Sovereign of the Infinite Clones [Novel] Chapter 447

My Alter Ego’S Path To Greatness Chapter 447

***

The Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon (2)

Jegal Hyemi returned to the place where the others were waiting.

“Sis! Are you okay? You look really tired.”

Namgung Soran was the first to approach her, speaking cautiously as she examined Hyemi’s face.

Dark circles had formed beneath her eyes, and her skin had become noticeably rougher.

She hadn’t even been gone for that long, yet as Soran had pointed out, the healthy complexion she had had just moments ago had become so haggard that she looked as though she might collapse at any moment.

“Mm-hmm, I’m fine. I just pushed myself a little too hard. I’ll be okay after I get some rest.”

Even though she had employed every means available to lessen the burden, there was no way a miracle of that magnitude could be manifested without any cost.

If anything, it was a wonder that she had gotten away with nothing more than fatigue.

As one of the people directly involved, Ha Seunghoon knew that better than anyone. He approached her with a gentle smile.

Since things had gone smoothly thanks to her, he wanted to at least take care of her in this way.

“You’ve worked hard, Miss Jegal. Fortunately, it seems there weren’t any particular problems.”

“Oh, Young Master. That’s right. I only helped with a ritual, after all.”

“You seem to have overexerted yourself. Come over here and get some rest. I’ll ask the goblins attending to us if they have anything that might help restore your energy.”

“Hehe, thank you for looking after me.”

A soft smile spread across her lips at his thoughtful concern. Just as a gentle atmosphere began to settle between the two…

“Ah! I know just the thing! Sis, come over here! I found something good while I was looking around earlier.”

Namgung Soran suddenly popped into the conversation, wrapped her arms around Hyemi’s, and pulled her toward herself.

“There are so many amazing places here! There’s a hot spring that’s not only excellent for relieving fatigue but also has remarkable effects on healing injuries. Apparently, it’s wonderful for your skin, too. I’ve been waiting for you so we could go together, and now’s the perfect time!”

She then winked and began walking off triumphantly.

“S-Soran?”

“When are we ever going to get another chance to come somewhere like this? We have to try everything we can while we have the opportunity. Besides, we’re guests who were invited here, so apparently everything’s free!”

“You’re from a wealthy family…”

“It’s always good to save money whenever you can, isn’t it? Besides, the currency used among the demons is different from ours. Oh, and I heard something from the fox lady working there earlier. Apparently…”

She suddenly lowered her voice, brought her lips close to Hyemi’s ear, and began whispering something.

Her cultivation was still somewhat lacking for a technique like telepathic transmission, but apparently lowering her voice like this was enough to imitate it, because not a single sound escaped to the outside.

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“…Let’s go.”

“Okay!.”

The two immediately hit it off, said a quick goodbye to Ha Seunghoon, and hurried away.

Since Horus mainly stayed in the dragons’ residence, he didn’t know all the facilities available on Geumo Island. Apparently, the two had heard something particularly intriguing.

He let out a quiet chuckle as he watched them disappear side by side.

He had been a little worried since Hyemi had just gone through such a major ritual, but seeing her like that reassured him that she hadn’t completely exhausted herself.

‘Well, Soran was right. From a human’s perspective, there really are a lot of bizarre things here.’

A hot spring that improved one’s skin was only the beginning.

There were bamboo shoots that could make you taller if you ate them, foul-smelling incense said to raise even the dead, and flower buds that could turn you invisible when rubbed against the body.

‘Wait. Come to think of it, this isn’t something I can just laugh off.’

A thought suddenly occurred to him, narrowing his eyes.

His instincts as a 「Dimensional Merchant」 were telling him something.

There had been a strong smell of money in the air for quite some time.

Until now, he had more or less given up because of the various restrictions placed upon him. But now, wasn’t it possible to overcome those problems?

‘I should seriously think this through. This might be…’

Just as Ha Seunghoon became lost in thought, devising a new business model—

“Hmm. A fox.”

A familiar voice suddenly came from beside him.

It was Mok In-gwang, who had been wandering around near the group ever since arriving on Geumo Island, perhaps because he was bored.

He insisted that he wasn’t bored and was merely looking after them on his master’s orders, but no matter how you looked at it, he was nothing more than a nosy middle-aged man poking his nose into everything.

“A fox? Ah, do you mean the hot spring the ladies just went to?”

“Well, that place is run by fox demons too, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean that little lady from earlier.”

“Miss Namgung?”

Ha Seunghoon tilted his head at the man’s strangely Taoist-like attire. He couldn’t possibly have meant that she was literally a fox demon, so it had to be a metaphor. If anything, she seemed more like a puppy than a fox…

‘Well, they’re both canines, so I guess it’s close enough.’

