Chapter 295: Kang Chul-In Vs. Desdemona (1)
Translator: Leyy3
Meanwhile in Fox Valley,
"So..."
Desdemona opened her mouth to speak, sitting on a throne made of the highest-quality marble. This throne was for all the Ninetails in history, and it had been Kang Chul-In's wife's, Ninetails', throne most recently.
"His nose was pretty good-looking considering he was a human."
"L-like this?"
The demi-human with the brush asked. This large demi-human was a rare lion-human who had chosen to be an artist instead of a warrior. He was Leonardo de Montana, a palace artist. The genius of the century. Leonardo was considered to be the most talented artist in Fox Valley history, but right now, he was just a slave drawing Desdemona's composite.
"Yeah, a bit sharper... no, I didn't see the nostrils."
"Then how's this?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Desdemona nodded.
"That's exactly it."
"Mm... okay, understood."
"Hm, isn't it almost done? I think only the eyes are left now."
"As you can see, that is correct."
"Hehe... good... very good... you're pretty good at drawing, huh?"
"T-thank you..."
"Almost enough to make me want to use you for a hundred years!"
"Huk!"
Leonardo's face darkened. It wasn't just one or two years, but a hundred. It was horrifying just thinking about it. Also, the temper of the girl was so dirty that he didn't want to be next to her even for a second...
"Then keep on drawing."
"Where are you going?"
"Mental training."
"...!"
"It's time to train the puppies that dared to bite me."
Desdemona grinned as she walked away.
"..."
Puppies. Kang Chul-In's subordinates couldn't say anything. Desdemona was just too strong. Even though everyone had run at her at once, they couldn't scratch her in the slightest. Rather, they were all beat up just enough so they wouldn't die. Even the female Kim-Sung Hee had a black eye and was sniffling, showing that Desdemona's cruelty was beyond imagination.
"Hey, kitty."
Desdemona pointed at Amur, who was kneeling with his hands raised.
"Y-yes?"
Amur answered, taken slightly aback. He couldn't say anything about her calling him a cat.
"Bend over."
"Pardon? W-why are you suddenly telling me to..."
"Are you asking because you don't know?"
Heh.
Desdemona had an evil smile.
That demon-like bitch!
Amur grit his teeth.
How could a girl who looked to be barely 12 be that evil?
"I-I'll bend over..."
He had to bend over to survive.
It was better to have his ass beat than being beat to death.
"Grit your teeth."
Desdemona warned Amur holding the red club.
"Okay, ready?"
Pak!
"Keack!"
Amur screamed, tasting the pain of the strike. The club was an Epic item called [Pain Maker] and was created with a very expensive material called 'fire crystal.' This strike was different from normal ones.
Ugh! Even my bones hurt!
Amur barely held himself back from begging to be killed.
1 minute late,
Plop!
Amur fell over with bubbles in his mouth after receiving ten strikes. The mighty commander had fainted.
"Hm... his endurance is worse than I thought."
But that wasn't the end.
"Okay, next!"
It seemed like Desdemona was going to be hitting everyone.
"Kuk...!"
"Owie, this oldie is dying~!"
"Kyak!"
The martial artists that were called the greatest in Pangaea suffered the humiliation of falling over one by one.
That was how powerful Desdemona was.
"I"ll be there soon so wait for a little bit."
"Alright..."
When it was James's turn, Desdemona left for a moment. It was to observe Leonardo drawing the composite of the criminal.
"Kng!"
"Ugh... uh..."
"Owie... I'm dying..."
Moans could be heard from here and there.
However, they didn't despair.
If his Majesty comes...!
That foolish girl... His Majesty will take revenge for us...
Let's see who's smiling at the end...
You're dead now, child!
It was because they believed that Kang Chul-In would save them. Of course, they didn't know that Kang Chul-In was angrily grinding his teeth at them.
N-no...!
Of
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them, there was someone who knew the truth. It was the draconian, General Drakan.
That girl... is dangerous...! Maybe... she's a true dragon!
The others didn't know, but Drakan could feel it.
It was his natural instinct that told him.
As a draconian with dragon blood, he was able to grasp what Desdemona's identity was.
If I'm right... ahh! Even if his Majesty comes...!
If Desdemona was a true dragon, or in other words, an ancient dragon, there was no guarantee that Kang Chul-In was going to win.
"What do we have here?"
It was then.
"Hey, lizard."
Desdemona had suddenly appeared next to him and whispered evilly in his ear.
"Y-yes?"
"You know who I am, right?"
"I-I don't..."
"I don't think so. I think you do, hm?"
"I really don't!"
"Hmm...do you really think so?"
Then, she licked his cheek.
"...!"
His body shivered at the sudden feeling.
"Mm!"
Desdemona spoke up again after tasting Drakan.
"This..."
"..."
"Is the taste of a liar! Lies!"
"H-heek!"
"You dare to lie in front of me? A mere lizard?"
It seemed like a true dragon was able to tell between lies and the truth by licking one's skin.
"So... you know my identity...?"
Desdemona grinned evilly.
"Then what do you think..."
It was then.
Kwang!
A large explosion rang out,
Rrrrrrrr!
And Fox Valley's Lord Hall began to come crumbling down.
Someone came down as well.
Thump!
"...!"
A ray of hope shined on the faces of the martial artists of Valhalla and the officials of Fox Valley. How much had they waited for this moment?
The amount of humiliation they suffered from just a small girl was intense.
But not anymore.
The Supreme King of the West, Kang Chul-In, the most evil and strongest in Pangaea had come, so they no longer had anything to be scared about. Why? Because Kang Chul-In would avenge them!
"You bitch."
Kang Chul-In looked at Desdemona fiercely.
"So you're the girl who dared to bother my precious time?"
That wasn't all.
"And you dared to mess up my wife's home... and beat my subordinates up like this?"
"Hm?"
Desdemona tilted her head.
"Huk!"
Leonardo, who had been painting the composite, was also shocked.
"C-could it be... the person who this evil girl was looking for is...!"
Leonardo looked down at his drawing.
"Hey."
Desdemona had a cold smile.
"You came on your own feet."
"...?"
"Good job on coming here."
She cracked her knuckles violently.
"..."
Kang Chul-In was flabbergasted. He had no idea what the girl was talking about.
***
The first thing that Lee Ji-Tae did after becoming Lord of the Shatmeyeba territory was to capture public opinion. In the capital city of the territory, Apu City, Lee Ji-Tae gave a speech in front of hundreds of people.
"Forget about the starving from now on! I am different from the incapable Atil Ramanujan! I won't have a starving citizen in my territory! I, Overlord Lee Ji-Tae, promise!"
Lee Ji-Tae knew how to control their minds well. They were like children, so it wasn't that hard to move them.Lee Ji-Tae knew what was most needed in Shatmabeya. Food. Promising no one else would be starved during the confusing time of Lords changing would change public opinion the quickest.
"Within three months, I will make sure all citizens have two meals a day! Also, until the famine is over, I'll decrease the taxes by 10%!"
It was a shocking statement.
From the food supply to taxes. It was an incredible promise that they couldn't believe.
"..."
However, no one said anything against it. Not even Rigveda, Atal Ramanujan's secretary.
Why? Why were they just standing there listening to the unbelievable promise? Was it because they were traitors? Or maybe because they agreed with what Lee Ji-Tae said? In reality, it was neither of those.
The answer was mind control.
"..."
There wasn't any sign of life in their eyes.
-Obey!
Lee Gong-Myung's long time grudge had dug into their brains, making it impossible for them to think. This was the power of an Agnaga.
"Woooohoooo~!"
"Hurrah for his Majesty, Lee Ji-Tae!"
"Hurrah for Shatmeyeba territory!"
The citizens who didn't know anything about this were convinced and cheered uproariously.
Heh.
Lee Ji-Tae smiled.
"Stupid and foolish humans. Sure... be happy as much as you want."
It was an ominous sentence.
***
Kang Chul-In tilted his head as Desdemona approached him.
She didn't exist in the past... is this a type of butterfly effect?
He didn't know where such a person had come from, but it was clear she wasn't a normal girl. And in actuality, it was the butterfly effect. If only Laputa hadn't touched Desdemona's lair, Desdemona would be deep in her sleep.
She's strong.
The power he could feel from her wasn't normal.
She could defeat Dorian in one blow.
It was enough to block Brynhildr easily.
This meant that the girl in front of him was as powerful as he was.
"Let's see how skilled you are, bitch."
Kang Chul-In didn't feel scared. The strongest wasn't feeble-minded. Rather, he was glad he met a strong person.
It wasn't easy to meet someone he could use 100% of his power on!
"A hit and run criminal dares?"
Desdemona unleashed her lightning at Kang Chul-In, and he also brought his fists down at her.
Kwaanngggggg!
Kang Chul-In was pushed about 20 meters back and crashed into the walls of the Lord's Hall.
What the hell!
Kang Chul-In was shocked.
"What? You wanted to see how strong I am?"
Desdemona mocked him.
It was the relaxed attitude only a true dragon could have.
Chapter 296: Kang Chul-In Vs. Desdemona (2)
Translator: Leyy3
The first collision between Kang Chul-In and Desdemona was pretty rough for the former.
Throb. It was the first time in a while that he felt like his fist was being crushed. After all, Kang Chul-In's fist was as strong as iron.
What is... the identity of this girl?
He couldn't tell where she had come from. If she was that powerful, then she would've shown herself in his past life.
"Why, do you not want to fight now after tasting my fist?"
Desdemona spoke mockingly.
"It hurt, huh?"
"..."
"But you know... that was only a small part of the pain I felt, you hit-and-runner."
He couldn't understand what she was saying. His driving style was staying within lines, obeying traffic laws, and always yielding to others, because his father had passed away from a traffic accident. So him, a hit-and-runner? There was no way he knew about the bullshit that Desdemona was talking about.
"Well, I can figure it out by beating you up."
However, Kang Chul-In didn't try to understand what she was saying. He gripped Kaiforce in his right hand and Mitra in his left hand.
Dual-wielding.
It was the sword technique that he had trained in by using both the swords at the same time.
"It probably won't work."
Desdemona was relaxed.
"You're going to fight against me with toys that aren't awakened yet? You child. And with your body in that condition?"
"...!"
"You can't even control your mana yet, and you want to do what?"
Surprisingly, Desdemona knew precisely that Kang Chul-In hadn't finished absorbing the dragon heart. It was the sharp insight of a true dragon.
"Y-your Majesty...!"
It was then.
"Please move...!"
The one who hadn't been spanked by Desdemona yet, general Drakan, got in between Kang Chul-In and Desdemona.
"Move?"
Kang Chul-In repeated, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Drakan, are you telling me to run away from that girl?"
"Yes, your Majesty...!"
"..."
"If you don't move, you won't be safe...!"
