Part 1 Chapter 6 (19)

5:09 AM, Airspace over North Hwanghae Province.

“Then let’s confirm this one more time. The battlefield is Chinese territory. The Maginot Line is the Amnok River. We scatter monsters from the air with the cubes, and the monstrous humans intercept the heroes. Right?”

At my words, Jihwa trembled, clutching the scales, but nodded. The other executives didn’t look too good either.

“Why? Everyone looks like they’re seasick.”

“Now, here, speak, properly, Ugh?!”

Deokbae’s hand, which was holding the scales, slipped. The other executives seemed to have already given up, clinging only to the scales, desperately wishing to arrive early.

“Think positively. If I had brought out my main body, it would have been three times faster than this.”

I jumped off the head of the Black Flame Dragon, which had been monstrously enlarged. Deokbae, who had slipped past its wing, was plummeting vertically towards the ground.

“If it weren’t near Pyongyang, I would have just killed him and recovered the core.”

I snatched Deokbae’s hood and turned. As I briefly fell off, the Black Flame Dragon’s speed, whose mana supply had been cut off, slowly began to decrease.

“Haa, haa, haa.”

Deokbae gasped for breath. Even though his hood was caught at the back of his neck, dangling in the air, Deokbae seemed to be calming his startled heart.

“Persevere, C-rank. All the other executives are enduring it right now, aren’t they?”

“Then don’t talk to me, at least?”

“I thought there would be at least one person who could answer.”

I landed on the Black Flame Dragon’s back. Deokbae clung to the scales and lay flat. The other monstrous humans were in much the same situation. The A-rank ability users were at least using their powers to withstand the Black Flame Dragon’s flight speed, and Phantom held the B-ranks by the waist with his tentacles.

When I asked why he wasn’t helping the weakest, Jo Deokbae, he said it was because he was resentful that he had taken his alcohol. I briefly tried to recall if Cheon Gaeul liked alcohol, but decided to pretend not to know, thinking that even he might sometimes need alcohol.

Grrr.

The Black Flame Dragon roared. It had lost its linguistic function upon becoming an S-rank monster, but its intellect remained. And only I could hear the beast’s roar.

[May I increase speed again?]

Thanks to me, it had been flying at supersonic speeds, but slowed down when Deokbae fell, and it seemed restless.

“No. Let’s go a bit slower. We’ll be in Pyongyang soon.”

I wanted to go around via the West Sea, but there wasn’t enough time, so we had to cross Pyongyang. Even then, we were flying at the highest possible altitude.

“We’re going through all this trouble not to wake that thing up, but if we wake it, it’ll all be for nothing. If we happen to wake it, China won’t be the problem, but-“

[I will proceed slowly.]

To the other executives, it sounded like a beast’s roar, but the Black Flame Dragon slowed down much more gently than before. The executives’ faces began to relax a little.

“How is it? Is it better now?”

“Hah, but at this rate, I don’t think we’ll arrive on time.”

Beacon, held by Phantom’s tentacles, let out a groan. He couldn’t check the screen’s video, but he could extract rough information. Those who had been broadcasting in the early morning were now packing their broadcasting equipment and filming and relaying the southward movement of the heroes.

“According to the streaming site’s broadcast room, the rear of the heroes has now entered Fengcheng.”

“What’s the exact distance?”

“Approximately 300km to Pyongyang, and about 100km to the Amnok River, which is the Maginot Line.”

“What? Why so fast?”

“Red Hare is at the vanguard. The trailing forces are following behind. It seems to be killing monsters as it rushes ahead.”

“Is it planning to enter Pyongyang alone? If so, we’ll have to shift the Maginot Line towards Pyongyang.”

“There’s no need for that.”

I pointed at Deokbae and Phantom. Phantom released the tentacles that were holding the monstrous humans, shortening their length, and Deokbae barely managed to get up on the scales.

“It might be too late for all 20 of us to go, but if the opponent is an elite few below Unjang, then three of us are enough.”

As I grabbed Deokbae by the back of his neck and dragged him, Phantom turned pale and shook his head.

“Ah, no! If we’re going to go like that, then rather-“

“What are you talking about?”

I transformed into my monstrous human form. With my gauntlet, I still held Deokbae by the scruff of his neck, and with my right arm, I wrapped around Phantom’s waist.

[Is this alright?]

“…….”

Phantom silently nodded. Indeed, even I would refuse to be carried around like a plastic bag from the supermarket, like Deokbae. As Phantom clung tightly to my body and wrapped his tentacles around my legs, I looked at Beacon and pointed at the Black Flame Dragon below.

[I will go ahead and buy some time. As soon as you leave Pyongyang, increase your speed and fly this way.]

“Yes!”

[I’m going.]

I kicked off the Black Flame Dragon’s back and soared. I spread wings on my back that were incomparably larger than when I was in human form. Before engaging in full combat, I checked the cube in my embrace once more.

[Then-]

At full speed, I flew.

