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Bang!

Sparks exploded with a deafening roar. Flames that should’ve pierced Jiho bounced off and exploded on the other side.

When Jiho saw the person who blocked him, he was relieved.

“Thank you. For coming….”

“No. I am relieved that I am not yet too late and that I can be of help.”

Kim Tae Yong, who blocked Cho Seung Taek’s attack with one move, smiled like it was nothing.

Jiho was able to call Kim Tae Yong with [Treasure Chest of the Dragon Palace]. The reason he kept using an item that wouldn’t work properly wasn’t to run away but to call Mireu Guild for help.

This item’s basic function is to teleport him to Mireu Guild.

Wondering if there was anything else, Jiho had No Name’s alchemist, Lee Nam Yoon, look into it. That’s how he learned that when the item doesn’t work, Mireu Guild receives a signal that Jiho used the chest.

When even his terminal doesn’t work, [Treasure Chest of the Dragon Palace] is the only tool he has to let people know he’s in danger. Of course, there was a chance this signal was blocked too….

Yet luck must’ve still been on Shin Jiho’s side, as thankfully, Tae Yong found Jiho. As a result, Jiho can take a breath. No matter how strong Cho Seung Taek is, Jiho stands a chance with SS-rank Tae Yong.

“Shin Jiho-nim. Please use your skill on me.”

Kim Tae Yong didn’t relax his guard, cautiously observing the other. Jiho soon cast [Blessing of the Star] on Tae Yong.

Jiho estimated that the amount of mana he can bestow an SS-rank like Tae Yong is 7200. 

Even though Cho Seung Taek is strong, with this buff on Kim Tae Yong’s original stats, his stats are double, triple Cho Seung Taek’s. 

“Ah….”

Kim Tae Yong quietly moaned at the immense wave of mana he received.

Tae Yong’s hair slowly turned dark blue. His hair, which was originally close to black, is now as blue as the sea. At the same time, small horns appeared on either side of his head.

“Ki-Kim Tae Yong?”

“Ah… I apologize, I find it slightly difficult to control myself.”

Kim Tae Yong responded, slightly flushed, with shimmery black scales covering the back of his neck.

He looks unordinary as it is with his white durumagi, but now that he has horns and scales, Kim Tae Yong looks like a character straight out of a manhwa. Jiho knew Tae Yong wasn’t human, but he never thought he’d confirm it like this….

Cho Seung Taek paused slightly at Kim Tae Yong’s transformation before blatantly sneering.

“An impertinent kid whose horns are still soft dares to interrupt.”

…Do people usually use the expression “whose horns are still soft” to describe someone young?

Unlike Jiho, who was momentarily confused, it doesn’t seem like Tae Yong found anything strange. If anything, he looks more enraged at being called a kid, glaring at Seung Taek.

“Are you the one who killed Mireu’s guildmembers?”

“And if I did?”

He gave Tae Yong a completely different answer from what he gave Jiho. It wasn’t a serious answer but simply to trigger the other.

Unfortunately, Cho Seung Taek’s plan worked too well. Tae Yong’s eyes flared blue from anger. Tae Yong directly charged at Seung Taek as if he didn’t have the will to continue the conversation. 

BOOM!

Seung Taek took out another spear made of flames, but it was snapped in two by Tae Yong’s elongated blue fingernails. Tae Yong’s fingertips were sharp, aimed straight at Cho Seung Taek’s neck.

Seung Taek narrowly dodged and stretched his hand out towards Tae Yong’s abdomen.

“Don’t avoid it! Block it!”

One of Cho Seung Taek’s skills is [Perfect Aim]. A skill that guarantees his attacks will hit. If he uses [Perfect Aim] with skills like [Poisonous Breath] or [Blood Curse], Kim Tae Yong will have to carry a huge risk in this fight.

Tae Yong, who had slightly twisted his body to avoid the attack, jumped back at Jiho’s words. Right when it looked like Seung Taek’s attack would, strangely, hit him regardless… Tae Yong sent a huge wave of mana.

A ginormous wave double the height of a man rose in front of Tae Yong. The wave charged towards Cho Seung Taek like an angry tsunami and shoved him away.

“Keuk…!”

The skill [Perfect Aim] can’t be fully utilized in this circumstance. Not only was Seung Taek pushed back 10 meters, but he also isn’t in the position to attack anyone right now.

Seung Taek was being thrashed around by rough, storm-like currents. He was trying to catch his balance, but it’s a futile effort inside constantly swaying waters.