Kang Chul-In was speechless because Drakan was speaking like it was expected that he should move. It was ridiculous. A warrior of the draconian species was suggesting that his Lord run away? It was a situation that he couldn't imagine. However, Drakan was just trying to be faithful.
How can I watch you die right in front of me!?
His loyalty in trying to save his Lord was genuine. That was why he was getting in the way of a true dragon.
"Your Majesty, that girl is not human!"
"Not human?"
"She's a dragon!"
"...!"
"Not a normal dragon either, but the gold dragon from the legends is that girl!"
That was also something he couldn't understand. A dragon? The only dragons that Kang Chul-In knew were large lizards with wings, not cute girls like her.
Could it be?
Just then, there was a thought that flashed through Kang Chul-In's brain. Actually, rather than a thought flashing through his head, he suddenly remembered an old book called [Book of Higher Beings in Pangaea]. Its contents were the following:
Dragon:
The strongest being. Their lifespan is about 10,000 years. Their abilities are so out of this world that a human cannot dare to follow them, and they were skilled in all types of magic through this superior knowledge, and can even use the Level-12 magic that humans cannot.
There isn't anything known about what they eat, and it is agreed by scientists that it is impossible to find what it is with human abilities.
(There are some who say that dragons enjoy polymorphing into humans, but nothing is confirmed about this)
Could it
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be... that girl is a real dragon who appeared in that old novel? If what Drakan said was true, that seemed to be the only likely reason. It was because in that book, there was also information about "fake dragons."
Drake:
A subspecies of dragons. They look similar to dragons (a dragon is at least 1.5 times larger), but they do not have a dragon heart and their intellect is only as much as a lizard's, so they cannot use magic.
Was that true?
It seemed right. If she was a dragon and the guy that he believed was a dragon was actually a drake, it made sense.
"Ah."
It was Desdemona who confirmed Drakan's words and Kang Chul-In's guesses.
"Hey, lizard? Not only did you reveal my identity, but you dare to block my way? With a gold dragon like me in front of you?"
She was basically saying "I'm the real dragon!"
"Your Majesty!"
Drakan didn't surrender at Desdemona's threat.
"Please get out of the way! I'll try to stall for some time!"
Right now, Drakan's head was only filled with Kang Chul-In's survival.
He could overcome his fears!
Draconians were more faithful towards their Lords than fearful of dragons.
"I-Is that true!"
Amur burst up.
"That child is a real...!"
"I don't have time to explain! You hurry on too!"
Drakan tried to convince Amur to escape as well, but Amur's faithfulness didn't fall short to Drakan's.
"What are you talking about!? I'm also a servant of His Majesty, so how can I not protect His Majesty!"
"Y-your Majesty!"
"Please hurry up!"
"I'll open a path for you!"
"Your Majesty, quick!"
The same went for the others. A few of them were confused about Drakan's statement, but they also realized that they couldn't stay laying down while Kang Chul-In was in danger.
"Hey, look at you."
Desdemona grinned.
"Are you all writing a play together? Hm? Hilarious."
She was talking about them like they were pathetic. Her eyes were filled with an arrogance that only strong people could have.
I am strong, and you are weak. It was like she was saying, "kneel, you insects!"
"Ke..."
For the first time in his life, Kang Chul-In felt what true fury was.
"I feel horrible today."
Of course he would. Kang Chul-In was the definition of arrogance. Kang Chul-In, who was as arrogant as Desdemona, was humiliated by the situation. Some girl was acting out, and his servants were saying they would save him from her, so of course Kang Chul-In would be furious.
"Everyone move..."
A dark voice escaped his mouth.
"While I'm being nice about it..."
However, Drakan didn't seem to want to listen.
"Your Majesty...!"
Drakan screamed.
"The land that you established is only..."
"Drakan."
A low but raging voice came from Kang Chul-In.
"What do you see me as?"
"Y-your Majesty!"
"Move."
"However, Your Majesty, didn't I..."
Before Drakan could finish, he was blown away by Kang Chul-In's fist.
Kwang!
"...!"
Everyone was surprised.
"Anyone..."
Kang Chul-In announced.
"If anyone blocks me... I'll cut you down without a word, so keep that in mind."
It was a great amount of pride. It was the spirit of one who had calmly met his death in his past life.
"Huh."
Desdemona mocked him again with a smirk.
"You're gonna die if you..."
It was then.
Chrwak!
There was a flashing light, and
Swoosh...!
A section of her hair scattered in the air. It was from Kang Chul-In's attack.
"...!"
Desdemona quickly teleported away and put distance between her and Kang Chul-In.
I almost... died?
If Kang Chul-In's attack was only a few centimeters deeper, things might've gone bad. Her dragon life of a thousand years would end futilely just like that!
"A mere hit-and-runner dares..."
Desdemona ground her teeth.
"You... just know that you won't die easily."
As soon as she finished,
Urrrrng...!
Thousands of energy forms appeared around Kang Chul-In.
Magic missiles. It was a basic 3rd-level spell, but if there were thousands of them, it could be comparable to a 10th-level. There are 12 levels of magic spells, so this was quite strong.
[Spell power, detected!]
However, Kang Chul-In was completely immune to magic.
[A great amount of magical energy has been detected! (Absorption rate : 99%)]
[Energy is filling up!]
Even if it was magic from a dragon, 3rd-level magic was still 3rd-level magic.
Chrwak!
Kaiforce turned into a whip, and aimed for Desdemona.
Jeuk!
Desdmona felt the pain of the steel whip wrapping around her neck.
"Die!"
Kang Chul-In didn't miss this chance. Desdemona was strong. She wasn't someone he could go easy on.
Clench...!
Kang Chul-In gripped Kaiforce even tighter. Desdemona's neck began to split.
Foooosh!
Blood shot out of her like a fountain. The girl's head rolled on the floor of the Lord's Hall.
"...!"
Everyone was shocked.
"Y-your Majesty!"
Especially Drakan. Kang Chul-In had killed a gold dragon who existed only in legends? Without even giving her the chance to return to her actual body?
"That horrible bitch."
However, Kang Chul's face wasn't bright. No, rather, he looked uncomfortable, like he was extremely displeased.
"You thought you could trick me with tricks like that?"
Kang Chul-In's gaze turned towards Ninetails' old marble throne.
"Hehe?"
Desdemona was there.
"You have good eyes, huh? Hit-and-runner?"
The girl was sitting arrogantly with her legs crossed.
Chapter 297: Kang Chul-In Vs. Desdemona (3)
Translator: Leyy3
Indeed. What Kang Chul-In had cut wasn't Desdemona's actual body but only a decoy.
"I was almost tricked."
Kang Chul-In was surprised at how clean the decoy was. Desdemona's decoy was extremely realistic.
"It would be perfect if the touch wasn't different."
Yes, the touch. Kang Chul-In had cut countless people in his current life and past life combined. Even if it was a decoy that a dragon had made, it was impossible to trick Kang Chul-In when it came to killing something.
"Hm?"
On the throne, Desdemona lifted a corner of her mouth.
"A mere human dares to judge my magic?"
"You're only a lizard but you're so arrogant."
"L-Lizard?"
"My subordinate says you're a dragon. So isn't a dragon a lizard?"
Just then, Drakan murmured quietly from his fainted position.
"Y-Your Majesty... so what I meant is... keuk..."
Drakan was hit with an unexpected attack by Kang Chul-In.
"Ha..."
Desdemona laughed. It was the composure of the strong. To her, humans were just bugs that she could step on and kill at any moment.
"You're pretty arrogant, huh? Human?"
"Isn't it arrogant for a lizard to judge a human?"
However, Kang Chul-In didn't bend to her. How could someone from Earth know about a true dragon that even Pangaeans didn't know about? From Kang Chul-In's perspective, Desdemona was only a mutant lizard that could turn into a speaking human.
"You really want to die, hm? It wasn't enough to hit-and-run but you want to blabber in front of me?"
"Where did the hit-and-run thing come from?"
Kang Chul-In asked Desdemona. He didn't know why he had to be implicated as a hit-and-runner when he was all for safe driving.
"Are you asking because you don't know?"
"...?
"Well, fine, I'll tell you. You'll feel less wronged if you know why you died."
Desdemona had a tray brought over.
"Video play."
Then, she casted a spell.
-I'm raising the altitude, so everyone go back inside!
In the playing video, he could see himself disappearing after hitting Desdemona's lair.
"Ah?"
Kang Chul-In realized why the lizard was calling him a hit-and-runner.
"That's nothing."
However, his reaction was shameless.
"I guess lizards are pretty small-minded, huh?"
"What?"
"Tsk tsk... you're making such a mess just because a part of your roof was broken. No, shouldn't you pay for the damage done to the lower part of our castle?"
If the other side requested a reasonable amount, Kang Chul-In would've given it. But Desdemona was different. She had invaded his wife's home and was beating up his subordinates. They had gone beyond the point of striking a deal.
Why, you ask? Because Kang Chul-In's temper was as fiery as a dragon's.
Shake shake...!
Desdemona trembled at Kang Chul-In's attitude.
"You dare!"
A sharp sound rang out in the Lord's Hall.
"Keuk!"
"...!"
Everyone clutched their chests and plopped down at Desdemona's angry shout. Dragon Fear. It was a force that wasn't possible for a "fake dragon" to have. Even if it wasn't her actual body, it was powerful.
"You dare..."
Only Kang Chul-In was unaffected by the Dragon Fear.
"You dare to scream in my wife's home?"
At the same time, Kang Chul-In caused a sonic boom and dashed at Desdemona.
Chrwak!
A knife-like wind whirled around Desdemona from Kang Chul-In.
Crumble!
Ninetails's throne crumbled to pieces.
It was then.
When had she appeared?
"With that weak attack..."
Desdemona smiled coldly, having dug into Kang Chul-In's blind spot by teleporting.
"You were trying to kill me? You arrogant human?"
Desdemona aimed a fist towards Kang Chul-In's left ribs.
Danger!
Kang Chul-In crossed Kaiforce and Mitra to block the fist.
Clanggg!
A large explosive sound that almost ripped the surrounding people's eardrums rang out.
"Keuk!"
A pained groan escaped from Kang Chul-In's mouth.
An extraordinary destructive power!
He had definitely blocked it. But the hands with the swords in them, his arms, and even his sides throbbed. His sides just throbbed but he felt like
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his internal organs were being crushed.
"Ha, you blocked it?"
Desdemona grinned and began an additional attack.
She gripped his collar and threw him forcefully to the ground.
"I'll make you into sausage!"
How dare she!
Swish!
Kang Chul-In immediately used fancy acrobatic skills to escape Desdemona's grip. He was falling short on strength? Then he would win with tact. Kang Chul-In was a martial artist who had seen thousands of battlefields. That could make Desdemona, a dragon with no fighting experience who had been sleeping for a thousand years, bend down to him.
Chrwak!
Kaiforce was swung at Desdemona's waist.
"Do you really think..."
Just when Desdemona was about to mock Kang Chul-In again,
Swoosh!
