Ding dong.
[The <Upper Abdomen Jab> that enables you to empty anyone's stomach with just one jab has been activated.]
The lovely message appeared in front of Lloyd's eyes. At the same time...
Bergh! Ice Dragon Tyrannus clutched his stomach as he vomited and shivered from head to toe. But he didn't bend over like the humans do. His whole body lurched backward instead, facing the sky as his stomach gurgled and majestically threw up.
Fwoosh! But what came out from his stomach was a cold and frigid gush of air, and as the blow jetted into the sky, the oxygen and moisture inside froze into snow that started to heavily fall on the ground. It was only then that Tyrannus stopped gagging.
"Urk! Cough! Argh!" groaned Tyrannus.
Everyone was at a loss for words. All the spectators fell into a shell-shocked silence. Javier who was anxiously watching as he grabbed his sheath, Yong Yong who was anxiously firing up his determination to protect Lloyd, and the terrified centaurs who were observing the scene from a distance became utterly speechless. Was it because of the dragon's majestic gagging? Or, because of the resulting heavy, artificial snowfall? It was neither.
How is it possible for a human to empty a dragon's stomach?
When their train of thought reached that point, everyone's gaze traveled to the same spot where Lloyd was standing with clenched fists.
I did it!
Lloyd exclaimed inwardly. He had taken a risk on this. It turned out he had made the right choice.
It worked. I knew the title effect would work just as it was advertised.
Just then, Lloyd's mind flew back to the title he received back in the Mermaid Kingdom and its effects.
I can empty anyone's stomach if they're in a body of water with a depth of at least twenty inches.
That was what the Upper Abdomen Jab was meant to do. It was what Lloyd had put all his trust in when he daringly suggested his bet and fooled everyone, including Ice Dragon Tyrannus.
I mean, who could have expected this to happen? A human caused a dragon to throw up with a punch? Lloyd would have scoffed if he, too, didn't know about the title effect.
Anyway, it worked. This is what I call a real scam.
Lloyd looked up with a smile on his face and met Tyrannus's gaze that darted down at Lloyd. The latter's gaze was filled with dismay.
"How... did you do it?" muttered Tyrannus as he rubbed his belly.
"Um, I simply did my best," Lloyd replied in an equally but feigned voice of dismay.
"You did what? Your best?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Do you seriously expect me to believe that?"
"Um," Lloyd said as he cleared his throat. "To be honest, I don't know how else to explain myself." He flashed a troubled smile. There was really no way he could explain the system of title and skill options to the dragon. "I genuinely put in my best effort. I believe that the heavens have allowed this miracle to take place due to my sincerity."
“...”
"I am being sincere, Your Excellency," pressed Lloyd.
"Really?" asked Tyrannus.
"Yes, really."
"Truly?"
"Yes, truly."
"Hmm... There's something off about your words, but it's not like I've got any other choice given the results." Tyrannus frowned as he looked down at Lloyd. What kind of leery situation was this? A mere punch from a human made him vomit? Tyrannus couldn't wrap his head around it.
It's strange. It's so strange. He didn't even put any mana into his punch. And there wasn't any big impact either.
Tyrannus honestly barely felt anything, even after the impact. Not even a tingle. He was about to announce his triumph when suddenly his stomach knotted up and emptied itself. He shook his head
I definitely didn't feel much physical force.
For someone to make him vomit using sheer force, it had to at least be the archangel of Heaven or the King of Hell. Their punches would be the only ones that could bring about the same effect.
Or my wife.
Tyrannus thought of his wife, Fire Dragon Kalidis.
Anyway, this is one strange fellow. There is definitely something about him that I don't know about.
Therefore, something else other than his powerless punch would have brought about this effect. Tyrannus suddenly became curious and wanted to know the secret. There was no other way of finding that out other than acknowledging his defeat.
"I see..." His gaze on Lloyd softened. "I frankly do not know what kind of scheme you resorted to, but a wager is a wager. Since you managed to empty my stomach, you win. Therefore, you can keep the Heart of Winter."
