Chapter 180

Chapter 180
**Chapter 180**
**Chapter Title: Is He a Divinity?**

—

**Ainhasar, the Radiant Dragon.**

He was the entity responsible for pulling in contenders who fulfilled specific requirements and forcing them to undergo grueling tests.

Throughout the ages, an endless stream of aspirants had encountered him, only to be consumed by hopelessness in the end. This was due to Ainhasar’s unique authority; he possessed a quasi-divine power that allowed him to monitor and drag any eligible challenger into his domain.

Because of this, he tailored his trials to push a person’s capabilities to their absolute breaking point. These were gauntlets designed to force a breakthrough beyond one’s natural constraints.

“Pathetic. Truly pathetic.”

Lately, however, Ainhasar found it difficult to mask his irritation with the caliber of recent arrivals. Was it because their base attributes were insufficient? No, that wasn’t the issue at hand. The tests were always scaled to match the individual’s power level.

*‘There’s no one left with true spiritual steel.’*

The mental resilience of modern challengers had become embarrassingly thin. Over the past year, not a single person had managed to earn even a modicum of his respect. Were the trials too taxing? Hardly. He had maintained a steady level of difficulty for eons. From the perspective of a Radiant Dragon, these tasks weren’t actually difficult; in fact, he felt he had been quite lenient lately out of consideration for their weakness.

“I can’t believe he couldn’t even finish a hundred vertical swings.”

The last aspirant had been particularly dismal. The man had collapsed in a heap before completing a mere hundred downward strokes. Granted, the practice weapon was a bit heavy—roughly 50 tons—but Ainhasar had calculated that the man should have been capable of hoisting it.

*‘A 1-star Transcendent ought to handle that with ease.’*

For someone of that rank, it should have been a simple task. And he had only requested a hundred repetitions. It was a gesture of kindness. Yet, the idiot had crumbled after only five attempts, making the dragon’s thoughtfulness feel like a waste of time.

“There are more challengers these days than in the past, yet they are increasingly fragile. Is it a side effect of how they achieved Transcendence?”

Ainhasar raised his tail, which glinted with gold scales, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Humans. Specifically, 1-star Transcendents were the ones usually knocking on his door. In the old days, perhaps one out of every ten standard Transcendents would be considered “decent.” But lately, every single one was a disappointment. Had they swallowed the wrong power and failed to digest it?

Most of them were individuals who hadn’t reached their state naturally, instead consuming the essence of deities other than the Goddess. He could take an educated guess as to why.

*‘The demons of the Seven Deadly Sins are hunting down the remnants of fallen gods. They butcher them and feed the pieces to humans. What is their endgame in manufacturing Transcendents like this?’*

Demonic activity was surging. Ainhasar was well aware that they were tracking down the fading presences of old gods. He viewed it as a twisted form of entertainment for the demons.

*‘Well, it’s no concern of mine.’*

He was the Radiant Dragon. Unlike his kin or the Great Dragon Gods, he felt no obligation to act as a sentry for the Middle Realm. Toying with challengers was his only source of amusement and his primary reason for existing.

“Ho. Another one already?”

Ainhasar felt the ripple of a new arrival who met the criteria. A fresh plaything. Or rather, a new challenger had surfaced. With a thin smirk, Ainhasar tore open a rift in space and triggered the mechanism for a forced summons.

However…

“…… The summons failed?”

He paused. Failed?

*‘Did my senses deceive me?’*

That was impossible. He couldn’t make such a mistake even if he tried. He was the master of the Absolute Dragon Eyes, a power that saw through every deception and reality. Even the Dragon Gods couldn’t lecture him on the nature of truth. He attempted the summons again.

“……… Hm?”

Another failure. This was bizarre. His right to summon challengers was supposed to be an absolute law. No mortal who met the requirements should be able to dodge his grasp. Not even a unique-grade relic designed to “Reject Summoning” should be enough.

