The Bandit’s Iron Grip and the Dragon’s Silent Resolve
Tadak tadak. The sound of the fire crackling filled the air.
Juices sizzled as the meat roasted to a perfect golden brown on the flames.
Seated right in front of the fire was Sybel, teeth grinding with quiet fury.
“Udddeuk.”
Jin Chen sat across from him, poking at the meat on his wooden skewer and speaking without looking up. “One more bite and I’ll rip those teeth out myself.”
“Kheuuk… I was careless earlier. If it happens again for real, then—”
“You don’t know what kind of power I used to pierce your heart in the desert?”
Sybel fell silent. He knew better than anyone how wrong that simple energy had been.
A cold smile curled Jin Chen’s lips as he continued. “You don’t think that’s the end of me, do you?”
He wanted to call it nonsense. That sharp thing that had stabbed his chest had been packed with the very breath of nature itself. Like dragon words. A human using a power only dragons were allowed?
Sybel had dismissed it again and again, but the instant he saw the arrogant fool sitting right in front of him, all reason vanished like mist at dawn. Why? Even after eight thousand years of living as a dragon, he still couldn’t understand the creature before him.
The thought settled. Sybel gently pressed his lips together, worried he might bite them again without realizing. If he hadn’t used his polymorph, that human would have killed him for real. The memory of that scarlet energy roaring toward his chest earlier made him sigh in relief. The humiliation stung less this time around. It was only the second time.
Jin Chen chuckled. “Let’s finish what we were talking about first.”
“You said there was nothing to tell me.”
“I only said there was nothing about jiangshi. Nothing else.”
At those words, Sybel’s eyes lit up. “What is it, then?”
“How about getting some booze first?”
“Alright!” Sybel immediately pulled out a bottle and handed it over. Jin Chen, who had tasted the same desert spirits before, gave a satisfied grin. Pop! He popped the seal and took a long, hearty swig. “Kyaaah! This stuff is great!”
“There’s plenty more. Tell me what you know.”
Jin Chen’s calm expression matched Sybel’s own serious one. “In our world, jiangshi are dangerous creatures. Cursed monsters.”
“Same here on the continent. Cursed monsters, undead corpses. There are many kinds, but ones that look exactly like perfect humans like jiangshi… almost none.”
“I heard there are something called death knights from someone.”
“Death knights are hard to make. You have to corrupt the soul of a proud knight. It’s difficult and takes time. But the jiangshi I saw today…”
“They looked like ordinary people?” Jin Chen asked. Sybel slowly nodded. “Exactly. That’s what worries me. It means we can create monsters on the level of death knights using normal people.”
“I was wondering the same thing. In our world, jiangshi aren’t easy to make.”
“Really?”
“There are many kinds of jiangshi, just like undead. From living jiangshi that still breathe to blood jiangshi that suck blood, iron jiangshi with bodies as hard as steel, and explosion jiangshi made for blowing things up. All sorts have existed throughout the history of the Central Plains.”
“So what kind did I see today?”
Jin Chen downed another swig of his drink and spoke with cold eyes. “I don’t know.”
“Hmph.” The atmosphere in the chair room had been different. “You asked how I found the jiangshi, right? Simple. Just lucky.”
“Luck?”
“Yeah. I went into an inn to eat when I bumped into someone. But… the force that pushed me back was different from the backlash of living people. It was like the thugs I’d killed right before I crossed over.”
“So you followed them?”
“Exactly. While I was tailing them secretly, they said something. They were supposed to be working on an orc crew, and black-haired bandits had taken over the spot. The others went to check it out.”
“So that’s how you suddenly showed up looking for me.”
“I’m the fastest way to reach you.”
Sybel nodded silently. Jin Chen picked up a perfectly cooked skewer. “The jiangshi I fought today were iron-type and explosion-type. The last one I took down was exactly like that.”
“What does that mean?”
“One of the guys I was following said something while we were talking. He mentioned black-haired people like me.”
“You mean the last one I fought?”
“I’ll have to confirm, but… my guess is yes.”
Jin Chen ripped into the skewer and kept talking. “If we both got caught in the explosion, we couldn’t have both crossed over to this world, right?”
Sybel frowned, then pulled a fancy bottle from his spatial pocket and took a rough swig. “I’ll have to check, but the people who crossed over from your world probably made a deal with black mages.”