Mok In-gwang glanced at Ha Seunghoon, who continued blinking in confusion, then curled his lips into a mocking smile and slowly closed his eyes.

The cultivation level he had seen in Namgung Soran was that of a First-Class martial artist.

For a girl who had only just entered her late teens to have already reached the First-Class level was impossible unless she was a genius.

Aside from the handful of Profound experts who were practically in a league of their own, Transcendent was effectively the pinnacle of martial artists in this world.

‘This dense monster is obviously an exception.’

Considering that the elders of major sects generally stood at the Peak of the Ultimate Realm, while commanders of their martial forces were usually at the Peak Realm, a First-Class martial artist was considered an elite warrior in any sect.

In remote regions, it was not uncommon for someone of that level to even establish a sect, raise disciples, and become its leader.

As a direct descendant of one of the great prestigious families, she had talent, put in the effort, and received abundant support. That was undoubtedly how she had reached such a level.

But why would a young lady from a prestigious family, blessed with such outstanding abilities and beauty, leave the safety of her family and go this far…?

“Hey, Heavenly Dragon Sword. You’re pissing me off. Let’s have a round.”

“Huh? All of a sudden? And the ‘Heavenly Dragon Sword’ is…”

“Bullshit. Even the word ‘Hero’ is too good for you. Kheheh. Don’t tell me a man like you is chickening out?”

“Hah. Fine. I was actually looking to stretch my legs a little.”

Mok In-gwang gritted his teeth as he looked at the young martial artist before him—young, handsome, good-natured, and undeniably charming.

This was just too much!

How was that guy supposed to be a powerhouse on the same level as him?

He knew perfectly well that he had a nasty temperament, so it had never particularly bothered him before. But with such an obvious contrast standing right beside him, it was impossible not to feel his blood boil.

‘And they call him the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero? What the hell is that cool name?! While I’m still stuck with the ridiculous nickname Mad Demon King!’

What annoyed him even more was that the bastard who had stolen the nickname ‘Mad Demon’ from him had suddenly disappeared without a trace and hadn’t been active at all.

Ever since the day the world had been restored using the Dragon’s Child.

‘Why the hell did he steal it if he wasn’t going to use it?! If you’re not going to use it, give it back, you bastard!’

Of course, by now, it was nothing more than a meaningless outburst.

Ha Seunghoon silently watched Mok In-gwang fume to himself and shook his head. He was certain that without Halli’s physical therapy, the madness that had subsided must have resurfaced. He had absolutely no awareness that he himself accounted for the vast majority of the man’s stress.

‘Well, if he’s this eager, it’ll probably help quite a bit with increasing his 「Mugeuk」 proficiency.’

One way or another, Mok In-gwang was still a master standing at the very pinnacle of Transcendent, looking toward Profound.

There were undoubtedly insights to be gained from exchanging martial arts with someone at the same level.

‘They’ll be busy over there for the time being, too.’

He glanced toward the direction of the Dragon God Temple and shrugged.

Not only the Five Dragons, including Horus, but the other dragons as well would have a hard time paying attention to this side for a while.

And for good reason.

The bloodline of the Yellow Dragon, whose lineage had been completely severed during the Great War that had inflicted devastating losses upon the entire demonkind—

had finally been fully revived.

***

“Here, try eating this.”

[Kyaauuuung!]

“Hiik! You ate it! So cute! So adorable! Want another one? Another?”

Black Dragon, a girl in her mid-teens with long black hair braided down her back, hopped up and down in excitement.

Then she carefully took out another softly glowing object resembling a will-o’-the-wisp from her pocket and held it out.

It was meant for the tiny dragon’s rounded snout, no bigger than her fist.

Lick—

The little Yellow Dragon blinked its round eyes before eagerly gobbling it down without the slightest hesitation.

As it repeatedly shook its head and smacked its lips, Black Dragon’s expression melted into pure delight.

“Ehehe! You ate another one! All right, then, next…”

“That’s enough, Black Dragon. It was only born recently. No matter how beneficial it is for the body, overeating will only do more harm than good.”

“…White Dragon, if you’re going to say that, why don’t you put down the Immortal Fruit you’re holding? You’re not exactly very convincing.”

“Ahem.”

At Black Dragon’s pointed retort, White Dragon cleared his throat and turned his head away. Even so, he had no intention of putting down the peach-like fruit in his hand.

“Um…”

Horus let out a small sigh at the farce unfolding right before him and cautiously spoke up.

However, he wasn’t given a chance to complain about the situation.

The moment he opened his mouth, a sweet fruit was popped into it, causing him to instinctively chew and miss his chance.

“Something cute next to something cute. What a precious sight.”

“Ahem. Well, it’s not bad.”

“Scarlet Dragon? Is that a recording crystal? How did you already…?”

