Chapter: 533
The room felt unusually dark.
It was even worse since I hadn’t turned on the light before going to bed.
I strained my eyes to brighten my vision.
Only then did the room look a bit brighter.
At the same time, a cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
Thump… thump…
My startled heart refused to calm down easily, pounding heavily in my chest.
Of course, it was only natural.
How could I not be surprised when I suddenly woke up to find an assassin right before my eyes?
Even more so, if that assassin was a man considered the king of secret agents.
No, honestly, if he had just come to visit, I wouldn’t have been this taken aback.
The problem is…
“…What are you doing there…?”
The man known as the Dark King was kneeling right in front of me.
As soon as I opened my eyes, there he was, right in front of me.
His knees were bent stiffly, as if adhering to a perfect angle.
Even the slight bow of his head and the just slightly lowered gaze
crafted an image of the Dark King taking an almost perfect bow.
It was so meticulous that I couldn’t help but wonder why he went to such lengths.
If that stiff courtesy belonged to someone else, I might have thought, “Wow, he really received good upbringing!”
I’m going to lose my mind.
The issue was that this odd display was coming from the Dark King, the ruler of the night.
What on earth is that guy doing here causing a scene?
I thought he had been quiet lately.
I had slipped my mind the fact that there was a dark king lurking around.
Yeah, he was around too.
I had momentarily forgotten that among the group, the Dark King had changed his shape with the aura of destruction.
Is it really safe here?
While staring at the Dark King, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
The value of a single martial artist with the Hwagyeong score is immense.
The moment he reaches his peak, prestigious swordsmanship schools will be clamoring for him, but if he is a Hwagyeong, the story changes completely.
Just looking around now, all the elders of renowned clans seem to be Hwagyeong.
Simply attaining the Hwagyeong rank means he’s worthy of a prominent position.
But how many are here?
How many Hwagyeong martial artists are gathered in the Tang Gate?
Even excluding those in the group.
Just counting the likes of White Lotus Sword and Ghost Ship, even that adds up to five.
…This is like a lair for human weapons.
I felt like I was the one who dragged them all in, but leaving that aside for now.
When it comes to the Dark King before me, who belongs to such an elite rank.
An entity that can kill anyone.
That’s about how I would judge him.
The king of assassins, reputed to be able to kill even the three deities if he desired.
He was the master of the infamous nightwatching squad.
No one knew his true identity.
Of course…
Well, I know a bit about it, not his real identity though.
I have no clue how many people have seen the Dark King in person and lived to tell the tale.
From my standpoint, I know just a tad more than that.
The descendant of the Love Song.
The truth is that the Dark King is actually a descendant of the damned Yeon Il-cheon.
I don’t know if anyone else knows this, but from what I didn’t know in my previous life, it probably isn’t common knowledge.
…Is that why you came?
Did you come here to silence me because I know?
I knew the circumstances leading to that thought weren’t right, but I couldn’t help it.
Meanwhile, the reason I barely believed that this was not the case probably lay in the Dark King’s demeanor.
Why?
Why is he kneeling in my room?
Even waking up, my head feels cold with confusion.
I didn’t sense any ill intent.
However, since someone at the Dark King’s level would easily conceal his murderous intent, that part didn’t really matter.
So let’s consider something else.
Since when?
Since when has the Dark King been lurking here?
Even if I fell asleep, I ensured to set up wards to wake me if someone approached…
Ah.
It doesn’t matter, I guess.
Even that wouldn’t matter if it was the Dark King.
Oh, this is such a damn mess.
I want to live, it’s ridiculously hard!
Even if I try to devise a plan, there are just too many formidable opponents that can break through.
The harsh reality suddenly sinks in.
Was it because of that? I felt my consciousness sharpening a bit more.
I guess it means to not let your guard down even in comfortable situations.
I’m glad I recalled something I had temporarily overlooked.
As I racked my brain gradually to get a grip on the situation.
[…About an hour has passed.]
In my head, the Spirit God Noyage informed me.
…Is this how long the Dark King has been in my room?
[Yes. I tried everything I could to wake you, but you just wouldn’t budge.]
An hour.
Aside from the fact that the Dark King had been there that long…
He probably came the moment I fell asleep.
If I consider it at the precise time I slipped into sleep, I could safely say the Dark King waited for me to fall asleep to come.
Reflecting on that, I then asked the Dark King.
