Chapter 183 – Descendant of a Dragon (1)
It was hot.
After he started working with fire, he had thought he had forgotten such sensation.
However, the heat he felt through his two hands couldn’t be described as fire. He was someone, who had digested the conflagration from hell.
He couldn’t lose to a mere Dragon’s Breath.
A Red Dragon’s Breath was made out of fire, so he’ll be able to absorb it.
‘I’m melting.’
His two hands were disintegrating into a haze. When he saw this sight, the confidence that had been creeping into his head disappeared. His confidence hit rock-bottom.
‘I…I’m dying.’
The moment he felt fear he could no longer resist against the Breath’s nature.
Hwah-ah-ahk!
The flames were consuming him, and it felt as if his hands, feet and hair would all burn away. No, it might have already happened.
The only thing his two eye could see was the red flames…
‘Ah ah…’
The flames was so strong that it felt as if his soul was burning away. There was no way he would be able to gather his disordered mind.
The faint memories and past life events were passing in front of his eyes when he heard a voice.
‘Sunggoo.’
It was a familiar voice.
Was it his parent’s voice? Was it the voice of an angel?
‘Hey Sunggoo!’
He didn’t know if he was hearing through his ears, or maybe it was a hallucination ringing inside his mind.
His consciousness was fading away, and in the end, Sunggoo blacked out.
***
Hoo-ooh-oohk.
The burning heat was spreading to the surrounding. The air was so hot that most people couldn’t get closer to the source.
[Move!]
Lich Jaenis formed nested barriers as he blocked the Dragon’s Breath.
“Sunggo!”
Woojin had arrived in great haste, and he saw the mushy body of Sunggoo, which was melting away.
The bastard was dumb yet sweet. Sunggoo was someone, who followed his order at all cost…
Why did he have to do such a reckless act?
Woojin’s gaze headed towards the World Tree, which was rustling from the wind. He saw the Portals in front of it, and the light looked especially profound and mysterious today.
The Colony had been safeguarded.
“Hey Sunggoo.”
“….”
There was no reply as Sunggoo’s soul shook as if it was miserable.
Woojin cooled his heart. He had worried for the past 20 years about dying on Alphen without being able to return to earth. These memories flitted through his head.
The first person from earth to die on Alphen shouldn’t be Sunggoo. There was no way he would let that happen.
“Don’t worry.”
Woojin sat near the fire. His hand headed towards the body, which seemed to be melting away as it tried to reconcile with the flame.
“I want you to command all my Familiars, Jaenis.”
[Lord… What do you want me to do?]
The Lich’s body was currently existed as a flame. It brushed by Sunggo, and it came to rest next to its master. Usually his voice was filled with playfulness, but it no longer had that tone.
“I want you to eradicate all the Dimensional lords and monsters on Alphen.”
[As the lord wishes…]
Jaenis turned away.
As he headed towards the outer walls, his robes trembled from pure bliss.
He’ll finally be able to save Alphen.
He’ll also relieve the lives of the beings that stood against the Immortal….
“H..hyung….”
Jaemin approached them with a face full of worry. Woojin was terse with his words.
“I’ll save Sunggoo. You should return to earth first.”
“How can I be the only one to…”
“If this place is any indication, earth probably isn’t in a great state either. Go and protect them.”
“Y…you want me to protect them?”
Do-jaemin was taken aback. He had received the Vampire Lord’s blood, but he wasn’t at Kahng-woojin’s level.
He didn’t have the power or the guts to protect earth. Woojin looked at him with earnest eyes.
“Sooah… No matter what, you have to protect Sooah.”
“…yes.”
“I’ll be there soon. Please just hold out until then.”
“Yes, hyung.”
Do-jaemin quickly headed towards the Portal. When Woojin gave his approval, Jaemin’s body was sent across the portal. He was sent to Bibi’s Castle. He was sent to the aircraft carrier being governed by Bibi.
“Hoo…”
Woojin wanted to go to earth immediately to see what the Dimensional lords were up to. However, he couldn’t.
Hwah-roo-roohk.
The flame still refused to die down as it enveloped Sunggoo’s body. If one called him a Fire Spirit, he fit the description now.
His entire body had melted away… His soul was just boiling like a ball of flame.
“Don’t die.”
If he couldn’t even save a single person, how could he claim that he will save earth?
