Chapter 44
Kwajaaaaaaaang!
Kurrrrrrrr!
A tremendous explosion occurred.
All the people of Jayang Village came out of their houses and looked toward Toi Mountain.
“Good heavens, what in the world happened?”
“Did, did a volcano erupt?”
Someone stared blankly at the red energy shooting up from the mountain and muttered.
But the person beside them quickly shook their head and objected.
“Nonsense! Toi Mountain isn’t a volcano!”
“Then what on earth happened? Jwai Peak… Jwai Peak….”
People couldn’t bring themselves to finish their words.
They couldn’t believe what they were seeing with their own eyes.
The upper part of Jwai Peak had been completely blown away.
It was cut off as if a rabbit’s ear had been torn.
Around the red energy, hazy dust clouds were scattering.
Meanwhile, the students staying at the inn were also shocked beyond words upon confirming that the peak of Jwai Peak had exploded.
“Look over there! What on earth is going on?”
“Don’t tell me the explosion that happened in Angang is occurring here too?”
“That’s impossible. That’s the mountaintop, you know? Besides, the explosive force is much stronger.”
The students poured out speculation and stirred restlessly.
Yeom Ja-ryang looked at that place with a stern expression.
‘It couldn’t be something the Black Blade Twin Demons did. They weren’t that strong. What on earth is happening here? Why isn’t the instructor coming back?’
The sun was setting.
If time continued to pass like this, Mok Dan-hwa’s group could be in real danger.
‘Instructor! Please come back quickly!’
Yeom Ja-ryang, who had been clenching his fists, paused for a moment.
Come to think of it, when had he started relying on Sa Bigang like this?
Well, that’s not what’s important right now.
The person who could resolve this urgent situation.
The belief that only Sa Bigang could do it had somehow taken root.
And Dan Li-jeong and Neung So-so felt the same way.
***
Sa Bigang gazed quietly at the massive presence that appeared before his eyes.
Then he lowered his gaze to look at himself lying on the ground like a corpse.
Though it would be natural to panic seeing himself from a third-person perspective, Sa Bigang acted calmly throughout.
He had already experienced this process once before.
It could be seen as a kind of out-of-body experience.
And this massive presence that appeared before his eyes.
It was none other than a Red Dragon.
The intense mana emanating from Sa Bigang’s entire body had taken the form of a dragon from its lifetime.
The Red Dragon floating in the air with a noble bearing narrowed its eyes.
“Who awakened me, I wondered, and it’s a lowly human.”
A thunderous voice that seemed to tear eardrums!
But this voice wasn’t real.
It was a stimulus that only resonated in Sa Bigang’s mind.
If someone else were to see this, they would only see the form of a red dragon floating leisurely at the explosion site.
The out-of-body Sa Bigang grinned as he looked at the Red Dragon’s form.
“Right. I’ve been waiting for you.”
At his murky voice, the Red Dragon showed a briefly interested reaction.
“You were waiting for me?”
“That’s right. I need your power.”
“Everyone needs my power. However, proving that qualification is not easy. Especially for such an insignificant race as yours.”
Huuuuuuuung!
The massive being spread its enormous wings and swept them.
Instantly, a fierce wind swirled around Sa Bigang, and stone fragments flew about wildly.
Even so, Sa Bigang showed not the slightest wavering.
“Your methods are always the same.”
“What?”
“No need to waste energy on each other. You’ll become my power anyway.”
“How insolent. Does such audacity stem from ignorance?”
A subtle anger could be felt in the voice’s resonance.
Soon after,
Uuuuuuuuuung!
The entire Jwai Peak began to vibrate, and the red energy around the dragon gradually intensified.
The next moment.
Harrrrrreuk. Harrrrrreuk. Harreuk!
Dozens of fireballs formed above the Red Dragon’s shoulders and rushed toward Sa Bigang.
It was Prominence magic that created and launched ultra-high temperature, high-pressure, high-heat fireballs.
“Tch, what a pointless act!”
Sa Bigang quickly crossed both hands to defend.
Ssuaaaang! Ssuaaaang!
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
The dragon floating nobly showed no change in expression as it cast the next spell.
Soon, red clouds began to swirl above the sky of Jwai Peak.
Kwarrrrreung! Kwaang!
As a tremendous sound occurred, wasn’t a storm of flames pouring down from under the red clouds?
