Chapter 448
Chapter 448
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 448
Chapter Title: Yellow Dragon's Jewel (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A bright yellow creature with sparkling eyes met my gaze, cutely tilting its head.
"Chwiit."
I carefully unwound its long body from around my leg and lifted it up with both hands.
Its scales had a hazy sheen since it was just born, its mane and limbs hadn't grown in yet, and the bump on its forehead was more like a small lump than a proper horn.
Its appearance seemed sorely lacking for a proper dragon, but even so, the subtle nobility it exuded strongly proclaimed that it embodied mystery itself.
"So, how exactly did you end up here?"
[Chwiing!] Hwiryong let out a puppy-like sound utterly mismatched with its reptilian form, wagging its tail and licking my cheek.
Thanks to our spiritual connection, I instinctively understood what it was trying to say.
"...Just curious, so you gave it a try? And it actually worked?"
[Kyurur—!] "Heh, amazing. I never imagined this was possible."
The baby yellow dragon curiously eyed the household items.
I gazed down at Hwiryong with a strange look, feeling the strong bond and connection between us.
'Earth has never been a great environment for beings like dragons that thrive on mystery. There's only one exception.'
Temporarily manifesting in this world through summons by Awakeners, who are exempt from the laws of this world.
Of course, as I've emphasized many times before, the ability to summon otherworldly beings had long been obsolete.
No matter how lofty a summoner's realm in another world, upon returning to Earth—where constraints were far harsher than other realms—they inevitably fell to mediocrity.
'But my situation is different. It seems the system recognizes it as my summon. Probably because it was born thanks to the 「Yellow Dragon's Jewel」.'
If it's my summon, effects like 『Dimensional Barrier Mitigation』 would apply, making the current situation perfectly understandable.
To Hwiryong, since Horus was me and I was Horus, there wasn't much difference either way.
Of course, fully accepting that this little one was here now was a completely separate issue.
"Haa."
I sighed as I stared at Earth's Hwiryong blinking innocently back at me.
And at the baby yellow dragon in the Kanghwan Realm, sleeping soundly in Horus's arms.
'As expected, it must be my 「Avatar」 influencing this somehow. No matter how mystical dragons are, it doesn't make sense for it to be born with this ability right away.'
Tiny bodies existing in both Earth and the Kanghwan Realm.
Of course, they didn't perfectly replicate my unique skill mechanisms.
If anything, they were a downgraded version of 「Avatar」.
'The one remaining in the Kanghwan Realm is definitely the main body. The one that appeared on Earth now... is it projecting that body directly into this world?'
Who else could be the ultimate expert on this?
Thanks to the insight naturally honed as my 「Avatar」 ability evolved repeatedly, it didn't take long to grasp the situation.
'Only one body can be projected like this. And there's a limit to its scope.'
The biggest difference from myself was that Hwiryong's ability came with various additional constraints.
If Hesperon, bearer of 「Chains of the Blood Oath」, grew stronger later and called it from elsewhere, maybe—but for now, this manifestation was the extent of what it could do.
And that wasn't all.
The moment it projected, the main body in the Kanghwan Realm fell into hibernation, defenseless. Any damage to the linked body was shared with the main body, among other drawbacks.
It was inevitably quite different from my 「Avatar」, which could operate main body and clones as completely independent entities.
'Well, Hwiryong's main body is smack in the middle of the Golden Turtle Island base, so no real danger there.'
Plus, the projected body could cancel manifestation anytime, so in a dire moment, it could just withdraw.
Just like how I've dodged plenty of crises with 'summon release'.
"You're really something, huh? That decisiveness to act immediately just because it seemed possible."
[Pihihiit—! Kyak kyak!] "...Yeah, yeah. Good job, good job."
I chuckled and stroked Hwiryong's head as it beamed with joy at the praise.
This time, I hadn't noticed, allowing the sudden intrusion, but since I held the reins of this relationship, it wouldn't happen again.
[Kyaaang! Kyak!] "Yeah, yeah. Here, is this what you wanted to try?"
Since it had come this far, it wouldn't hurt to set everything aside for a bit and play with this little one.
I draped the whiny, childlike Hwiryong around my neck like a scarf and showed it around my residence, feeding it various snacks.
