#90 There's Something Wrong with the Land, It Seems.
The whole world seemed stuffed full of blizzards and gale-force winds. Amid it all, something descended like a phantom—a massive silhouette.
It was a dragon.
A brilliant azure glow poured from its entire body, while snowflakes swirled around it, creating an otherworldly aura. Blue haze rippled in every direction. Roughly ten meters long. Its azure scales gleamed menacingly, and its two bright yellow eyes stared straight at Kang-ho.
Kang-ho stared right back at the dragon.
That's the Ice Dragon.
It was truly mystical. SS-rank Fantasy Beasts were rare, but confirmed sightings existed. Among them—
A Fantasy Beast that controls the weather...?
This ability was on another level entirely. Even the ancient legends of such beasts didn't manipulate climate; they simply boasted overwhelming might. Fantasy Beasts were, after all, beings of myth. You only knew what they brought once you faced them.
But.
Aha.
Kang-ho sensed an alien power emanating from the dragon's heart. Only one thing could produce such intense energy: an Eternal Crystal.
The Eternal Crystal was breathing in the Ice Dragon's heart.
Krrruuuuurrrr!
The Ice Dragon let out a long, resounding cry. At once, the surrounding blizzard whipped up even more ferociously.
Kang-ho let out a short sigh.
"Hey."
Krrruuuuurrrr!
The Ice Dragon showed no sign of backing down.
"Hey?"
Snowballs soon gathered and hurtled toward Kang-ho, like spears made of ice.
Whiiiiiish!
Boom!
But Kang-ho casually swatted them away and spoke again.
"Looks like there's a misunderstanding here."
Startled by Kang-ho's power, the dragon's momentum faltered.
[......]
Kang-ho sized it up.
It's incomplete.
The aura it exuded was impressive, but its refinement was oddly sloppy. It felt like pure showmanship.
Aha—
Kang-ho realized why.
It's injured.
Not just any injury, but a massive one threatening its mana core.
"If you keep pumping out more mana, you're gonna be in trouble yourself. Why not ease up and calm down? It's a misunderstanding."
[......]
The Ice Dragon slowly descended to the ground. The blizzard around them gradually died down, turning into fat snowflakes drifting lazily.
There was something magical about Kang-ho's voice. Hearing it eased tension and quelled excitement.
[......Are you human?]
Soon, the dragon's voice echoed. It was a clear, beautiful soprano, resonating grandly as if vibrating the air itself.
"Human."
[Human...... Impossible...... Another human like this?]
The dragon trailed off, shaking its head.
Another?
Kang-ho scratched his head and walked past the dragon, looking down at the Thunderbirds impaled on the ground.
"I've been hearing that a lot lately. Not exactly welcome."
He breathed his mana into the frozen Thunderbirds.
Viiiing—
Cracks spread across their icy surfaces like glaciers fracturing, then—
Crash!
Kiiiiieeeek!
The two Thunderbirds shuddered, eyes snapping open in confusion.
Kang-ho checked their conditions and nodded.
"Good thing you're okay. You picked the wrong opponent."
Kiiiiieee......
The Thunderbirds were terrified. Classified as A-rank disaster beasts, they were aggressive and savage by nature, yet trembling uncontrollably.
Kang-ho gave a wry smile.
"Don't get down about it. The skies over this land are still yours. Go fetch your young and get out."
The Thunderbirds bolted skyward in panic.
Only then did Kang-ho turn back to the Ice Dragon.
[Y-You're one of them too...?]
"One of them?"
Kang-ho pondered, then approached the dragon.
"What do you mean?"
As he drew near, the Ice Dragon flinched and backed away.
[Y-You gonna attack...?]
Suddenly, he beckoned to Seol-a, who was peeking out from the cabin door.
"Seol-a, come here."
"Ung!"
Seol-a vaulted through the window like she'd been waiting and dashed to Kang-ho, hiding behind him and peeking at the dragon.
[White Fang... a subspecies?]
The dragon's eyes widened enormously.
Seol-a met its gaze and ducked back behind Kang-ho. She soon climbed onto his back, peeking over his shoulder again.
"Seol-a. Give that to me."
At Kang-ho's words, Seol-a pouted and pulled a candy from her pocket.
She hesitated, face screaming How'd you know?, but he shook his head.
"Not that. Time to return the egg."
Seol-a jumped in shock.
"Shiro!"
She wailed.
"Little brother!"
"No. Mom's here."
