I was still pondering what to make with the Dragon Heart when two strange guys approached me.
"Excuse me, are you Kang Cheolung?"
"I am. Why?"
"The representative told us to head this way."
"Hmm."
Why did he send these two to me?
As I considered that, something suddenly came to mind. I gestured for the two of them to follow me. The place I headed for was where Sideras and Yoo Joonghyuk had sparred. There was only one reason I had brought them here: the motorcycles Kang Ilhoon’s group had ridden here were parked here.
"Have either of you ever repaired or built a motorcycle?"
"I have."
"I haven’t."
"...Then why are you not wearing any pants?"
"Ah, I can explain that... What is your name?"
"Kang Cheolung."
"Ah, yes. Then I’ll begin."
I listened to his story.
"So Kim Dokja resurrected, but the only clothes available for him to wear were monk’s robes, so he told you to hand over your pants?"
"Yes."
"...Can you draw blueprints?"
"I used to be a designer."
"Then draw up a clothing pattern and bring it to me. You look awful."
"Yes..."
"Then what should I do now?"
"I’m going to modify those motorcycles later. Take them apart for now. Here are the tools."
"Ah, yes."
To calm my mind for the moment, I went to the opposite side of where they were and began butchering the dragon carcass. First, I hung the dragon upside down. That way, blood would not splatter on my face while I butchered it. Then I brought Hyunsung over. Hyunsung looked at me with a baffled expression, and without saying anything, I told him to replace the buckets whenever they filled up. I spread a large plastic sheet on the floor.
When Hyunsung handed me a bucket that had filled up, I gave him an empty one in exchange and began portioning out the blood in the bucket. Once all the dragon’s blood had drained, I laid the dragon I had hung down on the plastic sheet. Using the butchering knife I had made this time, I severed its wings, legs, tail, neck, and head, in that order.
First was the head. I separated the horns from its head, then began pulling out the teeth with pliers, starting from the less sharp ones.
"Nnghhhhhh!!!"
They were damn hard to pull out. I told Hyunsung to hold its mouth so it could not bite me, then gripped the pliers with both hands.
"Nnghhhhhh!!!"
Pop
Only then did one come out. I continued pulling out its teeth the same way. Then I carved out the dragon’s tongue with the butchering knife. Next came its eyes. I fixed its eyelids in place, grasped an eyeball with both hands, and pulled it out.
Then I sensed someone behind me. I turned around and saw that Lee Seongguk seemed to have come to leave the pattern behind. I took the pattern, then quickly made a pair of pants to clear my head. Carrying one of my spare shirts as well, I went to Kim Dokja and said,
"Don’t steal someone else’s pants. Wear these, at least."
"!!!"
When I suddenly spoke to him, Kim Dokja looked at me in surprise. Acting as if I did not care, I handed him the clothes.
"Ah... thank you. But where did you get these?"
"I made the pants, and the shirt is one of my spares."
"Ah..."
"Change. I won’t look. And if the size does not fit, bring it to me. I’ll alter it for you."
"Yes... You really can do everything."
"My mother was a seamstress. I learned from her back then."
"Fortunately, the pants fit."
"Is that so? Good."
"Here are the pants. Please tell him I put them to good use."
"I will."
I turned around and went back to butchering.
"Hey, I got your pants back for you."
"Ah, thank you."
I resumed my work. At the point where the head and neck had connected, I inserted the knife along the boundary between flesh and skin. Then I twisted it. As I created a gap that way, I kept moving the knife. I inserted my hand into the opening and separated the flesh from the hide.
Once only the parts I could not reach by hand remained, I reopened the mouth I had pulled the teeth from earlier. When I had separated the flesh and hide just now, my hand had come out near the jaw joint and into the mouth. I pushed my hand through that spot and continued separating them. Then I grabbed the dragon’s upper lip and pulled. That was how I removed the skin from its head. I tossed the hide into one spot and separated the skull from the flesh. Then I put my hand into the eye socket and stirred around a few times. When I caught hold of something, I grabbed it and pulled it out.
It was the brain.
I put the brain into a random bucket and washed the skull.
"Whew... I want to smoke a cigarette so badly."
"Want one?"
"...Yes, Pildu."
I accepted a cigarette from Gong Pildu and began smoking.
Click
Inhale
Exhale
"When did you get here?"
"When you shoved a knife into that lizard’s neck and twisted it."
"So you’ve been here since then."
"Aren’t you exhausted? If it were me, I’d have collapsed from fatigue ages ago."
"I’m fucking exhausted."
"Seeing a quiet guy like you start cursing, you must be exhausted as hell."
"I’ll rest for five minutes, then I need to break down the tail and neck."
"Hey, but what does dragon meat taste like?"
"So far, I’ve only had head meat. I haven’t tasted it yet."
"Is that so?"
Flick
Crush
Sizzle
"What? You’re getting back to it already?"
"Yes. Five minutes have passed."
"Take it slow. You’ll collapse at this rate."
"Mm."
I stood again and inserted the knife between the flesh and skin of the tail, twisting it to make an opening. I stuck in my hand and began widening the gap, then slowly peeled the hide off like sausage casing. I separated the bones from the meat again and did the neck the same way.
Now came the difficult part: the wings. I made an opening at the point where the flesh and skin connected, inserted my hand, and moved it around a few times. Then I began peeling the wing hide away. I separated it slowly so as not to damage the membrane. After exercising the utmost caution, I successfully removed the skin from one wing. I did the same for the other side, and now it was time for the legs.
Then someone ran a finger across the nape of my neck. Startled, I turned around. Lee Jihye and the other members of the group were there.
"What is it?"
"..."
They stared at me. Following their gazes, I looked down at myself. My entire body was soaked in sweat and blood I had not managed to wash off. When I looked at their faces, they had expressions that said they had plenty to say but did not know where to begin.
"...I’ll rest once I finish breaking it all down."
"...That isn’t what matters right now! Mister Bear, when was the last time you slept?"
"...When I inherited the Stigma."
"Then that was three days ago!!!"
"Ah, no, it’s just..."
《The Constellation "Demon-like Judge of Fire" says she is worried about you.》
《The Constellation "Mass-Production Maker" tells you to get some sleep.》
《The Constellation "Blacksmith of the Volcano" says you will die at this rate.》
《The Constellation "Secretive Plotter" says that if you die like this, he will not take responsibility.》
《The Constellation "Sea Spirit" asks when you last ate.》
"...The jerky Kim Namwoon gave me four days ago."
"There must have been something else you ate!"
I cautiously avoided the group’s eyes.
"...Don’t tell me that was it?"
"..."
"You’ve seriously lost your mind!!!!"
Then Jung Heewon began hitting my back.
Smack
Smack
Smack
《The Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" says, so in that completely fucked-up condition, you made an S-rank weapon, fought some apostle or whatever, and then put on a dragon-butchering show?》
《Numerous Constellations hear the words of the Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" and say, "I acknowledge you. You have my respect."》
《The Constellation "Prisoner of the Golden Headband" says the Steel Iron Bear Whale would never fall over from something like this.》
"...Huh?"
When I said, "Huh?" Yoo Sangah asked,
"What is it, Cheolung?"
"My vision is spinn..."
Thud
That was my last memory.
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