[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 57

    Drake''s massive form suddenly shrank.

    What once towered at tens of meters now barely surpassed the size of an average horse.

    From such a reduction, it looked less like a juvenile dragon and more like a mere hatchling.

    But that wasn’t all.

    Its once-imposing scales were now shriveled and brittle, and its entire body appeared emaciated.

    “Keek... eeeng...”

    A weak cry emerged, completely unfitting for the creature hailed as the strongest among dragons.

    Trembling all over, its body and horns quivered, its earlier ferocity nowhere to be seen.

    “Hm.”

    Thud.

    Kaylen dismounted from the now-miniature Drake, folding his arms as he observed the pitiful sight.

    He had thought he’d acquired a worthy dragon, but now it was reduced to this—a hatchling.

    ‘The Infinity expansion must have affected this dragon as well.’

    The spatial distortion capability of Infinity wasn’t just limited to creating pocket dimensions—it could apparently transform even a hatchling into the size of an adult dragon.

    While witnessing this new function of Infinity was fascinating, the disappearance of a viable mount left him dissatisfied.

    “What am I supposed to do with this now?”

    “Kiing... kiing...”

    The hatchling cried mournfully, but Kaylen didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he spoke coldly, as though addressing Drake directly.

    “If you’re without intelligence, I might as well strip you of your horns and scales.”

    “Ki....”

    “If you’re going to remain driven by mere instinct, you’re useless to me.”

    At this, Drake’s cries gradually subsided. Then, a faint light began to emanate from its horns—a soft, white glow at first but steadily growing brighter.

    Soon, an intelligent voice reached Kaylen’s ears.

    “...Spare... me...”

    “Not clear enough. Say it properly. Louder.”

    “Spare me. Spare me. Spare me!”

    “Try adding ‘please.’”

    “Spare me, please.”

    Its learning speed wasn’t bad.

    Kaylen regarded the dragon with a slightly softened expression.

    “Why are you here?”

    “I... don’t know.”

    “You don’t know?”

    “I don’t... know....”

    “You can’t remember anything?”

    “Nothing... at all....”

    Drake lowered its head deeply, as if ashamed, the gesture making its helplessness clear. No matter how many times Kaylen asked, it truly seemed to know nothing.

    “Seems I have no choice, then.”

    “...I’m sorry....”

    “No need. You can’t help what you don’t know.”

    Step. Step.

    Kaylen began walking slowly toward the cowering Drake.

    Drake instinctively curled up tighter, trembling as if bracing for something.

    “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...”

    As Kaylen infused mana into Drake''s horn, the dragon''s expression quickly softened, transitioning into one of relief.

    For Drake, the mana that Kaylen provided was nothing short of a lifeline. Slowly, the once-withered scales regained their luster, and its frail body began to recover its former vigor.

    “Thank you, Master,” the dragon''s voice rang faintly.

    “Not just ‘Master,’” Kaylen corrected.

    “...Thank you, Master-nim,” Drake amended, this time adding the honorific with care.

    “Good. Always be mindful, Drake.”

    Kaylen recalled the nature of dragons like Drake—the strongest among the few remaining in the Middle Realm. Their pride was immense, and even if subdued and gifted to knights under his command, improper training often led to dragons challenging their masters.

    ‘It’s important to establish discipline early on.’

    As Drake absorbed the mana, its complexion visibly brightened, a sign that it was on the way to a full recovery.

    But before things could fully settle—

    Rumble.

    The ground began to quake violently.

    No, it wasn’t just the ground.

    Crack. Crackle.

    The entire space around them was fracturing.

    “Eternal Space stability: compromised.”

    “Closing sequence initiated.”

    The pocket dimension began collapsing. Staying any longer would risk being swallowed into oblivion, erased from existence entirely.

    “Time to go.”

    No sooner had Kaylen spoken than Drake flapped its wings, lifting off swiftly.

    “Go through the portal. Now.”

    “But—”

    “Go!” Kaylen commanded sharply.

    Left with no choice, Royen stepped into the portal, albeit reluctantly. Behind him, Kaylen unceremoniously tossed the unconscious baroness and Ruhos’s lifeless body into the portal as well.

