The yellowish-orange life form looked at me with its clear, bright eyes and tilted its head adorably.
"Oof."
I unwrapped its long body from my leg, grabbed it with both hands, and carefully lifted it up.
Because it was just born, its scales had a dull sheen, its mane, limbs, and horns hadn't grown yet, and the nubs on its forehead were more like small bumps. Its appearance fell far short of a dragon's, but the subtle,
unidentifiable elegance it exuded strongly proclaimed that it was a being that symbolized mystery itself.
"So, how did you even get here?"
[Kyung!]
Hwiryung, making a dog-like sound that didn't fit its reptilian appearance, wagged its tail and licked my cheek.
Thanks to the psychic connection between us, I instinctively understood what this child was trying to say.
"...You just tried it because you were curious? You thought it might work?"
[Kyu-ruru—!]
"That's so weird. I can't believe this is possible."
The baby Yellow Dragon looked around the house with curious eyes. I felt the strong bond and connection between us and looked down at Hwiryung with a strange expression.
'Originally, Earth isn't a very good environment for beings like dragons who live based on mystery. There is only one exception.'
Temporarily manifesting in the world through the summoning of an awakened person, a being detached from the laws of the world. Of course, as I've emphasized many times before, the ability to summon beings from other worlds has long been obsolete. No matter how high the realm of a summoner was in another world, once they returned to Earth, which has extremely severe restrictions compared to other worlds, their power would inevitably fall to a mediocre level.
'But my situation is different. It seems this guy is being recognized as a summoned beast by the system. Is it because it was able to be born thanks to the Yellow Dragon's Orb?'
If it was indeed a summoned beast of my own, various effects like the "Dimensional Barrier Easing" would also apply, so the current situation made perfect sense. Since Horus was me and I was Horus, from its perspective, it probably felt like it wasn't much of a difference either way. Of course, that was a completely separate issue from fully accepting that this creature was here right now.
"Haa."
I sighed as I stared at the Hwiryung on Earth, blinking innocently and looking back at me, and at the same time, the baby Yellow Dragon of the Phantom Realm soundly asleep in Horus's arms.
'As I thought, my "Avatar" must have had some kind of influence, right? No matter how mystical a dragon is, it probably wasn't born with this ability from the start.'
The small bodies existed on both Earth and the Phantom Realm. Of course, the unique skill and its mechanism weren't exactly the same. If I had to specify, it was probably a less advanced version of the "Avatar."
'The one that remained in the Phantom Realm is undoubtedly the original body. The one that appeared on Earth right now... did it project that body directly into this world?'
No matter what anyone said, I was the top expert in this field. Thanks to the insight that naturally developed as my "Avatar" ability evolved, it didn't take long to understand the current situation.
'Only one body can be projected in this way. Plus, there's a limit to the scope of its application.'
The biggest difference was that, unlike me, Hwiryung's ability came with various additional restrictions. If Hesperon, who had the "Chains of bond," could further increase his abilities and summon it from another place in the future, it might be a different story, but for now, what appeared here was probably all it could do.
That wasn't all. There were various disadvantages, such as the original body in the Phantom Realm going into hibernation and becoming defenseless the moment the projection happened, as well as the original body sharing the damage sustained by the linked body. It was naturally different in many ways from my "Avatar," which could operate the original body and the clone as completely separate entities.
'Well, since Hwiryung's original body is in the middle of Golden island sect's headquarters, there probably won't be much danger anyway.'
Additionally, the projected body could be dismissed at any time, so if a moment of life-or-death crisis came, it could just pull out its body. Just like I had been able to avoid no small number of crises by using "Summon Dismissal."
"You're truly incredible, aren't you? Your ability to act and immediately carry it out just because you thought it was possible."
[Pih-hi-hit—! Kyang-kyang!]
"...Right, right. Oh, you're so smart."
I let out a small laugh and stroked Hwiryung's head, which was delighted to be praised. I hadn't even realized it this time and allowed for a sudden intrusion, but since the initiative in this relationship was still mine, it wouldn't happen again.
[Kyah-hang! Kyang!]
"Right, right. Here. Is this what you want to eat?"
Still, since this had already happened, it wasn't a bad idea to put everything aside for a moment and spend some time with this little one. I let the fussy Hwiryung wrap itself around me like a scarf and guided it around my residence, putting various snacks into its mouth.
'It's warm. Its appearance is a clear reptile, but is it warm-blooded instead of cold-blooded?'
When a guest visited this large place, where only I had lived alone until now, a feeling I hadn't been aware of before began to gently tickle my insides. A certain impulse that I had thought had dulled suddenly welled up.
"...Wow, I thought I was okay now."
Was I lonely, too?
