Into the Chamber of Truth

If he left now, the world outside would already be pitch-dark.

That was the kind of hour it was.

Sunghyun considered it.

"Armin, how much longer can you stay in here?"

"Hmm… do I just draw the characters over there?"

Apparently the writing systems were different — she couldn't read Arabic numerals.

The pattern Armin had drawn would last roughly three more hours.

In theory he could leave with her and come back in again. But his entry limit had already kicked in.

There was nothing else for it.

"My body's not fully recovered yet, but it can't be helped. Armin — three hours. I'll clear the traffic outside within three hours, so come out on your own when you're ready."

With that, Sunghyun turned to go put the finishing touch on the day.

"Yeah. Time to go."

Fwaaaaa—

He caught a glimpse of Armin waving.

"You have to come back safe. I'll see you soon. Don't you dare lose!"

Sunghyun snorted.

"I only fight battles I can win."

And with that, his form vanished.

Armin stared at the empty space where he had stood and let out a long breath.

If only I'd been a little stronger… then I could have gone with him and helped.

She had never felt this powerless before.

Get stronger. Even a little faster. So I can be of use to Sunghyun.

She exhaled deeply, then broke into a bright smile.

"Alright. Time to train."

As if by habit, Armin began her practice.

The moment Sunghyun stepped outside, every dragon nearby felt it.

Danger.

A few of them couldn't endure his presence and, like wetting themselves, sprayed breath in panic.

That pathetic breath never reached him.

Crackle-crackle—

Static lightning. Two natures that should never have mixed fused together and carried Sunghyun exactly where he wanted to go.

He looked down from above the head of the dragon that had fired its breath, gazing at its pure-white body.

"Shall I start with you? Into the Chamber of Truth."

At the same instant —

Charr-rr-rr-rr-rrk!

Golden chains erupted from empty air. In a heartbeat they wrapped around both Sunghyun and the White Dragon Azika, sealing them into a space cut off from the outside world.

Sunghyun hopped down from Azika's body and tapped the chains with his foot. The strength was beyond anything he had imagined.

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Hey, lizard. All those friends you were so proud of? They're gone now."

— Don't make me laugh! Even without my kin, a nobody like you is still—!

Azika never finished the sentence.

A long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠black bolt of lightning uncoiled from Sunghyun and coiled around the dragon's throat.

"What was that? Can't hear the words of a loser who can't do anything without his buddies."

Sunghyun licked his lips and grinned.

"Hahaha! You know what I hate most? Strong ones bullying the weak. You think I kept hunting powerful monsters for fun?"

And yet.

You lot — dozens of you — swarmed a me who was weaker than you and attacked.

"Ah… just thinking about it still gives me chills. Anyway."

You're first.

Sunghyun clenched his fist.

Death settled over Azika's throat at the same moment.

— N-no—!

Puh-buh-buh-buk—!

"Yes."

The moment Azika died, options appeared in Sunghyun's vision.

So I can choose not to return?

In that case—

"Maybe I'll rest a bit."

Conveniently, the shop had also been updated.

Reaching Level 8 had stocked the shop with goods all the way up to SS+, and the quality was genuinely overwhelming.

Of course, the prices were still far beyond what Sunghyun could touch.

"What the hell — a million is the baseline?"

The shop listings were a feast for the eyes, but—

"Still out of reach."

Literally out of reach, for now.

The most urgent matter was growing the traits he already had.

Thunder King [A], sitting at Level 9, 99%.

"Hmm. I could force the growth if I wanted to… but I don't really feel like it."

It felt like the final piece of the puzzle was missing.

"This is the kind of moment where something should just click."

Hmm…

Maintaining the duel arena consumed mana, so hanging around forever wasn't ideal.

"So it comes down to a fork in the road."

Grow the trait right now — or hunt down that last piece and complete it properly.

"Honestly, the answer's already decided."

With trait growth not urgent at the moment, there was no real reason to force it.

Sunghyun decided to take his time thinking it through.