    Rumble.

    The rate of the collapse accelerated, the entire subspace trembling violently.

    Drake, now visibly anxious, turned to Kaylen and urged, “Master, we need to leave. Now!”

    Kaylen, however, shook his head, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. “Not yet. Stay with me a little longer.”

    “What?!” Drake’s voice cracked with disbelief. “If we stay here, we’ll—”

    “I want to observe something,” Kaylen interrupted, his tone calm but resolute.

    The destruction of the subspace, created and expanded by Infinity, fascinated him. Observing its unraveling might offer insights into its formation.

    ‘The structure... now I see how it was extended.’

    Kaylen’s sharp eyes followed every crack, every pulse of mana collapsing inward. He wasn’t merely watching the end of the subspace—he was studying the currents of mana surging within, as they dissipated into nothingness.

    ‘So, this is how it works...’

    He had felt awe when he first encountered this subspace. As someone who prided himself on mastering Infinity, he couldn’t help but admire the technique.

    But awe alone wouldn’t suffice. If this level of mastery were possible, there was no reason he couldn’t achieve it as well.

    After all, Emperor Ernstine himself was regarded as the foremost authority on Infinity.

    Rumble.

    The space’s collapse reached its climax, its edges closing in rapidly.

    “Master, we’re out of time! We need to leave now!” Drake howled, its panic now impossible to hide.

    As the space began to vanish and the world around them closed in, Drake’s usually composed tone grew terse.

    Kaylen, noticing his anxiety, spoke calmly.

    “What’s the rush?”

    “This place is closing in!” Drake replied, his voice sharp with panic.

    “And if it doesn’t close?” Kaylen asked, unfazed.

    “It is closing! Look at it—the entire space is disappearing before our eyes!”

    Kaylen ignored Drake’s frantic tone and crouched, pressing his hand to the ground.

    “Then, I’ll just make sure it doesn’t disappear.”

    Thud.

    The narrowing space froze in place.

    “And if I do this, it stops...”

    Whoosh.

    Golden mana began to rise from the ground, glowing like radiant flames.

    The subspace, which had been collapsing, began to expand.

    “And if I do this, it grows.”

    Drake, stunned, stammered, “H-How is that even possible?”

    “It’s simple once you know how,” Kaylen replied nonchalantly as he observed the restored space.

    Rumble.

    Drake exclaimed again, “Wait! It’s shrinking again!”

    “Your sentences are getting shorter,” Kaylen noted with amusement.

    “...It’s shrinking!” Drake corrected himself, though still frantic.

    “I’m adjusting the size,” Kaylen said casually.

    He repeatedly expanded and contracted the space, refining its proportions. Eventually, he settled on a space roughly half its original size.

    ‘This is the most efficient scale,’ Kaylen thought, considering his current mana reserves.

    Satisfied with the restructured subspace, Kaylen turned to Drake.

    “Do you want to stay here?”

    “Here...?” Drake asked, incredulous.

    “Yes. Weren’t you already living in a subspace before this?” Kaylen countered.

    In the outside world, Drake—a species believed to be extinct—would attract far too much attention if spotted, especially in his juvenile state.

    However...

    “Uh... Couldn’t I leave instead? This place feels a bit...” Drake trailed off hesitantly.

    “Hmmm...”

    “I’ll behave! I’ll use proper formal speech! Please, Master, just let me out!” Drake pleaded, practically groveling.

    “Is that so?” Kaylen mused.

    “Yes! Absolutely!”

    “Well, there is one way,” Kaylen said, standing and placing his hand on Drake’s horn.

    “You saw earlier, didn’t you? How I made the space grow and shrink?”

    “Yes...”

    “Who says that method only works on space?”

    Just as Kaylen had manipulated the subspace through the power of Infinity, he could apply the same principle to entities within its influence—like Drake.

    “What...?” Drake hesitated, uneasy.

    “This might hurt a bit. Endure it,” Kaylen said, his voice devoid of sympathy.

    Whiiirrr.

    Golden light enveloped Kaylen’s hand, radiating an intense energy.

    “Grrr... GRAAAH!”

    Drake’s agonized roar reverberated throughout the space, echoing like a storm.

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]