By Zephyria 
The land stretched out like a carpet, endless. Even in the darkness, Young-pa saw the mountains rising majestically and cliffs lined up like folding screens. He gazed at the vigorously flowing rivers and the royal willows swaying in the rain. In the valleys, which looked as if they had been scooped out with a spoon, the gentle spring breeze was in full bloom. It was a divine landscape where nothing was tedious to behold.
As the altitude dropped, the breathtakingly vast scenery drew closer. Scattered dwellings where humans lived came into view, with neatly arranged fields surrounding them. Between them, wild animals and birds that slept during the day moved busily.
Before long, the dark clouds that had enveloped Azure Dragon became white and fluffy. The downpour that had been falling with terrifying momentum turned into a light drizzle. Young-pa shook off his fear and smiled. A moist breeze ruffled his hair and billowed his clothes. He had thought himself weary of the wind, but seeing how excited he felt, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Azure Dragon flew gradually lower. By the time the rain had completely stopped, they glided in along a mountain ridge unknown to Young-pa. Reaching the shores of a lake, the dragon dropped Young-pa. Young-pa rolled a few times across the damp grass before standing on his two feet.
Azure Dragon looked down at the sight from a dizzying height. Just a moment ago, Young-pa had thought the dragon’s gaze was inscrutable, but now the dragon was exhaling snorts of air with a face clearly irritated. He could see the lush mane standing on end, hair by hair.
“Ha ha, ha….”
As Young-pa stepped backward, the divine dragon slammed its tail down beside him. The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“Let us finish the conversation we started.”
In the deep darkness, blue eyes flashed fiercely. Young-pa swallowed hard.
“Wha… what is it you wish to discuss….”
“Why do you think I took the form of a serpent and sought out the very bottom of that den? Surely you do not believe I saved you out of pity.”
“Yes, well….”
“Produce the divine artifact that is inside your belly. Let us see if it is genuine this time.”
Azure Dragon’s head descended from the heights to meet Young-pa’s gaze. The two eyes seemed to burn, and the teeth revealed between the gums were ominously sharp.
≋ ≋ ≋
Young-pa had thought he would spend the rest of his life turning an iron waterwheel until he died of old age. Thus, when Azure Dragon appeared like a miracle, he had been prepared to give up his liver or gallbladder. His promise to offer the divine artifact had, naturally, been sincere.
‘Now that I think about it, I need that item too. What should I do?’
They say humans are fickle creatures, and if one possesses only a dark side, that must be even more true. As soon as he escaped the snake cave, he completely forgot the desperation he felt while imprisoned.
Since the moment Young-pa came into existence, he had only one goal: to fight Black Tortoise on equal terms, he had to collect all four divine artifacts, including the somyeonghwan. Thus, Young-pa began to harbor other thoughts.
“O Azure Dragon, since you have given me my freedom, there is now only one thing left to do.”
A palpable killing intent shot from the divine beast’s eyes. In a negotiation where his life was the collateral, Young-pa spoke with confidence.
“I am a mere human, and I have even been split in half. I lack the strength to perform the exorcism of Black Tortoise.”
“And?”
“You know the legend that one who possesses the four divine artifacts is granted the special ability of the divine realm, do you not? The heavenly gift of four gods is my only hope. I shall borrow your divine artifact well and return it to you gracefully.”
Without a chance to dodge, Azure Dragon’s forepaw pushed Young-pa over and pinned his chest down. It was a paw equipped with claws like iron armor. Young-pa lay there, not daring to even think of resisting.
“How dare a creature like you covet an object belonging to the heavenly realm!”
The dragon’s roar was fierce enough to shake the mountains and rivers. Even as he groaned from the pain of his ribs being crushed, Young-pa let out a smirk. It was an eccentricity that only one who had lost both fear and awe could afford.
“I know that intellectually. But what can I do about what I need?”
“What?”
“Just as your birth is noble, I am a being born this way. Revenge is my everything. No matter how much you threaten me, I am a wretched human who cannot give up on his revenge.”
A look of incomprehension flashed across the blue eyes. Young-pa spoke toward the dragon with the fluttering silver mane.
“O Azure Dragon, lend me the somyeonghwan so that I may kill Black Tortoise. I will do whatever you command. I will gladly become your slave, and in the future, I will even offer my life. Once my revenge is complete, I will have not the slightest interest in a ring or a mirror… they shall all be yours.”
