< The Child of the Dragon (1) >
“Ah—.”
Je Gal Hye-mi, looking up at the sky, couldn’t help but exclaim.
The overwhelming presence of dragons that suddenly tore through the dark clouds.
And around them, monsters began to appear from thin air, falling to the ground and blocking the way of the undead entities resembling her.
It was enough to evoke a strange sensation.
‘The monsters that moved in the shadows for so long without stepping into the forefront of history…’
They had finally revealed themselves in a world at risk.
To join forces with humans and navigate this desperate situation together.
‘Well, they too are members of this world, so I guess it’s only natural.’
In fact, they had been actively engaging in behind-the-scenes activities as they had during the collaboration with the royal family over twenty years ago, but very few people were aware of the details due to the highly secretive nature of their actions.
This was the first time in hundreds of years that they had so openly revealed themselves to a large number of humans.
‘So that’s a real dragon. I’d only half-believed it when I saw it in my family’s ancient texts.’
Entranced, she swallowed hard, fixated on the sky.
The overwhelming presence made it impossible to look away.
Since she was a direct descendant of the prestigious Zhuge Family, it was no wonder that most people, who thought of monsters and divine beasts as merely figures from legends, were astounded.
It was not surprising that most of the strong members of the alliance, who could be considered part of the upper echelons, were merely gazing in awe at the spectacle.
For some reason, the Demon Cult’s offensive had also momentarily ceased.
However, there was one thing that troubled her…
‘…But why does the yellow dragon look so different? There are no records describing anything like that.’
It was the yellow dragon that stood at the center, having an anomalous appearance compared to the other long-bodied dragons.
Giant wings and a massive body with well-developed limbs.
That was not the typical form people would associate with a “dragon”; it resembled a gigantic lizard instead.
In this world, the yellow dragon was regarded as the foremost among the five dragons.
But having such a being look so different must mean there’s something hidden behind it, right?
‘Did the past records in the family get it wrong? Or is there some special reason…?’
As she lost herself in thought, she was suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Je Gal, we’ve arrived at the camp, so you can stop here.”
“Ah!”
The sudden voice of a man jolted her back to her senses.
Quickly, she turned to where Ha Seung-hoon, the one who spoke, stood.
“I’m sorry, Sir Hoo. I couldn’t help it when I saw that spectacle.”
“Haha, it’s alright. I felt the same way. Now, I’ll stop the flow of energy.”
“Yes!”
Immediately after their brief exchange, as she released the spell she had been maintaining at the same time the energy supply was cut off, the presence of the dragon-like beings, which had still been showcasing their grandeur after landing, gradually faded before scattering and disappearing.
“Hoo—.”
“Are you alright? That was quite a strain to maintain such high-level magic for a prolonged period.”
“Oh, of course! But who would suffer more than you, Sir? You supplied all the required energy. I was just fine-tuning the outer appearance.”
“I’m fine, too. In fact, if I set my mind to it, I could do that all day. It’s all thanks to your blessing.”
“The blessing I used wasn’t that great… The achievement was possible because of you, Sir! Not to mention, maintaining that level of energy is no easy task.”
“Still… um…”
“…Heh.”
The two of them awkwardly chuckled, having been busy boosting each other’s egos.
Since escaping their confined underground chamber, they had been through a lot.
Whenever they caught their breath, waves of Demon Cult members and undead kept emerging.
They had been fighting fiercely, struggling to carve their way out of the enemy stronghold.
Had most of the Demon Cult forces not been concentrated on the outer battlefield and had there not been the constraint of safely capturing the offerings, they would have failed long ago.
Given the circumstances, it was natural that the bond between Hugo, the sole combatant, and Je Gal Hye-mi, who plays the supportive role, grew closer by the minute.
They had faced perilous moments where they had no choice but to synchronize their breathing.
“…Anyway, I can’t just stand by. They may have gained hope by joining, but the fight is far from over.”
“Then I’ll…”
“Miss, please stay here and protect the others. No matter how central this camp may be, we never know what could happen if they decide to make a real attack.”
His words left Je Gal Hye-mi with no alternative but to agree.
In fact, in this fight, the fate of the “Children of the Dragon” was paramount.
The Demon Cult would want to reclaim them to complete their rituals, while the martial arts alliance could not afford to give up on them as they represented the only hope for restoring the world.
‘Ah, come to think of it, it’s not the time to be glad about escaping the Demon Cult just yet.’
