NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - Karen 2
Chapter 9 – Karen 2
Dragon Hunter Origins.
The prequel to Dragon Hunter 3.
In other words, the past of Dragon Hunter 3.
“[Master, your heartbeat is abnormally fast.]”
“[Was there a problem with your conversation with Karen?]”
Luther couldn’t answer Integra’s questions.
His mind was so full of thoughts that he couldn’t even properly process what she was saying.
‘Dragon Hunter Origins…’
The official title of Dragon Hunter 3 was as follows:
Dragon Hunter 3 ‘Revive.’
Revival, resurrection.
Coming back to life.
Being restored after ruin.
The story of Dragon Hunter 3 went like this:
Long ago, there were two dragons representing good and evil.
The Divine Dragon Volfeed and the Demonic Dragon Helkanes.
The two dragons perished after a fierce battle, but their fates were slightly different.
While Volfeed’s body completely disintegrated and became one with the world, Helkanes managed to maintain his existence through powerful magic.
However, Helkanes could no longer interfere with the world.
He had prevented his own demise with powerful magic, but this also meant that he would vanish the moment the magic dissipated.
But the world was filled with the power of Volfeed, Helkanes’s antithesis.
If he had been at full strength, it might have been different, but for Helkanes, barely maintaining his existence with magic, the world was no different from a space filled with deadly poison.
In the end, Helkanes couldn’t even reveal himself, let alone interfere with the world. This effectively meant that Volfeed had sealed Helkanes by sacrificing his own life.
But Helkanes didn’t give up.
Unable to act himself, he commanded his minions to destroy Volfeed’s world, and ultimately achieved partial success.
Helkanes’s minions—
The ‘Hecatoncheires’ brought down the Holy Empire, humanity’s first unified nation, and drove the world to ruin.
Dragon Hunter 3 took place in this ruined “post-apocalyptic world.”
A hundred years after Dragon Hunter Origins.
The main story of Dragon Hunter 3 was about humanity rising from the ashes, defeating Helkanes’s minions, and achieving true peace.
‘But Origins, not 3?’
Dragon Hunter Origins was a spin-off released after the massive success of Dragon Hunter 3.
Many people were curious about how a world destined for destruction would be depicted. Arcana, the developer of the Dragon Hunter series, announced that instead of introducing a parallel world or a “what if” scenario, they would conclude Dragon Hunter Origins in accordance with the established canon of Dragon Hunter 3.
In other words, they would end it with the destruction of the world.
‘A promised destruction, but heroes who left behind hope for the future despite that destruction…’
The opening movie, depicting the backs of heroes facing destruction with resignation, was both tragic and moving.
But that was only possible from the perspective of an observer.
If this world was Dragon Hunter Origins, not Dragon Hunter 3.
If the year 119 Karen mentioned wasn’t the year 119 of the Human Imperial Calendar, the calendar system of Dragon Hunter 3, but the year 119 of the Holy Imperial Calendar, the old calendar system!
Luther involuntarily closed his eyes.
He couldn’t help it.
The destruction of the world.
A world destined for destruction.
“[Master? There are abnormalities in your body temperature as well as your heart rate.]”
“[Master, can you hear me?]”
Integra kept calling out to him, but he was in no state to answer.
Luther took a deep breath and continued his thoughts.
What was he going to do from now on?
What should he do?
‘I have to stop it.’
The destruction.
The end of the world.
He couldn’t just sit back and let it happen.
Moreover, he had the super-science of Star Savior, a literally transcendental power, on his side.
‘Star Savior.’
With that thought naturally coming to mind, Luther looked at himself anew.
A 9th-gen nanomachine-equipped combat homunculus.
A growth-type, multi-purpose humanoid decisive weapon.
‘Yes, a decisive weapon.’
He wasn’t some helpless civilian A.
He was a being with the potential to become a ‘Star Savior,’ one of the pillars of Star Savior.
And when he thought about it, it wasn’t entirely hopeless.
The year 119 was the year Dragon Hunter Origins began.
This meant that the Hecatoncheires, the villains of the original story and the cause of the world’s destruction, hadn’t yet begun their activities in earnest.
So there was a chance.
There was a possibility of stopping their plot and saving the world.
‘It’s worth a try.’
It wasn’t a predetermined destruction.
It was a trial that could be overcome.
‘Yes, let’s stay calm. When you think about it, it’s not complete annihilation.’
Although the world was practically destroyed by the evil dragons, it was ‘practically’ destroyed, not completely annihilated.
Even after the destruction caused by the Hecatoncheires, about 20% of humanity survived.
‘I can do this.’
It wasn’t complete annihilation.
If necessary, if the worst came to pass, he could save his life by escaping.
“[Master, your heart rate and breathing are stabilizing.]”
“[Master, what’s wrong?]”
“[Please explain.]”
He was sorry to Integra, but he couldn’t explain it now.
So Luther caught his breath and looked forward.
He saw Karen, who was also flustered after seeing him panic.
“Luther… sir?”
Luther swallowed hard at Karen’s concerned question.
He suddenly felt a sense of unease.
Karen.
Luther had played Dragon Hunter Origins.
Not as much as Dragon Hunter 3, but he had played through it several times.
But he had never seen Karen in Dragon Hunter Origins.
Karen.
A girl not only as beautiful as any main character but also gifted with the talent of an esper, even rarer than a mage.
