Bam!
After Mok Ing-gwang’s participation, the fight continued for just a little while longer.
Thanks to that, Ha Seung-hoon was able to gain more experience against a formidable opponent, but regrettably, that time didn’t last long.
Grrr! This damn old coot…
Tsk, tsk, didn’t I always tell you to maintain your breath? Ignoring my words and getting swept up in madness is how you end up like this. With such a weak body, when do you think you’ll be useful?
Comparing my human body to that of a demon… Is that really the thing to say to a disciple whose body is smashed to bits… Gah!
Ah— your breath is all over the place again? If you just followed this master’s words, you’d shake off those injuries in no time. Though it has faded significantly over generations, demon blood definitely flows in your veins.
Ugh, you bastard. One day, I will…
Haha! See? Just do it! With that kind of regeneration, you could be up in no time.
Mok Ing-gwang lay on the floor, twisted in every way, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, resembling a complete mess that fits perfectly with the term rag.
Ha Seung-hoon stood before him, eyes shining as he observed the old man scratching his beard with one hand behind his back.
Nachalwang, one of the heads of Gonmudo. He was a key figure in the faction made up of demons other than dragons, right? I had exchanged greetings with Horus at least…
However, since Horus’s connections were heavily focused on dragons, he had never really talked to him personally.
For all intents and purposes, as he bore the name of the Golden Dragon, he had to be in the center of a faction revolving around dragons.
Of course, while they had shared tough times, the factions weren’t at odds with each other, but there would naturally be cliques even within the same class.
Moreover, didn’t Nachalwang not participate in the last war to protect the now deserted Gonmudo?
Grrr— grrrr! Damn it, why…!
At that moment, he heard a rough breath beside him and glanced over.
There lay a gigantic creature, wriggling in a messy state, just like Mok Ing-gwang, its feral rampage now nowhere to be found.
Nachalwang! Why the hell are you here when you should be in the Ganghwan Realm? How did you get here so fast?!
Haha, just consider yourself lucky. Well, even if I hadn’t shown up, it would have been tough for you to escape Gonmudo anyway.
Don’t kid me! If I just had a little more strength, if I had a little more time to eat that dragon’s child and grow stronger…!
Think what you like. You’ll be sealed in the Confession Cave for the next thousand years, so you’ll have plenty of time to think alone.
No, this can’t be the end!
Do-ol thrashed intensely, trying to escape somehow.
His body began to regenerate slowly as he twisted here and there.
But the moment the old man opened the lid of a flask from his waist, all of his resistance was wiped away mercilessly.
Ugh, uguuu—! No!
Like being swallowed by a black hole, his massive body stretched and was sucked into the flask.
The eerie, elongated wail ended only when the lid was shut again.
…Impressive.
Ha Seung-hoon stared absently at Nachalwang, who calmly secured the sealed flask to his waist, and he couldn’t help but click his tongue.
At the moment he thought it was truly a limit, he had reversed the situation in an instant.
Even though the opponent was also a great demon, the level difference was starkly felt.
Well, after all, he is one of the heads; it wouldn’t be surprising if he were strong. Sending Mok Ing-gwang first might have been part of his training?
His gaze shifted back to the man who writhed on the ground, still spewing curses.
In an instant, he could tell.
The madness that ceaselessly circulated within the body on the brink of life and death was not just repairing the damaged flesh but also rebirthing it stronger than ever.
Similar to Harley’s method. However, since there’s a fundamental difference in their bases, it can’t be compared in terms of efficiency.
Furthermore, the fact that he clearly faced and survived against a superior being, a great demon, must have significantly helped in honing his mind, which was difficult to think rationally due to madness.
And that would undoubtedly serve as a necessary foundation for when he sought to surpass the wall of the Current Realm.
Of course, I also gained much from this fight.
Taking a light breath, he contemplated his inner self.