Plus, Tae Yong didn’t stop at one skill.

Dense mana has been gathering around Tae Yong and materializing as blue light. Tae Yong’s mana, which Jiho multiplied several times, gathered and gathered until… Tae Yong’s pupils glowed distinctly in the middle of the dark night that had settled down.

[Electric Shock].

Mireu Guild’s guildmaster, Kim Tae Yong, usually wields water. But the reason people say he’s a hunter with both water and lightning attributes is because of this skill, [Electric Shock].

Though it’s only one skill, it’s too powerful to ignore.

Rumble!

Thunder echoed in the sky. Normally, thunder is slower than lightning, but this is different. It was a solemn roar, like the heavens warning a sinner.

And soon, a bright blue light split the sky.

The lightning fell from the sky and struck Cho Seung Taek head on.

“ACKKKKK!”

Miserable screams could be heard until it eventually quieted. Because Cho Seung Taek was soaked in water, this attack was probably many times more fatal. It feels like this ended a lot easier than he thought….

“Watch out!”

That man might look charred, but he has an SS-rank skill called [Super Recovery]. Jiho’s never seen his recovery, but there’s no doubt of its strong ability.

Tae Yong prepared [Electric Shock] again at Jiho’s warning. Because it’s such a big skill, he can’t use it consecutively. Tae Yong was still gathering his mana when he suddenly flinched and appeared by Jiho’s side.

“Be careful!”

The water under Tae Yong’s control turned pitch black in a flash and escaped from his control. The water, now poison, swayed unpleasantly at Cho Seung Taek’s feet like pools of oil on the sea.

And at the center of this black mass was Cho Seung Taek, literally black as charcoal. By all means, he shouldn’t be alive with that appearance, but Cho Seung Taek slowly opened his eyes.

“Hoo….”

In the midst of this situation that’s obviously disadvantageous to himself, Cho Seung Taek lifted the corners of his lips in a smirk with red pupils. Though a horrific image due to his burnt skin, he didn’t seem to mind.

“Haha, it looks like this… youngling has quite the guts.”

“…”

“I guess I can’t mess around either.”

He’s too calm for someone pushed to the edge. Tae Yong stopped preparing to use a large skill and quietly observed the opponent.

When Cho Seung Taek’s low chuckles died down.

Pop.

It sounded like leather burst inside Cho Seung Taek.

“What….”

Cho Seung Taek’s body burst. But something’s off. Cho Seung Taek burst, but there’s not a single trace of him left nearby.

Startled, Tae Yong searched when Jiho suddenly looked up at the sky and stiffened.

Following Jiho’s eyes, disbelief and alarm appeared on Tae Yong’s face.

Something was floating in the darkness, hiding in the night without casting a single shadow.

A body similar to that of a lizard with bat wings. Yet it was much, much more sinister than a lizard.

The size of its body exceeds that of a massive passenger ship, and gusts of wind blow every time it flaps its wings.

Its scales are like cooled lava, black and bumpy, with hints of crimson like open wounds. However, those aren’t wounds but dangerous flames.

Whenever it breathes, it puffs out a thick cloud of poison and dirties the air.

“Dragon?”

Jiho doubtfully mumbled.

The enormous beast in front of his eyes looks like one of the mythological beasts passed down in European legends, the dragon.

“No, I’ve never… seen something like that before….”

Tae Yong’s voice shook from his bewilderment.

As the dragon king, Tae Yong’s father communicates with dragons all over the world, even before the formation of Mireu. Western and eastern dragons do look quite different. However, research revealed that they have similar roots, and so they agreed that they are the same species. 

As the same species, dragons all over the world have consistently communicated with each other for as long as a century. That is, for the sake of sharing each other’s registries in order to protect the small number of their species.

Thanks to dragons having excellent memory, they memorize these registries by heart. But the dragon in front of him is one Tae Yong’s never seen before.

Of course, it could be a dragon he’s never met. There are a couple of circumstances where runaway hatchlings appear later as adults.

But for him to have missed this one, it’s too….

“It, it is like seeing the Yellow Dragon-nim….”

Too strong. Enough for Tae Yong, one of the world’s strongest beings, to tremble in fear.

Jiho’s face contorted when he heard Tae Yong.

If the Yellow Dragon, that’s an SSS-rank awakened one involved with Mireu. If that dragon, who’s supposedly Cho Seung Taek, an SSS-rank, why was he hiding his strength? For what purpose….