'Warm. It looks like a total reptile, but it's not cold-blooded—it's warm-blooded.'
This vast space, used only by me until now, suddenly had a guest, stirring emotions I hadn't realized were there.
Suddenly, an impulse I thought I'd grown numb to welled up inside.
"...Man, I thought I was over this."
Was I lonely too?
With multiple bodies, I did several times the socializing of others, so I thought it was fine—but apparently, surface-level connections couldn't fulfill everything.
'At least to Taesan... No, no. This isn't the time to get sentimental.'
It was just when full-scale conflict with the Reverse Heaven Society was beginning.
I couldn't create weaknesses when I didn't know what Awakeners they'd deploy or what schemes they'd unleash.
Casually mouthing off now might put my friend in even more danger.
'It's fine. I have plenty of talented people fighting alongside me against them now. Once everything's done...'
I shook my head to clear the thoughts and turned to Hwiryong, gently stroking its body.
The time together on Earth wasn't long, but I couldn't keep it here forever.
"Alright, had enough fun? Time to head back. They're waiting for you to wake up over there."
[Kyuuung...] "Hey, you can come play again next time. It's not just today."
[Kyak!] Hwiryong had only been on Earth for a few hours.
But in the time-dilated Kanghwan Realm, a full day had already passed.
Dragons were a sleepy species by nature, so it wasn't strange, but for Golden Turtle Island preparing a festival for the newly born yellow dragon, it must have been disappointing.
Shhh—
Sensing my feelings, the baby dragon nodded and its body began to fade away.
The warm sensation gradually receded.
Just before it vanished completely.
Thud—
Its head, smaller than my fist, touched my forehead.
And after a brief moment.
I was left alone in the middle of the spacious living room, as usual.
"......"
The house felt emptier than usual.
I stood there, gazing at the scene where cold silence now reigned, as if the frantic activity moments ago had been a lie.
"Ha! A newborn acting all bold..."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
What was funnier was that this trivial act actually made me feel comforted.
Is this why people get pets?
"...Well, it does feel a bit empty for the size. Maybe I should get a few as a hobby."
Something as clever as that one would be nice.
I roughly sorted my thoughts and checked on other ongoing situations.
Sorting the spoils from the Heavenly Demon Divine Church's warehouse was long finished.
From divine weapons imbued with special powers and monster cores, to materials harvested from high-rank yokai, and even a fair number of spirit pearls.
We had more than enough items convertible to energy.
'Shame we couldn't get a pristine yellow dragon spirit pearl.'
That was unavoidable.
Would the Demon Church really leave such a treasure untouched for decades?
The spirit pearls, tainted by experiments and demonic arts training, had long lost their original purity, reduced to mere energy lumps.
'Plus, that scoundrel Tam, the Heavenly Mechanism Demon Immortal and military advisor, wouldn't have left them alone.'
Anyway, energy was secured, but sadly, we couldn't immediately start the next hatching ritual.
The Azure Dragon's biggest issue was energy, which was why I mentioned it first—but naturally, such a grand ritual required more than that.
'Pushing too hard could strain maintaining the alternate dimension. No helping it; we need more time to reduce the burden.'
Maybe because Hwiryong refreshed my mind.
I finally realized I'd been overly hasty.
It must be the stress building up unconsciously from clashing with that formidable foe, the Reverse Heaven Society.
The more I dealt with them, the more I learned, the larger the shadow of their leader loomed.
An absolute being who could literally overturn the world and reshape Earth's order, yet held them on a tight leash, controlling them thoroughly.
'If not for whatever reason they stick to the shadows, the world would already be under Reverse Heaven Society rule.'
That constraint probably deeply tied to why their leader can't use powers freely.
A limitation applying not just to their personal might, but to the organization built on it.
'And the longer time passes, the weaker that restraint becomes.'
That's why they roam dimensions, wrecking worlds.
We needed to settle things before their leader fully broke free.
It was true the fight against Earth's would-be god weighed on me, and if it came to that, I couldn't guarantee Korea—my main base—would survive unscathed.
'I have the 「Dragon Lair」, so I can hole up anywhere... but everything I've built would go up in smoke.'
The entire Korean peninsula would become a battlefield.
