Chapter 1180
'I had a suspicion from the very start.'
Raon brushed back the golden locks that had fallen over his eyes with a rough motion.
'That the Dragon Lord was tapping into an external source of power.'
The ultimate spell the Dragon Lord had been cultivating in the shadows possessed enough destructive force to wipe out the majority of the continent's population. Since such magic exceeded the natural limits of even the king of dragons, it was only logical to assume he had drawn strength from an outside entity.
'Of course, the confirmation came when he turned dragon language against me.'
Just as Raon was preparing to execute his final strike by detonating the demon kings' authorities, the Dragon Lord’s gaze had suddenly flared with a green light, and he had uttered a terminal decree using dragon language. At that moment, it felt like an alien power, not the Dragon Lord's own, but because Raon had been pulled into a mental landscape of encroaching death, he hadn't been able to pinpoint the exact nature of that aura.
'Because the sensation was so faint, I naturally assumed it was the work of an Archangel...'
Raon let out a dry, disbelieving laugh as he watched the stunning, green-haired girl step out from the fractured reality of the torn dimension.
'To think it was actually the Demon King of Envy.'
The exquisite woman standing before him was no mere mortal; she was Envy, the sovereign of jealousy and a ruler of the Devildom. He was genuinely caught off guard, as the thought of her appearing in this place hadn't even crossed his mind.
'Wait, maybe this is actually an advantage?'
Observing the bewilderment in Envy's eyes, it was obvious she knew exactly who he was. Even in his current state, he could likely use the reputation of Wrath to keep her in check.
'Actually, I might not even need to hide behind Wrath's shadow.'
In their previous encounter, he had introduced himself as nothing more than Wrath's vessel. Now, however, his martial skill had moved beyond the human realm and was nearing that of a demon king, so there was little need for long explanations.
-I knew it!
Wrath knit his brow as if he had been sensing her presence all along.
-There was a strange, lingering stench the moment that overgrown lizard used dragon language to curse you!
He gave a hollow chuckle, remarking that the power of envy had been concealed with ridiculous skill.
'What exactly do you mean by a "strange stench"?'
-It isn't as repulsive as the Archangels, but it certainly isn't pure.
Wrath shook his head, noting that while Envy was essentially garbage, she wasn't quite as foul as a heavenly being.
-Regardless, that woman always has her nose in everyone’s business.
He let out a heavy sigh.
-Still, I can't wrap my head around how she managed to manipulate a lizard that despises demon kings—especially one as high-ranking as the Dragon Lord.
Wrath narrowed his eyes, clearly bothered by that specific mystery.
'I'm wondering the same thing.'
Dragons are destined to be the guardians of this world, which gives them an inherent loathing for beings from other planes. Putting Archangels aside, he couldn't grasp how the Dragon Lord had ended up accepting Envy's assistance.
'I should unravel this puzzle first.'
Raon moistened his lips while observing the Demon King of Envy, who was currently scowling.
'She definitely feels different than before.'
During their first meeting, Raon had to exert every ounce of his will just to speak in the face of her crushing presence. She had felt like an unreachable deity then, making it nearly impossible to maintain his composure. But things were different now.
'I can face her.'
If he were to fight Envy at full strength, he would surely be defeated, but he had reached a stage where he could at least hold his own. In fact, after the evolution he underwent while battling the Dragon Lord, he might even be able to trade blows with her as an equal, if only for a short time.
He felt he had matured enough to stand before the Monarch of Envy without needing to rely on Wrath's prestige.
-Hmph!
Wrath gave a soft snort.
-Looks aside, she is still a monarch of the Devildom. If you underestimate her, you'll pay the price!
He licked his lips, recalling that even he had to exert some effort when he had finally put Envy in her place.
'That just makes it more exhilarating.'
Raon stepped forward to face Envy, a surge of heat and excitement rising within him.
"It’s been quite some time."
Raon tilted his chin up with an air of arrogance, confident that Envy would recognize him immediately.
"Monarch of Envy."
He lowered the pitch of his voice, adopting a persona that was far more than just a bluff.
"You..."
Envy’s crimson lips gave a slight shiver.
"What did you do? How could you possibly wield that much power...?"
She swallowed hard, realizing that while he was still Wrath's vessel, he was no longer just a passive container.
"He is constantly observing. That includes right now, of course."
Raon shot a glance at Wrath, who was hovering above his head, and gave a small nod. Since it wasn't technically a lie, he straightened his posture with pride.
"Even with Wrath's backing, it should be impossible for a simple vessel to reach this level of martial mastery!"
Envy waved her hand dismissively, as if the reality before her defied all logic.
"It wouldn't make sense even if the rest of us demon kings had granted you our blessings!"
