ALL NOVEL Chapter 448
Chapter 449
“…Hah.”
It was incredibly unpleasant, but what Yeon-woo felt while observing Moryo, cloaked in pitch black darkness, was a peculiar sense of kinship.
Of course, it wasn’t like Yeon-woo comprehended this line of thought. In fact, it could be said that Moryo was an entity utterly beyond understanding.
Yeon-woo didn’t believe that humans were creatures solely imbued with malice. Even if they were criminals or even demons, he thought there must exist a shred of goodness within them.
Humans are simply unpredictable beings.
An old man who had built a distinguished guild and was even called a hero could, behind closed doors, kill those deemed unsuitable for magical power due to a mindset saturated in elitism.
And a demon, even if he was the strongest of a certain faction, could show mercy to civilians and seek battles only with the strong.
If he couldn’t understand such characters, it would be deceptive to think he could understand someone like Moryo.
In the first place, he wasn’t one to comprehend things particularly well. Understanding didn’t equate to forgiveness, after all.
Thus, it wasn’t a matter of emotional kinship or anything like that; it was pure instinctive kinship. Yeon-woo’s conclusions were remarkably quick and straightforward.
“…A dragon.”
Since ancient times, dragons in Eastern cultures have symbolized auspicious beasts, as well as royalty.
Conversely, in the West, they were considered treasures guarding monsters and symbols of evil, plundering precious metals.
If Shar and Nea embodied the former—a benevolent beast—then Moryo, as the demon king, was the opposite.
Initially, he represented neither, but at some point, he must have blossomed into a creature embodying the essence of a demon.
This must be the source of the unpleasant kinship that washed over him. A fellow dragon yet an entity entirely opposite. Wasn’t that the truth of Moryo standing before him?
Even Yeon-woo, a mere half-dragon, reacted in such a way, so it wasn’t hard to imagine how Nea would have appeared had she been present.
[Growl…!]
Even the good-natured Shar was unconsciously letting out a wolf-like growl, so there was no need for further explanation.
[Haha, it seems I’m more suited to this side. This extraordinary power is just… wow.]
Moryo spoke with an aura of self-indulgence, a trait not visible just moments ago, causing Yeon-woo to frown.
A hunter must be sensitive to even the slightest changes. While it might seem as if it were merely a hidden trait surfacing, that itself could be a clue to something more significant.
‘For example, the earlier statement about abandoning humanity.’
To dismiss the words of a demon king as meaningless drivel would be foolish.
With someone of that caliber, every word carries weight. It’s impossible to gauge what impact even the seemingly insignificant words might have.
‘That must be the reason he has completely transformed into a dragon.’
The kinship he had never felt before began to surface suddenly, and it was solely due to this transformation. Alongside his words, not only did his appearance but even his aura seem to shift.
The moment Yeon-woo concluded this, two serpents sprouted from Moryo’s shoulders, gaping their mouths wide.
Seeing this, Yeon-woo hurriedly lifted his sword, swinging it toward the front.
Clang—!!
A tremendous sound erupted, enough to cause a ringing in the ears as the pressure from Yeon-woo’s sword strike collided with Moryo’s attack.
As Yeon-woo launched himself sideways, the spot he had been standing on crumbled into dust.
[You certainly have sharp instincts.]
Moryo, smiling smugly, turned to pursue Yeon-woo. Thankfully, the sonic pressure emitted by the serpents wasn’t something they could unleash continuously; that sort of attack didn’t occur again.
Immediately, Yeon-woo adjusted his trajectory, preparing to confront Moryo. Whether he was a dragon or not, it was time to fight.
What might be happening inside Tae-oh, since he had abandoned humanity, was anyone’s guess.
As though predicting Yeon-woo’s charge, elements of flame and ice surrounded him. Yeon-woo couldn’t help but click his tongue at the sight.
“Tskk…!!”
Dragon Soul Magic. While it took considerable effort for Yeon-woo to use it, Moryo seemed to throw it around effortlessly.
Should it be called pure talent? It was as if even magic were a mere byproduct of his innate abilities.
Upon closer inspection, the two serpents sprouting from Moryo’s shoulders were now whispering endlessly into his ear.
Were they rapidly injecting him with knowledge necessary for being a dragon?
Yeon-woo instinctively realized that defeating those two serpents was imperative.
‘Shar, I’m counting on you!’
[Got it! Just hurry straight ahead without doubting!]
With a light nod, Yeon-woo pressed down against the ground.
Boom!! With a sound like smacking air, Yeon-woo slipped between the encroaching flames, ice, and lightning. It was a simple trick of evasively navigating through while adjusting his speed.
The magical attacks coming directly at Yeon-woo vanished all at once.
It seemed Shar, having lived as a dragon for several years, had quicker calculations than the newly-formed dragon. Shar was accurately creating pathways aligned with Yeon-woo’s course.
Although Yeon-woo knew he couldn’t rely indefinitely on Shar for magical countermeasures, there was no choice but to accept such help when fighting against a dragon.
As a half-dragon, he simply couldn’t keep pace with the calculations required for this fight.
