Yoon-Hee was the best at housework, closely followed by Karsiel. Although no one asked her to, Karsiel often took it upon herself to help the busy Yoon-Hee by cleaning the house and doing laundry. One day, as she was crouched on the living room floor, carefully folding freshly dried clothes from the dryer, a commotion broke out. Yong-Yong darted around the house, vigorously mopping every corner. After lunch, Yong-Yong made sure to act loudly and deliberately, as if to show off his efforts, aware of Do-Jun working on his laptop in the bedroom. Once the floors gleamed from his thorough mopping, Yong-Yong smiled and rushed into the bedroom, clutching his stamp book. “Master, mission complete!” Do-Jun paused his typing briefly. Glancing sideways from the bedroom to inspect the living room’s state of cleanliness, he stamped “Great Job!” in Yong-Yong’s notebook. Then, pulling a thousand-won bill from his wallet, he placed it in Yong-Yong’s front paw and patted his head. Having received his allowance, Yong-Yong chuckled mischievously and quickly darted outside. Still folding the laundry, Karsiel stared blankly at the scene before her. Then, after hurriedly finishing her task, she cautiously approached Do-Jun in the bedroom. “I... I finished folding the laundry.” Karsiel looked up at Do-Jun with a hopeful gaze. After a moment of thought, Do-Jun exclaimed in realization and nodded. He pulled out a 50,000 won bill from his wallet and handed it to her. Karsiel’s eyes darted between Do-Jun’s face and the bill in his hand. “Is it not enough?” he asked. Do-Jun was always generous with Karsiel. If she needed an allowance, he would give her at least 50,000 won, often giving her 100,000 or even 200,000. Because of this, Karsiel’s wallet was always full. Her current savings were 450,000 won. In truth, she didn’t need any more allowance. “N-no, this is more than enough. Thank you.” Bowing slightly as she accepted the money, Karsiel left the bedroom. Karsiel stopped by Hakase’s street food stall. Overjoyed by her visit, Hakase greeted her enthusiastically, and laughing heartily, invited her to eat as many taiyaki as she wanted. “Thanks, Hakase.” Karsiel picked up a red bean-filled taiyaki and nibbled on it. Hakase propped his chin on his hand with a big grin across his face. Watching Karsiel daintily nibble on the fish with her small lips, he couldn’t help but find her adorable. If angels existed, surely Karsiel was one of them, he thought. “Want me to give you an airplane ride?” he asked with a grin. It was a curt reply, devoid of any emotion. But Hakase wasn’t hurt. Karsiel, after all, was a dragon who rarely expressed emotions. In fact, he found her lack of emotional display endearing. While he sometimes wished she would act more playful or childlike, he was happy with things as they were. Right now, Karsiel’s mind was consumed with thoughts of Do-Jun. In her mind, she kept replaying the scene of Do-Jun patting Yong-Yong’s head, again and again. Specifically, she couldn’t stop thinking about Do-Jun’s large hands. How do I...? I want a pat, too. It was then that a conversation among the other patrons at the food stall caught her attention. “Have you heard that rumor?” “The one about the A-rank Great Fissure that appeared in Daemosan Mountain. They say there’s a legendary sword hidden there.” Karsiel’s ears perked up. “But isn’t that just nonsense?” “No, it’s true. Didn’t you see the report? The Young-Kwang Guild sent a team of five A-rank Hunters to retrieve it, and they said a quest was triggered. Apparently, if you defeat the quest monster, you’ll get the sword as a reward.” “Apparently, it’s an S-grade item. You sell that, and you’ll have enough money to support your family for three generations! The Hunter’s Bureau has already issued warnings to keep people away while they investigate it themselves.” These customers appeared to be Hunters, their chatter growing more affected from alcohol, joking about claiming the sword for themselves, and laughing uproariously. Among all of this, one piece of information stayed firmly in Karsiel’s mind: S-grade legendary sword. Feigning indifference, she finished her taiyaki. Then, an image surfaced in her mind—Do-Jun’s sword, kept away in his drawer. The one he occasionally used. It lacked a blade, leaving behind only a worn hilt. “H-Hakase! Thanks for the taiyaki!” Karsiel abruptly stood up and left the stall in a rush. The A-rank Great Fissure of Daemosan Mountain was a damp cave filled with ogres. Standing over eight meters tall with massive muscles, the ogres were enormous. Groups of A-rank and B-rank Hunters lured the ogres one by one for party hunts. Karsiel, however, walked past without giving them a second glance. Ogres were no match for her. The Hunter’s Bureau had posted a warning sign. The bright red letters warned of danger and urged people to turn back and stay out. However, Karsiel ignored the sign and ventured deeper inside. A holographic message appeared in front of her, but she chose to ignore it and keep moving forward. [Ephirix is watching you.] As the damp, dark cave gradually brightened, Karsiel finally found it. It was a sword embedded in the ground, bound by an aura of light. Its brilliance dazzled her eyes. [A Special Quest has been triggered.] [Special Quest – Ephirix, the Guardian of Great Light] Objective: In the Deep Realm corrupted by darkness, there was one who served the light: Ephirix, the Guardian of Great Light. Yet, hidden behind the dazzling radiance lay Ephirix’s brazen ambition. Finally, having obtained Radiance, Ephirix became a Usurper. Clear Condition: Defeat Ephirix (0/1) [Will you accept the Special Quest – Ephirix, the Guardian of Great Light?] [No penalty will be incurred if you refuse.] It seemed like what the drunken customers were talking about wasn’t just a rumor. Karsiel hesitated when reading the quest details, feeling doubtful about her ability to defeat the Usurper Ephirix alone. After some thought, she chose to decline the challenge. She remembered hearing the title Usurper before from Anne. This thing is a Ranker of the Deep