The Lich's New Domain
The Lich Gallerheim’s life force vessel was inside his skull.
He had made it that way on purpose.
A lich’s essence, the life force vessel, was kept in the head, and he had planned to one day obtain a Dragon Heart and place it in his chest.
He had dreamed of mastering dragon magic and acquiring a perfect body, but that dream was now gone.
Instead, he wanted to watch Lim Dojun complete his own magic.
He was willing to do anything for that goal.
Gallerheim looked around with a curious expression.
Lim Dojun nodded.
“It’s similar.”
While dragon intent, lightning, and luck had all played a part, it was fair to say that traveling between Astelgard and Earth was made possible by dragon magic.
The reason Lim Dojun had brought Gallerheim to Earth was simple.
There was nothing useful for the lich to do in Astelgard.
Even if a lich appeared, he’d just get subjugated.
Gallerheim was a powerful mage, but he had lost to Lim Dojun.
In Astelgard, where many beings still surpassed Lim Dojun, Gallerheim was high-ranking but by no means overwhelmingly so.
Besides, hadn’t he lost every last one of the dragon ribs he used to wield?
He had replaced them with his old ribs from long ago, so he looked intact, but the change in his body had shaken his magic as well.
Compared to his prime as a lich, the madness was gone, but so was a portion of his magical prowess.
But on Earth, the story is different.
Lim Dojun, who had fought him directly, knew this well.
Even Wang Chen, one of China’s Ten Venerables, would not be able to defeat Gallerheim.
After all, even Lim Dojun had been pushed back before he brought out his dragon soul magic.
“This is called a computer. I’ll teach you how to use it, so learn about Earth’s culture on your own.”
Gallerheim’s blue will-o’-the-wisp flickered.
True to his nature as a curious mage, he had no aversion to accepting the artifacts of another world.
How to operate a computer, how to use the internet, and so on.
Lim Dojun only taught him the essentials, but Gallerheim’s comprehension was so outstanding that teaching him one thing let him understand ten.
Once Lim Dojun finished the basic setup, Gallerheim was even able to begin studying Korean using a generative AI.
Of course, he would still need occasional guidance, but it didn’t seem like it would take very long for Gallerheim to learn about Earth.
“Listen while you work. The reason I brought you to Earth is because I have someone I need to take revenge on.”
The Ghost Daoist, Wang Chen.
In the end, they had failed to find him.
Lim Dojun had been busy, and with only a handful of Cheongryong Clan members, they couldn’t scour all of China’s vast territory, so they had returned. But that didn’t mean he had given up.
I need a piece on the board that can move even while I’m in Astelgard.
The Cheongryong Clan members wouldn’t do.
They had become his comrades after being greatly impressed by him and had joined the clan, but they were still equals.
He couldn’t just order them to do any dirty work.
But Gallerheim was different.
Since Lim Dojun held complete ownership of his life vessel, absolute obedience was the baseline.
“Make it happen. The problem is that he’s hiding in a country called China, and he won’t be easy to find. So what I need you to do is gather Korea’s illegal organizations and mold them into a single force.”
The illegal organizations active across Korea.
Even if Gallerheim only took control of some of them, he would become an excellent set of hands and feet.
The Cheongryong Clan—a small elite group.
Gallerheim’s underworld—a large pool of human resources.
Lim Dojun had come up with a two-track approach.
After clacking his teeth in laughter, Gallerheim dove into his studies with frightening focus.
It took him less than a week to master Korean, basic common sense about Korea, and Earth’s culture.
While Lim Dojun was busy spending his time in Astelgard, Korea remained surprisingly peaceful.
After three illegal organizations in Gangnam’s underworld were wiped out at once, Happy Service took over their territory and managed the district with impeccable order.
They walked the fine line between legal and illegal activity, even cracking down on drugs themselves and purifying the shadows.
Since they were affiliated with the Cheongryong Clan, no one could oppose Happy Service. Thanks to that, both the government and the Returnee Association were pleased.
“It really is strange.”
Kim Ha-young, an executive of the Returnee Association, muttered as he looked over the newly arrived report.
Newly Established Clan: Cheongryong Clan
Members: Go Wonjin, Lee Sehan, Lim Dojun
Affiliated Force: Happy Service
“I never dreamed that the Mad Dog Go Wonjin or the Free Spirit Lee Sehan would join any specific clan…”
And on top of that, the group included Lim Dojun—the powerhouse whose mere eye contact was enough to make his own spirit faint.
They had perfectly carried out the tasks assigned by the Association and the government, and they had used Happy Service to cleanly handle all the aftermath.
