Beyond Elite Black Evil Earth Dragon (1)
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This time, the full mobilization order for the active Imperial Army included the territorial forces as well.
Thus, Paju Territory's Brigadier General Kim Ungbang was preparing to depart for the Beijing outpost city with his two sons.
"Be careful, dear. Make sure our boys don't get hurt."
"Don't worry."
"You have to stick close to the Third Prince. The boys need to catch his eye..."
"Enough. I'll handle it."
After finishing her conversation with her husband, Honda Mitsui looked straight into Kim Taepyeong and Kim Taecheon's eyes.
"You know this is your golden opportunity, right?"
"...Yes."
"Yeah, we know."
"Make up for your mistakes this time. If you stand out in front of the Third Prince, you could even transfer to the central Imperial Army."
After touring the Jirisan subjugation operation, her two sons had been cowed in everything they did. They'd failed to get their preferred postings upon commissioning and had no choice but to serve in the Paju territorial army.
I hope this wave defense becomes the foundation for the boys to grow.
Honda Mitsui saw her husband and sons off to Beijing.
Father must have left Kyushu Territory by now too.
Her father, Honda Kazuo, was a key backer of the Third Prince.
All the influential Japanese figures in the Empire sided with the Third Prince.
Until recently, the Third Prince had been evenly matched with the First Prince in terms of power.
But now, he was even being pushed back by the Fifth Prince's faction, cornered on all sides.
He was eyeing this defense battle as a chance for a comeback.
Her father was cautious and meticulous.
He didn't put all his faith in the Third Prince alone.
How many insurance policies did he have tucked away?
Paju Territory was one of them.
Honda Mitsui pulled a small vial from her pocket.
She still had the poison her father had arranged to deliver through an agent.
Her father, Honda Kazuo, was a terrifying man.
Poison her husband of twenty years?
Her own son-in-law?
...I could never.
Honda Mitsui loved her husband.
If she didn't, she wouldn't have borne him two sons.
But she didn't discard the poison vial.
She simply slipped it back into her pocket.
Identification code BEM-C04: The Black Evil Earth Dragon's sudden northward advance.
A wave warning alert for the Beijing outpost city spread across the entire Empire.
The Ministry of National Defense issued a full active-duty mobilization, and the media pumped out articles daily.
The Samhan Empire is in danger. National disaster-class monster marching north.
A massive number of elite monsters advancing alongside the Beyond monster horde.
Ministry of National Defense issues full mobilization! Frontier pioneer units returning en masse.
Plans underway to mobilize reserves or civilian awakeners as well.
It was a national crisis, but some saw it as an opportunity.
Crown Prince Ryu Jinyoung declares he will stake his life on Beijing wave defense.
First Prince Ryu Jinsu also joins the fray to halt the Black Evil Earth Dragon's advance.
All five princes participating, along with the First, Second, and Third Princesses.
This is noblesse oblige—the moral duty of the noble-born.
The Emperor's children—five sons and three daughters—all declared their participation.
But there was a hidden motive.
It all stemmed from the youngest, Fifth Prince Ryu Jincheol.
He'd joined the Jirisan monster subjugation but stayed out of the public eye for some reason.
His siblings had mocked him for it.
Rushing into an obscure operation with nothing to show for it.
But something unforeseen happened.
The Emperor had summoned Ryu Jincheol privately and lavished him with praise.
He'd even bestowed a top-grade elixir.
In that desperate crisis, he'd never fled, fighting bravely to the end for the Imperial soldiers.
That catapulted the Fifth Prince—who'd never even been on their radar—into the spotlight as a top contender for the throne.
And then the Black Evil Earth Dragon incident erupted.
Naturally, the princes and princesses had no choice but to declare their participation one after another.
With things escalating, their backers went into high alert.
Mirinae Group Chairman Lee Gieon was personally directing support for the First Prince. They'd get separate aid from the imperial family and military, but it wouldn't be enough.
How many combat units and civilian awakeners followed the First Prince?
