Chapter 50. Mind Dragon Uldran
After dumping a total of 60 Strength stats into Philip, he suddenly cried out in agony and collapsed on the spot.
"Gah! Kugh!!"
Just like when Kim Jeonghyeon had been hit with a shout from Han, Philip couldn't even breathe.
What the hell? A side effect?
He wanted to quickly open his inventory and tell Nus to stick to him, but this wasn't a tower or dungeon, so that wasn't an option.
The moment he activated Attribute Domination to at least check his status however he could.
Who are you?
Thud.
A massive reverberation shook through Jeonghyeon's mind, causing him to lose his balance for a moment. Blood poured from his nose as he dropped to his knees.
Above the fallen Philip, some kind of presence manifested.
"Kh...!"
An overwhelming pressure that robbed him even of the ability to scream. The mana surging within that voice. Only someone capable of unleashing a shout at this level could...
Jeonghyeon sensed it instinctively.
"Uld...ran...!"
Who dares pour such profane power into my seed?
"Shit...!"
Uldran's voice pounded syllable by syllable into Jeonghyeon's skull, making him feel like he'd forget his own words.
I watched silently as your path crossed my seed's. Do you intend to corrupt and rot it away?
Answer me. Are you a descendant of the Demon King?
Or a dragon?
"...!"
At least let me answer, you bastard!
He desperately wanted to shout it, but Jeonghyeon felt like he was trapped in a centrifuge, his mind spinning in chaos. He couldn't even open his mouth.
"Kugh...!"
Philip, passed out on the ground, was in the same state.
If things continued like this, Philip might lose his life.
Uldran was the type to choose a righteous death over injustice. If he became convinced Philip had strayed, he might sacrifice him without hesitation.
He had to somehow sway Uldran's mind.
"I... need... to meet Malekith...!"
...
"You can see it for yourself... My power...! Ngh! I can't grow it alone."
Even under pressure that blurred his vision, Jeonghyeon forced himself to his feet, kicking off the ground.
All while activating his Demon King's Eye and hitting himself with maximum shout power.
...
Uldran offered no further response.
"You know it. What's beyond Afraksas. Why you dragons have to fight the Demon King through awakeners."
Words Jeonghyeon had never uttered to any other awakener spilled from his lips.
How do you know that...?
"We have to go to Afraksas. I can't fulfill what you want, but I can guide you to it."
Jeonghyeon reached out toward the invisible void.
"Just to Afraksas."
But there is a condition.
"What is it?"
His mana was starting to run dry; the crushing pain around his heart returned.
Damn, even if it's just a voice for a moment... Dragons are dragons, huh.
Such rapid mana drain.
Beyond Afraksas, I have another awakener.
"...Already?"
You pretend to know the past, yet you don't know that? It's in six months.
Uldran's presence faded slightly, drawing closer to Jeonghyeon instead.
Something denser approached, until a pair of deep gray-brown eyes materialized in the air.
Vertical slits longer than Jeonghyeon was tall—an enormous eye.
In six months, a war will erupt in Afraksas. Stop it. Using my awakener. I'll support you until then. After that...
You'll have to prove your own worth.
Clang!
Like shattering glass cleaving the air, Jeonghyeon's mana returned, and the valve choking his breath burst open.
"Hah! Heuk!"
Philip could breathe again too.
"Kuhak! Heuk! Hah! What...!"
Like a man revived from death, Philip spasmed to his feet.
And above Philip's head, status windows scrolled up.
Strength stats distributed to subordinate.
High Strength affinity class. Efficiency increased.
Additional stats rising.
Philip Park
Strength: 49 → 112
Agility: 41 → 64
Intelligence: 35 → 45
"Ugh... Feels like I got unhealthily healthy somehow...!"
Philip shook his head like he was reeling from aftershocks as he stood. True to his words, his face looked like he was on death's door, but his body had bulked up even more.
His once purely muscular frame now layered with a bit of fat for explosive power. His shoulders had broadened further—to the point where no ordinary shield could cover them.
"You've made me even stronger!!"
Philip rushed toward Jeonghyeon with thanks.
But his stumbling gait from the earlier effect looked even more grotesque than before.
"You've gotten even creepier."
Jeonghyeon naturally sidestepped the approach.
"Ugh!"
As Philip comically face-planted and Jeonghyeon chuckled, a massive piece of information signaling a new direction materialized before his eyes.
You receive the blessing of Oracle Uldran.
You can now undertake subordinate Philip's quests together.
Mutual communication with Uldran is now possible.
This is insane. No way.
Receiving a dragon's blessing was tantamount to becoming Uldran's awakener.
Was this even possible? If he succeeded in dominating Han Serin, he might even get Solgaleh's blessing.
