황룡의 보주 (2)
Je Gal Hye-mi returned to the place where her friends were waiting.
“Big sister! Are you okay? You look so tired.”
Namgoong So-ran was the first to approach her cautiously, examining her face.
Dark circles under her eyes and a slightly rough skin texture.
Although the absence hadn’t been long, just as she said, her complexion that had appeared healthy just moments ago now looked exhausted as if she might collapse at any moment.
“Uh, I’m fine. Just pushed myself a bit. I’ll feel better after a short rest.”
No matter how many means were used to reduce the burden, there was no miraculous outcome without cost.
It was a blessing that it ended at merely feeling tired.
Ha Seung-hoon, knowing this well as one of the participants, approached her with a gentle smile.
“Thank you for your hard work, Je Gal So-ja. Fortunately, it seems there weren’t any special problems.”
“Ah, Master. That’s right. I just helped with a ritual.”
“It seems you overexerted yourself. Please come and rest here quickly. I will ask the assisting dakkebi if there’s anything that can help restore your strength.”
“Ho-ho, thank you for your concern.”
A smile bloomed on her face due to his care.
At that moment, a soft air enveloped the two.
“Oh! I know that! Big sister, come this way! I found something good while wandering around earlier.”
Namgoong So-ran suddenly popped her face in, hugging Hye-mi’s arm and pulling her along.
“There are so many amazing places here, right? There’s a hot spring that’s excellent for relieving fatigue and healing wounds, and it’s supposed to be great for skin beauty too. I was waiting to go with you, and now it’s perfect.”
Winking one eye, she began to walk confidently.
“S-So-ran?”
“When else will we get to come to a place like this? We should try everything we can when the opportunity arises. Plus, since we were invited guests, it’s all free!”
“You’re loaded…”
“It’s good to save money when you can, right? It’s also different from the currency used among youkai. And I just heard from that fox lady earlier that…”
Suddenly lowering her voice, she leaned close to Je Gal Hye-mi’s ear and began to whisper something.
She wasn’t yet at the level to use techniques like transmission, but with this method, she managed to keep her voice from leaking outside.
“…Really?”
“Really.”
“…Let’s go.”
“Yup!”
Then, with a shared spirit, they greeted Ha Seung-hoon and hurriedly left.
Horus, who mainly stayed in the dragon’s dwelling, didn’t know much about what facilities were on Gonmudo, but it seemed like he had heard something intriguing.
He chuckled as he watched the two of them disappear side by side.
Having just carried out a significant ritual, he was somewhat worried, but seeing them like that, it seemed they weren’t completely depleted of energy.
“Well, it certainly is a bizarre place for humans.”
As Namgoong So-ran said, a hot spring that improves skin was just the beginning.
Bamboo shoots that make you taller when eaten, a foul-smelling incense that can revive the dead, and flower buds that turn you invisible when rubbed on the body, among others.
“Wait, this isn’t something to just laugh off.”
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as a thought crossed his mind.
The instinct of a “Dimension Merchant” was telling him.
Since a strong scent of money had been wafting around for a while.
Until now, there had been many restrictions, so he had been secretly giving up, but now he could probably overcome that issue.
“I need to seriously consider this. This could be…”
Just as Ha Seung-hoon fell into deep thought about a new profit model.
“Hm, a fox, huh?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the side.
Was he bored? Mok Ing-gwang had been loitering near their group since they arrived on Gonmudo.
He claimed he wasn’t doing it out of boredom but was instead following orders from his master, yet he looked just like an uncle who was annoying others.
“A fox? Oh, do you mean the hot spring the ladies just went to?”
“Well, it’s operated by fox youkai, but I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about that little girl from earlier.”
“Namgoong So-ja?”
Ha Seung-hoon tilted his head in confusion at the words of the other, who was dressed in attire more suitable for a dosajeong than one that might match the setting.
He doubtfully thought that he couldn’t possibly be referring to her as a real fox youkai.
If he had to pick, she seemed more like a puppy than a fox…
“No, they’re both the same in a way, right?”
Mok Ing-gwang glanced at Ha Seung-hoon, who blinked, while a smirk appeared on his lips as he slowly closed his eyes.
