〈 Cheongimaseon (2) 〉
There were two major factions in Yong, the pinnacle of the Kang Hwan faction’s divine beasts.
The Five Dragons clan, who are born and raised as dragons according to their lineage, and the acquired dragons who attain qualifications and ascend to the heavens after long training.
However, there was no significant gap in ability between the two factions.
Although the blood of the Five Dragons contained a mystery that had been steadily accumulated over a long period of time, even those who climbed the Dragon Gate, which is said to be so difficult that it only appears once in a thousand years, with only their own strength, never lost their ability.
If we had to compare them, we could probably distinguish between those who were born nobles and those who became self-made and established their own families.
The problem was that there was inevitable discrimination even among them.
Under the name of the descendants of the Dragon God, the Five Dragons clan has been treated with preferential treatment in all aspects and has ruled with vested rights for a long time.
Even though he has risen to the same level as him, Dae-woo himself is from the Deungyongmun, which is no different from other divine beasts.
The distinction between them could be seen just by looking at the leadership of Geumo-do, who ruled the fantasy world.
As Geumo Island is an association of various divine beasts and monsters, the members of the leadership change depending on the times, but the number of members usually remains between ten and twelve.
However, the five seats, which were almost the majority, were always the fixed seats for the five dragons.
Moreover, although it was a union in name and appearance, only the dragons could not occupy all the positions, so in the end, only Eungryong (應龍) was able to ascend to the leadership position.
The remaining seats were evenly divided between the non-dragons, including the giraffe and the nine-tailed fox.
In such a situation, wouldn’t it be natural for dissatisfaction to build up?
However, as befits beings whose names and colors have surpassed their limits through long training, those who went through the Deungyongmun and became dragons did not express any particular complaints.
Most of them were probably more focused on overcoming their own limitations rather than on such bravery.
However, not everyone was like that.
Because there were mutants like ‘him’ in the world.
‘Are they all idiots? ‘Why do we just accept this absurdity and move on?’
He simply could not tolerate the current reality.
Since we are a clan that carries on the blood of the Dragon God, that is something that can’t be helped?
In that sense, he was also a descendant of the Dragon God.
Even though, unlike the five dragons who inherited the orthodoxy, he was of an illegitimate bloodline that had deteriorated over and over again… Even
though he was a member of the dragon species until he climbed the ascending gate and was recognized as a true dragon, he was treated no better than a mere youkai!
‘But… how did I get up here…!’
After thousands of years of training, we climbed up here with great difficulty.
But just for that reason, you have to calmly watch someone standing on top of your head?
In addition, I felt like I was breaking out in hives all over my body whenever I encountered all kinds of discrimination that was implicitly rampant.
Out of frustration, I visited Eungryong, a member of the leadership team, but nothing changed.
They just look at him with an attitude as if they are not interested in such things at all and instead criticize him for his lack of practice.
‘Am I strange? ‘Are they right and am I wrong?’
After that day, I thought about it countless times, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find anything wrong.
Meanwhile, fueled by his extraordinary desire for improvement and desire to overcome his own limits, his inner rebelliousness rapidly expanded and began to deteriorate.
‘No, what is wrong is that they practice favoritism and discrimination. I am also a descendant of the dragon god’s blood. ‘I have legitimate rights and qualifications.’
Anger against a system that cannot be controlled on one’s own.
Jealousy of those who, unlike him, enjoy all the benefits.
Greed for something that does not exist and can never be reached.
‘So—this is a necessary sacrifice for reform.’
The heart demon that grew in an instant swallowed him up without any time to do anything.
However, he naturally complied without any resistance at all…
and went wild, breaking a taboo that could never be undone.
Kwaduk—kwaduk—!
If you don’t have it, just take it away.
It wasn’t that difficult to seduce the innocent young Jeokryong, who was very excited after having just completed Yeouiju.
It was because he firmly believed that the same dragon could not harm him in the world of illusion.
‘Stupidly.’
Now that he had two heads, he hid the new head inside his body and continued his work.
Since my strength had significantly increased compared to before, the job went easier than I thought.
[What is this…! Wow!]
There were three heads.
The growth in strength was steeper than expected.
If I knew this would happen, I would have used this method right away.
I was going crazy because I felt like all the time I had wasted was a waste.
[I feel like I can be forgiven for doing something like this…!]
I now have four heads.
As expected, the effect was outstanding.
As the power grew, the level of targets that could be hunted gradually increased, and the options for who to target also became more diverse.
‘I guess this is called a virtuous cycle.’
Centered around the existing green head, red, black, and white heads each bit their Yeouiju, twisted their heads, and screamed.
It looks like the road hasn’t gone far yet.
For the time being, it seemed like there was a need to strengthen things a bit.
‘…I thought so.’
The situation got worse.