Harreuk! Hareuk! Kwarrrrreung!
Heaven and earth shook as hot fire winds blew from all directions.
It was Blaze Tempest.
“Lowly human, today’s calamity stems from your ignorance. Perish in fear and terror.”
As soon as the words fell, the ground began to crack.
Soon after,
Kwaaaang!
Suddenly, lava and stones burst forth!
Due to that explosive force, Sa Bigang’s corpse was thrown up and slid to one corner.
Sa Bigang’s body, which had consumed the Dragon Heart, was currently equivalent to the source that created the dragon’s form.
Therefore, the Red Dragon concentrated its attacks only on Sa Bigang’s astral body.
Kurrrrrr.
Finally, all attacks ended, and only thick dust clouds rose around.
The Red Dragon floating in the air was still expressionless.
“Humans are such insignificant creatures, yet their greed knows no bounds. That desire has brought about your destruction. Now I shall return to eternal sleep….”
The Red Dragon, who had been continuing to speak, flinched and opened its eyes wide.
“This is…!”
Wait.
A faint energy emanating from Sa Bigang’s astral body could be felt.
Soon, when the dust cloud completely cleared, Sa Bigang’s astral body could be seen standing upright in the air.
“Whew, is it all over? As expected, quite intense.”
Sa Bigang dusted himself off and grinned.
For the first time, a look of surprise crossed the Red Dragon’s expression.
“How could a lowly human…”
“I told you. Your power will become mine.”
“This is impossible….”
“That power you possess. It’s power I’ve already devoured completely. In other words, your power and mine are already equal.”
Of course, it wasn’t wrong.
Sa Bigang had consumed the Dragon Heart.
But there remained the problem of adaptation.
A mere insect-like human utilizing a dragon’s mana completely?
Using it as if it were a familiar power?
Such a thing was impossible.
If it were possible, that would mean already…!
The Red Dragon’s eyes narrowed again.
“This is not your first encounter with a dragon.”
“Correct. This is the second time.”
“Indeed. Interesting. But your audacity ends here.”
The next moment, the Red Dragon’s eyes widened.
Sa Bigang shouted in panic.
“What are you doing!”
“Huhu. Mana Drain. I shall reclaim all my mana that you absorbed…!”
This time, the Red Dragon’s pupils shook violently.
“There is… none!”
Surely the human before its eyes was the one who had absorbed it.
Yet not even a handful of mana could be felt from the opponent’s body.
“How… is this possible?”
Surely just moments ago, hadn’t he used its mana to defend?
Where had all that mana disappeared to?
Without mana, there was no way to absorb it.
Then Sa Bigang grinned.
“Surprised?”
“What exactly are you…”
“Huhuhuh. As expected, you knew how to use Mana Drain. You did before too.”
“What?”
“I’ve already converted all the mana into Internal Energy. So you won’t be able to steal mana from me. Huhu.”
“I don’t understand what you mean. But without mana, you cannot stop me.”
This time, the red form gradually condensed and transformed.
The dragon, finally taking the form of a sharp sword, flew straight toward Sa Bigang.
Sswwweeeeeek!
In an instant, Sa Bigang reached toward Veritas lying on the ground.
Shiiiiiiik!
As if drawn by a magnet, Veritas flew in instantly.
It was sword summoning.
“Haat!”
Simultaneously with the battle cry, the red energy blade clashed with Veritas.
Jjeong!
A tremendous noise occurred that seemed to distort space itself.
Kwarrrrrrrrr!
The broken Jwai Peak shook again and cracked.
Shwaaaaaaak!
The red energy that had clashed with Veritas suddenly scattered and took the form of the Red Dragon again.
“What was that just now?”
The Red Dragon now had an expression of being too tired to be surprised anymore.
Clearly, the method Sa Bigang used was not telekinesis using mana.
It was a completely different energy.
It had never operated mana in such a way during its lifetime.
So this unfamiliar method was not just surprising but absurd.
Veritas was still floating in front of Sa Bigang.
“You’re not moving that sword with magic power.”
“Huhuhuh. That’s right. I’m moving it with Internal Energy. Converting magic power to Internal Energy is second nature to me now.”
“What is this Internal Energy?”
“It’s difficult to explain in words. However, there’s one thing I can tell you for certain.”
“What is that?”
“In this world, the only one who can utilize your power in this way is me alone.”
