My Two Status Windows

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 85: The Second Apostle (1)

"Creating a Dragon Heart? Is that even possible?"

[I am the Dragon God.]

With that one sentence, I could do nothing but nod in agreement.

Right now, he may only be a thought projection, but originally, he was an SSS-rank deity.

A being on par with Zeus and Odin.

There must be a way.

"Understood. Then I’ll go and accept the quest. But hmm... would just detonating the created heart complete the quest?"

[No. There are too many eyes of Asgard watching for such deception. You must personally destroy Drakina’s Dragon Heart. Then, at that very moment, I will replace it with the one I create.]

"Is that really possible?"

[It is. I will convince Drakina myself.]

The Dragon God spoke with absolute confidence.

At this point, I might as well trust him.

There's nothing to lose, anyway.

"Alright, let's do it."

[Then wait one day. I will craft Drakina’s Dragon Heart.]

"Do you need any more SP?"

[What I have now is sufficient. But more importantly—do you have an Apostle?]

"An Apostle?"

[I can sense the energy of Elprian. That troublesome skill she used in battle...]

Ah.

Is he talking about the Garden of Apostles?

How does this guy even know about that?

[The day I fought for dominance against Kevrian. It was a perfect siege. I had hidden dragons prepared to strike, and as I was about to engage her in combat, suddenly, angels and high elf warriors burst forth from her embrace. The shock of that moment was…]

Drakia suddenly began reminiscing about the past, going on at length.

If I let him continue, I might end up listening to an entire fantasy epic about elves versus dragons.

I cut him off.

"There’s a subspace skill called Garden of Apostles, where temporary apostles reside. I assume that’s what you mean?"

[Yes. That kind of skill. After you destroy Drakina’s heart and replace it, could you place her there?]

Right now, only Diana occupies it, so it's possible, but...

"That means Drakina would have to become my Apostle. Would she agree to that?"

[Heh… It would be an honor to become the Apostle of the Soul Mediator. I will convince her.]

"Then go ahead. But my rank has dropped to B, so I’m not sure if I can appoint an Apostle."

I recalled the Seal of Elprian and its Apostle Appointment ability.

[Seal of Elprian: Apostle Appointment]

[You can temporarily appoint an awakened being as your Apostle if they are of the same rank or lower. For elves, rank restrictions do not apply. You can appoint up to seven Apostles.]

It worked regardless of rank for elves, but for dragons, they had to be equal or lower than me.

Drakina was definitely not just B-rank.

[Would B-rank be enough?]

"Yes, if she's B-rank, she can be an Apostle."

[Then there is no problem.]

The Dragon God spoke with certainty.

When it came to Dragon Hearts and anything dragon-related, he was completely confident.

Well, he is the Dragon God… he must know what he's doing.

Two days later, I re-entered Kalvine.

Upon returning, I found myself standing on Drakina’s neck.

Riding the massive red dragon again filled me with a sense of grandeur.

But now wasn’t the time to bask in the feeling.

I opened my quest window and accepted both quests simultaneously.

I wasn’t sure if clicking with both hands at the same time would work, but thankfully, both quests were accepted.

The quest to awaken Drakina into a Dragon God had additional details.

[Awaken the Dragon God's power latent within Drakina. This power will gradually awaken when she remains in the Land of Dragons, but the process will accelerate if she acquires other Dragon Hearts.]

[This quest cannot be accepted again.]

So either she stays put in the Land of Dragons or hunts other dragons to awaken faster.

Now I see why this quest was labeled impossible in difficulty.

If I had rushed in without preparation, I would’ve struggled immensely.

And it’s a one-time quest.

If I hadn’t accepted it, I would’ve regretted it forever.

I tapped Drakina’s neck.

"You. Become my Apostle."

[What? Apostle? Are you insane?!]

Drakina screeched in outrage, her body tensing as if she was about to throw me off.

Before she could move, I quickly retrieved a gem from my inventory.

A red gemstone the size of my fist.

Flames swirled inside it.

Before I left home, Drakia had handed it to me, saying it was ready.

[I modified a Dragon Core I was making for the awakening of a Dragon God. If you embed this into Drakina, I can connect with her.]

