C164
Cale emerged from the underground where the dragon's tomb lay and ascended to the unowned study of the Sichuan Lord. As soon as he arrived, his gaze met Fist King's.
"Long time no see, Young Master Kim."
"...Uh... yeah."
Cale shivered. He couldn't help it. Fist King's appearance was indescribable.
'Have you been rolling in the mud or something?'
His entire body was covered in dirt, and he looked disheveled as if all the moisture had been drained from him. Additionally, his granddaughter, Mok Hee.
"..."
She remained silent, with a vacant look on her face, then tilted her head towards Cale.
"It seems like you've been through a lot..."
Especially Fist King's three companions. Unlike regular members of the Golden Guard, they had intricate patterns engraved on their shoulder pads. They seemed to have a higher rank. They also had a vacant expression on their faces.
'If the Emperor's guards look this exhausted, how much have they suffered?'
Cale looked at the iron box in Fist King's hand.
This is what made these powerful followers of the Emperor what they are, right?
'...I'm a bit nervous.'
They seemed like Divine Medicines not to be taken lightly. Well, maybe it wouldn't be as effective as when he absorbed the Dragon Tears, but still.
'Am I going to vomit blood this time?'
For some reason, he had a suspicion that this time he would vomit blood, unlike when he absorbed the Dragon Tears.
That's why Cale couldn't take his eyes off the box in Fist King's hands.
And when Fist King saw this, he swallowed hard.
'Surprising...'
Before Chief Eunuch Wi told Cale that Fist King had arrived, he was already here, waiting silently. He had chosen to wait after hearing that Young Master Kim was doing something in the underground of this place. That was when...
'There was pressure there.'
From below the study, from the stairs leading to the underground, he felt tremendous pressure. The massive pressures colliding with each other did not give Fist King any time to calm down. Two pressures. He could clearly feel that two colossal forces were colliding with each other, and finally, he quietly asked Chief Eunuch Wi what Young Master Kim was doing.
It didn't seem appropriate to ask openly due to Young Master Kim and his group's carefree expressions, so he felt that he had to ask discreetly.
"What is Young Master Kim doing?"
"...With the Dragon..."
"What?"
"...The Dragon. He's absorbing it completely."
Wow.
It was an astonishing statement. Although he later heard an explanation that Young Master Kim was not fighting a Dragon but absorbing everything the Dragon had left behind. Didn't that mean he was absorbing everything the Dragon was with a human body?
'What is Young Master Kim's ultimate goal, really?'
Even thinking about it now sent shivers down his spine due to the tremendous clash of energies. Fist King understood why his granddaughter, Mok Hee, and the other members of the Golden Guard were stunned. From underground to the mansion, the enormous energies created an impact that shook everything. Maintaining one's sanity amidst that must be extremely difficult.
'We haven't seen everything of Young Master Kim yet.'
It was terrifying. Kim Haeil. The more he got to know him, the scarier he became.
'The Imperial Family...'
It was the first time Fist King had such a thought.
'Can the Imperial Family control Young Master Kim?'
If he wanted to, couldn't the Imperial Family collapse? Fist King stopped his thoughts there because thinking beyond that was pure horror.
Fist King, holding the Divine Medicines in his hand, felt even more insignificant than he had imagined. And this thought became even clearer when he looked into Young Master Kim's eyes.
'...He has no greed.'
There was no trace of greed or desire in his gaze. Instead, there was only agony and doubt.
'Sigh.'
Are there really Martial Artists like him in this world? Many people in the Murim were willing to risk their lives and take treasures like Divine Medicines and Martial Arts Manuals from others. And the stronger they became, the stronger that greed became, as growth in the Martial Path was slow and tedious. The temptations to seek something more than just training became stronger.
"Young Master Kim."
Fist King handed the box to Cale.
"May I ask what kind of Divine Medicines these are?"
In response to his question, Fist King nodded and began speaking.
"Long ago..."
Cale paused.
He was only asking about the Divine Medicines, so why did it suddenly feel like Fist King was about to start telling him a fairy tale?
"There was a time when humans, spirits, and animals (divine beasts) lived together."