…At least, they shouldn’t have been able to.

*‘There are only a handful of scenarios where a summons would fail.’*

Exceptions existed, though they were incredibly rare. For instance, those who carried the direct protection of a high god. Holy Emperors or Saints were exempt, but since they never sought the trials anyway, they weren’t part of the equation.

*‘I’ll just look at their stats.’*

His Absolute Dragon Eyes could easily identify if someone had a divine blessing. No mortal could hide from his sight. In fact, they wouldn’t even realize they were being watched. It was an ability that even the Dragon Gods coveted.

And yet.

“……???”

The observation failed?

…This was a first. The impossible had occurred. Radiant Dragon Ainhasar, for the first time in his long existence, stood frozen in sheer confusion.

*‘……… Just what kind of monster is this guy?’*

—

I was genuinely impressed. To think that the Ring of the Resplendent Pureblood’s anti-observation trait could actually shut out the piercing stare of a Radiant Dragon.

*‘Incredible.’*

Ainhasar, the guardian of Main Quest 10. His ability to force people into his trials was legendary and undisputed. The game was hard-coded that way.

*‘It’s a feature that even stops the quest from being forced on me.’*

But a new problem surfaced.

*‘It’s not just hiding my stats? Why did the summoning fail as well?’*

Normally, to begin this quest, you had to go to the dragon’s lair. Since there was no map marker or path, he simply snatched you. Every player who reached this stage was summoned against their will. Every time I had played a character that reached this point, that’s how it went. However, the Ring of the Resplendent Pureblood was only supposed to block information gathering. It shouldn’t have interfered with the teleportation itself.

*‘…… So how am I supposed to start the quest now?’*

Despite my amusement, I felt a flicker of concern. No one actually knew the coordinates of the Radiant Dragon’s nest. I couldn’t go there on my own. But the dragon was in the same predicament. Ainhasar was under a systemic obligation to test challengers.

So.

*‘You’ll have to come to me.’*

It was a stalemate where neither of us could reach the other by standard means. I simply crossed my arms and waited, taking a slow breath.

After some time had passed…

*Vrrrrm—!*

“W-What is happening?”

“Is that a rift?”

“There’s a gold portal opening in the sky……!”

The crowd began to panic. A massive, shimmering golden gateway had materialized in the clouds. It was positioned so that everyone in the vicinity had a clear view. Who else but a being of immense power could tear open a warp gate in such a public place?

I tilted my head back and looked at the sky. I couldn’t help but grin.

*‘He’s finally here.’*

—

Auril stared upward, transfixed.

*‘Spatial Disruption!’*

That giant golden ring in the atmosphere—that was the signature of true spatial manipulation. It wasn’t a standard warp; it was a dominant force that literally shredded the fabric of reality. Only the most powerful entities could wield such authority. Like Karas in the Tower of Martial Gods—only those at the pinnacle of existence held such keys.

*‘…The deities of the tower can jump to a demon’s location in an instant.’*

But it wasn’t a universal power. They needed a specific target to lock onto. She had heard that the tower’s gods could track demons and force a confrontation if they were out in the open. Presumably, that golden presence had arrived for someone who triggered its conditions.

*‘It can’t be…… again?’*

Randolph. Now that she thought about it, hadn’t people been calling him the “Demon of Greed”? Given what he had accomplished, it seemed fitting. Had another god come to hunt him down?

“That thing……!”

But when the entity finally emerged, Auril was paralyzed. It wasn’t a traditional god. And yet, the golden creature descending was something that could easily be mistaken for a deity.

“The Radiant Dragon, Ainhasar!”

Auril knew him instantly. He was one of the most legendary figures among the dragon race. A guardian who had famously abandoned his post of “protecting the world.” The stories about him were endless, but the most famous one was chilling.