As soon as I pressed the modified Dragon Core against Drakina’s neck scales, red light burst forth.

The light quickly transformed into flames, engulfing both me and Drakina in an instant.

From the outside, it looked like a blazing inferno.

But neither I nor Drakina suffered any harm from the flames.

[Even if you accept the quest, Thor's gaze will still be upon you. I will use my flames to obscure his sight for a while. Now, I will begin my conversation with Drakina.]

Flames solely meant to block Thor’s view.

The fire spread across the Land of Dragons, swallowing it whole.

[This magic…?! Ah… no… wait… Honorable Father Dragon God… Is it truly you, Dragon God?!]

Are they talking?

Looks like the connection worked.

Drakina, who had been brimming with arrogance, suddenly lowered her head in deep reverence.

[Ah. Yes. My apologies… I will remain silent…]

Did she just get scolded for talking out loud?

Even though the Dragon God had no physical form, Drakina treated him with extreme reverence.

Time passed as the flames continued to burn.

I was curious about their conversation, but I couldn’t hear it.

All I could sense was Drakina trembling.

Then, suddenly, her neck jerked upward, pulling me with it.

[W-What?! My Dragon Heart? And my rank… A-Alright… I will obey…]

Her voice, now subdued, carried resignation.

Drakina’s mighty dragon head nearly scraped against the ground, as if in complete submission.

Having to give up her heart must have been devastating.

As I watched her with a bit of pity, something huge floated in front of me.

A gemstone, even larger than my own body.

A star-shaped, crimson jewel radiating golden light.

An overwhelming surge of mana poured out from it, almost pulling at my own energy.

Wait… could this be…?

A Dragon Heart?

[Destroy it.]

Drakina spoke in a depressed tone.

She really, really didn’t want to do this.

"Just… break it?"

[Yes. The Dragon God has already made all the arrangements. Just destroy it… Ah! But don’t use that weird sword technique of yours! Use Mana Sword instead.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

At her instruction, I pulled out Yeoui.

I channeled mana into it, expanding it into a greatsword.

"This is definitely a Dragon Heart, right? I’m breaking it now?"

[Yes! Just hurry up and do it!]

The sword plunged straight into the Dragon Heart.

It looked incredibly solid, yet it penetrated more easily than expected.

The blade burrowed deep into the very center of the Dragon Heart.

Cracks began to spread all around it.

"Kaaaaaaahhh!!"

A piercing scream, sharp enough to tear through the ears.

Drakina thrashed in agony, lifting her head abruptly.

Standing on her neck, I almost got thrown off by her violent movements.

My body trembled along with the Dragon Heart impaled by my sword.

[Now, as you destroy the Dragon Heart, I will use its power to create a new one. Split the Dragon Heart in half.]

Drakia’s voice suddenly rang out.

Despite his daughter writhing in pain, he remained utterly cold and composed.

Following his instruction, I expanded the blade and infused it with sword energy.

The sword, already piercing through the Dragon Heart, moved up and down.

The cracks widened until the Dragon Heart was completely split in two.

"Ka…aaah…"

Drakina, who had been convulsing in pain, gradually stopped moving.

The golden light radiating from her body slowly faded.

Her body drooped lifelessly, drained of all vitality.

[‘Destroy Drakina’s Dragon Heart’ quest completed.]

A sudden message popped up.

I thought I was about to receive my reward, but an unexpected message followed.

[Thor is suspicious of how quickly you completed the quest. The Neutral Faction is sending an investigation team.]

An investigation team?

They really have everything in this world.

Guess I can't cheat my way through so easily.

"They say an investigation team is coming."

[I would do the same. This was within my expectations. Let’s quickly proceed to the next stage—Dragon Heart creation.]

The split Dragon Heart.

As its vast energy dispersed into the atmosphere,

With a single command from the Dragon God, the energy began condensing again.

In an instant, the scattered energy reformed into something similar to the original Dragon Heart.

Only, this one was the size of a fist and glowed golden instead of red.

[Revive.]

A dazzling golden light erupted from Drakina’s limp body.

The light was drawn into the newly formed Dragon Heart, gradually taking shape.

The golden glow outlined a humanoid figure about my size.

Starting from the limbs, the light settled,

Revealing—

"A person…?"

