When Kang Hyeon-woo opened his eyes.
The first thing he felt was the cold floor.
As Kang Hyeon-woo slowly sat up, the woman came into view with a startled expression.
“A human resisted Dragon Tongue……? And the Absolute Shield……?”
Kang Hyeon-woo slowly got to his feet.
“So this is what it feels like.”
A dizzying array of text appeared before Kang Hyeon-woo’s eyes.
[Life Force annihilation spell detected.]
[S-Grade Magic Skill (Mana:Life Force Exchange) active.]
[No Life Force available to consume.]
[Life Force annihilation spell nullified.]
[Passive Magic Skill Magic Resistance activated.]
[Passive Magic Skill Stamina activated.]
[Passive Magic…….]
The records of the battle that had just taken place continued appearing without end.
Battle logs that had proven useful when clearing Dungeons during his active days.
Records of the numerous buff spells currently applied to Kang Hyeon-woo.
At present, Kang Hyeon-woo had -1 Life Force due to the buffs he had exchanged with Park Seong-jun.
‘Good thing it was Power Word, Kill.’
If it had been elemental magic or magic that inflicted physical damage, even Kang Hyeon-woo would have suffered critical injuries.
Of course, his buffs would have activated automatically, so he probably would not have died.
“I should return what I received.”
Kang Hyeon-woo took a deep breath and cast a spell.
The woman flinched as she felt the Mana flowing around them.
“This is……?”
‘Power Word, Kill.’
THUD—!
The woman’s body trembled slightly.
But what Kang Hyeon-woo had expected did not happen.
“You bastard…… a 9th Circle……? Are you one of my kind? No, that cannot be…….”
While the woman muttered incoherently with a somewhat confused expression—
‘Phase Intervention.’
‘Control Weather.’
‘Magic Amplification.’
THUD.
A phase-separation barrier covered the vast cavern.
The inside of the phase immediately became extremely dry, and the oxygen concentration increased.
“What……?”
Coming to her senses, the woman looked around and frowned.
‘Hell Fire.’
A crimson sphere of flame formed above Kang Hyeon-woo’s palm.
“Ha, merely Hell Fire? What do you expect to do with…… no?”
‘Hell Fire.’
FWOOSH. FWOOSH. FWOOSH. FWOOOOOSH—!
Kang Hyeon-woo created more Hell Fires.
A total of five Hell Fires revolved around him.
‘Limit Magic, Reality Manipulation.’
CRACKLE—!
The separated phase shattered like a mirror.
He had increased the oxygen concentration to amplify the explosive power of Hell Fire.
Then he shattered the phase to concentrate the explosion onto a single point—elemental magic pushed to its absolute limit.
“What is this……? I have never even heard of anything like…….”
“I’ll show you why I was called humanity’s greatest and last Archmage.”
[Critical Warning : Mana consumption from sustained skills is excessive.]
[Risk of Mana depletion.]
[Time until sustained skills are canceled : 10 seconds, 9 seconds…….]
Kang Hyeon-woo controlled his Mana and launched the Hell Fires.
The crimson spheres of flame drifted lightly toward the startled woman within the phase that looked like shattered glass.
And then—
FLASH——!
***
KABOOOOOOOOOM—!
RRRRRRRUMBLE—!
The force of the explosion shook even the cave beyond the phase.
RRRRRUMBLE—!
Amid the violent tremors, a silver flash appeared at the site of the explosion.
After the silver light filled the shaking cavern—
A gigantic Silver Dragon appeared before Kang Hyeon-woo.
[Sustained skills canceled.]
[Current Mana : 50]
[Critical Warning : Mana critically low.]
The phase was released.
The Silver Dragon turned her head and looked down at Kang Hyeon-woo.
ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAR—!
A tremendous roar erupted from the Dragon’s mouth.
RRRRRRRRUMBLE—!
The cave walls shook, sending piles of stone crashing down.
Kang Hyeon-woo felt something boiling up from deep within his chest.
[Passive Magic Skill Fear Resistance activated.]
[Passive Magic Skill Confusion Resistance activated.]
The buffs applied to Kang Hyeon-woo activated.
Suddenly, Kang Hyeon-woo realized something.
‘Lena……!’
Power Word, Kill had been a spell targeting him.
Absolute Shield could not block mental-type attacks like that.
“Wow……! Amazing. The world of monsters really is incredible. Is that the Dragon?”
“Why are you fine?”
“My central processing unit suddenly spat out a huge number of messages. Why?”
“What messages?”
“Hmm…… ‘External threat analysis complete’? ‘Internal circuit protection system activated’? ‘Awaiting transmission of data analysis results.’ ‘No recipient available.’ ‘Stored internally.’ Things like that.”
Kang Hyeon-woo had briefly forgotten that Lena was a half android.
Just as Kang Hyeon-woo used the Awakening Support System, it seemed Lena also operated through a system of her own.
“And how did you know that was a Dragon?”
“I don’t really know. The moment I saw it, the answer just popped out of my database!”
