Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance (1)
In the serene center of an Eastern-style room.
Hugo—Ha Seung-hoon was quietly meditating with a steady breath and closed eyes.
In his mind, various concepts of martial arts were swirling, repeatedly breaking down and restructuring all the martial arts he had accumulated thus far.
‘This is amazing, isn’t it?’
Once that process settled to some extent, he slowly calmed his breath and couldn’t help but admire.
‘In a way, this could be seen as the perfect prescription for me right now.’
With his chaotic knowledge somewhat organized, he slowly opened his eyes.
Though he wanted to immediately master everything and make it his own, the sheer volume of martial arts dancing in his head made that impossible.
Moreover, his realization about his martial arts was limited to what he knew as ‘Ha Seung-hoon’; thus, no matter how impatient he became, it was something far too intricate to grasp in just a few days.
“Black Dragon Secret…”
It was a token of loyalty that Heinz II had received from the head of the Black Dragon Society, the Black Dragon Lord…
It could boldly claim to contain the essence of martial arts across every dimension in the Martial Arts World.
Of course, despite being a secret, it was not in the form of a book.
In fact, it was not even something with a physical shape.
It was merely information he had received entirely through the skill of the Black Dragon Lord, which could record and manage ‘all martial arts he knew.’
‘That person is definitely not ordinary either. After all, achieving accomplishments on Earth and obtaining a special title is no small feat.’
And the name itself was “The One Who Defies Heaven”?
An entity that goes against heaven’s intent—it was a title that no ordinary being could easily aspire to.
‘The ex-leaders of the Buncheon Society, the hidden strongmen of the world, surely the head would not just place a mediocre person in such an important position. Since the early days, the Buncheon Society prioritized swallowing China whole, their leadership there must have been exceptional.’
This ‘Black Dragon Secret’ had commenced its writing from the moment the Black Dragon Lord returned to Earth, continuously revised and improved upon for the last twenty years, akin to his own insights.
Even after acquiring the special title of “The One Who Defies Heaven,” he had not slackened in studying martial arts, all while thoroughly concealing his existence after escaping the Buncheon Society.
‘It’s not just a simple account of a few martial arts from several dimensions. It’s akin to a research journal detailing the thoughts and efforts he put into reaching the Current Realm, and even what he deemed necessary to reach the mythical stage later. Now I’m curious how he gathered such extensive materials even while evading the Buncheon Society.’
He had listened partly.
How he interacted and shared knowledge with masters from various dimensions of the Martial Arts World.
The Black Dragon Lord did not care, even if the parties he engaged with were significantly weaker, as long as he sensed some new element that piqued his interest.
He was unscrupulous in acquiring it.
It didn’t matter if the other party demanded vast wealth, perilous requests, or portions of their gathered martial arts knowledge; he accepted most of it, and for those he couldn’t reason with, he wouldn’t hesitate to use force.
‘In this process, he consistently recruited talents into the Black Dragon Society. For someone like him, whose thirst for growth was unquenchable, desiring new martial arts knowledge was inevitable.’
No matter how outstanding he was, he couldn’t surpass the ancient history that had been built over hundreds and thousands of years.
Martial arts in the Martial Arts World are the summit of mysticism that has been transmitted and evolved by countless geniuses over a long time.
What he did was merely adjust and weave those radiant legacies to be useful to himself, not completely creating something new from the ground up.
‘Of course, that alone is enough to deserve the title of a grandmaster.’
Naturally, his research results were not knowledge that just anyone could fully grasp.
Except for the initial stages, most of the findings were all premised on the existence of “The One Who Defies Heaven,” which deviates from the natural order.
As these principles had intricately entangled characteristics, an average martial artist following them verbatim would likely fall into a blunder, becoming a cripple.
‘If it weren’t for me.’
He smirked lightly and slowly rose from his seat.
He felt a stiff ache throughout his entire body but brushed it off.
If the Black Dragon Lord had “The One Who Defies Heaven” to defy the world’s principles…
He had “The Savior” ignoring all constraints of this dimension.
Woo-woo!
The internal energy raging within him began to stabilize.
Alongside it, some part of the martial principles that were contrary to the logic of this world, the Ganghwan Realm, slowly started to settle within his body.
‘Still incomplete and much lacking, but…’
Now that he had found the path forward and the method, moving forward was only a matter of time.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped outside.