“…Do you have some business with me?”
Fortunately, my voice did not tremble.
If it had, that would’ve been utterly embarrassing; that was the most fortunate part.
In response to my question, the Dark King finally raises his head and meets my gaze.
His white hair shone brightly.
Even in the dark, that hair seemed to glow almost unnaturally.
Normally, the Dark King is known for wearing a mask or altering his appearance.
But I thought this form might very well be his true self.
What about the white eyes of his?
Even though they were notably white, they felt dark enough that I sensed nothing.
A gaze that seemed to pull you into a void.
Those eyes, which felt overwhelmingly terrifying at first glance…
What is going on?
Now, they strangely didn’t scare me as much.
As I calmly stared into the Dark King’s eyes.
Phew-!
“…!”
Suddenly, a change flickered in the Dark King’s expression.
His pupils narrowed vertically into slits.
Seeing that sent chills racing down my arms.
Was it gruesome? No.
It’s because I felt I had seen those eyes before.
Where had I seen them?
I didn’t ponder too hard.
Because it popped into my head as soon as I saw it.
The blood demon’s eyes.
The gaze I encountered during the last righteous talks.
The blood demon’s crimson pupils that had looked at me while using Jang Seon-yeon’s body somehow resembled the Dark King’s eyes.
The transformation didn’t stop there.
Woof-!
When I saw those eyes, my body resonated with an internal tremor.
My blood began to heat up.
Am I reacting?
A heat that differed from my own intention began to fill my body.
It eventually reached my eyes.
Even without direct sight, I could feel it.
I’m saying that my pupils right now must look just like those of the Dark King.
At that moment.
Shaaa!
The little guy hiding in the drawer emerged.
Whoosh whoosh-!
In a flash, a blue flame enveloped my body.
The flames burned brightly and vanished quickly, but what remained was not the frail body of a little snake but that of a gigantic monster.
A size that made even the small room feel cramped.
Hunching low to protect me, the little guy bared its fangs in fury.
Grrr…!
The little beast trembled as it showed its hostility toward the Dark King.
The Dark King’s gaze shifted to the little one too.
Was it because of that?
Only then did the Dark King’s mouth open.
“I see I was right.”
In contrast to my nervousness, thinking if the Dark King might react aggressively to the fiercely antagonistic little creature.
He simply nodded, as if he had expected this to happen.
What is going on?
Then the Dark King’s gaze turned toward me.
Swish.
At that instant, when the Dark King moved, I thought it might be an attack, so I braced myself.
“Uh…?”
I tensed up at the Dark King’s actions.
He suddenly bowed his head and expressed his respect to me.
I was so shocked I nearly blurted out, “Why are you doing this?”
“…The guardian figure born of Yeon Il-cheon meets the great dragon.”
At the words that tumbled from the Dark King’s mouth, I froze momentarily.
Dragon.
That word caught my breath.
A fleeting moment of hesitation.
After breaking through that, I finally managed to ask the Dark King.
“…Senior, why are you doing this?”
Is this a new trend?
Or maybe the seniors around me have been having some sort of episode? They had been acting like complete lunatics directed solely at me.
Even now, I felt the most alarmed.
When I see the Dark King doing this to me of all people.
Am I already dead?
Such a ridiculous misconception brushed through my mind.
While scrambling to prop up the bowing Dark King, I recalled the words he’d uttered.
‘Dragon.’
That very word sent a shiver down my spine.
It’s a term used to collectively describe hundred-level monsters.
The familiar form I grappled with while battling the shape of blood in the past is reminiscent of a dragon.
Considering the form and blood of the little guy that had transformed while I shed my shell, it was strikingly similar.
…A dragon?
Suddenly, I felt I understood why such an unfamiliar word didn’t feel entirely foreign.
I’m called a dragon?
The unknown race.
Could the body I’ve transformed into truly be that of a dragon?
The scales sprouting on my arms and my transformed body—are they reflective of that form?
Let’s pretend that’s true for now.
Whether it’s a dragon or whatever… for now, let’s just leave it at that.
No matter what I’d morphed into, I could think about it later.
Right now, I needed to fathom why the person before me was behaving this way.
Seeing such a terrifying individual address me in such a manner, my long-suppressed fear threatened to resurface.
“First of all, senior… please stand up….”
“I beseech you to allow a being as great as yourself to meet me.”