Hwee-ahhhng.
The evil spirits, which circled around Woojin’s body, started to crawl forward.
Shwahhhng.
The black evil spirits circled around Sunggoo as they restricted the movement of Sunggoo’s soul. It was as if they were trying to prevent Sunggoo’s soul from escaping.
“….”
Woojin spread out his two hands, and he didn’t move an inch as if he was frozen in place. He concentrated then he concentrated again. He was making sure the evil spirits couldn’t harm Sunggoo’s soul.
Shwahhhng.
Woojin was tethering Sunggoo, who wasn’t ready to depart from this world.
This was when the Gold Dragon Fatooh let out a roar.
[Koo-oh-oh-oh!]
Red Dragon Leia had died by the Immortal’s attack. The raging Fatooh landed on the outer wall as it let out a roar. Its influence was immediate. The monsters, who had been milling about in confusion, stopped for a brief moment before they started gathering around the Dragon.
It seemed the Dragon wanted to continue the siege. It wanted to continue until the World Tree was destroyed.
[A mere Dragon dares to bark in front of the king!]
Jaenis walked forward.
He was letting out a black energy, and his unfiltered murderous intent was rushing out of him. As Jaenis continued forward, the heroes of the Coalition was busy retreating from fright.
Shwahhk.
Black smoke were coalescing one by one behind the Lich as the Death Knights were summoned.
[Our lord has given us an order.]
Ramson accepted Jaenis’ words.
[Ah. Did everyone hear that?]
[Is that Yong Yong?]
[We’ll be able to fight to our heart’s content.]
Each of the Death Knights said what they wanted to before they summoned their Skeleton Warriors. Hundreds of thousands of Skeletons ripped themselves out of the black abyss.
[We’ll have to kill the Dragon first.]
Shwahhhh.
From behind the Lich, several thousand Skeleton Magicians appeared. These were the magician troops under his direct command.
Shwahng!
Various types of magical spells were shot out at once towards the Gold Dragon Fatooh.
Puh-puh-puhng!
The Dragon had its Shield magic engaged, so these attacks couldn’t hurt it. However, the nearby monsters were hit, and they struggled in pain.
“I won’t forgive you, Immortal!”
Tens or hundreds…
Not much significance was placed on the number of deaths suffered by the Dimensional lords, who lived for a very long time….
Leia and Fatooh.
However, it meant a lot for these two beings. Weak beings died in the tens or hundreds of times, but they were Dragons before they became Dimensional lords. There were only a handful of times where they had experienced death. Of course, Fatooh was pissed.
Weeeeng.
Fatooh’s stomach became engorged as it took a deep breath. It wanted to decimate all the Skeletons with its Breath.
The enraged Dragon’s mouth was about to head towards the Saurus mountain’s peak when the ground shook. A big body was running up the mountain.
[It’s someone from my race!]
Yong Yong smashed through the forest as it jumped on Fatooh’s back before it could let out its Breath. It looked skinny, but Yong Yong wasn’t light at all. Its hook-like feet pressed Fatooh’s head into the ground.
[Goo-roo-roo…. What is your wish?]
This was probably how a prey felt before being eaten by a predator… The two beings matched eyes.
“Ancient…”
[Your wish?]
“Get off….”
Kwah-jeek!
Fatooh’s head was crushed when Yong Yong’s claws were clenched.
Ggooh-ahng!
The Breath and magical energy were mixed within the body, and it exploded forth as if a dam had broken. However, even if this maelstrom occurred beneath Yong Yong, it only briefly lifted Yong Yong’s body into the air.
After the Bone Dragon landed on the decimated land, it looked at the numerous monsters in its surrounding.
[Your wish has been granted.]
If they wished death, he’ll grant it.
[Goo-oh-oh-oh!]
At Yong Yong’s roar, the monsters started to run away in fright.
[It’s a hunt!]
The Death Knights summoned their Phantom Steeds, and they swept over the battlefield.
***
“It has come to an end.”
Someone had mumbled out those words, and it acted like a signal. The nervousness that was suffocating them was washed away.
The monsters were running away… Their roars were moving farther away.
Then there were their injured comrades…
“Let us sweep the battlefield! Please gather the injured!”
Skia’s first monk Tauric yelled out the instructions. Several people came to their senses, and they started gathering their injured comrades, who were moaning in pain.
