#93 Are They All Crazy?
Park, the owner of the chicken joint in Cheorwon, startled as usual the moment he stepped out the door that morning.
“Ugh.”
A skeleton stood right in front of him.
Clatter-clack!
The skeleton saluted crisply upon spotting Park. It was about a meter tall, and lately, it had been showing up every day right at opening time, waiting patiently.
“Aigoo, you scared me.”
Park shook his head with a wry smile and beckoned the skeleton over.
“Come on in.”
Clatter-clack!
The skeleton waddled inside and, as if it were the most natural thing, grabbed the broom from the corner. It stood awkwardly for a moment before starting to sweep.
“Heh, still as bizarre as ever, no matter how many times I see it.”
By the time Park had fried up two chickens—one plain, one sauced—and packed them, the skeleton had finished sweeping and was standing quietly, waiting.
This skeleton was one of S-rank Awakener Hades's minions. In the narrow streets of Cheorwon, it was practically a local celebrity now.
When the chicken was handed over, the skeleton tapped the top of its skull.
Click!
The crown of its head popped open, revealing bills tucked inside. Park took the money and closed it back up.
“Here you go. Good work today.”
Clack!
The skeleton saluted with the plastic bag of two chickens in hand. Park returned the salute smartly.
“Anyway...”
Watching the skeleton's retreating figure, Park glanced up at the sky.
“Why's it so overcast? More snow coming?”
To be precise, it was over there. Thick clouds had rolled in from the northern sky beyond Cheorwon, blanketing the entire area.
Rumble— Boom—
Park chuckled as he watched mana infuse the skeleton's body, sending it racing off like the wind with a clattering stride.
“You see all kinds of things in this world.”
Theo clutched a steaming hot drumstick.
It had gone cold during delivery, but to him, fried chicken was the pinnacle of earthly delights.
Crunch!
Theo gnawed away at the drumstick. Its charm lay in that sturdy, pointy bone.
He devoured a whole chicken in moments, set the bones down, and unleashed his mana.
Clatter-clack!
The bones twitched to life, assembling into a chicken skeleton.
[Hmm.]
Theo pondered the chicken skeleton. It was headless, just a neck on a body, yet it strutted around like it thought it was a real bird.
[Hmmm...]
Arms crossed, Theo watched it for a bit before waving it off. The bones collapsed back into a pile as he muttered to himself.
[It's odd. These things used to just follow orders...]
He glanced at the skeleton that had delivered today's chicken.
[It's like they're self-learning.]
Why? They were acting like they had intelligence, picking up skills on their own.
To be exact, this had started when...
Right.
...after he'd lost all his demonic energy and begun accumulating pure mana.
And then...
This constellation gauntlet.
...it had accelerated once he'd started borrowing Kang-ho's constellation gauntlet on the sly.
Theo was seriously pondering this unprecedented phenomenon.
After a long think, he shook his head.
[Guess I'll have to watch and see.]
The fresh jiangshi corpses he'd acquired were intriguing playthings.
He'd encountered evil Taoist arts like this plenty in the Demon Realm, even fought jiangshi makers before.
These jiangshi used strong warriors' bodies overall.
But the preservation was a mess—probably intentional post-processing.
It was like...
They were made as disposable weapons.
Jiangshi optimized purely for offense.
Normally, when crafting jiangshi or skeletons, you balanced attack, defense, and regeneration for longevity.
One-sided ones burned out like consumables.
How many bodies do you need to waste like this? Such a shame.
Theo clicked his tongue and decided to keep the least damaged one.
He didn't know its original owner, but it'd been powerful in life.
Freshly turned, with minimal wear.
[You're worth reviving.]
Theo buried the rest properly in a pit.
He handled corpses but never disrespected life. That was his creed.
Suddenly.
Boom-boom— Crash!Rumble-crackle!
Chaos erupted outside the cave.
[What's with the weather lately?]
Theo grumbled as he stepped out.
Swoosh—
In Cheorwon's northeast, beyond the old border, at the foothills once called Mount Geumgang.
A brutal blizzard whipped through, the sky darker than ever.
Whoosh!
Theo spotted ice fairies fleeing in panic, huddling into his cave.
[......]
Rumble— Boom!
Flash!
A massive bolt unlike any before cracked the pitch-black sky.
Flash!
With each strike, shapes emerged in the clouds: a colossal dragon and a horse-like beast.
Crackle!
