Alliance
There were truly many races in the Demon Realm.
The Draconians, descendants of the mighty dragons who inherited the essence of the magical ley lines of illusion; the lustful succubi and incubi; the vampires, who craved blood as the currency of souls; the Suras, known as the strongest warrior race; and the dark elves, the corrupted fairies.
Listing them one by one would be endless.
But among the countless races like grains of sand, there were always some that stood out.
The Lycanthropes were a fierce race.
Born with formidable vitality, they possessed both overwhelming strength and regenerative powers that could almost be said to defy time itself.
With the blood of beasts flowing in them, they were merciless, hard to kill, and—like all excellent hunters—relentless and tenacious.
In the blazing war camp, Lycanthropes panted heavily.
Their forms varied greatly: wolves, tigers, bears, and more.
But their heavy breaths were not from exhaustion. It was to suppress the wild blood awakened through beast transformation.
The stench of blood from the fallen Red Thunder Orc tribe, scattered everywhere, only provoked them further. Some lost control entirely, tearing into the corpses of the slain Orcs.
And among these Lycanthropes, there was one figure who stood out as different.
A girl, drenched in blood not only on her long, tied-back dark-blue hair but also on her tight black leather armor.
Caitlin Moonlight.
The eighth child of the Demon King, and princess of the Lycanthropes, she closed her eyes tightly and calmed her breath.
With half the blood of a Sura and half that of a Lycanthrope, she could not beast-transform like the others. Yet, none of the Lycanthropes present dared to dismiss her.
After some time, Caitlin finally opened her eyes. She glanced around, twitched her nose, and furrowed her delicate brows.
"In the end, they escaped."
They had succeeded in destroying Kaichin's stronghold and army, but both Kaichin and Kaidum had slipped away.
"Nothing I can do."
It was chaos, after all, and those cowards had fled without even fighting properly.
"Yes, nothing I could've done."
She tried to console herself with those thoughts, but it did little. In the end, she puffed out her cheeks and kicked the ground in frustration.
"Princess."
At the voice from behind, Caitlin quickly straightened her expression and turned.
"Seira."
It was Seira, a Lycanthrope under Caitlin's direct command. The leopard Lycanthrope gave a brief salute, her golden hair with a reddish tint hanging loose, no doubt after a beast transformation battle.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Caitlin asked.
Seira smiled gently. "Thanks to your concern, I'm fine. But I have urgent news to report."
"Hm? Report?"
Caitlin tilted her head. She had already received reports that the battle was over. Seira stepped closer.
"Kaichin is dead. Kaidum, who was with him, is also said to be dead."
It was good news, but instead of delight, Caitlin frowned.
"Who killed them?"
They had been the first to flee after the battle started. Could any soldier have pursued them even off the battlefield?
At her question, Seira looked awkward, coughed, and then replied.
"Prince Shutra."
"Hm?"
Caitlin blinked. Why was Shutra's name suddenly brought up?
Seira repeated, with an uneasy smile: "Prince Shutra captured Kaichin and Kaidum. He personally struck down Kaidum."
Caitlin only blinked blankly, unable to respond, and Seira, ever the loyal subordinate, understood her master's confusion.
'I felt the same.'
But it was the truth.
The ninth prince, Shutra Ignus.
The so-called "discarded prince" had captured Kaichin and Kaidum, achieving the greatest merit in today's battle.
He had captured enemy commanders.
His level rose by three, he strengthened his psychokinesis, and even gained several new skills.
It should have been a double blessing, but In-gong (Shutra) couldn't simply rejoice.
"What was that?"
The vision of a woman in white he had seen during the battle.
She wore a golden crown and white clothes. Her eyes—one red, one blue—were strikingly different, and her beauty was almost unreal.
"No, rather than beautiful… it felt different."
Whoever she was, she clearly wasn't ordinary.
But he had no idea who she might be. She wasn't in Knight Saga.
"Someone who appears at a moment of crisis like that is usually an important figure, right?"
Maybe she was even the one who brought him here—whether this world was a game or just similar to one.
"Conquer, subjugate, rule."
The words that had filled his mind when he saw her.
He pulled up his status and skill windows. Both contained things related to those words.
[Sub-Class: Knight of Conquest Lv1][Conquest Lv1][Under the King's Banner Lv1]
The previously locked Conquest skill was now Lv1. But just like protagonist bonuses, he couldn't level it with skill points.
"Conquest. Knight of Conquest."
Skills and a class that didn't exist in Knight Saga.
"'Under the King's Banner' sounds like a buff skill… and Conquest is the King's power? That crown on her head must mean something."
After wracking his brain, he sighed and shook his head. As always, he concluded simply:
"Ah, whatever. If she's really important, I'll see her again."
No point agonizing over it with so little information.
"The Demon King's Castle library should have something on this."
It was managed by an Elder Lich, and as befitting the castle, it was full of books. Surely, there could be information about the Knight of Conquest.
"And to use it, I'll need to grow stronger."
The Demon King's Castle had a harsh rule befitting the Demon Realm:
If you weren't strong enough, you couldn't access its facilities.
The magic labs required a certain level, the forge another. The library's requirement was particularly high. Even Zephyr, in the game, couldn't use it early on.
"Still, things are going smoothly."
He was already level 8. Not even half of Carack's level yet, but considering it had only been two days since arriving in this world, that was significant.
"Come to think of it…"
He had killed an orc with his own hands. But he hadn't felt much emotional turmoil.
"Wait, shouldn't that usually cause trauma?"
Was he a psychopath? No, it couldn't be. It was during battle, after all. If he hadn't killed, their orcs would have been killed or injured.
"And it was an orc."
Sorry as he was to Carack, he couldn't see orcs as the same as humans—not with such different appearances.
"Prince."
"Eh?!"
Startled at Carack's call, In-gong jumped up. Carack gave him a "what's wrong with you" look before gesturing toward the hill below.
"They're coming."
"What?"
But he already knew who.
"Caitlin?"
No time for closer inspection. Almost running despite walking, Caitlin ascended the hill in a flash and was beside him.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked, eyeing his bloodstained clothes, worry in her voice.
"What about you, noona? Are you okay?"
But In-gong was more concerned for her. He only had bloodstains on his clothes, while Caitlin looked like she'd bathed in it. Even her dark-blue hair was matted with red.
She glanced down at herself. "Not my blood."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear that line in real life."
As In-gong was oddly impressed, Caitlin stepped closer, fixing her eyes on his face.
"What happened?"
"That's what happened."
In-gong briefly recounted his experience: scouting, finding a side path, discovering a cave entrance, following it to an exit, and encountering Kaichin's group as they tried to flee.