“Kim Tae Yong!”

There’s no time to think deeper. If they zone out because they’re overwhelmed by Cho Seung Taek, they’ll be crushed under that massive body.

[Cloud Chariot]!

At Tae Yong’s shout, a white sports car that doesn’t seem aligned to his own tastes but rather to someone else’s, appeared.

Soon, Tae Yong got in the car and tried to pull Jiho to his lap. However, before Tae Yong could lift Jiho, Jiho had already sat in the seat next to him.

“Ji-Jiho-nim. Wait….”

“What do you mean wait, run away, quick!”

“Ye, yes!”

Tae Yong, who seemed extremely flustered for some reason, quickly came back to his senses at Jiho’s shout and started to drive.

They say “drive,” but since this car was made with a skill, it really soars freely in the sky. Tae Yong glared at the dragon chasing the two and prepared for the worst.

“Where are you going!?”

“I will drive towards the ocean. I believe there will be slightly higher odds of success if we head there…!”

“What if that bastard poisons the water?”

Jiho called out. Tae Yong looked conflicted. Cho Seung Taek’s poison was already dangerous when he was human, he doesn’t want to imagine how much stronger it is now that it seems like he’s in a stronger form.

But they didn’t need to deliberate another plan. Instead of chasing after the two, Cho Seung Taek changed direction mid-way and turned somewhere else.

“No!”

Jiho cried. Cho Seung Taek is heading for the city.

Tae Yong jumped out of the car.

“What are you going to do!”

Instead of answering, Tae Yong’s body was covered by smoke before suddenly growing in size.

Determining that he doesn’t stand a chance in his human form, Tae Yong returned to his true form.

Unlike the dragon wrecking havoc in the distance, Tae Yong’s scales are smooth and sparkle elegantly in the night sky. His graceful body has not a single wound, like it belongs in a sacred place more than a fierce battleground.

Kim Tae Yong slowly moved his body and advised Jiho.

“Run away.”

“What do you mean, why would I run away alone?”

“I must protect you. I will do my best to block him.”

What does he mean block him–Tae Yong will die tragically without putting up a fight.

But Tae Yong retracted [Cloud Chariot] and flew after Cho Seung Taek alone. It’s faster for Kim Tae Yong to fly with his true form than use [Cloud Chariot].

Jiho didn’t have a chance to do anything. Soon, he heard a massive explosion from the city. Even as he ran, Jiho found himself looking in the distance.

It’s too far for him to see clearly, but the fight has already begun.

Kim Tae Yong bit and wrapped his body around Cho Seung Taek, striking him with lightning. However, compared to Cho Seung Taek, Kim Tae Yong appears much too small and helpless. Kim Tae Yong’s body was turning black from the poison, and the situation was looking bleak.

BANG!

While this was happening, Jiho heard an explosion targeted towards the city underneath. Tae Yong narrowly blocked it using magic, but he staggered like it used up a lot of his power.

“That fool!”

Cho Seung Taek is strong, but something about his movements are off. He seems to be so focused on chasing something else that dealing with Tae Yong is a secondary concern.

So if they catch him while he’s distracted, they might be able to beat him. However, it’s impossible with Tae Yong alone.

Jiho cursed as he ran towards the city when he found a street. Running on the street, Jiho stopped when he saw a truck parked on the road.

The truck driver was looking towards the city in shock, then jolted when Jiho called him. His eyes widened.

“A-aren’t you Shin Jiho?”

“Excuse me, I need to rush to the city… could I borrow your car for a bit?”

“Um, why over there… you’ll d-die.”

“But I must help him quickly. Please. I will compensate generously as well….”

Seeing Jiho’s desperate plea, the driver thought about it for a moment with a deep frown on his face before shaking his head.

“No need to compensate. Have you ever driven such a large truck? Get on! I’ll drive you to that area.”

“Ah, but….”

It’s too dangerous for an ordinary person. Yet the driver angrily urged Jiho like he never hesitated.

“I won’t go near that thing! I’ll drop you off near them, so you can borrow another car in that area. Get on! I thought you said you’re in a rush!”

“Yes, yes!”

Jiho didn’t refuse any longer and jumped onto the truck. And the truck began to speed towards the city that had descended into chaos.

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LaZ Bird Corner

Truck driver MVP.

!!Update Notes!!

Finally resolved an issue with my site that was preventing me from uploading new posts. So I hope you all enjoy the triple! update!!! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

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