Chapter 4: Dragon's Dream (2)
Evileye closed the book she had been reading. A soft cloud of dust scattered from the aged paper as the worn cover shut with a whisper.
Titled The Great Adventurers, this rare volume had first been published 170 years ago. Released during the chaotic aftermath of the Evil Deities War, only about 500 copies were ever printed.
The book captured the physiology, adventures, and environmental records of adventurers from that time—making it an invaluable window into history.
With the recent rediscovery of a few well-preserved copies, a reprint had sparked a surge of renewed interest.
The original first editions, however, were highly sought-after collector's items. Fewer than ten are believed to still exist today, and they are rarely seen in public.
That Evileye, a member of the adamantite-class adventurer team Blue Roses, possessed one of those first editions wasn't particularly surprising.
Especially when considering who she really was.
Evileye was a 250-year-old vampire, a member of a long-lived non-human race. She typically concealed her identity beneath a mask enchanted with [Voice Alteration], set with a crimson gem. Beneath that mask was the youthful face of a beautiful girl—scarlet eyes and golden hair that shimmered like braided gold dust.
Her appearance had not changed in over two centuries. She had lived quietly, hiding both her name and her face from the world.
The book, however, had not endured the ages as she had.
Though it had withstood time admirably, it had not escaped unscathed like its owner.
Yet Evileye had not acquired the book recently, like some antique collector obsessed with relics of the past.
She had obtained it when it was first published—and had carefully preserved it ever since. While the cover showed signs of wear, it remained in better condition than any of the other surviving first editions known today.
To her, this book was one of her most treasured possessions.
After a life of destruction—having once helped destroy a kingdom—and fighting alongside the Thirteen Heroes through the Evil Deities War, she wandered the world in despair and isolation. During that time, she had come upon this book.
It became her companion through centuries of adventuring.
There were times its knowledge had saved her life.
Other times, it had simply kept her company.
And now, with nearly all of her once-beloved companions gone, this book had become something akin to family.
Among all its chapters, one passage always stirred her curiosity more than any other.
Parus—a legendary adventurer from 200 years ago.
The danger level of his journeys rivaled that of an adamantite-ranked adventurer. And since he traveled alone, some considered him beyond even that—perhaps a hero, or even a heretic of adventure.
Given the chaotic state of the world at the time, with demons running rampant, the scale of his achievements was even more impressive.
And according to Evileye, who had actually met him—he truly was a real adventurer.
Unlike modern adventurers, most of whom were glorified errand-runners bound to guilds, Parus had been the genuine article. A lone explorer. A pioneer. An anomaly.
He was the kind of man who discovered the undiscovered.
It's said that at least 20% of all known species listed in modern bestiaries were first documented by him.
His autobiography was considered the bible of adventurers.
In many ways, he was revered—almost worshipped.
And even among all his legendary journeys, that one story stood out to her as the most mysterious:
A city beyond the mountain range. A kingdom where countless beastfolk and humans lived side by side in harmony and abundance. A dazzling paradise.
Even knowing that the tale was over two centuries old, she couldn't dismiss it as mere fantasy. Other documents from earlier adventurers hinted at the same place, suggesting it was real—not myth.
Every time she read it, her adventurer's spirit stirred.
She had thought she had seen everything there was to see in her 250 years of life. She had once brought down a nation. She had fought demons at the side of the Thirteen Heroes.
And yet this mysterious city, where beastfolk and humans lived in peace… captivated her.
She had visited the Azerlisia Mountains once before. She had encountered dwarves. She had seen the Quagoas.
But she had never found even a trace of that city.
Still—she remembered something else.
Her companions.
One by one…
They had begun to disappear.
Her comrades—those who had triumphed in the Evil Deities War and even slain the God Dragon—were hailed by the world as the Thirteen Heroes.
But in truth, there had been more than just thirteen of them.
After the war ended, the companions who had once achieved greatness together gradually scattered, each returning to their own lives in a newly peaceful world.
Once feared as Landfall, the one who had brought down an entire nation, Evileye had fought alongside the heroes as one of their comrades.
Parting from them had been painful. And as time passed, watching them succumb one by one to the limits of their lifespan had been even harder.
Even after they separated, she had kept in touch with a few of them. She had once offered them the idea of extending their lives by becoming non-human like herself—but they refused.
They accepted their mortal fate and lived their lives to the end.
But to think that some of those heroes hadn't died…
To learn that they were alive—not only alive, but thriving, gathered together somewhere in the world, living happily in secret—
When Evileye first read that passage, her hands had trembled with jealousy and rage.
They had invited each other to some mysterious paradise—without her.
Laughing, enjoying themselves—without her?
Unforgivable.
Furious, she stormed into the mountain range, tearing through its underground tunnels in a rampage—but still, she could not find the "phantom city" that Parus had described.
Even with her 250 years of experience—far beyond the realm of mortals, deeper into the domain of legends—she had searched the base of those mountains as thoroughly as one could… yet found nothing.
Eventually, she gave up out of exhaustion.
But she had not given up in spirit.
Did the city truly exist?
Was it an illusion?
Or had it long since been buried under the weight of time, leaving only ruins behind?
If she ever returned to that mountain range again, she would do so fully prepared—to search the roots of the mountains, from end to end, without leaving a single stone unturned.
"But… not yet."
Not now.
She had new companions now.
The members of Blue Roses—Lakyus, Gagaran, Tia, and Tina.
As long as she was with them, she had decided to remain in this country.
But one day…
After they too had gone their separate ways…
Yes.
Just like she had once journeyed with the Thirteen Heroes two centuries ago, she would travel the world again—with the phantom city as her destination.
Smiling faintly at the thought, Evileye placed the worn book carefully back in its protective case.
"Evileye! Are you still up there? You can't keep them waiting!"
"I'll be right down. Go ahead without me."
"Hurry up, okay?"
Just then, Lakyus's voice rang out, and Evileye rose from her seat.
Today, they were meeting with Dragon's Dream, one of only three adamantite-ranked adventurer parties in all of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
She couldn't afford to show up unprepared.
Descending from her place, Evileye picked up the mask she had tossed onto the desk earlier, slipped it onto her face, and headed down the stairs to rejoin her companions in Blue Roses—who were waiting for her below.