(Best to leave out the dwarf weapon discovery.)
Glancing nervously at the inventory button in the corner of his vision, he looked back at Caitlin.
"How will she take this?"
Yesterday, at the war council, she had been kind to him. But maybe only because he had been too weak to matter.
Now, however, Shutra—In-gong—had achieved real merit, even personally slaying a commander.
Would she grow wary? Treat him coldly, like she did Zephyr?
"You're amazing."
"Huh?"
"Really amazing. You achieved great merit!"
It was neither wariness nor coldness. Caitlin beamed. Her smile was so dazzling that In-gong finally understood the phrase, "like a flower blooming." He even forgot she was covered in blood.
She hadn't changed at all from yesterday. She was simply happy, like an older sister proud of her younger brother—an official truth, since they were siblings.
"Ah, I feel cleansed."
His earlier dark thoughts made him feel like the bad guy.
"But why was she cold to Zephyr? Then again, it's Zephyr."
Zephyr had murdered his half-siblings under the excuse of removing threats. No wonder Caitlin couldn't be warm toward him.
Reassured, In-gong looked again at Caitlin's bright smile. Unlike the mysterious woman in white, Caitlin felt human.
"You're stronger than I thought. Impressive, reliable."
She patted his shoulder cheerfully, and at that light touch, another thought popped into his head.
"Didn't I awaken psychokinesis by being struck with psychokinesis?"
Sadly, there were no priests here who could wield holy power, no mages for mana, no aura users.
But now, Caitlin was right here.
"Noona, I have a favor to ask."
"Hm? A favor? What is it?"
She smiled as if happy just to be asked. In-gong said as naturally as he could:
"Hit me with aura."
Her expression shifted oddly fast.
"My little brother's a pervert! My little brother's a pervert!"
Inside Caitlin's tent, Chris was flailing dramatically, yelling loud enough for the whole camp to hear. In-gong frantically waved his hands.
"Th-that's not it!"
Okay, he admitted, it sounded wrong. Asking to be hit with aura out of nowhere would seem strange.
But a pervert?! Shutra was only fourteen—a boy pretty enough to be called a flower! And he definitely didn't enjoy getting beaten.
"I respect your tastes, but still…" Chris shook his head with exaggerated disapproval, clearly just teasing. Caitlin muttered softly:
"…Pervert."
Her once-loving gaze at her brother cooled slightly. Between traveling, washing up, and resting, the misunderstanding seemed to deepen. In-gong groaned and spread his arms.
"I explained, didn't I?!"
Not fully, of course. He wasn't about to reveal everything. Though he liked Caitlin and Chris and sensed no malice from them, lowering his guard completely would be dangerous.
He had told them this: he was deeply interested in aura, and since he felt on the verge of awakening it, experiencing aura firsthand might help.
Chris, deciding he'd teased enough, dropped his grin and crossed his arms, speaking seriously.
"Hmm. It's not impossible, I guess. But I've never heard of anyone awakening aura like that."
Aura was the power of life.
Thus, every living being on the Aßenbach Continent held the potential for aura, however small.
The most common way to awaken aura was training.
Practice swordsmanship diligently day after day, and one day—bam!—you'd suddenly feel aura. Oddly enough, this was the most standard method.
Of course, differences existed between individuals and races.
Lycanthropes, with their overflowing vitality, produced many aura users. Orcs, despite being strong warriors, strangely had very few.
Both Chris and Caitlin, still only in their mid-to-late teens, were already aura users—a rare feat even for Lycanthropes, likely thanks to both talent and hard training.
But for Shutra, who clearly hadn't trained, to talk about wanting to "feel aura" made their reactions understandable.
Caitlin crossed her arms like Chris, frowned in thought, then asked seriously:
"Is it possible because you're Gandharva?"
The Gandharvas—the race of Shutra's mother, the Fifth Queen Semita Ignus—were gifted at sensing "flows," whether of wind or of mana in the air.
It sounded plausible enough that Chris looked intrigued. In-gong forced a smile.
"Well… maybe. I just want to try feeling it."
"Try feeling it, huh…"
Mischief returned to Chris's eyes. In-gong slumped his shoulders, exhausted from defending himself, while Caitlin glared at Chris. He chuckled.
"Alright, enough jokes. I'll hit you."
He raised a large fist, red aura blazing like fire. Just one punch looked fatal.
"W-wait! If possible, I'd rather Noona than Hyung…"
Trailing off, In-gong looked to Caitlin. Chris grinned knowingly, and Caitlin sighed, resigned.
"…Fine, I'll do it."
Standing before him, Caitlin took a deep breath, lips pressed together as she scanned him up and down, deciding where to strike.
"How about the shoulder or arm?"
Turning slightly, In-gong offered his left shoulder. Tensing his arm, he could feel how much stronger it had become after leveling up.
Caitlin nodded reluctantly, raised her hand, and conjured a cold, dark-blue aura—so different from Chris's fiery one—gently glowing around her palm.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
Getting hit should have made In-gong nervous, but instead it was Caitlin who looked more anxious. Rather than striking him, she pressed her hand gently on his shoulder, almost as if caressing him.
"Is that enough?"
It wasn't. As expected, simple contact wasn't enough.
In-gong grinned reassuringly at her.
"No, a little harder."
"Like this?"
Caitlin lightly smacked his shoulder with her palm. It was still so soft it hardly counted as a hit.
"A bit more!"
When he urged her, Caitlin looked flustered and turned toward Chris for help. And in that moment, In-gong thought he finally understood why some people enjoyed being hit—Caitlin's anxious expression was just too adorable.
No, no, this isn't right. Focus. Focus.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he urged again:
"Properly!"
Chris nodded, and Caitlin grit her teeth. Shutting her eyes tightly, she swung down and smacked In-gong's forearm.
"Guh!"
In-gong screamed and collapsed to the ground. It had only been his forearm, yet his whole body ached.
"Shutra?!"
"Hey! Are you okay?!"
Caitlin and Chris rushed to him in alarm. Even outside the tent, voices were murmuring, startled by his sudden cry.
Grinding down the pain, In-gong barely managed to nod. It hurt so much his eyes watered, but there was a result.
[You have acquired Aura Lv1.]
"Heh."
Only level 1, but he could clearly feel a new power spreading deep from within.
"Hey! Hey! Are you really alright?"
Chris's voice sounded distant. Why did a blow to the arm make his consciousness fade? Was it because he had awakened aura?
"Shutra!"
Caitlin's teary voice called him, and In-gong smiled in satisfaction—then promptly fainted.
In-gong was in darkness.
Not that his eyes were open, but he felt as if he were submerged in shadow. Strangely, he could still see.
