Chapter 119. The Real Hain (1)
“Gaaah!! Guh...!”
“Hey, wrap it up quick!”
Nus, who was nearby, swiftly enveloped the zombie.
The zombie, screaming in agony, barely managed to hold its form thanks to Nus’s help.
“Grab my hand, ma’am.”
Philip hurriedly extended his hand to Hain, having grasped the situation through shared consciousness. With help from Philip and Jeonghu, the ‘teacher’—the real Hain—finally rose unsteadily to her feet.
Jeonghyeon clung to his fraying mind, barely keeping it together, and reached out toward the ‘fake’ Hain. The power of the Frost Dragon Hila, absorbed from that imposter’s mental world, surged once more from his hand.
It was clumsy, but the unmistakable force of the Frost Dragon Hila writhed to life.
[Recruit Hain Al Gul as my ally]
Reward: Next main quest. Undead Lord title, Demon King Shop unlocked, Demon King Shop limit expanded, Presence as Demon King, Afraksas Southwest territorialized.
[Kill Hain Al Gul]
Reward: Next main quest. Lord of Eternal Oblivion title, Demon King Shop unlocked, Demon King Shop limit expanded, Presence as Demon King.
“Eek...! You insolent fools!”
The undead Hain tried to spew poison mist again, but
“Not on my watch.”
Garibaldi extended burning chains from his hand.
The mana-forged chains wrapped around Hain in an instant, pinning her firmly to the ground.
Whoosh!
“Kuh!”
The flames of the Flame Dragon Ignirn devoured the poison the moment it rose. Bound tight and unable to move, Hain shrieked in frustration.
Jeonghyeon approached her slowly.
“You’re a slave with no name, no origins.”
“...”
“You go around calling yourself Hain Al Gul, but you’re just borrowing the name, right?”
“...So what?”
Hain scowled deeply at Jeonghyeon’s words.
“That’s all I needed.”
Jeonghyeon’s face lit up with satisfaction. Beyond her venomous glare, puzzled by his words, the status window overlapped in his vision.
All the riddles had unraveled.
This bastard’s a real piece of shit, huh?
In the previous timeline, she’d borrowed the real Hain Al Gul’s name to commit all sorts of atrocities. And without Uldran’s power, he wouldn’t have understood the real Hain’s zombie speech—even if they’d crossed paths by chance, he’d have just killed her.
“Hain.”
“...Yes!”
The zombie responded to Jeonghyeon’s call.
“Become my subordinate.”
“...Pardon?”
“I’ll take you in and recover the comrades you lost to this damned undead. Then we’ll fight together.”
Jeonghyeon ground his teeth.
“Until we kill the Demon King who fucked everything up.”
“...Understood! I only wish for a peaceful death for my humans!”
The real Hain nodded and accepted Jeonghyeon’s mana.
Attribute Domination: Protected Mage Hain Al Gul?
Jeonghyeon answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
At that moment, the status window appeared.
Rank: Protected Mage
Command Rank: Subordinate Rank
Awakener: Frost Dragon Hila
Awakener Status: Friendly, Undead
Main Weapon: None
Suitable Weapons: None
Current Skills: ???
Potential: ???
Utility: ???
Loyalty: Loyalty Level 2/10
Hain’s status window popped up before Jeonghyeon’s eyes.
Will you claim your rewards?
Quest clear notifications flooded in.
Rewards later.
Jeonghyeon dismissed the windows.
“I won’t let it end like this! They’re my children! Everyone will behold my beauty! Everyone will get an equal death! I came to grant it to you!!”
The fake Hain thrashed wildly in Ignirn’s flames, her body twisting. Dark mana churned in response to her frenzy.
“Tch.”
“C-careful, sir!”
The group sensed the shift and tensed up.
The endless undead horde rose once more, wearying beyond measure.
Even the chimera failures the fake Hain had created as Undead Archduke slithered up from the castle’s depths.
From horse-shaped chimeras to grotesque early manticores, medusas, amalgamations of death worms and death knights—every last one.
Releasing even the ‘failures’ she’d hidden away meant this was truly the end.
“Take them out.”
“Leave it to me!”
“Got it!”
Philip and Jeonghu stepped forward at Jeonghyeon’s command.
Bam!
Krunch!
“Noooo!!!”
Crunch. Boom!
“Please...! My children!! Save me!”
But her pleas reached no one.
Then, the real Hain spoke.
“Kuwa. (Wall of Life.)”
The moment she became Jeonghyeon’s subordinate, the real Hain felt power overflowing her body.
She pressed her hands together, and the fake’s magic circle vanished without a trace. A pure white magic circle etched itself onto the fake Hain’s body like a tattoo.
“Argh... Aaaaah!!!”
The fake Hain’s agonized screams shifted from human to monstrous howls.
Fwoosh-!
Frost Dragon Hila’s pure white mana circles began engraving across the fake’s entire body. The poison she spewed in defiance crumbled powerless before Hila’s might.
Grraaah...
Now fully subdued.
“Can I kill her now?”
“Yes.”
The real Hain nodded, and Jeonghyeon raised his sword.
“Die. It was a pain dealing with you. Our bad blood ends here.”
Better to end it quicker than expected.
With that thought, Jeonghyeon plunged Blood Dissector into the fake Hain’s neck.
