Part 1, Chapter 8, 23

I thought it was truly fortunate.

I had wondered what would happen if the Chaos Illusory Dragon were to obtain the God of War’s corpse, but it was indeed a good decision to block its path and wait in the middle.

Kwooooh—–!!

Chaos roared. The monster, composed solely of an ethereal body, steadily grew in size, planting its four feet in the middle of the Yangtze River and standing tall.

[Groan.]

The Black Flame Dragon was also considered a fairly large monster, but the rampaging Chaos was so massive that its length reached a staggering 100 meters. An SS-rank monster, one that unleashed all its stats with a 99 Affinity Rate, appeared before me now.

I intentionally made it rampage.

Just as Rusalka of Snowy Night-the power of a water-attribute Spirit-was concentrated on Gwanggeom, and I intentionally made him rampage, it was necessary to make a Spirit rampage and then subdue it in order to awaken it.

[Then, from now on, it’s a raid.]

For now, it would be a solo raid, but I had no intention of fighting alone.

[Do you think I’m crazy enough to fight alone?]

A rampaging executive is a threat to humanity, so all Heroes will gather. Hunting monsters transcends nations, races, genders, and religions; it is the duty of humans.

Kyaaaak!!

The Chaos Illusory Dragon roared and scattered mana around it. It seemed to be warning me while also searching for a host to possess, but I had already confirmed that there were no suitable ability users in the surrounding area on my way here.

[Are you flustered because there’s no one to possess?]

The problem was that the Chaos Illusory Dragon’s skill was ‘possession,’ so if an inexperienced ability user stepped forward, the Chaos Illusory Dragon could seize their body. Just as Jilpungek had his body taken so easily, I wanted to avoid a conflict among Heroes.

Chaos was too strong for me to bring all my monstrous humans.

[Then, shall I wait until they arrive?]

If only half the damage landed, then two people could deal the damage. I had to hold Chaos in this Yangtze River until the Spirit I had already awakened arrived.

Grrrroooaaarrr!!

Chaos opened its mouth and roared. Massive mana radiated towards me, and I folded my wings to dodge the attack.

Fwoosh.

Even just grazing the breath attack tore off a part of my wing. I didn’t restore my wing, instead rapidly descending to the ground and clenching my fist. My fist, falling with the acceleration of gravity, aimed for Chaos’s nose.

[If it doesn’t move, it’s just a big monster.]

Kaa-ang!

My flame-infused fist struck Chaos’s snout. Chaos’s head plunged downwards, and I plunged my claws into the spot I had just struck.

Hwaruk!

Flames erupted from the tips of my claws. Chaos violently shook its head, trying to dislodge me, as the flames radiated directly into its body.

[Ugh!]

Its strength was so immense that Chaos almost slammed my body onto the bank of the Yangtze River with just a shake of its head. But I could still endure it. I endured for as long as possible, spewing flames onto Chaos’s snout.

Grrrroooaaarrr!!

As if Chaos could no longer tolerate it, it slammed its own head against its snout. The part of its ethereal body that was burning disappeared as if incinerated, and I was sent flying into the air.

Kyaaaak!

Chaos opened its mouth towards me. As if to swat away an annoying fly, a breath attack was already gathering in its mouth, and I was hit directly by the breath attack without time to dodge.

Kagagagagang!

The mana shield I hastily deployed in front of me deflected the breath attack. However, the shield couldn’t withstand the power of the breath and quickly cracked. At this rate, I would be swept away by the breath. I made a decision.

[I won’t lose in a mana contest!]

I extended both hands forward and unleashed mana. Just before I hit the river, I spread my wings as wide as possible behind me, supporting my body in mid-air. The blue mana radiating forward clashed with the gray mana of the breath, beginning a tug-of-war.

Kyaaaak!

Chaos extended its leg forward, putting more power into its breath. In my already disadvantageous position, radiating mana, I couldn’t easily win this tug-of-war.

If I took a lot of time, I might win, but now, a quick decisive battle was the answer. I seized the moment when the breath briefly weakened, and quickly hid my body downwards.

Towards the water.

Grrr…?!

Chaos seemed surprised that I had jumped into the water myself. Even though I had evaporated the middle of the Yangtze River to create a battlefield, there was still a significant amount of river water that hadn’t evaporated.

Fwoosh—!!

My flame wings landed in the Yangtze River water, creating a massive cloud of steam. Since I had plunged my wings into the water myself, they were no longer useful. I abandoned my wings.

[But it doesn’t matter.]

As I plunged into the water, the breath attack cut through the river, passed over the bank, and struck a sheer mountain. A mountain peak, hundreds of meters tall by eye, was pierced by the weakened breath attack.