“So that’s why we saw a jiangshi we’d never heard of before?”
“It’s not confirmed yet.”
“Then confirm it and tell me. I’ll only protect the Dragon Mountain Range for the first contract.”
Sybel looked surprised. “I don’t understand. If you fell here fighting at the end, why are you so calm? No grudges or anger?”
“There’s more of that guy than me when it comes to grudges.”
“What?”
“I dug a huge pit for him on a rainy day until the dust flew.”
When Sybel gave a blank look, Jin Chen relaxed his shoulders. “Yeah, I really pounded him without holding back. Turns out the Tri-King thing isn’t all talk. My hands felt great.”
“Y-your hands?”
“Just thinking about it now, my body feels a little sore. How about another round?”
Crazy bastard. Sybel muttered to himself and glanced away from Jin Chen. He took another sip of his drink and chewed on the side dish. “You bastard, shut up.”
Sybel suddenly slammed the bottle he was drinking from onto the ground. It wasn’t his pride that was hurt. He was shocked at how completely unbothered that insane remark made the man feel. Me? What have I become? The dragon’s pride and dignity had completely collapsed. While Sybel was drowning in self-loathing, someone approached. “Lord Chaeju, I brought them.” Bbakbbaki. In his hand he held the back of the leader. “Throw them over there and handle it.” “Can’t I come too?” “Why? Are you angry?” Bbakbbaki’s mouth stayed shut. It was clear he still remembered the humiliation at the hands of this leader. “Do as you please.” “Thank you.” “Thank you, but first—” Jin Chen stared coldly at the leader. The face that glared back as if he wanted to kill him even after his blood points had been pressed. “Close those eyes first.” “Yes, Lord Chaeju.” Bbakbbaki stepped up to the leader and pressed his blood points at terrifying speed. Puk puk puk! His fingers drilled into the body with such force the sound was eerie. A moment later, Bbakbbaki wiped his hands and stepped back. “Kuuuuuuuugh!” The leader’s body jerked violently, then twisted in a grotesque way. “Kuaaaaaaaaah!” Udddeuk. The sound of bones snapping echoed through space. No one reacted to it. Jin Chen and Bbakbbaki watched with familiarity, while Sybel looked at it with curious eyes. Only one person was dying. The leader. In the end, the agony of his bones shattering into pieces made the leader scream in desperation. “P-please stop, m-mas-ter!” “Whether I stop is for me to decide.” “Kuaaah! I’ll say anything! Please!” “You don’t have much backbone. You just surrendered after taking one of those. Bbakbbaki, shut your mouth.” “Yes, Lord Chaeju.” When Bbakbbaki pressed the leader’s blood points again, the screaming stopped. The body still struggled, but— “You want some too?” “No thanks.” When Bbakbbaki sat down, Jin Chen looked at Sybel. What are you doing? Pour the drink. Sybel endured a pained sound and opened his spatial pocket to pull out a bottle. The cheap stuff Jin Chen liked. Bbakbbaki took the drink and gulped it down. “Kheuuk.” “How is it? Not bad?” “It’s a taste that reminds me of Hwa-ju.” “We need to bring in a lot more of this stuff.” Sybel sighed heavily when Jin Chen said that. “I don’t have enough to eat and die from.” “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said all day.” “Huu, but will that guy keep talking like this? It’d be better to bring the dark elf I caught first, right?” “I heard elves have different blood points. That’s why I picked him. And… he has other business, so no.” “Other business?” “Yeah. Anyway, let’s all have a drink.” Everyone gulped down their drinks in response to Jin Chen’s words. Then they tore into the meat on the fire like real tourists. How many rounds of drinks passed? Jin Chen pulled at his skewer. “Now loosen up and tell me what you’re saying.” “Yes, Lord Chaeju.” When Bbakbbaki rose and released the blood points, the leader spoke with snot and tears streaming down his face. “A-anything! Please, ask me anything!” “No matter how different the dimensions, the Bone-Fracturing Muscle-Displacing Art is still truth.” Jin Chen smirked and crouched in front of the leader. “I hate trouble. So… before I ask, spill everything you know.” The leader’s eyes twitched violently. “Nothing to say? Then I’ll ask again later.” “W-wait!” The leader cried desperately. One of the bandits rushed over quickly and stopped in front of Jin Chen. “Lord Chaeju, the dark elf we caught is gone.”