When I came to, the first thing I saw was only half the ceiling. The second was that my head was resting on someone’s lap.
Ahem.
"...! Cheolung, you’re awake!"
"Mm."
The owner of the lap was Yoo Sangah. I rose from Yoo Sangah’s lap and sat beside her. For an instant, an expression of regret flashed across her face before vanishing. Maybe I had imagined it.
"Ahem... How long was I out?"
"About five hours."
"Five hours..."
Grab.
"?"
"You’re going to head back to that dragon’s corpse again, aren’t you?"
"Mm."
"Then rest a little longer before you go."
"But..."
"It’s not that urgent! If you need help, I’ll help you. So please rest."
"...Three hours."
"Pardon?"
"Three hours. No longer than that."
"Yes!"
Grrrrrrumble.
"Ah."
Our stomachs growled in unison—mine and Yoo Sangah’s. Then I heard someone running toward us.
"Maaasteeeer!"
Gilyoung ran over and threw himself into my arms. I stroked his head as I spoke.
"Were you worried?"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"It’s all right."
I comforted Gilyoung like that, and he eventually cried himself to sleep from exhaustion.
"...I made you worry too much. I’m sorry."
"No. But please don’t overdo it from now on."
"..."
"Answer me."
"All right."
At my answer, Yoo Sangah smiled in satisfaction and put something into my mouth. It was grilled meat. Looking over, I saw a plate to Yoo Sangah’s right. I asked what kind of meat it was.
"This? It’s the mole cricket meat you butchered, Cheolung."
"Not dragon meat?"
"I tried to cook that, but it wouldn’t grill properly..."
"It did say it was a Flame Species. It must have high fire resistance."
Just then, I heard voices talking in the distance. Carrying Gilyoung and shoving all the meat Yoo Sangah had given me into my mouth at once, I headed over with her.
"Wouldn’t this be the right way to do it?"
"Earlier, I saw him stab a knife in here and twist it, didn’t I?"
"Then do I just stab it here?"
"Let’s just wait for Cheolung to wake up."
"You butchered before, Dokja."
"...I only vaguely copied what I saw in books. I can’t perfectly separate the hide, flesh, and bones like Cheolung does."
They were my companions’ voices. From their conversation, it seemed they had been trying to butcher the dragon in my stead.
"There, stab along the boundary between the flesh and hide, make a gap, then twist it."
"!"
"I made all of you worry. I’m sorry."
I gently laid Gilyoung on the floor, knelt, and pressed my forehead to the ground.
"I’m sorry for worrying you."
"Mr. Bear! Don’t do that—raise your head, hurry!"
"That’s right, Cheolung. Please don’t do that."
"Hey, don’t bow your head like that."
I raised my head again and walked over to the others. Sitting beside Kim Namwoon, I spoke.
"I’ll make sure this never happens again."
"No. You just don’t have to do this again from now on."
"Is that so?"
"Yes! Of course."
Kim Dokja answered with a smile. We talked like that for around three hours. I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck from side to side.
"All right. Time’s up."
I rose to my feet, grabbed the dragon’s leg, and pulled out its claws. Then I approached the severed end, slid my knife between the flesh and hide, and twisted it. I shoved my hand inside to make a gap, then slowly turned the hide inside out as I peeled it away. Next, I made a straight cut along the thigh meat. Inserting my hand, I slowly separated the bones from the meat. I worked on the other leg next, and then came the torso. Since Sideras had carved out the heart from its back, the wound where he had stabbed it remained. I inserted my hand through that wound and made a gap. Then I drew a straight line with my butchering knife and peeled off the hide as though taking off a jacket. I separated the bones and flesh from the torso, then placed the remaining organs into separate buckets.
[Your skill level has increased through repeated skill use.]
You have butchered a dragon. Your skill level has risen to its limit.
Butchering Lv. 7 → Butchering Lv. 10
You have fulfilled a specific condition, and your skill evolves.
Butchering Lv. 10 → Slaughter Lv. 1
Butchering Lv. 10 evolves into Slaughter Lv. 1.
The skill’s target has changed from [dead corpses] to [dead corpses and all living targets].
I stared at the system window for a moment before checking my Attributes Window.
Attributes Window
Name: Kang Cheolung
Age: 30
Sponsor: Blacksmith of the Volcano
Fables: Dwarf’s Successor (Historical Figure), One Who Made a Weapon to Kill Dragons (Legendary)
Stigma: Heart of a Servant Lv. 2
Description: A core used by the Blacksmith of the Volcano when creating his servants. This heart contains the servant’s thoughts and emotions, and the servant possesses absolute loyalty toward its master. However, the body is not generated automatically and must be made directly. It is bestowed only upon skilled blacksmiths. A magitech skill is required.
Exclusive Traits: Dwarf Half-Blood (Rare), Blacksmith (Normal), Tall Stature (Normal), Poker Face (Normal), Fire Resistance (Rare), Pain Resistance (Rare)
Exclusive Skills: Dwarven Smithing (Rare) Lv. 10, Breath of Fire (Rare) Lv. 2, Dwarven Axe Techniques (Rare) Lv. 10, Welding Lv. 10, Slaughter Lv. 1, Magitech Lv. 1
Stamina: 20
Strength: 20
Agility: 10
Magic Power: 15
It really changed.
I stared at the Attributes Window for a long while before looking away. There were the byproducts of the dragon I had butchered: meat, blood, bones, organs, and hide. There were also scales, horns, teeth, and claws obtained by separately processing the hide. First, I spoke to my companions.
"What are all your clothing sizes?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I’m thinking of making armor and weapons from this thing’s hide and scales."
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