The corners of the dragon’s mouth, twisted with rage, twitched, and a low sneer escaped.
“I thought it was because I had hidden my divine power, but it seems you still find me amusing. I must acknowledge your sheer audacity.”
“Who said you were amusing? Is it wrong to make a proposal because there is work to be done?”
“Absurd. I am powerful; I have no need for the divine artifacts of others. All you can give me is your insignificant body and life, and you call that a proposal?”
“Do you not have a poor relationship with Ji Seo-gu? If you can kill him through this, would it not be advantageous for the heavenly realm as well!”
Young-pa flared up and shouted loudly. Azure Dragon looked down at him silently and replied coldly.
“I do not like him. He is an eyesore as it is, and we have long-standing grudges.”
“Then, why….”
“That does not mean I wish for Black Tortoise to disappear. Balance cannot be achieved if only one power is strong; the world requires a twisted darkness such as that.”
“Do not defend Black Tortoise in front of me. That hybrid serpent will die by my hand!”
“Preposterous. Who do you think you are that I must mind my words?”
Azure Dragon snapped back fiercely and roughly withdrew the forepaw that had been pinning Young-pa. Young-pa rolled a few times from the recoil and ended up sprawled on the ground. Azure Dragon glared at him with disgust and then whipped his head away.
“Back then, I was swayed by your bizarre antics and momentarily forgot that humans are creatures not worth pitying.”
“Ugh, ugh….”
“This time is different. I expected you to act this way.”
Young-pa slowly raised his upper body and looked up at Azure Dragon. A cold blue light shone from the heights.
“If you were easy to handle, Black Tortoise would have tamed you and kept you by their side long ago. Unlike them, I do not cling to vain expectations. If you are beyond help, I simply need to use a method befitting that state.”
Azure Dragon’s eyelids slowly closed. When they snapped open, a blue energy spread from the long body. The halo of light danced through the sky and then expanded widely upon reaching Young-pa. Young-pa stared blankly as a blue hemisphere surrounded the area.
“Do you think I have given you freedom?”
“Are you saying I haven’t?”
“How naive you are, more than you look.”
Young-pa’s expression turned grim. He strode forward and touched the surface of the blue hemisphere, realizing its hardness.
“Have you… imprisoned me?”
“Oh dear, you didn’t expect this.”
“How could you do this to me? We aren’t exactly strangers….”
At those words, Azure Dragon’s brow furrowed further.
“What does that mean? I have no relationship with you.”
“Are you pretending not to know me now? Those nights we spent together, those conversations….”
“What on earth are you talking about regarding nights spent together!”
“We drank together and shared our inner thoughts, and we had long conversations while looking at the night sky! Fuck, I should have just eaten you up then!”
Young-pa punched the wall hard, but the barrier did not shake in the slightest. Frustrated, he tried kicking it, and when that failed, he attempted to pierce the barrier with sorcery. Azure Dragon merely watched with a cold expression as Young-pa screamed, surrounded by black wind.
“Ugh, ah, aaaaagh! Biryoo, you son of a bitch!”
When no spellcasting technique could penetrate the blue wall, Young-pa tried to dig into the earth. However, the barrier extended deep underground. Having tried every possible method to no avail, Young-pa wailed and struggled like a beast.
Azure Dragon’s scales shimmered with radiance, and the massive body shrank. Having transformed into human form, he walked steadily toward Young-pa.
The man’s beautiful appearance was similar to the one Young-pa knew, yet different. A jade-colored halo shimmered in his deep blue eyes, and his deep navy hair flowed downward, waving in shades of azure. With a glittering golden crown on his forehead, dangling earrings in his ears, and a robe on his shoulders that looked as if it were alive, he possessed an authoritative and flamboyant appearance that was difficult to look at directly.
The king of the heavenly realm approached Young-pa and crouched down to meet his eyes. With a crooked sneer, he spoke.
“You are a lawless human, but you had your amusing side. Had you behaved obediently, you could have lived in luxury under my protection.”
Driven by rage, Young-pa swung his fist at his face, but it was blocked by the wall. Azure Dragon continued, not blinking an eye.
“You repaid kindness with betrayal and flipped your promises like a palm. You personally proved that you are a wretched being who cannot be trusted, just as all you humans are.”
