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Chapter 14: The Volume 3 Item
Kranol never left loot behind.
He stripped the red robes off the cultists from the Black Serpent Cult.
[Name: Crimson Robe of the Demon Realm]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Effect: Made from special plant fibers found in the Demon Realm. Allows the wearer to maintain stamina and mental strength in areas filled with magi. However, its effect fades over time and must be recharged with magic.
- You can operate freely in magi-filled areas for up to 72 hours.]
He salvaged seven usable robes. Even if he couldn’t sell them easily, the fabric alone had value.
He also looted their belongings: five silver coins, some dried fruit, a black cross, a cult scripture, cheap swords, and more.
All of it went into the baby dragon’s subspace storage.
“Kyahh?”
“Even useless junk sells for money. That’s how I afford your jerky.”
“Kryang!”
The baby dragon wagged its tail and nodded happily.
As Kranol headed back to the Birshi Territory, he noticed all traces of magi were gone.
‘Morgon must’ve been completely banished.’
That lowest-class demon had been forced back to his realm.
Although that meant Kranol might cross paths with him again in Volume 3, but he didn’t care.
‘Saving the world? That’s the protagonist’s job.’
Kranol only cared about his survival and health.
He checked his updated status window:
[Name: Kranol Wizard]
[Race: Human]
[Title: Escaped Monk of the Iron Monastery]
[Exclusive Skills: Invisibility (Lv1), Black Lightning (Lv1), Beast-Hunter Sword (Lv3), Basic Shield Skill (Lv1), Basic Archery (Lv3)]
[Traits: Calamity Affinity (??), Madness (Legendary), Heavenly Martial Body (Unique)]
[Stats: Strength (Lv3), Agility (Lv3), Magic (Lv2), Luck (Lv2)]
[Note: A weary, pretty man with ashen hair and red eyes. Suffering from chronic migraines, nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and severe herb overuse. He does not believe in personal happiness.]
‘Still… this is a huge step up.’
The first few months after he was reincarnated, Kranol’s condition had been miserable.
The constant stabbing headaches.
The terrifying madness attacks.
That cursed monastery that had tied him up like a madman.
Somehow, he’d survived all of that.
And now, not only had his combat skills reached level 3,
he’d even obtained a rare item from Volume 3.
‘But I’m not done yet.’
As he reached the Birshi estate, Kranol prepared for more rewards.
At the Lord’s Castle
Word of Kranol’s success had spread fast.
He returned alone, having purified the corrupted land—
and was greeted with awe.
“Amazing! No wonder they call you the Mad Dog Kranol! You did it so fast!”
“Give me my reward.”
Kranol wasn’t interested in flattery.
He had been promised two things:
- A unique item – the Sky Boots
- One request within reasonable limits
“Bring it out!” the lord said.
A servant carried a cushion with old, blood-stained boots.
Kranol appraised the item.
[Name: Sky Boots]
[Rarity: Unique (Incomplete)]
[Effect: Created by a strange being for fun. Allows the wearer to teleport—only upward. Because of its flaws, using it can easily result in falling to your death. Handle with care.]
‘Yeah… just as I expected.’
They were technically Unique grade, but extremely flawed.
You could only teleport straight up, with no safety.
That explained the bloodstains from previous users.
‘Still… I know how to make use of them thanks to my story knowledge.’
He accepted the item without complaint.
“Now, for my second reward.”
The lord nodded.
“I know the boots aren’t great. So ask anything within reason—just not my family or my own body, of course.”
“I wasn’t interested.”
“Good. You’d be surprised how many people try to cheat the system.”
The lord lowered his voice and smiled.
“Would you consider working directly for me? I’d double your pay.”
The Birshi Territory was large and wealthy.
It was a tempting offer—but Kranol shook his head.
“You said you’d be opening trade routes through the land I purified, right?”
Kranol made a simple request:
“Show me all the trade goods. I’ll take what I want.”
Kranol left the castle with his choice of trade goods in hand.
The lord watched him leave.
“He’s no ordinary man.”
But the smile on the lord’s face slowly faded.
‘Did he really think he could refuse me and walk away unharmed?’