‘I’ve seen the wall; now all that’s left is to surpass it.’
The brilliant sunlight pierced his eyelids.
He had been meditating since early dawn, and before he knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky, showering the world with bright light.
Unlike before, which was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere all year round, the sky was now clear and serene, without a cloud in sight.
“Ah! Brother! You’re out!”
At that moment, Namgoong So-ran, who was squatting in the yard in front of the door, turned her head and beamed at him.
She was holding a long stem of dogbane grass, swinging it back and forth.
As she momentarily diverted her attention…
Meow!
Meow!
“Ah! Caught!”
Two tiny creatures, curled up and wobbling around, dashed at the grass tips like lightning and snatched it away.
Then, proudly purring as if they had won the contest, they playfully chewed on the grass with their small mouths.
At a glance, the creatures looked like ordinary kittens.
But they were definitely not just ordinary cats.
I mean, a whole ordinary cat made of flames or shadows couldn’t be normal, could it?
“Did you rest well, Miss Namgoong?”
“Ah, come on! You again. Just speak comfortably, brother! I’m younger than you.”
“Hahah, I’ll change that gradually. By the way, what about Je Gal?”
“She dashed out to ask the Dosas about something. She seemed really excited!”
“Oh, I see. This place, like the Zhuge family, is known as one of the two great mountains of sorcery.”
Namgoong So-ran tossed aside the now charred dogbane grass and pulled out a new one to swing back and forth.
The two supernatural kittens resumed their hunting positions.
Of course, there were not just those kittens existing in this place.
“By the way, this place is really… It feels like a hidden paradise. It’s almost beyond the description of a fairytale.”
Namgoong So-ran exclaimed, looking around.
Beyond the guest area they were staying in, various supernatural beings roamed freely, caught in the eye.
From beast-headed humanoids to forms that barely resembled humans at all, diverse entities frolicked about, chattering without a care.
“Well, this area serves as an entrance or buffer for them to the outside world. It’s better for those who haven’t experienced the outside yet to absorb the world step by step from here.”
This place was the Mosan Faction located in Jiangsu Province of the eastern continent.
It was the first destination they aimed for on this journey and the base of the supernatural creatures that began to reveal themselves to the world following the final war against the Demon Cult.
“Wow, supernatural beings. I haven’t even imagined them since childhood; it’s fascinating.”
“As you might know, you must be careful when interacting with them. If any friction occurs at such a sensitive time, the peace we’ve barely reclaimed might shatter.”
“Of course! I was just a little concerned; don’t worry about it.”
Certainly, some minor mistakes shouldn’t pose major issues.
Thanks to the reputation of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance gained through accomplishments in war, it was clear they’d be treated as guests.
‘Still, it’s best to minimize any friction. Considering the goals I’ve come all this way to pursue.’
Ha Seung-hoon of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance embarked on his journey for two major purposes.
First, to eliminate rebellious elements that fail to realize the world had changed, thus stabilizing the world.
And second, to enhance his own skills and find clues necessary to surpass the wall of the Current Realm…
The Mosan Faction visit was related to the second goal.
‘The martial arts of the supernatural beings I heard about through Mok Ing-gwang before—perhaps they could aid in transcending the Current Realm.’
Of course, now that he unexpectedly had the Black Dragon Secret as a guidebook in hand, it was always better to have more possibilities.
That way, he could selectively choose which of several methods was preferable, and even mix the strengths of both for better results.
‘I’m a well-known hero in Gonmudo; if I could request a friendly duel under the pretext of exchange…’
But everything didn’t go as he intended.
Suddenly, a figure came rushing at him and collapsed at his feet.
A pale woman with blood at her lips.
One of the secret martial guardians who had been escorting Je Gal Hye-mi.
“D-Daehyeop! There’s a big problem! The Lady…!”
To be more precise, he was momentarily neglecting the fact that the troubles did not lie on just one side.
*
Standing on two feet like a tiger exceeding five meters tall, with a long tail, lips absent, revealing sharp teeth, and a pair of tusks jutting out like a wild boar, with blazing will-o’-the-wisps in its eyes.
“Dosa! That one is a guest of the Mosan Faction! If you do this… Cough!”
“Grrr!~ Shut up! How dare you speak back to me!”
The formidable figure of Dosa, radiating tremendous intimidation fitting for its savage appearance, casually waved a hand and sent the last remaining Dosa flying while sporting a satisfied grin.
