The Shaolin Temple located in Sungsan Fortress.
As expected, once the chaos settled down to some extent, those who had gathered for the meeting began to leave for their own strongholds one by one.
Some suggested that, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances, it might be wise to stay at Shaolin Temple for a while, but that only applied to a few factions that had suffered enough losses to make long-distance travel difficult.
Most were rushing to return and set up countermeasures as quickly as possible.
And that was the case for both the Zhuge Family and the Namgoong Family.
Originally, Zhuge Family, which primarily utilized formation techniques rather than pure martial arts, had not suffered excessively from the demon cult’s ambush, and the Namgoong Family, whose Sword Saint was still in peak condition, had more than enough power at their disposal.
‘I mentioned that the fight with the Ghost Sword Demon Master ended in a draw. Then the retreating demon cultists must still be led by that guy.’
Hugo quietly observed those preparing to embark on their long journey.
The Heavenly Demon had already been dealt with, but numerous remnants remained that couldn’t be ignored.
In the current situation, to swiftly eradicate them all…
“Ah, Sir!”
As he organized his thoughts, a now-familiar voice brushed his ear.
Among everyone’s busyness in the chaos, it was Namgoong So-ran, who visited at least once a day to check on him.
“…Please take care. If you plan to leave Zhuge Family, please consider us in Namgoong Family too!”
With both families now preparing to return home, given the terrible state of transportation in this world, it felt like an uncertain farewell.
“Well, Zhuge Family and Namgoong Family aren’t that far apart, and we often interact, so… maybe I can visit then…”
Of course, that was merely her personal desire.
The distance between the two families was twice that between Shaolin Temple and Zhuge Family.
After exchanging goodbyes with Namgoong So-ran, who mourned until the end, he bid farewell to others he had formed connections with during his time there.
During that process, he confirmed that Mok Ing-gwang, now referred to as ‘Old Ghost Demon,’ seemed to be planning to stay at Shaolin Temple for the time being.
After all, he had been interested in the suddenly vanished ‘Divine Ghost’ Harley, so waiting here would be reasonable to ensure they wouldn’t miss each other later.
‘…What’s this, Divine Ghost? What a vague naming! Ugh, I should have made that clear while I was here!’
But now, it was too late to vent his frustrations.
Originally, such nicknames are created by those outside, not claimed by the subjects themselves.
Unless Harley had been here to scold them and correct it, there was nothing he could do with the subject absent.
‘If I don’t do something before that nickname gets fully established…’
Though, that didn’t mean there was anything Hugo could do immediately.
Naturally, at this moment, he—
“…There’s a problem in the family. Everyone, discard any unnecessary baggage at once. We will move as quickly as possible.”
He had to begin an urgent forced march after receiving an urgent message from the family through magical means.
The entire world was being swept into the tempest of upheaval.
*
And at the center of this tempest.
The Sky Mountains of Shingang Fortress.
“…Hehe, I finally found it. So you were hiding here—.”
A black silhouette floated in the sky, gazing down the mountainside with a sinister smile.
He took in a small city nestled in the harsh mountains.
‘Impressive. To build a city of that size in such rough terrain. Moreover, the entire thing is surrounded by a formation, so if it weren’t for the “Eye of the Abyss,” it would have taken longer to find.’
Hans stroked his chin and whispered in admiration.
With farmland for agriculture and even large-scale livestock facilities, the environment was perfectly independent in every aspect.
Although small in scale, it could well be regarded as a city-state.
It was indeed the formidable presence of the Heavenly Demon Church, the mightiest and most terrifying force within the Ganghwan Realm, well surpassing any major clan.
‘Of course, none of that matters to me.’
From his eyes, a gaze filled with the essence of the abyss erupted.
At that moment, a portion of the chimera shaped like an eyeball could not withstand the surge of energy and began wriggling, but under Hans’s strong control, it managed to regain its form and nestled back inside the eye socket.
“Hmm— then shall we start lightly?”
With a low chuckle, a horrific dark energy began to overflow from his entire being, almost engulfing the entire mountain range.
An overwhelming aura that far surpassed the Heavenly Demon, who had been the ruler of this land until recently.
Rumble—
The once clear sky turned dark in an instant.
Amidst the clouds that had gathered unexpectedly, darkness spread across the ground beneath his gaze.
