EP6. Amusement Park
Green Swallord fixed Jae-jun with a serious gaze.
"I'm saying this one more time, but you absolutely cannot breathe a word of this to anyone.
"This isn't just about your pathetic life."
"I got it, so just spit it out already."
Green Swallord glanced around nervously once more before leaning in close, right up to Jae-jun's face.
He shot Jae-jun a displeased glare, then finally spoke.
"Red Dragons gain the ability to open gates that let them travel between dimensions once they reach adulthood."
"Travel between dimensions?"
"That's right.
"That's why Red Dragons were active in the demon world, the human world, and even the heavenly realm."
"Then why couldn't the dragons who were banished to other dimensions come back?"
Green Swallord's face twisted in fury, as if Jae-jun had touched a raw nerve.
"That's because...
"The one who betrayed us—Barak—was a Red Dragon."
"What?"
What followed from Green Swallord's mouth sounded like something out of ancient myth.
Red Dragons, said to be the strongest among dragons, were few in number.
Barak, the leader of the Red Dragons at the time, banished all dragons to other dimensions right before the great battle with the Demon Kings.
And to ensure none could return, he didn't forget to slaughter every last Red Dragon who remained.
"And then Barak gained the power of the Demon Kings and became a demon himself.
"Shedding his dragon skin in the process."
"Hmm.
"If all the dragons are trapped in other dimensions, how did you survive?"
"How did I survive?"
Green Swallord sneered at Jae-jun.
"Don't tell me you don't know why I'm in the God's Arena?"
Jae-jun tilted his head.
"You idiot.
"I'm a god too.
"Or rather, I was a god.
"The god of dragons.
"I lost my divinity, became a dragon, and was imprisoned, waiting only for the day I'd fade away.
"Until your Red Dragon reappeared!"
Fierce light poured from Green Swallord's eyes.
"But now, there's a way to restore my great kin!"
'Ugh.'
Jae-jun's body shuddered involuntarily at the mad excitement radiating from Green Swallord.
"So hand over the Red Dragon to me, now!
"If even a Demon King finds out about this, the human world will be in the gravest danger!"
"...I can't do that."
"You stupid human! Have you heard nothing I've said?!"
Jae-jun shook his head.
"Listen carefully.
"First off, even if I wanted to, I couldn't.
"Hestia is my summon.
"Second, I have zero intention of handing my summon over to anyone.
"I'll protect Hestia myself.
"Demon King or whoever—anyone who gets greedy, I'll just cut them all down."
"...You fool."
Jae-jun had expected a tantrum, but surprisingly, the dragon stayed calm.
Then, a familiar chime rang in his head.
Help Green Swallord Revive the Dragon Clan!
📍 Description: Due to Barak's betrayal, all dragons are trapped in other dimensions.
📍 Help Green Swallord bring the entire dragon clan back to this dimension!
Reward: Dragon's Absolute Allegiance
Failure: Hestia's Death
'Sigh.'
The penalty was way too harsh compared to the reward again.
If failure meant Hestia's death, how could he not do it?
"Then first, we need to get the dragon to adulthood as fast as possible."
"...That means feeding her magical cores."
"Magical cores?"
Green Swallord looked around, then nodded.
"Typical for this primitive human world—mana is sorely lacking here.
"Even with your freakish amount of mana, it'll take time to gather enough for adulthood.
"Feeding her high-concentration magical cores is one viable method.
"Keep it up from now on."
"Got it."
Green Swallord eyed Jae-jun's expression closely, then sighed.
"Judging by your face, you don't have jack squat for cores. Next time you come to the arena, I'll hook you up."
Jae-jun nodded.
Green Swallord suddenly froze, then spoke again.
"...Hoo.
"Time for me to go.
"Protect the Red Dragon... Hestia, until she reaches adulthood.
"Once she does, not even a Demon King will dare touch her."
With a complicated look at Jae-jun, Green Swallord vanished without waiting for a reply.
'Sigh. What a mess.'
Only then did Jae-jun flop onto his bed.
Hestia in the sub-space right now must have heard everything, right?
Wonder what she's thinking.
Jae-jun spaced out for a bit, then remembered the memory orb he'd completely forgotten about and pulled it out.
Would you like to use the Orb Containing Erased Memories?
'Yeah. Use it.'
Using the Orb Containing Erased Memories.
Jae-jun nodded, his face slightly fatigued.
Dull gray smoke billowed from the memory orb, swirling around Jae-jun like it was alive before slipping into his nose and mouth.
Cough! Cough!
A acrid sting pierced his throat and nose.
Smoke filled his vision, blinding him completely.
When it finally cleared, Jae-jun was no longer in his room.
"Where is this?"
It was a cell-like room in the arena.
And right before Jae-jun's eyes, Lucifer and Jae-jun were in the middle of a conversation.
It felt like watching an old black-and-white film.
"Your mana is constantly flowing into the human world.
That's why gates are popping up more frequently, and it's making it easier for beings from other dimensions to enter.
With a body suited to the human world, even a Demon King could manifest without much trouble."
This was...
Something Lucifer had said.
He'd claimed Jae-jun's mana was causing more gates.
And about the body needed for a Demon King to manifest.
"What do you mean by a suitable body?"
The Jae-jun on screen asked Lucifer.
"A body that can withstand a Demon King's immense power.
An S-rank by your standards—or something beyond—would suffice."
Everything up to here matched Jae-jun's memories perfectly.
But...
Something had been nagging at him from the start.
Lucifer's eyes.
'Did they always glow like that?'
Lucifer was peering into Jae-jun's eyes with an intensity that felt excessive.
"...Gather the soul fragments as quickly as possible and grow stronger.
That's the only way to prepare for the Demon Kings to come."
That's when Jae-jun's state on screen grew strange.
He stared blankly into space, like he was hypnotized.
"Was I like this?"
This was it.
From here on, these were memories Jae-jun didn't know.
"Hmm.
Still no authority acquired, it seems."
Lucifer placed a hand on Jae-jun's head.
"Let's peek into this one's memories."
Jae-jun blinked, his body trembling.
Lucifer rummaged through Jae-jun's mind for a while, extracting information.
Finally removing his hand, Lucifer looked disappointed.
"Still too weak.
Even if I took this body, he couldn't win the arena.
The fragment needs to grow larger."
Jae-jun was still out of it.
"Next time, absorb the smallest fragment in Munmu King's Tomb and come back. Then I'll take the body."
Lucifer smacked his lips regretfully.
Then he peered at Jae-jun again with gleaming eyes.
Only then did Jae-jun snap out of it and look at Lucifer.
"Hurry and get out there.
The match is about to start."
As Jae-jun stood, the background faded like smoke, returning to his room.
'...So Lucifer was after my body.'
Making him gather the god fragments was all to obtain a strengthened vessel.
Suddenly, a chime rang in Jae-jun's head.
You can immediately join the Arena.
Would you like to join the Arena?
'What?'
Lucifer was calling him!
Chills ran down Jae-jun's spine.
This was no coincidence.
He must have sensed Jae-jun recovering the lost memory and was summoning him back to the arena.
'Damn it.'
Should he accept or decline?
After agonizing, Jae-jun hit decline.
If there was even the slightest risk, he had no intention of going to the arena.
That night, swirling thoughts kept Jae-jun up until dawn.
As morning broke, he got up, washed, and prepared to head out.
"Oppa, where are you going?"
Hye-seon, who had just stepped out, rubbed her eyes and asked.
"To the Hunter Association."
"For real?
"Should I not make breakfast then?"
"Yeah.
"Sleep more."
Hye-seon went back inside.
The moment Jae-jun stepped outside, he hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Hunter Association.