“Can you search for anything else? Information, weaknesses.”
“I’m not some search engine, you know? Hmph!”
“Don’t make me say it twice.”
“……I can only recognize what it is. I don’t have any other information.”
“I see.”
RUMBLE.
The cave walls shook as the Dragon moved.
‘A shame.’
If he still had the Shinhwa members from his active days with him, they could have toyed with a single Dragon like this before killing it.
The hardest Dungeons were the kind where powerful monsters emerged endlessly, gradually wearing away at their stamina and Mana.
As long as there was no time limit, Kang Hyeon-woo and Park Seong-jun could have entered as a duo and dealt with a single monster without much trouble.
“To think you even endured my roar. Just who are you, bastard……?!”
The Dragon’s voice shook the entire cavern.
“You’re loud. You’ve been asking who I am for a while now…… Why are you so curious?”
“Because it should be impossible unless you are one of my kind.”
“I’m human.”
“A lie……! Impossible!”
“You don’t believe me even when I tell you the truth. Then it’s my turn to ask.”
“……You dare!”
“Do you know the humans who entered this place before me? I think there were two men.”
“Humans……? Here? When?”
“Did they have some item that kept monsters from detecting them?”
“What are you talking about?! I left my lair empty for two hundred years so that I could become an adult Dragon! Had I been here, I would never have allowed other humans to come and go!”
“Ah, so that’s what happened.”
In the first place, a Dungeon could not be cleared if there were no monsters inside.
If the place had been empty for two hundred years, Jino probably assumed it was completely vacant and comfortably used it as a warehouse.
And today, the owner of the lair—the monster—had returned.
“We could keep going, but there’s nothing for me to gain by killing you, so I’ll stop here. Let’s go back.”
Feeling the tension drain from him, Kang Hyeon-woo adjusted his bag.
“You dare……! I have not given you permission. Where do you think you are going?!”
“We’ve each traded one blow. That’s enough. Your magic couldn’t even get through to the kid behind me.”
Flinch.
Only then seeming to realize it, the gigantic Silver Dragon raised her head slightly.
“Th-the child behind you…… What is she? The scent of life from her is faint.”
“None of your concern.”
“You dare……!”
“That’s enough. I’m leaving. You know there’s no point in continuing this either.”
Both of them had realized that the strongest anti-personnel magic did not work.
If necessary, Kang Hyeon-woo could consume every Core he had just obtained and continue fighting.
But to Kang Hyeon-woo, who had been through every kind of hardship imaginable, a monster was still just a monster, no matter how intelligent it might be.
[Current Mana : 10]
[Critical Warning : Mana critically low.]
Absolute Shield was still active around Kang Hyeon-woo and Lena.
Kang Hyeon-woo took out a New-Model Core and tossed it into his mouth.
[100 Mana restored.]
[Direct Core consumption has low recovery efficiency.]
[Use a refined Core or a Recovery Station.]
[Critical Error…….]
The Dragon watched him silently, then tilted her head.
“……A Mana Recovery Potion? Is such a thing truly possible?”
“We’re moving.”
Kang Hyeon-woo took Lena with him and slowly walked toward the Dungeon entrance.
His senses remained focused on the Dragon.
If anything happened, he intended to swallow his Cores and fight.
“Wait. Stop.”
***
FLASH!
Silver light spread from the Dragon’s body.
A moment later, the beautiful silver-haired woman Kang Hyeon-woo had seen before appeared.
“Where do you think you are going without my permission?”
The Dragon shouted in her clear voice.
Kang Hyeon-woo continued toward the passage without answering.
“Hey! Wait! Human! If you keep going, I will kill you! Tell me which kingdom you belong to!”
‘Kingdom?’
Kang Hyeon-woo stopped and turned around.
“I thought of something else to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know Empress Caroline?”
“Caroline……?”
The Dragon frowned slightly as she thought.
“Y-yes! I know her. I know her very well.”
“Tell me everything about her.”
“Answer my question first.”
“What a bother. If even a monster like you knows her, there must be plenty of others who do too. I refuse.”
“W-what?”
Kang Hyeon-woo turned around and resumed walking toward the entrance.
The Dragon hurried after him.
“Where are you going?!”
“To my world.”
“……What?”
Kang Hyeon-woo was growing tired of the Dragon clinging to him.
His thoughts were focused entirely on Busan.
After letting out a small sigh, Kang Hyeon-woo spoke.
“I’m not human from this world. I came here through a portal we call an Anomaly. And the mission I was given upon entering this place is to kill you.”
“……What?”
The Dragon stared blankly at him in shock.
“Me……? Why? And dimensional travel is truly possible……?”
“It really is, Big Sis.”
Lena chimed in from beside them.
“Big Sis……?”
“I don’t know your name. My name’s Lena, Big Sis!”
The Dragon turned her gaze back toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
“Tell me the structure of the Reality Manipulation spell you used earlier. How did you do that?”
“I see no reason to tell you.”
“Grr……!”
