon.
Even I, the Predator of the Allied Forces, didn’t dare.
But now—right in front of me—
A piece of the strongest creature’s DNA.
Rrrrgh…
How could my whole body not tremble with excitement?
