Chapter 52

〈Chapter 52〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (9)

“……”

Black Flame Dragon crossed his arms and remained silent. His subordinates, numbering around thirty, muttered among themselves about their A-Rank leader’s recent behavior.

– The boss must’ve gone crazy after that meeting. He’s become a religious nut.

– He thinks he’s gonna be a cardinal of the Sun Cult or something.

– If believing in the sun can drive off heroes, I’ll bow to it every morning at dawn.

“…Ignorant fools.”

Black Flame Dragon muttered under his breath, unheard by his subordinates.

“If only they could see the divine presence of Our Lord with their own eyes…”

He looked at his followers with regretful eyes. His now darker irises, having reached A-Rank, made them shudder.

‘They’ve diminished greatly.’

More than half of his original hundred-plus followers had fled during battles with heroes. Some even ran away out of fear of him more than the heroes. But Black Flame Dragon didn’t care at all.

It was the fate of prophets to be lonely. While knowing full well that a major battle was happening in Gangnam, he patiently waited for the Messenger of God.

Then, a blue bird flying through the sky landed on an electric wire. Black Flame Dragon knelt down to greet it.

“You have come.”

* * *

Ziiiiiiing.

Mini Phoenix landed before Black Flame Dragon. Through Mini Phoenix’s mouth, Phoenix from Yeouido relayed instructions.

“Testing, testing. Can you hear me?”

“I hear you clearly. This humble one hears the voice you send through the Messenger of God. I am prepared to receive your holy command.”

“…”

This is weird. Since awakening her special ability, she seems to have changed careers to a preacher. Phoenix awkwardly cleared her throat.

“Hem hem. Are you ready?”

“Of course! Though many of my comrades have left due to my unworthiness and remain spiritually blind, fortunately over a hundred brothers still wait here to hear the word of God.”

Phoenix glanced behind him. The villains following Black Flame Dragon looked reluctant yet terrified.

God’s majesty was indeed terrifying.

“…Alright then. Here’s your mission: Team up with the Sky Castle group in Gangnam and drive back the heroes. Don’t kill any defeated heroes – take them hostage instead. Bring all captured hostages here. Got it?”

“I shall follow your orders! Followers of God!”

Black Flame Dragon raised his fist. His subordinates hesitantly lifted their weapons.

‘Spirits are way too low.’

What’s the point of reinforcements like this? Phoenix used Mini Phoenix to scan the aptitudes of the villains. Just then, she spotted someone with fire affinity barely over 50.

Whoosh!

Mini Phoenix flapped its fiery wings before one particular villain in the back. The bespectacled villain, who turned out to be a non-ability user, screamed in fright.

“Kyaaah!”

As Mini Phoenix landed on his head and touched his scalp with its beak…

Exactly 51.

Peck!

Mini Phoenix pecked the villain’s forehead. Simultaneously, the dormant magic power within the villain’s body began to surge.

Bwooohoooong!!

A strange phenomenon where light emanated from the body. The villains watched in awe and amazement as the bespectacled villain underwent transformation.

“Oh, ohhh, OH MY GOODNESS!”

These days, everyone would want this kind of special ability awakening. Magic power surged from the bespectacled villain’s body.

“…Baptism! God has bestowed baptism upon this ignorant and humble being! Transforming him into His servant!”

Black Flame Dragon grabbed the newly awakened special ability user’s shoulder with envious eyes.

“Am I really…a special ability user…?”

The villain hesitantly raised his hand. Flames erupted from the baseball bat clenched in his right hand. Once a non-ability user, he had been forcibly awakened into a C-Rank special ability user by Phoenix.

“As you see. This is the power of the Blue Wind Sect.”

Phoenix made Mini Phoenix circle above the villains. Over two hundred eyes followed its feathers.

“Do you wish to awaken your special abilities? Do you seek higher levels?”

Everyone nodded. Phoenix spread Mini Phoenix’s wings, pointing in a certain direction.

“Reward those who work hard. Reward those who achieve results. Now go forth and defeat the heroes.”

Mini Phoenix soared back into the sky.

With Black Flame Dragon leading the way, the villains from Gangdong charged forward like mad dogs, ambushing the heroes’ flank. The path cleared by Phoenix earlier was practically a highway now, and among the vanguard was the newly awakened special ability user.

Shortly after, Ji Hwa informed Phoenix of changes on the battlefield.

– The Ritual Master has begun moving from Seocho. They’re targeting the rear of the heroes.

