Chapter 184

〈Chapter 184〉 Part 1, Chapter 9

Bonghyo’s conversation with Baeg Cheongyoung was quite fruitful.

He firmly disciplined his unruly underling, secured a secret video of Xiao Lin, and discovered the whereabouts of one Cube.

‘I’d call Illusory Dragon right about now if I could.’

A man named Mo Taegyeong flying all the way to Switzerland to visit a bank would definitely cause a big stir. The director of China’s Monster Management Bureau has no reason to visit Switzerland, and in order to track the other Cubes, he had no choice but to store them in a bank.

‘Well, that pretty much wraps things up.’

My business in China was over in just a two-night stay. Including the time spent on the plane, it took less than 30 hours to awaken Illusory Dragon, subdue Mo Taegyeong, and acquire two Cubes from China.

‘What about Horogwan’s old geezer?’

The reason it’s an S-Rank monster is simple. A strange ghost possessed a young man living in a house east of Luoyang Castle, and this ghost was inhabited by a monster that changed hosts like eating rice.

Thus, it’s not an S-Rank “monster” but an S-Rank “creature.” It lives hidden away in China, though it’s still S-Rank.

‘Let’s take a break first.’

I traveled across China by flying or running, covering over 10,000 km. Since all urgent matters are dealt with, I certainly deserve some rest.

“Bonghyo.”

“Yes.”

“Go buy this for me.”

“…Uh.”

Bonghyo showed discomfort at the items I jotted down. Perhaps his pride was slightly hurt at being treated as an errand boy, as he stared at the memo for a long while.

“Why? Is it hard to buy tanghulu?”

“No, buying tanghulu is easy… Yes, I’ll go get it. But why only strawberries?”

“Nothing else has value.”

“…I see. Hehe.”

Baeg Cheongyoung covered her mouth first. Her subtly curved eyes seemed to be smiling at me. This made me feel naturally irritated, wondering if I should refrain from giving him money, but I’m not such a scoundrel as to throw a single 100-won coin and tell him to buy bread.

“Take it. You figure out the change.”

I casually threw him a Core equivalent to B-Rank. Baeg Cheongyoung hastily caught it mid-air with both hands.

“What… is this?”

“Candy money.”

“Eh?”

“To be used when you treat the members of the Illusory Dragon Group to dinner later. Or for a group barbecue with the Bright Flame Spirits.”

A B-Rank Core worth approximately 1 billion would more than cover the meals of around 520 people.

“Is it alright to receive such a large sum?”

“It’s pocket change. Originally, I was supposed to hunt scorpions and obtain an S-Rank Core.”

S-Rank Cores will soon flood the market, causing prices to plummet. Illusory Dragon will strongly request foreign support, sending thousands of Cores worldwide for various uses.

“Aww, missed out on an Earth Dragon Core and couldn’t get the Black Scorpions’ Cores.”

“…There’s nothing we can do. The Illusory Dragon Group is satisfied with that.”

“Yes. Then I’ll go. I’ll watch some TV.”

Baeg Cheongyoung quickly vanished into spirit form. I lounged comfortably on the sofa, flipping through TV channels. Almost every channel was broadcasting monster movements, with about half capturing the great clash of monsters at Hua River.

[ROOOAAARR!]

[KIIIIEEEEEEEKKKK!]

The Black Flame Dragon continued to circle in the air, spewing breaths, while Water Monkey repeatedly dived into and emerged from the water, throwing water bombs.

“Hmm. As expected.”

The Black Flame Dragon was struggling significantly. During the time I stole a Cube in the desert, leisurely flew to Beijing, assigned tasks, and held discussions with Baeg Cheongyoung, the Black Flame Dragon failed to capture Water Monkey.

Contrary to my bold claims, the Black Flame Dragon was clearly struggling due to elemental disadvantages.

“Should I help…?”

Whether to directly assist my struggling subordinate or trust his strength and leave it to him—both choices come with their own set of troubles. However, I decided to entrust the battle to the Black Flame Dragon.

“The world won’t end without Water Monkey’s Core…”

“Here it is.”

Just then, Baeg Cheongyoung handed me a box of tanghulu. Each skewer was filled with strawberries, glistening with sugary coating.

“Thank you. Would you like a bite?”

“I’m fine. I brought my own.”

Baeg Cheongyoung pulled out a skewer with green grapes. In case Chang-yeom might like green grapes, I attempted a 1:1 trade with Baeg Cheongyoung.

“One each?”

“…Maybe I should have bought one of each kind?”

