Chapter: 617
I heard a sound.
It was right next to me.
By the time I thought that way…
Woosh-!
My arm was already moving.
Thud-!
I felt a vibration in my soul.
It was for the Heart Technique.
There was no hesitation.
I had used the Heart Technique earlier, after all.
The backlash that would come later when I used it now…
Such things had to be ignored for the moment.
Someone was approaching right next to me without me noticing.
It meant this wasn’t the time to concern myself with whether there was hostility or not.
At that moment, just as I was about to unleash my Heart Technique…
Crack-!
I heard a strange noise from my arm.
When I turned my gaze to look at my arm…
“!”
Swoosh-!
The arm that had been outstretched was torn off, leaving only the shoulder.
Thud-!
The arm fell to the ground.
Splash-! Blood gushed out from the shoulder.
“Yangcheon!”
Woohyuk’s eyes widened as he shouted upon seeing this.
I bit down hard on my lips.
After that, I quickly took action to create some distance.
Drip.
Blood was flowing from the shoulder I was clutching.
Immediately afterward, pain hit me like a wave.
“Hoo… hoo…”
Only sharp breaths escaped, not a sound of groaning.
‘What the hell?’
What just happened?
Ignoring the pain, I looked straight ahead.
Beside where I was facing Woohyuk, someone was standing there.
It was a young man with white hair.
“Well, this is interesting.”
The young man glanced my way, a smile on his face.
The moment I saw that smile, goosebumps spread across my body.
“Is the greeting too harsh? I’m not really fond of that.”
It was off-putting.
Just looking at him made me feel uncomfortable and disgusted.
I felt an urge to grab his neck and rip it off right there and then.
From deep within my dantian, hostility was surging.
-Kill him right now.
Instinct whispered that voice, pushing me to act.
I had to suppress that instinct with great difficulty.
I can’t win.
That was the one truth I had realized in an instant.
With tension building, I stared at the young man.
“Originally, I just wanted to watch. But it’s a bit fun to observe.”
The young man started speaking again.
In the meantime, I frowned as I noticed something he was holding.
‘Why is she captured by him?’
It was Yuri.
She was unconscious, held captive in the young man’s hands.
“But this is a bit boring, isn’t it? Right?”
He shifted his gaze.
It was directed towards Woohyuk.
“Biaukwon.”
“…”
Feeling the young man’s call, Woohyuk bit his trembling lips.
“We had a clear promise, right? So why are we doing this?”
“…”
“Does this mean the collateral doesn’t matter?”
“No… it’s just….”
“If not, does that mean you’ve held onto some foolishness? Seems like you still have some left.”
I frowned, listening to their conversation.
Through those words, I felt I could see the young man’s identity.
‘That guy… then.’
He’s a descendant of the Ice Palace who participated in the rebellion.
Is he the one?
Judging by the young man, he should be either the first or second prince.
‘Something feels off.’
This feeling was strange.
What is this feeling?
It’s different from merely feeling dizzy in the presence of a strong opponent.
This was entirely…
‘Similar to a Princess.’
It felt eerily similar to when I encountered the princess in the previous hideout.
But it wasn’t merely about physical appearance.
There was a distinct feeling of discomfort emanating from his very existence.
It was the same with the princess, but it was on a whole different level.
‘This… Yes, this is it.’
Suddenly recalling my earlier sensations, I felt the energy.
When I first arrived in the North Sea, I sensed a chilling presence and an inexplicable discomfort from the land.
That energy was…
‘It’s the same as his.’
If I felt something similar from the princess…
Then this energy was identical to that offensive feeling I had from before.
It implied that this was the source of the discomfort I sensed from the North Sea.
What on earth could that be?
What could elicit such rejection from my very being?
And also…
‘What do I do now?’
How can I escape this crisis?
As my mind swirled with dozens of thoughts…
“If the Biaukwon has any lingering attachments… those attachments.”
The young man, who had been talking, suddenly turned his gaze towards me.
In that instant.
“Is it over there?”
The young man’s transformation vanished.
I missed it.
I couldn’t track his movements in time.
Whoosh-!
“Gah!”
My throat was caught.
I was lifted up, still held by my wrist.
“I didn’t mean to greet you this way.”
With our eyes locked, I had no choice but to meet his gaze.
“Nice to meet you.”
“…”
His sly grin made my heart skip a beat.
With horizontally slit pupils in his light blue eyes.
Even the faint scales visible on his cheeks.
It was a familiar sight to me.
“I never expected to meet my kind here.”
I frowned at what he said.
‘Dragon…?’
He was a dragon.
This guy was a dragon.
Unlike the curse the princess had endured, he appeared whole and complete.
That meant…
‘Is he the same as me?’