“Should I say they were waiting for Gangdong’s move…?”

– They join whoever seems to be winning. They’ve judged the villains to be currently dominant.

“Pfft. Fine then. Might as well use them while they’re helpful.”

In an instant, the heroes were surrounded from three directions. The firefight unfolded along the main street.

Guro fell into the trap, and Gangnam was now surrounded by villains. I turned my gaze beyond冠 Rock Mountain to Anyang.

“If you don’t play your cards soon, the game will be over.”

After all, there’s a reason why they say “too much caution leads to failure.”

* * *

“Hoho ho! The young spirit deity shall bestow punishment!”

The Ritual Master threw rice into the air. The handfuls of rice grew large under the influence of her magic power.

“Punishment my ass!”

Usa swung her staff, firing water bullets. The rice descending in parabolic arcs bubbled as if about to explode. The bomb master Ritual Master’s special ability was to infuse talismans and rice with magic power, turning them into explosive bombs.

Kwaaaaang!

The small rice bombs exploded upon contact with the water bullets. Usa clicked her tongue and gathered more magic power to create a water jet. Dark flames flashed from the front.

“Receive the flames of God!”

Black Flame Dragon leaped up from amidst the corpses of monsters, black flames blazing in both hands.

“Guh!”

Usa quickly formed a giant water shield like an umbrella. The collision of the two magic powers created massive steam.

“Hahaha! How foolish, you ignorant ones!”

Black Flame Dragon laughed maniacally, enveloping his entire body in black flames. The insane sight of him charging forward with flames surrounding his body startled the heroes.

Though his mind seemed deranged, his single ability was undeniably A-Rank. And that flame magic power was overwhelmingly abundant and pure compared to other heroes.

Usa hastily checked the villain database. A special ability user who uses black flames. Only one villain result came up in the real-time updating database.

“<Black Blaze>?!”

The arsonist villain who torched Rejection House and fled. His special ability rank was definitely B-Rank.

“Base! Update villain information! Change Black Blaze’s rank to S, no A-Rank!”

– Wha?! Ah, understood!

Watching the database update his danger level to A-Rank, Usa clicked her tongue. The log clearly showed he was only B-Rank when he appeared in Gangdong District a month ago.

Did he reach A-Rank in just that one month? And almost reaching the threshold of S-Rank?

“Hmmph, what exactly are you?”

Usa addressed Black Flame Dragon while other heroes were battling villains. Everyone wanted to know how he managed to increase his power so drastically.

“Ho ho ho, hooohohohoh!!”

Black Flame Dragon’s shoulders shook. He unraveled the bandages wrapped around his hands.

“Can you see it!? My skin reborn through God’s grace! These burn scars that even doctors gave up on! This humble one, reborn in flames through baptism, has become a dragon that burns enemies for God! Behold the glorious Black, Flame, Dragon!”

“What a lunatic.”

Usa scrunched her face in distaste.

Occasionally, heroes who awaken their special abilities go insane, but this guy was taking it to another level.

“To think you’d get middle school syndrome at this age, truly the end times.”

“Kkkkrrrk. Middle school syndrome? No, you wouldn’t understand! Those who haven’t received God’s direct blessing wouldn’t comprehend!”

Black Flame Dragon stomped his feet in anger. The black flames burning from his feet melted the asphalt as they shot upward.

Kiiaaaaaaack!!

Behind Black Flame Dragon, a massive flaming monster rose. The long snake-like body and horn on its head truly made it seem like he had become a dragon, spewing flames as it roared.

The heat was enough to make Usa’s skin tingle. She planted her staff into the ground and gathered magic power.

“Rare to see fire-type abilities these days, but seeing way too much lately.”

First the world’s first Fire Demon Dragon from the Dimensional Gate, now facing two rare S and A-Rank fire mages after commanders.

Though one is a crazy A-Rank, there’s still hope for rehabilitation.

“To you I apologize, but you’re going straight to the correction facility! We’re really good at fixing people like you with middle school syndrome!”

“I’m NOT having middle school syndrome! Don’t blaspheme against God!”

Black Flame Dragon lunged at Usa. As Usa floated into the air, Black Flame Dragon opened his mouth to follow.

“Old man!”

“Coming!”

Pungbaek, who had been harassing Sky Castle, positioned himself beneath Usa. The wind wrapped around Pungbaek’s legs became a gale, stopping Black Flame Dragon’s charge.