"D-Do you really mean it?" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Of course." A wry smile appeared on Tyrannus's face. “After all, we made a bet, and a bet is a promise.”
I could lose my dragon power if I break a promise.
Dragons held the great power to cast magic only with their words, and the powers of their words rested on fulfilling them. Thus, any actions from a dragon that caused them to break a promise made them lose the power of their words. Unreliable words lost their effect, which eventually led to the loss of the power a dragon held in their words.
I cannot lose my dragon power like this.
It never occurred to Tyrannus that he'd lose the bet. The wry smile deepened. "Do I mean it, you ask? Do you think I'd go back on my word?"
"Oh... That's..." murmured Lloyd as he scratched his head.
"Never mind," replied Tyrannus, "Anyway, a wager is a wager. Since you won, I won't confiscate the Heart of Winter from you. But are you sure you are all right with that?"
"Excuse me?"
"If you keep the Heart of Winter, you'll experience a bad side effect from it."
"A side effect?" Lloyd cocked his head to the side in mild disbelief. A side effect? Lloyd suddenly had misgivings about the former's words. But the response that came back to him was a sincere one.
"Since it's a divine item that produces such strong frigid air, it places a great burden on a human's heart and manaheart. It might not show now, but over time, your whole body will start to freeze. Slowly, before you even realize it."
"My body will start to freeze?" Lloyd's voice was a pitch higher.
"Yeah." Tyrannus nodded his head. "The mana circulating through your body will fill with cold air, and over time, it will settle in your organs. By the time you notice any symptoms, it will be too late. If I were to compare it to a human disease... Aha. It would be similar to cancer."
"No way." Lloyd gulped dryly.
He doesn't seem to be lying about this.
Lloyd asked, "Is there a way to prevent this side effect from affecting me?"
"Of course, there is. Do you want me to tell you?"
"Yes, please."
"It's simple. You just have to absorb a divine item with an opposing nature to the Heart of Winter."
Lloyd mused, "Would that be to neutralize the cold air with heat?"
"That's exactly right. Have you ever heard of the Tears of Summer?"
"I did..."
"You're smart."
"Ugh..." Lloyd choked up. "Thank you."
"But why do you look like you're about to cry?"
"How can I not?" Lloyd replied, holding back his tears and snot. "The Tears of Summer is one of the three divine items belonging to the House of Magentano."
"Indeed."
"That's why I'm tearing up."
"Why is that?"
"I can't think of any way to consume it."
“...”
"Ha..." sighed Lloyd heavily. "It was backbreaking work to clean up the mess that came after absorbing the Heart of Winter. I don't know how I will butter up the queen to be able to consume something else. And it isn't like I am asking for an extra scoop of ice cream. What's wrong with my life, really? Haah."
Tyrannus didn't say anything while Lloyd berated his fate at the same moment. Lloyd's instinct clearly told him that the dragon was telling the truth. In actuality, Lloyd could occasionally feel frigid air seeping from his mana after he came to own the Heart of Winter. The feeling grew particularly stronger when he froze the flow of time. As such, he couldn't think lightly of the dragon's warning.
"But Great Dragon Tyrannus," whimpered Lloyd.
"Do speak."
"About the side effects. How long do I have?"
"Do you mean how long will it take for you to fully feel the side effect I mentioned?"
"Yes."
"Five years if fast. Ten if late. Happy?"
"I see," sighed Lloyd. "That'll be enough."
"That'll be enough? What do you mean?"
"Enough time to find the solution," said Lloyd, "Right now, there is something more urgent for me to do than absorbing the Tears of Summer."
"There is something more pressing than stopping the side effect of the Heart of Winter?"
"Yes."
"I am curious what that could be."
"It's not much. I need to search for a couple of important materials for a project."
"Important materials, huh."
"Yes."
"Since you're looking for them here... Are you trying to rebuild the Jewel of Truth?"
Tyrannus's sharp question made Lloyd flinch in surprise. "Yes, you're right. Do you know what that is?"