“No need to go that far. Sit down and watch with me. Let’s see how people fight monsters.”

I split the screen into four parts. Two showing the live broadcast of the battle between the Black Flame Dragon and Water Monkey, and two showing the movements of the black scorpions. There were four screens in total.

“Let me tell you something interesting.”

“What is it?”

“The battle between the Black Flame Dragon and Water Monkey? Its ratings are dropping. Why do you think that is?”

“Is this a test? Alright, let me think for a moment.”

Baeg Cheongyoung scrutinized the screen while licking his green grape. Meanwhile, I kept an eye on the movement of the scorpions. They were heading towards Beijing at a fast pace, and would arrive in about a day.

The two monsters fighting in real-time.

And the thousands of scorpions that would reach Beijing in about a day.

Unfortunately for the Black Flame Dragon, public attention was gradually shifting towards the scorpions.

“Oh. I understand.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t it because people feel more fear towards the black scorpions?”

“Correct.”

I bit into a strawberry with force, accidentally cutting the wooden stick and feeling a slight irritation.

“Out of how many points?”

“Seventeen points.”

Baeg Cheongyoung’s answer was slightly disappointing. While I found our conversations about Illusory Dragon interesting, it seems combatants have a better eye for battles than non-combatants like him.

“Alright. Go assist Illusory Dragon.”

“…Excuse me.”

“I’ll tell you the correct answer in the Illusory Dragon chapter later.”

Baeg Cheongyoung disappeared with a red face. Seeking validation, he must have felt humiliated after being openly embarrassed by me, but his answer truly deserved only ten points out of seventeen.

“Then, next batter.”

I threw a Core where Baeg Cheongyoung disappeared. The brown Core quickly ignited into flames, forming the bald giant illuminated by the TV screen.

“What? Why am I summoned again? Wasn’t I supposed to stay as a Core until we reached Korea?”

“It’s a celebration question for your promotion to B-Rank.”

I asked Jo Deokbae the same question I posed to Baeg Cheongyoung. Deokbae watched the battle between the Black Flame Dragon and Water Monkey carefully before muttering.

“Just plain boring, isn’t it?”

“Why? Isn’t it magnificent to see S-Rank monsters battling?”

“What’s magnificent about watching two guys who look ready to fight but keep holding back and jabbing from afar?”

“Seventeen points.”

I praised Deokbae while pointing out the limitations of the Black Flame Dragon.

“Because it’s a human-turned-monster case, its thinking pattern is still human-like. Also, it’s a backlash from forcibly awakening the Core to S-Rank. Physically it’s S-Rank, but mentally it’s still A-Rank.”

“Yeah, I get that. Same here with using the Flame Giant.”

From Deokbae’s perspective, who has been using the power of an A-Rank Flame Giant since C-Rank, he understands the current state of the Black Flame Dragon well. Just as he couldn’t fully utilize the Spirit Stone’s power, the Black Flame Dragon also fails to use its full potential.

“There’s another point. Building on what you said about Deokbae student. What is it?”

“…Fighting like a human?”

“Sit down, Deokbae student.”

Indeed, because they’re comrades using powers beyond their level, Deokbae quickly understood what was lacking in the Black Flame Dragon. I pointed out the Black Flame Dragon’s fighting style.

“Flying and breathing fire. Descending and breathing fire. Intercepting water bombs with breath. With that, how impressive is the spec? Spec!”

“So what are you gonna do? Are we really going to keep watching this?”

“No. I’m going to conduct an experiment.”

“What?!?”

Deokbae jumped up in shock. While he may be tired of my experiments, he always ends up as my top guinea pig.

“Then let’s head to Hua River. Don’t worry, you’ll be the main player.”

“What? Even as a Flame Giant, I’m only A-Rank… Hey, wait a minute. Could this be what you’re thinking?”

Muttering softly.

Deokbae whispered something into my ear, and I froze in surprise.

“How did you know?”

“You guessed it. Haha, so that’s what you meant?”

Apparently, the guinea pig showed considerable enthusiasm. Unlike previous experiments, since Deokbae would be the main player in this fight, he exuded significant confidence.

“Alright. But if you lose, you’re my shoe for a while.”

“What kind of shoe?”

“Speak politely!”

“I didn’t insult you!”

It sounded unpleasant. I turned Deokbae into a Core and flew up into the sky again.

By the time the sun was setting behind the mountains, I flew at full speed to settle my curiosity and the drawn-out battle.

* * *

ROOOAAARRR!