[Entity Information]
– Entity Name: Ha Seung-hoon
– Common Traits: “Mind Hub,” “Persona,” “Great Spirit,” “Insight,” “Xenoglossy,” “Spatial Dimension Storage,” “Limit Break,” “Imitation”
– Entity Traits: “Public Spirit Body,” “Heavenly Dragon Divine Technique,” “Gravity Root,” “Martial Arts,” “Versatility,” “Comprehensive Medical Introduction,” “Field Cooking,” “Formation Technique Overview,” “Gathering”
– Special Notes: Due to long-term cognitive changes, the entity name has been changed from ‘Hugo’ to ‘Ha Seung-hoon.’ Thanks to “Martial Arts,” he can naturally harmonize with different martial principles more easily. Under the influence of “Growth Leap” and the blessing of the dragon spirit, all actions receive additional growth bonuses.
Among the traits acquired during his time in the martial world, a new skill shows clear presence: “Martial Arts.”
He could instinctively feel it.
The moment he became capable of handling this properly would be the moment he transcended the wall.
It’s regrettable that I couldn’t breach the wall right away, but it can’t be helped.
What he gained from this battle was certainly not small.
In the early stages of the fight, he was merely hanging on by using all his abilities, but by the latter half, he had reached a point where he could partially respond to the powerful attacks imbued with the great demon’s energy.
To expect to ascend to the Current Realm with just this was a thief’s ambition.
Rather, now that he had everything needed to reach transcendence, it could be said he achieved results beyond his expectations.
That just goes to show how significant the role of the “Black Dragon Secret” had been.
Ha Seung-hoon!
Just as he sorted through his thoughts.
A sudden refreshing floral scent rushed to his face, and a soft, warm body burrowed into him.
You’re safe! Oh, I’m so relieved! I was so worried about you!
Before he could even respond, a small woman wrapped herself around him, looking up with tears in her eyes.
Just how troubled had she been, that despite the fight not being particularly lengthy, she was still trembling.
No, or maybe it was the fact that so much happened in such a short time that’s the issue.
Ha Seung-hoon smiled bitterly as he patted her shoulder.
I told you I’d be alright, didn’t I? With the dragon’s child so blatantly kidnapped right in front of us, there was no way Gonmudo would just stand by. We just needed to buy a little time until support arrived.
But… you were injured like this…!
As she carefully touched Ha Seung-hoon’s battered body while pouring forth holy power, her face turned teary again.
Under the effect of the regeneration power included in the “Public Spirit Body,” most of his wounds had already healed, but the torn clothes and bloodstains suggested just how much pain he must have felt.
…Once again, I’m indebted to you.
She whispered softly as she gazed quietly at the traces of the fierce battle.
Just like last time, and even now, having been kidnapped just because of being the “dragon’s child,” her feelings of gratitude were bound to be much greater.
If not for him, she probably wouldn’t even be alive now.
Ha Seung-hoon, I…
After biting her lip for a moment, she looked up at him with eyes glistening with emotion.
His face was dirty with sweat and dust, but such things didn’t register in her eyes.
Thump— thump—
The beating of her heart thundered in her ears.
Suddenly conscious of it, her face flushed bright red.
And just as she took a deep breath to continue speaking.
Hey, Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance. Time to get back. Oh! And the master wants to have a quick chat!
Mok Ing-gwang, who had managed to regain some mobility, limped over and gave Ha Seung-hoon a gentle tap on the shoulder.
Whether it was a newfound camaraderie from battling alongside each other or simply acknowledging his strength, his demeanor was notably less hesitant than before.
And you, Zhuge Family kid. You were involved in that Mosan Faction business the other day, right? They want to invite you all to the main house of Gonmudo in the Ganghwan Realm. Looks like they want to host all your party too.
The Ganghwan Realm is a space that exists behind this world, so the entry and exit points weren’t that significant, but passing through the designated Mosan Faction made it easier.
He added with a chuckle that this was definitely not a benefit given freely to just anyone.
I’m jealous. Really jealous. I only just recently got my permission for entry. The master seems to take quite a liking to you all.
That’s an honor. But are you alright? Shouldn’t you still be resting…
Hah, this is nothing. I’m fine, I’m fine.