The sword of light, Mitra, aimed precisely at Desdemona's open spot.
"...!"
While Desdemona's eyes were filled with shock, with an ominous sound, a drop of blood slid down Desdemona's arm.
I-I was... cut? By... a mere human?
Desdemona was shocked. She had never imagined in her dragon life that she would be hurt by a mere human. Even if she was in her human form.
"Die."
She didn't have more time to be shocked because Kaiforce, which had suddenly taken the force of a whip, was flying at her to bind her, and Mitra was shining brilliantly coming at the speed of light.
What does he think he's doing!?
"???????? ?????"
"!???"
"!???????? ????? ?????? ?????"
"!?????"
"!?????"
Desdemona reflected it by using five level-8 magic spells. This was the true reason why dragons were fearsome. Just by saying the most important part of a spell, she could cast her magic in less than 95% of the time it took human magicians.
However,
[Energy is filling up! (Absorption rate : 82%)]
[Energy is filling up! (Absorption rate : 99%)]
[Energy is filling up! (Absorption rate : 86%)]
[Energy is filling up! (Absorption rate : 93%)]
[Energy is filling up! (Absorption rate : 71%)]
It might've been dragon magic, but it was still magic! His S++ skill was blocking Desdemona's dragon magic perfectly. Also, Desdemona's magical energies were bestowing him great strength.
[Mana is overflowing!]
[Warning, you need to release the mana you absorbed!]
Let's see if you can block this too.
Kang Chul-In thrust all the magical energy from his dragon heart's mana into the sword of light, Kaiforce.
-M, Master!
He could hear Mitra's urgent shout.
-This... t-too, powerful!
Shut up and bear it!
-Ahhh!
The fact that it was hard for a holy being like Mitra meant that it could also be dangerous to an ancient dragon.
No way!
Desdemona was shocked. A mere human had not only chewed up her magic but created an attack powerful enough for her to feel danger. The hit-and-runner in front of her didn't seem to be a normal human.
Do you think I'll be hit?
But that was it. Desdemona wasn't going to let Kang Chul-In succeed in his attack.
"???? ???????"!
She casted a spell again. The level-10 dragon magic Charge Barrier formed in front of her. She could guarantee that no human could pierce through this barrier.
Heh.
An evil smile grew on Kang Chul-In's face.
Do you think this is all I have? Lizard?
[Release amplified!]
Flash!
At the same time, the Amplifier Talisman on his neck began to vibrate.
"...!"
Shock filled Desdemona's eyes.
I can't block it!
Kang Chul-In didn't use the Amplifier Talisman until the end to make Desdemona make the wrong choice and she had naively created a level-10 barrier. Of course, this was enough to block his attack, but not enough to block the released energy increased by 120%. This meant that Kang Chul-In had completely tricked Desdemona!
And the result was...
Kwaaaaaaang!
The destruction of the Charge Barrier.
"Kyaaaaak!"
A scream came from the ancient dragon's mouth.
"B-Be careful!"
"It's coming down!"
"Run away!"
Kang Chul-In's attack not only swallowed Desdemona but destroyed everything around it, and the shock of it brought down half of the Lord's Hall.
"...Oops!"
Kang Chul-In looked flustered. He felt like he could see Ninetails already nagging him.
H-Husband! What did you do to my house!
Ah, so this is what a sad beast was? A sad beast known as a "married man."
"How should I explain this..."
Just when Kang Chul-In was mumbling to himself, his senses sent him a warning.
"...!"
She's... alive?
Kang Chul-In could feel it.
Beyond the thick smoke and the crumbled marble, a great being was about to descend.
Dammit!
Kang Chul-In threw his body.
***
"Haaa... so I can't do it with a human body, huh?"
Desdemona's draconic eyes blazed. She was currently in a mess.
"Fine, let's see this to the end."
As soon as she finished muttering to herself, she was wrapped in light. This was a kind of regression. She was getting rid of the weak human body and returning to her true form, a dragon. It was hurtful to her pride, but there was nothing she could do. She had to acknowledge it. That hit-and-runner was a powerful human that she couldn't defeat in her polymorphed form!
I'll painstakingly make you feel how weak you are.
She hardened her resolve to make that hit-and-runner know what a true dragon was.
"Do you think I'll let you?"
However, Kang Chul-In wasn't someone who would simply let his opponent become stronger. He was a man who knew how to go in sharply while his enemy was at their weakest.
"N-No!"
Desdemona shouted urgently, but he was merciless.
"Yes!"
Right before she changed, the sword of light, Mitra, entered her side.
Then... a whirlwind began to form.
T-This is...!
Desdemona could feel it. A condensed whirlwind. A violent storm that could rip iron to shreds was entering her body!
"Aaaaaaack!"
Another scream came from the ancient level dragon. It was a desperate scream.
Chapter 298: Desdemona's Humiliation
The ending of Kang Chul-In and Desdemona's fight could be explained by one word: Carelessness . It was the decisive factor in Desdemona losing . If she had left the Lord's Hall and returned to her true form to fight with Kang Chul-In, victory would definitely have been Desdemona's . No, not just victory . She would've completely pushed Kang Chl-In down . She could've easily deflected Kang Chul-In's attacks and she could have used level-11 and level-12 magic to break through his S++ skill .
However, she didn't do that . It was because she never would've imagined that her life would be in danger in her human body . Also, Desdemona's battle experience wasn't that high because she had been so powerful . All the battles she fought beforehand were one-sidedly in her favor .
I-I...
Desdemona trembled as she faded away . An intense pain was whipping inside of her . Mitra had a vortex property that was whirling around in her body so her internal organs would obviously be crushed .
I... lost to a m-mere human?
And with that thought,
Plop!
Desdemona fell .
" . . . !"
Everyone was surprised .
"H-His Majesty..."
Especially Drakan .
"Defeated a... true dragon?"
It was impossible for Kang Chul-In to defeat a true dragon no matter how strong he was . It was nature's law that a human couldn't win against a true dragon, but he had won . Although Desdemona had lost during an attack while she was changing into her true form, there was no doubt that Kang Chul-In was victorious .
"This powerful little girl . "
Kang Chul-In was also surprised .
"She survived even after being hit with that?"
Mitra was a holy sword, but that was only when its opponents were human . Desdemona was a dragon, one that would be extremely weak against Mitra's properties . The fact her body hadn't exploded even with a vortex inside of her meant that her physique was beyond imagination .
It was even more shocking that she wasn't dead, but had just fainted . There was probably no stronger living being in the world than her .
"If we actually went at it... I would've died . "
The proud Kang Chul-In couldn't help but acknowledge it as well . If she had succeeded in changing, he would've most definitely lost . Oraclomind was telling him that the amount of mana within Desdemona wasn't something a human could handle . Kang Chul-In could feel an immense amount of mana that he wouldn't have been able to look at even back when he was at his strongest .
"Well, since I did win..."
It wasn't a victory that he liked, but it was a victory nevertheless .
"Now I need to..."
While he was muttering to himself, he suddenly wavered and fell over .
Plop!
Dammit!
The mana in his heart was jumping around . The drake's heart wasn't completely absorbed before he fought and side effects that were hard to handle had come along with it .
I have to... control...
Kang Chul-In tried to calm the sparking mana down, but it was breaking his body in real-time, not able to be controlled .
Stop... please...
"Y-your Majesty!"
"Your Majestyyyyyy-!"
"Support His Majesty, quick!"
"What are you all doing!?"
He could see his subordinates frantically dashing over, crying out for him .
Pat!
At the same time, Kang Chul-In lost consciousness .
***
In the VVIP hospital room of Valhalla Kingdom,
"H-Husband!"
"Honey!"
"Dadddd!"
Kang Chul-In was greeted by his family when he opened his eyes .
"How long... has it been?"
The first thing he spoke about was how much time had passed because he felt like it had been a while, but his question was buried under Arshelly's cries .
"Daddddd!"
Tears were brimming in her eyes as she ran into his arms .
"Heuk . . . Dad, I thought you were going to die..."
" . . . !?"
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"Don't get hurt like that again, okay? Heuk, heuk..."
Arshelly seemed to be quite surprised .
"Husband... why would you fight with a true dragon . . . Goodness!"
Ninetails spoke with an angry face .
"Were you planning on making me into a widow? Hm?"
" . . . "
"I hate you! I really really hate you!"
Normally, she would've greeted him with a smiling face since she was the oldest of his wives, but she seemed to be inconsolable considering who he had just fought .
"Yeah, she's right!"
Lee Chae-Rin began to nag as well .
"Why!? Until when will you make us worry!? Hm?"
Adding onto that,
"Your Majesty... you were too careless this time..."
Skadi, who had recently made some progress with him, also spoke up .
"Your Majesty, when will you think of your body...?"
"Goodness... how will I save you if my heart is beating so fast? Hm?"
Lucia and Alfred scolded him as well .
"Um..."
Kang Chul-In's response to everything was the definition of responsibility .
"It's fine since I didn't die . "
He was ever the same .
"The time? How long was I lying down?" Kang Chul-In asked Alfred .
"It has been two weeks, Your Majesty . "
"So it's been a while . "
"That's not something someone who's been unconscious for 2 weeks should say . How can someone who has a family now be so irres..."
"Keuk!"
" . . . !"
"A-Alfred... I... it hurts a lot..."
Kang Chul-In gripped his chest and made a pained face .
"In the future... when I'm better... then..."
" . . . "
"I'm too tired right now..."
It was an excuse . Alfred's Blood Heal was an overpowered healing skill healed Kang Chul-In from the exploding mana . He was only trying to get out of the nagging by pretending like he was still hurt .
A vein popped out on Alfred's forehead, but the old vampire could calm his rage down . It wasn't the first time that Kang Chul-In had caused a mess and returned to be healed by Alfred .
Huhu!
Alfred laughed internally .
Is there a need for me to nag!? You now have her Majesties .
Yes, it was time for Alfred to stop nagging . To be frank, who would want to be a nagger? This was all just a natural result of Kang Chul-In being such a troublemaker . But now, it was different .
"I hate you!"
"Are you going to stay quiet like that? Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty... you need to take care of yourself sometimes too..."
Alfred didn't have to nag because Kang Chul-In's wives were doing that role for him .
"Dad... heuk... if you get hurt like that I'm so sad..."
Arshelly's desperate plea was added on top of that .
"O-Oh, dear..."
Kang Chul-In stopped pretending to be hurt and suffered from the nag attack of the four women . No, he thought he was going to suffer .
Urrrng!
Laputa suddenly shook .
"Is something the matter?"
"It seems like the dragon is struggling, " Alfred replied .
"The dragon?"
Kang Chul-In's eyes widened .
"That bitch is here?"
"Yes, Your Majesty . "
"The reason?"
"Your subordinates said that she needed to die by your hand . "
"Ah, I see . "
He nodded his head .
