Chapter 339
Chapter 339
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 339
Chapter Title: Dragons and Wyrms (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the first meeting between Horus, the hatchling from Outerica, and the resident wyrms of the Kanghwan Realm went off without a hitch.
Horus received intensive training in the sorcery of this world directly from the two dragons, who showered him with attentive care.
The Azure Dragon and Crimson Dragon had said that for the ritual, it was enough for him to simply stand by as the Yellow Dragon in a symbolic role. But Horus himself couldn't accept that and had strongly insisted on more.
Even if he was just participating as a mascot of sorts, there was a world of difference between knowing how things were unfolding and being in the dark.
Since he was going to be the ritual's officiant alongside them, wouldn't it be best for everyone if he at least grasped the basics of sorcery?
...The two dragons were overjoyed by Horus's earnest argument and promised to spare no support in his education.
Of course, Horus's true intentions lurking beneath the surface were—
'Now that I've come this far, I have to grab everything I can. ...And who knows, I might even find a way to save the wyrm children along the way.'
He was determined to milk the situation for all it was worth.
After all, thoroughly dissecting the fundamentals was basic protocol before tackling any problem head-on.
To solve the dilemma this world had thrust upon him, he needed to firmly grasp its mysteries first.
'They say the Mosan Sect is renowned as a prestigious school of sorcery, but most of their dao arts derive from the Golden Crow Path.'
And among the Golden Crow Path's arts, these beings—the wyrms, divine beasts revered as legends even in this world—stood at the pinnacle of that domain.
Symbols of supernatural power, wielding mastery over natural disasters like summoning wind and rain.
How could Horus pass up such a golden opportunity to taste the essence of Kanghwan sorcery through them?
And the aptitude Horus displayed upon encountering these new mysteries?
To the Crimson and Azure Dragons, who still saw him as a young, cute otherworld wyrm, it was nothing short of a shock.
"Good heavens... what in the world is that kid? No way he was pretending not to know—he already had it all figured out? Otherwise, that speed doesn't make sense."
"...Now I get how he reached that level at his age. It's beyond mere talent. He's comprehending mysteries as naturally as breathing and absorbing them on his own terms."
"Ha! Those geezers who prattle on about thousand-year prodigies would foam at the mouth and keel over. Time is such a fickle thing."
"Mm."
The tiny young wyrm absorbed everything they taught with terrifying momentum.
To the point where they wondered if this was truly his first brush with sorcery.
But in truth, it wasn't all that strange.
The "Lord of All Things", which boosted affinity for energy and attributes.
The "Seeker of Mysteries", granting aptitude in all mystical arts.
The "Resistor of Providence", ignoring constraints from differences between dragons and wyrms.
And on top of that, his already advanced mastery of "Draconic Magic", the apex of magical dao.
Horus was born with an absurd lineup of skills—he was a perfect-blooded golden child in every sense.
Especially now, enhanced by the Growth Elixir and a slew of other growth buffs.
'No need to mention indirect help from other avatars' paths like "Impure Sage" or "Path of Magical Dao".'
The result of it all was the current Horus.
Knowing one and grasping ten, grasping ten and awakening to a hundred, awakening to a hundred and mastering a thousand—the epitome of irrationality.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has gained enlightenment through knowledge. Acquired skill 「Celestial Stream Dao Arts」. Once he threw himself wholeheartedly into it, it didn't take long for real results to bear fruit.
"...To think he'd reach this level so soon. What do you think, Azure Dragon?"
"Definitely beyond expectations. No need to drag it out—we can move straight to the next phase."
"Agreed. For him... it wouldn't feel like too much of a loss to hand that over."
"Right. It's necessary anyway."
His rapid growth was more than enough to earn admiration and approval from the two women who had eagerly taken charge of his lessons.
And when the next class began, they presented him with a very special gift.
Something precious they hadn't anticipated he'd be ready for so soon.
"Wha? This is... no way...!"
"Ufufu, Horus's surprised face is cute too."
"It's refreshing to be the ones shocked for once instead of us. Not bad at all."
A spherical orb glowing with a blue as vibrant as a clear sky.
Within it, a vivid golden radiance flickered like flames or rippling waves, asserting its presence powerfully.
It was a beauty so mystical it was impossible to look away.
"Wish-Fulfilling Pearl..."
"A gift for you, Horus. It's necessary for the ritual anyway. I just didn't expect to give it so soon."
"You can't bear the Yellow Dragon's karma without a Wish-Fulfilling Pearl. Normally you'd have your own, but you're an exception, so the previous owner would understand."
The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl was an essential item for any wyrm, roughly equivalent in status to a Dragon Heart.
A treasure that served as a vast energy reservoir while granting its user all sorts of beneficial effects.
Barring some 'major catastrophe,' it wasn't something a wyrm would hand over lightly, as it was meant to spend its life alongside its creator.
"Previous owner...?"
"...Let's just say the previous Yellow Dragon for now. Hard to pinpoint exactly since they all died without lasting long."
"Don't worry about it as a relic. They left it hoping it would help with this crisis, even a little."
Of course, given the string of 'major catastrophes' lately, it was almost inevitable that an ownerless pearl would exist.
Horus stared at the pearl now in his grasp, then focused his mind intently.
Whoooosh—!
A storm of qi mingled with wind raged.
Unfamiliar with it yet, the immense energy escaped full control, causing nearby temperatures to fluctuate wildly.
But proficiency would come with use.
And his abilities were tailor-made to adapt quickly.
'Not bad. No, excellent! I didn't expect to get my hands on this so soon.'
Their assessment of his learning ability being beyond imagination was surely part of it—but
Perhaps this bold decision was influenced by other factors too?
'Well, for example...'
