Chapter 273
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 273.
Asir and his subordinates came here to save Dante.
And though it seemed they had rescued Dante, the one they saved was a fake.
“Have you been well?”
“…….”
The real Dante was hidden behind the wall right behind them. Asir had followed his presence down here.
“Kghh…….”
Dante was in agony.
No matter what interrogation or torture he endured, he had always remained composed—but not now.
He was suffering, tormented, and even afraid.
“You… How did you get that spear?”
Dante’s gaze was fixed on the Dragon Slayer’s Spear in Yoo Baek-jun’s hand.
Of course, this bastard wouldn’t know what had happened in the temple.
“Ah, no! Stay away! This is… even more disgusting than that magic…!”
There are several Dragon spells, but they are nothing more than imitations of the Dragon Slayer’s Spear.
The original ‘Dragon-Slaying’ power lies in this spear.
Everything else merely derives from it.
“Come in.”
Creak—the door opened.
Beyond it, Ho-yeon and the others, along with the mages, entered.
Thud!
“Keugh!”
Yoo Baek-jun drove the Dragon Slayer’s Spear deep into Dante’s solar plexus. His resistance began to weaken.
That was the opportunity.
‘Potion and magic.’
He forced Dante to drink a truth-telling potion and cast a similar spell on him.
Normally, it wouldn’t have worked.
But this time was different.
“Kghak! Ugh, ghhh……!”
Dante’s solar plexus glowed ominously.
The power of the Dragon Slayer’s Spear ravaged his body from within. Naturally, his resistance crumbled as well.
“Hahk, uwaaahk!”
Dante, who had been screaming, suddenly slumped forward like a puppet with its strings cut.
Yoo Baek-jun exchanged glances with Ho-yeon. The latter nodded as if to say it was done.
“Let me ask you one thing, Dante.”
Dante didn’t move. Yoo Baek-jun ignored it and pressed on.
“Who is behind you?”
“…….”
Dante lifted his head with great effort.
His face was twisted in pain from the Dragon Slayer’s Spear, but his eyes flickered with doubt.
“…Behind us?”
“Yes, the mastermind behind the Black Shadows. The Master of your group, and beyond that—the one pulling the strings behind the Evil Dragon.”
“What… nonsense….”
Dante laughed weakly.
“There is no one behind us. We act solely under the will of our Master… and for the sake of a godlike being….”
“A godlike being? The Evil Dragon?”
“…….”
No answer came, but his reaction was practically a confirmation.
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
‘Fool. And you call yourself a direct subordinate.’
Despite being closer to the Evil Dragon than anyone else, he still didn’t know.
‘I wonder what kind of reaction he’d have if he knew the Master and the Evil Dragon are practically the same person.’
The Black Shadows were created by the Evil Dragon.
The Master serves the Evil Dragon and manages the Black Shadows in his stead.
But the truth is different.
‘He’s more like a split body.’
The Evil Dragon, unable to move freely, created the Master by splitting off a part of himself.
Even the direct subordinates don’t know this.
‘And if they find out…’
There are a few advantages.
Yoo Baek-jun studied Dante carefully, then signaled to Ho-yeon.
He nodded.
‘It’s the truth.’
He didn’t seem to be lying. He genuinely didn’t know.
This, in itself, was a problem.
‘Even the direct subordinates don’t know. That means practically no one knows except the Master.’
Yoo Baek-jun frowned.
“You really don’t know? Your group has been collecting sealed artifacts all over the world. There must be a reason.”
“Sealed artifacts?”
Dante looked genuinely clueless.
“I don’t know. Our goal is singular—to bring this world to ruin….”
“So destroying families and organizations across nations is part of that?”
“Yes. They… would only hinder our plans… So we eliminate them in advance… and use them to sow chaos….”
Dante’s breathing grew ragged and Yoo Baek-jun slapped his cheek.
“Every time you did that, you retrieved some kind of item… but what it was—”
“Ghk!”
Dante couldn’t finish.
He curled up, gasping for air like he couldn’t breathe.
Then, moments later—
“Kahak!”
Blood gushed from his mouth.
Thick, black blood spilled out violently, spreading across the ground and forming a small magic circle.
“Family head!”
“Leave it. Let it be.”
He had expected this.
The small magic circle emitted a sinister glow, and Dante let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“Kgh, ugh, uwaaahk!”
Soon, black blood poured from every orifice, and he collapsed.
Ho-yeon and the mages watching were stunned. This was a first even for them.
“…….”
“Hahk!”
Dante, who had slumped over as if dead, suddenly jerked his head up.
His eyes glowed ominously.
A deep, pitch-black.
―It seems you’ve subjected him to quite a harsh interrogation. So, did you get the information you wanted…?
“Hmm, nothing satisfying.”
―Hoho, not even flustered. As if you anticipated this…
Dante—no, the Master of the Black Shadow spoke through him.
―This is… our first meeting. Lord of the Sword Saint Family, Yoo Baek-jun…
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed.
“You must be the Master of the Black Shadow. Too cowardly to show yourself in person?”
―I’m more timid than I look…
“Timid, huh.”
Yoo Baek-jun stomped on the magic circle surrounding Dante.
“So this was your contingency. You never expected it to succeed anyway. You just wasted your subordinate’s life.”
This was a type of magic.
A spell only usable on direct subordinates who have received the Evil Dragon’s essence.
The Master could remotely eliminate them in emergencies.
He held their lives in his hands.