Yes, indeed, a fairy tale.
"We called that time the Ancient Era."
Ancient Era.
Those words made Cale feel strange.
"Once upon a time in the Ancient Era, there was an Imoogi."
Imoogi.
An existence before becoming a Dragon. Or an entity that never became a Dragon. Or perhaps, simply, a Dragon.
"Unlike most Imoogis, which live by ponds or in caves, this one lived in an unusual place. It was a blacksmith's home."
-Human! This story seems interesting! I'm excited!
Cale heard Raon's voice in the background as he thought.
'Why don't you just give me the Divine Medicines?'
But Fist King's story continued.
"This happened when the blacksmith's daughter saw a young Imoogi dying, thinking it was just a snake's offspring, and took it in and cared for it."
-Good blacksmith!
"But the girl soon realized it was no ordinary snake because this Imoogi had a peculiarity: it ate fire."
-A Dragon that eats fire! Amazing!
"The girl decided to take the Imoogi back to the mountain where she originally found it, but it turned out that mountain was actually a volcano. An inactive volcano, no one knew. The Imoogi grew up there, feeding on lava."
-A Dragon that eats lava! Incredible!
"And then, as the years passed, the volcano erupted. The lava flowed uncontrollably, and the sky turned ashy. And that lava was heading towards the village."
-...Don't tell me...
"That's when the Imoogi appeared. It had been over fifty years since the girl was around ten years old, and now she was the blacksmith following in her father's footsteps as the heir. And the Imoogi had grown as much as those years passed."
-...
Raon was speechless.
"The Imoogi's body blocked the flow of lava. Constantly eating the lava or resisting it with its own body, preventing the village from being completely covered by lava. And it also prevented volcanic ash from covering the village."
Cale's and Fist King's eyes met.
"That Imoogi even burned the volcanic ash. And it died, becoming a legend."
The story was engraved in legends.
"It is said that this Imoogi was not a Dragon, but it was said to be like the very embodiment of 'fire' itself."
Hmm.
Cale swallowed hard.
It seems these Divine Medicines are far from ordinary.
-Sniff.
Cale stopped.
It can't be...
-Sniff.
Raon, are you crying?
-Sob, sob!
A sobbing voice could be heard.
-Hu-hu! Big, you are so great, Lord Imoogi!
Then, Fist King slowly opened the iron box.
"There is a seal on this box. It is a seal that suppresses the power of the Divine Medicines. Its duration is only 5 days. And after traveling here, you must take these Divine Medicines within the next 12 hours."
Inside the box, there was something very small and black resting among many seals.
"The only thing this creature left behind."
Fifty years. A long time for humans but not so much for this creature. Although its body grew, it was still a young Dragon, yet it protected the village by burning even the essence of youth it needed to become a true Dragon. The only thing it didn't consume was this item.
"We call it 'Reverse Scale.'"
Reverse Scale was a term that referred to a Dragon's reverse scale, and it was considered a Dragon's only weakness since touching it would trigger the Dragon's wrath. Cale looked at the small black scale.
-Wow, this...
The voice of the Fire of Destruction sounded quite excited.
-With this, I can really break my seal, and it will probably make me stronger.
Right. Cale was impressed.
'As expected, the Imperial Family is great.'
Reverse Scale. From its name, Cale felt how valuable this Divine Medicine was.
"It truly is a treasure."
When Cale made this comment, Fist King nodded.
"Yes. It's a genuine treasure. Not even His Majesty the Emperor can easily touch it."
Staring at Cale, he added.
"It was kept in a sealed camp near an inactive volcano."
Fist King's meticulousness was finally understood by Cale.
"You've done well."
"It's the least I can do."
Cale took the box from Fist King.
He stepped away.
"I think I'll have to absorb this underground and come back up."
"About the Dragon..."
Fist King, who had been about to say something, closed his lips.
"We'll be waiting here."
"Alright."
Choi Han followed Cale and headed underground. At that moment, Fist King heard the voice of a being.
-We're coming now! Don't worry, Fist King! That was a truly touching story!
A real Dragon was by Young Master Kim's side.
