Chapter 309
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 309.
In a dimension separate from Earth, there existed a space where only thick darkness prevailed. Within it lay a vast continent.
Once, a civilization had thrived here, but now it lay in ruins. Once, living creatures had inhabited it, but now all were dead.
It was an utterly desolate land.
“…….”
The continent’s ground was littered with corpses.
Not human. Not beasts. Not monsters.
They were the corpses of dragons.
—Kiiiaaaaaa!
—Krrruuuu……
The corpses emitted voices thick with resentment and hatred.
The souls trapped here for so long, unable to leave, groaned in agony.
Pale spirits drifted aimlessly across the barren sky of the continent.
“What a lonely place.”
Amidst it all stood a temple.
Or rather, the remnants of what had once been a temple.
The structure itself had long since crumbled, leaving only the foundation behind—a desolate sight.
A lone figure standing there surveyed the surroundings and muttered softly.
Whoosh!
In this forsaken place where only darkness remained, bursts of inky black light erupted repeatedly.
Then, from the temple’s ruins, several stone monuments shot up like gravestones.
The monuments glowed in unison, each reflecting the visage of a different dragonkin.
—Master.
—Everyone has gathered.
The figure, observing the desolate scenery, slowly turned its gaze toward the monuments.
“The numbers have dwindled significantly.”
—We are ashamed.
—Isn’t this what you wanted, Master?
—Watch your tongue, Bertern…!
One of the monuments retorted mockingly, and another growled in response.
Yet, the mouth did not close.
—You never cared who among the executives died. You just sat here and watched, didn’t you?
—Bertern! Do you have a death wish?
—Ha! If you can kill me, then try! Even if it’s just to speak for our comrades who died in vain, I will say this!
An argument erupted between the two executives.
The number of Black Shadow’s executives had been nearly halved. Most of them had fallen at the hands of a single man.
—Yoo Baek-jun! That brat from the Sword Saint’s family has been slaughtering our kin. I told you—we had to act! Master, is this the outcome you wanted?
The monument called Bertern openly seethed with rage.
After Dante’s death, Yoo Baek-jun had relentlessly hunted down Black Shadow’s executives.
Though they had prepared countermeasures, Yoo Baek-jun dismantled every single one—as if he had known them all in advance.
—What of Him? The Evil Dragon! I’ve never even seen His form! Master! You said the preparations for His descent were complete!
Bertern shouted.
—Answer me, Master!
“Bertern.”
The Master slowly turned his head.
Beneath the hood, his eyes glowed a sinister red.
A malevolent energy radiated from him.
“Do you doubt me?”
—……!
The dragonkin, including Bertern, were not physically present in this dimension.
They were on Earth—yet even so, they felt the overwhelming pressure.
A crushing sensation.
Bertern, who had been roaring moments ago, fell silent.
“It is good to mourn the deaths of others. But do not drown in that grief. There is no need.”
—What do you… mean?
“Once everything is over, I will resurrect those who sacrificed themselves for our grand cause.”
—Is that… His word?
The Evil Dragon.
The Master smiled wordlessly.
“The same applies to you. So, worry not. Your desires will be fulfilled, and your sacrifices will be rewarded……”
Silence lingered.
The Master slowly turned his back.
“Now, executives of Black Shadow—report. How well have you carried out the tasks I entrusted to you?”
—W-We’ve retrieved the sealed artifacts you spoke of. Though a few remain missing, it won’t hinder the plan.
—The Sword Saint’s family has calmed the other families and guilds thrown into chaos. Several executives died in the process, but you said that wouldn’t be a problem…
At first, the executives hesitated, but soon, they reported without restraint.
“Excellent. If the sealed artifacts have been recovered, that is enough.”
—May I ask one thing? What are those artifacts… for? Are they for Him?
—Master. Hasn’t the Evil Dragon already completed His preparations for descent?
The Master nodded.
Even the executives did not know the purpose of the artifacts they had gathered.
Because he had never told them.
Sealed artifacts unrelated to the Evil Dragon—what were they really for?