The continental situation had grown too noisy for even the Golden Crow Path adherents to ignore.
The Demonic Cult's full-scale uprising, that is.
'They're rushed because of that. In times like these, who knows what might happen next.'
The Yellow Dragon clan was already extinct from prior clashes with the Demonic Cult.
Though the one who led that purge, the Reverse Heaven Society Lord, had left this land, the remaining Demonic Cult forces couldn't be dismissed lightly.
Their sensitivity was only natural.
'Hmm, a Wish-Fulfilling Pearl. How to make the most efficient use of it...'
Of course, Horus wasn't worried about that in the slightest.
And why would he be?
He'd already slain the Heavenly Demon—the root of all this chaos—and was in the midst of cleaning up their Heavenly Demon God Church headquarters.
With his splendid partner, no different from another self.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Heavenly Stronghold, Tianshan Mountains—Heavenly Demon God Church headquarters.
KABOOM—!
The earth trembled with a massive explosion.
The city, which had maintained an eerie peace despite being the source of worldly strife, plunged into chaos from the sudden turmoil.
"Move, move!"
"Shadow Troops, mobilize immediately!"
The church's warriors scrambled frantically.
Zhang San, in charge of livestock for over a decade, peered out from inside the barn at their desperate figures, his face pale with fear.
'What in the world is going on?!'
He couldn't even count how many times that thought had crossed his mind.
Forcing his sluggish brain to turn, he painstakingly pieced together what had happened.
It had been an ordinary day, just like any other.
Zhang San, overseer of the church headquarters' husbandry, rose early, ate the breakfast his wife prepared, prayed to the Heavenly Demon—the proxy of the god they served—and headed to work.
He fed the cattle and cleaned the barns for a good while.
Then the clear sky suddenly darkened under storm clouds.
After a brief panic and murmurs among those nearby at the freak weather,
A deafening thunderclap rang out, followed by a voice booming from the heavens, echoing everywhere.
["Hear me, you mortals cowering in your holes."]
["I am the sovereign of all demonic powers in the world."]
["Serve the new Demon King."]
Just hearing it made his hair stand on end and his mouth go dry—
A voice solemn and sacred, as if descending upon the world.
The iron will in that calm declaration was beyond the grasp—or endurance—of a mere villager like him.
'Right, that's what happened. This is right after that voice.'
Finally recovering the fragmented memory, Zhang San let out a heavy sigh.
Right after that voice—which had blanked his mind with mere words—faded, an enormous demonic energy engulfed the area, sparking the current chaos.
KABOOM—!
Swallowing hard, Zhang San peeked toward the city center.
[GRRAAAAH!]
"Block them!"
CLANG! CLANG!
Fights breaking out everywhere.
Jet-black, ink-covered entities butchered the church warriors, while experts rushed in to form orderly formations and counter.
It looked fierce enough, but even Zhang San, clueless about combat, could tell at a glance.
No matter how many warriors charged, there was no path to victory.
How could there be?
They were just holding off the grunts.
What use was that when no one could stop the unidentified being leisurely descending from the sky, gazing down imperiously?
BOOM!
[GRRRRAAAH!]
[Ugh... er...]
Suddenly, the entrance to a Heavenly Demon God Church building exploded, unleashing a procession of hulking giants.
Beings too massive to pass for human.
"Hup! D-Demons?!"
It wasn't just their size.
Monsters with boar heads and horns, winged tigers, bipedal wolves.
Just observing them choked the breath from his lungs inexplicably.
Even Zhang San's decent endurance for a villager reached its limit there.
Crushed by the shockwaves of clashing presences from those overwhelming entities, he foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Just like the other ordinary folk in the city.
"Oh? What's that...?"
At that moment, Hans—the invader who had just successfully enveloped the entire area in a barrier—turned his gaze toward the giants.
"Yokai turned into jiangshi? And they feel awfully familiar."
Hans's narrowed eyes scanned the yokai jiangshi closely.
Each towered over five meters, covered in intricate runes and plastered with talismans.
Turning entire massive bodies into jiangshi—it sparked keen curiosity about their jiangshi arts.
'No wonder they remind me of Do-ol.'
It wasn't his imagination.
They were jiangshi made from the Great Yokai once called the Four Evils alongside Do-ol in life.
All three who hadn't escaped with Do-ol to the Golden Crow Path were here.
Stripped of their former wills and diminished prides, reduced to human puppets.
'Not just those three.'
Behind them, various other yokai jiangshi streamed out of the building.
It seemed that structure was a workshop for crafting jiangshi from yokai.
The notion that only martial artists' corpses made suitable jiangshi had been a bias on his part.
Of course, that wasn't a bad thing.
No, quite the opposite...
'Perfect. Excellent samples!'
He was even more pleased to discover their jiangshi arts were more advanced than expected.
With plans to integrate various techniques across fields, flexibility and scalability were essential.
'I've seen enough. Looks like they've pulled out everything they've got.'
Hans slowly surveyed the surroundings.
With the Church Lord and elites mostly absent, he'd deliberately tightened the noose gradually to force out all their hidden cards...
And now, it seemed they'd emptied their arsenal.
'Time to wrap this up.'
He had much ahead.
Retrieving those samples intact, securing the leadership and researchers— he'd need to move faster now.
Whoooosh—
Jet-black demonic energy concentrated around Hans.
Darkness like an abyss that could suck in the mere sight of it.
Crunch— CRUNCH!
Space warped under the density of his presence.
And from the cracks seeped inky abyssal qi.
A cold smile curled on Hans's lips.
Of course.
An empty shell without its lord and main forces couldn't bar his path.
Just a few hours after Hans's arrival.
That was all the time it took for the Heavenly Demon God Church headquarters to fall.