Moreover, aside from Jeonghyeon's basic quests, the Demon King system likely hadn't accounted for a dragon's blessing.
It marked the start of a new phase in his journey toward the Demon King.
***
"There. This should do it."
In just a few days, the younger Wakin sister had whipped up custom armor for Jeonghyeon and Philip.
"I used graphene, the material with the best mana absorption. What it does is..."
"Yeah, got it. Thanks."
He'd never understand the explanation anyway. If those science nerd sisters got excited, they'd ramble on about engineering for hours. Jeonghyeon took the armor immediately.
His was lighter than light plate, basically casual clothes minus the shoulder pauldrons.
"Shoes too. They'll boost your mobility."
"Thanks. Graphene too, right? Super high-end. Got it."
"Yes! Appreciating it makes it all worth it!!"
No problem.
The armor was light, the shoes nearly weightless. Perfect for Jeonghyeon, who needed to dart across the battlefield without hindrance.
"Defense is lower than Philip's, but it'll work."
"Mine looks way cooler."
Philip was already smitten with the design. His armor looked crude but optimized for movement, with mechanical elements. Devices supported actions here and there—especially boosters between shoulder and armpit for lifting and swinging his mace.
"If we had mana stones, we could link them with mana circuits. Shame."
Philip suited up while the younger sister spoke. She'd said the add-ons increased weight, but with the Strength stats from Jeonghyeon, it was negligible.
"This is plenty! Thank you! These help swing the mace easier, right?"
The younger Wakin tilted her head in confusion.
"No? Not quite."
"Pardon?"
"I watched your fights. You gather max power for big hits. Lift the mace."
Whoosh.
He lifted it casually, as usual.
"Now punch your chest."
Philip thumped his chest with his fist.
Thud.
Devices from chest to back to shoulders activated in unison, locking with a click between shoulder and armpit.
"Oh. Feels loaded."
"Yeah. Ever compressed a long spring hard?"
"Sure."
"What happens when you release?"
"Pwing! It snaps back."
"Right. Now lift the mace."
Philip nodded and hoisted it—suddenly far heavier, straining his arm upward.
"Hup...!"
Not impossible, but under heavy load, he managed vertical.
"That's max compression. Don't swing—relax your strength."
"Yes!"
Philip relaxed, arm drifting forward naturally.
Kiiing—!!!
The unlocked mechanism spat sparks and smoke...
BOOM!!!
Just releasing arm power gouged the floor deep.
"Oh...!"
"Holy shit."
Jeonghyeon cursed involuntarily. Matching an awakener's power with human tech like this?
"Wait till mana stone weapons are ready."
Now the older sister chimed in excitedly.
"Why?"
"Right now it's mechanical, but mana stone gear will run on mana power."
Mana stone weapons and armor.
Give that to Philip first.
Damn, you scared me! Don't just butt in with your voice anytime!
Uldran's voice echoed in Jeonghyeon's mind as he admired alone. He'd been watching them—and now coveted it.
I'd love to, of course, but...
This was uncharted even from his past life, so he was excited but tempered his hype.
"You look thrilled. Can't hide that grin."
"Smiling big and quiet. First time seeing this."
Of course, everyone else had clocked the joy on his face.
"Alright, then..."
Dungeons cleared. Solid armor acquired. And a dragon's blessing from Uldran no less.
Now, just blitz the tower at breakneck speed to Afraksas. That was it.
"Time to climb the tower again."
Jeonghyeon grinned, and Philip matched it.
"Sounds good!"
***
A week passed.
Jeonghyeon honed his Insight skill and raised his Dissection Swordsmanship rank.
Philip adapted to his boosted Strength and armor, steadily fulfilling his role as first comrade.
"Uhahaha! Kneel before Duke Nus, you inferiors!!"
Nus had fully sided with Jeonghyeon, sweeping through his former monster allies.
"Don't just strip mana stones from the corpses, you prick!"
Though "sweeping" was over the dead.
Can't you do something about that irreverent thing? Even keeping a familiar like that...
I didn't ask for it.
Hah.
Jeonghyeon sighed.
Our synergy's great... Pretty OP party, really...
A dragon's blessing, a warrior rivaling S-rank, the ultimate ethereal slime, and a regressed Demon King candidate.
Sounds epic on paper, but...
"Uhahaha! Jeonghyeon! Check this out!!"
"That's nothing! Dumb human. More coming from behind!"
That one's just looting mana stones again. Won't shape up?
"Ah. Total chaos."
His head throbbed from the noisy crew.
This top-clearing speed was first-rate, chaotic multinational(?) party blasting past floor 19 to the mandatory 20th for mana cores.
"Finally here."
The floor packed with his worst memory—the first he wanted to erase.
The chimera floor.