She let out a sharp breath, stating that she had never witnessed such a meteoric rise in power in the history of any dimension.
"And all in just a decade!"
Envy's gaze was a chaotic mix of bewilderment and shock at the impossibility of the situation.
'This might actually be simpler than I anticipated.'
Raon let a small smile touch his lips as he gauged Envy's reaction.
-No, look at her! Why is she acting like that!
Wrath's mouth hung open in total disbelief.
-Get it together! This brat is just playing you again!
He waved his arms frantically, trying to get Envy to snap out of it and realize her own strength.
'Be quiet.'
Raon swatted at Wrath—the one he had just used as a conversational shield—with the back of his hand as if he were shooing away a pestering pet.
"Wrath... What kind of monster has this lunatic created..."
Envy bit down on her lip until a bead of blood appeared. Her eyes, filled with a deep-seated fear of Wrath, were trembling.
'Looking at her, it's definitely because of you.'
Raon smirked inwardly.
'Because of how much you bullied Envy in the past, she still feels completely intimidated by your name.'
Envy seemed to be convincing herself that his growth was entirely Wrath's doing, exactly as Raon intended, and she was clearly paralyzed by a lingering dread.
-Be-because of me?
Wrath’s jaw dropped as he realized that Envy’s unusual hesitation was rooted in her fear of him.
-No! Stop falling for this bastard's traps and do something! He doesn't even have the energy left to walk!
He screamed for Envy to find her courage, but his voice was completely lost to her.
'I told you to stay still.'
On the outside, Raon maintained an air of respect for Wrath, but internally, he shoved the demon's head down as if he were an annoying distraction.
-Nnngh.
Wrath tried to resist, but he was eventually overpowered and pushed down to the dirt.
"Wrath, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, and Greed. You have developed all their authorities to such a high degree. Especially Wrath... it’s almost as if Wrath himself has manifested..."
Envy's breathing was heavy, her mind still reeling.
"Envy. I have a question for you as well."
Raon turned his head slightly to look her in the eye.
"How exactly did you manage to manipulate this lizard?"
He pressed his foot down on the broken form of the Dragon Lord on the ground and pointed downward.
"Hmm..."
Envy bit her lip, looking more irritated as her gaze fell upon the fallen dragon.
"Answer me."
Raon rested his hand on the hilt of Heavenly Drive while locking eyes with Envy.
"He is curious."
He looked down at her with an arrogant stare, using Wrath as his justification.
-Stop using me as an excuse!
Wrath gnashed his teeth and scrambled back up.
-You're strong enough on your own now!
'I'm completely exhausted. And this way is much more efficient.'
He might have been able to get the truth by fighting Envy and forcing her respect, but he had spent every drop of his strength. Selling out Wrath's name was a much easier path.
"Haah..."
Envy let out a resigned sigh, as if she had no other choice.
"It all started with..."
[Demon King of Envy!]
The Dragon Lord ground his teeth together.
[I-I had no idea it was your voice!]
His jaw shook as if the revelation that Envy had been his benefactor was news to him. He seemed to have been so consumed by his own obsessions that he hadn't recognized the source of the power.
"Quiet."
Raon applied pressure with his leg, stepping down hard on the bridge of the Dragon Lord's nose. Even without a heavy infusion of mana, his raw physical power was enough to make the Dragon Lord's nose buckle under the weight.
[Grooooah!]
The Dragon Lord let out a cry of agony and ruined pride, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Continue."
Raon looked back at Envy, signaling for her to resume.
"It began with a simple curiosity."
Envy licked her lips briefly as she looked at the Dragon Lord.
"The dragon, the supposed mediator of this world. I thought it would be fascinating to see if the Lord himself could be corrupted by a demon king's whispers."
She wore a cruel smirk, clearly enjoying the memory.
"As it turned out, this lizard did harbor a small seed of envy within him."
"Envy?"
Raon's eyes narrowed as he focused on her.
"Yes. Unlike most of his kind, he felt envy. Of course, it was originally so faint that I could barely exert any influence."
Envy shook her head, explaining that she couldn't achieve much with such a minor spark.
"I watched him for a very long time, but nothing significant changed. I was almost ready to give up, since it was just a passing interest for me..."
She ran her tongue over her red lips.
"Then, a shift occurred. That tiny spark of envy began to boil over like molten lava."
Envy reached out with a pale hand, brushing near the Dragon Lord's eyes.
"This powerful dragon king... feeling such jealousy toward a single human..."
[S-stop! Don't say another word!]
The Dragon Lord's body convulsed as he barked out dragon language. He seemed desperate to protect that secret, fighting against the Soul Sword that was currently piercing his very essence.
"I told you to be quiet."
