In the Ganghwan Realm, there were two major factions of dragons at the pinnacle of the divine beasts.
One was the Waryong (Five Dragons), born as dragons from the beginning and maturing with their bloodline, and the other was the Eungyeong (later born dragons), who ascended only after a long training period.
However, there was hardly any significant difference in capabilities between the two factions.
The bloodline of the Waryong was imbued with mysteries accumulated over long periods, yet those who managed to rise to the Dragon Gate solely through their own efforts, which was an exceedingly rare feat occurring once in a millennium, were not to be underestimated.
If one were to compare, it would be like distinguishing between someone born into nobility and a self-made billionaire.
The issue was that even among them, inevitable discrimination existed.
The Waryong clan, which had long ruled as established powers under the title of descendants of the dragon spirits, had a completely different standing compared to those from the Dragon Gate, even one who had risen to their level.
Their discrimination was evident from the leadership of Gonmudo that governed the Ganghwan Realm.
As Gonmudo was an alliance of various divine beasts and supernatural creatures, its leadership changed with the times, but typically the number of members remained between ten and twelve.
However, nearly half of those positions were permanently occupied by the Waryong.
Moreover, despite being an alliance, dragons could not possibly occupy every position, so ultimately, the only Dragon Gate born member to enter the leadership was Eungyeong.
The remaining slots were evenly distributed among others like the Qilin, Hyunmoo, and Gumiho.
Given such circumstances, it was only natural for dissatisfaction to accumulate.
Yet, those who became true dragons through the Dragon Gate, having transcended their limits after long training, did not openly express complaints.
Most of them focused on surpassing their limits rather than concerning themselves with such trivial matters.
However, not everyone felt that way.
In this world, there were ‘those’ aberrations.
“Are they all idiots? Why do they just accept this absurdity and move on?”
He could not accept the current reality.
Was it expected that a clan inheriting dragon blood would possess such advantages?
By that logic, he was similarly a descendant of the dragon spirit.
Even if his bloodline was like that of a bastard child due to the deterioration from the true lineage of the Waryong…
Until he was recognized as a true dragon through the Dragon Gate, he had been treated almost like a mere supernatural creature!
“Yet, how have I come this far…!”
After thousands of years of strenuous training, he had finally clawed his way up to this point.
And yet, he had to quietly watch as someone stood atop his head for such trivial reasons?
Every time he faced the various discriminations that pervaded the society, his entire body felt like it was breaking out in hives.
Frustrated, he sought out Eungyeong, a member of the leadership, but nothing changed.
With an attitude that seemed completely uninterested in such matters, Eungyeong merely reproached him for his lack of training.
“Am I the strange one? Are they right and I wrong?”
From that day onward, he pondered countless times, but no matter how much he considered it, he found no fault in himself.
During that time, fueled by his exceptional desire for improvement and ambition, a sense of rebellion began to swell rapidly within him, distorting his thoughts.
“No, the one in the wrong is those who practice favoritism and discrimination. I too am a descendant of the dragon spirit. I have legitimate rights and qualifications.”
Fury against a system he could not change by his own strength.
Jealousy towards those who enjoyed every privilege.
Greed for what he lacked and could never attain.
“So— this is a necessary sacrifice for reform.”
In an instant, the heart of rebellion that had erupted consumed him without giving him a moment to react.
Yet, he did not resist it in the slightest, instead, he naturally accepted it and…
Recklessly crossed a taboo that could never be undone.
Crack— Crack—!
If he couldn’t have it, he’d just take it.
It wasn’t hard to lure the naive young Red Dragon, who was now so pleased with her newly completed Yeouiju.
She firmly believed no dragon would harm her within the realm.
Such foolishness.
With his newfound second head hidden inside him, he continued his work.
His strength had notably increased, making the job easier than he had anticipated.
[W-What are you doing…! Gah!]
Three heads now.
His power had grown more swiftly than expected.
If he’d known this would happen, he would have used this method long ago.
He was on the brink of madness, regretting the wasted time.
[Do you think you can be forgiven for this…?]
Four heads now.
As he had thought, the effects were remarkable.
As his power increased, so did the caliber of the prey he could hunt, and the choices for whom to target became more diverse.
This must be what they call a virtuous cycle.
Centered around the original green head, red, black, and white heads each held a Yeouiju, twisting and howling in cacophony.
It seemed they weren’t quite accustomed to the arrangement yet.
Looks like I need to solidify my foundation for a while.
…Little did I know.
The situation worsened.
Even though those who completed their coming-of-age ceremony with Yeouiju were not that old, three young dragons suddenly vanished without a trace, making it impossible to avoid suspicion.