Gripping Je Gal Hye-mi, who was stiffened and looking up at him.
‘What luck! I never thought I’d see a dragon’s child in a place like this! Especially one of the highest caliber!’
Dosa.
Once a great monster of the anti-Gonmudo faction, he had been a battle-scarred survivor fleeing under the shadow of Gonmudo after losing his brothers, known as the “Four Evils,” due to the Demon Cult’s rampage.
No matter how much he had suffered in such a state, few dared to treat him carelessly.
Since Gonmudo had also suffered gravely from the war, the inclusion of such a considerable strength was something to be welcomed.
True to expectation, he established his footing through considerable contributions against the Demon Cult’s forces.
But that was only before peace found its way.
After the final war, Dosa fell into a pitiful headache.
With a nature leaning heavily towards evil, he had become nothing but a catalyst for chaos in the peaceful era.
In the chaotic era, the context of his violent tendencies was tolerable due to the clear outlets for force, and there were no stresses from unfulfilled desires. But now, he was merely a troublemaker causing issues with no redeeming contribution.
The leadership of Gonmudo began to seriously consider whether they should seal him away at this rate.
And it would be absurd for Dosa, who has so far survived in the age of chaos, to not notice this shift in atmosphere.
‘Do you think I will fall into your trap easily?’
Yet no matter how he thought about it, escaping alone seemed difficult.
While he possessed the strength to crush significant masters of the Current Realm, he knew well that sheer numbers would always outbalance such power.
In that situation, encountering the child of the Dragon God, who was a pillar of salvation for the world, was a significant opportunity for him.
‘The child of the dragon is undoubtedly the key to saving this world. If I offer such a magnificent being as a sacrificial tribute…!’
Thus, it was no surprise that his line of thinking flowed in a similar direction to that of the Demon Cultists.
With the same eyes that he had used to slay countless beings before, Dosa seized Je Gal Hye-mi in his massive paw and launched himself forward.
His heart wished to devour her on the spot, but for the sake of keeping his full consciousness, he needed to at least follow some procedures, albeit roughly.
“Choke, choke—! With this, I’m free! Let them chase my tail for a lifetime!”
As a great monster, he moved through the woods at an extraordinary speed, surprising for his size.
With agility akin to an excellent hunter, he left no trace behind.
Like a tiger silently approaching and tearing the throat of its prey.
‘If I can catch a dragon in this way, that would be splendid. To cleanse the humiliation I faced, I must repay them…’
Perhaps it was full of self-confidence.
Swish!
He couldn’t help but be a beat late in noticing the black shadow approaching him.
‘Oh? Not bad!’
Of course, that wasn’t a significant problem.
Even a fraction of a second late, there remained a vast gap between him and his assailant.
Fwoooosh!
The problem arose in that brief moment.
From his hand, gripping the child of the dragon, erupted a golden flash as if it had been preordained.
He felt emptiness in his grip as the shadow that had blended into the forest pierced through the dragon child.
“Eh?”
Dosa muttered in surprise, looking down at his empty hand.
Then slowly examined his surroundings.
No matter how hard he searched, he found nothing.
As if they had simply evaporated from that spot.
“How dare you!”
But he was a great monster who had breached the realms of transcendence.
In an instant, his senses expanded to envelop the entire forest, rapidly pinpointing the fading presence of his offering.
Just moments ago, he had detected the presence of the perpetrator who had assaulted him, distracting him.
RAWOOOOO!
With a roar full of rage, a storm brewed, causing tremors across the mountainous landscape.
At this point, sneaking around had become impossible.
The only option was to wrap up his business quickly and flee before any powerful beings from Gonmudo could arrive.
With that determination, the next moment…
BOOM!
The grotesque being that bore the stature of a five-meter giant smashed through the woods, obliterating everything in the direct line to its target.
*
‘Ugh, of all times, why does the cooldown have to hit now?’
Ha Seung-hoon, clutching Je Gal Hye-mi in his arms and sprinting away, grimaced.
Who would have thought something like this would happen while he felt safe at the Mosan Faction?
As he quickly tried to escape, he stopped, turned around, and drew his sword.
Running away any longer was pointless.
BAM!
“I will kill you! You pathetic insects!”
The monstrous being that had carved a massive path through the forest had now closed in on him from behind, reaching out with its hand.