The Dragon gritted her teeth and scowled.
“You bastard……! I shall follow you until you satisfy my curiosity!”
“I refuse.”
“What……?”
Kang Hyeon-woo hated troublesome things.
He already had Lena with him. He had no intention of adding another mouth to feed.
Especially not when that mouth belonged to a monster.
“Besides, there’s no way for a monster like you to enter our world without going through a Dungeon Break.”
When a Break occurred, the monsters inside a Dungeon poured out onto Earth.
However, such Breaks only happened when the Dungeon’s conditions were not fulfilled.
A Dungeon without any restrictions, like this one, had no conditions that could be left unmet, making a Break impossible.
Kang Hyeon-woo pointed toward the glowing portal at the entrance to the lair.
“Can you see that?”
“……What exactly am I supposed to see?!”
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss.”
Just as Kang Hyeon-woo was about to enter the portal—
“Big Sis. Can’t you see the Mana condensed over there?”
“What? A human child dares call me ‘Big Sis’ again……! Wait, Mana?”
The Dragon tilted her head.
Lena approached the Dragon and quietly took her hand.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“I think I might understand. Big Sis, try to feel it carefully.”
Lena closed her eyes and manipulated her Mana.
Kang Hyeon-woo could also feel the surrounding Mana being rearranged.
A moment later—
“No……! What is this……?”
The Dragon’s eyes widened.
“You mean it creates an extreme rift within a specific space to travel between dimensions……?”
The Dragon circled the portal repeatedly, exclaiming in amazement.
Watching her, Kang Hyeon-woo let out a quiet sigh.
“A human who’s lived more than a hundred years because he can’t die, a half android…… I suppose adding one monster to the group wouldn’t make things any stranger.”
When Kang Hyeon-woo indicated that he would allow it, the Dragon spoke excitedly.
“Ooh……! Is this my opportunity to experience the kind of novel amusement I have only heard about from the Ancient Dragons? Very well…… I shall specially permit you to accompany me!”
“What’s your name?”
“Wh-what?”
“I can’t keep calling you ‘monster,’ can I?”
“Big Sis. I’m Lena!”
“M-my…… name……?”
The Dragon hesitated, unable to finish.
“What a bother. Get lost.”
“M-my, my name is E-Eorin.”
“My name is Kang Hyeon-woo. We’re moving.”
“What? That is all? Y-you……!”
“?”
“F-for our race, a name is……! Telling someone our name means……!”
Leaving the conflicted Eorin behind, Kang Hyeon-woo raised an arm.
SNAP!
Kang Hyeon-woo snapped his fingers toward the now-empty lair.
“Take care!”
Lena also waved toward the lair.
“We’re leaving, so follow us. If you can’t enter the portal, that’s none of my concern.”
Kang Hyeon-woo walked into the portal.
***
The silent subway platform was so dark that they could not see even an inch ahead.
‘Light.’
A sphere of light appeared and illuminated their surroundings.
“Impossible……. There truly was a way to travel between dimensions? I had wondered, but to think the Ancient Dragons were telling the truth…….”
Eorin muttered as she touched various parts of the platform.
“By now, monsters will probably have appeared on the surface again. Lena, prepare to ride the bicycle.”
“Okay!”
“The surface? You mean this place is underground? Where are we? A temple?”
“Lena, if your database has information on Dragons, it should also know what a subway is for.”
“Yep!”
“Explain it to her. We’re moving.”
Kang Hyeon-woo led the way while Lena followed behind, chattering away as she explained things to Eorin.
Kang Hyeon-woo swallowed several New-Model Cores to recover his Mana.
‘I need to get more Cores before the next city.’
He decided to save the Cores Park Seong-jun had left behind.
Like the New-Model Cores, there was something suspicious about them.
Kang Hyeon-woo’s group reached the surface.
But contrary to his expectations, there were no monsters in sight.
A short while later, clouds of dust rose in the distance as a line of vehicles approached.
Pure white vehicles that looked out of place against the ruined gray city.
The soldiers who climbed out were also dressed entirely in white.
“Survivors located. One adult male, one adult female, and one child.”
After finishing his report over the radio, one of the soldiers approached Kang Hyeon-woo.
“God’s blessing was with you. We were dispatched from Castle Volg to investigate the wrath of God that occurred here.”
Kang Hyeon-woo gave a small nod and started walking.
The soldier looked momentarily flustered before stepping in front of him.
“Please come with us. We would like testimony from believers who witnessed the wrath of God firsthand.”
“I refuse.”
“……I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.”
CLICK.
The soldier raised his gun and aimed it at Kang Hyeon-woo.
Interest appeared in Kang Hyeon-woo’s eyes when he saw the weapon.
‘Old-Model Core.’
The soldier was holding an Old-Model Core Gun.
“You’re using Old-Model Cores.”
“That is correct. Our city uses only Old-Model Cores, the essence of God.”
The corner of Kang Hyeon-woo’s mouth lifted slightly.
“How convenient. Now I have business in Castle Volg.”