My body was in multiple places, so I thought I was fine since I was doing several times more social activities than others, but it seemed there was something that couldn't be satisfied with just such superficial relationships.
'If only with Taesan... no, no. This is not the time to become weak.'
This was the point where the full-scale conflict with the Heaven-turn society had just begun. I couldn't carelessly create a weakness when I didn't know what kind of special ability users or tricks they might use.
Carelessly speaking now might even put my friend in greater danger.
'It's okay. Right now, I have plenty of talented people who will fight the bastards with me. When everything is over...'
I was lost in thought for a moment before shaking my head and turning my gaze to Hwiryung, gently stroking its body. The time we spent together on Earth wasn't long, but I couldn't keep this child here forever.
"Okay, you've had enough fun, right? Now, it's time to go back. They're waiting for you to wake up over there."
[Kyu-ung...]
"Well, you can always come back to play again, can't you? Today isn't the only day."
[Kyang!]
Only a few hours had passed since Hwiryung came to Earth. However, in the Phantom Realm, which had a time difference, an entire day had already passed. Since dragon species were originally very fond of sleeping, it wasn't that strange, but from Golden island sect's perspective, where they were preparing a festival to welcome the newly born Yellow Dragon, it was naturally disappointing.
Swoosh—
As if it felt my emotions, the baby dragon's body slowly began to disappear after it nodded its head. The warm sensation gradually faded away. Just before it completely vanished, its head, smaller than a fist, touched my forehead.
Thump—
And after a brief moment, I was left all alone in the middle of the large living room, just as usual.
"..."
The house looked emptier than usual.
I stood in the house where a cold silence now hung, as if the bustling moments just before were a lie, and quietly stared at the scene.
"Haha! How insolent for a creature that was just born..."
I let out a hollow laugh for no reason. What was even funnier was that I actually felt comforted by that insignificant gesture. Was this why people raised pets?
"...Well, it was a little empty for its size. Maybe I'll raise a few as a hobby."
It would be great if they were as clever as that one.
I roughly organized my thoughts and checked the situation that was still ongoing elsewhere. The work of organizing the supplies harvested from the demonic cult's warehouse had already been completed a long time ago.
From mystical weapons and inner cores of various spirit beasts to materials collected from high-level Yokai, and even a significant number of Yeuiju.
That alone was enough to secure an overflowing amount of items to use as energy.
'It's a shame I couldn't get a complete Yellow Dragon's Yeuiju.'
That was unavoidable. There's no way the Demonic Sect would have just left a treasure like a Yeuiju untouched for decades, is there? The Yeuiju, contaminated by all sorts of experiments and demonic arts, had already lost their original nobility and had long since been reduced to mere lumps of energy.
'And there's no way the Demonic Sect's strategist, the Demonic Sage of Heavenly Secrets[1], that guy Tam[2], would have just left them alone either.'
In any case, thanks to that, the energy problem was solved, but unfortunately, I couldn't start the ritual to hatch the next Yellow Dragon right away. The Blue Dragon had only mentioned the energy problem first because it was the biggest issue, but of course, that couldn't be the only condition needed to perform such a major ritual.
'It's unavoidable if forcing it would make it harder to maintain the Phantom Realm. They said they need more time to reduce that burden.'
Perhaps it was because Hwiryung had refreshed me. I finally realized that I had been more impatient than necessary. This must all be due to the stress that had unknowingly accumulated while confronting a formidable enemy like the Heaven-turn society.
The more I dealt with them... the more I learned about them, the bigger the shadow of the Heaven-turn society's leader felt. The existence of an absolute ruler who holds the reins and thoroughly controls the rest of the world to prevent them from moving rashly, despite having the power to completely turn the world upside down and reorganize Earth's order right now.
'If for some reason they didn't insist on acting in the shadows, the world would have already fallen under the Heaven-turn society.'
That restriction is probably deeply related to the fact that the Heaven-turn society's leader cannot use his abilities recklessly. It's probably a limitation that applies not only to his own martial power but also, to some extent, to the organization he's built with that power.
'And as time passes, the restrictions that suppress him are getting weaker and weaker.'
That must be why he goes around destroying worlds in multiple dimensions.
It was a fact that I needed to somehow settle the fight before he finally broke free of that constraint completely. It was also true that the fight against a guy who had become the god of Earth was burdensome, and when things got to that point, I couldn't guarantee that Korea, known as my main base, would be safe.
'As for me, since I have the "Dragon's Lair," I can just hide anywhere, but... the foundation I've built up till now... would be completely destroyed.'
The entire country of Korea would instantly become a battlefield.
Nuclear missiles launched from China would turn the entire country into a sea of fire, and the moment I stepped in to stop them, a full-scale war with the Heaven-turn society would begin.