Figures stood in this black space. Though all around was pitch dark, they could recognize each other clearly.
A woman with snow-white hair and a golden crown was there. Dressed in white, glowing faintly, she was the same woman he had seen before.
She wasn't alone. Though hazy, three more stood with her.
A woman wreathed in fiery red aura, with red-and-gold hair.
A gaunt man in black clothes, nearly blending into the void.
A man in a dark-blue cloak wearing a skull-shaped helmet.
In-gong wanted to look more closely at them, but he couldn't move toward them.
The woman in white turned toward him. Her mismatched red-and-blue eyes looked directly into his own—and he awoke from the dream.
"You alright?"
"Wah?!"
He opened his eyes to a rough orc face looming over him and screamed in shock. He rolled aside to put distance between them before catching his breath.
"Haaah… jeez, that scared me."
Going from a beauty's face to an orc's was one hell of a shock.
The orc, of course, was Carack. Watching In-gong sigh in relief, Carack chuckled.
"What kind of dream was that?"
"Uh, I… dreamed, but…"
In-gong tilted his head. He had definitely dreamed, but couldn't recall the details. Just a few hazy fragments lingered.
"Well, dreams are like that. Anyway, why'd you ask the princess to hit you? She looked all flustered."
Before answering, In-gong checked the time. He hadn't been out for more than a day—about five hours must have passed. Outside, it should be night.
Did she worry a lot?
He recalled Caitlin's tearful face before he blacked out. She'd looked so lost, so cute.
"Prince?"
"N-no, it's nothing."
Now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Shaking his head, he straightened his posture. When Carack looked at him suspiciously, he raised a hand to stop him.
"Wait a sec."
Closing his eyes, he focused inward. And easily, he sensed the new power within his body.
"Ooh, I feel it."
Aura. Only level 1, but still—Aura!
His eyes shone brightly, but to Carack it just looked like more madness.
"What the hell are you feeling?"
"Aura. I asked Caitlin-noona to hit me so I could feel it."
"Huh?! If you're struck by aura, you awaken it?!"
Carack's eyes widened. In-gong quickly waved his hands.
"No, not always. It's hard to explain—just think of it like that."
It really was hard to explain.
Carack smacked his lips, disappointed, but soon nodded.
"Got it. Anyway, glad you're fine. Congrats on awakening aura and earning great merit."
"Yeah. And congrats to you, too—you cut down Kaichin. That's big merit."
But what about rewards?
In the game, earning merit as a prince brought rewards from the Demon King's Castle: increased allowance, good items, permission to use more facilities, and so on.
Carack should get something too, right?
He was a native warrior after all.
So I don't need to worry. Besides, I already gave him an axe.
That was enough. If needed, he could always hand him another dwarven weapon later.
As In-gong nodded in satisfaction, Carack watched him with his usual blunt look. Then, after glancing around, he asked cautiously:
"There's something I wanna ask."
"Ask?"
"During the fight, something weird happened. Like, suddenly I felt power surge inside me. And, um…"
"What?"
"Well… weird as it sounds, I suddenly felt this burning loyalty to you. Like it flared up."
Under the King's Banner.
A king granting his vassals strength. Drawing out hidden power.
In-gong grinned.
"You really felt it. I strengthened you."
"Whoa? The prince really is a prince!"
"Yeah, so serve me well."
"Understood."
Carack grinned. Rough-faced as he was, In-gong found the expression oddly endearing after seeing it so often.
Come to think of it, maybe I should just make Carack my subordinate. He fights well enough.
Shame his first follower wasn't a lovely succubus or dark elf, but a burly male orc. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers.
"By the way, can you tell me how the battle went? I didn't hear from Chris or Caitlin."
He'd been too busy with the aura matter to ask.
Carack nodded, waving his arms as he explained:
"Prince Chris and Princess Caitlin smashed Kaichin's camp. You and I finished Kaichin and Kaidum. Thanks to that, we won big! And the main force also won—double blessing!"
Listening, In-gong tilted his head.
"Wait, main force?"
"Huh, you forgot? Didn't we tell you?"
Carack blinked. In-gong frowned.
"Weren't it just me, Chris, and Caitlin sent to subjugate the Red Thunder Tribe?"
"No way. That tribe's not small."
He was right. Shutra's own troops numbered only 31 with Carack. Caitlin's were more, but barely 100. Even with Chris's, they wouldn't top 300.
So there was a main force. Their armies weren't the main attack.
"Who leads the main force?"
A bad feeling gnawed at him.
Carack scratched his head. "General Vandal."
The Ogre Warrior Vandal.
Zephyr's right-hand man.
From head to toe, about four meters tall. Enormous even for an ogre, with strength surpassing giants.
Among Zephyr's subordinates, he was said to have the greatest raw physical power.
As In-gong recalled Vandal's profile, he swallowed nervously. As a subordinate, Vandal was dependable and beloved—but as an enemy, he was terrifying.
His warhammer must be the size of Carack.
Glancing at Carack, he shook his head. Bigger, definitely.
The Ogre Warrior Vandal—called "one versus a hundred," able to fight a hundred ogres alone. Like Lü Bu or Zhang Fei from the Three Kingdoms.
But wait… there's no reason to fear.
It was the year 512. Vandal only became Zephyr's subordinate in 515.
Which meant he wasn't yet bound to Zephyr.
This might be an opportunity!
Recruiting Vandal wouldn't just mean gaining a powerful warrior—it would also weaken Zephyr.
Excited, In-gong racked his brain. With his higher Intelligence from leveling, memories came clearer.
Vandal's favorite gifts.His taste in female ogres.His special skills.And, most importantly—his condition for loyalty!
In-gong sighed. Vandal's condition was to defeat him in single combat.
He would only serve a master stronger than himself. Typical character trope.
For now… I'll just make an impression.
Even Zephyr couldn't subdue Vandal until after 515. There was still time.
"Prince?"
Carack eyed him with concern. His mood had swung from excitement to gloom too quickly.
"Ah, I just remembered some things about General Vandal. What's his army size?"
In-gong redirected the conversation. Carack tilted his head but answered:
"About two thousand total. They're hitting the Red Thunder Tribe from above, while we're down here."
The picture formed in his mind. The enemy's main force must be there, while they were a diversionary detachment.
So we're the flanking unit.
With distance and separate battlefields, he wouldn't encounter Vandal for a while.
Right. Focus on Caitlin for now.
Better to build ties with Chris and Caitlin than worry about a man he hadn't even met.
"Anyway, glad you're fine. Get some rest."
Carack smiled warmly and moved to leave. But In-gong suddenly jumped up and grabbed him.
"Carack!"
"What is it?"
Clutching his stomach, In-gong said:
"I'm hungry. Bring food."