His face drew closer to Young-pa’s. Although the barrier stood between them, the distance was no more than a palm’s width. An utterly irritated Azure Dragon smiled and spoke.
“You must pay the price for daring to make me search through random mountains, mustn’t you?”
Young-pa clenched his fists and panted.
“I didn’t have bad intentions. If I hadn’t… if I had given you the ring….”
“If you had given it?”
Young-pa could not continue and lowered his head.
At the time, he had no dream that the ring was a divine artifact, so he hadn’t hidden it with some grand scheme. In truth, the reason was incredibly simple.
‘Because I thought I would never see you again.’
If Biryoo had not pushed Young-pa away so much, if he had readily agreed to help with the revenge, Young-pa would have willingly handed over the ring without even knowing what it was.
The time spent with Biryoo was now merely a bitter memory. That he had liked having him by his side, that it had been joyful to travel together. That if possible, he hadn’t wanted to part. What was the point of explaining emotions that even he could not understand? It was a futile effort.
Young-pa swung his fist with all his might at Biryoo’s face.
“You also deceived me by pretending to be human. You were the one who betrayed me first!”
“Deceived? You must have been delusional on your own.”
The two were as different as fire and ice. The angrier Young-pa became, the more he burned; conversely, Biryoo became colder and colder. Overcome with indignation, Young-pa threw his head back and screamed.
“Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck! It’s my fault for being fooled by your fancy looks and trusting you!”
“Is that how you treat someone you trust? I am the one who regrets having cared for you.”
“You cared for me? While you looked down on me and despised me!”
“Who do you think you owe your life to?”
“If you call barely surviving while bound in chains ‘life.’ You should have just let Black Tortoise kill me. Then I wouldn’t have suffered this kind of humiliation!”
Unable to contain his rage, Young-pa shrieked.
“If it weren’t for this barrier, you would have died by my hand, you stray dragon! Be grateful!”
Azure Dragon, who had been staring at him coldly, raised a palm and wiped his face. Exuding anger from his deep blue eyes, he pressed his forehead against the barrier.
“An ungrateful wretch dares to run wild without knowing his place. You shall see how it feels to die by my hand. It will not take long.”
“Go ahead and try. If you want to lose the treasure you’re looking for forever!”
Azure Dragon’s straight eyes distorted. Young-pa, having something to rely on, patted his stomach and let out a sinister smile.
“Why are you looking at me with such scary eyes, Biryoo? I told you already, the ring of your precious woman is in here. Come and take it out. Hmm?”
Azure Dragon wouldn’t believe Young-pa’s words anyway, and even if he did, he was in no position to cut open his stomach. Young-pa was the only one who knew where the somyeonghwan was. If he killed him and the treasure wasn’t inside, its whereabouts would be lost forever.
Azure Dragon shook his head as if exhausted.
“How cunning. I must admit your wit is something.”
“Hahaha! Thank you.”
“My mouth is tired of speaking. Indeed, you are a human more suited for intimidation than conversation.”
Azure Dragon strode away and turned around. With his characteristic bored expression, he pointed to the scenery behind him.
“This is my lake. Hidden by divine art, only I can enter; it is a place that does not exist in the world. Therefore, you are effectively imprisoned twice over.”
“You son of a bitch! Mad dragon! World’s greatest scrap dragon!”
“I intend to leave you here abandoned.”
Speaking calmly, Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes and glared at Young-pa.
“Without food or water.”
“I don’t care. I can survive easily without eating or drinking for a few months.”
“Will you be able to endure ten years, twenty years, or a hundred? Time is on my side.”
At those chilling words, Young-pa fell silent. Azure Dragon spoke in a low voice.
“No matter how high you fly or how far you roam, you are human. You will eventually cling to me, desperate for a single piece of cake and a cup of water.”
Only then did Young-pa realize Azure Dragon’s intention. He didn’t need to take the gamble of cutting open Young-pa’s stomach. For an immortal being, time was abundant; he simply had to wait until Young-pa grew exhausted and confessed the truth.
A red glow shimmered behind the mountain ridge. The eastern dawn was breaking. Azure Dragon glanced back and then returned his gaze to Young-pa.
“When day breaks, I shall ascend to the heavenly realm. I might return here in a month or two, but if the mood strikes, I might forget a human like you for decades.”
Young-pa’s wide eyes wavered. Azure Dragon added softly.