"But it probably wasn't easy to tie her up . "
"Indeed, Your Majesty . It was possible because the dragon isn't in a good condition . Nilus, and her Highness, who were in charge of sealing her, said a week would be the limit . "
"Yeah, father! That bad dragon unnie is super strong!"
"Your Majesty! Are you up?"
Just then, Drakan ran into the hospital room like he was flying and reported to Kang Chul-In .
"Your Majesty, the true dragon Desdemona is causing a ruckus saying that she requests to meet you . "
"Me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty . "
As soon as he finished speaking,
-Hey!
A sharp voice shook Laputa .
-Hey, you cowardly bastard! Are you listening? Huh?
It seemed like even though she was sealed her mouth was alive .
-Just a few words, You human bastard!
And that shout made a vein pop out on Kang Chul-In's forehead .
"Where does she think this is?"
Not only did she destroy his wife's home (although in reality, that was Kang Chul-in), Desdemona was now acting noisily in his home .
Clench!
Kang Chul-In tightened his fists and burst up from the bed .
"Lead the way, Drakan . "
"Y-your Majesty..."
"Now!"
"Understood . "
"I must educate that girl . "
Everyone knew that education here meant mental training .
But...
A flame of greed grew in Kang Chul-In's head as he moved .
Do true dragons have dragon hearts too?
If he absorbed her dragon heart after butchering her... Kang Chul-In thought that he might be able to destroy a planet .
***
The ancient Black Dragon Desdemona was quarantined in Kang Chul-In's individual training room with her limbs all tied up .
But,
"W-What is this!?"
Kang Chul-In was taken aback .
"Goodness..."
The method that Desdemona was tied up in...
Podolski!
She was tied up like a tortoise .
"Hey!"
Desdemona shouted with rage seeing Kang Chul-In .
"You pervert!"
" . . . "
"You ordered this, right?"
" . . . "
"Why would you tie me up like this, huh?"
Desdemona's ears were red, humiliated and embarrassed to be in that position .
It was a relief that she wasn't naked .
"Ahem~!"
The one behind the monstrous tying method, Podolski, shrugged .
"Podolski..."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Can you tie her up in an appropriate manner?"
"Haha... when else would I be able to tie up a true dragon in my lifetime?"
" . . . "
"It was an honor for my family, Your Majesty . "
After he replied, he used Dorian's Epic Item, Obscura, that he must've borrowed and took a selfie with Desdemona in the background .
That crazy bastard...
Kang Chul-In's teeth shivered in humiliation and he covered his eyes .
He was tired . Podolski was an excellent subordinate, but his problem was that his strange taste was revealed whenever he tied someone up .
"Hey, human . "
While Kang Chul-In didn't know what to do in the awkward situation, Desdemona growled .
"Let me go this instant . "
" . . . ?"
"It's too humiliating, so let me go . "
Desdemona didn't seem to know her place . Her attitude was ridiculous .
"Haaa . . . "
Kang Chul-In sighed in disbelief and grabbed Desdemona's club, Pain Maker .
Chapter 299: Desdemona's Offer
Translator: Leyy3
"W-Wait!"
The cornered Desdemona tried to stop Kang Chul-In.
"Stop!"
"And if I don't want to?
He had a twisted smile.
"H-Hold it in!"
"Why do I have to?"
"I'm too pathetic!"
"Aren't we enemies?"
"That's true, but..."
"The loser is always pathetic."
Then, he revealed the meaning behind "education."
"Oh, and also..."
"Yeah?"
"Does a true dragon have a dragon heart too?"
"Of course!"
"Oho?"
"How can we live without a dragon heart? Can you live without a human one? You stupid human?"
"It's incomparable to a dragon, no, a drake's heart, right?"
"Are you being serious right now?"
Desdemona asked with bewilderment.
"Are you comparing me to a fake like that? Does a true dragon look like a lowly lizard to you? You childish human."
"...?"
"I'm an ancient-level dragon older than seven thousand years old. To be exact, I'm 7,121."
It was an extremely old age. To humans, even a hundred years was long, but she had lived seven thousand years.
That's a ridiculously long time.
Kang Chul-In couldn't imagine seven thousand years.
"It's hurtful to my pride, but if I had to compare my heart to a drake's, it would probably be 20 times more powerful."
"...!"
"The concentration of the mana is 30 times higher."
Desdemona looked proud.
"Bring the knife."
Her confidence became the decisive factor for Kang Chul-In's greed.
"Knife? To release me?"
"Of course not."
Kang Chul-In responded, smiling like a demon.
"Then?"
"I'm going to butcher you."
"B-Butcherrr!?"
"This is an honor..."
"...!"
"It's an honor to absorb a real dragon's heart."
Shock filled Desdemona's heart. What was he talking about? Butchering her? An ancient-level dragon was going to be butchered like a cow or a pig by a mere human?
"Hey... you crazy bastard... are you being serious right now?"
"I'll end it quickly... hehe..."
Kashing!
Kang Chul-In had already changed Kaiforce into a large sword appropriate for butchering, and he was ready to lift it.
This scumbag... really isn't in his right mind!
Desdemona came to a realization after seeing him.
The human in front of her wasn't a normal human but rather was a crazy psycho who had lost it.
"Become my mana."
Kang Chul-In was about to cut Desdemona's neck off when...
"Do you think you won't regret it?"
Shiver!
Kang Chul-In stopped Kaiforce next to her neck after getting cold sweat.
What is this girl doing?
He felt like he shouldn't cut her. No, he was sure of it. His instincts were warning him. Once he swung the sword down, Pandora's box would be opened.
"Seems like you understand what I'm saying."
Desdemona grinned.
"What are you saying?"
"You must've felt it."
"...?"
"If I really release my power, you'll die."
It was the truth.
"I don't have to explain that your tiny kingdom will also be in a pile of ashes, right?"
"Are you threatening me?"
Kang Chul-In growled fiercely.
"I'm not threatening you but telling the truth."
"The truth?"
"Did you think that a true dragon's strength was only this much?"
Desdemona began to explain.
"I'm seven thousand years old."
"So?"
"Haaa... you don't know?"
"...?"
"Listen, among us dragons, there's rank based on age."
"Hm?"
Kang Chul-in tilted his head, reminded of something. In the old book that he had read before, he remembered seeing something about the difference between a drake and a dragon. In the same book, it talked about the rank of dragons.
It read as the following:
Hatchling: A baby dragon less than 500 years old. A being that is protected by all dragons. According to an old scroll, the emperor of the Sharada Empire hunted the hatchling of an ancient-level black dragon and the empire was destroyed in a single day. This is a fact recorded in the [Library of the Old Ages].
Dragon: At least 500 years old, and less than 2,500 years old.
Wyrm-level dragon: At least 2,500 years old, and less than 6,000 years old.
Ancient-level dragon: An old dragon of at least 6,000 years. A single dragon can destroy
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an entire empire in an instant.
Currently, in the history of the continent, the recorded ancient-level dragons are the following:
Ancient Red Dragon Paragon
Ancient Black Dragon Emilia
(Sidenote: Emilia is the one that destroyed the Sharada Empire, and the name of her hatchling is recorded to be Desdemona)
Ancient Green Dragon Theseus
"No way."
Kang Chul-In narrowed his eyes at Desdemona.
"You were that booger-dripping dragon?"
"Huh?"
"You were captured by the emperor of the Sharada empire after all..."
"Hey!"
Desdemona screamed.
"You never... speak about... that event... again. Do you understand...?"
Approximately 6,500 years ago was back when she was powerless as a dragon, and the kidnapping must've been traumatic to her because Desdemona's reaction was out of the ordinary.
"Oho?"
A mischievous smile grew on Kang Chul-In's face.
"I see... so you're the dragon that was crying for your mommy after..."
"Stop... seriously..."
"Is it a bad history? I suppose so... a great true dragon has..."
"S-Stop... heuk..."
Desdemona made a crying face.
Why is this lizard girl acting like this all of the sudden?
Kang Chul-In was surprised at Desdemona's sudden change in attitude.
"Don't... talk about that... please... I don't want to hear about that or speak about it. So stop."
It seemed like Desdemona still couldn't forget about the kidnapping from 6,500 years ago. After all, dragons didn't suffer from memory loss.
"Anyways."
Desdemona changed the subject.
"Don't threaten my life. I'll really cause trouble then."
"Why?"
"Right now, I'm..."
"...?"
"I sealed my own power."
"How come?'
"I have a reason."
"So you're not going to tell me?"
"Of course."
"..."
"What's important right now is that I'm sealing my power because of my personal reasons, and I'll have no choice but to release it if you try to kill me."
"So you're saying..."
"Let me go first."
Heh.
Kang Chul-In laughed at Desdemona.
"Hey, lizard girl."
"Yeah?"
"Do I look like Dor... I mean, a pushover to you?"
"Why would you be a pushover for letting me go?"
"You're asking me something so obvious that I'm speechless."
"Ah, is it because I might make a mess?"
She seemed to realize why Kang Chul-In was so flabbergasted.
"Then you can seal me."
"Seal?"
"To be precise, maybe about 90% of my strength? Honestly, I can break through whatever binds you set on me. Of course, that's only on the condition that I release my true power."
She didn't seem like she was lying, so Kang Chul-In decided to listen to what she was saying.
"So?"
"You can put another seal on me with magic that lets me go, but controls my power like right now."
"Is that possible?"
"There's a way. You have to use sealing magic called 'Regulator.' If you use that, unless I release my entire power, I won't be dangerous to you."
"Are you lying?"
Desdemona's words seemed to make sense, but it was obvious what would happen if she released her true power. If an ancient-level Black Dragon changed into their actual body for revenge, Kang Chul-In would be in a tough situation. There was no guarantee that he could win, either.
"So you're saying..."
"I'll pledge not to hurt you, your family, or your kingdom with the Dragon's Pledge."
Dragon's Pledge. There was no way to break it.
"That's not everything."
Desdemona added on.
"I'll give you a million gold and artifacts that work well. Also..."
"Also?"
"If you unite the continent and become emperor, I'll become a protectorate dragon for your family and your empire.
"I don't know what kind of bullshit you're talking about."
Despite the amazing conditions, Kang Chul-In couldn't believe Desdemona. It was hard to believe her. If he were in her position, he would've tried to take revenge by any means.
"I know that you can't believe me."
"You know that, yet you're..."
"But I have something more important to do than personal revenge. I have to finish that first and to do so, I have to release my true power."
He would've considered it if she could explain it, but it was so random that he couldn't accept it.
"You still can't believe me?"
Desdemona spoke again, seeing Kang Chul-In not accepting her offer.
"Okay, then how about this?"
"Do you have another way?"
"Let's get married."
"...!"
"We can be a couple."
Marriage? What was she talking about?
***
At the same time.
Huh?
Kwak Jung was confused. He remembered falling asleep because he was so tired from his work, but right now he wasn't in his office in the Valhalla Kingdom but instead he was in some dark old ancient city.