The Black Flame Dragon unleashed another breath attack. Water Monkey barely rolled to the side in time to dodge, unable even to launch a water bomb.

BOOOOM!

The Black Flame Dragon’s breath struck the water surface, creating a massive splash as it ascended into the sky again, frowning.

SWOOSH!

Water Monkey’s high-pressure water bomb pierced through where the Black Flame Dragon had been. Using his long arms reaching down to his knees, Water Monkey splashed water bombs with speed and destructive power akin to a Major League knuckleball pitcher.

[This will never end.]

The Black Flame Dragon hovered in the air, gathering magic power. Thanks to the forced expansion to S-Rank, his magic power was abundant, but he wasn’t utilizing it properly.

CHIRP CHIRP!

In contrast, the S-Rank monster Water Monkey was wielding his power perfectly. Though disadvantaged by element, the Black Flame Dragon hadn’t anticipated such a prolonged battle.

[This way, I don’t have the face to meet that person.]

“Right?”

[…Spirit?]

The Black Flame Dragon was startled to find Phoenix perched on his back. Before he could even think ‘when did she…’, Phoenix tapped his back twice.

“Good job. Now it’s your turn to pass the baton.”

[Phoenix! I was still trying to win…]

“Reflect on yourself. Think about why you kept losing.”

I transformed the Black Flame Dragon into a Core mid-air. Those filming the duel between the two monsters hurriedly packed up their equipment and fled.

CHIRP CHIRP!!

Water Monkey roared victoriously, starting to hurl water bombs in all directions. With the dragon that annoyed him gone, he was asserting his dominance over the Hua River territory. He had no idea this would be his last stand.

“Then, let’s begin the experiment.”

CHA CHA CHA.

I shook the Cores in my hands. One hand held Jo Deokbae’s Core and Spirit Stone, while the other held the Spirit Stone-powered, forcibly expanded Black Flame Dragon Core.

“If you take too long, they might think you’ve fled.”

CHIRP CHIRP?!

The rampaging Water Monkey froze upon sensing my magic power. Having fought against an S-Rank opponent, he was shocked to encounter something even stronger.

“Don’t worry. The one to face you isn’t me.”

Guangjian, Xiao Lin, Chaos Dragon. Having faced countless SS-Rank powerhouses, my body has become unsatisfied with anything less than SS-Rank. Thus, even though Water Monkey is disadvantageous elementally, if I were to fight personally, he wouldn’t even last a single punch.

WHOOSH!

A massive sphere of flames formed around me. The flame sphere, ten meters in diameter, resembled an ‘egg’, heralding the birth of new life.

“Jo Deokbae, rise!”

WHOOSH.

Deokbae revived silently, immediately implanting his Spirit Stone into his chest.

THUMP THUMP.

The Core pulsed strongly, igniting his magic power. Deokbae’s body grew, enveloped in blue flames, transforming into the Blue Flame Giant that once wreaked havoc in Seoul.

“B-Rank evolution makes transformation faster, huh?”

[Still A-Rank inside.]

“Then, let’s add S-Rank armor. Hehe.”

The Black Flame Dragon was forcibly turned into a monster but fundamentally remains a human hybrid.

Thus, similar to Core Weapons, it can be converted into a ‘weapon’.

“Experiment Phase 2!”

I manipulated my magic power to stimulate the Black Flame Dragon’s Core and connected it to Deokbae’s body.

YEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!

An indescribable cry of exertion erupted as black scales began sprouting from the Flame Giant’s body. The design motif was based on my ‘human hybrid’ form, the Phoenix. Unlike mine which resembles a phoenix, the armor surrounding the Flame Giant took the form of the Black Flame Dragon’s scales.

“Shall we watch from the front row?”

I landed on the Flame Giant’s shoulder. People were startled by the sudden appearance of the massive fiery sphere and redirected their cameras towards us.

“Three, two, one.”

SNAP.

As soon as I snapped my fingers, the fiery barrier dissipated. The Flame Giant crouching in mid-air descended onto the water surface under gravity.

BOOOOOM!

The Flame Giant landed on the water surface, radiating magic power. Water Monkey stepped back, intimidated by the menacing aura emanating from the Flame Giant.

“Subordinate No. 2.”

[What?]

“I’ll give you three minutes.”

[…That’s plenty!]

The Flame Giant clad in dragon scales dashed across the water.

Indeed, fighting is intuitive.

CHIRP CHIRP!!

[Shut your mouth, your breath stinks!]

The Flame Giant’s gauntlet smashed off Water Monkey’s lower jaw.

…Why does it sting?