Training Chamber (2)
―That bastard went on another rampage, did he? Hasn't the handling of him progressed at all?
"Yes. In fact, right now..."
―Do you think I want to hear excuses like that?
"......I'm sorry. We'll take care of it as soon as possible."
―I'll be watching. I hope for meaningful results.
With that, the call ended. Lee Hyunwoo, the vice clan leader of the Black Snake Clan, slammed the receiver down, his face twisting in fury. Irritated, he jabbed the yellow button among the several on his desk.
Beep.
A short signal tone rang out, followed soon by a knock at the door.
"Vice Clan Leader, it's Shin Daeil. May I come in?"
"Enter."
"Greetings, sir."
The man who stepped into Lee Hyunwoo's room was a young man with a sturdy build. He bowed at a perfect right angle upon entering, then approached Lee Hyunwoo.
"We just got a call from the VIP."
Shin Daeil's body flinched at Lee Hyunwoo's words. Lee Hyunwoo looked up at him and continued.
"I remember entrusting the matter to you because I trusted you."
"I'm sorry. The guy's been holed up in the Magic Tower."
"Do you think I want to hear excuses like that?"
"......I'll make it right."
Shin Daeil bowed his head deeply. Lee Hyunwoo stared at him silently for a moment, took a sip of his now-cold tea, and then spoke again.
"There were rumors he'd reached 5th Circle. Is that true?"
"Yes. It seems he just broke through to 5th Circle recently."
"Ha, unbelievable. The growth speed is absurd. But... no matter how I think about it, something's off. He wasn't even 5th Circle when he faced Department Head Jang, yet he really beat Jang alone?"
"I double-checked multiple times because it seemed suspicious, but it really looks like Department Head Jang lost to Kim Jehyun."
"......"
Lee Hyunwoo rested his chin on one hand and drummed the desk with the other.
"You've erased all ties between Department Head Jang and the Gangsu Clan, right?"
"Yes. Completely. The Superhuman Association hasn't caught on at all. They won't find any trace of the connection."
"Good. Then use that as bait to set a trap."
Lee Hyunwoo's eyes gleamed as he issued the order to Shin Daeil.
"Understood. I'll prepare immediately."
Immense mana poured endlessly from Kim Jehyun's hands. Fire Wave, Fire Burst, Thunder Cross, Thunder Field, and more. Countless spells formed and shot toward the monsters the instant they were cast.
Scores of monsters fell, but there were still endless foes left to face. Jehyun lost track of time, immersing himself solely in the repetitive casting of spells.
A message popped up before his eyes, and his depleting mana refilled slightly. He had no idea how many times he'd leveled up already. Without the mana recovery from each level up, he might have run dry by now. Even with his extraordinary mana regeneration, he'd been spamming spells at a ferocious pace.
'Whew.'
Jehyun caught the sweet scent of blood in his mouth and glanced toward Gui.
Gaaaaah!
Gui was incredible. It was holding back an unimaginable number of monsters on its own. Since it was purely on defense, Jehyun hadn't taken down that many himself, but those monsters couldn't advance an inch past Gui.
'No worries there yet... The problem is this side.'
Jehyun clicked his tongue at the endless waves still surging toward him.
'At least the end is in sight.'
The section he was handling was finally showing signs of thinning out. That meant he'd soloed millions of monsters so far.
"Hoo."
The brief, sweet respite ended quickly. Jehyun exhaled shortly and drew up his mana again.
'Stay focused until the end...'
As he gathered his mana with that thought, a chilling tingle raced up his spine.
'......!'
Jehyun's eyes widened like saucers. The dragon blood flowing through his veins began to surge.
Thump.
A drumbeat echoed in his ears. Suddenly, radiant light burst from all directions, and everything blurred like watercolor on wet paper. The horde charging at him, the steadfast Gui at his back— their colors spread, mingled, and swirled.
Shiiiiaaaah.
The colors formed a vortex. Watching it sent chills down his spine.
Flash!
Light erupted from the vortex, splitting space into an enormous oval portal. Beyond it, multicolored lights swirled brilliantly.
"......!"
And there, Jehyun spotted an overwhelming presence. A silhouette he'd seen several times before, now familiar.
Prismatic Dragon!
The prismatic dragon he'd encountered each time he claimed a dragon legacy.
Swoosh.
It turned its head, meeting his gaze.
―......Well ......done......
The entity conveyed something to him, but it was garbled.
'Well......done?'
It seemed like that nuance. The entity nodded slightly, confirming his guess. Relief washed over Jehyun unexpectedly.
And in that instant, the world rewound like a tape in reverse. The split portal sealed, the vortex shrank, the colors reformed into their original shapes, restoring the world.
Kraaaah.
The monster horde still rushed him, Gui still held the line. The only change was Jehyun himself.
'Power overflows.'
Mad strength surged through his body. Dragon Blood. A portion of the dragon power dormant in his blood had awakened.
Kraka-kaka.
The mana density circulating in his body thickened further. Far denser than before.
"Fire Wave."