Shiver!
It was a dark night. The old city was dreary. It was cold under the thick fog, and there weren't any people under the faint moonlight. Only the sound of a wolf howling broke the silence.
What is this?
As Kwak Jung muttered to himself, he felt like the wind was blowing through him.
Swish!
Huh?
He realized...
Oh, is this that?
What he was experiencing right now was the out-of-body experience he had only heard about.
***
"Huk!"
Timothy, who had entered Kwak Jung's office to talk about war preparation, was shocked at the strange sight he saw.
"T-Tactician Kwak!"
Kwak Jung's condition was quite unordinary.
"Ahh... uhhhh!"
He was sitting blankly, letting out monstrous sounds, but that wasn't all.
Flash!
Purple light came from his eyes.
"Are you alright!? Tactician Kwak!"
Timothy shouted his name, but he didn't move.
"Albrecht... Vilhelm... he... will soon..."
Kwak Jung murmured in a strange voice.
Chapter 300: Kwak Jung's Prediction
Translator: Leyy3
"Y-Your Majesty!"
A servant came looking for Kang Chul-In. It was after Kang Chul-In had just heard the shocking statement.
"I'm experiencing all kinds of things today."
He was half out of it. It just wasn't fair. What kinds of sins had he made in his past life for this to happen? He wanted to stomp his feet in frustration because a lizard that was seven thousand years old just brought up marriage.
"Are you telling me to..."
That was as far as Kang Chul-In got.
"Your Majesty!"
"...!"
"Something bad has happened!"
The servant shouted again.
"Something bad?"
Kang Chul-In's gaze moved from Desdemona to the servant.
"What thing? What this time?"
"I-It's..."
The messenger caught his breath and reported that something bad had happened.
"Tactician Kwak's condition isn't normal!"
"What?"
Kang Chul-In was very surprised because Kwak Jung was very crucial to the kingdom. In fact, Kang Chul-In probably liked him most out of all his subordinates, although he beat him up from time to time.
"Why? Did someone send an assassin or..."
"That's not it!"
"Then what is it?"
"I-I think you'll have to come and see for yourself!"
"Where is Kwak Jung? Let's go! Now!"
Kang Chul-In quickly began to move.
"Hey!"
Desdemona screamed, but he ignored it.
"Where are you going!? I'm not done, you bad bastard!"
Of course he would go. Right now, Kwak Jung's condition was more important than the proposal of a lizard.
***
"Why is he like this?"
Kang Chul-In's reaction wasn't too far off from Timothy's after he saw Kwak Jung.
"I-I don't know the reason either..."
Timothy looked at Kwak Jung with concerned eyes.
"Uhh... uhhhhhbuhbuh..."
Kwak Jung was still acting strange.
"Vilhelm... he... and Aoxin... uhhh... uhh..."
A few familiar names came out, but it was impossible to understand what he was saying.
Drip, drip.
He was even drooling, so they were concerned that Kwak Jung had actually gone crazy.
"We can't even call a doctor..."
Kang Chul-In muttered, not knowing what to do. Kwak Jung probably wouldn't get better even if they summoned a doctor. No, he definitely wouldn't. The purple light coming from his eyes showed that it wasn't a medical disease.
Is that the problem?
Kang Chul-In looked at the White Fan on the table. He thought it could be the thing that caused Kwak Jung to become like this. After all, Superior Epic items like the White Fan chose their owner. Kwak Jung might be suffering from the side effects of forcing the White Fan to become his.
"Nilus, call Nilus!"
He judged it to be a magical side effect and called for Nilus.
"Your Majesty, why did you ask for me?"
Nilus bowed. He always faithfully came as soon as Kang Chul-In summoned him.
"Kwak Jung's condition is strange."
Kang Chul-In pointed at Kwak Jung.
"I think it's a side effect of using the White Fan."
"Hmm..."
Nilus narrowed his eyes and observed Kwak Jung slowly.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think this is a health issue either. However, magical aftereffects based on artifacts have slightly different symptoms."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Normally, it's painful because the path of mana is twisted. Of course, there are cases when experienced magicians touch dark magic and become crazy, but..."
"Not like this?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. It's true that I don't understand tactician Kwak's condition exactly, as I focus more on attack magic rather than internal magic. Moreover, magic is split under so many fields."
In other words, he was saying that it was hard for him to diagnose Kwak Jung because he was a war mage.
"How about asking Her Majesty Skadi?"
"Skadi? But her magic ability is..."
"Wouldn't the knowledge be left behind? The greatest professor of the magic academy in the kingdom is actually not me, but Her Majesty Skadi."
"...!"
"Also, I remember hearing that Her Majesty Skadi was skilled in both fortune-telling and magic."
"Ah...!"
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Only then did he remember where Skadi was from. Skadi was a gypsy of eastern Europe, so she had grown up experienced with occult-related things.
"Someone, call for..."
Just when Kang Chul-In was about to order his servant to bring Skadi, she was entering Kwak Jung's office with rushed steps.
"T-That's...!"
Skadi pointed at Kwak Jung, shocked.
"I never would've imagined... that tactician Kwak was a prophet..."
"Prophet?"
Kang Chul-In was flustered.
"Skadi, what are you talking about?"
"Your Majesty, it's most likely that tactician Kwak is experiencing a kind of 'unconscious observation' right now."
It was hard for Kang Chul-In to understand.
"So..."
Skadi began to explain.
"I'm a gypsy."
"I know."
"Sometimes, outstanding prophets come from gypsies like this."
It was hard to believe, but it was also hard to guarantee that there weren't any supernatural phenomenons on Earth, so Kang Chul-In decided to focus on what she was saying.
"I was also one of these prophets. Actually, when I was a normal human, my foresight was horrible, but after becoming a Lord, my ability began to flourish. Do you remember? The reason why I left myself to you was..."
"It was because you predicted your own death. You also said you could smell the scent of a prophet next to me."
Kang Chul-In remembered when he first met Skadi clearly.
"That's correct."
Skadi nodded.
"But after I lost my position as a Lord and lost my abilities, I wasn't able to sense the smell again."
"And you're saying it's Kwak Jung?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Hmmmm..."
"The purple light coming from tactician Kwak's eyes are the symptoms of a prophet."
"I see..."
There was nothing Kang Chul-In could do but acknowledge her words. He had to know something to refute what she said, but he was a fool when it came to occult-related things. Since Skadi said so, he would just have to believe her.
"But Kwak Jung is a prophet? Just how..."
"The ability to observe the future appears suddenly. And it doesn't really seem like that much of a surprise."
"We shouldn't be surprised?"
"Look there."
Skadi pointed at the documents that were stacked up like mountains.
"Tactician Kwak's workload for a day is extreme"
"...!"
"From what I heard, it's seven times more than what you do."
"That's..."
"Normal people can't do that."
Kang Chul-In was about to say it was because Kwak Jung was smart, but Skadi didn't seem to agree.
"Also, the strategies that he showed last time were closer to foresight."
"So..."
"Yes, in the last war, he called himself 'Electric Brain' all the time. It's clear he just thought his ability to read battles was outstanding."
Skadi was saying that Kwak Jung was a prophet and saw the future subconsciously.
"If you're right, what do we have to do?"
"It's best to leave him alone."
"He doesn't look too good, though."
"That's... nothing can be done about that."
"...?"
"The lives of prophets are short. Even if it's long, they are weak and sick."
An image of a weak Kwak Jung flashed through Kang Chul-In's head.
.............
-Cough!
-K-Kwak Jung!
-Your Majesty... I think I don't have much time left...
-Get yourself together!
-It was an honor... to serve...
.............
A human's imagination made the impossible possible. In the scene he saw, the weak Kwak Jung was dead. Kang Chul-In shook at his own imagination.
A weak Kwak Jung? People changed, but not like that. It didn't fit him.
"Prophecies take away life force?"
"Yes."
"Hm..."
"I don't know why, but prophets suffer from extreme aftereffects from the prophecies. The greater their observation, the worse it is."
"No."
Kang Chul-In shook his head.
"Who dares to become weak without my permission?"
"Y-Your Majesty..."
"He has to stop now."
"But..."
"I don't need prophecies."
"...!"
"I don't need something like that to be confident."
He was already living his life twice with Soul Backup, and he didn't want to use Kwak Jung's life to see the future.
"I've always used any means possible to achieve my goals. The results were more important than the process, and I did horrible things."
"Your Majesty..."
"Of course, I still think the same."
A villain was forever a villain.
"However... I don't want to throw away my family, subordinates, and my people to accomplish my goals."
"...!"
"I'm not saying I'm giving up my passion, but rather that I can do it even without using methods like this."
This was Kang Chul-In's resolve. It was something he could say after becoming a Lord through many mistakes. As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Chul-In lifted Mitra up.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
"If he can't come to attention, we can make him."
Mitra was a holy sword that couldn't destroy light nor harm humans. Kwak Jung wouldn't die even if he was cut with it.
Wake up, Kwak Jung!
Kang Chul-In swung Mitra powerfully.
Chrwak!
The blade of light swept through Kwak Jung.
"...!"
His shocked eyes burst open.
"Ack!"
He screamed.
"Kwak Jung, are you okay?"
"Y-Your Majestyyy?"
Kwak Jung looked at Kang Chul-In with soft eyes, unlike his usual self.
"Will something happen? Just what..."
"V-Vilhelm and Ao Xin will..."
"...?"
"Die."
"...!"
"I saw it."
Kwak Jung was prophesying Vilhelm and Ao Xin's death. Just what had he seen? Why was he so sure?
"Your Majesty..."
"Speak, Kwak Jung."
"Someone who regressed from the nonexistent past will now kill Vilhelm and Ao Xin."
"...!"
"I'm sure of it."
Kang Chul-in froze like he had been hit in the head with a hammer.
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Chapter 301: The Oracle
What even!?
Kang Chul-In was shocked by Kwak Jung's statement . The non-existent past referred to the lost history as a result of Kang Chul-In's Soul Backup . The one who returned referred to Kang Chul-In himself, did it not?
I'm the one who kills Vilhelm and Ao Xin?
Something was off . If Kwak Jung truly saw Kang Chul-In kill the two Overlords, he would have said 'your Majesty will kill Vilhelm and Ao Xin', instead of saying it in such a roundabout statement .
Clench! Kang Chul-In grabbed Kwak Jung by the collar .
"Kwak Jung!"
" . . . !"
"What did you see?"
"Y-Your Majesty... Urgh!"
"Tell me . "
" . . . !"
"What did you see?"
Kang Chul-In could overlook any other prophecies, but not one that mentioned Soul Backup .
"Y-Your Majesty... kuhuk . . . "
"All of you, leave the room . "
Kang Chul-In didn't care whether Kwak Jung was struggling . Since Kwak Jung spoke of Soul Backup, he decided that there was a need for a private conversation .