Because of that, the government was extremely pleased.
When a large vacuum appeared in the underworld, infighting would erupt as groups fought to fill it. Civilians could get caught in the crossfire, and the newly risen organization might be even more vicious.
Yet Happy Service had produced an outcome that was far too clean and elegant.
From the Returnee Association’s perspective, it was a job well done that also saved face.
“Since they’ve even formed a clan, there’s a chance they might join the Association.”
Kim Ha-young was still thinking about recruiting Lim Dojun into the Returnee Association.
Simply having such a powerful figure affiliated with them would raise the status of all Korean returnees.
It didn’t matter if he didn’t do anything; just sharing the same affiliation would be enough.
And then.
“Director Kim. We’ve received a cooperation request from the government.”
“What is it this time?”
At his secretary’s words, Kim Ha-young made a face that said another annoying task had arrived.
Nothing good had ever come from the government’s requests.
“They say several mid-to-large organizations in the provinces have disappeared. They’re asking if the Association had anything to do with it.”
“Us? We’re already swamped dealing with Gates. What provincial organizations? Do they think we have that kind of free time?”
Most government requests involved clearing Gates before they went into a rampage, but this one was a little different.
“They’re asking if we could look into the situation in the provinces. The government says the balance among the provincial organizations is currently stable, and they don’t want that balance to collapse.”
“Hmm… I understand.”
The current stance of the Returnee Association was to cooperate with the government as much as possible, so Kim Ha-young nodded.
“Tell them I’ll look into it personally.”
“Yes! The government will be pleased to hear that.”
Busan.
Korea’s second-largest city and a place where illegal forces had traditionally run rampant since long ago.
Because it faced the sea, it was easy to expand into Japan, and perhaps because of that tradition, enormous underworld powers still existed there today.
The Marine Faction was one of Busan’s major organizations, formed primarily by awakeners and low-ranking returnees. Its boss and executives were all currently on their knees.
The Marine Faction’s boss, Nam Sang-woo, couldn’t even lift his head. He was trembling violently.
There’s even a… lich among the returnees?
One day, a single lich had suddenly attacked the Marine Faction.
Nam Sang-woo, a low-ranking returnee, had been horrified the moment he saw him.
At first he thought it was a monster that had burst out during a Gate rampage, but since monsters couldn’t talk, it had to be a returnee.
And because he was a returnee, he knew exactly how strong a lich was.
There had been liches in the other world he had visited as well. Even the mages that Nam Sang-woo couldn’t even look at in the eye had feared liches.
Once one appeared, a third-rate mercenary like Nam Sang-woo could be massacred along with thousands of others. They were monsters.
“W-welcome! It is an honor to meet you!”
Nam Sang-woo immediately bowed at the waist and switched into survival mode.
The reason he had been able to run a major organization in Busan was his quick ability to read the room.
It was better to listen to what the lich wanted than to fight back and die or become a skeleton soldier.
Of course, if he asked for his life, he would have to turn around and run immediately…
“U-um… Lord Lich. Is there something you desire?”
Gallerheim clacked his teeth and laughed.
It hadn’t taken Gallerheim long to grasp the international situation, including Korea.
And what he felt was…
How can my master not rule even a small country like this? How is this possible?
He was the one who had inherited dragon magic.
It might not be perfect yet, but no ordinary being could possibly challenge him.
Moreover, considering his future potential, it wouldn’t be strange for him to become emperor of the entire Earth.
Wasn’t it only natural for a human who wielded a dragon’s power to rule the world?
Now that he served his master, Gallerheim decided that things needed to change starting right now.
When Gallerheim told the Marine Faction members this, there was only one answer that came back.
“T-thank you for allowing us to serve you!”
“I’ve wanted to join under Lord Lich for a long time!”
The clean absorption of the Marine Faction.
At first the members had been reluctant, but after a little time passed, their attitudes changed.
Gallerheim had completely crushed several other organizations in Busan that resisted him, and the magic he displayed in the process had been earth-shaking in its power.
Becoming a lich required being an outstanding mage to begin with, so there was no one in these mere underworld organizations who could stop Gallerheim.
…Wait a second. If Lord Gallerheim is with us, doesn’t that mean our Marine Faction could easily become a national organization?
We could seriously conquer Korea and then move on to Japan or China, couldn’t we?
Those who had entered his service naturally began to think this way.
Wasn’t it better to be the tail of a dragon than the head of a snake?
The members of other organizations who had joined under Gallerheim to survive thought the same, and as a result, it didn’t take long before the underworld organizations of Busan and South Gyeongsang Province all fell into Gallerheim’s hands.