At least when facing a dragon, Shar’s collaboration was critical. That’s why Yeon-woo only sent Shar out as a combat unit, knowing that the time for his full transformation would eventually come.
Clearing the magical obstructions in his path with his sword, Yeon-woo charged towards Moryo. Moryo aimed a left hand at Yeon-woo’s eyes and delivered a punch with his right.
It was an exceedingly simple trick, but even high-level fighters could sometimes fall for these kinds of tactics.
And indeed, it was precisely that moment. The dragon-turned-Moryo was too preoccupied, trying to decide what means to use against Yeon-woo.
A heavy impact surged throughout Yeon-woo’s body. The force was immense, but not quite enough to bring him to death in one blow.
The defense magic shielding Yeon-woo’s abdomen shattered, and he managed to halt himself several steps away.
He could be sure he’d have a bruise forming on his stomach. Normally, that wouldn’t have been enough to be unmanageable, but he had been too focused on the fact that Moryo had become a dragon.
[Are you okay?]
‘I’m fine. But more importantly, check for me.’
[Aren’t you being a bit hard on your daughter?]
‘What can I do if I can’t? Sorry, but I’m counting on you.’
[Alright!]
Yeon-woo felt a bizarre sensation in his abdomen. There was something off about it.
Given he didn’t have the luxury of looking down at his clothing right now, he could only ask Shar to check what was happening.
Meanwhile, Moryo twisted the head of the serpent again, attacking Yeon-woo. What a bothersome opponent he was.
Whenever he attempted a rescue somewhere, a gap occurred somewhere else, and he would be relentlessly attacked both up close, using his superb martial arts and enhanced physical ability from becoming a dragon, and also from afar through magic and serpentine harassment.
With his body strength increased, Yeon-woo found Moryo to be an incredibly annoying foe.
While it wouldn’t be terribly challenging to breach his defenses if the situation was just right…
Ducking sideways to evade an attack from the serpent, Yeon-woo awaited Shar’s report.
It was far better to accurately assess what problems had arisen before continuing the fight than to trigger a conflict without sufficient information. If something went wrong during the battle, it would be too late.
[Wah, wah! Daddy, a shadow has started to invade your body!]
‘So that was it.’
Certainly, if that were the case, it would explain the unease he was feeling. Yeon-woo nodded, confirming his understanding, and manipulated his doppleganger on his right arm.
‘Shar, tell me exactly where it is.’
[Ah, Daddy, please don’t say…!]
‘Right now, this is the best decision. Don’t worry; I’ve set Divine Art as well.’
Shar hesitated as if she guessed what Yeon-woo intended to do, but steeled herself and provided the information.
Fortunately, it seemed the darkness had not spread to his chest. It was situated on the upper left of his abdomen.
The doppleganger, upon receiving Yeon-woo’s command, executed it without hesitation. It hurt a bit, but it was manageable. It wasn’t a deep cut.
A chunk of flesh fell away, and new skin began to grow over it. It was a sensation one could never quite acclimate to, but the efficiency was truly impressive.
[…What are you, some kind of lizard?]
‘Shar, I’m counting on you to handle the remaining shadows in the body.’
Ignoring Moryo’s sneer, Yeon-woo charged once more.
The battle was still far from over. People often hold a prejudice that fights against strong foes take a long time, but one moment is all it takes for the battle to end, so there could be no room for error.
*
“Where on earth did these monsters come from…!!”
The shadow monsters that appeared out of nowhere were attacking people. Just moments ago, people might have sat quietly, accepting death, but things were different now.
Everyone was fighting with every ounce of strength they had. Each person wielded whatever meager weapons they could find to protect those standing beside them.
Fists were fine, and wooden sticks were welcomed. Some were even throwing stones.
Among them, some individuals possessed superior strength, doing their best to mitigate casualties, yet it was impossible for a small number of people to protect the large crowd. Ultimately, injuries and screams were rampant.
Meanwhile, Tae-oh worked tirelessly among them. Running around to save people, just like his father once did.
But it wasn’t easy. Whenever he rushed to save one area, another would inevitably open up somewhere else.
His father’s words came to mind. Humans cannot be perfect. You can’t save everyone, so you must only protect within your reach.
And that was true. Tae-oh was not perfect. It was impossible to save everyone. Each time he moved, gaps began to show somewhere else.
Without a doubt, his father’s methodology was correct. However, he hated it. It was the stubbornness of a child. To accept the unfairness of the world, Tae-oh, being just a boy, was far too young.
He wanted to save everyone. He didn’t want to abandon what his father had failed to achieve and given up on. He wanted to gather the fragments of his father’s shortcomings.
But how could he possibly do that? Tae-oh couldn’t think of a solution. For now, he could only run around with no thoughts whatsoever.
…Desire is the driving force that propels people forward. Whether it’s leading to a better path or a worse one is uncertain, but desire is not inherently a bad thing.
Springing from pure goodwill, the desire within Tae-oh was intertwined with the pulse of the demon king sleeping inside him, beating slowly and steadily, like the sound of a heartbeat.
(To be continued…)