Realm, she thought. Only those in the top hundred of the Deep Realm were called Rankers. Despite being a dragon, Karseil was the weakest among the remaining dragons. She lacked confidence in her ability to win and saw no need to take such a reckless risk. “I’ll gather more information and come back.” Just as Karsiel turned to leave, having decided to abandon the quest, a new message appeared in front of her. [Ephirix has forced the quest to proceed.] The sword embedded in the ground rose, floating in midair. A radiance gathered at a single point, forming the shape of a knight clad in pristine white plate armor. The knight grasped the sword. “H-huh?” Karsiel staggered backward in shock. From the knight’s back, brilliant wings of light unfurled. “I was not expecting to see a dragon here, of all places,” Ephirix said, pointing his sword at Karsiel. Sensing immediate danger, Karsiel instinctively summoned her magic, chanting in Dragon Speech, and cloaked herself in a thick barrier to protect her body. Ephirix leaped toward Karsiel instantly, slashing his sword diagonally. The sword clashed with the barrier, sending shockwaves and bursts of light throughout the cave. Despite the barrier, the sheer force behind Ephirix’s strike sent Karsiel tumbling dozens of meters. With a single blow, the barrier shattered effortlessly. Karsiel immediately recognized the huge power gap between them. But there was no time to worry. Ready for the next strike, she pushed her magic to its limit. Half-hearted magic wouldn’t suffice. Fully aware of that, Karsiel chanted her strongest spell, Dragon Spear. Magical energy spiraled from her hands, condensing into a single point. Victory was impossible. She concluded that the only shot at survival was to land a critical blow and escape. The magical energy coalesced into a long spear, which shot toward Ephirix. Ephirix furrowed his brow, sensing that this attack could be dangerous. He raised his sword, infusing it with a powerful burst of magical energy. The clash of magic created a raging storm. Panting heavily, Karsiel didn’t wait for the dust to settle. She turned to flee. At least, she tried to. A magic circle beneath her feet activated, binding her in place. “How pathetic. How amusing,” Ephirix muttered with a scoff. As the storm of magic subsided, the vision gap in Ephirix’s helmet glinted with an ominous light. He was unscathed. For Karsiel, this realization was devastating. The Dragon Spear—her ultimate attack—had done nothing. Ephirix slowly approached her, each step deliberate and slow. “This is all you’ve got, dragon?” Karsiel was trembling. Seeing her display of submission only fueled Ephirix’s delight. A dragon—once a being he could barely meet eyes with—was cowering before his overwhelming power. Ephirix pointed his sword at Karsiel. Although it had clashed directly with the Dragon Spear, it bore not a single scratch. “Do you know this sword?” he asked. “This is Radiance.” Ephirix sneered. “It’s a relic of the Deep Realm.” Karsiel did not respond. “It’s what made me a Usurper.” Karsiel swallowed hard. Ephirix radiated pride when speaking of Radiance. Indeed, to Karsiel’s eyes, the blade, radiant just like its name suggested, seemed to be in a league of its own compared to ordinary weapons. “Dragon,” Ephirix said, his gaze narrowing. “Are you... the King of Earth?” Rumors swirled within the Deep Realm. "If you go to Earth, you will die." Ephirix had come here to uncover the truth behind that rumor. To see it with his own eyes, he ascended. He had lingered in this Fissure, observing the humans who visited. Yet, no matter how long he watched, they all seemed like pathetic fools. “No,” Karsiel replied. “Right. I see. You’re the ninth of your kind. There are other dragons.” According to the rumor, the Rankers of the Deep Realm who were removed from the rankings were killed by Earth’s king. However, Ephirix didn’t believe it. The idea that such an entity existed on Earth defied reason. Those who had survived and endured in the Deep Realm’s heart—how could they possibly fall to mere Earthlings? It was absurd and unthinkable. However, if it were a dragon’s doing, that would be a different story. “Who is it? Who is the dragon reigning as Earth’s king?” Ephirix infused his power into his radiant weapon, a threatening wave of white energy rippling outward. Karsiel swallowed nervously and replied, “Earth’s king isn’t a dragon.” At those words, Ephirix frowned deeply. “I’m not in the mood for jokes—” His words were cut off by a whooshing sound. Without warning or explanation, a sword suddenly flew from somewhere and pierced Ephirix’s body. His armor shattered like glass upon impact, breaking into countless fragments. Radiance, the sword glowing with light energy in Ephirix’s hand, also disintegrated into nothingness. Karsiel was left speechless, staring at Ephirix, now pinned to the wall and robbed of his brilliance. A dark aura erupted from the sword that had impaled him, billowing ominously. The once-radiant Ephirix and his weapon were now consumed by shadow. Not even a moment to fight back was given. Karsiel turned around. Before she knew it, Do-Jun was standing behind her. “Let’s go home,” Do-Jun said with a smile. On their way back that day, Karsiel learned a little about Do-Jun’s sword. It was a weapon he had used for a long time, almost like an extension of himself. Apparently, the lack of a blade was an intentional design from the start. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known my place...” Do-Jun didn’t reprimand or scold Karsiel. “You were trying to get me a sword, weren’t you?” “Yes. But in the end, I just caused trouble.” Karsiel’s shoulders slumped, and her head hung low. Seeing her so dejected, Do-Jun quietly reached out and patted her on the head. Caught off guard, Karsiel closed her eyes and leaned into Do-Jun’s hand. A faint smile appeared on her lips. Suddenly, she felt a slight sting from a flick to her forehead. “Ouch!” Karsiel rubbed the spot, looking startled and confused. “M-Master?” Do-Jun chuckled softly. “That’s your punishment for worrying me.”