NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Not dead
Chapter 2: Not dead
If one were to recount the life of Leon Casmodeous, the Empire's greatest dragon slayer, they'd describe it as both brief and brilliant.
Of course, it wasn't without its moments of absurdity—moments that would make anyone chuckle.
At the age of five, Leon killed his neighbor's vicious dog with his bare hands, saving a little girl in the process. A passing dragon slayer master witnessed the feat and, impressed, took Leon in as his last disciple.
At six, Leon's master declared him a prodigy with remarkable bones—a natural-born dragon slayer. From then on, his training intensified, and Leon was taught the legendary Indestructible Body Technique.
At ten, Leon enrolled in the Empire's most prestigious dragon-slaying academy, already a renowned prodigy.
Wait—what about ages seven through nine, you ask?
He spent those years in a hospital bed.
Why? Because during one of his master's lessons on the indestructible body, the old man got a bit too excited and had Leon perform the infamous chest-breaking boulder stunt.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the boulder that broke—it was Leon's chest.
That blow landed him in the hospital for three years.
His master had been convinced the boy wouldn't make it. He had even prepared an apology to the orphanage that had raised Leon.
But a prodigy is a prodigy. Somehow, Leon survived.
Anyone else would've been dead long ago, probably reincarnated as a new character by then.
After his recovery, Leon's body grew stronger under his master's careful care.
On his tenth birthday, Leon's master sent him off to the dragon-slaying academy.
Leon thought leaving his master's care might not be such a bad thing. After all, there was no chest-breaking subject in the academy's curriculum.
Leon went on to graduate with the highest marks ever recorded, becoming the youngest graduate in the academy's history.
By fifteen, he had taken up arms, joining the frontlines and slaying dragons with his team. They achieved countless victories, reclaiming lost territories for the Empire and earning Leon widespread fame.
Soon, his name became known throughout the Empire.
People called him a once-in-a-century dragon-slaying hero—the Empire's hope, the one who would bring an end to the war.
However, an orphan with no background or connections was never meant to hold such power.
His fame had risen too high, so the Empire sent him to its harshest battlefield—the frontlines against the Silver Dragon Clan.
The war raged for years, with countless casualties on both sides.
In the final battle, Leon was on the verge of breaking through the Silver Dragon Temple when he was betrayed and captured by Rossweise.
He never learned who had betrayed him.
And now, he never would.
But there was one small consolation. Before his death, he had exacted a painful revenge on the Empire's greatest enemy—the Silver Dragon Queen.
As for the charm magic that had led to her pregnancy, Leon had stumbled upon it in a tattered, ancient book.
After reading about its vile effects, he had burned the book, thinking—'This kind of evil magic has no place in the world. I'll see to it myself.'
He never imagined he'd one day use that spell.
But Rossweise had presented the perfect opportunity.
Any other dragon slayer in his position would have died with a few parting threats and nothing more.
But Leon? Leon had ensured that his legacy would live on in the most twisted way.
In a sense, he had won.
Even though he was dead, Leon was confident he'd done enough to earn a place in heaven.
As for his parting words—"I'll be waiting for you in hell, Rossweise"—those weren't a curse or prophecy. He just thought they sounded cool.
Ah, the recklessness of youth.
But despite his final flourish, what Leon truly felt was exhaustion.
Bone-deep exhaustion.
His life had been short, but it had worn him down completely.
If he had the chance, Leon would have loved to retire peacefully.
Maybe he would have left the Empire, moved to some quiet, remote village, and bought a farm. He might have married a woman who wasn't particularly stunning, but not ugly either.
Together, they'd have had a cute daughter.
He would have spent his days milking cows, waiting for time to slowly take him away.
After all, milking cows was far safer than slaying dragons.
But that peaceful life had always been out of reach—a regret that Leon carried with him to the end.
Then again, regret is the constant undercurrent of life. That's why we call it life, isn't it?
Buzz.
A sudden buzzing filled Leon's head, cutting through his thoughts.
'Wait...'
'My head?'
'Wasn't it my consciousness, all that was left?'
'How can I still feel my head?'
Before Leon could process what was happening, his "vision" suddenly returned.
Flashes of memory flickered before his eyes, like scenes from a film reel.
His birth, his childhood, his days at the dragon-slaying academy…
It was as if he were watching his own life unfold before him.
The final image froze on the moment he stood bound in the Silver Dragon Clan's dungeon, sunlight streaming through the lone window, his eyes locked with Rossweise's.
It had been the gaze of the defeated meeting the eyes of the victor, but also like a fallen believer pleading for the mercy of a saint.
The image shattered suddenly, and a beam of light pierced through the void, as sharp as a sword.
Leon slowly opened his eyes, his senses returning one by one.
Body warmth, breath, heartbeat, pulse...
"I-I'm not dead?"
And then, his voice.
Leon wiggled his fingers experimentally. They felt numb and weak, but they could move.
He pushed himself up with some effort, realizing that he was in a warm and luxurious room.
The room was bathed in soft pink hues, with pictures of the sun, clouds, and a few abstract angels sketched on the walls.
Though crudely drawn—stick figures with halos and sloppy wings—it was clear they were meant to represent angels.
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