Lightning rained down like biblical judgment.
Blizzard and bolts together made it a full-on natural disaster.
[Never a dull moment in this world.]
Theo let out a hollow laugh.
How long had the aerial battle raged?
Screee—
Something pierced the clouds, plummeting down.
A massive dragon form, ten meters long.
Thud!
It crashed into the ground, gasping.
Clutched protectively to its chest was something precious.
Theo stared, then shifted to the dragon.
[That...]
It was the Ice Dragon egg he'd gotten back.
[...?]
It was the Ice Dragon.
Her eyes locked on Theo.
He felt something uncanny—an all-too-familiar scent, like the log cabin he'd just left.
She slowly rose, her massive bulk heaving, and warned him.
[You. Get away.]
[What?]
[It's dangerous here.]
Flash!Boom!
A gigantic bolt slammed down.
A brilliant yellow Kirin descended, hovering midair, its body crackling with golden lightning that lit the world.
[...Who are you?]
The Kirin's voice boomed.
Theo scowled.
[What's this mess? Why fight in front of my lab?]
[...Lab?]
Theo turned to the Ice Dragon.
[That egg—I got it back from some Xiao Shin bastard. Why do you have it?]
[Pardon...?]
Theo frowned at her bewilderment.
[You with those Chinese guys too?]
[No.]
The Kirin answered.
[She is the egg's mother.]
[What?!]
Theo scratched his head, scowling.
[Did Kang-ho give it to you?]
[You know Master Choi Kang-ho...?]
Theo sighed deeply at her question.
Then he asked the Kirin.
[So what's going on here?]
[...I am...]
That's when it hit—a massive mana surge from behind.
Theo turned as a man pierced the blizzard.
His eyes darted wildly.
That's Hades.
Odd.
Isn't Hades with Choi Kang-ho's crew?
This was no-man's-land, far from Kang-ho, not even an ant around.
Once Mount Geumgang, famed for its seasons—now a living dungeon, monster-infested hellhole.
Rugged terrain, vile weather; no hunters came this far.
Jackpot?
The man's name: Zhang Wei.
Greed lit his eyes.
Heaven's smiling on me.
This Awakener world looked civilized but was lawless anarchy.
China especially.
He'd come stealthily. Hundreds of kilometers empty.
Easy cleanup.
His gaze shifted from Kirin to Ice Dragon to egg, then Theo.
“Kirin!”
Zhang Wei shouted.
“Kill that one too! Hurry!”
[......]
The Kirin turned to the man.
[Zhang Wei. That man has no connection.]
“Quick! Him too!”
Zhang Wei yelled urgently.
But the Kirin shook its head firmly.
[No. No more debts or grudges. My repayment has exceeded your grace.]
“Argh... Stubborn fool!”
Zhang Wei gnashed his teeth.
He pulled talismans from his robes.
That guy? Theo Itilurg Gamigin, S-rank #20 for sure.
The insane power from Xiao Shin's footage—the key to unifying China.
Zhang Wei scattered talismans everywhere.
“Then finish the Ice Dragon quick!”
With that, he charged Theo.
[......]
Zhang Wei's talismans flew, forming eerie Chinese characters.
[Fire]
The fire character ballooned, spewing flames everywhere.
[Thunder]
The thunder one unleashed bolts, while the rest swirled around Zhang Wei in perfect defense.
Theo eyed them and gritted his teeth.
Same as that Xiao Shin bastard.
Meaning...
Another Chinese prick.
Theo backstepped lightly, scowling.
Stronger than Xiao Shin, though?
It stung his pride.
Why do these worlders lose it whenever they see me? Are they all crazy?
Absurd.
Theo was the Demon Realm's #4 lord—unthinkable there, routine here.
Roooar—
Mana surged from him.
Why build his lab so far from Cheorwon's log cabin?
One: To spare Seol-a ugly sights.
[You think I'm easy pickings?]
Mana erupting, Theo slammed the ground.
Hummm!
His massive mana amplified through the constellation gauntlet, surging into the earth.
It spread across Mount Geumgang!
Wriggle— Wriggle—
The Ice Dragon looked alarmed.
The ground heaved like a living thing everywhere.
Reason two: Countless monster corpses buried here.
Rumble-rumble!
“...?”
Zhang Wei flinched, stepping back instinctively.
Skeletons burst from the soil, countless soldier-skeletons retaining their living forms, emerging with clear, brilliant blue glows in their sockets.