"P-Please let go of this first... kuhuk...!"
"Shit!"
Kang Chul-In immediately let go of Kwak Jung's collar . He was almost about to suffocate his cherished subordinate to death .
"Kek! Y-You almost killed me . . . "
"It's a misunderstanding . "
" . . . "
"Why would I kill you? You know for yourself how much I value you . "
Kang Chul-In shamelessly tapped Kwak Jung's back and smiled, pretending that nothing happened .
Urgh . . .
Kwak Jung thought .
He is definitely a psychopath, no matter how I look . . .
Kang Chul-In was certainly a great boss, but his temper was just incomprehensible .
"Anyway . "
Kang Chul-In pressured Kwak Jung .
"What did you see? What do you mean by the one who returned from the non-existent past?"
"T-That . . . "
"Did you see me kill Vilhelm and Ao Xin?"
He asked just to make sure .
"No . "
Kwak Jung shook his head .
"However . . . "
"Hmm?"
"Why do you assume that I saw you, your Majesty?"
A good point .
This bastard . . .
Kang Chul-In was caught off guard by Kwak Jung's question, but he responded fluently .
"I wonder why?"
Heh .
Kang Chul-In smiled .
"Why did I ask that question?"
"Huhh?"
Kwak Jung's eyes widened .
W-What's going on?
Kwak Jung was flabbergasted . That question indirectly indicated that Kang Chul-In had something to do with his prophecy . In other words, was Kang Chul-In someone who returned from the past as well?
"Idiot . "
At that moment, Kang Chul-In criticized his subordinate .
"Sorry?"
"Who else could kill Vilhelm and Ao Xin on this continent? Just name a few . "
"Well that... aha?"
Kwak Jung scratched his head . The only man capable of killing the two Overlords of the Gullveig Alliance was standing right before him .
So easy .
Kang Chul-In grinned inwardly .
"So what did you see?"
He quickly changed the topic .
"T-That is . . . "
" . . . ?"
"I can't remember clearly . . . "
" . . . "
"I know what I saw, but I can't remember the scene . "
"Are you trying to play games with . . . "
"Not at all!"
Kwak Jung exclaimed .
"I'm frustrated too!"
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes . I definitely saw something, but I can't fathom what it was . . . It drives me crazy!"
" . . . !"
"But in essence... I did see something . "
How should Kang Chul-In interpret this?
Kwak Jung only remembered the crux of the story . If Kang Chul-In had not seen Kwak Jung's strange state, he would have reprimanded him for spouting nonsense .
"A-Anyway . . . "
Kwak Jung continued .
"My body condition... it's a little weird now . "
"Anyone can tell . "
"Yes, actually... I can see a status window... I've never had something like this before . . . "
" . . . ?"
"Let me draw it out for you . "
Kang Chul-In passed a scroll and a quill pen to Kwak Jung .
Scribble, scribble .
Kwak Jung's hand began to move busily on the scroll .
" . . . !"
What Kwak Jung had written utterly surprised Kang Chul-In:
[Notification] Job advancement was successful!
Adventurer Kwak Jung's class changed from 'tactician' to 'Oracle'!
Penalty Option: Muscle Strength -30% / Endurance -30% / Agility -30% / Defense -30% / Magic Resistance -30% / Attack -50%
"What is this bullshit . . . "
Kang Chul-In cursed
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. What kind of job advancement decreased so much physical attributes?
Maybe the job advancement was not a wise decision .
However,
"What in the world!?"
Kang Chul-In was shocked once again .
[The Oracle]
Predicts the future .
Cool time: 72 hours .
Penalty Option: After activation, all attributes are decreased by -5% permanently (increased penalty with larger-scaled prophecy)
If Kwak Jung could gain the ability to foresee the future, then the penalty option was understandable .
"Why are you randomly named the Oracle?"
"I-I have no idea myself . "
Kang Chul-In and Kwak Jung, the king and his subject, stared at each other with puzzled expressions .
"Something seems . . . "
Kwak Jung spoke .
Immediately,
"Huh?"
His vision began to blur .
Thump!
He then foamed and collapsed onto the floor .
"Kwak Jung!"
Kang Chul-In hurriedly helped Kwak Jung to get up .
***
Kwak Jung struggled to recover .
Sometimes he tossed back and forth with foam at his mouth, and he pulled his hair as if he was having a bad headache . He also had seizures like an epileptic patient . No treatment was successful . Nilus and Arshelly's mental treatment, Alfred's Blood Heal, and even Skadi's occult treatment failed to work .
"God damn it!"
Kang Chul-In cursed as he left the sickbay .
"What the hell am I supposed to do?"
He was frustrated . Kwak Jung was his most cherished subordinate and also the pillar of the Valhalla Kingdom . If Kang Chul-In was the symbol of brute strength and power, Kwak Jung was the control tower that efficiently commanded his army . That Kwak Jung was sick . Apart from its impact on Kang Chul-In's emotional state , this news led to a great loss in Valhalla's national strength .
"Argh . . . "
Nilus, who left the sickbay together with Kang Chul-In, mumbled as he passed by Kang Chul-In .
"It seems like there's some problem with the brain... but it's not like I can open up the skull and pour potions into it... argh . . . "
"The brain?"
Kang Chul-In turned around to face Nilus .
"What do you mean?"
"Your Majesty... what I meant was . . . "
" . . . ?"
"Isn't prophecy a product of the brain's capacity?"
"It is?"
"Well, maybe it could be a spiritual thing, but we magicians tend not to believe in that kind of fluff . "
It was an interesting remark . Wasn't magic fluff as well? It was ironic for Nilus, who had devoted his entire lifetime studying magic, to not believe in the spiritual realm .
"In fact, magic may seem unrealistic . "
Nilus seemed to have noticed Kang Chul-In's amusement . He began to explain further .
"However, magic is a field of study that becomes more realistic as one delves deeper . This is especially so for elementary mages like myself, who do not acknowledge non-magical entities like black magic and sorceries . "
" . . . "
"If I were to elaborate on the details of the mechanism of magic . . . "
"No, it's fine . "
Kang Chul-In hurriedly waved his hand to interrupt Nilus . Why would he want to know about the mechanism of magic? His brain was already about to explode .
"Anyways, you are saying that the problem lies not in the spiritual realm, but more in the brain?"
"Yes, your Majesty . "
"The cure?"
"Regarding that... a human brain is more complicated than what you think, your Majesty . Even a spell that erases or alters just 5 minutes of memory requires a high-ranked magician who is capable of chanting level 8 spells proficiently . "
"Why is that so, Nilus?"
"For a mind control magic to work, the spellcaster's mental and computing power must be overwhelmingly better than the target's .
Thump!
Kang Chul-In could feel his heart drop .
In other words, there was nobody who could treat Kwak Jung .
"In that case . . . "
"Yes, your Majesty . . . "
Nilus replied regrettably .
"Only an ancient dragon from the archaic texts may alleviate tactician Kwak's condition... However, where can we find an ancient dragon . . . "
" . . . !"
"Huh?"
Nilus tilted his head sideways .
"Y-Your Majesty?"
The only being who could treat Kwak Jung was the ancient dragon that was now being held captive in Kang Chul-In's training room .
"I just happened to have a dog shit . "
Kang Chul-In smirked . He was right .
They say when you need a dog shit for medicine [1], there isn't any . However, Kang Chul-In had the perfect dog shit in his hands .
A gigantic dog shit called an ancient black dragon!
***
"Ah, this . "
Desdemona, who was still tied up in Podolski's perverted style, recognized Kwak Jung's condition at once glance .
"What is this?"
"His brain's calculation ability improved exponentially, what else?"
Desdemona shrugged .
"Hmm?"
"What I'm saying is that . . . "
Desdemona began to explain the mechanism of prophecy briefly .
"In this guy's case, he is highly specialized in analyzing whatever he sees, hears or feels . A great insight, I must say . "
"And then?"
"A human brain has a definite limit . It fatigues very quickly . "
"Are you looking down on humans?"
"Don't be mad . It's the truth . "
"Where's your evidence?"
"Humans go crazy, don't they? That's the proof . "
"That . . . "
"We dragons never go crazy . "
" . . . !"
"We never kill, scream, or run around frantically because we have lost our minds . "
"Hmm . . . "
"If you don't get it, just listen . "
Desdemona critiqued Kang Chul-In and continued her explanation .
"Anyways, the limited human brain relies heavily on subconsciousness . It's often termed an instinct . This is a good example . The brain couldn't sustain the powerful insight, and hence introduced a type of subconsciousness . "
"And what is that?"
"Survival instinct . "
" . . . !"
"This guy's ability keeps on activating against his own will, so his survival instinct felt a need to control that . To put it simply, it's like how one exercises to dissipate his/her overflowing energy . "
"Continue . "
"His survival instinct created the prophetic ability to pacify the overworking brain . His brilliant insight is now contained in a dish called 'Oracle algorism', which analyses the present and predicts the future . It's because the prophetic ability consumes a heavenly amount of brain power . "
"Ah!"
Kang Chul-In could finally understand the mechanism behind prophecy . Nilus was right: prophecy had nothing to do with the spiritual realm . It was a sort of deduction, created by a highly developed human brain's computing power . In other words, Kwak Jung was now a kind of supercomputer!
"Oh well, but it's unfortunate . "
Desdemona shrugged .
"Unfortunate?"
"Sigh . . . "
" . . . ?"
"Think about it, you idiot! It's only a temporary measure! Even if this guy's survival instinct has created the Oracle algorism to suppress his brain power, a mere human can never control it . He will spontaneously look into the future every now and then . Then he will be chronically fatigued, and his body will start to break down . Then he will die . People like him never live long . "
Kang Chul-In realized .
"Prophets are short-lived . Even if they do live long, they are constantly plagued by sickness . The oriental saying that 'if one reveals God's plan, his lifespan shortens' probably originated from a similar context . "
Skadi was right .
Moreover, it explained the penalty option that popped up when Kwak Jung had his job advancement from 'tactician' to 'Oracle' .
"I won't let that . . . "
Kang Chul-In was about to continue his sentence .
"H-Honey!"
Lee Chae-Rin hurriedly rushed into the sickbay .
"Something appalling happened!"
Kang Chul-In thought,
Damn it, something appalling this time?
His face crumpled from fatigue .
What did she mean?
Kang Chul-In was sick and tired of the constant flood of problems .
"What is it this time?"
He asked with an irritated voice .
"O-Overlord Albrecht Vilhelm and... Ao Xin . . . "
" . . . !"
"They are dead!"
" . . . !"
"It's chaos now, honey!"
Kwak Jung's prophecy had come to fruition .
[1] There is a korean saying: 'when you need a dog shit for medicine, there isn't any' . In other words, when you are in a desperate situation, even the most common/useless thing happens to be unavailable .