Raon shifted the Soul Sword once more to lock the Dragon Lord in place.
[Kuuuuuugh!]
The Dragon Lord froze as the fresh wave of pain hit him, letting out a muffled scream.
"That is a strange power you have."
Envy frowned as she sensed the nature of the Soul Sword buried within the dragon's spirit.
"In any case, this massive dragon felt envy toward a meager human. Toward the warrior known as Glenn Zieghart."
She unexpectedly brought up Glenn's name.
"Glenn Zieghart?"
"Yes. I’m sure you’re quite familiar with him."
Envy gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"The Dragon Lord believed he was the undisputed peak of this continent. He believed that if he used his full might—or summoned the entire dragon race—he could crush any person or army. But when Glenn Zieghart ascended to the absolute realm, that conviction shattered."
She stroked the Dragon Lord's shivering scales with a mock pity.
"He saw a being that couldn't be killed even if every dragon was called to arms. The Dragon Lord suffered a crisis of identity at the rise of an absolute among humans, whom he had always viewed as mere insects. That insecurity eventually fermented into envy. Initially, he was just jealous of the martial power, but it grew until he envied the man's very existence. So..."
Envy smiled a cold, sharp smile and plucked a scale from the Dragon Lord.
"I exploited that crack. No one would ever suspect the Dragon Lord of being swayed by a demon king. Even the Lord himself was unaware, which made the corruption effortless."
She twirled her finger, noting that the Dragon Lord's envy was so vast and hidden that the seduction was child's play.
"Ha..."
Raon let out a hollow, cynical laugh as he stared down at the Dragon Lord.
"You tried to commit genocide against the human race for that reason alone?"
He was so stunned by the pettiness of it that he was lost for words. He couldn't fathom how such a pathetic creature had ever been crowned the king of dragons.
"Envy?"
The Gold Dragon Bartius’s jaw hung open in shock.
"All this chaos... and that’s the reason...?"
He looked at the Dragon Lord with eyes full of fury, as if he would have preferred to stay in the dark.
[Envy, then.]
The Blue Dragon Sirtiren exhaled a short, weary sigh.
[The Lord who despised humans turned out to be more human than any of them.]
She lowered her eyes in a calm, pitying gesture toward her leader.
[What an absolute fool!]
The Red Dragon Valasiur ground his teeth together with a loud rasp.
[You should have just focused on getting stronger! Why waste time envying a human!]
He squeezed his fist, unable to comprehend the Dragon Lord's logic.
[That...]
The Black Dragon Dariauran gave a breathless, empty laugh.
[Is that the ruler I dedicated myself to?]
He clawed at his hair, appearing humiliated by his past loyalty.
[I suspected the reason would be trivial. But...]
The White Dragon Bursiarabi pressed his lips into a thin line.
[I never imagined it would be something as small as envy. I clearly have much to learn.]
Even he, who was usually the most composed, shut his eyes tight, finding the reality difficult to stomach.
[I-it's impossible...]
[The Lord was jealous of a human?]
[That has to be a lie! A total fabrication!]
[B-but the aura we're sensing from the Lord... it matches that demon king.]
[I don't want to believe it either, but it's likely the truth...]
[N-no! It can't be!]
Even the dragons who had been charging forward, ready to die to protect their Lord, came to a halt at Envy's words and began to break into arguments.
"The seeds were planted, and I was just waiting for the harvest, but I never expected everything to fall apart like this."
Envy licked her lips, clearly disappointed that her plans hadn't reached their conclusion.
"I even stopped my surveillance to keep my presence hidden from the Dragon Lord, but it’s all wasted now. Honestly, you, Wrath, are never any help!"
Envy scowled deeply, her frustration evident as she spoke.
"I see how it is."
Raon looked at the Dragon Lord with a calm gaze, knowing that Envy was telling the truth.
'Should I feel sorry for him?'
Even if Envy hadn't pushed him, judging by the Lord's character, he likely would have caused a catastrophe on his own eventually. The pathetic image of a dragon who had destroyed his entire legacy because of his jealousy of a human made Raon reflect on many things.
"I’ll be taking my leave now."
Envy sighed and began to open a green portal between dimensions once more.
"This is all too bothersome..."
"Hold on."
Raon shook his head and used his sword to cut through the dimensional gate Envy was forming.
"Where do you think you're going after starting all this trouble?"
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand, blocking her exit. A small smile played on his lips as he looked at Burren and Martha standing behind him.
"He wants you to take responsibility for this."
-Tch, responsibility? You wouldn't possibly...
Wrath, who had suddenly become "the one" in the conversation, blinked his eyes in confusion.
-Are you using my name as a bargaining chip again!
Even the most ruthless debt collector doesn't use a name as often as you do!