―It’s better to dispose of them before they spill unnecessary information… Normally, I’d handle it myself without casualties.
The Master laughed.
―I wanted to meet you. The one who keeps interfering with us…
“Satisfied?”
―Satisfied? No, more than that…
Dante’s eyes gleamed unnaturally, and his lips twisted.
A mocking smile.
―It’s pitiful and laughable. Like watching an insect at your feet struggle to survive…
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun remained silent.
―We’ve prepared for a long time. In the shadows, in secrecy… Do you really think you alone can stop this?
The Master sneered.
―It’s already too late. All preparations are complete.
Dante’s body began to crumble.
His limbs rotted away, emitting foul smoke.
―You and I will meet again.
The collapsing body hit the ground.
The Master lifted Dante’s decaying head, his shimmering eyes locking onto Yoo Baek-jun.
―I want to see with my own eyes what expression you’ll wear then.
“If you can, try it.”
Yoo Baek-jun crushed his head underfoot.
Squelch!
The liquefied remains splattered everywhere.
He clicked his tongue.
“Annoying bastards.”
But there was a gain.
‘The Evil Dragon event will trigger soon. Within a month, at least…’
Given how confident he was, their preparations must be nearly complete.
Yoo Baek-jun stroked his chin.
‘Then their base’s location must be…’
A faint smirk played on his lips.
“I’ll be busy for a while. Let’s handle the pending tasks first. There’s a lot to clean up.”
“F-Family head?”
Ho-yeon was baffled by Yoo Baek-jun’s nonchalance.
He and the other mages couldn’t even comprehend the situation.
‘Does he have something prepared?’
Ho-yeon sighed.
Come to think of it, there were rumors that Yoo Baek-jun could see the future.
‘Right… he must have already known.’
Though the situation was alarming and seemingly dire,
Yoo Baek-jun would handle it.
‘As expected of the Family head.’
All they had to do was trust and follow.
Ho-yeon resolved himself.
* * *
And the very next day.
Yoo Baek-jun headed toward a high mountain range—a place rarely visited.
The path was treacherous, but
Kyaaaah!
With the Thunderbird, he had no need to walk.
Perched atop the Thunderbird, Yoo Baek-jun closed his eyes, lost in thought.
―Wooow!
―Kyahaahaha!
“Damn pests.”
It wasn’t because he was deep in thought. The surroundings were just too noisy.
Seol-yeong and the World Tree’s fairy were giggling and playing on the Thunderbird’s back.
“Hey! You’ll fall!”
―Hoho, don’t you see my wings? Do I look stupid enough to fall here?
―Kehuhu.
Seol-yeong and the fairy exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed.
―Kyaaahk!
The Thunderbird soon reached its destination.
A towering mountain range—and within it, a cave halfway up a steep cliff.
Yoo Baek-jun dismissed the Thunderbird and stepped inside.
“Hmm, it’s about time…”
The cave was littered with signs of battle.
Monsters, and traces of those who had fought them before.
The trail led to a gate deep within the cave.
Whoosh!
“Perfect timing.”
As expected.
The gate before Yoo Baek-jun began to emit a brilliant light.
Moments later, it opened wide, and people emerged.
“Ugh, I need a bath.”
“…….”
Yoo Jung-yeon, Yoo Min, and the swordsmen following them.
They noticed Yoo Baek-jun’s presence.
“Huh? Why are you here…?”
“You’re late.”
“What?”
Yoo Jung-yeon’s brow twitched.
“The gate was ridiculously hard! And you’re telling me ‘you’re late’ as soon as we get back?”
“…It was tough.”
Yoo Jung-yeon grumbled, and even Yoo Min looked unusually exhausted.
“If it were easy, I’d have sent others. Right?”
“You’re terrible at managing people.”
“Just realizing that now?”
Yoo Baek-jun had sent his beloved sisters, Yoo Min and Yoo Jung-yeon, to conquer the gate.
Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary gate. Otherwise, he’d have sent regular swordsmen.
“Sigh…”
Yoo Jung-yeon exhaled deeply.
“We got the target.”
She gestured behind her.
A swordsman carefully lowered a man he had been carrying onto the ground.
His hair was disheveled, his beard unkempt, and he reeked horribly.
“He’s been lost—no, ‘exploring’ inside the gate for a long time.”
“Hence this state.”
“…He stinks.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
“He used to be so neat when he was in the clan…”
He brushed aside the man’s hair, revealing his filthy face.
Yet, it was vaguely familiar.
Of course it was.
“Baek Jun-kyung.”
Baek Go-woon’s brother.
A man who, unusually for the Sword Saint Family, wielded both a sword and a bow with extraordinary skill.
And—
“If Yoo Tae-rang were alive, he’d have tried to kill him on the spot. Right?”
“Probably. He caused a scene demanding his imprisoned brother’s return.”
A man who considered Yoo Tae-rang his enemy.
Upon realizing Baek Go-woon’s talent, Yoo Tae-rang locked him underground, forcing him to use his talents solely for his benefit.
Baek Jun-kyung rebelled when he found out, but there was nothing he could do.
‘So he swore revenge…’
By luck, he discovered this gate, learned of its immense treasures, and ventured in alone.
That was his downfall.
“…But it seems he got what he wanted. He’s stronger than before.”
“Good to hear.”
Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
“Secure him. Tie him up tightly. He might cause trouble when he wakes.”
“Yes, Family head.”
“What will you do?”
He turned away.
“I’ll reunite him with his little brother.”