He hadn't eaten since lunch.
Carack chuckled and nodded.
The next morning, In-gong went to Caitlin's camp. Just as expected, the siblings were there.
"Don't ever play that kind of joke again."
Caitlin's face was stiff, cold as when she'd faced Zephyr.
Chris chuckled. "You should've seen Caitlin yesterday. She thought she killed you."
"Brother."
She glared, and Chris zipped his lips, though his eyes still sparkled mischievously.
In-gong glanced at them, especially Caitlin, then cleared his throat. Her face was cold, but her eyes still showed worry. Feeling oddly pleased, he forced a straight face.
"Cough, I'm fine. And thanks to you, I really awakened."
They both froze. Caitlin blinked, confused, while Chris stood abruptly.
"No way?!"
Without another word, he grabbed In-gong's wrist. Red aura flared from Chris's hand, and In-gong felt his own aura respond deep within.
"This brat… it's real?"
Chris looked astonished, unable to believe his own words.
"You awakened aura by being hit?"
He muttered, dumbfounded. In-gong chuckled softly.
"No, it's that I felt aura directly—that's what mattered."
Total nonsense. He really had awakened from being struck. But he couldn't admit that.
"Unbelievable. What are you, a hawk hiding its talons?"
Shutra's nickname was the "discarded prince," weaker than a random villager, hardly even worthy of being called a demon prince.
And yet he awakened aura—just from one experience?
"Shutra, want to try activating it? I'll help," Caitlin said, approaching with a slightly excited tone.
Aura activation? That means properly making it flow, right?
Awakening was only the first step. At this stage, there was little difference from before—just readiness.
Activation was the second step: circulating aura internally, the foundation of what was called internal aura.
With it, physical abilities greatly increased. Caitlin's slender arms wielded monstrous strength thanks to it.
The third step was external aura—emitting it outward, wrapping weapons or projecting blasts, like the aura blades seen in games and manga.
The final stage was aura manifestation—shaping the power of the soul itself. The ultimate realm, called "Sky Sword."
In-gong was only at the first step. Yet she suggested activation already?
"Hey, no way. He awakened yesterday. How could he activate it already? He'd have to be some unparalleled genius," Chris protested.
But Caitlin didn't budge. "Let's try anyway."
She gently clasped In-gong's hand with hers. Startled by the softness, he blinked.
Normally, one would be surprised there were no calluses on the hand of such a strong warrior. But to In-gong, a fresh high school graduate, that thought never came. He was simply shocked at how soft it felt.
Feels… nice.
His face relaxed. Fortunately, Caitlin focused on their clasped hands instead of noticing.
"Alright. Follow my lead."
She exhaled and closed her eyes. In-gong thought distractedly, Her eyelashes are so long, as her cold-blue aura slowly rose.
Guiding flow with flow—copying the aura beside him to move his own.
If In-gong really were a genius who had awakened just from feeling aura, this might have worked. But he wasn't.
After trying for a while, he gave up and cracked one eye open.
Chris was watching with a doubtful face, while Caitlin remained focused.
I feel like pranking her…
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Aura was an ability In-gong desperately needed right now. He couldn't afford to hoard skill points and grow slowly.
[Aura Lv2]
He tapped the system window with his empty hand, raising his aura level. At that very moment, Caitlin's eyes flew open—not because she'd noticed his little trick, but because In-gong's aura had truly activated, beginning to flow with vigor under her guidance.
Caitlin, who had suggested the training herself, was startled. Her lips parted, clearly about to voice her amazement. But she wasn't ready for what came next.
If I want to use this in real battle, it's still not enough. Just dump it all in.
And he really did pour in all the remaining skill points.
[Aura Lv3]
A faint white light began to glow around the hands clasped between In-gong and Caitlin. Caitlin froze, her lips still half-open, while Chris's eyes went wide.
"A… a genius?"
He had only awakened aura yesterday, and with just a bit of guidance, he not only activated it but even reached the basics of emission?!
Of course, In-gong hadn't completely mastered internal aura nor reached the true third stage, external aura. Strictly speaking, the second and third stages were parallel developments, and he had only just brushed the foundations of both.
But even so, it was absurd. Chris—blessed with the Lycanslope's racial traits, an excellent teacher, and overflowing talent—had still taken more than a year to reach this point.
"Amazing."
Caitlin said it softly, then her eyes sparkled even brighter than when she'd praised his military achievements. She beamed at him.
"Really amazing!"
Ugh, I feel cleansed.
Her radiant smile stabbed straight into his conscience, and he could barely endure it. In-gong glanced at Chris, who looked utterly dumbstruck.
Sorry about this, kinda.
But hey, no harm in things going well.
He turned back to Caitlin and flashed a confident, manly smile.
The reason In-gong prioritized aura over telekinesis wasn't just to surprise Chris and Caitlin. Aura simply had more practical advantages in the short term.
First of all, aura enhanced all physical abilities.
A person with great athletic ability could perform decently in almost any sport—their body covered for lack of technique. Combat was the same. Between two fighters without much skill, the stronger and faster usually won.
Telekinesis needs practice. It can't show threatening power right from the start.
He wasn't about to abandon it, but neither would he recklessly dump resources into it.
Since his first level-up, In-gong had carefully saved both bonus points and skill points, for two reasons:
He didn't yet know which stats were the most efficient to invest in.
Higher levels demanded much more, so saving points for later was usually better.
It was the mindset of a gamer.
But real battle had made him rethink everything.
Skill points? Spend them. Survival mattered more than optimal growth. Live first, then worry about leveling later.
Bonus points, though, he would still keep in reserve. He wanted to wait until he found something truly worthwhile—like aura—before investing.
Still, don't be too picky.
He could afford this luxury only because Carack and his troops had his back. Alone, he would have dumped everything into endurance and toughness to survive.
"This is scary talent. Hard to believe no one noticed it until now," Chris muttered in awe, his eyes gleaming with curiosity instead of shock.
"Sometimes talent just awakens late," Caitlin said warmly, sounding oddly proud—as if to boast, Look at my amazing little brother!
Well, technically, he is your brother too, In-gong thought with a chuckle.
Chris was practically buzzing with interest, nodding vigorously.
"Such a waste. Really a waste. I feel like assigning you a tutor."
Reactions to talent varied—jealousy or admiration. Chris and Caitlin clearly fell into the latter category: wanting to nurture it, not crush it.
Though that might be too much to hope for.
Relationships among the Demon King's children were complicated. Having a close bond was one thing; assigning a teacher was quite another. Aura could only be taught by aura users, and they weren't common. It would be politically sensitive.
It was a shame, but understandable. So In-gong let it go. Chris, however, couldn't.