Elixirs were a given, plus weapons, armor, consumables like treatments and mana restoratives, and funding.
"We've secured all the logistics the First Prince requested, right?"
"Almost all prepared, but..."
"But what?"
Lee Gieon snapped at his eldest son and vice president, Lee Byoungwoo.
"Th-there's something hard to obtain."
"Spit it out! We need to move heaven and earth right now."
"T-Taehong restoratives. The First Prince is requesting 300 right now."
"...Damn it!"
Of all things, Taehong restoratives?
He was furious, on the verge of exploding.
But he had to separate business from personal grudges.
The group survived only if the First Prince thrived.
They'd originally aimed for the Crown Prince but found too much competition there.
So they'd pivoted to the First Prince.
No regrets.
A powerhouse rivaling the Crown Prince.
Plus, the Crown Prince had too many weaknesses.
That was why the other princes kept fighting for the throne to the bitter end.
The First Prince needed to shine in this wave defense too.
Whatever he asked for, they had to deliver.
If he ascended, Kim Taeju would be first on the chopping block.
He wouldn't die easy.
Every torment imaginable—he'd make him suffer them all.
For that day, he'd endure any humiliation now.
"...How many Taehong restoratives do we have secured?"
"About 120."
"Hoo."
Not available in New Seoul.
Only sold in Gurye.
"Send someone straight to Gurye. Buy them there."
"Local sales are halted. All production's gone to the military."
"Shit! What the hell..."
Suddenly!
Throb!
A stabbing pain in his chest.
He'd been overworking day and night lately.
"...Urgh, a-any way?"
"We're buying off Oi Market at a premium. But even that's short on stock."
"Money's no object, but we can't buy them?"
Mirinae Group had its own pharma division.
Having to buy someone else's pills—and none available? Infuriating.
This was all Kim Taeju's fault.
Everything traced back to him.
Nothing went right because of that bastard.
Lee Gieon's rage boiled over.
His face flushed beet red from skyrocketing blood pressure.
"B-buy them no matter what! Double—no, triple the price if you have to... B-buy... guh!"
He clutched his chest and collapsed.
"Gahk!"
"F-Father! Father! P-please, come to!"
His son Lee Byoungwoo panicked and supported him.
"No one's outside? Call an ambulance, now!!!"
The ambulance arrived, rushing him to the ER for intensive care, but once unconscious, Lee Gieon never woke.
Diagnosis: acute myocardial infarction causing brain damage.
A vegetative state.
Rare for an awakener to drop from a heart attack, but there it was.
Taeju spent three days hunting Giant Moon Bears with Ilbaek, Ibaek, and Samback across Seoraksan, Chiaksan, and the Odaesan ridges.
Enough to worry if the southern Samhan Empire's Giant Moon Bear population might go extinct.
But no need to fret.
Were bear gallbladders exclusive to Giant Moon Bears?
The Goliath Grizzlies in the northern Siberian border regions were bear-type monsters too, as were the Blue-Eyed Polar Bears farther up.
They'd have gallbladders worth testing later.
One Giant Moon Bear gallbladder yielded about 4,000 restoratives.
Plus regular mana crystals, variant mana herbs, mana grass, and more.
Taeju had gathered 120 gallbladders this time, with another 60 in Taehong Bio's warehouse—180 total.
Enough for 720,000 Taehong restoratives mathematically.
The military only requested 20,000.
Materials plentiful, makers Taeju plus Baek Changhoon and Jang Suncheol—three in total.
A day's work to finish.
But who knew how things might play out? Better stock at least 300,000.
Thus, Taeju and his disciples toiled nonstop in the pharma lab.
"You're getting proficient now. Yang Heat Technique, Yin Chill Technique, even Needle Penetration."
"Heh, thanks. I can feel my skills shooting up. Might hit Master at this rate."
"Pfft, Master? Don't get ahead of yourself. How could we..."
Taeju chuckled.
"No, you'll both reach Master within a year. Master the Five Elements Divine Arts, and it's a done deal."