Nuclear missiles from China turning the land to inferno, and the moment we block them, all-out war with the Reverse Heaven Society.
I doubted someone plotting to kill over half of humanity cared about a mere tens of millions.
"Hoo, no wonder I'm in a rush."
But coldly analyzing the intel so far, that moment wasn't imminent.
At least a few more years.
As the saying goes, 'haste makes waste'—better to respond calmly and sequentially than rush and botch it.
"First, the all-out pressure encroaching from all sides. Our capable talents are handling it well so far, but..."
Howard Industries, which made a name selling magic tools worldwide; Blood Alliances and vampire organizations everywhere, with idol Licorice as their front; even diplomatic assaults on Korea itself just recently.
'Probably the Reverse Heaven Society's doing.'
They hadn't resorted to direct force yet, but it was still no small matter.
The sheer scale difference made it inevitable.
'Still manageable. That's why we reorganized intel networks and rallied subordinates.'
So, what did I need right now?
To avoid being dragged around, to flip the board, to buy more time—what was essential?
"Information. On the Reverse Heaven Society Leader. And their exact goals."
What we'd uncovered so far was superficial.
For fundamental countermeasures, to preempt their schemes, grasping the detailed causal links was priority.
And very conveniently.
A perfect method had just finished preparing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ OMINOUS VOICE ⚙ [The ideology and beliefs of those who embrace great causes are always revealed in their past deeds.] [I shall thoroughly unearth them. Your path thus far.] The overwhelming presence filling the darkness vanished in an instant.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ This world had perished.
Demons roamed the surface freely, and humans hid underground to escape them.
The few surviving humans killed each other over scarce resources, indulging only in plunder, with no will left to resist the demons.
Those brave souls who once dreamed of the impossible and challenged it had all fallen to purgatory.
"Kuhuk! I-I won't forgive you... I'll definitely... kill you, Rapua...!"
In this world, dying while toyed with by demons was as natural as a disaster.
Acquaintances would just pity your bad luck, never dreaming of vengeance against the culprit.
It was impossible from the start.
"Haa, haa... Demons, demons! If only I could contract with a demon stronger than the one he contracted...!"
But if a fellow human was behind it, the story changed.
If the wildfire that burned everything you had was deliberate arson, then the arsonist was the true enemy!
The problem was that arsonist ruled from an untouchable height as the apex predator of this ruined world.
Demon Contractor.
Humanity's betrayer, a slave who sold everything to demons.
Yet promised wealth and glory in life, they were little more than demonic playthings—demon contractors.
"Great One, Supreme Being. I offer my soul and body. Please... avenge this gut-wrenching grudge..."
Thus, many aspired to become demon contractors.
What happened after death mattered less than the immediate reality—nothing special about that!
The young man performing the ritual here shared that mindset, conducting the ceremony to become one.
Overcoming hardships to learn the method, lavishly using rare materials.
But becoming a demon contractor wasn't easy.
The reason was simple.
It was more fun that way.
The method this youth obtained was one of the fakes demons scattered for amusement.
Excruciatingly difficult, utterly ineffective flailing.
If he had even a shred of contractor talent, maybe a slim chance—but sadly, he had none.
Wooooong—
Thus.
The phenomenon now occurring was unmistakably anomalous.
Darkness gathered over the altar the youth meticulously prepared.
A fog like an impenetrable abyss began taking form.
"Ooooh! Eternal Great Demon! Heed my call—!"
But the youth, with zero knowledge until recently focused on mere survival, couldn't know.
He simply rejoiced at the expected response, shouting fervently.
⚙ DEMONIC VOICE ⚙ [Eternal Great Demon...? Where did you hear such a lowly name?] At that moment, an eerie voice emanated from the altar's center.
An overwhelming presence like all the world's evil condensed into one.
⚙ DEMONIC VOICE ⚙ [Kekeke, I am the king of all the dead, the lord of death.] Under the crushing pressure that threatened to shatter his soul just by facing it, the youth gasped raggedly.
He struggled to hold onto his mind, but it was his limit.
As consciousness faded.
A terrifying voice drifted in faintly.
⚙ IDENTITY REVEALED ⚙ [I am Hannibal Strauss.]