"Hey, Shutra."
Chris lowered his voice like he was sharing a secret.
"Want me to teach you? Just for the duration of the expedition."
Prince Chris of the Lycanslopes offering to personally teach aura. For In-gong, this was a godsend. But before accepting, he thought carefully.
Is this a recruitment attempt?
The Demon King's children didn't just fight battle royale style—they formed factions and alliances. And factions usually followed maternal family ties. If the families were allies, the children were allies. If the families were enemies, the children were enemies, no matter their personal feelings.
In the Night Saga, set one year from now in 513, the faction map was clear to In-gong.
Only three had no faction.
Shutra was one. The other two were Chris and Caitlin.
They always stuck together, while Shutra was unwanted and alone.
From their view, I'm the only one they can recruit right now, huh?
Though his maternal family was weak, Shutra himself brimmed with talent. Useful. That must be Chris's judgment.
For In-gong, it wasn't bad either. It meant gaining strong allies he could rely on.
The only complication was Caitlin's birth secret. But even that wasn't such a big problem. If it ever came out, he could always play dumb and side with the others.
No, better to prevent it from ever being revealed.
He glanced at Caitlin.
"What do you think, noona?"
"I think it's a great idea," she said seriously, nodding.
Chris grinned. "And learning from Caitlin would be good too. She's more delicate with aura control than me. Actually, why not learn from both of us? Caitlin, you're okay with that, right?"
"Of course. I'll teach you well."
She replied immediately, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm as she looked at him.
"Thanks, both of you. I'll count on you."
"Alright. Then let's get to business."
Chris smiled and spread a map of the battlefield across the table.
He explained the overall situation. The map made it clear where General Vandal, the main force commander, was moving.
"So far, we're winning. But pressing forward means hitting the Red Thunder Tribe's main base. Resistance will be fierce."
A big fight was inevitable.
"Shutra, you didn't happen to draw a map of the tunnels, did you?" Chris asked, hopeful. Kaichin had fallen thanks to the tunnels, after all.
Caitlin looked at him too. In-gong wanted to fulfill their expectations, but could only say no.
The mini-map drew it for me, after all!
Then a thought hit him. Wait, I can just draw it now.
"Give me a moment. I'll draw it."
"Huh?" Chris blinked. In-gong looked to Caitlin.
"Noona, do you have spare paper and a pen?"
"Uh, just a sec."
Surprised, she fetched them. In-gong grinned and began sketching the tunnels from the mini-map, including the route he'd scouted yesterday.
At first, Chris and Caitlin watched casually, but as the map took shape, their eyes grew sharp. It was too detailed, too precise.
When In-gong finished, Chris stared at him and the map.
"You… are you really a genius?"
"The paths were simple."
He answered shamelessly, pretending he'd memorized it all. No way was he mentioning the mini-map.
"Shutra's smart," Caitlin said, nodding in admiration, a hint of envy in her gaze.
Suppressing a smile, he pointed at the map.
"Anyway… looks like another path here."
Before, rushing through the dark, he hadn't noticed. But drawn out, the tunnel clearly extended toward the enemy camp.
"We should investigate further," Chris said, stroking his chin.
In-gong nodded.
"Kaidum only knew of it, never used it. Kaichin only just learned of it. Few in the Red Thunder Tribe know. Maybe none left alive do."
And most importantly—
"They don't know we know."
That made it a potential dagger to their heart.
Chris grinned, a true Lycanslope hunter's smile.
Leaving Caitlin's tent, In-gong walked back with Carack. After hearing the plan, Carack nodded.
"So, another scouting mission, huh."
"Yeah. It's a bit rushed, but we should set out today. And keep it secret."
The tunnel had to remain hidden even from allied soldiers. The Red Thunder Tribe might lack spies, but better safe than sorry.
Carack accepted that.
"While you were inside, I handled some business. We're getting reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?"
Carack grinned wryly. "We didn't escape unscathed."
The battle had been chaotic. Even though they'd crushed Kaichin in the end, nearly ten had been killed or wounded.
In-gong swallowed. Not at the loss itself, but because he realized he hadn't even considered it until now.
People died. Real people. Not just numbers.
In the game, soldiers' lives were resources. Here, each had their own life.
He steadied himself. He couldn't treat them as mere numbers. That would make him less than human.
"So, new recruits?" he asked.
"Not new. Our 30 will become 50. Until the main army can send more, Prince Chris's troops are filling us out."
"Whoa?"
Almost doubling their strength.
"You earned merit, Prince." Carack said cheerfully. And indeed, this was the game's logic—achievements brought better treatment.
Shutra had killed Kaichin and Kaidum, and found the tunnel. Rewards followed naturally.
He only had 30 orcs before because he'd never achieved anything.
Meanwhile, Chris and Caitlin commanded far larger forces thanks to their accomplishments.
Well, I'll just keep earning merit.
Resolute, he clenched a fist.
"By the way, did you get rewarded?" he asked Carack. After all, Carack had struck the killing blow.
Carack grinned and thumped his chest. "Got prize money. And from you, this." He proudly held up the dwarven axe In-gong had given him.
"Glad you like it."
I'll get him more later. Armor, maybe.
Investing in Carack meant strengthening his whole unit.
Back at camp, they gathered the reinforcements and marched to the tunnels.
The march was smooth. Their camp was close, and the area was now under Chris and Caitlin's control.
Still, shouldn't a prince ride a horse?
Walking briskly alongside Carack, In-gong mused. Generals usually rode in games and movies.
But I've never even seen horses here. Chris and Caitlin walk too. Maybe it's a Lycanslope thing.
As Zephyr, he had ridden often. A phantom steed, even a dragon.
Lost in memory, he suddenly stopped. Two figures in black robes stood blocking the path.
"Noona?"
"Shh."
Caitlin hushed him and beckoned. Beside her stood Seira, her lieutenant from the war council.
In-gong nodded to Seira, then asked Caitlin:
"What's with the robes?"
She whispered, "I'll secretly join this mission. Just in case."
The reason was clear. The secrecy, less so.
"You mean… unofficially?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'll only intervene if it's truly dangerous. This mission must be your achievement."
Now he understood. If she openly joined, the merit would be hers. Secretly, it could still belong to him.
Even kids here are crushed under results-based education.
Still, it meant she wanted to help him. Chris might scheme, but Caitlin surely came with pure intentions.
"Thanks, noona."
She smiled and pulled up her hood, moving to the rear with Seira—though Seira looked less pleased.
Carack glanced back. "Is it okay the princess is coming?"
"Just ignore her. Think of it as our mission."
And soon, they entered the tunnels.
Following the mini-map, In-gong found another passage. Like before, it was empty.