The lord had kept his promises under the Star Oath,
but from now on, Kranol was on his own.
“When the sun sets… retrieve everything I gave him. Including those boots. And kill the Mad Dog.”
“Yes, my lord!”
His assassins moved.
***
Meanwhile, Kranol stored the trade goods in his subspace.
He sold the cult robes at the market—haggling hard with the merchants.
In the end, he got a decent price.
Then, he summoned the little girl in a quiet alley.
“Wow! Is this where humans live? It’s amazing!”
To avoid attention, he covered her black-and-white wings with a cloak.
Birshi was far more developed than other rural regions—
like a small city with real facilities.
“Pick a store. I’ll buy you something nice to wear.”
“Yay!”
She ran into the most expensive clothing shop.
“Welcome! Oh my—what a cute child!”
The shop staff were all smiles.
“Is she your little sister?”
“…My niece.”
“Oh my! You’re quite handsome yourself! We just got some new arrivals—”
The girl wandered the shop happily.
“Mister! What do you think? All the clothes are so pretty!”
In the end, she picked a yellow, chick-colored dress—
adorable and elegant, like a noble’s daughter.
Afterward, Kranol took her to a bakery for dessert.
She devoured her crème brûlée, cream all over her mouth.
“I really like you now, Mister! I’m so glad I met you!”
“Wipe your mouth before hugging me.”
“Kyahhh…”
Behind them, the baby dragon looked sad.
Unlike the girl, who could disguise herself as human, he had to stay invisible—
and it clearly made him feel left out.
To cheer him up, Kranol pulled out a gift.
“Kyah?”
“Salted ham. Not sure if you’ll like it.”
He handed the thick slice over in a quiet alley.
The baby dragon sniffed—
“KYAAAAH?!”
His eyes went wide and he lunged at it, chomping happily.
‘Every kid loves ham and sausages. No exception.’
They were happy and carefree.
But they couldn’t stay here forever.
‘I still have to find the miracle that will cure my madness.’
And so, Kranol set off once more—
toward his first miracle.
“The Philosopher’s Stone.”
A mysterious stone said to recover all things—
one of the few miracles with the potential to cure Kranol’s madness.
And among all the known miracles, it was the most reachable for him right now.
‘But to approach a miracle, you can’t rely on common sense.’
Even as a reincarnator, Kranol would have to risk his life.
The path to a miracle was always dangerous.
So he took out the item he had earned from defeating the lowest-class demon, Morgon.
‘A reward only obtainable in Volume 3. This should help.’
He pulled out a black orb, ominous in appearance.
Just as expected from a future-tier item, its info was locked.
[Name: Corrupted $@#@$.]
[Warning! Access to this item’s information is restricted.]
[You do not yet have the level required to interpret it.]
But Kranol knew what it really was.
The item’s true name: “Orb of the Twisted Future.”
And using it was simple.
“Toshil. Come here.”
“Kyaaaa!”
(The baby dragon screeched, clearly still unhappy with its name.)
Kranol lightly tapped the orb on the baby dragon’s head, snout, and eyes.
[You are glimpsing various possible futures of the ‘Abandoned Baby Dragon’.]
[A powerful technique has been stolen from one of its twisted futures.]
[Warning: This may result in uncontrollable power. Use with caution.]
That was the Orb of the Twisted Future’s effect—
It searched a target’s possible futures, selected a twisted one,
and stole a powerful ability from it.
It could only be used once per target, so it required careful planning.
‘Of course, if the target has a boring future, it’s a waste…’
But that wasn’t a concern here.
Everyone in Kranol’s party had the potential to become a calamity.
So he could already guess what would happen.
‘The baby dragon’s twisted future? Too obvious.’
As expected, a terrifying result came up:
[The ‘Abandoned Baby Dragon’ has gained new knowledge.]
[Learned Unique Skill: “Summon Explosive Dragon” (Lv1)]
[Remaining uses of this item: 2]
To face a miracle, raw power was essential.
Kranol didn’t have time to train slowly.
So he chose the most extreme, illogical path available.
‘Volume 1’s Final Boss—Blacksteel Dragon.’
A massive beast that could decide the fate of the continent.
And Kranol intended to use it.