A Fire Wave manifested instantly from his hand. Casting time was virtually zero. He was already fast, but now spells formed the moment his will conceived them.
Roooar!
Golden flames engulfed the monsters. The power was on another level. They melted in agony, screaming.
Shiver.
Jehyun trembled at his own feat. It was thrilling even to him. His level hadn't changed numerically, but he knew: he was incomparably stronger now. Thanks to awakening part of the dragon power in his Dragon Blood.
Roooar! Zzzzap!
Blazing infernos raged, lightning scattered everywhere. Monsters cleared at a vastly accelerated pace.
That was when it happened.
Condition Met. Hidden Piece Activated.
'......?'
Jehyun tilted his head at the sudden message. Hidden Piece? He'd never heard of such a thing.
Hummm.
The air around him chilled abruptly, like an ice field. A biting cold permeated everything.
Kyaaaaah!
A sharp roar shattered the silence as it appeared. A colossal body blotting out the sky. Two wings as vast as its frame, a jaw and claws that could crush anything, scales so tough they evoked dragons.
Wyvern!
A wyvern, one of the strongest monsters, king of the skies with few rivals. Immune to magic below 6th Circle, its breath rivaled 8th Circle destruction.
Fire Wyvern. A fully mature adult.
Fire-attribute wyvern, among the strongest alongside thunder. Its size confirmed it was full-grown. At least SSS-rank.
Jehyun scanned it with Dragon Eye.
'Heh.'
Jehyun let out a hollow laugh. Level 84, SSS-rank. No way he could beat that now.
'But......'
Strangely, the Fire Wyvern didn't scare him.
Thud.
The Fire Wyvern crushed the remaining ground monsters and landed before him, staring intently.
In that moment, Jehyun was certain. This wyvern wouldn't harm him.
And he understood why he could read a level 84 wyvern's info.
Dragon's soldier.
Wyverns were soldiers dragons commanded like limbs. The primal gene memory had endured, and awakening part of his Dragon Blood triggered this Hidden Piece.
'It wants me to command it, huh?'
Jehyun grinned and pointed at the monsters behind Gui.
"Clear those out."
The wyvern slowly bowed its head, like paying homage to a king. An invisible thread connected their hearts.
Kyaaaaah!
The wyvern exploded with aura and soared into the sky.
Hummm. Fwoooosh!
Energy gathered in its maw, and a fiery breath engulfed the battlefield monsters.
Flash.
Light particles gathered in midair, forming a figure.
―Oh, you're back. This body welcomes thee.
Alkasha greeted the returning Jehyun, but upon seeing his grim expression, it ventured a guess.
―Don't tell this body...... you failed to conquer the Training Chamber fully? It could happen. Thou hast only just summoned Gui, so thy proficiency with it may be lacking. Thus, this body considered failure possible.
"No. I conquered it fully."
―What?
Jehyun's weary, stern face relaxed into calm as he replied, leaving Alkasha stunned and stammering.
"Training Chamber conquest: success."
―Hah, this body is astonished. This body feared failure. Well done. How many levels didst thou gain?
Jehyun grinned.
"Guess."
―Hmm, three perchance?
"Wrong."
―Surely not five......
Jehyun smirked.
"No. Seven levels."
―What? Seven levels?
Alkasha's voice was truly shocked. At 7th Circle threshold, Jehyun's low level meant low EXP needs, so maybe three. But Jehyun always exceeded expectations—perhaps five at most.
―Five alone defies norms! 'Tis half the path from 5th to 6th Circle in one go—what takes others years or decades!
―And not five, but seven. Insane speed. Even with dragon heritage blessings, 'tis impossible.
―Hah, explain how thou achieved such a level-up.
Alkasha's tone was flabbergasted. It had vowed not to be surprised again, yet here it was, broken in a day.
Jehyun chuckled and recounted the Training Chamber events.
―A Fire Wyvern appeared?
Alkasha sounded incredulous. It hadn't known of Hidden Pieces either. A wyvern appearing—and commanding it like a limb?
―To wield a wyvern, dragon soldier though it be, thy rank is far too low. Even with partial Dragon Blood awakening, 'tis no easy feat.
Alkasha muttered in disbelief, staring at Jehyun. Truly its contractor, but growing into a monster beyond its common sense.
―Surely not......
A sudden thought struck Alkasha, but it shook its head at the absurdity.
"Kinda disappointing, though. If I'd hit level 50, that'd be better. No other way to get Dragon God Temple tickets?"
―Dream on. Dragon God Temple entry is for 7th Circle. Thou pierced abysmal odds via treasure chest—such luck won't repeat.
That was when it happened.
Black Snake Clan Challenge
📍 Mission: Thwart the Black Snake Clan's scheme and win the challenge.
🎁 Reward: Dragon God Temple 1-Time Entry Ticket, 200,000 Points
"Mission? Black Snake Clan. But...... whoa, Dragon God Temple ticket as reward?"
―......
At that perfectly timed notice, Alkasha went speechless, frozen like a statue in midair.