He had witnessed Namgoong So-ran’s abilities firsthand, which were at an elite level.
For a girl just stepping into her late teens to already be at that level was no small feat, and it would be impossible without being a genius.
Aside from a few skilled individuals in the Current Realm that were practically considered exceptions, she was practically as good as it got in the Martial Realm.
“Heh, this ignorant monster should be treated as an exception.”
Typically, considering the higher-ups of the major sects to be top-tier, elite fighters in the martial faction would be recognized in the same way.
In less populated areas, it was not uncommon for sects to be established to cultivate disciples and lead them.
Given that she came from a prominent family, she had the necessary talent, effort, and abundant support, making it possible for her to reach such heights.
Why would such a gifted individual from a distinguished family risk herself like that?
“Hey, Heavenly Dragon Sword. I’m feeling annoyed. Let’s have a match.”
“Excuse me? Sudden?! And also, the Heavenly Dragon Sword is…”
“Shut it! You don’t even deserve to use the word ‘heroic.’ Kheheh, are you not just a girl?”
“Very well. I was just itching to move around anyways.”
Mok Ing-gwang grit his teeth, looking at the young, handsome, and kind-hearted, clearly attractive young master.
Is this a bit too much?
How could he possibly be on the same level as him?
He knew he had a bad temper, and so he had not paid much attention to it, but it was impossible not to feel irritated when a clear contrast stood next to him.
“Not to mention, the Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance? What’s with that fancy name! Meanwhile, I’m still being called the old Gwangma!”
What was even more annoying was that the bully who hijacked his nickname had suddenly gone missing and was no longer active.
Ever since the day of the world restoration using the child of the dragon.
“It’s meaningless now that I shout about it.”
Of course, this was nothing more than an empty rant at this point.
As he angrily grumbled to himself, Ha Seung-hoon shook his head.
It was clear that without Harley’s physical therapy, the troublesome madness had resurfaced.
He had no idea that most of Mok Ing-gwang’s stress stemmed from him.
“Well, if he’s this motivated, it should help raise the proficiency of ‘Muguk’ as well.”
After all, Mok Ing-gwang was also a master looking at the peak of the Martial Realm, as he gazed toward the Current Realm.
There would certainly be insights to gain from sharing martial arts with an opponent at the same level.
“Sigh, they’ll be preoccupied over there for a while.”
He glanced over toward the direction of the Dragon God Shrine and shrugged.
Of course, the five dragons, including Horus, along with other dragons, would have a hard time paying attention to this side for a while.
That’s how it must be.
The lineage of the Yellow Dragon, which had been completely severed during the great war that dealt catastrophic damage to the youkai, had finally been fully revived.
*
“Now, do you wanna try this?”
[Kyaaa!]
“Eek! She ate it! So cute! Adorable! More, more please!”
A girl in her mid-teens with long black braids, the Black Dragon, was flailing around excitedly, jumping in place.
She then carefully took out something glowing softly from her pocket and held it out toward the small yellow dragon, who had a rounded muzzle.
Nom—
With bright eyes, the little Yellow Dragon gulped it down without a hint of hesitation.
As it shook its head while slurping, the Black Dragon’s face broke into a huge grin.
“Uhuheh! It ate again! Now, next is…”
“That’s enough, Black Dragon. Hwiya has only just been born. No matter how good it is for the body, overeating is harmful.”
“…White Dragon, if you’re going to say that, you might as well put down that Xian Fruit in your hand. It’s completely unconvincing, don’t you think?”
Hmph.
The White Dragon turned his head as he was met with the sulky gaze from the Black Dragon who coughed lightly.
However, throughout it all, he didn’t seem willing to let go of the peach-shaped fruit he was holding.
“Um…”
Horus, who had let out a small sigh at the spectacle unfolding before his very eyes, cautiously opened his mouth.
But he wasn’t given a chance to express his grievances about the current situation.
Before he could speak, the sweet fruit was suddenly popped into his mouth, catching him off guard and making him miss his timing.
“Cute things next to cute things, this is a rarity.”
“Cough, hmm. Not bad.”
“Red Dragon? Don’t tell me that’s a record storage?”
“How did it suddenly become that…?”