Usa raised her staff high. Moisture from the air gathered at the tip of her staff.

“Thought we’d let you?”

The Ritual Master opened her fan, creating a cutting wind. Meanwhile, Black Flame Dragon shot flames from afar.

Woooonnggg–!

Massive amounts of wind surged upward like a dragon twister, protecting Usa. Inside the protective barrier of wind, Usa began chanting spells as if inside the eye of a typhoon.

“Stop him! He’s trying a combination attack!”

The Ritual Master scattered talismans into the air. The blood-soaked talismans fluttered about before being blown like bullets toward Pungbaek by her fan.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Other heroes from Team B protected Pungbaek and Usa while forming a defensive line. The talismans stuck to these unfortunate ones and exploded.

Bang, Kwaaaang!

“Guuh!”

The fully armored warrior hero spat blood from between his helmet. Having blocked the most talismans at the front, his armor was dented in various places.

“Get out of my way, you foolish ones!”

Black Flame Dragon swung both fists wildly, trying to break through the formation. However, the heroes dodged his attacks and tried to stop him from a distance.

Booom! Kooong!

Sky Castle charged forward like a bull. Three A-Rank heroes set up their weapons to stop Sky Castle.

“RRAAAAGH!!”

While roaring and trying to push the heroes away, the brute strength of three A-Ranks proved to be slightly too much for him.

Though Sky Castle was impressive requiring three A-Ranks to hold back, he failed to block the combined attack from Usa and Pungbaek.

“We’re going!”

“Let’s do it!”

Pungbaek’s magic power shot up into the sky, and Usa drew it into her staff, channeling it into the massive water mass above her.

Woooonnggg—!!

The water mass swirled violently with wind inside. The tornado barrier Pungbaek had formed around Usa earlier dissipated with time.

“What the hell is this?!”

The Ritual Master took a big step back from the floating water mass above Usa. The water mass was easily the size of a small house.

Combination technique of Water and Wind Masters, Storm Rain.

Despite its straightforward name combining wind and rain, its destructive power was enough to sweep away all the villains in Gangnam.

Woooonnggg—!!

The storm began lashing outside the heroes’ formation.

“Aaaaah!!”

As the storm’s radius gradually expanded, a villain caught inside was swept up by the twister. Spinning in a spiral, the villain was sucked into the water mass lifted by Usa.

Glug glug!

Extracting magic power from the captured villains inside the water mass, Usa intensified the spinning storm even more.

“Damn, gotta retreat!”

“…Krrrk!”

The Ritual Master withdrew. Sky Castle was still grappling with the heroes.

Goaaaaaoooh!

Black Flame Dragon stood firm in place. The expanding storm soaked his clothes and extinguished some of his flames.

“Are you watching, Oh Sun?”

Black Flame Dragon shouted towards the sky. Gray clouds summoned by Pungbaek and Usa covered the heavens.

“With this power you’ve given me, I shall show it to you now!”

Black Flame Dragon mounted the head of his fire dragon. The dragon roared as if alive, ascending into the sky.

“What the?!”

Flying above the heroes’ heads, the burning black dragon headed straight for the water mass Usa had gathered.

“Stop him!”

Long-range heroes hurriedly raised their guns to restrain Black Flame Dragon. The dragon’s body continued toward the water mass despite being pierced by multiple rounds.

“You bastard!”

Pungbaek rushed up to attack the dragon from below. Usa, focusing all her magic power on expanding the storm, was completely defenseless.

“Haaaah!”

Using the dragon’s head as a stepping stone, Black Flame Dragon jumped. Though the dragon exploded due to Pungbaek’s attack, Black Flame Dragon propelled himself forward like a long jumper, aiming directly at the water mass.

Flurrrrrr!

Black flames erupted from Black Flame Dragon’s feet. In midair, he pulled his legs toward his body, gathering all his magic power at the tips of both feet.

“Fireeeeeeeeeeet!!”

With an incomprehensible war cry, magic power erupted from Black Flame Dragon’s back. Gaining acceleration in midair, Black Flame Dragon’s body shot toward Usa’s water mass like a bullet.

“Think I’ll take it?”

Usa drained all her remaining magic power to strengthen the outer wall of the water mass.

Black Flame Dragon’s Flying Dropkick collided with Usa’s water mass.

□□□□□□□—-!!

In the middle of a major Gangnam street, two massive magic powers collided in an explosion.