"Helièna!"
[Kugh....!]
Liera shouted in shock. That dandy and leisurely Succubus Queen was hit!
Helièna's blood poured out from the hole in her abdomen, and just as she retreated while covering up the wound, a streak of blood ran leaked out from her lips as well. The attack was a direct hit from a close distance, leaving her in a rather miserable state.
[My, to think that it would just parry my ability just like that... What the hell is this thing? It's not darling! Perhaps it's not a life form at all?]
[Eliminate.]
"Eeeeeek!"
Seeing that thing raising its hand again, Liera bit her lips and swung her spear. The shockwave from her spear distorted the trajectory of the beam. It finally turned around to Liera and raised both of its hands.
[Eliminating obstacles of higher priority.]
"I don't like it since every single line it's spewing out is really like the last boss's underling!"
All magic power from Liera's very being focused on the spear and vibrated. She wouldn't care even if her attack was copied. Her shockwaves turned magic power into pure physical force, and applied to both magical power and physical force.
Did someone say that it didn't use mana but something else? That didn't matter either. As long as it was a form of energy, it would not escape the effect of the vibrations!
[Liera, just with you....]
"Retreat and get yourself healed! Quickly!"
[...Kugh!]
Helièna couldn't continue speaking after hearing that and turned around. At that moment, the rotation of the halo that covered it reached the limit and shrouded its entire body.
[Eliminate.]
"Why don't you try."
Liera clashed with it without having a single bit of room to breathe. Although she was worried since Helièna's charm didn't work at all, but fortunately, Liera's power was the perfect counter to fight it. This was clear from its transforming voice patterns.
[Priority elimination target.]
[Raising priority to first.]
"You're noisy!"
[Checking for enemy weaknesses.]
It was at that moment. It reacted to Liera's 'noisy' comment and started emitting endless amounts of noise! Liera once again felt that the mouth was the source of trouble for everything and made a crying face.
[Aaaaaaaaaaa]
"Uwaah! Do something already!"
Liera was feeling really serious. Of course, not that her shockwaves would be hindered by its vibrations, but the bigger problem was the mana she needed to use in order to fight it.
Even though she could bring out more power than her class, her mana was still that of a lower existence's. Now that she was focusing all the magic power in her body at the tip of her spear, she would be able to hold on for about 3 minutes at most.
"We also want to do something, but...."
"...It doesn't work that well."
They should have realized from the moment it resisted against the charm. While Liera was holding it back up front, Kim YeSeul and the other mages at the rear used magic in order to restrain it, but annoyingly, none of their magic worked properly!
"It...."
Erta shouted while biting her lips.
"It has resistance to magic power! That is why your power that changes magic power into pure physical force works the best against it!"
"Aah, god dammit. It really does things weirdly! And? What do I do?"
Erta and Kang MiRae spoke while casting a magic formation with desperate faces.
"We're looking for a solution!"
"Please wait a little!"
This was no good. They weren't of any help! If so.... Liera once again spent a small portion of her mana in order to refract the enemy's beam and shouted sharply.
"Orochi, what the heck are you doing!"
[I am preparing for the most effective means of attack using the data acquired from contact. Isn't it the basics to analyze the enemy right in front of them before attacking them?]
That's for when this side is in the advantage with concealment! – Liera wanted to shout that, but closed her mouth after realizing what Orochi was trying to do.
[Wait a little more. Hold back the enemy a little more.]
"... That guy acts somewhat like IlHan."
Although Orochi was made into a humanoid form by Yu IlHan, in no way was he a human nor was he a dragon.
After a long period of adaptive training within the barrier, Orochi could now move his body as if he had been born with it, and the extent was a little 'too much'.
[A little more... hhp!]
"No, he's a lot more unpleasant than what IlHan does...."
Right now, he had gone beyond the realm of controlling minute body movements, and was transforming the body itself. Its abilities from when it was the Eight-tailed Dragon Spear, had blossomed into a more destructive power in the body of flesh, muscle, bones, and blood of a dragon!
On the outside, it was not that different from a human, but 'molding' its muscles and bones and the like and turning his arms into cannons would make anyone unpleasant!
[I'm finished! Tie him down just like that!]
[Detecting danger from behind....]
"He said tie you down!"
A strong shockwave from Liera's spear momentarily forced not only the beams into one streak, but even paused the rotation of the halo as well. The next moment, Orochi, who had transformed one of his arms into a cannon like Megam*n, rapidly shot across the air! Na YuNa, who had just finished treating Helièna, raised her head and shouted.
"Ah, that's a Mega B*ster...!"
[It's a pile bunkeeeeeeeeer!]
Orochi shouted to deny Na YuNa's predictions! Yes. The moment Orochi's arm, that seemed to shoot a beam cannon, touched the halo, a sharp bone spear shot out from his arm from the powers of the contraction and expansion of the 7th class dragon muscle fibers, as well as the explosion of magic power to pierce straight through the halo and strike into its body!
[Critical Hit!]
[Kugh!?]
It stumbled for the first time. Even Liera's attack merely deflected its attack, but Orochi's bitter strike had caused a piercing wound! It urgently retreated and tried to heal its injuries, but couldn't do that easily due to the durability and resistance of Echjar's bones. Orochi shouted with an evil smile with a face that looked like a human's.
[If it's pure physical power I will not lose! This is the power I have acquired while being with master!]
"Well done, Orochi!"
[But the disadvantage is that I only have one stored bone spear left!]
"What the hell are you boasting about that for, you idiot!"
Orochi neither had the ability to manipulate subspace, nor the ability to regenerate 7th class bones as he wish! At least not yet!
[I will attack at a more crucial time!]
"I hope that that moment doesn't come after I die! Haaaaaaaap!"
[El,imi...!]
While Orochi retreated to prepare his second strike, Liera charged ahead once again. It seemed that Orochi's trump card dealt a critical strike as the enemy still had yet to recover its halo and wings and defended her attack with just its arms, but Liera felt something strange the moment she came in contact with it.
"This, is as if...."
[Eliminate.]
While Liera was hesitating, as if it had become B-d*man, it started to make a cannon from its chest, and actually shot out a foggy white spear that had real form. The moment she faced that, Liera felt a cold sensation. And as she had feared, it declared with a confident and firm voice.
[It's a pile bunkeeeeeeeeer!]
"Hiik!?"
If it was indeed made from Orochi's records it had absorbed just now, she would die the moment she gets hit! Liera instinctively flew upwards to dodge. A boom sound could be heard from behind before Mystic shouted.
[Hey! I'm getting hit by stray bullets!]
"Block that will you!"
[I'm going to do that anyway!]
Mystic received the portion of its body into the barrier and buried it on the grounds. Although it was very dangerous, this could act as a source to identify the enemy. It shook its head after seeing that.
[Technique with high danger. Erasing from pattern.]
[A pile bunker is a man's weapon. How dare you bury it. You must not be a man!]
[Can't you tell from how my charm didn't work, you idiotic snake? Not to mention man, it might not even have a gender!]
Helièna grumbled at Orochi. Due to the injuries that didn't heal completely, she couldn't go back to front lines anymore and she consumed her own mana to help Mystic control Thousand Eyes.
Despite the tens of beams from its wings, the reason the group could hold on until now was because there was Thousand Eyes looking after them.
Liera was about to attack once more before it recovered its halo shield, but was prevented from doing so due to the beams. She shouted while clenching her teeth.
"Just until when are those insane beams going to continue attacking!"
An energy source that was not mana, enhanced attack patterns from analyzing and absorbing information on the enemy, as well as resistance to mana and the absurd ability to prevent the implementation of mana in the surroundings! This was no member of any higher existence faction. It was neither a former archangel from the Heaven's Army, nor a former Battalion Commander of the Army of Brilliant Light but a completely mysterious existence that could not be identified!
"Does this even make sense!? Just where did this pop out from!"
[Complete self-recovery impossible. Recovery halted. Prioritizing the elimination of enemies.]
Meanwhile, it finally uttered some lines that made the group even more bitter as it changed its form. Before, it emitted some formless foggy light, but now it seemed to shrink before creating three additional halos!
"Ah, oh dammit."
Liera voiced out in frustration. It would be good if her worries didn't come true, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Replacing the damaged halo, the three halos started rotating rapidly! Just the rotations were scary enough, but those frightening wheels from hell that ground anything apart in its way were aimed at her and the others!
[Eliminate!]
"I'll die if I get hit by that! The barrier won't hold!"
Screamed Liera as she flew. The Flying fortress and the Guardian fortress were not exceptions. Mystic controlled the two fortresses as fast as the first time she had met Yu IlHan to escape the range of attack of the halos. The problem was the 'naturally' attached tracking function!
[Eliminate! Eliminate!]
And eventually, one of the halos hit the barrier. Mystic used all of the Thousand Eyes in order to shake it off, but the Halo spun at rapid speeds to deflect all those beams and ground Kelatuke's armor. At this rate, Mystic's power source would be in danger!
[Kkuaaaaaak, it's becoming even faster! Idiot Orochi, do something about it!]
[Leave it to me.]
Mystic screamed and was about to jump around in the air, when Orochi, who had 'concealed' himself while the enemy was focused on controlling the halos, shot out the second bone spear to crush everything from its head to crotch.
[Critical Hit!]
[Ki, haaaaa....]
Its voice died down, and the three spinning halos became completely silent. Orochi was sure that he had dealt the final strike.
[Activation... halting.]
[You have earned experience.]
[Lv??? ?????????????????????????????????]
[Ah, this is.]
Looking at the experience that appeared on his retina, Orochi shrugged his shoulders.
[This is master's specialty.]
"Oh, shit."
Liera groaned when she was supposed to rejoice due to defeating the enemy. Was she couldn't hold back her feelings to see Yu IlHan? Orochi made a bitter smile and turned around to her, and realized the reason why she groaned.
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate.]
[Discovered a fatal enemy. Danger to data collection. Eliminate.]
The enemy that they barely defeated with all their power until now, was there, well, not, 'were' there, there were three of them.
Author's notes
I believed that Rockman and Megaman were two different things until just a while ago. But I found out that Megaman was the name for Rockman when it was exported to America!? This is all because of the illegal version Megaman X4...…!
The figure Yu IlHan had 'raised'(?) isn't just Yumir!