Both were currently Middle Experts.
One elixir each, and Superior Expert to Master was easy.
However.
"But don't think Master is the end. It's just the beginning. Even among Masters, the gap is vast—you know that."
"Yes, sir!"
Restorative production went smoothly.
High proficiency from mass production.
Military shipment already exceeded in the first batch, so they could take it easy.
Occasionally checking news on the lab TV.
- How's the Great Wall situation today?
- Massive monster horde has advanced to 20km south of the Wall. Concentrated barrages thinning them, but we'll have to halt fire soon.
- Halt fire? Why?
- Elite monsters trailing the regulars northward. Half-measures won't kill them—might even trigger evolution.
- Evolution?
- Adapting to Earth weapons. Like giving them the vaccine.
- So compatible awakeners deploy directly. Casualties a concern.
- Still, expect far fewer losses than predicted.
- Why...?
- Thanks to the miracle drug, Taehong restorative from Taehong Bio Pharma.
"Oh! Our meds made the news."
"Heh heh, feels rewarding."
Baek Changhoon and Jang Suncheol beamed with pride.
Hard to not feel good when their creation got name-dropped.
- Anyway, we can't ignore the culprit: the Beyond Elite Black Evil Earth Dragon. What kind of monster is it?
- As you know, one that survived a nuke and helped ruin China. About 100m long, 20m tall, crocodile-like with ironclad hide shrugging mana blades.
- Main attacks?
- Slow overall, but its tongue is the terror.
- Ah, the tongue.
- Long reach, blinding speed. Plus corrosive poison saliva—melts people, cars, tanks, concrete, even elite gear.
Taeju flinched while watching the TV news.
He paused, deep in thought, then scooped up Samback—who was sprawled belly-up, dead asleep—and stood.
"Huh? Master, heading in to rest?"
"Thanks for the hard work. We'll handle the rest."
Taeju shook his head.
"Might run short on materials. Need more gallbladders. This'll take time—a week maybe. Keep producing while I'm gone."
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't worry, Master."
He called Baek Seoyeonn and Baek Hongpyo too, notifying them he'd be away sourcing materials.
Black Evil Earth Dragon... powerful corrosive poison from its long tongue...
Just thinking about it set his blood aflame.
Holding a lottery in the Celestial Realm was fraught with issues.
Were immortals ordinary folk?
They'd use every trick to snag their desired prizes.
So for fairness, Poison Immortal Dang Gunak poured his heart into it.
A lotto-style ball draw.
He commissioned Iron Wall Immortal for a thick steel drum, had Gwigok Seonin and Galhong Seonin engrave it with seals.
Impervious to external interference.
Balls marked with numbers and item names went inside.
All identical size and weight.
Mini-seals obscured numbers and text.
Why the hassle?
He couldn't trust the immortals.
How trust those who'd rob the Peach Garden over "insufficient virtue"?
Dang Gunak slowly turned the handle on the drum's side.
Balls rattled inside.
Immortals sat demurely before it, eyes wide with anticipation, clutching priority exchange vouchers by number.
Not exchanges—priority purchase rights with celestial coins.
Tension thick.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed.
No one spoke.
Roll roll roll.
A ball emerged through the chute.
Immortals gripped their vouchers tighter, palms slick with sweat.
Dang Gunak held the fully ejected ball forward, revealing the hidden mark.
Number 24: Top-Grade Godiva Chocolate Set! Exchangeable for 5 celestial coins.
The number called—
"It hit!!!"
Immortal Heoryeong danced out joyfully.
"Haa!"
"Phew."
"Thank goodness."
"Damn it!"
Sighs of relief or despair.
Geomseon was relieved.
He had one target.
A wristwatch.
Win it, trade his junk for it.
Geomseon alone? Far from it.
Countless immortals fidgeted, praying for their number.
When it hit—
"It hit!"
...
A festival, plain and simple.
And watching incognito as the immortals reveled: Moon Palace Immortal.
What the hell are these idiots doing?