Chapter 180

〈Chapter 180〉 Part 1, Chapter 9, Section 14

To be precise, Bonghyo didn’t do anything wrong.

Bonghyo had meticulously planned everything for the best interest of his master, the Illusory Dragon. He even succeeded in taking down one of the three monsters, the Earth Dragon.

But Bonghyo’s success isn’t my success.

Since I was the one who awakened the Illusory Dragon, I figured I deserved at least a day off. After sending Seok Harang away and meeting with Yun Yuhwa to finalize the distribution of cores, I planned to travel across China, defeating one monster every two days.

However, Bonghyo beat me to it. It seems he devised a strategy to offer all three S-Rank cores to the Illusory Dragon before I could interfere—but unfortunately, he pulled it off behind my back.

Had he just asked me, I would’ve gladly handed over at least two. My goal was never about monster cores but rather the Cube.

So when the word “Cube” slipped out of Bonghyo’s mouth, I was so startled that I couldn’t stop swinging Deokbae. In the end, all I managed to confirm was that Bonghyo knew something—or perhaps the whereabouts—of the Cube. Reviving him would require the Illusory Dragon’s power.

“Hoo boy, this is messy. Haha.”

I smirked as I gazed at the monstrous figure of Heuk Jeon-jal, easily towering over any building.

KIAAAA!!

Standing on the ground at around 10 meters tall, the enlarged form of Heuk Jeon-jal resembled a giant scorpion. But from its midsection sprouted the upper body of a woman, towering over 20 meters high. Her black hair partially covered her face, while severed bodies of Illusory Dragon Group members dangled from her mouth.

“Hmm.”

She was undeniably beautiful—but there was one problem: like most monsters, she was completely naked. A full-frontal nudity worthy of an R-rated film.

“And then…”

KAGAGAK. KAGAGAK.

Dozens of smaller Heuk Jeon-jals burst out from the sand. Each offspring was an S-Rank monstrosity spawned by Heuk Sa-gal.

“Technically, they became strong after excessive breeding and cannibalism among themselves.”

Just with what I could see, there were already a hundred Heuk Jeon-jals. Add Heuk Sa-gal herself and the ones lurking underground, and we’re talking hundreds upon hundreds.

“That’s… a lot.”

If these creatures escape the desert, it’ll become a catastrophe far worse than a Dimensional Gate. After burning Bonghyo’s corpse and collecting his core, I spread my wings and ascended into the sky.

“What should I do…”

KIAAAAAAA!!

Heuk Sa-gal swung her arm toward me. With a graceful flick of my wings, I evaded her slow attack and noticed a traitor-type monster caught in her fist.

“Oh ho, looks like you’ve been rented out.”

“……”

The Emperor said nothing. Though I don’t know why he sided with Bonghyo against me, it was hilarious seeing him helplessly clutched in her grip.

“So, why did you betray me?”

I hovered near Heuk Sa-gal’s hand and chattered at the Emperor, who responded by covering his ears and refusing to talk. Meanwhile, Heuk Sa-gal roared furiously, trying to knock me down.

KAANG!

I kicked her opposite hand, causing her to lose balance. As her fist opened up, I seized the opportunity to rescue the Emperor.

“You thought helping Bonghyo would let him defeat an S-Rank monster, right? Why did you help him?”

“To aid my descendants—the heirs of my empire. Is that such a crime?”

“…Alright, noted.”

Who would’ve thought he’d still care about bloodlines after 2500 years? Despite the absurdity, I couldn’t help but respect—and find humor in—the Emperor’s dedication to protecting his distant progeny.

“If I’d known this earlier, maybe I’d have gone after Korea… Oh, wait, tombs?”

“I’m already disgraced enough. Put me down immediately!”

The Emperor thrashed about angrily as I grabbed him by the tail. Yep, just the tail. Now dangling upside-down, he looked both comical and pathetic.

“Still, you might make a decent bait.”

KIAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Heuk Sa-gal lunged toward us with a roar, her movements frantic and primal like a mother beast whose child had been taken.

“Hmm.”

An interesting idea struck me. Reflecting on the Emperor’s words, I decided to test something.

“YEEEEAAHHH?!?”

“Because you asked me to.”

As the non-flying Emperor plummeted toward the desert sands, Heuk Sa-gal panicked and cupped her hands together to catch him. In that split second, I slipped beneath her armpit.

“Found a weak spot!”

I drove my nails into the soft crease beneath her massive breast, which was roughly the size of a blimp. Despite her human-like appearance, her skin was as tough as a Heuk Jeon-jal’s exoskeleton, making it no easy feat.

KIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

With a shriek that sounded more like a scream than a roar, Heuk Sa-gal grabbed me. However, I funneled magic power through the nails I’d embedded into her flesh.

“…Figures.”

There it was—a Cube. Definitely inside her heart. Though she flung me to the ground, confirming the existence of the Cube was worth it.

“Hohoho. Hmm.”

The shadows of Heuk Jeon-jals began enveloping me. Falling from a height of 20 meters, they assumed I was dead and were ready to tear apart my corpse—but alas, I’m still alive.

“What now?”

KWAD! KWAD!

The Heuk Jeon-jals snapped their pincers and bared their fangs, working hard to break through my protective barrier. Their efforts were futile.

“What now…”

KARD! KARD!

While enduring their relentless biting, I pondered how to resolve this mess.

‘Should I just decapitate them all?’

“Really… you’re making me angry.”

The sun still hung low in the sky. If I hide myself, no one will be able to find me. Thanks to Bonghyo poking the hornet’s nest, Heuk Sa-gal and her hundreds of offspring are now—

“Aha!”

A brilliant plan came to mind.

“A scheme everyone can be satisfied with… hmm, hmm.”

If I abandon my petty greed, I might just have a strategy that pleases everyone. After kicking the head of a Heuk Jeon-jal latched onto my leg, I stood up, pushed off the ground, and leaped.

KEEEEEEEEEK?!

Heuk Sa-gal shook her chest violently left and right. But try as she might, she couldn’t dislodge me from where I landed—right above her rock-hard nipple.

“Geez, stop shaking so much. If you’re embarrassed, maybe you should wear something like someone else!”

KEEEEEEEEEEK!!

She clearly understood what I said. Whether she desired to look human or simply absorbed too many humans, leaving her with human tendencies, it didn’t matter. Since she harbored the Cube, she had to die.

“If only you didn’t have the Cube, I could’ve kept you around to produce more Heuk Jeon-jals… Ah, but that’d probably be unethical, wouldn’t it?”

KIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Heuk Sa-gal opened her mouth wide, attempting to devour me. Suppressing the urge to smirk, I instead dashed across her chest and leaped straight into her gaping maw.

“Then why transform into a giant human with such obvious weaknesses? Hmm, hmm.”

Though her exterior was impenetrable, her insides were naturally her weak point. The mouth of a Heuk Jeon-jal was filled with venomous saliva, but it wasn’t enough to dissolve me.

PUSSSHHHHH—

Burn it before it dissolves. From Heuk Sa-gal’s perspective, it must’ve felt like a fireball rolled into her mouth.

“So…”

I spun my foot, pressing the fiery sole of my boot against her tongue.

KEEEEEEEEEEEK!!

“If you keep messing around, I’ll burn you entirely.”

…

My threat stopped Heuk Sa-gal in her tracks. Although her mouth was aflame due to my presence, she seemed reluctant to let her human-like body explode.

“Hmm.”

Carefully stepping on the intricately detailed tip of her tongue, I moved toward her throat, where darkness stretched endlessly downward like a precipice. Without hesitation, I jumped into her esophagus.

On the outside, Heuk Sa-gal looked human, but inside, she was anything but.

KARD! KARD!

Baby Heuk Jeon-jals hidden within her human-like body writhed and gnashed their teeth in agony under the light of my flames. Calmly flying toward her heart, I confirmed the location of the Cube I’d memorized earlier.

KEEEEEEEK!!

From her heart emerged another female torso identical to Heuk Sa-gal’s outer form. Its size was that of an average human woman, but below it lay the lower body of a Heuk Jeon-jal.

“Yes. You’re the true Heuk Sa-gal.”

KIGIIIT…

Since the moment her chest was pierced, Heuk Sa-gal seemed to intuitively understand the power gap between us.

“I don’t want anything else. Just the Cube. Give me the Cube, and that’s all I need.”

KIGIGIIT.

Heuk Sa-gal flailed her arms, trying to shield her chest. I extended my palm toward her, my expression hardening.

“I’ll count to ten. If you don’t hand over the Cube, I’ll take your core as well. One, two, three…”

KIGIGIIT.

Heuk Sa-gal hesitated, conflicted about whether her offspring could overpower me together. Her indecision made me chuckle.

“Ten. Done.”

GIKIIT?

“I said ‘count to ten,’ not ‘while counting to ten.'”

KIGIGIIIIT!

Whether she yelled “bullshit!” or “cowardly!” remained unclear. While fire-based monsters like her might be somewhat comprehensible, Heuk Sa-gal’s language was beyond me.

“So, I’m taking the Cube.”

