Chapter 247 – A Turbulent World (4)
Yeon-woo stepped inside the portal. As he did, darkness filled his vision.
Swoos.h.!.+
When he activated his Holy Fire, the darkness s.h.i.+fted back, revealing a large s.p.a.ce.
There was a long wall, and the ceiling was very high.
And in there,
Clack, clack!
Tak tak tak!
Undeads were moving around busily.
Skeletons hung from the ceiling and the walls, casting magic circles, and ghouls and zombies ran around busily on the ground with something in their hands. They were the materials to be used for the magic circles.
The flying banshees and specters were touching the areas that couldn’t be reached. They also immediately appeared where things were going wrong and fixed it.
Koong. Koong. Koong.
In the midst of all that, a stone golem walked by Yeon-woo with materials of iron on its back.
‘It’s basically a dungeon.’
Yeon-woo smiled wryly.
The undead, ghost monsters, and even the golem that could be used as a guardian. If the atmosphere was a bit more depressing, it would be a perfect dungeon that appeared in RPG games.
Actually, this was an Intrenian.
It was the weapons storage room out of the 3 that he received from the Bureau.
He ordered the contents to be moved into the treasure storage room so Boo could use it as a lab.
On top of the supplies, books, and experiment materials he got from the Walpurgisnacht, he even had the Summer Queen’s magic archive.
He couldn’t neglect them as he had anymore. There was a need to keep them organized.
Also, Boo seemed to want a lab of his own now.
He had grown rapidly after absorbing the Philosopher’s Stones and the souls of the witches, and as his level increased, his faint consciousness slowly came back to him.
Aside from that, magicians were beings who searched for the Truth until they died. Liches were those who still had those desires after death.
Of course they would want to further their knowledge of the field, and for that, they needed a s.p.a.ce of their own.
But in terms of loyalty, Boo was second to none.
Also, because he didn’t really talk that much, he had never spoken about these things. If Yeon-woo told him to die, he really would.
Because Yeon-woo was thankful for that, he gave Boo an Intrenian, hoping it would be a sufficient reward.
‘It’s a good thing I gave it to him.’
Boo had summoned about a hundred undead to get to work.
Magic circles were cast on the ceiling and walls, and he had set up different equipment in different sections.
Yeon-woo only recognized them as things that came from researching the Philosopher’s Stone or as skills from the witches. He didn’t know more than that.
Because the Summer Queen had created Intrenian herself, even with all the undead bustling around, it was large enough to still be untouched in some places.
But at this rate, it would probably become a full-blown dungeon soon.
Something suddenly occurred to Yeon-woo.
‘If this is going to be a dungeon anyway, wouldn’t it be better to make it large? It can be used more efficiently that way as well.’
Just when he was deep in thought about the use of the dungeon—
「Aye. You’re here, Master?」
「The subs.p.a.ce made by a dragon…..It’s definitely impressive in size.」
『Don’t ask me to do this ever again. And that Lich…..He looks so easygoing on the outside, why is he so picky?』
Just then, a tired Shanon, Hanryeong, and Rebecca appeared with deep sighs.
The Monster Portents that plodded after them bowed to Yeon-woo and quickly disappeared into the shadows. To be exact, it seemed like they were running away.
Yeon-woo unknowingly grinned. He sent his subordinates to help Boo. It seemed like Boo had used them without giving them any rest.
「It’s not the time to be laughing right now. You’re being tricked right now. He’s only like that on the outside, you don’t know how dark he…..! 」
Just when Shanon was angrily complaining—
「You’re. Here. Master.」
Boo’s shadow suddenly popped out from next to Shanon. Boo head’s clacked as he bowed to Yeon-woo and momentarily glared at Shanon. His Inferno Sight flared like he was asking Shanon if he was tattling on him.
Shanon glared at Boo like he didn’t do anything wrong and looked away.
He was definitely in a higher position than Boo as a Death n.o.ble, but since a while ago, it became hard to talk to Boo.
It was a threat that he felt instinctively. Boo started to emanate an aura that the others didn’t as he grew. It was like he couldn’t be touched.
Even so, in front of Yeon-woo, that aura disappeared, and he only showed fierce loyalty. It was unbelievable for the others to watch.
And looking at Boo, they all had the same thought.
‘Just what was Boo when he was alive?’
Although a part of his memories had probably returned to him, Boo never mentioned anything about when he was alive.
‘I didn’t think their hierarchy would be like this.’
Yeon-woo also expected that there would be some kind of order among his subordinates as he gained more followers.
He thought Shanon, who was a Death n.o.ble, or Hanryeong, who reached great peaks during his life, would have the authority.
But looking at it now, he was surprised to see Boo somewhat in charge.
This kind of situation wasn’t bad for Yeon-woo either.
Although Boo was quiet, his thoughts were deep.
With his various magic, he could be a great help whenever it was needed, and he also led the Monster Army during war smoothly. He was a faithful and competent ‘second-in-command.’
More than anything, his loyalty was the most outstanding. It was a lunatic kind of blind loyalty. This was a condition that any subordinate should have.
He would be easier to control than the unpredictable Shanon or the unreadable Hanryeong.