"What's with all these empty rooms?" he muttered.
Carack shrugged. "When people move, they take valuables. The dwarves packed everything."
"What about yesterday's weapons?"
"Not valuable, I guess."
In-gong stared at him. Is this orc a genius?
Suppressing a laugh, he peeked at Caitlin, barely visible in her black robe.
Next time, maybe I should ask her to hit me with magic.
The thought amused him. Would she think him a pervert?
Still, what if being struck by magic awakened mana—or even learned the spell itself?
He wanted to try. After this mission, he'd ask.
Magic, hehe.
Grinning to himself, he suddenly stiffened. Carack too, grimacing.
"Prince."
Carack hefted his axe. In-gong nodded. Red dots filled his mini-map.
They were in a large cavern connecting several tunnels. Spacious enough for fifty orcs, with room to spare.
And from those tunnels, enemies poured in, painting the mini-map red.
In-gong narrowed his eyes, then shouted:
"Rock spiders! Everyone, close your eyes!"
Most obeyed immediately, though some hesitated. In-gong threw vials from his cloak.
Glass shattered. Light filled the cavern.
"Now open! Attack! Watch for the paralytic venom!"
Blinking through the afterimage, they saw them—gray spiders the size of men, twitching on the ground.
Rock spiders. Dungeon monsters that hunted in packs, armed with deadly paralysis.
Hard foes—unless you used their fatal weakness: light.
Glad I prepared those!
He'd brought them just in case.
And spider packs always have a boss.
He was sure. Because in games, they always did.
Find the boss!
The boss rock spider was two to three times larger than the normal ones. So In-gong sprinted toward the largest tunnel, checking his mini-map. Sure enough, among the small red dots was one noticeably bigger dot.
"Carack! With me! We'll take the boss!"
Instead of drawing his sword, In-gong snatched up a torch dropped by an orc and ran. The spiders' greatest weakness was light—but next was fire.
"Got it!"
Carack roared back, surging ahead with his axe. Technically against In-gong's order, but In-gong didn't complain and just followed. As long as they killed the boss, it didn't matter.
"Uwooo!"
Carack's axe swept aside stunned spiders. In-gong followed in his wake, then pulled another vial from his cloak.
"One more blast! Close your eyes!"
The boss spider was starting to recover, twitching its massive legs. In-gong squeezed his eyes shut and hurled the vial.
In the narrow tunnel, the explosion of light was even more blinding. In-gong silently counted to three, then opened his eyes with a grin.
Looks more like a giant crab than a spider.
The boss rock spider lay overturned, belly exposed. Without needing orders, Carack struck with his axe—
Clang!
The axe bounced off, sounding like metal on metal. Its shell was harder than expected. In-gong raised the torch.
"Carack! It's weak to fire!"
But he hesitated. Could a torch really do anything against that armor?
I'll need aura.
Focusing, he activated his aura—when suddenly a shout came from behind.
"Shutra! Draw your sword!"
Caitlin's voice. Whether magic or just her voice, In-gong immediately obeyed, pulling his sword high.
"Burning Blade!"
She chanted, and flames surged along his blade—a fire enchantment spell.
"Oooh?!"
Magic!
If I get hit by this, would I learn Burning Blade too?
For a moment he pictured Caitlin slashing him with her flaming sword—then quickly shook his head.
No time for that!
He plunged his sword into the spider's belly. Empowered by aura, his strength surpassed his stats. Fire weakened the shell, and the blade sank deep.
"Hrrrah!"
He ripped the belly open. Carack hacked at the exposed innards, and the spider's legs thrashed violently.
Ugh, disgusting!
But his arms swung without hesitation, driving the sword into its head.
"Kiiiiiek!"
The monster screamed, legs flailing. Carack grabbed one to hold it still. In-gong wrenched out his sword.
"Shutra! Just a bit more!"
Caitlin had run up beside him, not striking but cheering him on—clearly leaving the kill to him.
"Right, noona!"
Her encouragement gave him strength. With a horizontal slash, he crushed its head.
No more screams. Its legs went limp.
Then came the confirmation:
[Level Up]
Though Carack had assisted, In-gong had dealt most of the decisive blows. And rock spiders weren't supposed to be fought at this level, so the experience was great.
Level 9!
Overjoyed, he opened his status window—but Caitlin was faster.
"Shutra? Are you okay?"
Her face mixed worry and shock. In-gong tilted his head—then realized it was the light from leveling up.
"Oh, yeah. It's fine. That light's like a blessing. Happens sometimes. Right, Carack?"
"Right. Seen it a few times," Carack lied smoothly.
But that explanation carried problems—whose blessing, why, what effect? Too many questions.
Fortunately, Caitlin solved them all in one stroke.
"From the Gandharvas?"
"Yes, from the Gandharvas."
Total bluff—Gandharvas had no such trait. But since Shutra was half-Gandharva, it made for a convenient excuse.
"Thanks for the support spell. It was perfect," he added quickly. And it really had been. Caitlin shook her head and smiled radiantly.
"No, Shutra—you're the amazing one. I only cast it because you told me to."
"Wait, haven't you fought these spiders before?"
"Never. Today's my first time seeing them."
Then she only cast that spell because she overheard me yelling to Carack?!
Her decisiveness impressed him.
"You've fought them before, haven't you? Your response was so skillful it surprised me," she said.
In-gong improvised again. "Uh… just read about them in a book."
Well, technically true—he had read about them in an online guide.
"Noona, let's continue this later. I'll regroup the troops first."
"Alright."
She nodded and pulled her hood back up, while In-gong sheathed his cooling blade and returned with Carack to the cavern.
He had the orcs rest on guard, while he, Caitlin, Carack, and Seira sat in a circle.
"My guess? The Red Thunder Tribe doesn't use this tunnel," In-gong said.
"Because of the monsters?" Carack asked.
"Yeah. If they used it, rock spiders wouldn't swarm here."
Given the numbers pouring out, the caves were heavily infested. No way they'd leave such monsters in an active passage.
This orc really is a genius, isn't he? In-gong thought, glancing at Carack.
Then Seira, silent until now, spoke with a sharp look.
"Couldn't the Red Thunder Tribe be controlling the monsters? Using them as guards?"
Her tone carried a trace of suspicion. In-gong blinked, caught off guard, then turned to Carack.
"Do they have someone who can do that?"
Like a monster tamer?
Carack snorted. "How would I know?"
Again, annoyingly unassailable logic.
He glanced at Seira, but Caitlin spoke instead.
"Unlikely. If they had such a person, they'd control stronger monsters for the battlefield, not spiders in caves. Right, Seira?"
"Yes, Caitlin-nim."