Does this mean he too had shed his former self and become a dragon?
When I was taken aback by this unexpected situation.
“But…”
His gaze swept over my body.
“You’re much worse than I imagined. To think this would be my kind.”
There was evident disappointment in his voice.
“I’m not sure if it’s wounds or not, but I feel I had too high expectations. I didn’t realize you were this shabby when you first came to the North Sea.”
My eyes widened upon hearing that.
Did he know I was coming to the North Sea for that long?
The grip around my throat tightened.
The pressure was overwhelming; I struggled to breathe.
It turns out lifting someone by the throat was rather stressful.
I began to reflect on my actions.
If I survived this, I thought I might have to employ this more strategically.
As I had that thought, unbidden…
“What is it?”
He was examining my body with scrutiny.
More specifically,
“Why are you so subpar? We’re clearly of the same race…”
He appeared to be identifying my flaws one by one.
‘Is he mad?’
How long had it been since someone called me worthless and ugly?
Aside from my looks, of course.
“Hmm…”
After staring at me for a while, he finally said,
“Oh, I see.”
With a smirk on his face, as if he had just realized something.
“You seem to still be grappling with some concerns?”
“…What?”
“Are you pondering whether you are human or a great dragon? Is that really what you’re worried about?”
“…”
His words made me swallow hard.
It felt like a direct hit to my core.
But…
Did it truly matter that I hadn’t quite sorted that out?
I couldn’t ascertain.
“So that’s why. So that’s how it is.”
I couldn’t understand, yet he seemed to hold insight.
Grrk-!
“Ugh…”
The pressure intensified.
“It was such a trivial matter.”
The glow in his torn pupils sharpened.
“You evolved and yet still wish to remain in your human form?”
I tried to grasp his wrist with my other hand, but it didn’t budge.
There might be a discrepancy in strength, but more importantly, it felt like my body wasn’t cooperating at all.
“How could you do that? Wanting to be on the same level as those insignificant beings. We can’t be like that. We’re supposed to be magnificent.”
“What the hell… are you saying?”
“I don’t understand. How can you remain a fool, unable to make a common choice?”
The look in his eyes shifted dramatically.
The smile he’d worn was replaced by a cold, piercing gaze.
“I had been eagerly anticipating this encounter.”
It was pure murderous intent.
Though it seemed shallow, there was unmistakable depth to it.
‘I’m going to die.’
If it continued like this, it would be dangerous.
My survival instincts screamed at me.
No, even without his words, it was evident that this was a genuine threat.
“I’m losing interest.”
If this continues, I would end up with a broken neck, dead on the spot.
Crack-! I gripped his wrist, trying desperately to pry free, but even that proved futile.
What should I do? What on earth can I do?
“For someone who doesn’t even grasp their own positioning, it’s a shame to call you a fellow kind. Just die.”
Just then…
Snatch-!
At that moment, the young man was about to break my neck.
With his grip still held,
I declared,
“Let go…!”
“…!!”
Whooosh-!
In an instant, I felt a contained thrum from my heart, and a gust of wind erupted from my being.
It was an unintentional Dragon Tongue utterance.
I wondered what use such words would serve.
But upon hearing my command, the young man’s grip froze momentarily.
Thwack-!
“Cough…!”
To my surprise, he actually loosened his hold.
My body, which had been caught, was released and fell down.
“Cough…
Having lost one arm, my balance was off.
As my previously blocked breath finally started to clear up, I barely managed to catch my breath.
“…This is absurd.”
The young man, who had just held me captive, now spoke to me in disbelief.
“You.”
I lifted my head to meet his gaze.
“Are you a pureblood?”
Wonder and astonishment laced his voice.
“That can’t be true! There shouldn’t be any purebloods left in this realm…”
“…What have you been saying since earlier…”
Pureblood? That term eluded my understanding.
Where in the world was there a mongrel like me? I had every kind of lineage mingled within me.
What could possibly be pure in my body?
One thing crossed my mind.
“Oh….”
Instead of considering my state, he seemed to light up with realization.
“Well then, just because you’ve detached from your humble beginnings doesn’t mean everything will be easy.”
With a cryptic smile, he continued speaking to me.
“I’m rather lucky to encounter you here.”
While he rambled on, I rolled my eyes and chose not to respond.
Woohyuk was about ten steps away from my position.
The estimated distance where Namgung Bi-ah would likely be was much further.
“I don’t know what he sensed from me.”
For now, I needed to devise an escape plan.
That was the first step I had to take.
Would I be able to save them all? Objectively, it seemed impossible.
In my current state, even winning felt far-fetched.
“I’ve always had this question.”
What then, should I do?
Should I attempt to make contact with the innate intelligence?