"!"
Seol-a's eyes went wide.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah."
This kid probably didn't know what a mom was. Kang-ho explained calmly.
"The one who laid that egg. The one who feeds it, puts it to bed, dresses it, takes care of it. Loves it fiercely and treasures it."
"!"
Seol-a looked at the dragon again, then whispered to Kang-ho.
"Me too."
"Huh?"
"Mommy."
Seol-a whispered that, then rubbed her forehead against Kang-ho's cheek and licked it slurp slurp.
Zing!
Kang-ho felt his heart drop—thump.
Heart-melting cuteness.
Thump!
Was the heart-thump too loud?
"......"
No. The Ice Dragon had collapsed onto the ground.
Kang-ho approached slowly. Its massive body was shrinking. Soon, the draconic form shifted into a woman's.
Blue-black hair cascaded luxuriantly to her waist. But before her curves caught the eye, the scars covering her body did—her whole form a wreck. Miraculous she was even alive. Height around 160-170 cm. Her skin was unnaturally pale, like the drifting snowflakes, and her half-lidded eyes held vivid blue irises.
Kang-ho clicked his tongue.
"Told you not to push it."
He hoisted her onto his back and trudged into the log cabin. He laid her on his bed and examined the wounds.
Sword slashes.
Insane sword wounds. Like the sharpest blade in the world had carved her up. And the sticky, eerie mana lingering in each prevented healing.
Not mana from this world.
Worse was near her heart—three stab marks. An unfamiliar Eternal Crystal power leaked from them.
Cough!
She hacked up blood, splattering Kang-ho.
He ignored it, placing his hand on her heart.
Hummmm—
A vast power surged as he touched it, flowing up his arm and through his body.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
The world shifted, plunging him into a navy-blue realm filled with Eternal Crystal power he'd seen before. It battered him warily.
He stepped back silently, and it vanished like a ghost, reality returning.
Need to heal her first.
* * *
"Ah, bro. I grabbed some ice cream on the way—want some?"
King chattered as he opened the door, then froze like ice.
"......"
He glanced outside, back at Kang-ho, took a deep breath.
Bed. Blood-soaked woman (total knockout). Naked. Kang-ho (his hero), covered in blood, looming over her.
"Hiiiieeeek!"
As King's imagination went south, Kang-ho cut him off.
"......Total misunderstanding."
"M-Misunderstanding?"
"Yeah."
Indeed, King quickly sensed the bizarre Eternal Crystal power wafting from her.
"Ice Dragon. Treatment's tricky."
"No way..."
King wasn't that shocked anymore—too many surprises lately. He slumped into a chair with a sigh.
Kang-ho placed his hands on her wounds one by one, infusing mana. His Beast Master innate ability, Regeneration, activated—rapid healing for beast wounds.
Worked since her essence was beastly. But tough.
What's this eerie mana in each wound?
Whoever inflicted them was overwhelmingly powerful.
Steadily healing—
"Whew."
Kang-ho wiped sweat from his brow and stood. The sun had fully set. Her wounds were mostly mended. Her pained face now relaxed.
. . . . . .
"......!"
The Ice Dragon opened her eyes at dawn. She rolled them around, trying to grasp the situation.
"......!"
The dragon squeezed her eyes shut.
What the hell?
Suddenly, she felt warm softness at her nape. Something fluffy brushed against her, then hopped away.
Creak—
Click—
The door shut, silence returning.
Only then did she turn her head. A familiar presence. By her bedside sat her egg—the one Seol-a had been hugging moments ago.
"......!"
Tears welled unbidden and streamed down her cheeks. She clutched her lost egg tightly.
Hummm—
Hummm—
The egg vibrated in her embrace. She'd flown halfway around Earth to find it.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, she noticed her wounds fully healed—even the supposedly irreparable heart damage and horrific gashes, all gone.
* * *
Creak—
Stepping outside, a wonderland unfolded.
"Ah...!"
She gasped in awe. Countless ice fairies had gathered, encircling the cabin. They peeked inside, spotted her, and cheered, showering the world in ice flowers.
She sank to the ground amid them, watching Kang-ho play with Seol-a.
"......"
Approaching him with lingering wariness, she asked,
"These wounds... you healed them all?"
Kang-ho smiled and nodded.
"Yeah."
Her face said she couldn't believe it.
"These are from the Heavenly Demon of this era...... How did you neutralize his infamous poison martial arts...?"