“The choice is yours.”
His heart seemed to sink from the sense of crisis. Young-pa’s mind raced in desperation, but he saw no way to escape Azure Dragon’s scheme.
He was destined to slowly wither away, trapped in a barrier the size of a single room. Unless he returned the divine artifact to its owner, no other ending could be expected.
‘Damn it, I have no choice!’
Young-pa let out a deep sigh and looked up.
“If I offer the ring, will you truly release me?”
“Yes. I promise it in the name of Azure Dragon.”
Even until the end, he tried to find a way out, but no method other than handing over the divine artifact came to mind. Young-pa grit his teeth in defeat and muttered.
“I shall do so, O Azure Dragon.”
Azure Dragon smiled as if relieved. It was a smile that made the eyes happy just to look at, with his eyes narrowing and his lips naturally forming an arc. Young-pa completely forgot that he had been cursing and shouting at him until a moment ago.
“Where should I go to find you in the future?”
The words he muttered unconsciously sounded brazen even to his own ears. Sure enough, Azure Dragon raised an eyebrow and his expression hardened.
“We shall not meet again.”
“At least tell me the location of the bathing place. I won’t do anything; I’ll just hide and peek.”
“Stop the nonsense and produce the divine artifact!”
Just as Young-pa was about to confess the whereabouts of the ring, the sun peeked over the ridge. A single streak of dawn light invaded between the mountain slopes and widened into a fan shape. The sunlight illuminated the lake and then poured over Young-pa’s head. It was a radiance so bright that his eyes closed instinctively.
“Ugh….”
A sharp pain struck, making Young-pa frown. It felt as if something sharp was piercing his left shoulder and gnawing at the inside of his skin.
Young-pa gripped his shoulder tightly, but the unpleasant itching did not disappear. Azure Dragon frowned suspiciously.
“What trick are you playing now?”
“It’s not that. Something is strange.”
Young-pa scratched his shoulder vigorously, loosened his clothes, and slightly pulled back his jacket. There was a pitch-black mark on his exposed shoulder. The trace, looking like pooled ink, was spreading into small spots. Young-pa dug his nails into his bare shoulder, recalling a gloomy voice.
‘From now on, you shall age as your lifespan runs out, and you shall die underground without ever seeing the sunlight again.’
Young-pa had just broken Ji Seo-gu’s oath. The brilliant sun, which Black Tortoise had guaranteed he would never see again for the rest of his life, was rising powerfully.
“Ugh, ugh….”
Young-pa did not want to act pathetic in front of Azure Dragon, but groans escaped through his tightly clenched teeth.
The black spots had already covered his arm and descended to his wrist. Could this be dismissed as simple itchiness? It felt as if insects were burrowing and crawling beneath his skin.
“Explain what is happening.”
“I don’t… I don’t know. It itches. It itches so much I could die.”
“If this is an act to deceive me, you would do well to prepare yourself.”
“I told you it’s not—ugh! I didn’t…!”
With a gesture, Azure Dragon withdrew the barrier and approached Young-pa. He knelt and examined Young-pa’s arm. As he saw the black spots spreading, his expression turned grave.
“Ugh, ah! What is it? Please, do… something. Please!”
“Stay still.”
Azure Dragon reached for Young-pa’s shoulder. The moment his fingers touched the black stain, there was a sizzling sound as the skin burned. He pulled his hand away immediately.
“Centipede venom has been planted in you.”
“What?”
“As if they knew a dragon would come to save you.”
Desperate to cling to anything, Young-pa grabbed hold of Azure Dragon’s clothes. The spots, which had now reached his fingertips, had evolved from an itch into a stabbing pain. Young-pa feared where this end would lead.
“What should I… ugh! What… do I do, please? Ah, ugh! My arm, my arm… please just cut it off!”
“It is already too late.”
As Biryoo stripped away his jacket, a blackened upper body was revealed. Even in that moment, the venom was advancing toward the heart.
“Centipede venom is a substance that harms dragons. No matter who I am, I cannot help you.”
Young-pa grabbed Azure Dragon by the collar and pulled him close. Their foreheads touched, but the other’s cold expression remained unchanged.
“You… you are a deity, aren’t you? Yes? You are a deity… who rules… the heavenly realm!”
“Before I am a deity, I am a dragon.”
“Do something, ugh! Just do… something!”