* * *

5:10 AM, Fengcheng City, Fenghuang Station.

“…!”

Unjang gripped Red Hare’s reins. The alien mana felt in the cold morning air was clearly a mana wavelength he had felt before.

“Whoa, whoa.”

Red Hare stopped in its tracks for a moment. Since the heroes following behind hadn’t approached yet, Red Hare subtly opened its muzzle and spoke.

“What’s wrong?”

“……Just, quiet.”

Unjang even closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of mana. Was the mana flowing on the wind from afar that of the monster sleeping in Pyongyang? No. If that monster had awakened and was active, he would have felt its mana long ago. Then was that mana from another S-rank that appeared in Seoul? That wasn’t it either. It was too ferocious and wild to be S-rank mana.

Like, that monster from that day-

“……!”

Unjang bit his lip. The hand holding the reins began to tremble. Even Red Hare tensed at Unjang’s unusual agitation.

“What-“

“General!”

Heroes began to appear one by one from behind the railway tracks. Red Hare pulled its muzzle back again and neighed, and the heroes stood beside Unjang, who had stopped in his tracks, and saluted.

“We apologize!”

“…It’s nothing.”

The neutral voice heard from beneath Unjang’s mask trembled faintly.

The heroes arriving one after another behind Unjang all wore deathly pale expressions. All of them had run hard, but they couldn’t catch up to Unjang’s speed riding Red Hare. If Unjang hadn’t stopped, the distance would have widened even further.

Unjang himself didn’t think so, but the heroes swallowed, thinking of Unjang’s backing. A man with a yellow headband on his head bowed respectfully to Unjang and spoke.

“General Unjang. Although I believe it is displeasing for the heroes to fall behind-“

“That’s not the problem.”

Unjang gripped the shaft of the crescent blade he carried on his back. The heroes, wondering if he was about to purge the lagging soldiers, flinched and stepped back.

“…Contact Dongchang. Search the area from our current location to Pyongyang.”

“Yes.”

While the man urgently exchanged communications with Dongchang, the Central Party’s secret intelligence organization, Unjang subtly lifted his battle robe and brought up a screen.

‘Jilpungek has already called 29 times.’

Gawain and Oracle had also called Unjang several times on the Round Table’s exclusive channel, but Unjang had no choice but to strictly follow Mao Zeping’s words to refuse the Round Table’s requests.

‘I’m sorry to Jilpungek, but I can’t help it.’

Even if it was an S-rank monster that appeared near Japan, he was currently in a position where he had to follow the Central Party’s directives. Unless it was a situation like the Dodgers Gate, where multiple S-rank demon dragons appeared and the Round Table was needed for retaliation, Unjang prioritized his father’s orders over the Round Table.

It was Mao Zeping who originally made Unjang-Xiaolin a member of the Round Table. After the death of the first-generation Round Table member, Jeon-gwi (War Ghost), Mao Zeping quickly placed Unjang in the second-generation Round Table position. Gawain, who knew the secret history, also acknowledged Unjang’s talent and created a spot for him on the Round Table, even while accepting the condition that Unjang would prioritize the Chinese government.

‘Instead, eliminate the threat from Pyongyang.’

So Unjang decided to focus on conquering Pyongyang. He was confident that if they eliminated the monsters in Pyongyang and conquered the former North Korean territory, both China and Korea would be largely free from the danger of monsters in the future. Such thoughts were not limited to Unjang alone.

‘Even the border heroes have risen up.’

The heroes Mao Zeping had prepared beforehand raised their banners in Shenyang and marched south with Unjang. However, whether Mao Zeping intended it or not, news spread that hunters from the border adjacent areas also joined the uprising.

Dandong City.

This city, facing the border with former North Korea across the Amnok River, served as a forward base for heroes and hunters. Monsters generated in Pyongyang also began to cross north one by one, and Dandong was a place that hunted such monsters and supplied cores and byproducts to Beijing.

Influenced by the Shenyang uprising, including Unjang, they began to cross the Amnok River first. Unjang had an uneasy premonition.

‘The mana carried on the wind is too ferocious.’

His two hands gripping the crescent blade instinctively tightened. As B-rank heroes slowly began to arrive one by one, a hero who had accompanied Unjang as his aide cautiously spoke.

“An S-rank monster that appeared in Seoul is reportedly moving north. It has just passed Pyongyang.”

“……!”

Unjang swallowed, looking at the monster’s appearance. The strange phenomena of blue flames, which had become particularly noticeable since the dimensional gate appeared in Korea, had triggered Unjang’s trauma multiple times. It was the first time in his life he had felt the humiliation of feeling fear in front of an enemy and fleeing.

He didn’t know how many times he had woken up in his sleep. Every time he saw the footage from Seoul, his body trembled, his hands sweated, and his mana pulsed like an active volcano.

“……Hoo.”

Unjang took a deep breath from beneath his mask. When most of the B-rank heroes had arrived at the station, Unjang pulled Red Hare’s reins hard once and shouted.