In response to Ha Seung-hoon’s concern, Mok Ing-gwang shrugged and chuckled.
…
Meanwhile, Zhuge Hye-mi, who had her mood shattered by the sudden intruder, squinted at him, silently fuming.
Being quick-witted, she immediately grasped the situation merely by alternating gazes between the old man shaking his head from a distance and Mok Ing-gwang grinning.
After twitching her lips slightly, she soon approached him with a bright smile.
Mok Great Hero, you still look quite uncomfortable. Let me take a look. I have the power to heal wounds caused by the dragon’s techniques, you know?
…Hmmm? Well, if that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind.
Seeing you so injured after coming this far to help makes me uneasy. Now, come over here.
Well, alright. Then let’s see… Cough!*
His regeneration power, boosted by the holy energy, activated at a level many times greater than usual.
As a result, his entire body shook violently, visibly convulsing at a shocking speed.
Normally, there would have been additional processes to minimize the pain involved— but—
Ah, if I prioritize efficiency over stability, there’s a slight side effect that causes a bit of pain… But you’re a tough man, so it shouldn’t matter right? Just gonna go max output in one go?
Grrr— you little…
With his battered body barely able to stand, he ultimately collapsed to the ground like a bird hit by a slingshot, trembling uncontrollably.
The one guaranteed effect, however, was evident.
Though he could rightly be called human with just a slight mix of demon blood from his ancestors, he was now healing at an abnormal speed.
Tsk, tsk, tsk; I told you to stay down. When will that bad mindset ever change?
Nachalwang, who had been watching from a distance, clicked his tongue softly while stroking his lush beard.
He looked down disapprovingly at his hapless disciple, who was foaming at the mouth.
Hmm, but if he heals this quickly, we can resume training right away. No need to slow down just because he got hurt. Heh heh heh!
Soon after, he nodded, sporting a satisfied grin.
Just so you know.
The Nachal (羅刹), a faction of demons associated with Gonmudo, had once earned a reputation as ‘evil spirits,’ not known for their good temperament.
*
Even though they had safely caught Do-ol and sealed him away, this situation wasn’t completely over.
His sudden actions made it clear that there was still much to be done on Gonmudo’s part.
If you think about it, this was never just a problem concerning humans from the start.
In the first place, harmony was a great enterprise achieved by everyone’s efforts together.
Now that they had just broken ground on the reconstruction of the world, they needed to take proactive measures to prevent any further issues from arising.
Horus has quite a significant voice in Gonmudo, so leveraging that should allow some degree of control over the demons’ actions.
Currently, most of the surviving demons belonged to the largest faction, Gonmudo, but this system wouldn’t last long.
Many of them had, like Do-ol, joined under one roof out of sheer necessity for survival.
With the safety now secured by exterminating the Demon Cult, those who no longer needed to tread carefully would inevitably act on their impulses.
Everyone’s still quite sensitive at the moment. If something major were to occur during this period…
Though various measures were taken to eliminate conflicts, nothing in this world was flawless.
If a trivial conflict reignited sparks of war, things could spiral out of control.
I cannot let that happen. I already have a lot to do moving forward.
The Ganghwan Realm was in the closing stages after the great events had wound down.
With Karma consistently yielding returns toward stabilizing the world, he had no desire to complicate matters due to chaos now.
Thus, Horus, receiving assistance from the other eight dragons, was focused on stabilizing the system so that the unleashed demons wouldn’t run wild.
Despite his busy schedule, he hadn’t shown his face when Ha Seung-hoon and the others were invited to Gonmudo.
After all, one of the parties involved was reading the situation through the eyes of the parties right there in real-time.
Ding!
Certain conditions have been met. The special trait “Pearl of the Golden Dragon” has begun to react!
Ha Seung-hoon, along with the dragon’s child Zhuge Hye-mi and the others, became perplexed as the sudden notification appeared before him.
Huh? All of a sudden?
On the day they visited Gonmudo after achieving the “Last Golden Dragon” achievement, the trait he had completely forgotten about began to reveal itself at last.
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