Chapter 273

〈 Chapter 273 〉 Part 1, Chapter 12, Section 19

The attack was dirty and uncomfortable, but its power was beyond imagination. The Ultimate Stream spewed by the Abyss Dragon covered all sides, and the heroes twisted their bodies in the air to avoid the acid rain falling from the sky.

“Uuaaaah!!”

“My suit! It’s melting!”

But even a drizzle could soak clothes; the ceaselessly sprayed acidic breath not only covered the surrounding lake area but also occasionally aimed at the heroes by the riverside. It was already a headache dealing with SS Rank Dark Demon Dragon Rasputin alone, but the problem was that after being submerged in the lake, he started showing abnormal reactions.

“Dimensional Gate activation! Activation point is… Rasputin’s heart?!”

Kyaahh!!

Rasputin’s massive chest opened wide, and various kinds of monsters began to burst out from within. All sorts of monsters you’d only see in medieval fantasies fell into the water and swam towards the shore to attack people.

“Hold them off! Tanks to the front!!”

Suborof stood at the forefront and ran forward, smashing the head of a black wolf rushing towards him with his fist. The wolf monster emitting purple light perished instantly from Suborof’s blow. As both the leader of the guild and the head of the family, Suborof personally led the fight from the front lines, inspiring his followers and association heroes to take down the monsters with resolve.

“Ooooh!”

The special squad members were not idle either. Except for Lee Seung-hyung, who was unconscious, the remaining personnel used their special abilities to block the monsters climbing towards the main palace.

Ping! Pibing!

Officially registered as a “Hunter” with the association, Lighthouse fully unleashed his special ability. Although not as effective as Seoul, he could still predict the trajectory of the acidic breath spewed by the Abyss Dragon or the movements of the monsters through an open channel and warn others via signals.

“…!! Danger!”

Lighthouse detected a dangerous species among the monsters flowing out of the dimensional gate. A creature swirling with purple and black magical power approached the riverbank unnoticed.

Kyaahh!!

Its target was—Commander Suborof.

“Foolish thing! Me-”

Just as Suborof was about to punch the grotesque claw coming towards him, he felt his chest sink as the magical power around him dispersed.

Pusshh–

“This…”

Exhausted from battling Light Blade and entering combat without time to recover his magical power, combined with prolonged exposure to the acidic substance unknowingly, Suborof’s body had accumulated enough acid to dissolve the magical power enveloping his entire body.

Kyaahh!!

The monster didn’t miss its chance. These homicidal creatures that would kill humans even if split in half lunged towards their prey.

Thinking he was about to die,

Pusshuukk!!

Dozens of water jets pierced through the monster. Its claws stopped just before Suborof’s forehead, and as the water jets scattered, it fell to the ground spraying blood.

“…Haa.”

Suborof felt both relief and joy at the arrival of someone he had called dozens, hundreds of times without response. Just days ago, this person was locked indoors like a foolish youth drunk on liquor, but now they emerged from seclusion to restart their hero activities due to the family’s crisis.

“I believed in you… <Undine>!”

An officially stronger ability user than Rasputin elegantly appeared at the top of the tower, wielding a golden sword.

“Golden sword?”

Undine held the Light Blade.

* * *

“Listen carefully. The mechanism is simple. I’ll send my magical power through the Core Weapon Light Blade, and you convert it into your own to use. Simple, right?”

[It sounds easy… but ugh, it’s too hot.]

“Don’t misunderstand, please?”

After all, my magical power is merely transferred through the medium of the Light Blade. Since I can’t directly pour magical power next to her, the Light Blade acts as a filter to supply Rusalka with tremendous magical power.

“Now go wild. I’ll keep sending magical power from below.”

[Ngh… Too big and hot, haaa…]

Despite filtering through the Light Blade, Rusalka, steeped in my magical power, has gone pale and can’t regain consciousness. Before she says anything inappropriate, I quickly finished explaining and closed the screen.

“Thinking about it, I understand why there’s a room here.”

“Because it’s surrounded by water?”

“That’s right.”

As a former water spirit and S-Rank water attribute ability user, the mist-covered lake is practically a natural fortress for Rusalka.

“Anyone who tries to invade will drown before they get here. Look at this. The monsters can’t even escape before being dragged underwater.”

As Rusalka began taking the lead, except for flying types, all the monsters emerging from the dimensional gate in Rasputin’s heart were drowned in the lake. Rusalka created water currents that strongly pulled the monsters’ legs, causing them to flail helplessly and eventually drown.

“Using the battlefield advantage is basic tactics.”

“…I’m kind of seeing something else.”

Watching the monsters turn into water spirits one by one, Hwanryong blew a melancholic bugle. Feeling somewhat apologetic, I set fire to the vodka in his glass.

“Sorry?”

“Why the question?”

“Actually, I’m not really sorry.”

“If you’re going to do that, don’t say anything.”

Hwanryong muttered while still drinking the flaming vodka in one gulp. His default body, not human, could easily withstand the scorching dozens-of-degrees vodka.

“Keh… Life sucks.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“Maybe from a future where we got married? Looking at you, you were drinking industrial alcohol from green bottles while maintaining all sorts of airs. Hehe.”

“……”

I silently vowed to someday teach Hwanryong how to drink soju properly and turned my gaze back to the battlefield. Mini Phoenixes secretly hovering in the air acted as our eyes and ears.

“They’re fighting well.”

“Of course. With two SS Ranks helping on the side.”

Rusalka wielded the Light Blade like an orchestra conductor playing music. The calm lake roared like a storm as water currents danced, and the monsters still struggling in the water were all drowned and slammed onto the lake bottom.