"I'll find it eventually."

That was the feeling he had.

In the end, Sunghyun's choice was the same as always.

Strengthen the body itself.

"Hooooph!"

He cycled mana through his entire body, expelled it once, then drew it back in.

The process of naturally absorbing vast quantities of mana had already become as familiar as breathing.

As he took in the new mana, an amusing thought struck him.

He thought he knew where that final piece was.

The Murim world.

"I'll poke around there later."

First—

the ones outside needed dealing with.

"Shopping's always the most fun when your account's loaded, after all."

Charr-rr-rr-rrk—

The golden chains that had formed a perfect circle were sucked back into empty air.

And there they were — the dragons surrounding him.

One, two… wait. Where'd half of them go?

Hah… spineless bastards!

Tch.

Take care of these ones first, then think.

Sunghyun pointed a finger at the dragon that had irritated him the most.

"You. You're annoying."

The dragons in the path of that finger flinched.

— Damn it.

No matter how much they were dragons, none of them could figure out what trick Sunghyun had used.

The moment Azika and Sunghyun had been wrapped in golden chains, every dragon had unleashed its breath against those chains.

It hadn't worked.

Even downgraded, the trait still ran on Ares's authority. No mere creation of Hermes was going to break it.

They had poured half their mana into the assault and the chains still showed no sign ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of melting or cracking. The dragons' expressions darkened by the second.

What the hell did we just pick a fight with?

Correct.

Three choices now lay before them.

Fight to the bitter end and get massacred by Sunghyun.

Submit.

Or run — far enough that his senses couldn't reach them.

A few wheeled around immediately.

— I'm out of here!

The other dragons looked at the deserters like garbage, but the ones fleeing couldn't have cared less.

Those eyes would be painted with blood soon enough. No point fretting over them.

A handful polymorphed into human form and put some distance between themselves and the fight — mostly Red and Gold Dragons.

They had recognized Armin, the daughter of their own leaders.

Then shouldn't they have held back from attacking? Sunghyun might well have asked.

What choice had they had?

At the time, he had looked like nothing more than a shameless Demon King kidnapping a princess.

With things as they stood, bowing their heads was the only option left.

Bow first, survive, then reclaim Armin.

That was their plan.

Roughly twenty dragons remained.

Those still standing glared at the metal sphere that had swallowed Sunghyun and Azika, resolve for a last stand burning in their eyes.

The mana inside had gone quiet far too quickly.

Azika had fallen — to that foul, unpleasant death.

The Blue Dragon at the front spoke.

— Ignore those trash! We are the guardians of the middle realm! We will never bow to evil!

The others roared in answer.

— That's right! We are dragons of pride! We will never lose to that human-shaped Demon King! Fight! Win!

High in the sky, the dragons whipped themselves into a frenzy.

And they weren't wrong, strictly speaking.

If he had been a Demon King, they might not have lost.

There was a condition attached to that, though. If he had been a Demon King.

Not Sunghyun.

If you had to put a label on him, he wasn't a Demon King — he was a catastrophe.

The disaster of their future, unfolding right now.

He had returned.

Charararararak!

The golden chains that had wrapped Sunghyun began to be sucked into the void.

At the sight, the dragons started gathering their mana.

— He's coming out! Ready yourselves!

The lead Blue Dragon drew every scrap of mana in its body and spun hundreds of magic circles into the air around it.

We have to. We absolutely have to put him down.

The Demon King's finger had pointed straight at it. Its body trembled of its own accord.

Crack—

The Blue Dragon clenched its jaws hard.

No more.

— All of you, attack!

Hundreds of spells per dragon. Thousands raining down on Sunghyun.

It was a tactical ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠barrage worthy of the name.

— Please! Please!

The lead Blue Dragon prayed that Sunghyun would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not punch through that magic.

Hermes, please—

"So you're the boss."

A voice right beside its ear.

The Blue Dragon knew, in that instant.

Ah. It's over.