“….in the end, we were able to protect this place.”
Elf Lord ‘Silver Arrow’ Latasha was already next to Tauric as she spoke. He let out a sigh.
“He protected it.”
Immortal had arrived right on time. No, he might have been late, but in the end, he was able to protect this place.
“The Fire Spirit King… Will he live?”
“I’m not sure.”
Woojin was sitting in front of the World Tree as if he was meditating, and there was a flickering flame in front of him. The size of the flame was getting smaller, and it seemed to portend the death of the Fire Spirit. It was regretful.
‘He might already be dead…’
The Immortal was trying his best to save the Fire Spirit. The Immortal’s expression was so serious that she couldn’t express such sentiments.
Latasha looked around her surrounding, and she tilted her head in puzzlement.
“Did the Holy Maiden not come back yet?”
“That’s….”
Tauric swallowed his words.
Melody had left with Woojin, yet he had returned by himself. It wasn’t as if he could ask the Immortal about her….
He was between a rock and a hard place, so he decided to wait for the Immortal to finish his work.
***
‘It isn’t time.’
‘He is calling for you.’
‘Be strong.’
The sound tickled his ears, so Sunggoo opened his eyes.
No, he couldn’t tell if his eyelids were open or not.
The only certain part was the fact that his consciousness was awake.
“You are awake?”
[H…hyung.]
“Yes. It’s all right.”
Sunggoo tried to get up.
“Uh uh. You should stay still. Just look straight up.”
Woojin quickly gave instructions, and Sunggoo just looked upwards towards Woojin’s face. He could tell that Woojin was genuinely worried for him.
[Hyung. Am I still alive?]
“You are for now. However, you are slowly dying.”
[….]
“First, let me put an insurance in place.”
While Sunggoo was conscious, Woojin quickly made him a vassal of his Dimensional Domain.
Sunggoo would be the second vassal from earth after Do-jaemin.
[I became a knight?]
“Yes. Still, you should avoid dying at all cost.”
It was as he implied. This was just insurance. If things went wrong, Sunggoo could be revived using Points, since he was a vassal of Woojin’s Domain.
However, it wasn’t a guarantee that Sunggoo would come back as his old self. Moreover, when he died, Sunggoo would lose his inherent ID Code.
When he was born, he was given an ID Code for earth.
This was what allowed him to immediately re-enter earth. He didn’t have to wait for the Synchronization.
If he lost his Code, he’ll basically be in the same category as the aliens and monsters.
“I’ll save you. You have two choices.”
[What is it?]
“Before you soul is destroyed, I can revive you as a Lich.”
Why was hyung-him speaking those words with such a serious expression on his face?
[…..do I have another choice?]
“You can overcome it. Your body can fight and win against Dragon’s Breath and the curse left behind by the Dragon Language.”
[Isn’t that the better choice?]
“However, it’ll be painful. It’ll be very painful, and there is a very low chance of it succeeding.
[….]
What kind of choices were those?
Why did his life always drive him into a spot where he had to make such difficult decisions?
[Hyung. I’ve never been in a romantic relationship…]
“Mmm.”
Woojin, who had a very serious expression on his face up until now, smiled for the first time. Since he had the time to crack a joke, it seemed Sunggoo had found his equilibrium. He was joking around even as his corpse was being destroyed.
“If you become a Lich, you won’t lose your Code. That is the safer…”
[No way.]
“….”
[I’ll do it. I’ll overcome it]
“….”
[I’ll only die after I experience being in a romantic relationship. How will I accomplish that if I’m revived as a Skeleton?]
“….”
Woojin’s expression hardened.
Sunggoo… He hadn’t been joking.
“All right.”
Woojin took out the Dragon’s Heart from his Inventory. It was a treasure he had been lucky to acquire at Mivich’s Laboratory.
“It is only a Dragon’s Curse. You will overcome it.”
He’ll overcome the lizard’s curse.
[Yes.]
Woojin placed the Dragon’s Heart on top of Sunggoo’s soul.
“You’ll be able to do it.”
No, he had to do it.
If he wanted avoid becoming a pitiful Dimensional refugee looking for one’s home planet Code, he’ll have to do it.
He’ll overcome the Dragon’s Curse even if he had to become a Draconian…