No matter how many people completed Yeouiju and completed the coming-of-age ceremony, they couldn’t help but feel suspicious as three young dragons, who were not that old, suddenly disappeared.
I think I need to hurry things up a bit.
‘shit.’
Although there were five heads, the situation gradually began to take a turn for the worst.
The investigation team on Geumo Island was tightening its grip by the minute.
I thought I had prepared thoroughly and carried out the work, but the investigation team moved faster than I expected.
‘You’re interfering until the very end! Now only the yellow dragon remains…!’
We haven’t been caught yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Now that it was like this, it was a mixed bag.
Regardless of whether I get caught or not, I have no choice but to act quickly and get out of here.
As security became tighter, it was impossible to target the easy-going young dragon as usual.
Now is the moment when a bit of adventure is needed.
He lured a mature yellow dragon who was investigating the case and attacked him.
[You! How could this kind of power…!]
Maybe the opponent was caught off guard because they had only targeted younger dragons, or maybe the power that had grown rapidly through predation was greater than expected.
After an easier fight than he thought, he was eventually able to kill the yellow dragon and complete the sixth head.
[Huh—now you really have turned into a monster. Why did you do this…]
[I was completely swallowed up by the devil. It’s almost a shame that he kept his identity hidden for so long. We’ve been so relaxed during this time.]
[Tsk, it’s probably because of his roots. This is why no one should accept it.] In return
, not only was his identity completely revealed, but he was completely surrounded by those who came in before he knew it.
He must have been taking what he did so seriously that three of the leaders, Blue Dragon, Black Dragon, and Red Dragon, even stepped forward.
Due to its overwhelming power, everyone thought that this would clear up the situation.
In the end, the demon dragon who committed this heinous tragedy will be defeated and everything will return to a time of peace.
[Khaat! root? Roots? This is absolutely ridiculous! I can’t believe you guys said that!]
But the situation went in a direction no one expected.
Gooooo—
A completely different energy than before erupted from the six-headed dragon’s whole body like an active volcano.
It’s as if the class itself has gone beyond its limits by completing something that isn’t just the addition of six dragons.
[Yes, it was unfortunate that it ended up being only five. From now on, I will eat all of your five dragons!]
Normally, no matter how many five dragons you ate, you should not be able to fully absorb their power.
In addition to the inevitable losses incurred in the process of extorting the power of others, the Yeouiju, the medium through which the dragon exerts its magical powers, was an item whose efficiency plummeted when used in multiple quantities, to the point where it was better to use only one.
[Now that I think about it, that’s the surest way! If all the five dragons disappeared from this world, if all those damn ‘descendants of the dragon god’ were swallowed up and digested…!]
However, the variable could be seen as being in his foundation before becoming a dragon.
Even though he is an illegitimate child, he is also a descendant of the Dragon God’s bloodline.
It was a being that not only relied on bloodline, but also proved its own qualifications after thousands of years of training, and also forcibly awakened the power in the blood by extorting the karma of the dragons.
[…I will be the Dragon God’s only legitimate son!]
His origin is ‘greed’.
It was a monster in folklore that ate everything in the world and even ate itself.
***
“So? “What happened next?”
“…The problem was that I underestimated my opponent’s power. Many people, including the Red Dragon of the time, died in battle, and the Blue Dragon and Black Dragon suffered significant injuries and had to retire. Of course, that Tamryong lost several heads and barely escaped with his life.”
At the urging of Horus, whose eyes were shining brightly, the blue dragon spoke softly, as if telling an old story to a child.
Of course, if you think about it, it was a really old story.
At least fifty or sixty years have passed.
“But Horus, why are you suddenly asking this? “I think it’s quite rare for a topic that Horus has shown this much interest.”
While she was still talking, she tilted her head and asked Horus.
Of course, the incident at that time was also very important in Geumo Island.
This is because the uproar led to a rapid reform of numerous discriminations and conflicts.
…However, that reform plan was no longer needed now that the members of Geumodo, including Yong, had died in droves due to the bloody death caused by Beoncheonhoeju.
This crisis situation, which could have led to destruction, was discriminatory and reckless, and was enough to bring everyone together as one.
“Ehehe… Simply rebuilding the Dragon’s Heart won’t be the end, right? You should also know information about the bad guys in advance. That evil dragon is probably planning a very bad plan right now and is just waiting for an opportunity!”
“…I guess so. that’s right. “For some reason, he hasn’t been seen in person so far, but that doesn’t mean we can be completely at ease.”
The blue dragon nodded heavily as if he realized something from his words.
Before she knew it, her hands were carefully stroking his soft, thin hair.
“I learned something big from Horus. “I’ve been so focused on the task at hand that I’ve felt like I’ve put that aside, but now I need to prepare for that as well.”
“Ahem!”
“Hehe. … Of course, there is a lot of labor shortage. Still, it would be better to collapse from overwork than to have it turn into a big problem later.”