Chapter 302: Kang Chul-In, Falsely Accused! (1)
Translator: Leyy3
This was shocking news indeed. Vilhelm and Ao Xin were dead, barely two days after Kwak Jung made that prophecy.
"The killer?"
Kang Chul-In asked.
"Who murdered those two?"
"T-That is..."
Lee Chae-Rin hesitated.
"I don't... believe it..."
"...?"
"Rumors say the murder is..."
What Lee Chae-Rin said subsequently almost made Kang Chul-In flip.
"... None other than you, honey."
"...!"
"They say you are the killer."
Thump! Kang Chul-In almost felt a blow in his head.
What the hell...
It was utter bullshit. He killed Vilhelm and Ao Xin? When? Well, he certainly did want them dead, but it was absurd to think that he was the killer.
"Did you really..."
Lee Chae-Rin continued.
"... Kill the two Overlords?"
"What?"
Kang Chul-In was stunned.
"Don't tell me you believe that?"
"Y-You didn't?"
"..."
"Really?"
He had nothing to say. Even Lee Chae-Rin, his wife, didn't believe in him, even though she knew what Kang Chul-In was up to for the past month or so.
"Lee Chae-Rin."
Kang Chul-In spoke quietly.
"Why do you think so?"
"Honey..."
"This is unfair."
He never expected Lee Chae-Rin to be the one to doubt him.
"It's not like there's two of me... how could I have killed Vilhelm and Ao Xin?"
"H-Honey... well that... take a look first... signaller?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Play it."
"Certainly."
The signaller turned on the video player to play footage sent from the Gullveig Alliance.
-
Gullveig, the great Alliance of the north.
Adolf, the representative of the Gullveig Alliance, was dressed in formal black. He announced the following in a grief-stricken manner.
-
From this point onwards, our alliance shall declare that the Kingdom of Valhalla led by Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West, and its allied nations are now our enemies. We declare that the armistice from the previous war is now ineffective. Furthermore, the Gullveig Alliance shall label Kang Chul-In and the Valhalla Kingdom as the axis of evil. Starting from now – 13:29 – we will attack indiscriminately, and we hereby announce that we are not afraid of direct confrontation!
A declaration of war.
This happened only a month after the armistice, which made Kang Chul-In wonder whether those bastards had gone crazy.
-
Of course, many people are wondering why we have decided as such.
What followed was crucial.
-
Our alliance wishes to appeal to the honorable Lords, with the attached footage as our evidence.
The footage in question was played.
"...!"
Kang Chul-In was appalled.
Where do you think you are going?
In the video, Kang Chul-In was grinning cunningly at an utterly destroyed magic-engineered carriage. He was holding the demon sword Kaiforce in his hand.
-
The following footage was filmed with an Epic item capable of videoing. It depicts the scene in which Kang Chul-In infiltrated into the secret meeting avenue of Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin.
Adolf elaborated as the video continued to play.
K-Keuk...
Vilhelm moaned in agony.
Kang Chul-In... how did you get here!?
Why, surprised?
The imposter in the video looked exactly identical to the real Kang Chul-In.
I am everywhere, yet nowhere.
The imposter grinned cunningly.
It's not too difficult finding you bastards, Vilhelm.
...!
Let me show you what real pain is.
With that,
Swish!
A black sword that resembled Kaiforce deeply penetrated Vilhelm's abdomen.
Kuhuk!
Vilhelm gasped.
This is only the beginning... huehue.
A demon-like laughter.
And,
Swish!
The fake Kaiforce slashed Vilhelm's left arm off.
Pssssst!
Crimson-red blood spurted out.
Arghhhh!
Vilhelm screamed in agony and fear.
Just from this?
Imposter Kang Chul-In sniggered with absolute cruelty.
I told you, this is just the beginning.
What happened afterwards was too brutal to watch.
Arghhhhh! J-Just kill me. P-Please... pleaseeeeee! Kuhuk... heuk!
In the footage, Kang Chul-In appeared to be human scum, no less than the devil himself. It was almost slaughter. He sliced Vilhelm's limbs off and slit his abdomen open, ripping out the innards with his bare hands. An inhumane crime that only psychopaths would commit. In fact, this video was more horrifying than any snuff films or gore movies.
-
Evidently, Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin were brutally murdered by Kang Chul-In, the demon.
Adolf mourned.
-
How could a human do this!?
He then bellowed with pure rage and animosity.
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-
Kang Chul-In had risen to become the king of a nation, but his actions are more befitting of a hooligan. Look! What did this demon do to the Chairman and Vice-chairman of our Gullveig Alliance!? Moreover, our alliance had humbly acknowledged defeat in our previous battle, paid every cent of the war reparation, and signed the armistice. We even lost Venedig, the port city, which was a strategically important location for us. Despite the economic and political loss, we did not raise any objections.
If one listened to Adolf's speech without context, Kang Chul-In was indeed the motherfucker and serial killer of the century.
-
But Kang Chul-In still ignored the armistice and brutally murdered the leaders of our alliance. Thus, we hereby declare Kang Chul-In as the demon himself and solemnly swear to take vengeance immediately after the funeral of Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin. Lastly, our alliance wishes to appeal to the other Lords on this continent. What do you think will happen if this demon rules over Pangaea? Look! There's no such word as peace in Kang Chul-In's dictionary! There's only submission. That man is a cold-hearted murderer and war-maniac, who will not hesitate to kill anyone who goes against him! Therefore, we plead the Lords to aid us in achieving justice in this continent!
The speech ended.
"Hmm..."
Kang Chul-In's response was,
"Very interesting... that was quite provocative..."
It was more amusement than rage.
"Lee Chae-Rin."
"Yes?"
"Do you think I will do something as perverse as that?"
"No way!"
Lee Chae-Rin shook her head.
"Initially I did think so, but now that I've watched the video, I know the truth."
"Hmm?"
"My husband is a fighter, not a perverse psychopath."
She was right. Kang Chul-In was a killer, but he wasn't crazy enough to commit such inhumane acts.
"Wow~!"
However, Desdemona thought otherwise.
"You are pretty brutal, huh? I'm amazed! What a novel way to slaughter a man!"
"..."
"Ah~! I see~!"
"What are you talking about?"
Kang Chul-In, who suddenly felt dumbfounded, asked Desdemona in a sharp tone.
"You are crazy, aren't you?"
"What?"
"Yeah~! You are definitely crazy~!"
"..."
"How could a human do that with a healthy mind? Oh well! I guess humans are just that fragile~. I have to understand~!"
After hearing Desdemona's banter, Kang Chul-In couldn't hold back his rage anymore.
Thump!
"Kyaaaa!"
He gave Desdemona a clout with his knuckles. She began to wear a tearful face.
"What did you say?"
"I-It hurts!"
"You need more punishment."
Immediately,
Slap!
Kang Chul-In grabbed the [Pain-Maker] and slapped Desdemona's ass without mercy.
"Kyaaaaaa!"
Desdemona screamed in pain.
"W-What are you doing, you crazy bastard!?"
"That's right, I'm crazy."
"...!"
"So please understand."
With that, Kang Chul-In continued to teach Desdemona a lesson. He didn't care whether Desdemona revealed her true strength or not.
"Waaaahhhhh~!"
Desdemona realized what a truly insane man he was. Well... Kang Chul-In was indeed crazy. No man in the right mind would punish an Ancient Black Dragon, despite knowing the catastrophe that might follow.
Ten minutes later.
"Sob... sob sob... i-it hurts so much..."
"That's what you get for triggering a crazy man."
"Y-You... you are really insane... you mean bastard..."
Desdemona sobbed.
Heh.
Strangely enough, Kang Chul-In couldn't feel the difference in age between them, even though she was older by 7000 years.
"Anyways."
Kang Chul-In quietly slipped the [Pain-Maker] into his pocket (he seemed to have taken a liking to the item) and changed the topic.
"Your deal, let's make it happen."
"Hmm? You mean the marriage?"
Desdemona asked with an innocent face.
Gasp!
Lee Chae-Rin was startled.
"H-Honeyyy?"
"N-No, that's not it!"
Kang Chul-In strongly objected.
"It's bullshit."
"..."
"It's not true."
"..."
"Trust me."
However, Lee Chae-Rin didn't trust Kang Chul-In at all.
"Hmph."
"That's not..."
"Even after seducing that teacher!"
"H-How did you?!"
"I can believe anything you say, but never the statement that you won't seduce other women! No, I can't believe you!"
"Lee Chae-Rin!"
"You Casanova!"
With that, Lee Chae-Rin disappeared in a flash.
"..."
Kang Chul-In remained dumbfounded for a while afterwards.
"Oh what, that girl is my future younger sister?"
"Shut up, lizard."
Desdemona was clueless.
***
Meanwhile.
-
How is it?
Lee Ji-Tae was having a secret conversation with Milenius, the dark silhouette, through the Illusion network.
-
Isn't this enough time for you?
"N-No way!"
-
Why not?
Over the screen, Milenius grinned at Lee Ji-Tae.
-
This sort of maneuver is nothing difficult for me.
Shiver! A chill ran down Lee Ji-Tae's spine.
Vilhelm and Ao Xin... their murderer was none other than the man behind the screen. Ah, how terrifying it was to control time!
-
Of course, this is my limit.
Seemingly having read Lee Ji-Tae's thoughts, Milenius added.
-
I am too exhausted from reincarnating and returning with the Emperor of Blood and Iron. I have long lost my ability to surpass space and time.
"..."
-
In fact, isn't framing a person possible without having the ability to surpass space and time?
He was right. But that was only possible for someone as powerful as Kang Chul-In, who could eliminate Vilhelm, Ao Xin and their guards.
-
Anyways.
Milenius changed the topic.
-
Have you been consuming sufficient brains?
"Steadily."
Lee Ji-Tae replied.
-
Good. How about an Agnaga army?
"...!"
-
Not yet?
Lee Ji-Tae froze after hearing Milenius' question.
An Agnaga army.
The same army that had destroyed multiple worlds indiscriminately was also the reason why Lee Ji-Tae now existed.
However,
-
Don't tell me... he still hasn't given up on his humanity? [1]
For Lee Ji-Tae to create this army, he had to completely relinquish his human identity. Although strictly speaking, someone who had been consuming thousands of human brains every day could no longer be deemed as a human, anyway.
[1] ( ?° ?? ?°) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_ElI74v1sk
Chapter 303: Kang Chul-In, Falsely Accused! (2)
Translator: Leyy3
In the end, Kang Chul-In decided to strike a deal with Desdemona. He had no choice. Now that he was the criminal who assassinated Vilhelm and Ao Xin, he had to fight not only the Gullveig Alliance, but also the rest of the nations in Pangaea. In addition, Kang Chul-In required Desdemona's 'overwhelming intelligence' (although she appeared dumb no matter how he looked) desperately.
"Ah, him? It's easy to fix that guy. Of course, it's impossible to completely erase his prophetic abilities, even for me. Deconstructing the Oracle algorithm is as difficult as deconstructing a dragon's brain."