-----------
"Phew."
Sitting comfortably on the underground floor, Cale sighed.
Then he looked at the black scale inside the box.
"Hey, human! That was a truly touching story!"
Hearing Raon's chatter, Cale reached into the box without hesitation. His fingers touched the scale.
Crunch~
"Eh?"
The scale cracked.
"Eh?"
To be more precise, the blackness cracked away, revealing the scale hidden beneath the black surface.
"Human, it's beautiful-"
A beautiful, bright red color shimmered beautifully.
"But Human, why are you trembling so much?"
Then, Cale's hand involuntarily trembled at the overwhelming pressure emanating from the scale. In that moment...
"Urgh!"
Cale's body fell forward.
"Human!"
There was no time to pay attention to Raon's shouts. Cale quickly moved the hand that wasn't holding the scale.
As he searched within his clothes, he caught hold of an object.
The White Star.
The one that feeds on the blood of the Dragon.
He remembered how the black mouth in the center of the White Star had swirled like a vortex while it sucked the blood of the Dragon Half. And how his Dominating Aura, combined with this new crown, could make even the Gods tremble.
'What is this?'
The White Star was now emitting an incredible amount of heat.
The heat was enough to make Cale shudder.
Cale's expression hardened as he looked at the White Star.
"Human!"
"Don't come."
Cale stopped Raon, who was about to approach. Then he told Choi Han.
"Both of you, go to the stairs over there."
"Yes."
Whether Choi Han had noticed that something was amiss or not, he took Raon and withdrew up the stairs. Raon seemed to be trembling, but Cale had no choice.
The white gem in the center of the White Star. From there, a black hole emerged. It was clear what it was searching for.
'The Reverse Scale!'
The strange hole was sucking in the direction of the scale in Cale's other hand. Moreover, the suction force became stronger.
"Mm?"
Now, the pressure was not only being exerted on Cale but was also being emitted from the scale towards Choi Han, who was far away.
'It's the Imoogi!'
It's just an Imoogi! Why would an Imoogi's scale emit such pressure? Cale started releasing his Dominating Aura unconsciously. He had no choice but to resist.
It was then...
-Cale.
He heard a deep voice.
It was the Dominating Aura. The master of this deceitful power spoke calmly.
-This crown reacts to Dragon's blood.
Cale immediately replied.
"But this isn't a Dragon; it's an Imoogi, right?"
-Exactly. The current reaction of this crown is not because it desires Dragon's blood or Dragon-derived products.
So why is it suddenly acting this way?
-Hahaha.
The voice of the Dominating Aura let out a strange laugh.
-Don't you get it yet? It's because of the true nature of this Imoogi.
The scale began to vibrate violently.
Cale's eyes widened.
Gradually, a red aura emanated from the small scale.
It was like a mist mixed with blood.
-This Imoogi, even though it was given the choice to become a Dragon, even though it was given its destiny, rejected it and burned its own identity, its own soul to death!
-No wonder this crown is so coveted!
-If it's a crown that feeds on Dragon's blood, then it's natural for it to desire the will and determination that this Imoogi has left behind, which rivals that of a Dragon!
The voice of the Dominating Aura whispered softly.
-Because that's how you surpass the Dragon, and the crown doesn't like having anyone above it.
-Cale. Now, this crown wants to embrace that scale instead of the white gem. Because it will become very strong.
It was then...
"Kugh!"
Cale shuddered once again.
A Subspace Bag vibrated violently.
It was Maxiliann's Subspace Bag.
The subspace bag that contained one of the dragon's treasures, the crown, was radiating heat furiously.
As if it were demanding that scale for itself.
The scale named: Reverse Scale.
The two crowns were competing for it.
'This is madness!'
Cale was amazed.
Why?
'This is something I want to consume!'
But he was about to lose this Divine Medicine to these two crowns.
-Cale, there is a way.
Although the voice was deep, the Dominating Aura spoke with a touch of excitement.
-Use the crown, Cale.
What the hell is this?
Why is it so difficult to take a single Divine Medicine?
Cale felt a surge of irritation.
-