"I do." Tyrannus grinned. "It's the building of wisdom that gives the wisest answer to any question. It was also the shining treasure of the mythical age, though it was destroyed during my grandfather's time. I suppose you are looking for the materials necessary to reconstruct the building?"
"Yes. And it's been a lot of work."
"Why is that?"
"They're too difficult to find." Lloyd put on a genuinely bitter smile.
"They're difficult to find?" Tyrannus responded with genuine surprise. "I doubt it."
"Excuse me?"
"I know where everything is."
"Where are those places?!" Lloyd's eyes shimmered. Lloyd clutched the claw of the dragon's hind leg.
Ice Dragon Tyrannus nonchalantly replied, "One is in your kingdom's capital, Magenta. Another one is at the peak of a nearby mountain. Two of them are in my house, the ice cave. The last one is quite far away. Anyway, I've stolen and brought two home a long time ago."
"You've brought home two of them?"
"Yes. They were perfect to use as firm pillows."
"..."
"But I began to prefer softer pillows about 800 years ago. It's been a while since I last slept on a firm one. Do you want them?"
"Yes! Yes!" Lloyd nodded at lightning speed. Lloyd didn't forget to poke around to check the dragon's heart. "I am truly thankful, but I wonder as to why you are helping me..."
"Hmm?" Tyrannus asked as if he didn't get what Lloyd was getting at.
"You don't need money from me or anything like that, do you?"
"Tsk," tutted Ice Dragon Tyrannus. "Do you think I am helping you because I want something in return?"
"Pardon? No."
"Yeah, right."
“...”
"I am simply acting out of curiosity. I am intrigued as to how you managed to empty my stomach with your powerless and mana-free punch. Yet, if you die early from the side effect of consuming the Heart of Winter, I will have no way to settle my curiosity."
"Oh, yes..."
"I am offering my help so you won't die early."
"In summary, are you helping me to make more time for you to settle your curiosity?" Lloyd questioned the dragon.
"That's exactly right."
“...”
"The thing is, even if I help you, humans only live up to 100 years at best. It'll be easier for me to retrieve the Heart of Winter when that time comes for you."
Lloyd clamped his mouth shut. Now, he was enlightened of the reason behind the dragon's generosity. Nothing was free in this world, indeed. However, it wasn't time for Lloyd to be picky.
I should be thankful he's even willing to give me all the key materials for the jewel.
It was rather time for him to bow down to the floor in utter gratitude. Right now, he needed to focus on the pressing matter in front of him, which was stopping the damned restoration of destiny by building the Jewel of Truth. Who cared if Tyrannus forced him to resolve his curiosity later on or performed experiments on him?
"Understood. Thank you. By the way, Your Excellency..." Lloyd's voice faded as he spoke.
"What is it this time?"
"You said two of the materials are in your ice cave, and the other one is somewhere quite far."
"Oh, the last one? Do you want to know where it is?"
"Yes. If you could extend your kindness to me..."
"Kindness?" Tyrannus snorted. By now, it was clear to Tyrannus. This human was brazen and audacious. But something was marvelous about him as well, which made him hard to hate despite his shameless character. Lloyd was somehow ridiculous yet cute at the same time. He made Tyrannus feel the same emotions as he did while watching a pill bug struggle to climb a small hill. Naturally, his voice softened.
"Well, that won't be too difficult to do. Actually, there was a time when my son was engrossed in researching dimensional shifting magic."
"Dimension... shifting, you say?"
"Yes. Dimensional shifting. Anyway, he used to send stuff to other dimensions for experimental purposes. He tried it on everything he could lay his hands on that wasn't a valuable good. And the last key material for the jewel you're looking for was one of them."
"Woah." Lloyd gaped. Another dimension? He suddenly felt like a thick, murky cloud was hanging over him. How on earth was he supposed to find that?
"Then, which dimension was the last key construction material sent to?" asked Lloyd, feeling bleak.
Tyrannus grinned. "Seoul."