Though using it improperly could certainly lead to death, at this point, it seemed necessary.
Even if I had to die.
I resolved to muster my energy and draw it forth.
“I was wondering how three pieces of the Dragon Emperor gathered in this realm. So it’s because of you.”
I froze in place at his words.
“…What? What did you just say?”
I glared at him.
Dragon Emperor. He had clearly uttered that term.
Upon witnessing my reaction, a flicker of curiosity flashed across his face before turning into a broad grin.
“Our pureblood seems utterly clueless. Unlike your precious blood, you are terribly ignorant.”
“What are you saying? If you’re speaking, then speak clearly.”
“I can’t do that. Nothing is more delightful than a foolish rival.”
Rival?
“Especially if that rival is someone born of the most precious blood.”
“This bastard… continues.”
I attempted to rise again.
“I feel like eating you up right now….”
But he was no longer in front of me. He had already shifted to Woohyuk’s side.
“I’ll hold off for now. I have something to validate.”
He then grabbed Woohyuk by the collar.
Woohyuk didn’t utter a word. He didn’t even fight back.
“I will trample over you, pureblood, and devour you to prove I am the truly chosen one. To do that….”
Whoosh-!!
Feeling the sensation, I raised my head to gaze at the sky.
“…What?”
It twisted.
The void twisted and wound.
“You can’t do it while you’re this weak. At the very least, our encounter should provide us both a proper justification, right?”
Crackling!
The sky shattered and began crumbling away.
The very fabric of reality was collapsing in real-time.
How did it reach this point?
“So, for now, I’ll just back off.”
In this delicate situation, she spoke to me, her characteristic smile still present.
You’re leaving?
Are you saying you’re simply departing like this?
It seemed convenient, but…
I needed to frown and speak to him.
“… Are you thinking of taking him with you?”
I referred to Woohyuk, clasped in his grip.
“Of course. Woohyuk is someone I can’t let go of.”
He said it naturally, as if it were obvious.
“You know, we never allow anything that belongs to us to be taken.”
Snap.
I clenched my teeth.
Even if he took Woohyuk, there was nothing I could do.
I had no choice but to let it happen.
Understanding this reality dulls the senses.
“But don’t take this as a substitute.”
He added.
“I didn’t kill my cute little sister who brought you here, and I won’t touch the other pieces today.”
“Other pieces…?”
I tried to inquire, but was cut short.
Whooooosh—!!
The fragments of the world began swirling around him.
Debris was swirling in the wind, moving rapidly, resembling a raging storm.
Within it.
-Oh, my name is Yooseon.
I heard his voice.
-When we meet again, I hope you’ve made a decision. Otherwise, it won’t be fun.
Crack-!
The storm grew in size, quickly expanding.
There was no way to escape.
The wind mixed with fragments surged toward me.
-This is a small gift for you.
With that continued voice,
-I hope it pleases you.
I was violently engulfed.
After some time elapsed
I opened the eyes that had been shut.
The first thing I saw was the now-familiar snowy sky.
“…!”
Seeing that, I promptly straightened my upper body.
Am I alive?
It really felt like the world was collapsing.
‘What about Woohyuk? What happened to him?’
What on earth is going on?
As I struggled to make sense of it…
“Uh…?”
Suddenly, an uncanny sensation pricked at me, and I glanced to the side.
‘… My left hand?’
The left hand that had been torn away by that bastard had returned. The restraining ear was also there.
It looked pristine, as if it had never been severed before.
And that wasn’t all.
I attempted to feel my energy again.
‘What’s going on here?’
Swallowing a gulp, I checked my physical condition.
I realized that as soon as I turned from energy within me.
All the internal injuries in my body had healed completely.
How on earth is this possible?
Not only had my arm returned, but I had also healed from the severe injuries I thought would take forever.
This was simply unfathomable.
While fixating on my left arm, I felt my eyes twitching in disbelief.
“…Ah….”
Suddenly! My body stiffened at the sound of a voice.
A voice emerged from behind.
This was the exact spot where I had reclined just a short while ago.
A tone devoid of strength.
It must be tired because it was a voice so familiar, one I had been searching for.
Turning my head, I found
“…Hello…”
A woman with cuffs on her wrists was looking at me.
White hair and unmistakable blue eyes.
She appeared weary yet still bore a fair complexion.
Had I been resting my head on her knees all this time?
Her body was slightly buried in the surrounding snow.
“You….”
“Did you… wake up?”
The woman spoke as she looked at me.
“Long time….”
I didn’t catch all her words.
My body moved on its own, hugging her tightly.
As if vowing not to let her go, I remained still.
Thus,
“Ah… yeah.”
Namgung Bi-ah whispered softly.
“I missed you too.”
It was an answer to words left unspoken.
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