Just what is the identity of those strange things that appeared out of nowhere and attacked the group? Is the one behind them the one that will not betray the reader's expectation! Would the author have used such an easy plot progression twice! Or would he have aimed for that gap and blatantly reused the same setting again? Everything is in the Chaos of Maze! (Making readers confused).
"Can you still not contact Helièna!?"
"No, the artifact doesn't work at all....!"
"The dimension, somehow...!"
The mages including Kang MiRae were doing their best to use their magic, but there was no way three of the enemies would be easy when one of them was enough to push them past their limits. The three enemies with distorted wings and halos nullified the surrounding mana on the moment of their appearance and emitted a merciless aura while aiming for the group!
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate.]
[This is making me craz... uwaaaaah!]
Mystic, who was recovering the destroyed enemy's halo and body, suddenly screamed. Their attacks were all directed at the fortress!
[They're trying to erase any and all traces because darling may record it!]
"Ah, that's it! If we go back alive, IlHan will understand anything and everything about this hidden being and any kind of foreshadowing will get destroyed!?"
[We'll all die while we talk about foreshadows!]
Liera felt like she would let go of her spear in nervousness if she didn't crack a joke. Well, of course, everyone here knew that Liera was trying to calm everyone here down in Yu IlHan's stead, but even if she could replace Yu IlHan in jokes, she couldn't in fighting power. Helièna despaired as she was feeling powerless.
[I should have honed other abilities and not just my charm....]
[Where was that confidence where you could charm any other beings other than master!?]
[Well, if I was 7th class, then I might, but right now... no.]
Helièna said words of forfeit towards Mystic who was shouting at her while busily dodging all those beams from the three enemies, and slapped her cheeks.
[No, fine then. I can't fall back here. Even if they are not life-forms at all, as long as they have intelligence and are capable of movement...!]
"Helièna, don't push yoursel... eeek!"
Just as Liera was about to say to Helièna to not push herself too hard, she received a critical wound from the beams of one of the enemies. If she maintained her vibrations at maximum output, she could have distorted its trajectory, but her mana was not infinite.
Orochi also returned to the front lines after recovering his two bones thanks to the fact that the first enemy died, but all he could do was to hold one down. And this was only possible because he took one down and acquired some of its records.
Paté, who had the ability to manipulate higher existence undead, was protecting the others, but he was in no condition to attack. So, if Helièna didn't do something, they would be in danger of being wiped out.
[Liera, switch.]
[Your ability doesn't work though. Don't push yourself and just focus on controlling Thous... Hiik!]
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate.]
Two of the unidentified non-life forms closed in on Liera after she became a little sluggish due to the injury. Seeing that, Helièna bit her lips and shouted to Na YuNa.
[Blessing!]
"But didn't you say you didn't need a blessing from a recorded god~?"
[But right now, I need even that! Isn't it the goddess of beauty? Make me more charming already! To the point where I can even charm non-life forms!]
"Eeek, to think there would come a day where I would use this blessing on anyone other than myself...."
It seemed that she did have something after all! Even while not being willing to use the blessing, Na YuNa knew that this was no time to hold back as the situation was very serious, and started chanting. Although she didn't like Helièna that much, she didn't want Liera to get hurt either.
"Brighter than the stars of night, more translucent than the dew of dawn, fresher than the morning wind, higher than the sun at noon, casting a deeper shadow than the afternoon shade, redder than the evening sunset, o, beautiful goddess! Please grant your touch to the one who desires your beauty!"
"The prayer actually sounds polite!?"
Whatever the prayer's contents were like, the effect was great! Pink-colored aura that floated out from Na YuNa soon covered Helièna's entire body before she emitted an insane amount of charm. The transformation was very drastic, and it even felt like Helièna was the avatar of the goddess of beauty herself.
Helièna closed her eyes once and opened it again. It felt as if pink steam could be seen around her.
[Fuu... Haaa.... Good, this is it.]
"Ugh, uurgh."
"N, no, not anyone other than His Majesty...!"
As the effects amplified the more beautiful and handsome the blessed one was, the ones facing Helièna had a hard time standing now. Kang HaJin came to a realization after seeing that.
"YuNa, you… I saw you approaching sir IlHan after you prayed from time to time...."
"HaJin-oppa, shh."
[With this.]
Helièna saw that Liera was being relentlessly pushed back due to the lack of magic power, and flew forward without hesitation. A stronger magic power was emitted from her.
[Why don't you try resisting again! As I am now, I have the confidence to charm even stones, wind, and the sun!]
[Identifying priority elimination target... ta, tar…get…]
Did the blessing actually work? The moment one of them spun its halo in a weird angle to attack Liera, the halo stopped movement after it came into contact with Helièna's magic power. Helièna reckless thoughts, that she could just increase the absolute quantity of the magic power to overwhelm the ability to nullify magic power, had worked! This was also proof that they didn't have absolute resistance against magic power!
"Helièna!"
[Retreat and regroup, Liera! Hey, you there, look at me!]
[Elimination, target... priority, elimination... identifying, aim, a…]
Despite having lured one, Helièna immediately emitted her mana against yet another one! She was no longer moving out of fear. Even though the injury on her abdomen hadn't completely healed yet, her movements didn't contain any hesitation.
If she fell back just because a single wound, then she wouldn't be able to effectively transmit her explosive charm! More beautifully, more charming and fatally! She was doing this as if she was going to break through Yu IlHan's Unshakable Heart!
[... Oh, my, now that I think about it, if I assault darling in this blessing, wouldn't I immediately succeeded in a night? Should I think about the name of the child already?]
"I'm not giving you anymore! Neverrrrrrrrr!"
[Aim, fa, iled. Elimination tar, get priori, ty, mov, ed, to, top.]
[Chan, ging, ene, my, danger lev.... Evaluation failed. Evaluation impossible. Changing mo, de.]
Their voices snapped. Their actions became even more unnatural, and even the beams that assaulted the group on the moment of their appearance halted. The vibrations of the halos also died down.
"...Ah!"
"My mana!"
However, the most important fact was that the group's usage of mana became much more liberated. This was proof that their halos and wings were affecting a lot of the mana of this world!
[Ladies, can't you use some long-range magic as soon as possible? This unni can't hold for long!]
"You have done well, succubus...! Here's a big one!"
The moment the others regained control of their mana thanks to Helièna, Erta clenched her teeth and created a huge magic formation in the air.
What popped out from it was a literally gigantic, lump of mana. It was a super-sized magic bullet that contained all the mana of the group, even Mystic's, into it!
[Increasing danger evaluation of enemies.]
[What the heck is that!]
"The only thing I did was compressing and changing the hardness of the mana! Even if they have resistance against mana, they shouldn't be able to resist pure destructive... force!"
[Now they're wasting so much mana like that!]
"Still better than you! Go!"
The gigantic magic bullet assaulted them and exploded. As the magic bullet came into contact with them, all the magic that restrained the magic bullet was dispelled, so the mana would go berserk! Erta only took time to control the berserk of the mana to damage their halos and wings.
[Critical Hit!]
And her calculations weren't wrong. The magic bullet was designed to create a severe backslash to the one that dispelled the magic restraint had splendidly done its job and ripped their wings and halos to shreds.
[Serious damage. Impossible to restrain the energy of the old world.]
[Retreat, or, re, inforcements needed.]
"The mana cycle came back to normal!'
"Nice going, Erta!"
Kim YeSeul, having trained countless years training magic, was not so dumb to miss this opportunity.
"O, space and time! Dull the fangs of those trying to harm us!"
Could this be called anything other than 'miracle'? In this wide world, only the three monsters with ripped wings stopped their movement.
"Everyone other than MiRae, we need to kill them now! And they said they'll call for reinforcements so MiRae should prepare magic to flee! We need to go to a dimension where they can't come!"
"Yes, mother!"
[Haaaaaap!]
Having recovered enough to use the pile bunker again, Orochi shot out bone spears from his two arms and killed one of them. Not breaching Yu IlHan's expectations, he had achieved a splendid double kill by himself!
The one that was aiming for an opportunity was the same for Paté as well. He scattered the curse of corrosion to restrain the enemy movements, and made his undeads charge against one of them and shouted with a voice of resolve.
"Accompaniment to hell!"
[Khaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
[Let's go together!]
An even bigger explosion than the magic bullet occurred. He made the corpses of higher existences explode using the power from the blessing of the god, so nothing could be said about the power of the attack! If Yu IlHan knew about this, he would be sad, but for now, survival was their foremost priority.
When the enemy's movements stiffened even more thanks to Paté's explosion, the others also attacked relentlessly. There was no winning against a many on one! In the end, they were destroyed.
[You have earned experience.]
[Lv 5?? ???????????????????]
"I get that those damned things are at least level 500!"
"That's not something to be happy about! Rather than that, Kang MiRae, what about the dimensional gate!?"
"It's ready!"
This was no longer a problem of being helped by Yu IlHan or not. If they don't go back to his side immediately, they may all be wiped...!
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate the enemy.]
However, Kang MiRae was slightly late. It seemed as if they had the ability to summon their allies forcefully the moment their activities were halted, and nine of them appeared through a dimensional gate.
"Just where are they all coming from!"
[Extremely dangerous target.]
[Changing priority to second.]
[Eliminating target. Unknown element.]
[Yu IlHan's ally. Eliminate, necessary.]
"How can this...."
Not to mention very suspicious words, they were scattering foreshadows that they'll eventually face Yu IlHan like it was nothing! They just barely defeated three, but now nine of them appeared, so the group despaired.
"... I guess I can only do this."
However, Kang MiRae bit her lips after looking at that. As Liera and Helièna thought, Kang MiRae also believed that Yu IlHan had left the group to her. Especially, as she was the one who was in charge of everyone's safety with her dimension magic, she could not let anyone go back with any more injuries.
"Please, help me do this."
As nine of the mana restraining things blocked the liberated flow of mana again, Kang MiRae focused everything on the God-ranked circlet, the Crown of Wisdom, and agitated her mana. Not to mention her precious magic-stuffed cookies, she drank all her potions and amplified her mana!
And that brought results.
"I did it. I can do it. I can do it...!"
[Eliminate.]
[Eliminate.]
[Eli....]
However, even if she could bring out her mana, she could not make a large enough gate for a person to pass through due to the external pressure. If so, she would find a way to use this small gate. Although she had never tried this before, she had to make this succeed!
"Helièna, stop them from moving!"