“Endure it. Black Tortoise swore a blood oath, so they cannot kill you.”
Young-pa pushed Azure Dragon away violently and rolled across the ground. The toxicity, which had already reached his heart, was beyond the level of endurance for a sane mind. The insects spread throughout his body via the blood vessels. Screaming until his throat tore, Young-pa began to scratch his chest with his fingernails.
“Heeuuu, aaaaagh!”
The pain, which felt as if his heart were being split and his organs squeezed, would not let him lie still. Young-pa crawled across the ground and picked up a branch. He raised the makeshift weapon with all his might and drove it toward his own heart.
“Ugh, uuuugh!”
Azure Dragon caught his wrist in mid-air. Young-pa tried with all his strength to shake him off, but Azure Dragon did not budge.
“Foolish thing. Do you intend to move exactly as Black Tortoise desires?”
“Please, please… Azure Dragon…”
Tears streamed down Young-pa’s cheeks. He shook his head in appeal, but Azure Dragon’s hardened expression did not soften.
“The divine artifact… do you want the divine artifact? I told you, it’s here!”
No matter how he struggled, Azure Dragon would not let go of his wrist.
“It’s here! I told you! It’s here, in my heart… so cut it open and take it. Haah, haah… ugh!”
Young-pa pleaded, drooling from his mouth. The venom, now spread throughout his entire body, blinded his vision with pain and halted his thoughts.
“Aaaaagh! I told you to take it, you fucking bastard! Cut it open and take it… right now, you fucker… instead, just… kill… me… please.”
Azure Dragon looked down at the screaming, struggling human with a complicated expression.
“Heeuugh, I’m asking you to kill me… is that so hard?”
Young-pa stood up, ran toward a tree, and began to smash his head against it. Azure Dragon knocked him down with sorcery and walked away with heavy steps.
Biryoo leaned over the human. The pitiful man was trembling violently, his eyes rolled back. While an impulse to stop his pain surged, a fear born of an unknown emotion arose.
His hesitating finger descended upon Young-pa’s abdomen, which had been conquered by the venom. He felt a nasty tingling sensation just from brief contact with the centipede venom, but he did not pull his hand away.
‘Is it really in here?’
Biryoo thought he simply didn’t know. Could one truly know a human after spending only about fifteen days with them?
When he was honest, this man called Young-pa was an honest human. He was good at making trivial jokes, loved pranks, and had a naive side.
On the other hand, he was a cunning trickster, blinded by revenge and disregarding everything else. He had escaped the cave while Ji Seo-gu was hibernating and lied to Biryoo. Going back three hundred years, there was the time he had deceived Yeon Mu-geum with a ruse.
‘A wretched human.’
Biryoo felt a desire to cut open the abdomen and check if he had lied this time as well.
It was a gamble that wasn’t without a chance of success, but he could not risk the possibility of failure. If the divine artifact were not inside the human’s body, the winds of cheonchu would come to nothing. And one sinful human would vanish from the world.
‘He is merely a worthless being.’
Even if Young-pa vanished, heaven and earth would not change in the slightest. Even after he died, day would follow the deep night, and the clouds would wait to grow heavy before raining.
“Please, please… Bi… ryoo.”
A heartless, selfish human who betrayed others as if it were a daily meal. Biryoo knew better than anyone that he was a being not even worth pity. However, it was not easy to watch a living being suffer such agony with their whole body. Unconsciously, Biryoo reached out his hand.
As if waiting for it, Young-pa grabbed his hand tightly. Trembling lips and eyes flowing with endless tears. Feeling as if he had been struck in the back of the head, Biryoo let the human burrow into his embrace.
Over the face being destroyed by extreme pain, the image of him laughing childishly overlapped. The expressions of a human who was confident, arrogant, or puffed up with excitement. The trivial moments that had allowed him to forget a terrible boredom, if only for a while.
The weeping human was an incomparably beautiful sight. Yet, the brilliance in those black eyes was fading. As long as Black Tortoise had sworn not to kill him, his life would persist, but if his mind were destroyed, what meaning would there be in living?
“Can you hear me?”
“Ugh, yeah…”
Then it was not too late. Biryoo laid Young-pa on the ground.
“Biryoo, I… it hurts so much… I just… want to die.”
“Shh.”