Neither side wanted to see anything go wrong with them, but ultimately, the fate of the children of dragons had already been set.
It was merely a matter of for whom and for what they would be sacrificed, depending on the outcome of this war.
‘…Yeah. Still, sacrificing for the world is worth more than being used as pawns by the Demon Cult.’
She, too, did not wish to see this world crumble away.
There were still many precious things left in it for her.
Her family, who had tirelessly taken care of her weak body since childhood, and the members of the family as well…
Je Gal Hye-mi clenched her teeth, watching the back of the man who was moving away towards the battlefield.
Flames erupted from his body, sweeping over the undead in front of him.
A heat haze distorted her vision.
“… …”
Still not blinking, she gazed at the sight before her, then lifted her head to stare at the sky.
Above, the dragons floated gracefully, still somewhat blurry to her eyes.
‘What a pity. I wanted to properly record the dragons for posterity.’
She stared intently at one, the oddly shaped yellow dragon.
Of course, there were many others present, so it was unlikely that this historic event would be forgotten.
From the overview of the incident to the participation of dragons and monsters, and even the appearance of that yellow dragon, it would surely be passed down through the generations.
Historical texts, oral traditions, art, songs—all would carry the tale.
…Her name might not be written as the “author,” but under another title altogether.
“Ah.”
While she was in deep thought, she felt a brief moment of eye contact with the yellow dragon, but it was probably just her imagination.
Her vision remained blurred.
Just blinking her eyes would clear her sight, yet she refused to do so.
It felt as if that was her maximum resistance.
*
[Excellent. If we had been any later, it could’ve been irreversible.]
A deep male voice flowed into Horus’s mind as he quietly gazed below.
[If you hadn’t opposed, White Dragon, we could’ve arrived sooner.]
[Hmm, I acknowledge that. But getting out of the boundary is always something to be cautious of. Especially when the world is on the verge of collapse like now.]
As the voice of the Red Dragon chimed in with a playful tone, the man responded calmly.
This was showing the calmness expected of the White Dragon, the eldest of the current five dragons.
Despite being only in his early thirties, he was very composed.
[Tch, you sound like an old man.]
[Red Dragon, manners are important.]
Seemingly annoyed by such composed answers, the young Red Dragon huffed, prompting the Green Dragon of the same age to quietly scold her.
Though the Green Dragon secretly agreed with her sentiments, he at least knew to keep his mouth shut.
[Why do you have to be so tedious, even in this situation? If we lose here, it’ll be all over! If it weren’t for Horus this time, we would have been in big trouble, right? And now you say, “Excellent?”]
The reason the Red Dragon was acting so prickly was simple.
It was the White Dragon who had most forcefully opposed Horus’s initial battle plan.
Having come to care for him as much as the Green Dragon throughout their time together, she couldn’t help but feel irritated.
[But looking at the current situation, it seems like a perfect moment.]
At that moment, the voice of a young girl entered their midst.
The Black Dragon, the youngest of them all after Horus, who had only undergone her coming-of-age ceremony a few years ago.
[If we had arrived too soon, the damage to humans would have been minimal. In fact, it would be best arriving just before they are completely annihilated, but that would have caused too much damage on our side, so this timing seems just right.]
[Black Dragon… ]
Such a horrifying statement did not fit with the gentle nature of her voice.
It reflected her disdain for humans who had taken dominion over the continent, overriding their selves.
Her feelings had intensified more so after her older brother, the previous Black Dragon, had died, valiantly fighting for the world while humans squabbled among themselves.
[Horus? By the way, what are you looking at… Ah! I see. Those kids… ]
Unable to muster a reply nearing the Black Dragon’s statement, the Green Dragon discreetly looked where Horus had been peering and slowly nodded.
It was instantly recognizable.
A group of fragile humans gathered at the heart of the human forces.
They were the “Children of the Dragon,” the key to saving the world.
[…Seven, huh? And one of them is exceptionally distinguished. With that level… ]
The Green Dragon, who had been speaking calmly, trailed off.
It would be too shameless to outright say that they would suffice as offerings.
Following her line of thought, the Red Dragon spoke up with an assertive tone.
[Alright, then if we just take them down, all our problems will be resolved. The odds are in our favor. We were unable to intervene directly to stabilize this space, but we did bring plenty of fighters!]
In truth, having all five dragons present here was a significant stretch.
They had not been hiding away in the Dragon God Shrine, safeguarding the balance of the world, for no reason.