Kraaak!
Thus, the fake Hain—the demonic archduke and Undead Lord who shook the world in the previous timeline—perished at Jeonghyeon’s hands without fanfare.
It was faster than anticipated: the first legion commander down.
As everyone relaxed...
Crackle-!
Hain’s body began rumbling like a erupting volcano.
“...It’s gonna blow!”
Jeonghyeon shouted urgently.
The unstable mana vortex churning within resembled the one from fusing Ignirn and the Demon King’s mana before.
This was self-destruction, no doubt.
The backlash from forcibly twisting Frost Dragon power into undead creation was manifesting now.
Jeonghyeon tried to flee with the group, but he was a step too late.
Ruuuumble-!!!
A colossal mana vortex erupted.
BOOM-!!!
High above the crimson sky.
Jeonghyeon’s group—and even the real Hain—floated in the air.
“Wh-what is this?”
A haughty voice reached the bewildered group.
“Hmph. See? I told you listening to undead is dangerous.”
It was Junseok who had lifted them high into the sky.
Watching from afar, he’d emerged from the winds to pull them safely above the explosion.
Tsundere to the end, still grumbling.
“You’ve been... hiding in the wind this whole time?”
“What, you knew? Of course I waited, knowing shit would hit the fan.”
“Uh... yeah, I knew. Had faith in you.”
Of course he hadn’t known.
He’d thought Junseok had gone off hunting somewhere.
Actually... I forgot for a sec in the heat of it...
But as Jeonghyeon played it off, Nus popped out from behind.
“You fucking asshole! If you were there, why not help? Know how fucked we were? Useless piece of shit!”
Nus smacked the back of Junseok’s head—hard enough to echo.
“Ow! What! You’re alive thanks to me, ain’t ya?!”
Jeonghyeon smiled, tension easing.
The free, exhilarating blue skies contrasted with this blood-red expanse, oddly soothing.
“Yeah. That’s what matters.”
Whew, finally over.
No one hurt. Good enough.
“That’s all that counts.”
Descending from the sky to the old Andellia Kingdom ruins, Jeonghyeon claimed the quest rewards during a brief rest.
[Recruit Hain Al Gul as my ally]
The real Hain Al Gul joins as your ally.
One path chosen amid many branches.
Rewards fitting for recruiting Hain Al Gul poured in.
Undead Lord
Understand the language of the undead. Subordinates at Domination Level 4+ comprehend undead speech. Undead do not attack the title holder first.
Holds dominion over undead monsters.
“Ho. Pretty generous, huh?”
He could feel Malekith’s position slipping away to him.
The Undead Lord title was originally meant for Malekith.
In other words, Jeonghyeon could now command all undead in Afraksas.
Subordinates receive Kin of the Newborn Demon King → Kin of the Undead Lord.
Domination efficiency rises. Affinity with undead increases.
This effect extended to dominated subordinates like Philip, Jeonghu, and now Hain.
Not just them—the forty-odd subordinate hunters from the west, once they crossed to Afraksas, would form solid strength.
A human-undead alliance army.
Something worth living twice for.
But not all good.
Exerts clear presence as Demon King. Other Demon Kings recognize you. Dragons recognize you.
Other Demon Kings and dragons recognizing Jeonghyeon meant big events ahead.
Like Elkalabi—attacks could come anytime.
To dragons, he was no different from a Demon King now.
This was the crowning reward.
All the undead once controlled by (fake) Hain here could now be his allies.
The Dominator’s Circlet reacted accordingly.
I can sense the undead nearby.
Jeonghyeon scrolled through the windows, then gestured.
Calling all undead to gather.
At his command, hordes shambled from forests, mountains, fields, and the castle.
“Wh-what...? Enemies?!”
Garibaldi and Junseok gripped weapons tensely—yep, proper undead.
“My subordinates. No need to fight.”
Jeonghyeon waved them off—return.
The undead dispersed back to their places.
“In-incredible.”
Garibaldi and Junseok awkwardly lowered weapons, sheepish.
“As expected of Sir Jeonghyeon!”
Philip’s over-the-top reaction drew a pleased smile from Jeonghyeon as he checked the next rewards.
Next: main quest and Demon King Shop unlock.
Demon King Shop, huh. Wonder what’s in it.
Malekith’s shop usually offered useful stuff—not just pranks.
Stats to boost subordinates, even language skills.
This Hain quest was tough, so expectations were high.
Demon King Shop limit expanded.
Demon King Shop reorganizing. Tailored shop for your level and path coming soon.
Look forward to it~! It’s a gift for you! Took effort setting paths~ -by. Your pal Malekith
“Fucking lunatic.”
As expected, no freebies from that prick.
Jeonghyeon promptly opened the next main quest.
Demon King of Humanity? Or...
...What? That’s it?
No details, no choices, not even hints or explanations.
“Unbelievable.”
Jeonghyeon chuckled dryly and closed the window.
“Demon King of Humanity” and “Or...” lingered, but he dismissed it. It’d come naturally when the time was right.
Vrrr-!
A familiar vibration—Horakti had come for Jeonghyeon.
“You... really resolved it.”
“Told you. Leave it to me. How’re the beastkin, Horakti?”
Having allied with the Undead Lord Hain on a whim, Jeonghyeon faced the surprised Demon King ally Horakti.