‘Also, he’s my first subordinate.’
Still smiling, Yeon-woo tossed two of the rings on his finger to Boo.
“Take it.”
「Master. This is…..?」
Boo carefully accepted the rings and looked at Yeon-woo’s face. On his hand, there was already a ring like what he just gave Boo. It was the ring to open Intrenian.
“This, and the other two that I just gave you—you can combine them into one, right?”
「If I adjust. It. It’s. Definitely. Possible.」
“As we climb the floors, we’ll be able to grow, and we’ll gain more things. So before that, complete the dungeon in order for us to use it whenever we can.”
Boo immediately understood what Yeon-woo was saying.
The greater the dungeon, the more they could own. They could increase the number of workers they had—skeletons, zombies, and ghouls—and continue to strengthen them.
Skeletons to skeleton warriors or mages, zombies to giant zombies, specters and banshees to phantoms, and so on.
The undead that Yeon-woo used after declaring his domain were just the corpses that he found lying on the battlefield.
But if they were kept here and strengthened, then summoned on a large scale instantly…..
‘It would be destructive. And I can also summon a few as needed.’
When attacking enemy bases, they could open the dungeon mid-air and surprise their enemies. They could use this for many battle tactics.
Also, that wasn’t the only benefit a large dungeon had.
If it was big enough, they could conduct large-scale experiments that they couldn’t before.
The bodily experiments the Walpurgisnacht had progressed with was only possible because they had the s.p.a.ce and the money.
Yeon-woo had focused on this point.
Since they were making a dungeon anyway, it should be made larger. Boo would also grow faster.
There wasn’t any problem with the funds either. Just by taking what the Summer Queen had, they would have a few years’ worth of wealth of a Large Clan.
「But. Master.」
Yeon-woo flashed the Intrenian ring that he used often.
“I can put the items I need in here. You don’t have to worry. However, move everything that used to be in there in here.”
「Thank you.」
Boo bowed. His shoulders were trembling.
The master who had given him life and power was showing him generosity again. How should he repay this?
「Master, what about me? Don’t I get anything?」
Shanon, who had been silently watching the two, suddenly burst in between them.
Yeon-woo glanced at Shanon, and lightly sighed as he moved deeper inside of the dungeon.
「Hey, Master! What’s the meaning behind that sigh? What does it mean?」
Shanon jumped up and down as he chased after Yeon-woo.
* * *
「This. Is. It.」
Boo led them to a deep place inside the dungeon. However, this place was isolated from the other sections and felt closed off.
The smell of death filled the air, and there were familiar magic circles engraved on the walls and the ceiling. They were trans.m.u.tation circles and sealing circles.
“This is enough.”
Yeon-woo confirmed that the magic circles all worked and summoned the soul of the Summer Queen from his collection.
Hwak!
Black energy was instantly poured into the soul, and it changed into a spirit.
There were limits to communicating with a soul, so Yeon-woo had given it some power like Bahal and Leonte.
Since she was the Summer Queen, she was still dangerous as a spirit. She had almost escaped the bind of the Black Bracelet as a mere soul. It was even more dangerous now.
And as he had expected—
「Heaven Winggggg!」
As soon as the Summer Queen snapped to attention, she ran at Yeon-woo.
She didn’t have a clear existence, so she was in her human polymorph form. Her transparent long hair stretched out, and her two eyes turned sharp.
The Despair of the Black King activated to put her under painful pressure, but she didn’t care about that. She just wanted to kill Yeon-woo for putting her in this state.
However—
Chrak, chrak!
Boo cast a spell as if he had been waiting, and the sealing circles activated to pour out Divine Iron.
It was a sealing circle that had bound a lower-level demon. The Summer Queen couldn’t escape it in her current condition.
「Let go! Let go of me! Heaven Wing! I’ll kill you!」
The Summer Queen resisted, tied up in the Divine Iron like it was a coc.o.o.n. But the more she struggled, the tighter the Divine Iron became.
「Aaack!」
Had she ever experienced humiliation like this? She had lived the last thousands of years as a great Draconic species, and she had ruled the Tower with pride.
However, not only did she die after being mocked by a lowly being, but she also became a ghost after dying, and the fact that she was tied up here made her go crazy.
It was humiliating and unpleasant. She would kill herself if she could, but she was too tightly bound by the Despair of the Black King.
She wasn’t the owner of herself anymore. Yeon-woo was.
‘This might be why it’s called ‘Despair.’’
Not being dead even after you died. Looking at the Summer Queen jumping around like she was going mad, Yeon-woo burst out laughing. He couldn’t feel more satisfied than this.
She acted like she would rule the Tower forever, then she came tumbling down to this pathetic state. The end of the last Draconic species was a sight to see.
「I said to let me go!」
The Summer Queen screamed, eyes red. If she couldn’t kill herself, she wanted to go mad, at the very least. But the outstanding rationality of the Draconic species didn’t allow her.
Even if she had symptoms of insanity, all Yeon-woo had to do was input black energy inside of her to clear her mind.
Clack—
Yeon-woo took off his mask and slowly approached the Summer Queen.