*‘The only dragon to survive the war against Annihilation.’*

Eons ago, a massive host of dragonkin had united to stop Annihilation and save the Middle Realm. A thousand dragons fought together, but 999 were slaughtered, leaving only Ainhasar. …Though the trauma had supposedly driven him mad.

*‘Why would he be here?’*

Auril’s mind raced with questions. The answer arrived shortly.

*Whump! Whump!*

With the heavy beating of golden wings, the dragon landed directly in front of them. Ainhasar looked down at Randolph and spoke with a booming resonance.

**—Mount me.**

“……?”

What? Mount him? Was the Radiant Dragon actually offering his back to a human? Such a thing was unheard of. He wasn’t called the Radiant Dragon for his sparkling personality; he was a prideful, borderline insane creature who looked down on everyone. He was more likely to incinerate someone for standing too close than offer them a ride.

“Wait, what……?”

Yet, Randolph didn’t hesitate. He climbed onto Ainhasar’s back as if it were the most natural thing in the world, like he had been expecting the taxi service. Looking back, his behavior—stopping and waiting with his arms crossed—made perfect sense now.

*‘Did Sir Randolph actually call for the Radiant Dragon?’*

It sounded like a fairy tale, but at this point, she found herself believing it. The dragon beat its wings and ascended, vanishing back through the golden rift. Watching the spectacle, Auril could only whisper to herself.

“What is he……”

“Don’t even question it. Lord Randolph is a divine being.”

Hudson (Oliver), who had been trailing her, spoke from her side. Normally, she would have ignored such a ridiculous comment.

“……”

But today, she had no counter-argument. Randolph. He truly was like a god.

—

As the rankings for Main Quest 9 were finalized, players who rushed to the ‘Tower of Martial Gods’ witnessed something they couldn’t explain.

*-The Radiant Dragon has appeared!*
*-Ainhasar is literally in the plaza outside the Tower!*

The news spread like wildfire. The Radiant Dragon never left his lair. There was no mistaking him, though—everyone knew his face because he was the final gatekeeper of Main Quest 10.

*-The Radiant Dragon? What is he doing there?*
*-Some guy in a penguin mask just hopped on his back and flew away.*
*-??? Someone rode him? The Radiant Dragon?*
*-Is he using the dragon as a mount?*
*-Who is the guy in the penguin mask?*

The community’s focus immediately shifted to the “Emperor Penguin” who had seemingly summoned and tamed the legendary dragon. His identity wasn’t a mystery for long.

*-People on the ground say it’s the guy who wrecked the Champion.*
*-…Well, that only leaves one person.*
*-Randolph?*
*-It’s Randolph—he’s due for Quest 10 anyway.*
*-But it wasn’t a teleport—the dragon literally flew down to pick him up?*
*-Does that even make sense?*
*-Ainhasar isn’t some common pet.*
*-What is Phantom doing now?*
*-Is he actually a deity?*

The player forums were in a state of total chaos. However, the consensus among those who saw it was clear.

*-So the dragon came down just to give him a lift?*
*-Looked more like he was treating the dragon like a servant.*
*-Does this mean Randolph tamed him?*
*-This is madness. Phantom even has the Radiant Dragon on a leash now.*

—

Ainhasar’s expression was dark. This was a massive blow to his ego, but his hands were tied. It was his cosmic duty to test those who reached this stage. He had swallowed his pride to come here and offer a ride, but that didn’t mean the trial would be easy. In fact, he was the one who decided the rules.

*‘I can’t read this man at all.’*

No matter how hard he stared, he couldn’t figure out what Randolph was. His observation failed every time, leaving him blind to the man’s actual power level. Was he a hidden master or a fluke?

*‘Fine. Let’s see what you’re made of. I’ll handle this evaluation personally.’*

He would have to test him through direct combat. The Radiant Dragon felt a flicker of sadistic joy. …He could already imagine the look of pure terror that would soon cross the man’s face. The challenger was strange, sure, but they all ended up crying for mercy once the real trial began.