[The power of the blessing and the mana will soon... Kugh, I can tie them if it's for a brief moment!]
"I need that brief moment!"
Helièna listened to Kang MiRae's request. The moment the nine enemies froze stiff in their places, a small gate, enough for a pencil to pass through, appeared on one of their bodies before disappearing.
[Critical Hit!]
Along with the gate, their body part also disappeared.
[Missing part of body. Unable to resist.]
"!?"
"What the hell is that!"
"Ah, I know! Meidō Zangetsu…!@##$#!"
"This is just the start!"
Once wasn't the end. Tens, hundreds of warp gates appeared instantly before disappearing, and the nine enemies that had to endure that instantly became honeycombs.
[You have earned experience.]
[You have earned experience.]
[You have....]
Like that, nine of them all died and collapsed. Perhaps they had no time to call for reinforcements this time, as even though the group was left absent mindedly watching the scene, no other beings entered the world.
"Ha... ugh."
"MiRae!"
Kang MiRae collapsed after succeeding in creating a 'miracle' beyond her capabilities. Na YuNa hurriedly held her, but she had already lost consciousness.
"... What did Kang MiRae just do?"
"It seemed that it counted as a miracle. My holy power was consumed in enormous quantities."
When Liera asked absent-mindedly without even taking care of her wounds, Na YuNa also replied absent-mindedly. It was at that moment.
[Now Dareu is safe. Everyone, please come back as soon as you can.]
At the greatest timing, Yu IlHan's voice could be heard from the communication device. With all the external elements that closed the world gone, the connection finally stabilized. Liera looked down at Kang MiRae who had lost consciousness before voicing out in a slightly shocked tone.
"IlHan, the thing is...."
Author's notes
It wasn't that IlHan didn't call the others on purpose. It was because Dareu amidst of the Great Cataclysm was dangerous that he had held them from entering! He would have never imagined that they would experience such a thing, right?
Some of you might say 'why didn't Helièna use Na YuNa's blessing from the beginning?' and to answer, as you have seen in the story, Helièna had refused Na YuNa's blessing until now. However, we don't know what caused her a change of heart, but she had decided to ask Na YuNa for help.
The group succeeded in returning to Dareu with the help of Yu IlHan's warp skill. Their tearful story was relayed to Yu IlHan in whole.
"That's why everyone is so ragged?"
"Yeah... Though, none of us died. Oh, a few of Paté's undeads crossed the river of death."
"An unpredictable and unanticipated mana resistant enemy suddenly attacked from another dimension… There's no way I could believe such a thing... but."
Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders while looking at the comparably intact unidentified enemy's corpse right in front of him. The twisted halo that still gave off sparks as well as the tattered curtain-like wings definitely wasn't a life-form that Yu IlHan had seen before.
[Life-form?]
A completely unexpected retort came in. It was Helièna, who had returned to normal after the blessing of the goddess of beauty wore off. Of course, her suspicions were just regarding a single thing. She could not believe at all that these weird beings that manipulated some sort of weird energy that was not mana, and resisted her charm were life forms.
However, Yu IlHan's reply was very simple
"Well, their speech was stiff, so it's no wonder you guys may think that these are robots or the like, but that's because they weren't given proper egos, and does not imply that they do not undergo metabolism. Meaning, I cannot come to a conclusion for sure for now."
Yu IlHan was the master of the Record skill. By this point, even encountering non-recorded things would allow him to see the common records they had with other beings that were recorded. However, Yu IlHan couldn't come to any conclusion after seeing these. Whether these were life forms or not, or where they came from, or how they were made if they were indeed non-life forms!
"I really want to start analyzing these things, but...."
"So cool... how can such a beautiful world be...."
"Dareu? This is really Dareu...?"
Seeing the group that was rendered speechless in front of the transformed scene of Dareu, Yu IlHan felt that he needed to delay that work a little. Yu IlHan laughed and checked up on the group. After the battle, they looked very tired and most of them were wounded, amidst the figure of the group, only Na YuNa looked as vitalized as ever.
"Waaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Mr. IlHan~, let's have a wedding over there! A wedding~!"
What she was looking at was the castle that Yu IlHan was currently in the middle of building.
Since he was preparing a residence for the dragons by using mana and matter through the Declaration skill, he decided to build the residence of elves, wolfkin, and his own group, and somehow, a little bit of his deep desires came into play and he went slightly overkill. The result being a European-styled kingdom that seemed to be from the 1st generation fantasy novels.
"Fine, I'll allow it so you just need to go and find a good man."
Yu IlHan smacked Na YuNa who was screaming her heart out in joy while clinging onto his arm, on the forehead. However, Na YuNa was still all smiles and continued shaking Yu IlHan's arm.
"Of course, the opponent can only be Mr. Ilhan~! I love you, Mr. ILHan!"
"I thought you forfeited?"
"No, I'm not four-feeted!"
"I know, you're four feet tall."
Yu IlHan made a bitter smile. However, it wasn't that Na YuNa always acted selfishly like this either, and this was probably because she had come back to a safe environment after a harsh battle. He could understand that much.
However, understanding how she felt and defending her against the grim reaper that appeared behind her was a slightly different matter.
"I'll admit that you don't give up so easily. However, that will only lead to your death."
"Hiiiik, Liera-unni!"
While the two had the usual sit-com like moment (though, to Na YuNa, it was like a horror special movie), Yu IlHan clapped his hand to gather everyone's attention.
"I've prepared your individual rooms in the castle so go and wash up. I've also prepared a landing zone for the two fortresses so Mystic, you can go move them there."
[Master does absurd things without twitching an eyebrow…]
[This is nothing new.]
The ones residing in the two fortresses all vacated its premises. The elves and wolfkin looked around in wonder, thinking if this place was really the same Daeru they once knew of, while the children belonging to the Dragon's Army (though, some of them were too big to be called 'children' anymore), were satisfied with the ambient mana density of Dareu and shouted in joy.
"Everyone levelled up a lot."
"Well, we've been going around higher worlds like hell so that's obvious. Though, it's not like none of them died either.... What's even more amazing is the current you."
Erta licked her lips while looking at Yu IlHan, who had become slightly taller than before, and whose eyes seemed to hold a little bit more light. Moreover, the golden vertical line on his red pupils made her feel as if she was looking at a dragon.
"Yu IlHan, you have really become a higher existence...."
"Yeah."
Yu IlHan admitted it easily.
"That's the reason I told you guys not to come to Dareu. The moment I came to Dareu, not only did it undergo another Great Cataclysm, the lower worlds where their mankind expressed their submission to me were all transfused with Dareu, and the mana of the world started going berserk."
"The lower worlds? With Dareu? How can such a thing be possible?"
Erta didn't seem to know about it either. Yu IlHan gave a glance to Helièna, but it seemed that such a phenomenon was the first for her as well. He thought that it may have been possible for Greed, who could eat away anything, but it seemed like devouring things and fusing them together were slightly different.
[It's a power that only darling has. I'm sure of it. How about you research into your powers a little more? Even though you have mastered the Record skill, darling still can't use all your powers, no?]
"Yes, you're right. I'm still immature.... Okay, I'll think about that by myself. ... Thanks for protecting everyone, Helièna."
[It's darling's request after all.]
Helièna made a warm smile while saying that. She had changed too much, for the better, since the time they had first met. Yu IlHan liked this side of her more.
"Go inside and rest, Helièna."
[I will rest. But being by darling's side is the best rest for me.]
"...Ugh."
Facing her, he felt ticklish and as if he was committing a crime against Liera, so he turned his head away with an awkward smile. There stood Kang HaJin who was piggybacking the fainted Kang MiRae. He already knew that she was the one in the group who protected all the others.
"So... Miss MiRae has collapsed and is not waking up?"
"It seems like she had overused her mana. Thanks to that, her circlet's maximum durability seemed to have decreased a lot too...."
"I'll have a look at that later. Please let her rest first."
"Please. Not just the circlet, but MiRae herself too."
"...Later then."
Kang HaJin and Kang MiRae entered the castle. Following the two, the others outside all entered the castle in a line. The ones that remained behind were Helièna, who had no intentions on entering in the first place, and Kim YeSeul, who was looking at her son with a surprised gaze.
"Son, are you not hurt anywhere? I was so surprised since you changed so much."
"It's me who's worried. Is mom alright?"
"Mom's completely fine of course. Though, I'm worried about the future. If there are so many of those things...."
"It's fine. I got a sample, and we won't need to separate into two groups again."
He was quite surprised at the fact that an incident happened while he was cleaning up the world he was in after becoming a higher existence, but he was somewhat prepared for an unexpected foreign invasion at any time.
What's important was that everyone had safely come back to his side. And that he had succeeded in leaping to the realm of higher existences before any more danger would befall on the group.
"Son, you're great. Really. Mom always believed that you could do it."
"Well, you never doubted me in the first place. ...Thanks mom. Though this is nothing new, and is quite embarrassing to say, leave everything to this son of yours."
"Okay, son."
The emotion in his mother's eyes wasn't just happiness. If she didn't feel the slightest jealousy at the fact that her son had reached where she couldn't even though she had researched countless years, that would be a lie.
However, it was because it was her son that she could accept it in a satisfied manner. She could feel proud, and happy. She could also feel truly relieved when her son said 'leave everything to me'.
"Yes, I'm relieved now."
Kim YeSeul stroked her son's reddish, glowing hair. It felt formless, and she could feel a strange sensation and the warmth from it seeped into her hands, which made her feel slightly good.
"Mom will also go rest now. Let's talk about the rest at that time."
"Yeah, go back and rest."
Kim YeSeul also retired. Helièna seemed to have waited for everyone to disappear as she clung onto his arm immediately after Kim YeSeul left, but Yu IlHan didn't bother shaking her off.
Although this might sound very calculative, it was the reward for her splendidly doing her mission. The reason he didn't scold Na YuNa so harshly last time was also because of the same reason. Yu IlHan felt awkward at himself for acting like that, but still felt that this was the right thing to do.
"I'll let you off this time."
[I know, I know. Darling is showing the side of a transcender now. That's fine. I'll do the rest. I'm so happy.]
"Your problem is that you act like you know everything."
[Ufufu.]
Helièna fully enjoyed her time alone with Yu IlHan, that she hadn't experienced in a long time. Even while hanging out with her, Yu IlHan used the Declaration skill to build the dragon's nest, city, and palace to use up the overflowing mana in the lands and in the air. Helièna calmly watched the grand spectacle of creation and asked him.
