Bordeaux stood before the mouth of the massive cave, its jagged stone entrance yawning open like the maw of some ancient beast. A cold sweat ran down his back as an overwhelming pressure washed over him, pressing against his senses and soul alike.
"What a presence…" Bordeaux muttered under his breath. "Even sealed, Veldora is still terrifying."
The mana density alone was enough to crush most beings. It wasn't violent, but it was absolute, a reminder that something far beyond common monsters slept within.
Then Bordeaux exhaled slowly.
"But then again," he continued, rolling his shoulders as the tension drained from his body, "since I've already seen what kind of person he is from the novels… he's not really as terrifying as he pretends to be."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Well then," he said, stepping forward, "here goes nothing."
The cave swallowed him whole.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
The deeper Bordeaux walked, the stranger the environment became. The stone walls glittered faintly with magical ore, veins of crystal pulsing softly with mana. Rare herbs sprouted from cracks in the cavern floor, glowing faintly in shades of blue, red, and gold.
Bordeaux slowed his pace, eyes sweeping across the surroundings.
"I really should get a dimension box skill or something," he muttered, resting a hand on his chin. "Leaving all this behind feels like such a waste."
Any one of these herbs could sell for a fortune in the Cardinal World. Even in the Underworld, they were valuable. And yet, Bordeaux continued onward, committing their locations to memory.
Just then—
A sudden blur of movement.
A beetle monster burst from the shadows, its carapace gleaming like steel as it lunged straight for Bordeaux's head.
Bordeaux reacted instantly.
He shifted half a step to the side, the monster zooming past him as the air split with a sharp whoosh.
"A monster, huh," Bordeaux said calmly, a faint grin spreading across his face. "I was wondering how long it would take you guys to show up."
He twisted his torso and threw a single punch.
The impact was absolute.
The beetle monster exploded in a shower of shattered shell and dissipating mana, erased in an instant.
Bordeaux blinked.
"…Shit," he muttered. "I put too much power into it."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Mmh. I wanted to copy its skills." He flexed his hand slowly. "I really need to learn how to control my power better."
With a sigh, he continued forward.
The journey stretched on.
Over the next two weeks, Bordeaux encountered monster after monster. A-rank, B-rank, creatures that would terrify entire adventuring parties. Each one fell swiftly. Sometimes with a punch, sometimes with a kick, sometimes with raw demonic pressure alone.
With each victory, Soul Scholar activated, quietly copying their abilities into Bordeaux's growing arsenal.
Finally, the air changed.
The oppressive pressure sharpened, becoming focused and intentional.
Bordeaux slowed, eyes narrowing.
"The cave ends soon," he murmured. "Which means… I'm about to meet Veldora. I can sense it."
Then—
A voice thundered through the cavern.
"WHO'S THERE?"
The authority behind it was absolute. The stone trembled. The mana surged.
Bordeaux's grin widened.
"There you are, Veldora," he said, walking forward without hesitation.
The tunnel opened into a vast clearing.
And there he was.
A massive black dragon lay coiled at the center, ancient magic circles carved into the very air. His scales were like polished obsidian, his presence overwhelming even in restraint.
Bordeaux stopped and looked up.
"…Wow," he said honestly. "He's huge."
The dragon lowered his massive neck until one golden eye was level with Bordeaux.
"Who are you," the dragon demanded, "and what are you doing here?"
Bordeaux met his gaze calmly.
"I'm Bordeaux," he said. "A demon Primordial."
Veldora's eye widened slightly.
"A Primordial?" he repeated. "And what would someone like you be doing here?"
Bordeaux shrugged. "I came to see you. Veldora the Storm Dragon."
Veldora narrowed his eye.
"So you know who I am," he said. Then, after a brief pause, his voice dropped, almost shy. "And why would you come to see me? Are you… looking for a friend or something? Because you've come to the wrong person."
Bordeaux chuckled softly.
"Friends, huh?" he said thoughtfully. "I don't know. It's true that I currently only have two friends. I probably should expand my friend group."
Veldora stared at him in silence.
"…You," he said slowly. "You said you're Bordeaux, right?"
"Yes."
"Are you not frightened?" Veldora asked. "Even a little bit? I'm a True Dragon, you know. And you seem extremely relaxed."
Bordeaux smiled.
"No," he replied simply. "I'm not scared at all. Because you're sealed, and you can't do anything to me beyond that point."
Veldora stared at him for a long time.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Good answer!"
His laughter faded, replaced by a heavy sigh.
"I guess that's true," he said quietly. "I've been sealed for over three hundred years now. You're the first person I've seen in all that time."
Bordeaux nodded. "I know. After going on a rampage, you were sealed by a Hero."
He paused.
"Three hundred years of isolation must be incredibly painful."
Veldora's expression softened.
"Yes," he said. "You understand my pain. It's so boring here. All I do is sleep… and wake up just to sleep again."
Bordeaux sighed.
"But Veldora," he said, "you brought this on yourself. Why were you so uncontrollable? Just going on random rampages."
Veldora turned his head away, pouting like a scolded child.
"Well… I didn't know it'd be such a big deal," he muttered. "I was just having fun."
Bordeaux's eye twitched.
"Destroying an entire country is fun to you?"
Veldora turned back quickly. "Don't act like you Primordials are any better! You do the same thing!"
Bordeaux replied flatly, "No. I don't."
Veldora choked. "Oh. I see."
After a moment, he squinted. "By the way… I've been trying to ignore this, but you're not a simple Primordial Demon, are you?"
Bordeaux stiffened internally.
He figured it out?
True Dragons really are something else…
He sighed. "You're right. I'm actually a reincarnated demon."
Veldora's eyes widened.
"Reincarnated?"
"Yes," Bordeaux said. "I died in another world and was reborn in the Underworld."
Veldora went silent, deep in thought.
"…That's rare," he finally said. "People from other worlds coming here isn't uncommon, but that's usually through summoning. A soul traveling that far on its own is unimaginable."
Bordeaux chuckled. "So I'm kind of cool then, aren't I?"
Veldora pouted and say, "When you can level a country with a single breath, then you're cool."
Bordeaux scowled. "That's not something you should be bragging about."
He then sighed. "Well… I got to see what kind of idiot the Storm Dragon actually is. I should probably get going."
The words hit Veldora like a thunderbolt.
"W-Wait!" he blurted out. "You're leaving already?!"
Bordeaux blinked. "Well… yes. There's really nothing to do here as I've accomplished what u wanted to do."
Veldora pouted, pressing his claws together.
"Can't you… stay a bit longer?"
Bordeaux studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"Veldora," he said, "don't worry. I know how to teleport. I can come back every day."
Veldora's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Really," Bordeaux said with a smile. "I promise."
He turned slightly. "Besides, I need to start my investigation."
"Investigation?" Veldora asked, clearly confused.
Bordeaux smiled.
"Yes," he said. "My investigation into how to free you from your seal. I can't live knowing such a cool dude is sealed here."
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