However, in order to suppress the atmosphere of this demonic realm and transport the monstrous armies, they had to come here in person.
They had poured additional efforts into dispatching other dragons to the Dragon God Shrine, but it was unlikely they would hold out for long.
‘Whenever the divine beasts that maintain the world use their powers in this realm, the backlash grows stronger.’
This would put everyone at risk.
Not only the others who were residing in the Dragon God Shrine, desperately maintaining the world but also those in this realm and all the dragons who recklessly used their powers.
That’s why the White Dragon had been overly cautious.
If they weren’t careful, the world might end before even beginning the procedures for restoring the Dragon Heart.
‘Of course, this does not apply to me.’
A grin crept over Horus as he kept looking below, revealing his vicious fangs.
He was an Awakened One of another realm, not tied to the rules set by the world.
His situation was far removed from that of the other dragons, who had to proceed with caution.
[So now it’s a race against time?]
[Well, that’s right. We need to wrap things up quickly and return to the Dragon God Shrine to minimize the damage to the world.]
Unlike the Red Dragon’s nonchalance, the Green Dragon seemed to notice something and looked at Horus with narrowed eyes.
[Horus?]
But before she could say anything further—
Flap—
[Then I will take my leave!]
Horus spread his wings wide, did a loop in the air, and began to dive downward.
[…Wha?!]
[Horus?!]
As their surprised voices faded into the background, from Horus’s mouth, the Yeouiju sparkled.
‘The primary goal has been achieved. Now, I just need to maximize my gains.’
The world was already flowing as he had planned.
The karma he could acquire from this would be enormous.
But why avoid additional benefits when he had the chance to gain more?
‘Leaving a significant mark on the world, one that wouldn’t be forgotten for hundreds or thousands of years.’
All those gathered here played prominent roles in this world, including humans, dragons, and monsters.
This was the perfect opportunity to etch his existence deeply into their memories and exert a strong influence over them.
Why would he give up such an excellent opportunity?
Paa—
The softly glowing Yeouiju emitted light akin to the sun.
At the same time, Horus’s Dragon Heart pulsed violently, gathering thick energy deep within his throat like an erupting volcano.
‘I’m going all out.’
The basic abilities of the “Gold Dragon” combined with the “Elder Dragon’s Heart,” enhanced through “Dragon Speech Magic,” with the “Ruler of All Things” and “Seeker of Mysteries” bolstering him.
“The Resistor of Providence” ignored the restrictions placed upon him during the manifestation of such power, while “Heavenly Flow Techniques” bound all these flows into one.
‘And finally, adding “Limit Break.”’
Crack—
He felt something crack inside him.
Not a physical object but rather an abstract something.
Limits, or barriers, as they were often called.
The restrictions responded to Horus’s first full-power outburst since his birth.
Whiii—
The flow of air shifted.
With the appearance of the five dragons, parts of the gentle breeze residing over Beijing twisted, colliding into one point and compressing.
“Wha? Yellow Dragon?”
“What the heck! What’s that?!”
“Crazy…! Retreat! Defense! Defensive formations!”
As this unusual phenomenon developed, even the members of the Demon Cult and the Martial Arts Alliance scrambled to prepare for a counter.
Only the emotionless undead moved with calmness.
Gooong—!
The infinite magical energy emitted from the Elder-level Dragon Heart burst forth from Horus’s throat.
It was not the magic limited to the size of a sacred dragon like before.
Immediately, it connected with the Yeouiju, which regulates the laws of the world, igniting an endless chain reaction.
Stronger, faster, larger, and more splendid.
Right after that.
A beam of destruction, unbelievable to have originated from a living being’s mouth, shot out like a laser.
Towards the borderlands where the battlefield unfolded and slightly behind, toward the Beijing that had been taken over by the Demon Cult.
And—
At that moment, the sounds of battle vanished.
No, they were crushed beneath a single, overwhelmingly colossal sound.
“@!%$!&*…!”
“$@$!#%&…!”
Across the battlefield— no, all over the diverse geographical area of Beijing, aftershocks raged.
The fierce battle that had been ongoing had long since ceased.
Now, merely keeping their bodies steady was a challenge.
Ku—goooon!
With seismic tremors, swirling dust followed, and a colossal mushroom cloud rose from the city.
The capital, having undergone the cycle of rise and fall while building its long history.
And simultaneously, the remnant scars of disaster that had been neglected for a long time.
Beijing had.
Vanished.
Along with part of the demon forces that had gathered in the rear.
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