[Darling, are you going to fuse Earth with Dareu?]
"If possible, then sometime in the future."
If it was possible to fuse two different worlds into one bigger world, there was no reason for him not to try. Perhaps this was predestined from the moment a gate connecting Earth and Dareu was opened, or perhaps from the time Yu IlHan acquired the ancient elven magic formation.
"I'll have to use an enormous amount of power to let the Will of the Guardian absorb the ancient elven magic formation and cover the entire world again."
[It will definitely be possible. Yes, once that happens, it will become easier for darling to protect everything that you need to. Fufu, you really acquired a fitting ability, darling.]
"I don't even know why I got such a power... but all's well that ends well I guess."
It wasn't just the higher existence factions. The others had met an opponent that used an unknown form of energy, and it was obvious that they would cause trouble for him later. To Yu IlHan, who destroyed and created foreshadows, allowing a hit from an already known last boss to land was unacceptable!
"Whatever whoever is imagining, I'll show them something out of their imaginations."
[That's it, darling. Perfect... and so.]
Helièna asked while tilting her head.
[Why are there so many dragons in this world? And all of them are near higher existences too.]
"Well, I'll introduce them to you later. Hey, there are a few of them coming."
Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders and made a smile. Beyond the horizon, he could see a group of dragons returning after their first successful hunt.
The one leading them was of course the red dragon Ruby that had eaten all of Echjar's meat and blood. She left at level 294, but seeing that she had become level 296 now, it seemed like the other monsters being spawned in Dareu were not to be trifled with either.
[Father, Ruby has returned!]
[...'Father'?]
Helièna voiced out her doubt. Yu IlHan made a small smile again.
"Didn't I say I'll introduce them to you?"
The higher existence faction, Dragon's Nest. Their frightening potential was germinating.
[Father, is that being... an enemy?]
Feeling extremely nervous after looking at Helièna stuck next to Yu IlHan, Ruby asked Yu IlHan. Ruby was muttering about how he may have received a mental attack, but since both Yu IlHan and Helièna heard her, it was quite meaningless.
"She's an ally, so there's no need for you to worry. Rather than that, why are you back already?"
[As many dragons have been born, there were just as many dragon-slaying monsters that were born. I thought Father should know about this soon....]
"Oh."
This was perhaps natural. Well, right now, Yu IlHan was strongly attributed towards dragons, but before, he had gathered numerous records as a dragon killer. He could still vividly remember killing the one thousand dragons when he first came to Dareu.
Dareu had evolved using all of his records as the basis, so of course, there would naturally be dragon-slaying monsters born here. If it was to the point that even the dragons felt a sense of crisis, this meant that there were high levelled ones as well.
"Then you should be able to grow even more if you overcome them."
[Father, what do we do?]
"You are afraid of them? ... Well, I guess I can't help it since you were just born."
Yu IlHan requested Yumir who was waiting obediently.
"Mir, look after your weaker siblings. You just need to let them survive."
"Got it, dad. I'll make everyone stronger!"
Said Mir with a smile as he flew into the air. Amidst the gaze of Ruby and the other dragons he exposed his 6th class body filled with grandeur!
[Kuoooooooooh!]
With scales that shone like a golden flame, Yumir roared and all the dragons present froze in place. Ruby's eyes especially, burned with desire.
[Amazing, brother!]
"Brother...?" 1
Ilhan finally realized that Ruby's voice was closer to a female's than a male's. So she was a girl! It was good that he gave her a girly name!
[Everyone follow me! There will be many occasions in life where you'd meet beings that slays dragon like it's nothing so you can't be freaking out so early on!]
[So heartening!]
[Always something new!]
[Exciting!]
"Mir is sure different since he's raised some children already."
Although this was nothing new to talk about, Yumir was an amazing child. Taking the loner characteristic away from Yu IlHan and inserting the traits of a leader would obviously make him flawless! He was the type that would never ever become the protagonist if this were a novel.
While Yu IlHan was inwardly relieved, Yumir lead everyone and flew directly towards where the enemies were. After the dragons left following Yumir's lead, Helièna's gaze towards Yu IlHan became slightly profound. It was a gaze that contained a slight trace of anger.
[Darling... who is it again?]
"Leaving aside whether you have the qualifications to ask that question or not, it's not what you're thinking. It is only that the large number of dragons that were born while Dareu underwent the 6th Great Cataclysm are treating me like their parent because of my power that rules all dragons."
[Phew, it's good that there are no more competitors.]
Of course, there would be no way Yumir would lose against any normal beings, but the weaker 4th class dragons may get injured, so Yu IlHan applied slight restrictions to all monsters with dragon-slaying powers. Call this a cheat, but he just wanted to preserve his forces.
"Good, I did this much, so even if they die, they won't be able to complain... then."
Construction was almost done as well; as well as the valleys, nests, and caves that the millions of dragons will reside on; the cities, forests, farms and riverlands that the elves and wolfkin would live on; and finally the grand castle where Yu IlHan and his friends would reside. Of course, he didn't forget to prepare them adequately so that they could be used in battle.
"Interlocking the cores of the Flying fortress and the Guardian fortress and the ancient elven magic formation to make the entire world into one giant fortress... hm, the bases are laid out, so I only have to wait for the formation formula to be completed."
[Yup, I like darling because of your love to make large scale things…. so you're making the entire world into something like the Flying fortress?]
In fact, this was a little too grand for her to understand fully! At this point, Yu IlHan's enemies were pitiful, but Helièna didn't bother saying that. Instead she asked.
[When are you going to start, darling? If it's alright... Can I be the first?]
"No, I'm sorry, but the first will be LIera."
[Tch, considerate of your first wife as ever. Do you like that woman so much? No, it's nothing. I'll be hurt so don't answer it.]
Yu IlHan stroked Helièna's hair while she felt slightly disappointed. She seemed surprised at first, but started blushing soon after.
[You really did change. Although darling was kind even before... You're being considerate of me now. Aren't you?]
"That's true. I am aware that I am me, but oddly, I'm slightly changing even as I'm conscious about it."
Yu IlHan, during his lower existence days, existed as an independent identity, but right now, he was the leader of Dargon's Nest, a group he had to house in his bosom.
His sights widened, and his standards became higher as well. His feelings towards other individuals decreased slightly, but he could now think more about those that came into his sight. Perhaps this was influenced from the subclass leader he had acquired prior to becoming a higher existence.
"But this is slightly disturbing. This is a change that I can't block even with Unshakable Heart. Is this really a natural occurrence? Is this truly what I'm thinking?"
[But didn't darling change like that until now? Piling up records after records, and building yourself anew amidst the influx of records. It's just a repetition of that process. If you want to deny that, wouldn't you have to deny yourself the moment after you were born?]
Yu IlHan closed his mouth. Although he did forget this from time to time, Helièna was a being who had lived for tens of thousands of years. Like now, she sometimes surprised Yu IlHan with her words. He obediently nodded his head in admittance.
"Yes, you are right. If I don't accept my current self, then I would not have the qualifications to go forward either."
[And I like the darling that is kind to me more.]
"...Eiii."
His feelings towards her ended up increasing due to the sudden attack. Was the Succubus Queen's assaults still active after all? He couldn't let his guard down. Yu IlHan smacked Helièna on the forehead and turned around.
"Gather everyone after they've had plenty of rest. I will have a look around the world."
[Fufu, I got it , darling.]
Yu IlHan flew into the air. As he was deeply connected with the Flamesoul Dragon Body, flames, and dragons, it was a natural thing for him to fly without the implementation of mana. Though, it was possible to accelerate further by calling out Ruin Calling contained inside the Body of the Human Dragon.
He extended his mana into his surroundings to record everything at the same time as calling out Ruin Calling.
"Hoh."
As the Flamesoul Dragon body had gone beyond just being an artifact and had unified with his physical body, the weapons inside also naturally transformed. Ruin Calling, which was formed with countless type of metal and the very essence of magic, had become a pair of flaming red bat-like wings. Anyone would see this and call them dragon wings.
Of course, it wasn't like its hardness and ability had disappeared somewhere. In fact, it had increased in performance by at least twice as if it was an artifact that was strengthened inside the domain of Falling Down.
"That's good. Higher existences are sure interesting."
[I express my exclamation towards the Lord's thought process that treats the realm of higher existences as mere research field.]
"You're becoming like Orochi huh."
[Kugh!?]
Shushing Echjar, Yu IlHan increased his flight speed for real this time and took a look around his surroundings. The mana he wielded was resonating with the world and the ancient elven magic formation, so taking in all the details even while travelling around at that speed wasn't anything hard.
Really, after the 6th Great Cataclysm, it felt as if Dareu had materialized Yu IlHan himself into a world. Yu IlHan felt both shock and exclamation at this fact.
This was perhaps why the other factions couldn't treat Heaven's Army lightly even though they didn't look like much! Perhaps this was why everyone was so hesitant to invade the main worlds of other factions!
[The aura of fire fills the world. But it's forming a balance with water. This world is beautiful!]
"Thanks for thinking like that, Eternal Flame."
Eternal Flame absorbed or supplemented the flames existing in this world by sending copies of herself into her surroundings, as well as absorbing and emitting mana to play around. In the process of Yu IlHan being reborn into the leader of the Dragon's Nest, she had also broke through, so her power was now incomparably become higher than before. Even without Yu IlHan lifting a finger, Eternal Flame could block any higher existence alone.
"Dragon-slaying, dragon-slaying.... Ah, found it."
He could feel traces of a harsh battle between dragons and other monsters from far away. Of course, as Yumir was the one leading them, there weren't a lot of deaths, but as Yumir was not battling directly and was focusing on supplementing the battle of other dragons, the battle didn't end so quickly.
[Everyone get yourself together! You can't even cook rice with that kind of fire! Do not forget the pride of dragons!]
[Understood, brother(hyung-nim)!]
[Bring out the boiling mana under your throat! Feel your heartbeat and emit the whispers of mana you feel right as it is!]
This was an education method only possible because Yumir was a dragon. Even though he hadn't learnt anything from a parent dragon, he was teaching so well!
Yu IlHan left that location with a smile. He was worried that he may had to support them, but looking at the figure of Yumir was leisurely leading tens of thousands of dragons, it seems he was worried for nothing.
"Then I...."