Moreover, Luther remembered how Max’s way of speaking to Karen had changed.
When Max thought Luther couldn’t understand their language, he had spoken to Karen formally.
But when he realized Luther could understand, he suddenly started speaking casually, like to a comrade.
It wasn’t a problem with Integra’s translation.
Because she was an AI, she could clearly distinguish the difference between the two.
‘They have a secret.’
When they were alone, Max addressed Karen formally, but when with others, he spoke casually.
‘They have a past.’
A past they couldn’t reveal easily.
‘But she’s not a character in the game?’
“Luther… sir?”
Karen called out to him again in a small voice.
Perhaps because their eyes met, her face was slightly flushed with embarrassment.
But Luther, lost in his thoughts, continued to look at Karen and think.
‘There was no character named Karen.’
But names could easily be changed.
Or perhaps ‘Karen’ was an alias.
Black hair.
Green eyes.
Telekinetic esper abilities.
Human female.
He had a fair number of clues, but no specific character came to mind.
‘Could she… really be an extra?’
Luther looked at Karen again.
If there was any other distinguishing feature—
“Um… Luther… sir?”
Karen called out to Luther again.
He had asked her what year it was and then suddenly looked flustered, and now he was staring at her intently, deep in thought.
What was going on?
And what was he thinking while staring at her like this?
Normally, Karen would have been quite uncomfortable, but perhaps because it was Luther, she only felt embarrassed.
He was, after all, her lifesaver, a handsome man, and likely an angel.
“[Master, Karen seems very uncomfortable.]”
“[And I’m also curious why you’re acting like this.]”
Luther snapped out of his thoughts at Integra’s voice and gasped when he saw Karen’s flushed face and pursed lips.
“I’m sorry. I suddenly remembered someone I know.”
“Someone… you know?”
Luther nodded vaguely at Karen’s question.
“Yes, an angel I know. As I said, my memory is unstable right now. I think I got lost in thought when a memory surfaced.”
It was a hastily made excuse, but it seemed plausible enough, as Karen nodded as if she finally understood.
Integra, however, did not.
“[Master, I would like you to tell me about it later.]”
‘Alright.’
Luther replied only in his mind and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Whether Karen was a main character or not wasn’t important right now.
He was a little concerned about her secret, but if it were a significant secret, it would have been revealed in some way in Dragon Hunter Origins.
‘But it wasn’t.’
So perhaps Karen was simply an extra with extraordinary abilities and a hidden background.
‘Let’s leave it at that for now.’
The important thing right now was finding the meteorite, presumably his spaceship.
“Karen, let’s rest for tonight. It’s late, and I don’t think Max will wake up before morning.”
“Yes, Luther… sir.”
Karen replied immediately, slumped her shoulders, and let out a long sigh, involuntarily closing her eyes.
“[Master, Karen’s entire body is relaxing.]”
“[She seems to be exhausted.]”
“[She will likely fall asleep soon.]”
Just as Integra said, Karen looked as if she would collapse and fall asleep at any moment.
Luther smiled at Karen and said,
“Don’t worry about keeping watch. Go to sleep. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”
“B… but you’ll be alone…”
“I have company, so don’t worry.”
“…Alright. Good night.”
Karen bowed her head, leaned back against the tree roots, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
It was only natural after all the hardships she had endured during the night.
“Hoo…”
Luther quietly looked at Karen’s face.
Autumn of the year 119 of the Holy Imperial Calendar, not the Human Imperial Calendar.
The world of Dragon Hunter Origins, destined for destruction.
Moreover, based on Dragon Hunter Origins, it was less than a month before the game started.
‘Let’s calm down.’
One way or another, the game hadn’t started yet.
Even though it was Dragon Hunter Origins, a world destined for destruction, it wasn’t an apocalyptic situation from the very beginning.
Getting anxious now would only tire him out.
He needed to calm down.
‘Let’s sleep and look for the meteorite tomorrow morning.’
If he could get more information from the Star Savior side, he might be able to find a clue about why he was in this situation and what to do next.
Having made up his mind, Luther crouched next to Karen and spoke to Integra.
“I’m… going to sleep, so wake me up if anything happens.”
“[Understood.]”
“[But Master, was the company you mentioned earlier… me?]”
Luther smiled apologetically at Integra’s question.
Unlike the Integra of Star Savior, he could feel a sense of humanity from the current Integra.
He felt a pang of guilt imagining Integra crouching alone and keeping watch all night, but there was nothing he could do.
But at that very moment,
“[Master, for your information, the production of the Nanosuit specialized nanomachines you ordered will be completed in 31 minutes and 12 seconds.]”
“Oh.”
That was quite interesting.
Luther’s three signature skills in Star Savior—Energy Gun, Nanosuit, and Drone—all started at Lv5.
So what form would the Nanosuit Lv1 take?
Lv0 was a skin-tight suit.
Various images flashed through Luther’s mind, but he shook his head.
Since waking up in the world of Dragon Hunter 3—no, Origins.
Only a few hours had passed, but he had experienced so much.
Thinking about what would happen in the future exhausted him mentally, even more than physically.
He just wanted to fall asleep without thinking about anything.
“I’ll check it tomorrow. For now… good night, Integra.”
“[Understood.]”
“[Good night, Master.]”
“[See you tomorrow.]”
“Yes.”
Luther closed his eyes, listening to Integra’s gentle voice, and surrendered to sleep.
–CROW–