“——!”
“——?!”
Felt a sense of chaos erupting throughout the city.
Hans, an absolute being who had crossed dimensions to arrive in the Ganghwan Realm, solemnly declared.
[“Listen, mortals trapped in cabinets.”]
To ensure they grasped the situation properly.
[“I am the Supreme Sovereign of all demons.”]
So that no one dared to meet his gaze.
Thunder—
The thunder resonating from within the dark clouds trembled all around.
The deity manifesting all these phenomena indelibly marked his existence in this world.
[“Bow to the new Demon King.”]
Thus, the Demon King descended upon the Heavenly Demon Church.
*
While there were many similarities between dragons and dragons, the differences were equally evident.
Though they shared the same raw materials, the end results varied dramatically depending on how they were processed in between.
‘Among all, the biggest difference is that the birth of a dragon is not confined to purely hereditary aspects.’
In contrast to dragons, which can only continue their lineage through bloodlines, dragons could potentially be born through acquired traits.
Like the Imugi, who trained for a thousand years and became a dragon to ascend.
Although there was potential, the probability was exceedingly low, making such occurrences almost nonexistent, but 0 and 1 are fundamentally distinct.
However, such acquired methods only allowed one to become a different category of dragon, like a Chicken Dragon or an Ox Dragon, or a Winged Dragon.
The creatures collectively called the Five Dragons—Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, White Dragon, Black Dragon, and Yellow Dragon—could only be passed down through bloodlines.
Though dragons who train and elevate their ranks are not lacking in abilities compared to the Five Dragons, the mystical heritage accumulated through blood is not something to be underestimated.
It was only natural that those who inherited the name of the Five Dragons held decisive positions in the governance of Gonmudo.
And now, among those leaders…
“…So cute.”
“Cough, cough! That little brat is quite the tease.”
They were completely captivated by the unexpected appearance of a little child.
With a warm smile, the Blue Dragon kept patting Horus’s head, while the Red Dragon couldn’t take her eyes off him, continuously clearing her throat.
He was currently sitting in a quaint pavilion within a serene forest, being doted on without restraint with a feast laid before him.
‘It works even better than I thought.’
Seeing their exaggerated reactions, Horus, no longer shy, puffed out his chest and proudly raised his head.
“Here, here. Horus? Would you like to try this? The finest chef from Gonmudo, who has even served the Imperial Palace, has raised this pig using spirit silkworms…”
“Don’t just eat meat. Here, try this too. It’s simmered for ages with the essence of a thousand-year-old herbal ginseng…”
Delicacies were relentlessly offered to him.
Horus, with an arrogant expression, took them eagerly while recalling what had transpired since his arrival in Gonmudo.
‘I never expected things would go this well.’
Horus appeared suddenly without any prior warning.
Harley, having ruined the situation, had decided to just let things unfold, but of course, invading Gonmudo without permission was not something that could be easily overlooked.
If raised as an issue, it could have been quite serious…
‘But it hasn’t become a problem.’
There was only one reason.
He was now the last remaining ‘Yellow Dragon’ in this world.
‘Wow, how is it that the Gold clan faces extinction wherever they go, both here and in Auterica?’
However, upon reflection, it wasn’t mere coincidence.
The Yellow Dragon was the seat of the Five Dragons in the Ganghwan Realm and the leader of all Gonmudo, and it was the same in Auterica where he shared a similar lineage.
Naturally, from the perspective of those orchestrating the world’s destruction, it meant they had to be dealt with first.
Throughout history, the Undead Kings had been particularly relentless in hunting the Gold lineage among dragons, and the same was true for the Head of the Buncheon Society, who invaded the Ganghwan Realm and stole the Dragon Heart.
‘That means he didn’t just waltz in and leave with the Dragon Heart unopposed.’
Outwardly, it was merely reported that a winged outsider had caused a ruckus in the Imperial Palace and seized the Dragon Heart, but behind the scenes, many had fiercely resisted.
Human powers, including a small number of absolute masters centered around the Yellow household, and the supernatural beings around Gonmudo.
‘In the end, they were defeated, which is the problem. By the way, didn’t Harris say the original owner of the Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill also fell to that guy?’