Yu IlHan turned around. Since he hadn't hidden his presence, all living and breathing beings in this world were wary against him. One emotion stood out from the others. It was that of fear and admiration, and of submission and slight resistance.
There were also traces of hesitation and at the same time those of bewilderedness. They were being shaken amidst the emotions that even they didn't know about. The ones that may feel such feelings in this world should be....
"Dragonkin, right?"
[So you felt them. You're correct. Right now, this world had given birth to a lot of dragonkin and not just dragons.]
"Orochi was also a dragonkin right...."
Orochi technically wasn't a dragon. His identity was a gigantic snake recorded in Japanese myths. However, he was a dragonkin, and had an overwhelming advantage in fundamental specs than the other species. You may call it OP, but dragons were just such unfair beings.
Echjar asked him.
[My lord and my ruler. Are you going to take in all of them as well? The past me only focused on raising the name of dragons, but I do not believe that the name of the Lord's faction, 'Dragon's Nest' to be so simple in meaning.]
"Yes, I also think like that too. Moreover, it also tugs my mind that the first world I came to after I became a leader of a faction was Dareu... I don't think this is a complete coincidence."
Dareu was not a world specifically for dragons. It was innately a world where dragonkin were easily born. Wasn't the reason Yu IlHan first came to Dareu to wipe out dragonkin and not just dragons?
However, Yu IlHan's current power was that to rule dragons and dragons were just a portion of dragonkin.
If Yu IlHan was a man who was quick to give up, he would have just wiped them out with the excuse that dragons and dragonkin were separate, but if he was such a petty person, he would have retired already from the time he was left on Earth alone for a millennium.
"I'm not four-feeted after all."
[You mean forf... hm....]
Echjar instinctively tried to retort but stopped. His pride hurt after he was told that he was becoming like Orochi. In fact, it was just that Echjar was becoming similar to Yu IlHan like how Orochi once went through, he didn't know that himself.
Yu IlHan clapped his hand. The beings that were sneaking glances at him from underground, and from forests were all startled and twisted their bodies, while he uttered his grand ambitions again with a smile.
"Good, I should expand the realm of my powers at this opportunity. Just the dragons aren't enough. Let's put all dragonkin under my rule."
[I thought you might say that.]
There were unidentified enemies on his way as well. More allies were good! Though, it should be better if he could make them all into higher existences too! – Deluding himself, Yu IlHan expanded his mana into his surroundings.
"Hey, those that think you're dragons!"
The voice of the ruler resounded across the world.
"I'll give you ten seconds. Gather up!"
1. Ruby is using a 'female' form of 'brother' (i.e. Oppa) but in archaic language (orabuni for more info)
His taunt was very effective. The dragonkin were busy wondering about the reason for their own existences after looking at hundreds of thousands of dragons flying about, and now that Yu IlHan had said such an audacious thing, they all started gathering up.
[Guwoooooooooooh!]
From the mountains and forests.
[Kyaoooooooooh!]
From above the clouds.
[Kyaaaaaaaaahk!]
From caves, submarine and subterranean tunnels – from various places that made up the world, dragonkin came out and rushed towards where Yu IlHan was.
[The ruler of the world... calls for us!]
[Kyahaaaaak! The lord of all dragons, that aura is so annoying!]
It was an incomparably grander scene than when the dragons had gathered. Dragons were, in the end, just a portion of dragonkin, and there were at least ten million dragonkin subspecies that were born other than dragons. And even right now, that number was still increasing due to evolution.
"Still not enough. You're not planning to go against me with such a puny aura, are you!"
[Now you're acting more like a dragon, my ruler.]
Yu IlHan lightly ignored Echjar's words and used the ancient elven magic formation to expand his mana and his aura far and wide. More and more dragonkin gathered. The natural mana was stimulated by Yu IlHan's own and gave birth to more dragonkin as well!
[We have come as you have called.]
[Just what are you.]
[Kyaak! Kyaaaaaaah!]
[Annoying! You are annoying!]
Unlike dragons who were usually born with higher intelligence than humans, the intelligence of dragonkin was all over the place. Perhaps Orochi was considerably high on the spectrum?
Yu IlHan mastered the skill, Language, once in the past, but among the dragonkin here, only 30% were able to voice out their thoughts in a specific 'language'. Of course, the majority of those 30% were 4th class beings.
"You have eyes and ears so you should have heard. I am the ruler of this world, and the lord of all dragons."
[We know of that already. You smell very charming. I can feel an overwhelming pressure from you. I feel a power that attracts and rules over us.]
The highest-levelled one among them replied. With gigantic bat-like wings, and a streamlined body, this dragonkin was red in color, which signified it was born with the fire attribute. To classify it, this could be considered a winged dragon.
Yu IlHan was surprised after finding out that it was near level 290. Never did he imagine that there would be a being that would be born with a higher level than Ruby.
"Really? So you feel the power of my rule skill."
[But it is different. You are the lord of dragons and not all of dragonkin. You are the lord of fire, but not mine.]
"You're right."
As the ruler of all dragons, his authoritative power was effective against dragonkin as well, but that was the extent of it. That was also what made the dragonkin hesitate, and what made them gather at this place to decide for themselves.
"Then you should know why I have called you here."
[Is it to raise the pride of dragons?]
[Is it to make us the slaves of dragons?]
[Or is it to make us into the dragons' playthings?]
Even though dragons were the king of all dragonkin, why were these dragonkin afraid of dragons! Yu IlHan made a distant face after thinking back to the dragons that had once ruled over Dareu.
Thinking about it, the dragons also lorded over the other dragonkin as well. The dragonkin at that time were either in submission to dragons or were expressing their fear towards them. Decisively, there were no 4th class dragonkin apart from dragons in Dareu at that time.
The Yu IlHan of that time thought that all dragonkin would evolve into dragons upon becoming 4th class, but thinking about that now, that was complete and utter nonsense.
When did he fix his misconception? It was ironically when he became the lord of all dragons. Only after he acquired the ability to rule over dragons and his records deepened did he realize that Orochi was not a dragon but a dragonkin. The fact that he couldn't adapt to Echjar's body that fast was probably also influenced by this fact.
So, by this logic, the dragons living in Dareu before should have killed numerous dragonkin thinking that any 4th class dragonkin would inevitably threaten their places as kings in the future. Then, they made the remaining ones their underlings. How tragic!
"No."
But Yu IlHan had to enforce an even more traffic thing to these dragonkin.
Right now.
"I have come to give you the chance to become true dragons."
As the leader of Dragon's Nest, the ruler of dragons, and as citizen of Earth, he needed to fulfill this mission.
[...What?]
[Kyaak! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahk!]
[What is that? The limitation of a species cannot be overcome, never!]
The reactions were very violent. Even more uproars arose among the millions of dragonkin who were increasing in number even right now. Just as even Yu IlHan's ears became slightly deaf due to all the noise, the winged dragon of level 290 asked him.
[Make us into a dragon, and command us?]
"Precisely. No, in fact, you'll submit to me automatically once you become a dragon. You should know that already, no?"
The winged dragon lost its words for a moment at Yu IlHan's honest words. The other dragonkin seemed to have some wits, as they all became silent in wait for the winged dragon's answer. It eventually spoke again.
[O, greedy ruler of dragons, can't you let us be? Can't you let us live on?]
"Nope. The ones that won't obey my commands will only become experience for my children. Right now, each and every source of experience is precious you know?"
[Hah...!]
Yu IlHan's words lacked any sugarcoating whatsoever. To survive, to live on, to protect – he had long since resolved to do anything. From the moment he ripped apart the monsters that appeared on his university campus, his resolve may have wavered slightly, but it never snapped.
[Then... If so!]
It raised its aura. The flames that arose on top of its red bat-like wings looked somewhat similar to Yu IlHan's Ruin Calling. Perhaps even their abilities were similar. The records of Ruin Calling should have been used in the evolution of this world after all.
[Then we have no choice but to kill you!]
"...So it's like that after all?"
The majority of dragonkin reacted at its words. They all agitated their auras to threaten Yu IlHan, and the more rash ones among them charged towards Yu IlHan already. Yu IlHan laughed after seeing them. Echajr sighed.
[So even for the Lord it's impossible. The karma of dragons is thick.]
"Who knows? I think differently. I'm not sure if all dragonkin are like this, but if it's one that wishes to become a dragon... it will be different."
[Lord...?]
Yu IlHan made a small smile after hearing Echjar's voice of suspicion. He uttered one word as if whispering.
"Manifestation."
[The skill, Manifestation, activates. Declaring your ruling territory.]
The world Dareu had acquired its ruler, evolved, due to Yu IlHan and his records. The first manifestation occurred in that place. The already perfect Yu IlHan had raised his authoritative power even more, coloring the entire world red.
[Kugh!?]
[What... is this?]
[The enormous mana, the burning sensation from the atmosphere...!]
The skill, Manifestation, was an advanced version of his main class skill, Falling Down, at the same time being the skill that contained all of his draconic affinities and fire attributes. If he wanted, he could make the mana in the air to be his own, which place in this world was not part of his territory?
The skill, Manifestation, housed the vast expanse of the many continents of Dareu into his domain. The power of fire and dragons inside were all enhanced, and would probably have strengthened Ruby and the other dragons who should be fighting by now.
[Kugh, Kahak...!]
[The flames, are not listening to me.]
All dragonkin, whether they were aboveground, underground, or in the air, felt an overwhelming pressure exerted onto them, but the ones that manipulated fire had an especially harder time breathing. All fire had to submit to Yu IlHan, so any kind of fire that bore hostility against him was not forgiven, even if they were produced by someone else.
[No, way, this, is...!]
The one that suffered the most was of course the winged dragon. Due to shock of its own flames betraying it, it couldn't even fly properly and fell to the ground. Some of the weaker dragonkin were squished and burnt to death without even being able to resist.
[You, just... what!]
It barely raised its head and glared at Yu IlHan, and spoke words full of hostility towards the ruler of this world. However, Yu IlHan only laughed lightly and replied.
"You should know already. Everything that comprises this world, is only bowing its head to the master it should serve."
[Eeek... you...!]
Unacceptable. It was unacceptable that it had to bow its head in the disgusting monster that was a dragon in human form! That even the fire from its own body was trying to follow that monster, escaping its control!
However.
[Strong... dammit, you're strong...!]
[Kihk... Kihiiiik!]