The blue dragon stroked Horus’ head with all his heart, while slightly closing his eyes and falling into deep thought.
Horus, who had been shrugging his shoulders in a smug manner at the sight of her in agony, licked his lips and glanced away.
‘…You said that? It seems like there is no normal dimension. In Outerica, the human god was causing trouble, and here, the dragon god’s illegitimate son is causing trouble.’
Of course, it was Beoncheonhoeju who dealt the fatal blow to the Ganghwan world, but the influence of Yayulhwan, who was a soldier of the Demonic Cult even then, must have been significant.
And if you listen to the story, isn’t there a strong possibility that he will become a disaster on the level of the immortal king of Outerica?
‘Seeing that the other heads that were cut off are still intact, it looks like the recovery process has been completed. Come to think of it, there weren’t any dragon corpses even at the Demonic Cult’s headquarters. Was that because that thing ate them all?’
Beoncheonhoeju and Cheonma must have known that he was a monster, so they would have tolerated his predation to some extent.
Of course, unless you hunted it yourself, there are limits to the extortion of business, so it may not have grown as explosively as you heard in the story.
It was a fortunate thing for him.
‘But at the current level, it’s within the expected range.’
Horus smiled happily and nodded.
This is not Hwangye’s Geumo Island headquarters, which has a quiet atmosphere… but
a battlefield where a fierce battle is in full swing.
Looking at the fierce battle taking place in the middle of the land called Demon World.
***
[Kaaaaaaah—! These bugs! You’re bothering me!]
A roar like thunder rang out and a storm raged in all directions.
Rumbling—!
Those who lacked the necessary knowledge stumbled and coughed up blood due to the wave of intense emotions contained within.
However, even in the meantime, the undead army, covered in the thick energy of the abyss, only paused for a moment due to the torrent of energy.
Soon, without any reaction, he moved mechanically and wiped out the enemies.
In the end, only the demonic cultists were the ones to suffer the damage, but even though he guessed such a situation, the six-headed dragon could not respond calmly at all.
That’s right….
[Koooooo——!]
At that moment, a ferocious roar erupted from the front, as if responding to his anger.
A cry filled with the intense energy of death that could not possibly be attributed to a living being.
Kwaaaaang—!
Immediately after that, a wave of destruction that he had already experienced several times poured down on him.
[Big! [No way!]
The six Yeouiju shined at the same time, and the attack directed at him weakened, twisted, scattered, and eventually disappeared without being able to penetrate the defense shield.
The battle has already been repeated several times.
But now the situation was not as simple as it seemed.
‘What the hell! What on earth is that guy doing…!’
The six heads of the six-headed dragon roared in unison and glared in all directions.
As soon as he appeared in earnest and started fighting, the demonic cultists quickly retreated, leaving only the dead around.
And only the best monsters that spread the thick energy of death.
‘If it had been one-on-one, I would have destroyed it right away…!’
The first thing that catches your eye is the skeleton of a giant winged lizard.
It was almost as large as him and was the one who launched the attack just now.
A difficult opponent who is willing to use his size to engage in hand-to-hand combat and spits out the breath of death whenever he gets the chance.
And that wasn’t the only opponent.
Not only the black Gangshi that he had never seen before, but even the familiar monster Gangshi were hovering around him, looking for any loopholes.
Each and every one of them is covered in a deadly energy filled with death.
Yeah, that was the biggest problem.
‘This cursed energy never dries!’
The ominous black flames that surrounded their bodies were nothing short of poison to living beings, but to lions they became the greatest weapon of all.
Not only does all indicators, including attack power and defense power, skyrocket, but even if the entire body receives damage that is shattered, it recovers instantly and inflicts fatal damage to the living just by touching it.
It is truly the best weapon perfect for attack and defense.
‘I didn’t just eat it in a fit of anger!’
And he was the one who experienced the effects more vividly than anyone else.
No matter how much I broke it, it kept regenerating, so I got annoyed and swallowed a few pieces of the Black Gangshi and body parts of the skeleton lizard….
Gurgling—
A loud sound coming from inside his huge belly.
He, who had never had an upset stomach after eating anything before, was experiencing an upset stomach for the first time in his life.
‘Ugh!’
In the first place, it was a disastrous situation for him, who was unable to even have an anus, let alone a bowel movement, to completely absorb everything in his body.
Of course, since he possesses the power of gluttony, even this will eventually subside over time…
“Kkekekekeke—doesn’t it look quite painful? So, don’t just pick up anything and eat it.”
[Off…you bastard…!]
The problem was that he didn’t have that kind of free time right now.
With the voice of the culprit behind all this heard in my ear—.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!
Rumbling—
Before I knew it, waves of destruction began to swirl again from the strange patterns surrounding all directions.
Chains, lightning, flames, thorns, fangs, beasts, axes, etc…
with various forms of death that cannot be easily counted.