He placed his palm over Young-pa’s heart. Despite layering defensive sorcery to the fullest, the toxicity burrowed into the dragon’s skin. Biryoo’s breathing became ragged, but he did not stop.
“Please, please… stop my life… I beg you.”
With all his strength, he gathered the venom spread throughout every corner of Young-pa’s body into one place. Smoke rose from his palm, and the contamination climbed up his fingers.
The malicious venom, which caused such excruciating pain, laid bare the obsession and vengefulness of its creator. Since Black Tortoise had crafted it, it was only natural that an antidote was required. Furthermore, since it contained centipede venom, it could be dangerous even for a divine dragon.
‘This is madness,’ Biryoo muttered inwardly.
He had a clear justification. The definitive pretext that if he did not do this, he would lose the somyeonghwan forever. But was that all?
‘Because of that pretext, I took the form of a serpent and went to save you even in the rotten underground.’
Before long, the venom that had spread widely across Young-pa’s upper body retreated to the shoulder. In exchange for Young-pa being able to breathe again, Biryoo surrendered three of his fingers to the venom.
“You… what, what are you doing?”
“I am… regretting getting entangled with a hopeless human like you.”
Biryoo drove the venom into Young-pa’s shoulder and besieged it. It would have been fine if it ended there, but there was no way to prevent the venom from spreading again. There was only one way to save him.
Biryoo hesitated before the absurd crossroads, but only for a moment. He lowered his body and pressed his lips against Young-pa’s shoulder.
“What, what are you doing?”
The dragon’s fang pierced the human’s skin. As he pressed his lips and sucked, the toxicity flowed into his own body.
“Ah, uuuugh, aaah!”
As Young-pa convulsed in pain, Biryoo placed one hand on his heart and injected energy. The pitch-black venom was as searing as if it were burning his throat and turned his stomach upside down. Nevertheless, Biryoo silently sucked and swallowed the venom.
By the time color returned to Young-pa’s cheeks, Biryoo was barely holding onto consciousness, his complexion pale. He sucked the venom until nothing remained on Young-pa’s shoulder and then collapsed.
Meanwhile, Young-pa, who had been groaning until then, realized that the pain eating away at his flesh had vanished. It took some time for him to grasp the meaning of the weight of the man collapsed upon his chest.
“What… is this…”
The venom that had covered his chest and arms was gone without a trace. All that remained were deep blue bruises and bite marks on his shoulder, and a wave of bewilderment washed over him.
As Young-pa lifted his upper body, Biryoo’s body, which had been leaning on him, was lifted as well. Young-pa hugged Biryoo’s shoulders and shook him as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Hey, Biryoo. Biryoo! What’s wrong? Open your eyes.”
“Haah, haah…”
“Get up quickly. You’re a dragon, so you have to fly back to the heavenly realm.”
Seeing that his body had grown cold, Young-pa loosened his clothing ties. There were many small wounds on his shoulders and arms, and a long, deep scar on his chest. And black energy was pooled around his heart.
“Listen… carefully.”
Biryoo struggled to part his lips.
“I-I’m listening.”
“If I… lose consciousness… it will be dangerous… Go to… Mount Asadal. To the lakeside.”
Young-pa waited for the next words, but Azure Dragon remained still with his eyes closed. Young-pa realized he had lost consciousness. When he pressed his ear to the chest, fortunately, the heart was thumping.
‘To choose such hardship in the body of a divine beast.’
Young-pa looked blankly at the man collapsed in his arms. He lay there with his chest exposed, the clothing ties that Young-pa had eyed so many times now undone.
“Was the divine artifact that important? Because if I died, you wouldn’t know where the treasure was, so you went this far?”
Young-pa muttered to himself, slowly stroking Azure Dragon’s neck. The neck, with its bulging veins, was strong, but it looked more like a human’s than a deity’s.
‘If I strangle this neck, would I be killing a deity?’
Until the sun rose, Young-pa had been threatened by Azure Dragon. Strictly speaking, he was closer to an enemy than an ally, and their interests clashed. Moreover, Azure Dragon was not an easy person to handle. If he wasn’t going to help him anyway, killing him and taking the divine artifact was also an option.
Young-pa tried wrapping his hands around the neck. However, looking at the man’s face, he couldn’t bring himself to apply strength.
“Fuck.”
Young-pa had no way of knowing what emotion was blocking him. He felt frustrated by the situation where he could neither kill Azure Dragon, nor leave him behind, nor dare do anything.