BOOOOM!!

Rasputin, who had been keeping the riverside heroes in check, turned his body towards Rusalka. Both the upper body of the Dark Demon Dragon and the lower body of the Abyss Dragon simultaneously spotted Rusalka and the Light Blade in her hand, screaming as they spread their wings.

KUNG! KUUUUUUNNGG!!

Rasputin lifted his foot from the water streams wrapping around his legs and approached the island in the middle of the lake. Though he had wings, his thighs were already submerged, preventing him from escaping the lake. Rasputin forcefully moved against the current towards Rusalka.

“How does Lu recognize you when you’ve lost your self-awareness in a rampage?”

“It’s recognizing the guy who cut off his own genitalia. Plus, we can feel it too.”

I raised four fingers.

“The highest-priority targets are the spirits here, and there are two of them. There’s also a human soul above that, and even more shockingly, that human is holding a sword that once belonged to someone who severed their own genitalia. Instinctively, it must be sensing our magical power reactions.”

“Ew, then do we have to face that?”

The Abyss Dragon opened its mouth towards the top of the tower where Rusalka and her husband stood. Curious about where the magical power gathering in the dragon’s head was coming from, I scanned the flow and frowned.

“The Abyss Dragon’s core is… unfortunately.”

“What? Is there a problem?”

“The core being a weakness is fine, but its location is ridiculous.”

Below the Abyss Dragon’s neck, roughly where a human’s clavicle would be, hung two large dark spheres. Though obscured by the dark aura emanating from its body, I instantly identified the Abyss Dragon’s weakness through the Mini Phoenix’s vision.

“There are two black spheres near the groin area. One is the core, and the other is a prison containing captured humans.”

“…Ugh.”

Hwanryong wrinkled his nose and spilled his drink.

“Why is it like that? Is it Azidahaka’s taste?”

“Perhaps it’s the manifestation of the evil of the interdimensional deity.”

Since the berserk monster is influenced by Tera’s madness, its mind is polluted, deviating from human common sense in various ways.

“…Oh, Bonghyo’s call. Excuse me for a moment.”

Hwanryong put down his glass of liquor and closed his eyes. Outside, Rusalka was drawing water from the lake behind the Side Palace to create a barrel and shoot water cannons, while Rasputin violently swung his head to intercept the water bombs in mid-air.

BOOOOM!!

The Abyss Dragon thrashed like an eel and slapped the water cannon. Rasputin’s demon-like body was bound by water chains extending from the lake and couldn’t move.

“Such a dirty fight.”

If I were the one fighting, I would have shattered the Abyss Dragon’s core long ago. Then, while hunting the monsters pouring out from the Dark Demon Dragon’s corpse, I would collect cores until just before foreign intervention, close the dimensional gate, and sneakily grab the core.

“Really itches.”

Had it not been for the impending battle with Gaechonkwang, I would have intervened earlier. Regretfully, I kept tipping my glass.

BOOOOM!!

A water cannon struck under the Abyss Dragon’s jaw. The Abyss Dragon violently swerved and spat out its acidic breath.

“Bonghyo report. Recovered Rasputin’s genitalia.”

“What?”

* * *

“Huff!”

Baek Cheongyoung emerged from the water, regaining his physical form while exhaling. In his hand was a stiff 40cm-long penis.

“So disgustingly big, really.”

Baek Cheongyoung shook off the water from his clothes in the shower. Hidden in a 2-meter-tall pillar of thick darkness unseen by others was Rasputin’s genuine penis buried like a core, and Baek Cheongyoung successfully found it amidst the commotion.

“What is this…”

Baek Cheongyoung’s head involuntarily bowed. Even when erect, comparing sizes made him realize it barely reached half. He wondered who could possibly endure receiving such a size.

“But maybe possible with monsters… hahaha…”

Baek Cheongyoung imagined the chaste teeth of a black pearl getting penetrated by Rasputin’s penis.

“More cores… more achievements…!”

Baek Cheongyoung covered his mouth with his hand and giggled.

“My achievements are my lord’s achievements! Even if my lord doesn’t work, if I work hard enough, Lady Phoenix’s feelings towards my lord will change. Uhuhu.”

Baek Cheongyoung was filled with excitement imagining the rosy future he envisioned.

“Then eventually, the relationship between the two of them deepens… my lord secures love… Hmm, perfect.”

Bonghyo Baek Cheongyoung.

Once living like a mayfly doing all the dirty work under Mo Taegyeong, he became a loyal monster to Hwanryong, who transformed him into a new existence, dedicating himself entirely to Hwanryong’s romantic frontlines.

“With Xiao Lin involved too, alongside Lady Phoenix… uhuhu. A perfect strategy.”

Now, the only concern left for Baek Cheongyoung after completing his mission was what he would request as compensation from Phoenix for presenting Rasputin’s penis.

“Aigo, it’s so hard sending daughters off to marriage.”

The one he devoted his loyalty to and the step-sister he loved like family must have a partner worthy of ruling the world. To Baek Cheongyoung, no one fit that description better than the blue phoenix.

“After all, heroes have three wives and eight concubines, they say. Uhuhu.”

Carefully cradling Rasputin’s penis, Baek Cheongyoung slipped out of the shower window. Outside, chaos reigned with monsters pouring out of the dimensional gate and heroes responding accordingly.

“Perfect timing.”

Avoiding the CCTV cameras and servants, Baek Cheongyoung began climbing the Side Palace towards the top of the tower where Phoenix was located. The object still erect in his waistband dangled as he climbed.