Launching myself into the air, I reached behind her. Flames erupted from my outstretched palm, engulfing the heart of the colossal Heuk Sa-gal.

WHOOSH!

Her main body screamed in pain as fiery embers scorched her back. Her giant heart quickly caught fire, and within it, I spotted the Cube glowing red-hot.

“…Is this the fourth Cube? Phew.”

Gripping the Cube, I tore it out of her heart. With a thunderous crash, Heuk Sa-gal’s body collapsed. Simultaneously, her baby Heuk Jeon-jals began moving.

SASASAK.

Like cockroaches scattering after a disturbance, the baby Heuk Jeon-jals raced downward. Some climbed atop others to descend, while others shoved their way through the crowd.

“With the house falling apart, they’re running for their lives. Hmm, hmm.”

By removing the Cube, I dismantled Heuk Sa-gal’s cozy home. Soon, hundreds—if not thousands—of baby Heuk Jeon-jals would flood out from the 30-meter-tall human-shaped structure.

“This outcome satisfies me, China, the Heroes, and the Illusory Dragon Group.”

WHOOSH!

Spreading my wings, I emerged from the body of the colossal Heuk Sa-gal. Under the sunlight, her massive form began crumbling without the Cube—the source of her sustaining power.

KIAAAAAAA!!

KYAAAAAA!!

Adult S-Rank Heuk Jeon-jals screamed wildly, stomping their feet anxiously for their siblings and mother while simultaneously brandishing their sharp tails at me, the instigator.

“First things first.”

I summoned my magic power. Having secretly acquired another Cube, swift action was necessary.

“Could you fetch the Emperor’s core for me?”

-Understood.

Perched on my fingertip, the Mini Phoenix dove down and retrieved the core from a Heuk Jeon-jal monster. Despite their attempts to strike with venomous tails, the Mini Phoenix’s speed and small size ensured none of the attacks connected.

-Here you go.

The Mini Phoenix placed the Emperor’s core on my palm. Made entirely of flames, the Mini Phoenix lacked eyes but its gaze unmistakably lingered on the Cube nestled in my embrace.

“…”

-…

The Mini Phoenix was waiting expectantly. Since I entrusted the Cube extracted from a divine corpse to Gaeul, it hoped I might use this one for itself.

“I’ll use this to mass-produce monsters—”

-…

“—but that’d be meaningless. Here.”

I shoved the Cube into the Mini Phoenix’s mouth. It swiftly swallowed the Cube, and soon our forms began rapidly changing.

[Does it feel good?]

I transformed into the monstrous form of Phoenix,

“Been a while since I’ve enjoyed some fresh air. Hmm, hmm.”

And it transformed into the human form of Chang-yeom.

Using the omnipotent Cube merely to meet Chang-yeom was certainly extravagant—but I have no regrets.

[So, are you ready to help save the world?]

“Hmm, already? Considering all the Cubes you’ve gathered won’t even be enough for me…”

If Chang-yeom assists me, I could ascend to the Mythic level—SSS rank. Yet she stubbornly refused, which was why I hadn’t yet demonstrated my credentials as a Spirit to the Illusory Dragon.

“So why did you call me? Asking for help—”

[No reason. Just wanted to see you.]

“…”

Chang-yeom remained silent. I gestured toward the swarming horde of Heuk Jeon-jals.

[When Seongju arrives later, it’ll get even worse, right?]

“…Dimensional Gates will likely appear in cities worldwide. And all sorts of monsters will emerge from them.”

[Exactly. We need to stop that. That’s why I awakened a Spirit. The Chaos Dragon has become the Illusory Dragon.]

“Congratulations. Only four Spirits remain.”

Chang-yeom calmly praised my accomplishments. Extending my hand toward her,

[Now, I’m heading to see the Illusory Dragon. Would you like to come along?]

“No.”

Chang-yeom bitterly smiled and firmly shook her head.

“Don’t reveal my existence to anyone. From the moment you took over my body, you became Chang-yeom and Phoenix.”

[…Understood. Then…]

I embraced her. Chang-yeom willingly leaned into my arms with a sleepy smile.

“Are you trying to charm me?”

[I’m doing this because I like you.]

“Do as you please~ Even if you try, I won’t fall for it.”

Yet despite her words, Chang-yeom draped her arms around my neck. I gently carried her upward into the sky.

[Let’s leisurely fly to Beijing.]

“Wait? Aren’t you busy?”

[Isn’t this exactly why I’ve been so busy until now? To enjoy moments like these. Hehe.]

“…”

Chang-yeom stayed quiet.

Thousands of Heuk Jeon-jals scattered in all directions, but who cares?