“…You will know soon. You two—prepare the ritual as I instructed, for when the Evil Dragon descends.”
—Understood.
The Master had ordered them to use these artifacts to prepare a release ritual.
Though they did not know what it was, the ritual was meant to free something—or someone—suppressed by these artifacts into the world.
—Then, all preparations are complete.
Bertern spoke.
—The only loose end is that brat from the Sword Saint’s family. He’s been interfering relentlessly.
—But he doesn’t know exactly what we’re preparing. He seems to be targeting our executives to extract information.
—If it were just Dante, maybe… but Fellia’s death… He doesn’t seem like an opponent to take lightly.
Even among the dragonkin, Fellia had lived for centuries—the closest to a true dragon.
Yet she, too, had fallen to him.
“It doesn’t matter.”
The Master said.
The finer details of the plan were unknown even to the executives. Even if Yoo Baek-jun extracted information, it would be meaningless.
The Master was confident.
“The preparations for the plan are already complete. There is nothing he can do. Eventually, he will come for us……”
If the Evil Dragon descended, Yoo Baek-jun would come to stop them.
“And then, he will die.”
By no one else’s hand but the Evil Dragon’s.
The Master waved his hand—a signal that the discussion was over, and they were dismissed.
Though the executives seemed to have more to say, they withdrew.
“…….”
The Master looked up at the sky.
This was a dimension of nothingness. The sky showed nothing.
“How many dimensions lie beyond this one? And how many have already been destroyed?”
The Master slowly stretched out his hand.
“Just as we were.”
Memories of the past surfaced in his mind.
Their dimension, destroyed by someone wielding transcendent power.
The Master smiled bitterly.
“To think we’re now cooperating with the one who destroyed us… How laughable. But it doesn’t matter. Yes……”
Behind The Master, a hazy yet colossal form of a dragon materialized.
“For the sake of our kin’s revival.”
The Evil Dragon spread its wings.
A corrupting wind swept through the empty, void-like dimension.
“I will set everything right.”
Black Shadow had begun to move.
***
Time passed swiftly.
Yoo Baek-jun fully conquered the Tower of the Martial God and spent the following weeks making final preparations.
What he feared most was the Evil Dragon’s corrupting authority.
—The son of Hollow Knight’s Order Commander has reclaimed the Order. He expresses gratitude for the Family Head’s assistance.
—We supported the successor of the Sichuan Tang Family to assassinate the Head. They’ve agreed to our request.
—Spain……
To minimize the damage of that authority, he needed the help of many—especially those with strong influence.
Families and guilds that Black Shadow had destabilized from within were perfect candidates.
‘Seems to be going well.’
Yoo Baek-jun provided support to those who had lost their parents who were family heads, or who had been unjustly deprived of their rightful positions as successors.
And he helped them reclaim what was stolen.
“Deliver the artifacts from the Magic Tower to them. Tell them to activate them at the timing I specified.”
—Understood.
When the Evil Dragon first descended, its corrupting authority would engulf the entire world.
This would stop the initial wave of damage.
After that, the Thunder God would handle the rest.
“The airships are complete.”
“Good. Store them in the hangar and keep them ready to deploy at any time.”
“Yes, understood.”
The airships were also complete.
Ten had been prepared—more than initially expected.
Thanks to the Magic Tower’s assistance and the gnomes’ refined craftsmanship, production had accelerated.
—I don’t know what you’re planning, but fine. We’ll prepare.
—Don’t worry. The Peng Family will always be ready to support you.
Yoo Baek-jun contacted every guild and family he knew.
They accepted his proposal without hesitation and kept it secret.
“One more thing.”
Han Chang-woo and other figures from the Association.
He also wanted Chae Jeong-jun’s help.
‘The problem is that I’m currently seen as hostile by the Hunter Association…’
How could he draw them in?
Han Chang-woo and Chae Jeong-jun were part of Baek Jang-hyeon’s faction—they followed his orders.
So then……
“Let’s try this.”
An idea came to mind.
***
The Seolhae Guild had deep ties with the Hunter Association—more precisely, Yoo Chae-jeong and Baek Jang-hyeon did.