So she'd thought the same.
Then why throw it at me first? Testing me?
Still, it raised a good point.
"Alright. Since we've stopped, let's check our location. Carack, pass me the bag."
"Here."
Carack handed over his pack. In-gong slipped out paper, a map, and writing tools from his inventory, pretending they came from the bag.
"Wait, that was in there?"
"Yep."
Without blinking, he lied. Then spread out the large map of the mountain.
Match the mini-map scale…
He began sketching the mountain and overlaying the tunnel routes. With his new "Map Drawing" skill, it was much easier.
At first Seira looked skeptical, but soon she just stared in disbelief—the map was too accurate.
"Y-you memorized all this? Impossible…"
It wasn't just memory—he knew direction and distance perfectly.
"I told you, Shutra's amazing," Caitlin said proudly, puffing her chest.
Her smugness was cute, and In-gong chuckled before focusing again. Within five minutes, he'd finished a chart reaching their current cavern.
"Looks like we're about halfway," he said.
Indeed, the cavern lay near the mountain's center peak. A little further, and the tunnels should end.
"Seira, the Red Thunder base is here, right?"
"Yes, Princess."
Caitlin placed stones on the map.
"If a passage connects there, jackpot," Carack said.
An exit behind the enemy base meant a backstab. Even a side passage could allow feints and flanking.
"But won't searching everything take too long? We only packed one day's rations," Carack worried.
He was right—five tunnels branched out here. Could take days.
"Well, all we need is the one heading to the base. If necessary, we can turn back."
Relieved, Carack pointed to one passage—straightest toward the base.
"That's the likeliest," In-gong agreed.
Satisfied, he rolled up the map, slipped it into inventory, and said, "Then let's move, noona. Better to rest elsewhere."
"Okay. I'll follow behind like before."
She nodded, pulled her hood up, and fell back with Seira.
"Form ranks," In-gong told Carack. Soon, they were moving again.
Luckily, the chosen passage was a simple corridor. As they walked, In-gong kept flicking his fingers in the air.
Yep, using skills often raises their proficiency.
In Night Saga, skills leveled up either by spending points or through repeated use. The latter took forever, of course.
And the third method…
Some skills couldn't be raised by either—only through special events or reaching certain milestones.
In-gong mentally sorted his skills:
Worthy of point investment: Aura, Telekinesis.
Grind-only skills: Map Drawing, Map Reading, etc.
Event-based skills: Conquest, Under the King's Banner, and the mysterious but useful Protagonist Buff.
Miscellaneous basics: like Swordsmanship.
Should I put my new level-up points into aura? Or telekinesis?
Or maybe a proper martial art? Basic swordsmanship wasn't worth it, but legendary styles like Zephyr's "Heaven-Earth Tyrant Sword" or Hero Locke's "Sword of the Hero"… those were different.
Need to find a manual someday.
There were many in the game—hidden with bosses, special events, or rare traveling merchants.
For now, focus on what I can.
He activated his aura again.
"Prince."
Just then Carack called from ahead. In-gong sighed, deactivated aura, and looked up.
"Why?"
"Over there."
Carack pointed toward a corridor leading into a small room, its interior clearly visible since there was no door.
In-gong halted the troops and entered with Carack. The room was a square, about seven meters to a side. The walls and ceiling were unremarkable, but the floor was different: a large circle carved with intricate patterns.
"Town Portal?"
"Huh? You know what this is?"
Carack asked when In-gong muttered reflexively. In-gong crouched down, answering vaguely.
"Not sure. Just a guess."
He wasn't certain—but it looked exactly like the teleportation circles he'd often seen in the game: a town portal.
Definitely dwarven style.
Zephyr had never seen one in his playthrough, but as Hero Locke, In-gong had encountered them a few times.
If I remember right, you inject mana to activate it…
Sure enough, in the circle's center lay a crystal designed to accept magical energy.
"What is it?"
Caitlin and Seira had arrived. Rising, In-gong said,
"This looks like a portal. What do you think, noona?"
Caitlin turned troubled, immediately shifting her gaze to Seira.
"Seira?"
"It's highly possible."
"See?"
Caitlin's cheeks flushed slightly, embarrassed. In-gong scanned the circle again, then asked aloud,
"Where does it go?"
"Since it's dwarven, there should be an inscription somewhere," Seira replied.
As if on cue, Carack, staring at one wall, called out.
"Prince, there's some writing—looks like writing."
But the script wasn't the common tongue of the Demon Realm. Caitlin stepped up beside In-gong.
"This is dwarven script."
"Whoa, impressive, Princess! You can read dwarven too?" Carack said in awe. In-gong also looked at her expectantly.
Caitlin's brows furrowed; she spoke softly.
"Uh… Seira?"
Apparently, she couldn't read it. In-gong fought down laughter and turned to Seira, who also looked helpless.
"Um… yes, this is dwarven script."
"Didn't the princess just say that?" Carack replied, baffled. Seira pursed her lips and turned away.
Well, can't blame them.
The dwarves had emigrated to the Human Realm centuries ago. It would be stranger if Caitlin and Seira could actually read it.
"Carack, of course you wouldn't know. Anyway… this says: 'Zhushka Mountains Portal 2. Connected to Portal 3.' Huh?"
The words slipped out before In-gong realized, and all three of them stared at him wide-eyed.
Then, as if in response, a clear voice echoed in his mind:
[You have acquired Dwarven Script Lv1.]
At first, he hadn't known. Like Carack, he thought it was just symbols. But when he tried to read—it made sense.
Wait, I can just learn languages like this?
It was only Level 1, so complex texts might still be beyond him. But simple inscriptions? Easy. Being able to instantly decipher languages just by seeing them was enormous.
So… no more foreign language problems? Really?
If only he'd had this before college entrance exams!
While he silently despaired, Carack finally spoke.
"Uh… Prince? You can read this?"
The unspoken second line was obvious: Didn't you just say nobody could?
Dragged back to reality, In-gong nodded awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah. A little."
"Amazing."
That was Caitlin. Her golden eyes sparkled like stars.
And this time, she wasn't alone.
"I am astonished at Prince Shutra's breadth of knowledge," Seira said respectfully.
What, is dwarven script that rare?
Dwarves still lived in the Human Realm. It couldn't be some ancient language.
I'll just claim I self-studied it.
While he resolved that, Carack redirected the focus.
"So what does it say, Prince?"
Both women looked back at the inscription. In-gong, relieved, examined the text.
"Hold on."
With only Lv1, deciphering wasn't fast, and a few words were fuzzy. Still, after rereading three times, he understood enough. He pointed at a metal plate beneath the runes.
"Noona, could you inject a bit of mana here? I'm clumsy with magic."