He needed to act quickly.
Damn it.
Despite having five heads now, the situation spiraled further into chaos.
The Gonmudo investigation team was tightening around him.
He thought he had prepared thoroughly and initiated the plan, but the investigation team’s movements were quicker than expected.
They dare hinder me to the end! Only the Huanglong remains…!
Though he hadn’t been discovered yet, it was only a matter of time.
Now it was all or nothing.
Whether discovered or not, he needed to act decisively and escape.
With defenses heightened, it was impossible to prey on young dragons as he had done before.
He needed to take a risk.
He lured in a seasoned Huanglong investigating the incident and ambushed it.
[You! How could you possess such power…?]
Having focused solely on the younger dragons, maybe the opponent was caught off guard, or his power gained through rampant consumption was more formidable than expected.
After a surprisingly easy struggle, he devoured the Huanglong and completed his sixth head.
[Hah— now I have truly become a monster. Why have I done this…?]
[Truly swallowed by madness, I see. Hiding my identity this long has been difficult indeed. We have been too lax.]
[Tsk, it must be due to the roots. This is why you shouldn’t accept just anyone.]
As a result, his identity was thoroughly exposed, and he was soon surrounded by a horde of foes.
Remarkably, each of the three main powers—Blue Dragon, Black Dragon, and Red Dragon—came personally to handle the crisis due to the seriousness of his actions.
Everyone thought that this overwhelming force would swiftly resolve the crisis.
In the end, they believed that this dreadful dragon would be subdued, and everything would return to peace.
Hack! Roots? Roots? How ridiculous! To think you would utter such words!
But the situation unfolded in a direction no one had anticipated.
Grroooowwww—
A different dimension of energy erupted from the Six-headed Dragon’s body like a volcano.
It wasn’t just the power of six dragons; it was as if something was completed, surpassing all limits altogether.
[Indeed, it would have been disappointing to stop at just five. Since we’ve started, I shall devour all of you Waryong!]
Normally, even if he devoured five dragons, he should not have been able to completely absorb their power.
There were inevitable losses in the process of stealing others’ strengths, and the Yeouiju, which serves as the medium for dragons to manifest their effects, was most effective when using one rather than several, which would drop efficiency drastically.
[Thinking about it, that’s indeed the most certain method! If all Waryong disappear from this world, and I devour the so-called “descendants of the dragon spirit”…!]
However, there was a variable: his foundation before becoming a dragon.
Though a bastard, he too carried the blood of the dragon spirit.
Not only had he proven his qualifications through thousands of years of training, but he had also forcibly awakened the power within his bloodline by siphoning the efforts of the dragons.
[…I shall be the only rightful heir to the dragon spirit!]
His origin was Tam (Greed).
The monster from the legends that devoured everything in existence and even itself.
*
“So? What happened next?”
…Underestimating the enemy’s forces became an issue. Many including the then Red Dragon perished, and the Blue and Black Dragons suffered significant injuries, forcing their retirement. Of course, the greedy dragon barely escaped with its life, having lost several heads.
As Horus’s eyes sparkled with excitement, the Blue Dragon continued telling the tale gently, like a parent recounting a bedtime story.
Indeed, it was a proper ancient narrative.
At the very least, it must have been an event that had transpired many decades ago.
“But Horus, why are you asking about this all of a sudden? It seems quite rare for you to show such interest in this subject.”
As she continued her story, she tilted her head curiously at Horus.
Certainly, that event was significant even in Gonmudo.
The chaos had triggered an overhaul of numerous discriminatory practices and conflicts thereafter.
…However, in the current situation where many of Gonmudo’s members, including dragons, had been wiped out by the recent upheaval instigated by the Head of Buncheon Society, the need for such reforms had, unfortunately, evaporated.
Given the critical situation that could lead to annihilation, discrimination seemed less important, creating a strong bond among everyone.
“Eh-heh… Just rebuilding the Dragon Heart isn’t the end, right? We need to gather info on those nasty beings ahead of time. That no-good dragon must be plotting something very nasty right now! ”
…That sounds about right. Even though they haven’t shown themselves directly, we can’t simply relax.
At his words, the Blue Dragon nodded heavily, as if she came to a realization.
Without her even realizing it, her hand gently stroked his soft and slender hair.
“I’ve learned something important from you, Horus. I’ve been so busy with the immediate crisis that I had set aside preparing for that guy, but it’s high time I should make plans against him.”
Cough!
Heheh.
…Of course, we would be short on manpower. But it would be better to overwork ourselves than to face a significant issue later.
While earnestly stroking Horus’s head, Blue Dragon momentarily closed her eyes to reflect.