[Kuaaaaaah Kuaaaaaahn!]
Including the winged dragon, all of the dragonkin that froze stiff while charging towards him, as well as those that went against his call but still had to bow down the moment Yu IlHan activated manifestation, felt it in their bones.
Yu IlHan was strong. He was suitable to be called the lord of all dragons. He was the ruler of this world, as well as the ruler of all flames. The moment they decided to go against him, this outcome was as good as set in stone.
[Frustrating... it's frustrating!]
The winged dragon spat out a mouthful of blood in despair.
[I also want to become a dragon! I want to become strong!]
Pursuing strength wasn't only limited to dragons. It was the common characteristic across all of dragonkin.
Whatever they looked like on the outside, they literally all pursued and had admiration for power. This could be seen from how the gazes of all dragonkin towards Yu IlHan had turned from rage to fear and admiration. Yu IlHan had brought out his power precisely because he knew it would come to this.
"You want to become strong?"
[Yes! I want to become stronger as well! Even though I could be born with such a strong body, collapsing because of the predestined fate upon my birth is unacceptable! I cannot accept it!]
Its shouts contained neither reason nor rationale. It was more like a shout of despair. However, this was natural, since although all the dragonkin were high levelled, they were born during the 6th Great Cataclysm. In other words. They were newborns! They were young! What good would hesitating do for them? They were young and had no experience!
And this meant one other thing as well.
'They're easy to fool too.'
[....]
Even the former dragon of despair, Echjar, was speechless. This guy was really suited to be the devil man who ruled over dragons! Perhaps he might do well even if he became the leader of Destruction Demon Army!
"Good, I'll make you stronger."
Declared Yu IlHan as he twisted his lips.
"What I want is simple. Submit to me, and live on with everyone else."
His voice and mana resonated with the ancient elven magic formation to spread around to all of Dareu. His voice resounded across the minds of all dragonkin born, and those that were yet to be born.
"And I shall make you into dragons."
The world changed, or at least the dragonkin born in Dareu felt so. Whether they possessed intelligence or not, the ones that were not born as dragons had their mind cleared up. Their admiration towards the absolute ruler boiled.
The winged dragon that fell to the ground after it lost its control over fire, had forgotten about its pain and looked up to Yu IlHan and said in a trembling voice.
[Can you, really, make me into a....]
"If it's you who pursues power, you should know how vain and endless that path is, as well as the fact that you will give up your freedom once you come under my command, right?"
[Of course. ... Even so, I want to become stronger. Even if it's an endless road, I want to embark on it. I want the qualifications to challenge it. I... want to become a dragon.]
It became quite honest. Even though a tyrant was pressuring and forcing them into serving him mere hours or even minutes after their birth, they still couldn't hide their desires even as they were frustrated that they couldn't object.
"Good, you should also know what you need to do for that, right?"
[Kugh... I do, I mean, I understand.]
Yu IlHan liked its honest attitude. Despite being a monster, it was very humane, narrow-minded and violent, and above all, gave its entire life to someone else for its foolish greed. Wasn't that lovely?
He replied with a smirk.
"Right, you'll be the first. And hence your name will be 'First' as well. You will be the first dragonkin to be reborn as a dragon."
[First....!]
Despite receiving a very simple and direct name, First did not realize that and became emotional. At that moment, a strand of mana came out from Yu IlHan shook the entire world. An enormous quantity of mana gathered on one spot to begin the restructuring and as he activated his skill.
[The Lv 290, First, submits to you. Accepting First as a subordinate.]
[The skill, Declaration, activates.]
The skill, Declaration, was an evolved version of the skills, Rule and Record. All of his subordinates receive the effects of this skill.
Realizing his words into reality didn't mean that he could make 1st class beings into 3rd class or revive the dead, but under the condition that he had enough materials, it was possible for the skill to make the impossible, possible.
So, it was the perfect skill for situations like these.
[Kugh!?]
[What is that!]
[Kyaak! Kyaaaaaahk!]
Without any signs, a giant bucket appeared in midair. It was the artifact, Cradle of Miracles, that had helped him during his ascension into the realm of higher existences.
The bucket had already become a God-ranked artifact after absorbing countless records and materials, and as Yu IlHan had become a higher existence, it had transformed along with him to become something more than that.
[That... an enormous amount of dragon powers.]
"It's good that you can feel it. Well, then, this is the start. You're ready, right?"
[...Yes, I am.]
Yu IlHan swung his arms like an orchestral conductor. According to his gestures, the Cradle of Miracles expanded in size, and eventually became big enough to engulf First's body and have some room left over.
This would have been impossible in the past. No matter how amazing the Cradle of Miracles was, it was still in the realm of matter after all!
Of course, that didn't apply now. In his awakening as a higher existence, like how the Flamesoul Dragon Body became one with Yu IlHan, the Cradle of Miracles was tied to his soul and was bound to it.
The reason Yu IlHan's faction was named 'Dragon's Nest' was not by chance. The 'nest' in Dragon's Nest meant the very essence of Yu IlHan, the world on a wider scale, and on the smallest scale, it referred to the Cradle of Miracles.
[Inside this... I will?]
"Concentrate. I'm not so kind as to make such a half-assed being into a dragon."
[Y, yes!]
First shut its mouth. The Cradle of Miracles didn't stop at just becoming big, and it opened its 'mouth' as if it was alive, and swallowed First whole. First's figure couldn't be discerned from the outside.
[It died!]
"No it' hasn't."
Yu IlHan snorted at the dragonkin that were shivering in fear and flew above the Cradle of Miracles. Like the time Yu IlHan had been reborn into a higher existence, the Cradle of Miracles had formed a gigantic red egg and protruded out a long straw towards the sky. It was as if looking at one of those pipes that divers used to breathe.
"Kuh."
Yu IlHan slashed his finger above it. A few drops of burning red blood was sucked into the straw. Yu IlHan's wound healed and when the blood was about to be sucked into the Cradle, the Cradle of Miracles, in the form of a red egg, beat out once like a heart.
"You watch too."
He winked towards the dragonkin that were still suspicious of him. At this point, they should have realized that Yu IlHan wouldn't have gone through all this if he was just going to deceive them and use them and simply bind all of them forcibly through mana, but perhaps they weren't as intelligent as dragons after all.
[Aaaaaaah.]
At a good time, First's moans could be heard. The moan was half from the pain of having its body transformed, and the other half from the joy of its records growing at a fundamental level. However, Yu IlHan knew that this was just the beginning.
[Khaaak, Khaah! It hurts! It hurts...! It's good but it hurts!]
"You can't help having it more painful since both your qualifications, records, mana, and level are lacking. To become a dragon in the truest sense, you'll have to level up at least 10 more times."
[Kugh, Khuuugh, Haaaaaaaah!]
Not too long after, a single crack appeared on the egg. For Yu IlHan, who had expected it to take several hours, it was quite a surprising result. It seems like its desire for power and to be a dragon was not on a normal level.
[A, aaaaaaaah.]
The red egg cracked all the way down before splitting in half. This was the moment a dragonkin transformed into a dragon, as well as the moment when the limitations of species were surpassed.
[O, ruler!]
"That was quick."
First was at that place. Standing on its two legs, it possessed an even bigger and redder pair of wings than before. Starts glistened in its red pupils. Its intelligence probably rose as well. Yu IlHan asked with a smile.
"How do you feel?"
[Truly... truly great, o, ruler.]
Not all dragons were fat and had short limbs. Just looking at Yumir, he had an agile body that never gave off the feel that he was fat despite being huge, and had long arms and legs as expected of a fighter that fought in close combat.
[It really... became a dragon.]
[How? How did it overcome the limitations of species?]
[Then I too.]
[Krrrr, krrrrraaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!]
[I, too, I also want to become a dragon...!]
The reaction that Yu IlHan had expected started appearing. First felt the gazes on itself and expanded its two wings wide and shouted in joy while flying into the air.
[Kraaaaaaaaaaaah!]
[Roar! A dragon's roar...!]
[It's a dragon! A dragon!]
First had a body that was like a shrunk version of Yumir's. As it was originally a winged dragonkin specializing in flight, its wings developed more than its limbs, but it had transformed fundamentally.
Not only the outside, the unstructured, boiling mana had become more refined and was coursing through its body, and the flames that it controlled from the moment it was born were even amplified thanks to Yu IlHan's influence. Since it awakened under Yu IlHan's management, it should be much stronger than ordinary higher existences of other factions that had just become level 300.
[I have become a dragon! I have become strong! And I will become even stronger!]
[I... me too! I want to become a dragon too!]
[I shall follow you! No, o, mighty ruler! Let me serve you!]
The ones that watched as First actually transformed into a dragon all widened their eyes and rushed towards Yu IlHan. Some of them thought that even seemed to think that all they needed to do was to enter the Cradle of Miracles and entered the cracked Cradle of Miracles and rubbed its body all over it. Yu IlHan shook his hand with a laugh. The Cradle of Miracles burned in place and disappeared.
"You don't think that was such an easy feat, right? I do not know how many of you possess qualifications like First does."
Of course, that was all bullshit. With the power Yu IlHan possessed in Dareu, making dragonkin into dragons was not such a difficult task. Of course, as he had to consume the power of records he possessed, he shouldn't be able to do it infinitely, but if the ones that became dragons piled new records under him, then it would result in overall gain and not a loss.
"The point is that only the those who grow until the end have the qualifications to become a dragon."
[I am prepared to do anything, my lord.]
First, who came back down after immersing in its joy of being reborn into a dragon, folded its wings and submitted in front of Yu IlHan.
It wasn't just because it felt appreciation towards him. In the process of becoming a dragon, and by the time it was completely recreated into a dragon, it felt the true power of Yu IlHan, and felt that it was by Yu IlHan's grace that he came here to talk to them in the first place. To speak of it simply, it was abiding by the logics of power.
[M, me too!]
[Kroaaaaaaaaar!]
[I, I also want to do it!]
[I will do anything, if it's to escape this body!]
[I also... want to become as handsome, strong, and wise as First!]
"Wow, I'm popular."
Perhaps, if the Great Cataclysm never occurred on Earth, Yu IlHan would have made quite a living being a host on some home shopping channel? Well, under the condition that the camera could catch him that is! Yu IlHan put away his thoughts there and looked back at the dragons.
"I actually have one thing I want you guys to take care of. Hey, your siblings are coming too."