Clumsy—as in, he couldn't use it at all. But asking them to hit it with aura was out of the question.
"Alright."
Caitlin nodded and channeled mana into the plate. The runes glowed blue, and a shimmering hologram sprang up before In-gong.
"Zhushka Mountains!" Carack exclaimed.
It was a three-dimensional projection of the range. Reading the floating runes, In-gong pointed at two places.
"Here's our location. Portal 3 is here."
Portal 3 lay on another peak. Seira's eyes lit with excitement.
"Then… does that mean there's another dwarven tunnel there?"
"Huh? Yeah, why?"
Seira gaped at him. Carack explained quickly.
"Prince, the Red Thunder Tribe's main force is camped in front of that mountain! That means it's right behind their base!"
Now In-gong understood. Seira pressed further.
"Prince, does this portal still function?"
"Probably?"
Looking at the runes, In-gong saw it listed as low on mana—but no other errors.
So: with mana, the portal would work. And it led straight behind enemy lines.
"Princess."
Seira addressed Caitlin, voice thick with emotion.
Caitlin met her eyes sternly, then shook her head. She placed a hand on In-gong's shoulder and said, almost as if for Seira's benefit,
"Shutra, this is your achievement. Officially, I was never here."
Seira sighed, shoulders drooping. Caitlin didn't even look back.
In-gong understood well enough.
The dwarven portal's strategic value was massive. The rewards for its discoverer would be equally great. But Caitlin upheld her promise: that she was not here.
"Noona, but—"
"It's yours. Even without me, you'd have reached here. You figured out its use yourself. I won't lie. Remember what I told you before?"
Not just kindness—she was keeping her word.
In-gong finally nodded.
"Okay, noona. Thank you."
She smiled, pulling her hood up again. Seira followed reluctantly.
"Shutra, let's just confirm whether it works, then return to Chris. This cave needs a proper investigation."
They needed to report and secure both ends of the portal. In-gong already had plenty of credit, so there would be no conflict even if Chris and Caitlin's troops joined.
"Got it. Then, one more favor."
He pointed to the crystal at the circle's center. Caitlin nodded and pressed her hand against it, channeling mana.
By the time In-gong returned to camp, it was late at night. Unbothered—really, Caitlin was the one unbothered—he went straight to Chris's tent.
"Oppa, you're about to be shocked."
That was all Caitlin said before falling silent, leaving Chris staring at In-gong.
"What's with her?"
"I'll explain."
After a cough, In-gong spread out the map he'd drawn. Though incomplete, Chris immediately grasped its value.
"We can strike Kairam's rear."
Kairam, Kaichin's brother, currently opposed Chris's forces.
Chris looked back at Caitlin, as if to ask this is it? But Caitlin only smiled and shook her head.
"There's more?"
"There's more."
She fell silent again, and Chris's gaze returned to In-gong. So In-gong recounted the events of the cave.
At "we found a portal," Chris was shocked. At "I read dwarven script," he was startled. And at "it connects behind the Red Thunder base," his face went blank.
"Oppa?" Caitlin asked nervously.
But Chris fixed In-gong with a hard stare.
"What are you, really?"
"…Huh?"
In-gong panicked. Had he overdone it?
As he hesitated, Chris suddenly laughed, throwing his arms around In-gong.
"This kid's a gold mine! A gold mine!"
Like an inexhaustible vein, producing more with every strike.
Relieved, Caitlin laughed too, and In-gong joined in.
"Perfect. The dwarves left us such a cute surprise in the Zhushka Mountains. This'll be invaluable even after the campaign."
Not just for this battle—the tunnels and portal could transform the region's value.
He's different from Caitlin.
Not just because he was older. Chris was a true royal: ambitious, always looking beyond the immediate.
Both siblings had been difficult enemies when playing Zephyr. But Caitlin was a warrior; Chris was a king.
Chris's interest in In-gong wasn't innocent like Caitlin's. His eyes weighed Shutra's worth.
"Shutra, don't you want anything?"
"…Anything?"
"Yeah. You've earned plenty of rewards from the Demon King, but I want to give you something myself—as your brother and commander."
As the effective leader of their army, his words made sense.
But…
In-gong sensed Chris's intent: recruitment. Unlike before, this was serious.
He inhaled deeply. Depending on his answer, their relationship might change.
"Even something unreasonable?"
Chris grinned.
"Oh? Now I'm curious. What do you want?"
In-gong could've asked for subordinates, or rare items. Instead, he chose differently.
"Teach me the Beast God Fist."
"Shutra?!" Caitlin exclaimed.
The Beast God Fist—royal martial art of the Lycanthrope kings. Only the royal family and closest retainers could learn it, making it deeply symbolic.
To teach it to In-gong? Unthinkable.
But I'll have to align with Chris and Caitlin anyway.
The Demon King's castle had three main factions:
1st Prince Baikal Ragnaros's faction.
2nd Prince Zephyr Ragnaros's faction.
4th Princess Anastasia Necron's faction.
Zephyr's was impossible. Baikal's hated Gandharvas. That left Anastasia, who was practically Zephyr in female form.
I'd sooner make my own faction.
Chris and Caitlin were better options. Even Caitlin's secret—her bloodline—could be managed.
Today's events had convinced In-gong: Caitlin could be trusted.
And the Beast God Fist wasn't just symbolic.
I can get subordinates later. Weapons too strong are useless if my level's too low. But skills—skills last.
And the Beast God Fist was an S-rank martial art. In Night Saga, the only SS-rank art was the Hero's Sword. S-rank was top tier—equal to Zephyr's Heaven-Earth Tyrant Sword. Worth the risk.
Chris met his eyes, then chuckled.
"The Beast God Fist. Not bad. Easy enough to disguise as common Beast Fist training."
The Beast Fist was the standard army martial art of lycanthrope soldiers.
He didn't ask if In-gong understood the significance. If he hadn't, they wouldn't have come this far.
"I can't teach you the ultimate secrets yet. Is that okay?"
"That's fine."
"As long as it's Lv1," he thought. He could always level it later.
"Good. This'll be fun. Caitlin and I will teach you, just like aura."
Chris shot her a glance. She nodded hesitantly, still thrown by the turn of events.
"Shutra."
Chris extended his hand. His grin was playful, but his eyes were not.
"Can I think of you as another younger sibling—not just Caitlin's?"
A loaded question.
In-gong took a breath, then clasped his hand.
"Of course."
And as if sealing the deal, a clear voice rang in his mind:
[You have formed an alliance with Chris Moonlight / Caitlin Moonlight.]
[Alliance Status: Ordinary alliance—for now.]
Smiling, In-gong squeezed Chris's hand again.