"This useless lizard..."
"Listen to the end!"
"...?"
"But it's possible to completely prevent the prophecies from forming subconsciously!"
"That means...!"
"If you can prevent prophecies from springing out uncontrollably, doesn't that directly lead to an extension of lifespan?"
She was right. With this treatment, Kwak Jung wouldn't suddenly collapse.
"Here are the terms and conditions."
Kang Chul-In reorganized the agreed details on a spiritual contract.
It was as follows:
[Contract]
Kang Chul-In, the King of Valhalla (hereinafter the contractor), and Desdemona, the Ancient Black Dragon (hereinafter the subcontractor) agree to the following terms and conditions:
-
The subcontractor shall not take revenge on the contractor's family, acquaintances, nation and et cetera.
-
The subcontractor shall give 1,000,000 gold and various artifacts to the contractor.
-
The subcontractor shall treat Kwak Jung (human/Oracle), the contractor's subordinate.
-
The subcontractor shall protect the contractor's royal family and his empire for 500 years, the moment the contractor conquers Pangaea and becomes the emperor.
-
The subcontractor shall solemnly swear to clause 1~4 with the 'Dragon's Vow'.
-
The above clauses become ineffective when the contractor threatens the subcontractor's life, but do not lose effect when the subcontractor threatens the contractor's life first.
-
Before signing the contract, the subcontractor shall suppress her power using a 'Regulator' seal magic.
Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West, the King of Valhalla (signed).
Desdemona, the Ancient Black Dragon (signed).
An absurd contract. Kang Chul-In – a human – was the contractor, whereas Desdemona – an Ancient Black Dragon – was the subcontractor. This was almost heresy. In addition, it was an unfair deal from Desdemona's perspective, unprecedented in Pangaea's history.
"Tsk, meticulous bastard."
Desdemona muttered. She knew that the contract was disadvantageous for her. However, she had no choice. For Desdemona to fulfill her 'mission' as the final dragon, she had to avoid unnecessary conflicts with Kang Chul-In no matter what. Moreover, that 'mission' was strictly confidential.
"Why, scared?"
"I'm not scared!"
"Then?"
"It's because you presented this lame piece of paper when I have the Dragon's Vow."
"Lame?"
"I'm an Ancient Dragon, remember?"
"...?"
"A thousand of these lame contracts won't even make my nose bleed."
Dragons seemed to be quite overpowered.
"Anyways, let's sign the contract and bring a few restraining items required in the Regulator seal magic.".
"Restraining items?"
"Of course. Do you think you can confine me without any device?"
Desdemona looked at Kang Chul-In pathetically.
"Ok, forget it."
Desdemona realized that Kang Chul-In was completely ignorant of magic jargon. Instead, she began to list out the items that she needed.
"Bring five accessories that were used by a girl 15 years old or younger. They can't be mundane items and they need to be artifacts with magical options, regardless of how cheap they are."
"Easy."
"Ah, and also."
"...?"
"That girl must be a virgin."
"So... five accessories previously used by a virgin girl, 15 years old or younger?"
"Yup."
"Let me prepare them immediately."
Kang Chul-In began to fish out the items that matched Desdemona's descriptions from his inventory.
Having seen those items,
"W-What are these..."
Desdemona was in complete disbelief.
"E-Eek... eek...!"
Her expression was priceless.
It was because,
-
[Unique/Underwear] Metal Panties
-
[Unique/Pants] Bomb Chastity Belt
-
[Rare/Bracelet] Furry Handcuffs
-
[Unique/Necklace] A Slave's Leash
-
[Unique/Underwear] Leather Brassiere
These items were all absurd. Furthermore, Kang Chul-In was scammed to purchase these items from Lily Sephardi previously.
"Hey..."
"..."
"This is too much..."
"..."
"You expect me to wear these?"
"Ah, is it too much? Then how about..."
"N-No, wait!"
"...?"
"Seems like the seal placed by your subordinate and daughter is about to wear off. I will just put them on. I'm not even a human anyway."
Kang Chul-In noticed his mistake and wanted to get her new items, but Desdemona didn't seem too disturbed by these eccentric items.
"It's better than being tied up like this."
In fact, she was so humiliated by Podolski's bondage skills that Lily's items appeared decent in comparison.
"Well then, let's begin. Can you call your subordinate and daughter?"
"Why?"
"I need a spellcaster."
"Alright. Wait a minute."
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Kang Chul-In immediately summoned Nilus and Arshelly. He believed that it was better if he didn't join the ritual. Magic was beyond his comprehension.
***
-
Lee Ji-Tae.
Milenius urged Lee Ji-Tae.
-
If you refuse to create an Agnaga army...
"..."
-
Can you ever avenge Alex Rothschild's murder?
"...!"
-
Your tactics are definitely commendable, but you do understand that this world doesn't purely revolve around strategies and tactics, don't you?
"Well..."
He couldn't rebut that statement. A one-man army, Kang Chul-In, could easily challenge a whole troop by himself, and always disrupted Lee Ji-Tae's tactics.
-
Did you forget why you even needed power in the first place?
Milenius reminded Lee Ji-Tae about his vow.
-
Is your resolve only...
"No."
Lee Ji-Tae shook his head.
"There's not even a tiny bit of change in my resolve."
-
Hmm...
"I swore to avenge Alex's death, and I'm willing to take on any risk just to kill Kang Chul-In. Even if that requires destroying this continent and my hometown."
That was Lee Ji-Tae's resolve. For his beloved Alex Rothschild, he could even set the whole world ablaze.
-
Then, what are you hesitating for?
Milenius spoke after reaffirming Lee Ji-Tae's thoughts.
-
You are Agnaga's only commander and the corps itself. Why don't you create an Agnaga army and subjugate Kang Chul-In with your own hands? I'm certain that it's possible, given that you are the commander. Furthermore, since you have consumed so many human brains, then..."
"Today."
Lee Ji-Tae cut Milenius off.
"I will forgo my human identity, Milenius."
-
Oh?
"As soon as our call ends, I will no longer be Lee Ji-Tae, but will be Cereb, the mind of Agnaga. I will then cultivate an army."
-
Good! Cereb!
Milenius was greatly pleased.
-
Meanwhile, I will buy you some time.
"How long?"
-
Enough for you to make an Agnaga army.
"Hmm..."
-
The Gullveig Alliance is more or less under my control. Even Kang Chul-In would not be able to handle both me and you.
He was right. Kang Chul-In had now become a universal enemy in Pangaea, even worse than Adolf Hitler.
"Noted."
Lee Ji-Tae nodded.
"Then..."
-
I'm wishing you luck, mind of Agnaga.
The call ended after a brief farewell.
"Kang Chul-In..."
Lee Ji-Tae pictured his nemesis' annoying face and gritted his teeth.
"Just wait... soon... a huge force... that you will never be able to handle... will destroy you..."
He swore bitterly.
***
Meanwhile, the continent was engulfed in chaos after the Gullveig Alliance's declaration of war.
"K-Kang Chul-In eliminated both Vilhelm and Ao Xin simultaneously?"
"Who will become the new leader of the Gullveig Alliance?"
"I knew this would happen... Kang Chul-In... he is a monster full of greed..."
"What to do... what..."
The Lords faced a huge dilemma, which was to be expected. Now that the two Overlords were murdered by the king of the biggest nation in Pangaea, there was a need to choose sides carefully. The fight for hegemony in Pangaea was between the Valhalla Kingdom and the Gullveig Alliance anyway. One wrong decision and the Lords could face their dooms. Therefore, the Lords were split according to two different schools of thought.
Kang Chul-In may have a horrendous personality, but he is objectively the most powerful man in Pangaea. It's wiser to surrender to Valhalla with the condition that our territory's sovereignty is preserved.
Some sided with Kang Chul-In.
Didn't they witness Kang Chul-In's brutality in that video? Not only is he a war maniac, but he is also a psychopathic murderer. He will also get rid of us one day. It's hence wiser to support the Gullveig Alliance. Furthermore, don't they have a clear justification to declare war?
The others sided the Gullveig Alliance.
"Which one..."
"Gullveig... or Valhalla..."
"Damn it... it's so difficult to choose..."
While everyone struggled to make a decision, some began to come up with eccentric ideas as the following:
"Why don't we make a deal with Kang Chul-In?"
Grekio, the chairman of the Sharada Alliance, comprising seven small territories in the north of Baldur, suggested the above during a meeting.
"What kind of deal are you suggesting, chairman Grekio?"
"I believe..."
"Hmm?"
"It's a given that our sovereignty has to be guaranteed if we agree to support the Valhalla Kingdom."
He was right. They were Lords too. They would never agree to side with Valhalla, unless Kang Chul-In guaranteed their sovereignty.
"However, that is not enough."
Thus, Grekio decided to push it one step further.
"That's why... how about we request for a portion of the Gullveig Alliance's territory after the war?"
The other Lords of the Sharada Alliance were amazed.
"Ohh!"
"T-That's fantastic!"
"A wise suggestion, Chairman Grekio!"
They were extremely delighted. Kang Chul-In was currently labelled the ultimate axis of evil and demon of Pangaea. Therefore, he had to garner as much assistance as possible.
In essence, even if the Lords made an unreasonable demand, he had to comply.
"Kang Chul-In is certainly not a man to trust, but won't he at least sign a spiritual contract in this situation? Furthermore, this is a fair deal. Needless to say, the Gullveig Alliance has the upper hand in this power struggle. We are betting on the odds here; why shouldn't we be rewarded for that?"
His persuasion made sense. Objectively, the Gullveig Alliance overwhelmed Valhalla in strength. It boasted mass production of food from the fertile and vast farming lands, a huge population, various resources that were extracted from countless mines, the abilities of the Lords, and more. Considering these advantages, one could say that the Gullveig Alliance was located at the heart of Pangaea. Moreover, Valhalla could claim victory in their last battle only due to Kang Chul-In's infiltration into the Pentagon.
In other words, the Lords of the Sharada Alliance were only betting on Valhalla because there was a monster named Kang Chul-In.
"You are right!"
"Wise suggestion!"
"Let's deal with Kang Chul-In!"
"High risk, high returns!"
"I concur!"
A consensus was quickly formed. The Lords of the Sharada Alliance immediately made a call to the Valhalla Kingdom to strike a deal with Kang Chul-In.
"What I'm saying is ... Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West..."
As the Chairman of the Sharada Alliance, Grekio tried to maintain his honor and pride while he proposed an absurd deal to Kang Chul-In. Worse yet, he didn't even add 'your Majesty' when addressing Kang Chul-In, which was a clear sign of disrespect.
"What are your thoughts?"
-
Hmm...
"I know that it may sound like a tall order, but..."
Grekio tried to elaborate further.
-
Enough!
However, Kang Chul-In coldly cut him off.
-
Fuck off, you maggots.
That was the Supreme King's response to the bastards who refused to know their place.