Feeling very smug about her troubled appearance, Horus suddenly shifted his gaze as he licked his lips in thought.
…So that’s what happened? It doesn’t seem like we’re in a normal dimension. In Auterica, a human god was causing trouble, but here a bastard of the dragon spirit is creating chaos instead!
Of course, it was the Head of the Buncheon Society that dealt a critical blow to the Ganghwan Realm, but the influence of Yaliuhuan, who was in the ranks of the demon cult at that time, was not negligible either.
Moreover, upon hearing the tale, it seemed he was also likely to become a disaster on par with the Undead King of Auterica.
Considering that the severed heads appear to be alright now, he must have completed his recovery. Also, there are no dragon corpses remaining at the demon cult’s headquarters, which likely means he devoured them all!
It was clear that the Head of Buncheon Society and the Heavenly Demon were aware of him being a supernatural creature, thus somewhat tolerating his acts of consumption.
Of course, since he didn’t hunt them personally, there would have been limits to the siphoned strengths, and he wouldn’t have grown explosively as the legends suggested.
To him, it was an incredibly fortunate circumstance.
Hmm, even so, the current level seems to be within the expected range.
Horus nodded with a satisfied smile.
In this cozy atmosphere—not the headquarters of Gonmudo in the Ganghwan Realm…
But rather, on a battlefield where fierce battles were raging.
GRAAARGH—! These damn bugs! How annoying!
With a thunderous roar, a storm whipped through the surroundings.
Rumble—!
Those lacking sufficient skill trembled, spitting out blood and staggering at the waves of intense emotions contained within.
But even so, the undead army, cloaked in dense Abyss energy, paused only briefly in the eddy of energy.
Soon, they moved mechanically, wiping out the enemies one by one.
In the end, only the demon cultists suffered the brunt of the damages, yet amidst all that, the Six-headed Dragon could not remain calm.
He couldn’t help it…
GROOOOOWWWW—!
Just then, a furious roar resounded at the front, responding to his thunderous voice.
A sound filled with thick death energy, one that could hardly be deemed living.
Crash—!
Shortly after, the destructive waves he had experienced multiple times before surged toward him.
Ugh! No chance!
The six Yeouiju shone brightly, weakening the onslaught focused on him, staggering, dispersing, and eventually vanishing without piercing his defense.
This back-and-forth had already occurred several times.
However, the present situation was more complicated than it seemed on the surface.
What the hell, what on earth is that thing doing…?
All six heads of the Six-headed Dragon growled simultaneously as they surveyed their surroundings.
After he began to reveal himself and started fighting, the demon cultists had quickly retreated, leaving only corpses behind.
And each of those corpses was only infused with dense death energy, being top-tier monsters.
Had it been a one-on-one, I would have crushed it in an instant!
The first adversary he noticed was a massive skeleton of a winged lizard.
Roughly the same size as him, it had been the one to unleash the prior attack.
A tricky opponent that dealt heavy hits using size while releasing death breaths at every opportunity.
There were not just one, but several opponents lurking around.
The black Jiangshi he had never seen before, along with familiar supernatural Jiangshi, were all circling around, waiting for a gap.
Each was wrapped in a sinister aura of death.
Indeed, that was the most problematic part.
Does this cursed energy never dry up?!
The ominous black flames surrounding their bodies were lethal to living beings but served as exceptional weaponry for the dead.
Not only did their attack and defense stats surge, but even when sustaining injuries, they recovered in the blink of an eye, causing grave damage just by making contact with the living.
Truly the perfect weapon where offense and defense coalesced.
Ugh, I should have just eaten them in frustration!
And he was experiencing this effect more vividly than anyone else.
No matter how much he shattered them, they kept regenerating annoyingly, so he devoured a few of the black Jiangshi along with parts of the skeleton lizard’s body…
Gurgle—
A loud noise emerged from within his massive belly.
He had never experienced an upset stomach before, but now he was experiencing it for the first time in his life.
Ugh!
For him, who had no means to excrete being that his insides absorbed everything perfectly, it was akin to a disaster.
Of course, with the Power of Consumption, this too would eventually settle down given time…
“Hehehe— you seem rather tortured, huh? That’s why you shouldn’t just pick up anything and eat it!”
Grrr… You…!
The issue was that he had no such luxury at the moment.
Accompanied by the voice of the mastermind behind all this ringing in his ears—
BOOM—!
Rumble—
Once more, the waves of destruction began to pour down from the bizarre symbols that enveloped the surroundings.
Chains, lightning, flames, thorns, fangs, beasts, axes, and more…
There were far too many forms of death to count, all converging toward him.