[Siblings...?]
First realized something after questioning and raised its head. The other dragonkin did the same.
From the moment Yu IlHan decided to use the Manifestation skill, he was spreading his presence all around to call for dragonkin. If there was a trivial problem, it was that the skill was too powerful, and was calling for all the beings on Daeru and not just dragonkin.
[Dad!]
[Father!]
[Khaaaah! A strong dragon, I can feel the power of dragons!]
[Master, just what is...!?]
"IlHan, what is up? Did those strange things attack us again!?"
[Master, is it a battle!? Even though you just told us to rest!?]
The dragons that went off to fight dragonslayers with Yumir, as well as the monsters with dragon-slaying powers, the ones that came out from the Flying fortress after feeling the aura of strong dragons, as well as the others! Mystic thought that situation was urgent and even brought both of the fortresses.
"First, you know what you and the other dragonkin need to do now, right?"
Yu IlHan waved his hand to greet the others while checking with the dragonkin here. They all nodded in acceptance. Although some of them showed signs of fear, they couldn't retreat now.
Prove your qualifications if you want to become stronger. Isn't it simple and reasonable?
[Understood, my ruler.]
First unfolded its wings again and flew up. A strong power of fire gathered in its mouth.
[I shall punish all enemies that dare to go against the ruler.]
[If it's to become a dragon!]
[If I have to disappear like that, I'd rather resolve death and fight!]
[Kraaaaaaaahn!]
[Wh, what is it!? Aren't we fighting these guys? What is going on!?]
Like that, the battle between the ones that wanted to live in Dareu commenced. It was a battle that was comparable to the creation mythology!
[Die! Sever the resentful lineage of dragons!]
[I cannot accept you! You've always swung us around at your whim, we shall punish you even if it costs us our lives!]
[Whether it's us or you, we have just been born. Why do you bear so much resentment!]
[Just try killing me with that dragon-slaying power!]
All dragonkin wishing to become true dragons clashed against the monsters that aimed for Yu IlHan under the lead of First.
It wasn't like there weren't any 3rd class monsters, but they either died in the first clash, or were dying out really quickly without being able to win against the other monsters. As such, most of those that clashed in the battlefield were usually 4th class.
"My word, IlHan. What is all this?"
"Oh, this? It's just setting the world in order."
Yu IlHan gave a chic reply to Liera who was shocked after seeing such a scene after leaving him alone for a few hours.
"Setting the world in order...?"
"The environmental problems after the 6th Great Cataclysm have mostly settled down. However, as you know, the real Great Cataclysm only starts after then, doesn't it?"
"That's true."
The real frightening part about Great Cataclysms were the monsters that were born under the influence of the evolved mana. Dareu was filled with frightening monsters when it underwent the 5th Great Cataclysm, but now it had went through the 6th!
Fortunately, it was possible for Yu IlHan to take the dragons and dragonkin under his wing, but unless Yu IlHan became the boss of the Destruction Demon Army or something, it was impossible to force the submission of all monsters. Especially the dragon-slaying monsters even though they were created based off of his own records!
"Of course, the best way is to trap them under Traps of Destruction, but pushing all the monsters in this world in to dungeons is practically impossible right now. Moreover, thanks to Daeru fusing with tens of other worlds, the landmass has increased dramatically as well. And so...."
"You'll undergo a massive cleaning session, right~? By ordering around the dragons and dragonkin? As expected of my Mr. IlHan, you do things on such a big scale~. Such a side is cool as well."
"Haha."
"Ha, hahaha...."
Na YuNa came to a conclusion. Yu IlHan laughed and Liera laughed as well. Of course, the two individual's laughs differed by about a 100 million degrees centigrade.
[The higher existence group, Dragon's Nest, so it meant this. Really, it's perfect.]
Meanwhile, Helièna gave her own opinion. Despite not having rested for long, her body had completely returned to its top condition. Not just her, everyone residing in the two fortresses were like that.
"Ehem, didn't I do good?"
Only Na YuNa, who was boasting, had consumed a lot of mana and was exhausted. Meaning, she didn't even properly rest and controlled the holy region to look after all of them.
Of course, he knew how she felt. Due to the characteristics of her class, she had to stay in the safest zone of the battlefield. She helped everyone using her blessings and heals, but she couldn't have helped but feel uncomfortable when she was the only one in the safe zone while everyone else fought on the front line. All the more so, if the battle was intense.
"Thanks for helping out."
"Eheheh."
Yu IlHan stroked her hair lightly instead of blaming her foolishness. Just with that, his mana seeped into Na YuNa's body and healed her tired body and revitalized her. Now that he had become the leader of a faction, this was as simple as breathing for him, but for Na YuNa, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Amazing! So your hair and eyes don't glow for nothing!"
"I understand how you see me now."
"Aaah, no, it's not that! I only wanted to snip a little bit of your beautiful hair and keep it for myself!"
Yu IlHan laughed and asked.
"So, how is Miss MiRae?"
"She's still sleeping~. I recovered her body and magic power so she should be up once she relieves her fatigue!"
"You're so caring to your friend."
"But it's a big problem since I feel like I'm going to like you more than her~."
Na YuNa spoke out honestly in embarrassment. Yu IlHan spoke with a light smile.
"Liera's behind you."
"Don't joke with me, such a teas...hiiiik!"
"You admitted your own sin!"
While Yu IlHan and the others were playing around, the dragons that felt Yu IlHan's mana gathered around him. Yumir was the fastest and Ruby was the next, and they were surprised after seeing First, and then surprised again after seeing countless dragonkin battling against monsters.
[Dad, what is all this?]
[Father, don't tell me father wishes to rule over those dragonkin as well...?]
"Welcome. From now, this will be the battlefield so gather up and head into battle. I'll call all the other monsters here so don't worry about that."
[All of the monsters, in this vast world...?]
Even the dragons that vaguely knew of his power couldn't believe his words. Yu IlHan smiled and raised one hand. From his hand, an overwhelming aura was emitted and spread to the surroundings.
[Khaaaaaan!]
[Kihiiiiiiik!]
The monsters couldn't defy this aura and shrunk back while the dragonkin took this chance to bite them. For an action of just raising his hand, the effects were too big. In fact, it was even expanding and was provoking all monsters of Dareu and were calling them here.
"Kyak!"
"Huu, you became too strong while I didn't take notice of you!"
[This is a skill? I can feel darling's aura amplifying.]
"You're right."
Perhaps it was impossible in another world, but in Dareu which solely belonged to him, it was possible to maintain Manifestation skill for one or two days without a problem, so he currently maintained the skill to support the dragonkin and dragons with his power. What was amazing was that Yu IlHan still had some strength left.
"Should we kick it up a notch then?"
"How are you going to do any more than thi... Kyak!"
"My god!"
The moment Yu IlHan's hand swung down his arms vertically, the ancient elven magic formation activated.
No, that could no longer be called the ancient elven magic formation. It was endlessly modified by Yu IlHan, and during the Great Cataclysm, its accumulated records became unimaginable! Yu IlHan just decided to rename it to carpet.
"It's definitely strangely right but no!"
"Mwahahahaha! Taste the power of the carpet cast over the entire continent!"
When Yu IlHan's mana, amplified through Manifestation, seeped into the lands and vitalized the carpet to the fullest, the entirety of Dareu flashed red once.
[Kugh!?]
[My body....]
[M, my strength is draining!]
[The dragon potential within me is boiling!]
[Uoooooh! O mighty ruler!]
Weakening, slowing and draining mana from the enemy, as well as boosting the recovering of and strengthening his allies! This was an all-purpose carpet!
The scene of tens, hundreds of millions of monsters losing power was a spectacle as well, but all the dragons and dragonkin going berserk with their mana as if they were popeye after eating spinach was quite a scene as well.
[Krrrrrrrrrroaaaaaaaaaaaaar!]
[Taste the flames of hell! Khaaaaaak!]
[Still too weak, you're too weak! Bring out more of your power! If you don't kill one hundred each I'll scold you later!]
Not to mention the strongest dragon after Yu IlHan, Yumir, Ruby and First, behind them also rampaged around. Ruby tried to appeal more to her great father, while First was trying to repay the ruler that made it strong. Since both of them had the fire attribute, they had their powers increased the most as well.
[We need to kill that damn man!]
[The Brood Father!]
"Ooh, quite the good words for a monster? Okay, you're in."
The lord of all dragons, The Brood Father, eh. Yu IlHan was satisfied with the title and killed the monster in kind. Even though he just lightly swung his hand, an impossibly fast spear of fire pierced it all the way from its mouth to its hind and killed it.
Even though it was a monster over level 250, leaving aside how obvious it was for Yu IlHan to kill it in one strike, it died without even knowing what it was killed by! So tragic!
"...."
"Liera-unni~. Was there something just now?"
"I just resent all the time I've lived...."
It wasn't just Yu IlHan and the others. The monsters were shocked at the attack that transcended their recognition and was frozen in place, while the ones that inherited Yu IlHan's records were not idiots to miss this opportunity. Yumir lead them in a charge.
[Drive them back! Drive them back even more! A fight is all about the morale. Like the wind that strengthens flames, faster, and sharper!]
His son had absorbed everything while being with him and was doing his job as the eldest brother perfectly!
[Follow brother's back! O, dragons, are you planning to lose to the other dragonkin even though we stand at the apex!]
[Dragonkin, rage, and rampage! Steal away the position of dragons that the ruler has promised us!]
The morale was there. Dragons and other dragonkin usually had animosity towards each other upon birth, but right now, they teamed up with Yu IlHan at the center and were facing the monsters, and the ones with dragon-slaying powers as well.
[How can I not rip that dragon to pieces! My teeth, my claws, why are they becoming dull!]
[Kuooooooooooh!]
[We can't back out like this... I shall definitely sink my teeth into that being!]
Even though the other monsters were being driven back mercilessly, they couldn't leave this place so they cried out in agony and attacked, died, then attacked, and died. In the process of countless monsters dying, the mana released from their deaths once again vitalized the carpet, recovered Yu IlHan's mana, and the mana that was still left over was sucked into a cylindrical container on his hand which appeared from some time.
"IlHan, that's...."
"Very good, it's working very quickly."
It was the cylinder that Yu IlHan had installed in Dareu in order to gather the mana of Earth on Dareu. He recovered them in order to prepare for battle, but now that he had come back to Dareu, he re-installed them. But right now, it was different in the sense that it was absorbing the mana of Dareu and not just of Earth.