The Summer Queen resisted even more as he did.
Heaven Wing! Heaven Wing! Even after death, he made her suffer, and now he didn’t leave her with any chance of escape. Just what was the thing in front of her?
The Summer Queen couldn’t believe her eyes. Cha Jeong-woo was definitely dead. It was something she confirmed herself. It made sense if the thing in front of her was an undead, like her.
But the thing in front of her was definitely a living, breathing human. She was confused at the phenomenon she couldn’t understand.
And when Yeon-woo lowered himself to meet the Summer Queen’s eyes, lifting her chin to smirk at her, the Summer Queen’s resistance stopped like it was a lie. Instead, she glowered at Yeon-woo with still eyes.
「You……! You’re not Heaven Wing.」
She did lose a part of her powers, but she still had some skills left. The person she saw with her Draconic Eyes was similar to Jeong-woo, but it wasn’t him. He was something similar.
“Cha Yeon-woo. That’s my name.”
The Summer Queen realized who Yeon-woo was at that moment.
「……Did Heaven Wing have a brother?」
“He did.”
「You! I should’ve ripped you to shreds when I first saw you……!」
“Sorry. That’s not me, but you. Ismenios.”
Yeon-woo opened eyes that were similar to the Summer Queen’s and growled.
“I’m going to rip you apart and swallow you.”
Demonism began to flow from his eyes through the intense fury.
“But I won’t eat you easily. When you’re trapped in despair—when you realize that there’s no one to save you, and you realize there’s no hope in waiting. I’ll eat you then.”
Yeon-woo had already thought of how to take care of the Summer Queen.
He could use her as his subordinate, but he didn’t want to let his enemy live.
Rather, it was better to swallow her soul with Bathory’s Vampiric Sword and grow the Dragon’s Blessing.
「Try doing whatever you can. Do you think I’ll even lift an eyebrow?」
She was almost insane, but the Summer Queen was still the Summer Queen. She would never destroy herself or surrender. She snickered at Yeon-woo as if telling him to give it his all.
But Yeon-woo tossed the same laugh back at her.
“We’ll see.”
「What?」
“I’m curious if you’ll be alright seeing the body you cherished so much being ripped apart in front of you.”
「What kind of……!」
Just then, Boo lightly waved his hand in the air.
The darkness around them disappeared and a large gla.s.s cage appeared.
The Summer Queen’s body was in a purple liquid inside of it.
There were still injuries all over it from the fight with the Martial King, but her ripped arms and wings were reattached, and the major wounds were now almost healed.
Its eyes were closed, so if someone saw, they would probably think she was just sleeping.
「C, Could it be?」
The Summer Queen belatedly realized what Yeon-woo was thinking. There were countless pumps and hoses connected to the gla.s.s cage.
From one side, red blood was flowing out, and from the other, black poison was being inputted.
“There’s nothing to throw away in the corpse of a dragon. The eyes can be used as magic power sources, the scales and leather as armor, and the bones as unbreakable weapons. Also, its conductivity of magic power is second to none.”
「Stop!」
“From now on, I’m going to dismember your body in front of you. It’ll probably take some time since it’s firm. I’ll have to slowly take it apart in the liquid.”
「I said to stopppp!」
“And I’m also planning on showing you what the pieces will make. Oh, don’t worry. I won’t take everything apart.”
「Just kill me! Kill me!」
Yeon-woo lifted a corner of his mouth seeing the Summer Queen scream.
“Shouldn’t I leave the bones to make a Bone Dragon?”
「Kill me! Pleaseeee!」
The Summer Queen wanted to escape from this humiliation using any means possible. Even if your opponent was your great enemy, there was an unspoken rule of not touching dead people. It was the last sign of respect towards someone who was dead.
But Yeon-woo didn’t seem to have any of those thoughts. Not only would he rip her body apart, but he would make her corpse into a Bone Dragon!
It meant he would use her body even when she was dead.
If she could kill herself, she would willingly die over and over again. However, her soul was already bound, and she didn’t have any freedom.
This couldn’t happen. A great dragon. A descendant of the superior Draconic species. She couldn’t bear this humiliation!
「You! You’re also a descendant of dragons! How can you do that as a Dragon Human……!」
The Summer Queen stopped screaming and suddenly became speechless.
-Unless you escape that way of thinking, you’ll never know. Ever. You’ll probably die suffering by yourself.
Why did she suddenly remember what Cha Jeong-woo said? Way of thinking. Way of thinking! Cha Jeong-woo had told her to escape the shadow of the dragons. To live her own life. If she didn’t, it would lead to her own destruction.
Was that what he meant? The thing that made her suffer wasn’t that way of thinking. It was the ghost of Cha Jeong-woo. [TN: “Way of thinking” and “ghost” mean the same word in Korean.]
-Poor pitiful Ismenios. The last dragon…..
「Let go of me!」
The more the Summer Queen struggled, the more Yeon-woo smiled coldly.
Pause—
The Summer Queen stopped her movement and glared at Yeon-woo with boiling eyes.
「What do you want?」
Looking at her, Yeon-woo spoke icily.
“The reason why Jeong-woo had to die.”