“Hmph! This is the moment the completely severed lineage of the Yellow Dragon has finally been reborn. It is our duty to record this moment and pass it on to future generations, Blue Dragon.”
“Indeed, as expected of the Red Dragon. That’s a fair point. …Will you share it with me later?”
The Dragon Pearl could be resized at will.
Starting from small orbs convenient for carrying in human size to massive rocks that could be easily held in the mouths of large dragons.
Since the Pearl used in the recent ritual was roughly two adult fists combined, it was only natural that the baby Yellow Dragon born from it was small.
“Chomp, chomp, you really are growing fast, aren’t you?”
[Kyaak?]
While swallowing the fruit in his mouth, Horus looked over his shoulder at the small dragon poking its head out.
The little fellow, whose pudgy body had now grown from the size of a loach when it came out of the Pearl to a proper snake-like size.
‘Well, it’s expected that a being that isn’t a normal lifeform would grow like this.’
If it was possible, raising the size of the Pearl from the beginning wouldn’t have made a difference.
The key was the energy put into it initially and the energy absorbed during its growth process.
Horus smiled as he gingerly petted the head of the baby Yellow Dragon, Hwiryeong.
‘I hope you grow up healthy without pain.’
Feeling the sincerity in his touch, the little dragon closed its eyes and rubbed its head against his hand.
“Ah—.”
“Eh? Blue Dragon? Are you alright? Get a hold of yourself!”
“…Red Dragon, it’s essential to disperse records that might be lost across multiple storage locations. You know that, right?”
“Hmph, I guess?”
Despite the noisy sounds coming from outside, he focused calmly on the feeling of unity he sensed from Hwiryeong.
It wasn’t solely an attachment due to the child born because of him.
‘This is the true power of the “Pearl of the Yellow Dragon.”’
He could feel it.
The invisible thread of fate that connected him to Hwiryeong, which had continued from leading the ritual.
Uuwoong—
A weak energy flowed from Horus’s fingertips.
Although it was derived from the newborn Hwiryeong, this was not something borrowed from him.
‘Just proportionately endowed to me in addition. Plus, this power is similar to that of the Pearl.’
In other words, the very existence of this child was like another Pearl to him.
A Pearl that amplifies dragon abilities to their limit can only be utilized once unless it violates heavenly principles.
Horus’s strokes, filled with satisfaction, made Hwiryeong’s head sway left and right.
‘This is purely a totem.’
Right now, it was merely a newborn dragon, but perhaps due to its extraordinary origin, its growth speed was remarkable.
As this child grew, the power he wielded would also grow correspondingly.
This ability, forbidden to other dragons who had been pillars of the ritual nor granted even to Je Gal Hye-mi, who mediated with the Dragon God, was solely his to use.
‘That’s not all. For now, there’s only Hwiryeong, but if I could have more Yellow Dragons from here and ensure their safe growth…’
How powerful could Horus eventually become?
In one breath, a yellow dragon could obliterate all of Beijing.
And when multiplied again and again, the force unleashed would be something unspeakable.
However, he couldn’t immediately realize this vision.
His request was met with disapproval when the Blue Dragon came back after examining the Confession Hall’s situation.
“Most of the energy accumulated from the recent ritual has been consumed. To be honest, the operation of the realm is on the verge of being tight. Naturally, since the youkai living in the realm can now freely exit, given time, recovery will happen…”
Even considering that, they implied it was still a short time before realizing that objective.
In that unavoidable situation, Horus had to resign to—
‘Then all I need to do is solve the energy issue?’
—he didn’t.
If it’s not possible, make it possible.
Recalling the great sage’s words, he returned to his room and gently petted Hwiryeong’s head, quietly deep in thought.
The malicious organization that had repeatedly led this world to the edge of destruction with their acts of plunder and destruction.
He began to remember when he had robbed the entire warehouse of the Heavenly Demon Church.
*
In my cozy little nest located on the outskirts of Seoul.
“…So, it was like that.”
I sighed softly while sitting in the chair in front of my computer.
Then, looking down at my feet, I muttered quietly.
“Why are you here?”
[Kyu?]
Hwiryeong blinked its round eyes, tilting its head at my sour gaze while still wrapped around one of my legs.