“Hmph! This is the moment when an heir to the Yellow Dragon’s lineage, which had been completely severed, has finally been born again. We have a duty to record this moment and pass it down to future generations, Azure Dragon.”

“I see. As expected of Scarlet Dragon. You’re absolutely right. …You’ll share it with me later, won’t you?”

A dragon’s Yeouiju could freely change its size.

It could be anything from a small orb that could be conveniently carried around in human form to something the size of a boulder, large enough for a massive dragon to comfortably hold in its mouth.

The Yeouiju used in this ritual had been stored at roughly the size of two adult fists put together. Naturally, the Yellow Dragon born from it was also bound to be small…

“Nom nom… You really are growing quickly, aren’t you?”

[Kyaauung?]

Horus swallowed the fruit in his mouth and looked at the tiny dragon peeking its head over his shoulder.

Its yellowish body, wrapped around the upper body of a boy around six or seven years old, had already grown from the size of a loach when it first emerged from the Yeouiju into the size of a proper snake.

‘Well, I suppose that’s only natural, considering it’s not a normal living creature to begin with.’

Even if the Yeouiju from which it was hatched had been made the size of a house from the beginning, the result would have been the same.

What mattered was the amount of energy initially invested and the energy it consumed during its subsequent growth. Horus grinned and gently stroked the head of the young Yellow Dragon, Hwi-ryeong, with one hand.

‘Grow big and strong. Don’t get sick.’

At the sincerity in his touch, the little dragon slowly closed its eyes, twisted its body, and rubbed its head against his hand.

“Aaaah—”

“Eh? Azure Dragon? Are you okay? Snap out of it!”

“…Scarlet Dragon, as a rule, records that could potentially be lost should be stored in multiple locations. You know that, don’t you?”

“Hmph. Who knows?”

Ignoring the noisy voices coming from outside, he quietly focused on the sense of unity he could feel with Hwi-ryeong.

It wasn’t simply his attachment to a child that had been born thanks to him.

‘So this is the true power of the 「Yellow Dragon’s Orb」.’

He could feel it. The invisible bond that had formed between him and Hwi-ryeong through the ritual he had presided over.

Vhuuuuummㅡ

A faint energy flowed from Horus’s fingertips.

It was power originating from the newly born Hwi-ryeong, but he wasn’t borrowing it from the child.

‘It’s power that’s been additionally granted to me in direct proportion to it. And this power… it’s similar to the Yeouiju.’

In other words, Hwi-ryeong’s very existence was essentially another Yeouiju for him.

The Yeouiju, which amplified a dragon’s abilities to their utmost limit, was an artifact that could normally only be utilized one at a time unless one committed the act of defying heaven.

With a satisfied smile, he continued gently stroking Hwi-ryeong’s head, making it sway from side to side.

‘It’s basically a totem.’

For now, it was nothing more than a newborn dragon hatchling, but perhaps because of its extraordinary origins, its growth rate was anything but ordinary.

The more this child grew, the greater the power he would be able to wield.

It was an ability granted to no one else, not the other dragons who had served as the pillars of the ritual, nor even Jegal Hyemi, who had acted as an intermediary with the Dragon God in her capacity as a shaman.

It was a power only he could use.

‘And that’s not all. Right now there’s only Hwi-ryeong, but if I can create more Yellow Dragons from here and raise those children safely…’

Just how strong could Horus become?

A breath attack amplified through a single Yeouiju had blown Beijing away in its entirety.

If a second and third amplification were added on top of that, multiplying its power several times over, its might was impossible to even imagine.

But he couldn’t put his plan into action just yet.

Azure Dragon, who had gone to inspect the situation in the Repentance Cave at his request, had expressed concern.

“We used up most of the energy we’d accumulated through the ritual just now. To be honest, we’re barely going to have enough to keep the Illusion Realm running for the time being. Of course, now that the demons living in the Illusion Realm are free to leave, we’ll be able to recover if we give it enough time, but…”

Even taking that into consideration, it would be impossible anytime soon. Faced with such an unavoidable situation, Horus was about to give up—

‘So all I need to do is solve the energy problem?’ —he didn’t.

If it can’t be done, then make it possible.

Recalling the words of the great sages of old, he returned to his room and quietly fell into thought as he stroked Hwi-ryeong’s head.

His mind turned to the memory of raiding the entire warehouse of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church, the most heinous organization of evil, which had repeatedly destroyed and plundered the world, driving it to the brink of ruin.

***

My comfortable little sanctuary on the outskirts of Seoul.

“…And that’s what happened.”

I sat in a chair in front of my computer and let out a small sigh. Then I looked down at my feet and muttered quietly.

“Why are you here?”

[Kkyuuu?]

Hwi-ryeong blinked its round eyes and tilted its head, meeting my exasperated gaze.

It was still wrapped tightly around one of my legs.