Yu IlHan checked the rate at which mana filled the cylindrical container and made a satisfied smile. Once he entrapped the mana in this container, he could slow down the birth of monsters, as well as gather large quantities of mana. This was killing two birds with one stone! Very good!
"Good, children, fight for just another 3 weeks like this!"
[Th, three weeks??!... I shall do my best!]
Ruby realized that Yu IlHan was really going to call all the monsters in this world here and clenched her teeth as she replied. Yu IlHan nodded several times at her handsome attitude and turned around. The others were staring at him dumbfoundedly.
"Oh yeah, I didn't talk about me yet, did I?"
"I vaguely knew what happened, but I think I need to hear it properly after seeing all this."
When Liera said that, Na YuNa nodded her head intensely. Yu IlHan made a slight smile and nodded his head. Helièna was making a satisfied smile on his side.
"Good, let's get that out of the way now."
Dragon's Nest, with just two members with Yu IlHan and Yumir, had finally started recruiting new members!
"Well, then."
Yu IlHan unfolded his arms. According to his gesture, flames blossomed before enveloping the others around him as well as the two fortresses. An impermeable space was created.
Monsters gritted their teeth and tried to attack them, but there was no way newly born monsters from Dareu could make so much as a dent on Yu IlHan's personal barrier. The ones that did attack were instantly killed the next moment either by a dragonkin or a dragon.
The group stared on as the monsters crashed into the barrier continuously and felt as if they were watching a 3D movie. Liera shouted after a clap.
"Ooh, the battle looks more intense from here!"
"Here's some popcorn~."
At a good time, Na YuNa brought out some popcorn. It was her scheme to win points back from Liera since she was found out while trying to flirt with Yu IlHan. It was quite effective and Liera accepted it with a satisfied expression.
"You are quite capable!"
"Bullshit capable!"
Yu IlHan shouted, but the situation was completely flowing towards spectator-like atmosphere. Not only those two, the others also seated down on the floor of the barrier and started watching the intense battle. They were planning to watch from the very beginning!
Being with Yu IlHan for so long, the others knew when it was their turn to fight and when it wasn't, so Yu IlHan thought that they were being slightly nasty.
"It's not such a short story, right? It's fine, take it slow. We'll listen to all of it."
[There's no way it will be so simple when it's about the process of becoming the Fifth God. Darling, I also want to hear the specific now.]
"Sheesh, you guys...."
Yu IlHan sighed, but he couldn't really help it. Liera should have told them up until the point that Raphael accompanied the two. He revealed the details starting from the point after that, and emphasised on what he had to do in order to create a higher existence organization.
The fact that they reached a place where all factions fought along with Raphael, that the ones that attacked the Heaven's Army so much had instead started attacking the Army of Brilliant Light, and how he was surprised about that, the fact that Michael and Raphael worked in conjunction to dispel his concealment, or to be exact, his clone, the fact that he attacked Raphael in that lapse of concentration and acquired all the necessary records!
The fact that he acquired the class, Leader, to replace the gone Angel's Partner, and how he was reborn into the leader of the faction; the fact that he had killed Keshein and Raphael and grew even further, the fact that he had gone to Elo Katra and met the leader of the Destruction Demon Army, as well as the fact that he completely ignored Greed and returned to Dareu, only to cause the 6th Great Cataclysm.
"Fuu, see, nothing much happened, right?"
Kang HaJin replied in an absurd voice at Yu IlHan's words."
"If that was 'nothing much' then what is 'something much'? Creation?"
"My word, to think you've never even seen the Leader class until then..."
Even though he had talked all this cool story in one breath, Na YuNa was disappointed about just one weird point. Yu IlHan tried to snort it over, but even Liera stroked his hair in tears.
"Pitiful IlHan... It's fine, I'll stay with you forever."
"Huh?"
[Uh, hm. Darling did everything perfectly so that is why that happened! Darling is not in the wrong!]
"Huh, whoa?"
"Th, that can happen. Leader, hm. I might not have been able to acquire it if I didn't spend ten years in Breya. Yes, of course."
"Ehhh?"
The reactions of the others about the weird aspect of the story was quite suspicious. Even though he had become a higher existence, why did he have to receive such a treatment! Well, Yu IlHan also thought that acquiring the Leader class last was quite insulting, but even so!
If it came down to this, the only hope was his mother... but when he turned around to her, Kim YeSeul only smiled awkwardly. To think back, she had partied with the spirits in the halted world and hunted monsters starting from level 1! She should have long since looked at the Leader subclass!
"Dragon's Nest. So that's it. Is it also the reason why so many dragons have gathered?"
Kim YeSeul seemed to want to change topics and asked after looking at all the dragonkin that were having an intense battle. Yu IlHan nodded with a pouting face.
"That's because the first world that caused a Great Cataclysm in resonance to my mana happened to be Dareu... but yeah, you can think of it like that."
Yu IlHan would have looked for Dareu eventually anyway, and at that point, something similar would have happened, just on a smaller scale. It was just that the scale had become absolutely huge thanks to the great timing where he had returned to Dareu!
[Not only the dragons, but the other dragonkin as well... amazing. You're amazing, darling. I did think that perhaps it may come to this when you acquired dragon powers, but I never knew there would really be a faction that rules over dragons.]
Dragonkin. The race that is born with the highest potential upon birth. Of course, the epitome were the dragons, but all dragonkin were born with the highest health and magic power. However, Yu IlHan had acquired a power that managed those dragonkin and was able to make them grow even further, so was there a need to talk about how great of a domain that Yu IlHan had expanded?
It was just that one thing nagged on Helièna's mind. It was that the name of the organization felt as if it excluded everything that was not dragonkin. Why was it a 'dragon'? To be exact, wasn't there an attribute or characteristic that brought all together into one?
Just what intent did the Akashic Record have? No, there was no way the Akashic Record possessed something like that, but did it really choose that name after meticulously analyzing Yu IlHan perfectly?
"Helièna, I think you misunderstand."
Yu IlHan laughed after hearing Helièna's words. Well, it wasn't that he didn't understand what she was thinking, but to speak of the conclusion, it was a needless worry.
"Dragon's Nest isn't just a place that houses dragons."
Yu IlHan's pupils gave off light. The the vertical golden slit pupils that appeared on his ruby-like eyes charmed Helièna. She couldn't even live up to her name as the Succubus Queen but still asked in an enchanted voice.
[Then...?]
"Dragon's Nest is the place where dragons gather, live, and finally, the place they return. And also..."
He raised one hand. Liera, who felt that it was her turn, stood up and approached him. The others also seemed to have felt a mysterious aura, and focused their gazes on Yu IlHan, Helièna and Liera.
At that moment, a gigantic red bucket appeared in the barrier. It was the same basket that made First into a true dragon, the Cradle of Miracles. Helièna finally seemed to have realized something and moaned in exclamation.
[So that's it, Dragon's Nest....]
"Yes, Dragon's Nest."
Liera closed her eyes. They didn't need to speak to each other to communicate and she was happy that it wasn't awkward at all. Yu IlHan laughed and swung his hand downwards. The Cradle of Miracles completely enveloped Liera and formed a red egg-like structure. Everyone knew the answer at this point.
"Is a place where dragons are born."
[My god....]
Helièna couldn't hide her shock and exclamation.
[How can this be, so that's it. I can finally understand how darling can become a being that surpasses Heaven itself. A faction that can change an entity's records by such a large margin... only Heaven was capable of that until now.]
That was true. The Destruction Demon Army only raised the league of beings that had destructive tendencies and kept their attributes. The Garden of Sunset was a faction that respected the characteristics of each entity and supported their development. The Army of Brilliant Light caused some changes, but that was merely corrupting the ones that had already become an angel.
Transforming the very existence, in its true sense, could only be seen in Heaven's Army until now.
But now, in this place.
The perfect transformation of existence, the evolution of existence, was being performed.
"Liera, endure it for a little."
Liera inside the egg could not reply. However, Yu IlHan could perfectly grasp the transforming Liera inside even with his eyes closed.
Now, there was only one thing left. When he extended his index finger, a drop of his blood flowed and seeped into the red egg. At that moment, the egg vibrated with a loud thud.
[Uu, so envious. I'm very envious.]
"Your turn will come soon so wait a little."
The egg vibrated a few more times before cracking like how it was with First. Yes, in fact, the process looked quite similar to what First had experienced.
Yes. Although this was quite sorry for First, Yu IlHan had in fact been experimenting with First on his ability as the leader of Dragon's Nest. Even though he knew how perfectly safe it was, he couldn't be relieved until he saw it himself.
And Liera's case was slightly different from First as well. Unlike how it transformed from a lower existence dragonkin into a dragon, Liera had fallen from her position as a 6th class high angel to 4th class, and was now regaining her league that she had once lost. The difference between the sun and a firefly would be an overstatement, but the two would at least differ like the difference between a lake and a puddle.
[W, wait, darling. Restoring her league? The league that she once lost?]
"Liera only couldn't implement her records that she had piled up since she lost her qualifications as an angel, and she still possesses the achievements and records that she acquired purely by herself, right?"
[But even if that were the case....]
"This is the same as how an angel becomes a fallen angel, and how a fallen angel becomes a predator of the Destruction Demon Army, and how a predator becomes a gatekeeper in the Garden of Sunset. There's nothing to be so surprised about."
In the past, the Garden of Sunset tried to make Erta reborn into their gatekeeper. Since she retained her records that she possessed to reach such a league, they just needed to swap out her records as an angel with the records as a gatekeeper.
This was the same method that turned angels into fallen angels, and was practically a magic that all factions shared at this point. However, that only extended to....
[That's swapping! The time of that magic is horrendously important you know! But Liera had spent a long period of time after she had lost her league, but how can you fill such a gap...!]
"Such a gap is as good as nothing in front of me."
Helièna became speechless at his words. Even in that while, Liera's 'incubation' was occurring. The crack in the egg widened, and red light was released from the gap. Helièna shivered after feeling the strong vibration of magic power.
[She really is a 6th class...!]
"Your turn isn't long, so wait, Helièna."
"Fuuu."
Yu IlHan laughed as he saw Helièna watching Liera with two pairs of red dragon wings, appearing from the cracked egg in astonishment.
"It's time for you to return to being a 'perfect' 7th class, no?"