The Head of the Buncheon Society didn’t move alone; the insidious forces of the Demon Cult, which had been quietly plotting for years, amplified the threat.
With sleeper agents and brainwashing spread throughout, it became impossible to trust even your own allies, and chaos erupted from all directions, making it impossible to gather strength recklessly.
The result— the Yellow household suffered a blow to its lineage, and its power was thoroughly fragmented, resulting in many masters losing their lives and plunging the world into chaos.
Gonmudo was devastated, and a majority of the Yellow Dragons and top leaders like the Qilin and the Black Turtle lost their lives as well.
“Nom nom nom… So what are the remaining dragons doing now?”
Horus nibbled away, listening intently, intrigued by the development.
He had easily achieved his original purpose—information gathering!
He was just passively receiving all that was offered!
“White Dragon and Black Dragon are in the Dragon God Shrine to maintain the broken balance. Those who can contribute their strength are there as well.”
“We were there until recently. It’s not a place where you can just hold out without a plan. If we don’t take turns to conserve our strength, we won’t last long.”
“…In fact, a few have already died.”
“If things keep going like this, we won’t last either. That’s why we were depending on the Dragon God’s message to solve this situation…”
Horus nodded slightly.
He could roughly guess why they reacted so sensitively when they saw Harley.
He briefly checked on Harley, who was wandering around the outskirts of Gonmudo guided by Cheong Gwan, and then refocused on the conversation.
It was clear that the two dragons weren’t treating an interdimensional dragon like him kindly just out of affection.
They had ulterior motives, hence their overly affectionate behavior…
Jom jom—
“How interesting. I didn’t know cheeks could get so puffy like this.”
“Red Dragon, it’s mealtime. You can’t be that distracting!”
“Stop braiding your hair and speak! Even if it’s not the main body, what on earth are you doing to a young boy?”
“But look at this hair. Doesn’t it look prettier this way?”
…Or is it?
Was it really just because he was cute?
As Horus immersed himself in a serious contemplation about his unknowingly charming appeal…
“Oh my, who would have thought that the Dragon Slayer was the Yellow Dragon’s guide? Though he’s quite different from the Yellow Dragon of this world…”
“Yeah, I can’t believe it, but it seems he’s enough to take on the Yellow Dragon’s karma. For now, that should suffice.”
“Goodness! No matter how you look at it, he looks less than a hundred… No, he doesn’t even look a fraction of that. How is this possible? What kind of world does he come from?”
The two dragons began exchanging serious discussions once more.
And it was then that the long-awaited topic about the ‘Child of the Dragon’ came up.
“Uh, so… are they sacrifices? To rebuild the lost Dragon Heart of this world?”
“Exactly. They are literally sacrificial offerings. The great and magnificent Dragon God arranged this personally.”
“Red Dragon…”
“Hmm.”
The Dragon God, the deity of the Ganghwan Realm.
Regardless of how things unfolded in the world, the being that had only watched over everything swiftly devised a solution the moment the Dragon Heart was torn from the Head of the Buncheon Society, scattering it across the world.
Even an indifferent deity would be considered a divine being in its own right.
Due to this, across the continent, several pregnant mothers residing over the strongest aura after the Dragon Heart had the ‘solution’ embedded in their unborn fetuses.
They were the Children of the Dragon.
Sacrificial offerings compelled to sacrifice for the world even before they were born.
“…The place for that ceremony is precisely the Dragon God Shrine, and our Five Dragons will serve as the priests who conduct it.”
“Seriously? What can we do? The Dragon God commands it. He probably doesn’t care what we think at all.”
Now openly speaking with hostility, the Red Dragon’s words made Horus nod in shock.
He could fully understand why she displayed such an attitude.
‘…Wow, there really is no recognition whatsoever.’
He had known since the beginning that divine beings were like that.
Entities with a colossal will who acted as managers of the world.
Though conveniently divided into good and evil deities based on their basic tendencies, in the first place, they are not beings that mortals can judge.
‘…This is tricky.’
His mind flashed through the connections he’d made here.
-“I’ll be here training hard, so please relay what’s happened there on my behalf, Sir. It’s a promise, okay?”
-“I’m indebted to you once again, God. I will surely repay this favor someday…”
With a frown, Horus exhaled a heavy sigh.
Somehow, things were resolving far too easily.