[Tunnel construction is going to be quite spectacular!]

I was once again amazed by the destructive power of the breath. Indeed, a destructive beam. It wasn’t for nothing that it was the desperate and ultimate skill of demonic dragons.

[But as long as I avoid a direct hit, that’s all that matters!]

I sprang out of the river and ran towards the land. The muddy ground was losing its moisture and hardening, thanks to the small sun I had floated in the sky.

Thud, thud, thud!

With three powerful leaps, I reached Chaos’s immediate vicinity. Chaos pulled its body back and bared its sharp teeth, but I had already pushed off the ground and leaped high, sharpening my claws. Chaos swung its front paw, trying to intercept me.

Swaaak-!

Chaos tried to swat me away with abnormal speed. Chaos’s attack was much faster than my jump. The physical abilities of the ethereal Chaos far surpassed those of ordinary monsters. If I just stayed still, I would be hit by its front paw.

[You should have dodged, you fool.]

But that was precisely my aim. I spun my body in mid-air and spread my arms wide.

Kwaaang!!

[Ugh!]

It hurt. My entire body ached as if I had been hit by a train. But I could endure this much pain. I plunged my claws into Chaos’s front paw.

Grrr…?!

Chaos abandoned its attack, a clear look of bewilderment on its face at me, clinging to its front paw like an insect. As the pain subsided, before Chaos could shake its front paw, I climbed its body, reaching upwards as if rock climbing.

Kyaaaak, Kraaaak!

It stomped its feet hard on the ground, trying to shake me off. Every time Chaos struck the ground, the surrounding area violently shook, as if an earthquake had occurred. But I clung tightly to Chaos’s body and endured to the very end.

Kwaduk, Kwaduk.

The more Chaos roared, the more my claws tore and ripped its skin. Mana began to flow from the wounds I made, and I plunged my hand inside, radiating flames directly within.

Hwarururuk!

The joint of its front leg filled with blue flames. Chaos, perhaps bewildered that one of its front legs was gradually being consumed by flames, ran forward and plunged its foot into the water.

[Ugh!]

I was submerged in the Yangtze River. The river water began to boil from the heat of my body and the flames burning inside Chaos, but the damage inflicted on me was even more severe. It was difficult to exert power easily underwater.

[Damn it!]

But I had to endure. Even if it meant evaporating the entire Yangtze River if the water got in the way, I clung tightly to Chaos’s body and continued my climb.

Kwaduk. Kwaduk.

Every time Chaos thrashed in the water, water seeped into my armor. It stung and hurt as if I were being electrocuted.

Still, I managed to stubbornly reach my destination. Below Chaos’s neck. Chaos’s weakness, with a clearly different mana density from other places. I tapped on that circular weakness, barely large enough for a basketball, as if knocking.

Grrrroooaaarrr!!

Chaos shrieked and began to thrash wildly. As if it would never allow my entry, it was desperately trying to shake me off, even by spewing mana.

Jwaaaak!

I tore Chaos’s skin open with both hands. The thin, horizontally torn hole was barely large enough for my hand to enter, but Chaos wouldn’t give me time to tear it open and enter.

Grrrroooaaarrr!

Chaos’s neck elongated like a snake and spun around. Its intention was to bite and tear me off directly with its mouth, and if I missed this opportunity, the weakness would close.

So this was the only chance. I stretched the hand I had inserted into the weakness to widen the space, then stabbed my other hand into my chest.

Into my chest.

[Ahem…!]

It was practically self-mutilation, but to use the joker card to awaken the Spirit, I could bear this much. I pulled out the blue orb I had stored right next to my heart.

[Hoo, huh.]

Hwaruk.

The mana-wrapped membrane burned away in flames, and a black-gray Core rested in my palm. My most cherished Core, and also a monstrous human, a trustworthy comrade who knew almost everything about me.

[I’m counting on you!]

I inserted the Core into the Chaos Illusory Dragon’s body, reviving it. Black-gray hair fluttered within the ethereal Chaos, and a masked woman smiled at me.

[Cheon Gaeul!]

“Don’t worry.”

Cheon Gaeul was smiling beneath her mask.

“I’ll find it quickly and bring its mind back.”

Kwaduk.

Chaos bit my body. Sharp teeth pierced through my armor, and mana leaked from various parts of my body.

Grrrroooaaarrr!!

Chaos, still biting me, violently swung its head and slammed me into the river. River water entered through the holes in my armor, causing pain once again.

[Hehehe.]

However, laughter spontaneously escaped me. I tilted my head back and emerged from the water.

[You’re already finished.]

The rampaging Chaos must be subdued from the outside, but the Illusory Dragon loafing around inside must be subdued from within.