“I’m leaving first! Follow at your own pace!”

“What?! Suddenly, what-“

Before the hero could stop Unjang, Red Hare galloped along the railway tracks, emitting red mana from its body. The sound of hooves echoed across the dawn plain, and the heroes remaining at the station soon became dots and disappeared beyond the horizon.

“Hoo, hoo.”

As he exhaled a breath trembling with tension, Red Hare subtly loosened its muzzle and spoke.

“Are you okay? Wouldn’t it be better if we went together after all?”

“They’ll only be in the way.”

The further south they went, the hotter the mana in the air became. Unjang, Xiaolin, could instinctively feel the enemy’s presence.

“It’s definitely there.”

The mana of the monster, the nemesis he had to overcome, the one whose humiliation from two months ago he had to shake off, was felt from the south. And that mana was now moving north at a very high speed, as if welcoming Unjang.

“I will definitely win.”

Kill the monster, conquer Pyongyang, and break free from this cage to find freedom.

* * *

5:14 AM, Airspace over the Amnok River.

“This is a big problem. They’ve already started crossing one by one.”

I stopped in mid-air and set Deokbae down on the ground. As I changed from my monstrous human form to human form, my physique shrank, and Gaeul also subtly detached from my body and landed on the ground.

Thump! Deokbae fell to the ground with his heavy body. In the distance, heroes crossing the river became visible.

“Unjang hasn’t even arrived yet, so where did those come from?”

“They just seem like heroes who rushed out on their own? It doesn’t look like they’re taking orders from anyone in particular.”

“That’s true. Phantom’s observational skills are excellent, as expected.”

“Even if you praise me, you won’t get anything out of it, you know?”

Phantom primly tossed his hair back. But I saw it. One of his tentacles squirmed shyly. Just as I turned my gaze to ignite a flame, Deokbae subtly bent down and whispered into my ear.

“Hey, what do I do? I gave the Spirit Stone to the Black Flame Dragon.”

“Can’t you fight without being a Flame Giant?”

“I’m C-rank. If we fight to the death one-on-one, I’d even lose to Beacon.”

“……No, what do you mean, you act like you can beat everyone normally, but now you’re saying something like that?”

“If you don’t like it, then give me a Spirit Stone.”

Deokbae, instead, angrily held out his hand to me. I gave Deokbae a look as if he were trash, but Deokbae, not to be outdone, held out both hands to me.

Bang! Bang, bang!

While Deokbae and I were bickering, Cheon Gaeul extended his tentacles and was striking the river. Ah, not the river, but people. The Chinese heroes who had crossed the river.

“…You’re playing whack-a-mole with tentacles?”

“Hey. Don’t change the subject. Give me my Spirit Stone.”

“Tch.”

Anyway, he’s annoyingly quick-witted. I took out a Spirit Stone from my pocket. Deokbae’s face lit up.

“As expected. There’s no way you only made one of these. How many do you have? Enough for all the executives?”

“…I gave all the A-ranks to Yuseong last time, so I don’t have any now. That’s the only one left besides that.”

“So if I use that, will I become SS-rank?”

Phantom, who had just jabbed a hero flying above the water in the solar plexus with a tentacle, subtly approached and asked. I nodded and threw the Spirit Stone to Deokbae.

“You can, but Phantom might be affected by the original core. If something goes wrong, a monster like a tentacle toad-“

“Alright. Then I won’t do it.”

Phantom quickly gave up and turned back to the river. Deokbae inserted the Spirit Stone into his heart and smiled comfortably with a relieved expression.

“This is how it should be, after all. Hey, but what are you going to use the remaining one for?”

“…For this.”

I brought my hands together and clashed the Spirit Stone and the cube. Soon, the cube’s mana began to flow into the Spirit Stone, and the purified mana surged into the sky, taking shape as a blue flame.

♩♪♩♬

A Mini Phoenix landed on a branch. Unlike the small canary that served as a messenger bird, this one was a large creature that looked aggressive, like a hawk.

“Why that all of a sudden?”

“We decided to scatter monsters, didn’t we?”

I quickly gripped the cube and Spirit Stone that generated Mini Phoenixes and stretched my hand towards the sky. Soon, the cube and Spirit Stone attached, causing a mana reaction, and the Spirit Stone, with the cube as its core, transformed into a large, blue-tinged tree.

“Ta-da! With this, the ‘Nest’ is complete!”

Deokbae and Phantom’s expressions became subtly strange. I felt awkward and patted the tree’s trunk with my hand.

Flap! A Mini Phoenix popped out from among the leaves. Soon, Mini Phoenixes began to appear one by one, following behind, filling the branches.

“Since we’re going to let the monsters run wild anyway, while we’re blocking the heroes….”

Manchuria is vast. Naturally, there are many monsters there. I grinned, pressing my index finger and thumb together.

“The monsters spread out here. Shall we kill them and steal some cores?”

The Mini Phoenixes embroidered the dawn sky of Dandong.