It wasn't likely that a person who was planning to drive more than half of humanity to death would care about the lives of a few tens of millions of people.
"Whew, in this situation, I can't help but feel impatient."
But if I calmly analyze the information I've gathered so far, it doesn't seem like that time will come anytime soon. At the very least, there should be a few more years.
There's an old saying—
"The more haste, the less speed,"
Rather than moving hastily and ruining things, at a time like this, I needed to respond calmly and methodically.
"First, regarding the all-out pressure extending toward this side. Our capable people are responding well, but..."
Howard Industries, which has made a big name for itself by selling magic tools all over the world, as well as vampire organizations in various places, including the Blood Alliance, and their figurehead idol, Lycoris. It was just a short time ago that a diplomatic offensive had even begun against the country of Korea itself.
'The Heaven-turn society must have been behind it.'
Although they didn't mobilize direct military force, it was still a tough situation. After all, there was a big difference in our weight class.
'Still, I can handle this much. That's why I reorganized the intelligence organization and gathered my subordinate forces.'
So what do I need right now? To flip the board and buy more time, what must I have immediately?
"Information. About the Leader of Heaven-turn society. And his exact purpose."
The information I've found out so far has only been superficial. For a fundamental solution, to counter his scheme one step ahead, the top priority was to understand the more detailed cause-and-effect.
And, quite coincidentally, there was a method perfectly suited for that, which had just been prepared.
***
[The ideology and philosophy of a being with a great cause are often revealed in the footsteps they've taken in the past.]
A space filled with deep darkness. An eerie voice echoed from its center.
[I will thoroughly dig into it. The path you have walked so far.]
And right after that, the overwhelming presence that had filled the darkness disappeared as if it had been washed away.
This world was destroyed. Demons freely roamed the land, and humans hid underground to escape them. The humans who barely survived would only kill and plunder each other to seize what little resources remained, with not a single shred of will to fight against the demons left. All the brave ones who had dreamed of such a thing and challenged the impossible had already been sent to purgatory.
"Gasp! I-I won't let this go... I will... I will surely kill you, Rapua, you bastard...!"
In this world, losing one's life after being captured and toyed with by a demon was no different from a natural disaster. Their acquaintances would only feel sorry for them, thinking they were just unlucky, and wouldn't even harbor a thought of seeking revenge on their enemy. Because it was an impossible thing to do from the start.
"Huff, huff... Demon, demon! If only I could make a pact with a demon stronger than the one he's contracted with...!"
But if the mastermind behind it was another human, the story changed. If the wildfire that burned down everything he had was started by deliberate arson, then wouldn't the arsonist be the true enemy? The problem was that even that arsonist was a supreme ruler of the ruined world, a position that was completely out of his reach.
A demon contractor. A slave who betrayed humanity and sold their all to a demon. But in exchange, a demon contractor was a being who was promised wealth and glory in this life, nothing more than a demon's plaything.
"Oh, great existence, oh, supreme being. I offer my soul and my body to you. This gut-wrenching resentment, please..."
As such, there were not a few people who hoped to become a demon contractor. It wasn't all that special for people to think that the reality they faced right now was more important than what would happen after they died!
The young man who was performing the ritual here was also thinking the same thing and was in the middle of a ritual to become a demon contractor.
Following a method he had difficultly found after overcoming all sorts of trials and hardships, he was generously using rare and precious ingredients.
But it wasn't easy to become a demon contractor. The reason was simple. It was more fun that way. The method the young man had obtained was just one of the fake methods that the demons had spread with that in mind. It was a meaningless struggle that was only difficult and had no effect. If he had even a little talent as a contractor, there might have been a slim chance, but unfortunately, he had no talent whatsoever.
Gooooh—
Therefore, the phenomenon that was happening right now was a clear anomaly. A deep darkness began to gather on the altar that the young man had meticulously prepared. A mist like an abyss that no light could penetrate slowly began to take shape.
"Oh! Great Demon of Eternity! Please, answer my call—!"
But the young man, who had not a single speck of knowledge about this and had only been desperately trying to survive until recently, couldn't know this fact. He was just overjoyed that there was a response as he had hoped and shouted loudly.
[Great Demon of Eternity...? Why do you utter such a lowly name?]
Just then, an eerie voice flowed from the center of the altar. An overwhelming presence that felt like all the evil in the world had been lumped into one.
[Kukukuk, I am the King of all the Dead and the Ruler of Death.]
The young man panted roughly under the pressure that felt like it would crush his soul just from facing it. He tried to hold on to his consciousness somehow, but he had reached his limit. As his consciousness slowly faded, the horrifying voice flowed in faintly.
[I am Hannibal Strauss.]
[1] Heavenly riding demon
[2] Greed