The two were drinking tea at a hotel restaurant they used for secret meetings.
“Yoo Chae-jeong, you said you had something to discuss regarding the Sword Saint’s family.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Their closeness was simple.
Yoo Chae-jeong held a deep grudge against the Sword Saint’s family, and Baek Jang-hyeon hated Korea’s prestigious families.
‘Someone I can use.’
Baek Jang-hyeon had judged her as such, and she knew it well.
“You’re aware, right? I have connections within the Sword Saint’s family. People who supply me with information.”
“An intelligence network? I heard it hasn’t been very useful so far.”
“When Yoo Moo-hak was around, it was difficult to utilize. But now, Yoo Moo-hak is gone.”
His son, Yoo Baek-jun, had become the Family Head, and Yoo Moo-hak had vanished.
“Unlike Yoo Moo-hak, Yoo Baek-jun trusts his people and shares information freely. Luckily, I have a spy planted close to him……”
Yoo Chae-jeong smiled faintly.
“I heard something interesting.”
“What is it?”
“In two days, a large-scale disaster will strike Korea.”
“……!”
Baek Jang-hyeon was stunned.
It was an unbelievable claim.
“It won’t originate in Korea, but the aftermath will directly affect it. It’ll occur near Korean waters.”
“Explain in detail.”
Yoo Chae-jeong gestured to a subordinate, who handed her a map.
She pointed at the sea between Korea and Japan.
“Here. A long-sealed monster will awaken in these waters. And it will head straight for Korea.”
“Did Yoo Baek-jun foresee this?”
“Yes.”
Baek Jang-hyeon stroked his chin.
“So does he possess foresight? I’d like to be more certain.”
“That’s right—he has foresight, but it’s incomplete. He only knows when and what will happen.”
Yoo Chae-jeong nodded.
She shared all the information she had about the disaster.
“It’s a large-scale disaster. The Sword Saint’s family plans to handle it alone, without the Association’s involvement.”
“That’s……”
Baek Jang-hyeon frowned.
After the Jeju Island incident, the Association had faced severe criticism.
The more the Sword Saint’s family took charge, the more people questioned the Association’s purpose.
“You’re not just going to sit back, are you?”
“…….”
“They’re desperate to prove their competence. If you want, I can give you that opportunity.”
“What do you mean?”
Yoo Chae-jeong smiled quietly.
“I’ve spread my influence within the Sword Saint’s family. At the critical moment, I can sabotage their efforts.”
“Exploit that opening?”
“Yes. If you’re interested, I’d like to discuss the details.”
Baek Jang-hyeon fell into thought.
The woman before him harbored deep hatred for the Sword Saint’s family.
Her actions were all to bring them down—using the Hunter Association and Baek Jang-hyeon as tools.
But.
“…Explain your plan in detail.”
“Gladly.”
There was no reason to refuse.
***
The Hunter Association and the Sword Saint’s family were past the point of reconciliation.
Even if Yoo Baek-jun asked for help outright, they wouldn’t oblige.
“Baek Jang-hyeon is quite the nuisance.”
He was capable, and his convictions weren’t entirely incomprehensible—but to Yoo Baek-jun, they seemed like nothing more than delusion and stubbornness.
Chae Jeong-jun and Han Chang-woo had also begun doubting Baek Jang-hyeon recently.
—Kid, I did as you said.
That was where Yoo Chae-jeong came in.
The Hunter Association wanted to prove their competence—that they could handle disasters without families like the Sword Saint family.
They needed to prove it.
‘Delusional.’
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed at Baek Jang-hyeon.
With generational shifts happening across multiple families and guilds, perhaps he had hoped to tame them in the chaos.
“Well, it’s useful for now.”
Yoo Baek-jun whistled softly.
If things went as planned, Baek Jang-hyeon and his faction would collapse, and Chae Jeong-jun would become the next Association Chairman.
Someone favorable to him.
“Preparations are complete.”
Now, all that remained was to wait.
And exactly two days later—
—Family Head…!
—E-Everywhere is…!
The awaited disaster had arrived.