Sa Bigang grinned.
The Red Dragon merely looked at Sa Bigang while gracefully flapping its wings.
Sa Bigang calmly received that gaze.
When a brief moment had passed like that.
“You are interesting. Good. Further testing would be meaningless. I grant you my power.”
Sa Bigang smiled slyly.
“I already knew you would.”
“However, whether you can become a vessel capable of accepting my power remains to be seen. If you’re not careful, you will lose your life.”
“That’s my responsibility.”
“Good.”
In an instant.
Shwaaaaaaaaaaaang!
The red energy suddenly swirled.
Simultaneously, it began to be rapidly absorbed into the chest of Sa Bigang lying on the ground.
Shuuuuuuuuk!
It was instantaneous.
All the energy that had been expanded in the air being sucked into his chest was truly nothing more than an instant.
Sa Bigang’s astral body floating in the air was also erased at some point like graffiti drawn in sand.
The upper part of Jwai Peak, where only traces of upheaval remained.
A cool breeze blew there.
A moment later.
Sa Bigang opened his eyes.
Harrrreuk!
As red energy flared up like flames in his pupils, it soon calmed down.
“It’s over.”
Sa Bigang, who had lightly exhaled, slowly raised his body.
There was a dull pain in his chest.
He quickly sat in lotus position.
Just because he had absorbed all the magic power of the Dragon Heart didn’t mean it was over.
Now it was time to digest it.
Using mana as an astral body and using mana while having physical limitations and constraints were fundamentally different.
So the process of assimilation was absolutely necessary.
If he failed to assimilate it properly, he would ultimately be crushed to death by that magic power.
As the Red Dragon said, there was a possibility of setting up a feast only to ruin the ritual.
Sa Bigang recalled the mental cultivation formula he had created in the Demon Realm.
The tremendous magic power concentrated in his heart began to spread branch by branch throughout his body’s blood vessels.
If the mana latent in his body before was like a wide river, now he had to master the great sea.
He remained motionless for a very long time.
***
A month passed within the barrier.
During that time, Sa Bigang underwent many changes.
During the first two weeks, his skin peeled off like scales during cultivation, his white hair all fell out leaving him bald, and even his teeth fell out, leaving only gums.
During the following two weeks, his skin began to shine brilliantly, healthy teeth grew anew, and jet-black hair grew back to its original length.
A complete transformation and renewal.
Finally, Sa Bigang, who had been sitting in lotus position, opened his eyes.
Harrrreuk.
Flames flickered in his pupils before disappearing.
His pupils had become incomparably deeper and clearer than before.
Sa Bigang slowly raised his body.
His body was light as a feather.
If he kicked off the ground and jumped, he felt like he could fly high into the sky.
He clenched both fists tightly.
‘As expected, it digested well.’
The corners of his mouth lifted.
‘About a month has passed, I suppose?’
It was the time he had expected.
In the Demon Realm, exactly that amount of time had been necessary.
That’s why he had said he would stay in Jayang Village for two days.
He reached toward Veritas lying far away on the ground.
Suuuuung!
Veritas flew over instantly and settled perfectly in his hand.
It no longer trembled and resisted as usual.
It had become very docile.
It had completely become his sword.
“Huhu. This is much better for both of us.”
At Sa Bigang’s words, Veritas trembled as if responding.
He was about to step forward when he stopped and looked back.
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
His gaze was directed toward the stone table situated in the center of the wide area.
Sa Bigang smoothly raised his hand.
The next moment.
Shuuuuuung! Kwajang!
A fireball that shot from his hand directly hit the stone table.
Of course, the stone table was instantly smashed to pieces, revealing its interior clearly.
Sa Bigang confirmed what was inside the broken stone table.
“Huhu. I’ll put this to good use too. Demon King.”
What was inside were Magic Stones and Tamicon sap.
The Magic Stones were premium grade.
Compared to the special grade he had obtained before, they were quite inferior, but they were still undoubtedly precious.
And what was in the finger-sized glass bottle was Tamicon sap.
It was a deadly poison that would rot all flesh with just one drop touching a living being.
“I’ll gladly accept these. Oh right, it would be a shame to leave empty-handed, so I’ll leave a gift. Hehe. Make sure to receive it well in the distant future. I’ll properly set up a barrier so it doesn’t rot until then.”
A mischievous smile appeared on Sa Bigang’s face.