I tried to pull the Dark King up while escaping the little guy.
But he persistently continued speaking.
“Spare your pity for this lowly blood.”
My hand brushed against his shoulder.
Swish…
“…!”
As my hand touched the Dark King’s skin, a change manifested in his flesh.
I was startled at the sight and pulled my hand back.
Even as I quickly distanced myself, the changes didn’t diminish but rather broadened.
My skin commenced a transformation.
Just as the Dark King’s pupils had altered, his skin began changing too.
It darkened.
The bumpy flesh that rose up resembled my own right arm.
The only distinction was that his color was golden, unlike my blue.
With trembling eyes, I stared at the Dark King.
Hoo-oo-!
Changes sparked within my own body as well.
My heart galloped violently.
The blood felt infinitely warmer compared to earlier.
What should I even say about this twist?
When clarity evaded me…
It’s instinct.
For some reason, the Blood Demon’s words from the past reverberated in my mind.
The ones that slipped from the Blood Demon when he’d looked at me, engrossed in fervor.
That’s how it is by nature.
You are an arrogant creature that seeks to eradicate any other equals in this world.
He had definitely said that to me while staring me down.
So, are the feelings now directed at the Dark King hostility?
No way.
That was certainly not the case.
This wasn’t hostility.
Rather, it felt like something lower, colder.
If I had to articulate this feeling…
Insignificance…?
Yeah, insignificance.
I felt trivial by standing before a being, a martial artist so many times stronger than me.
Why do I feel this way?
It’s an irritating sensation, one that makes me want to tear my insides out.
Now with this in mind, if I revisit the Blood Demon’s words from a different angle.
He knew me since the very moment he laid eyes on me.
Or, it could imply the Blood Demon foresaw this very occurrence happening to me.
Even before I distinctly shed my shell, he might have anticipated I would become a dragon.
That leads to…
Is it my blood that holds the answer?
It seems to make sense, considering my flames have morphed into blood flames.
In the midst of it, the Blood Demon’s dialogue from earlier became relevant.
You’re not my piece; how did you begin blooming?
This meant that my change wasn’t part of his plan.
I can’t completely trust every word of the Blood Demon, yet it bears consideration.
Taking this into account…
Is the Blood Demon… a dragon too?
It suggests he, too, is connected to that unknown race concept.
Yes, if that’s the case, the Blood Demon’s earlier statements come into clearer focus.
I am the seed of the Dragon Emperor.
If the Blood Demon was from blood, then his words also fall into place.
They serve as evidence that the Blood Demon is indeed of draconic lineage.
…Wait. Then…
I began to piece together the words that were slowly connecting.
At its essence.
What beings were originally affiliated with the term dragon?
They are, without a doubt, the hundred-level monsters.
In older times, those beings were termed dragons based on their form and strength.
In this day and age, the term dragon pertains to legendary creatures, or the hundred-level demonic beasts that exuded an immense presence in ages past.
The conundrum arises from the fact that shortly after the Blood Demon vanished, those hundred-level monsters ceased to appear in the Central Plains.
The red monsters began surfacing in my previous life, yet I never witnessed a white one until my demise.
This certainly points to peace being a beneficial outcome.
Yet, could it just be mere coincidence?
Then why do red monsters appear now, in stark contrast to my previous life?
Could that too harbor some underlying issue?
The more I pondered, the harsher my breathing turned.
Fuzzy memories began to take shape.
However, for some inexplicable reason, the contours of the narrative I yearned to grasp seemed significantly grander than I’d anticipated.
As fragments began to settle into place within my mind,
“…Please,”
The parched voice of the Dark King boomed.
Only then did my gaze finally focus, ceasing all thoughts as I beheld the Dark King.
I couldn’t help but scowl at sight of him.
It wasn’t due to his grotesque portrayal.
Rather, it stemmed from sheer incomprehension.
Heroes saved the world.
Although they failed to slay the Blood Demon, they managed to seal it and preserve the world’s sanctity.
Regardless of him perceiving me as a disaster, I held some respect for his achievements.
A man who sought to save the world by rewinding time.
Certainly, the perception of Yeon Il-cheon came through as that.
Why?
Why, indeed?
“Please, lift the curse bound to my blood….”
Is this where the descendants of Yeon Il-cheon leading the pack ended up?
Something about that considerably troubled me.
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