A red-haired, naked beauty.

Her eyes were closed, her features youthful yet breathtakingly beautiful.

Her long crimson hair draped over her body and face, yet even so, her beauty was overwhelming.

She looked like she could surpass even the Elves.

[Since my daughter is now bound to serve a human, I adjusted her form to better suit human preferences.]

Wait, this is Drakina?

Compared to the growling, beastly orc-like figure from before, this was a complete transformation.

[Now, we truly have no time. Begin the Apostolization immediately!]

Drakina remained unconscious, completely limp.

Would this work even in her current state?

I decided to proceed with the Apostle designation anyway.

[Designating Red Dragon Drakina as an Apostle.]

[Red Dragon Drakina is in a 'Tolerated' state. Her rank is temporarily lowered to C. Once she fully recovers, the Apostolization will automatically be undone. Do you wish to proceed?]

This is called a 'Tolerated' state?

The difference in appearance is way too extreme compared to what I know.

Well, at least it's better than having a five-meter-tall dragon-headed beast following me around.

To be able to transform a dragon into a human form… The Dragon God truly is incredible.

As soon as I confirmed the designation, a brief light flashed from both Drakina’s body and mine.

[Red Dragon Drakina has become an Apostle.]

[If Drakina’s rank surpasses the user’s, the Apostolization will be automatically canceled.]

Hmm.

It worked.

Drakina, unaware of her fate, remained slumped over her original body.

[Now, hide Drakina.]

"Understood."

[C-rank Awakened 'Red Dragon Drakina' enters the Apostle's Garden.]

[Remaining slots in the Apostle's Garden: 3.]

Her body transformed into light and was absorbed into me.

[Normally, I would absorb her original body myself.]

As Drakina’s human form disappeared, the Dragon God’s flames shifted.

Previously serving as a camouflage, they now began fully incinerating Drakina’s draconic body.

[The brute force of Thor’s energy can be felt.]

Rumble.

Thunder echoed across the sky.

Looking up, I saw lightning crackling within the clouds.

Just how powerful was this lightning if I could see it from here?

[With that level of energy, it must be Thor’s direct Valkyries. It seems they are the investigation team you mentioned. I shall divert their attention.]

How?

[I will launch you to the ground. Pretend to be an enemy.]

Before he even finished speaking, a massive gust of wind erupted from Drakina’s burning body.

I could have resisted, but following Drakia’s plan, I allowed myself to be thrown.

Boom!

I hit the crimson earth of the dragon's land, a cloud of dust filling my mouth.

"Ugh, pfft."

Spitting out the dirt, I looked toward Drakina’s body.

Where flames once burned, a golden dragon had appeared.

Huh?

A Gold Dragon?

Though significantly smaller than Drakina’s original form, its presence radiated overwhelming majesty.

The Gold Dragon lifted its head toward the sky and let out a mighty roar.

[Thor! This time, I shall retreat. But I will return!]

Then, it transformed into a streak of light and vanished.

As soon as it disappeared, four lightning bolts struck the ground, and four Valkyries emerged.

Whoa.

That was close.

"The Dragon God Drakia is attempting to resurrect!"

"He’s still weak. We must pursue him!"

"Capture him!"

Though they had come as an investigation team, they now seemed entirely focused on Drakia.

Well, it looks like their investigation will be brushed aside.

But is the Dragon God really okay?

[As expected, the Asgardians are brute-force idiots. Still, an investigation must be conducted.]

Drakia’s voice suddenly rang in my head.

Wait.

Weren't you inside that body?

[I split my consciousness in two. A simple task.]

So this is what an SSS-class entity is capable of?

As he watched the departing Valkyries, he chuckled before turning to me.

[I will go into recovery now. Take care of Drakina.]

Alright. Have a good recovery and clear that quest.

[Red Dragon Drakina's body has been destroyed.]

A quest window popped up suddenly.

I tensed, worried that the second Dragon God creation quest had somehow failed.

However, the following messages reassured me.

[The body of Drakina, the Dragon God's heir, has been destroyed and is now being reconstructed. The quest continues.]

[The Dragon God is regenerating a small portion of the body.]

[Quest progress: 10%]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]