While I suppressed Chaos from the outside, Cheon Gaeul had to reform the Illusory Dragon. In the original story, another heroine performed that role, but now Cheon Gaeul had to carry out that mission.

The joker card for conquering the Chaos Illusory Dragon.

Keeping it a secret from Eun Yuha, Seok Harang, and even all the Azure Syndicate executives, I hid Cheon Gaeul in my heart. Cheon Gaeul would find the Illusory Dragon inside Chaos’s body and persuade it.

I wanted to go in myself, but it was true that I alone would struggle to suppress the rampaging Chaos.

[That’s why I called you.]

Swaaaah.

Rain fell. Just as the evaporated steam from the Yangtze River rose to the sky to become rain clouds, dark clouds filled the sky, obscuring the small sun floating above.

Darkness once again settled thickly over the Yangtze River, and Chaos, emerging from the slowly rising river water, tried to bite me.

Grrr…?!

But the currents of the Yangtze River restrained Chaos. The flowing water, like living snakes, coiled around Chaos’s body and plunged it into the water.

Gurgle.

Chaos shook its head and thrashed its body, trying to escape the river, but it couldn’t break free from the immense currents of the Yangtze River and the power of the ability user-the Spirit-who controlled them.

“You’re completely tattered. Are you okay?”

A white butterfly fluttered its wings and descended from the clouds. The white-haired woman handed me a white umbrella made of mana, and I temporarily took on a human form to hold the umbrella for recovery.

“……This is getting off cheap.”

“I’ve never seen you so broken before. Ugh.”

Seok Harang winced at my tattered body. My entire body was torn, and there was even an ugly dog bite mark on my waist.

“I’ll be fully recovered in a minute, so don’t worry.”

“That’s good then…. Ah, this.”

Seok Harang took out a black orb from her pocket. I took the Black Flame Dragon’s Core and put it in my pocket.

“Now the people of New Seoul will be relieved, right?”

“Of course they will. An S-rank monster died. So, how are you going to deal with your Black Flame Dragon rampaging in China?”

“I’ll hold a press conference later. Say I was kidnapped by Mao Zeping and imprisoned in Beijing.”

“…Ugh. Never mind. I’m an idiot for asking. So, is it enough to just tie that guy up like this for now?”

“Yes.”

Chaos was submerged in the rising river water. The drizzling rain from the sky returned to the river, but each raindrop became a spear, pricking Chaos’s back.

“If Phantom succeeds in conquering the Illusory Dragon, that makes three Spirits.”

“It’s smooth if it’s smooth, but troublesome if it’s troublesome. Do I just have to wait?”

“Yes. You do.”

I enveloped my entire body in mana to heal my injuries. Flames filled and healed the bruises and wounds, and I returned to my usual state.

“Me? Then what are you going to do?”

“Eliminate the unstable elements.”

I draped the umbrella over Seok Harang’s shoulder and patted it.

“I believe in you. You can do it.”

Before Seok Harang could say anything, I spread my wings and flew along the river. The temporary handling of the Chaos Illusory Dragon escaping along the Yangtze River was done, so now it was time to eliminate another unstable element.

“To think I’d accept a challenge like this again.”

I stopped at a point where I felt a sufficient distance had been created. Standing with both feet on the river water, I crossed my arms and calmly waited for the approaching challenger.

The monstrous human.

Xiaolin.

He fortunately stopped in front of me. With a giant coffin strapped to his back.

“Stop!”

I yelled at Xiaolin.

“I am Phoenix, guarding the river! State your name!”

“……Xiaolin, a monstrous human of the Chaos Illusory Dragon.”

That answer was enough. I clenched my fist and took a breath.

“You brought your pass, right?!”

“I don’t have one.”

Xiaolin drew his weapon. The guandao he used during Unjang’s time was nowhere to be seen; he merely assumed the stance of gripping a guandao with his hands.

“If you don’t have a pass!”

I pushed off the river water and leaped.

“Hand over the God of War’s corpse and leave!”

“I cannot do that.”

Xiaolin swung his hand. There was nothing in his hand, yet he held it as if wielding a guandao.

Kaang.

My fist stopped in mid-air. To be precise, it was blocked by Xiaolin’s weapon.

“Indeed. It seems you’ve finally realized.”

“…It’s merely a shallow method realized by abandoning Unjang, though.”

Flash.

Xiaolin aimed an invisible weapon at me with a confident expression.

“It seems to be a rather good technique.”

“……An invisible weapon, this is cheating!”

“What does it matter?”

Xiaolin pulled back his arm and shouted.

“All that matters is winning!”

“That’s true!”

Mana and mana clashed once again.