“Ugh…”
When the jade-like forehead furrowed, Young-pa cupped his cheek as if something terrible had happened.
“Biryoo, are you okay?”
Instead of answering, Azure Dragon twisted his body and let out a groan. A wicked black light swirled near his heart.
Clink!
The sound of something hard breaking echoed, and fragments of a blue bead scattered in the air. Simultaneously, a crashing sound of rupture shook the sky. With a low vibration, the barrier spread across the heavens was lifted.
Azure Dragon’s appearance also changed. The faint light surrounding him gradually vanished, and his hair, which had been waving in blue light, died down to pitch black. As the divinity left his body, he took on the appearance Young-pa knew.
Young-pa knew very little about dragons, but he knew that their kind carried the wish-fulfilling jewel inside their bodies and could not ascend to the heavenly realm without it.
‘It’s an important object, so it would be best to collect even the broken pieces.’
Young-pa tore his jacket to make a pouch and gathered the scattered bead fragments.
After some time, the silent sky became noisy, and birds began flying overhead. It was because the deity’s lake, which was said to allow only one being to enter and exit, had lost its master.
By then, Young-pa had finished collecting all the bead fragments. Looking up at the sky, the flock of birds flying in circles looked unusual.
Looking closer, they were not birds. Winged quadrupeds were each carrying a rider. They were rapidly approaching.
“Fucking bastards, they’re certainly diligent.”
Filled with rage, Young-pa raised both hands.
“I needed a place to vent my anger anyway, so this works out well.”
He closed his eyes and concentrated his spiritual energy. However, something alien was mixed into the usual wind sorcery.
Sizzle.
A sensation that pierced through the blood vessels and sharply stung the fingertips. Young-pa looked with curiosity at the thin streaks of thunderbolt that repeatedly rose and vanished from his grip.
—Found him. It’s that human!
There was no time to ponder. The first rider, who had already flown within reach, swung a sword at Young-pa’s neck. Young-pa barely dodged the blade and drove a spell into the belly of the winged beast.
Screeeech!
A goat with red wings scattered its intestines in the air and crashed to the ground. The rider on the monster jumped from the air and transformed into a serpent to lung at Young-pa, but before long, its body was split in half.
‘Seeing as they are mere underlings, Ji Seo-gu doesn’t know my whereabouts yet.’
Three enemies remained. Young-pa glared at the beasts flapping their wings in the sky.
—Found that human. Quickly inform the Master.
—Yes!
Leaping off the ground, Young-pa realized his body had changed. Having leaped high without much effort, he created a small storm within his embrace.
Zzzzt!
Again, several thin streaks of falling thunder appeared and vanished within the wind.
“Not so fast!”
Young-pa blew away the head of the serpent flying toward him. After casting aside the blood-spraying body, he noticed the appearance of the beast the serpent had been riding looked familiar.
A body the size of a house, giant wings, and the distorted face of a dog. The creature resembled the failure he had escaped with from the snake cave. No, it was that very creature.
“You…”
The creature seemed to recognize Young-pa and let out a piercing shriek. In a split-second judgment, Young-pa climbed onto the failure’s back, and as if it were natural, the creature carried Young-pa and flew.
Only two were left. Young-pa smiled cruelly upon seeing their eyes filled with terror. He loved moments like this. Hunting a terrified serpent.
“Let’s go.”
The beast barked in response and flapped its wings. Young-pa closely pursued the serpent rider who was fleeing upward. The flying beast that the serpent controlled slowed down because it kept looking back, seized by fear.
Young-pa grabbed the third serpent by the neck and drove a fist concentrated with spiritual energy into its flank. Gale and golden lightning swirled together, grinding flesh and bursting organs. That serpent plummeted to the ground along with the winged ox.
—Aaaaagh, don’t come here!
A chase ensued with the last remaining serpent. Young-pa could tell that the failure hated serpents as much as he did. It growled menacingly, closely pursuing the rear of the other terrified failure.
“Your escape ends here.”
As the enemy entered range, Young-pa conjured a storm wind and flipped him over, sending him falling. Young-pa snatched the serpent in mid-air and, chuckling, brought it before his face.
“Did Ji Seo-gu tell a piece of trash like you to bring me back? Is that it?”
—Black Tortoise will not leave you alone. You wicked human!
The serpent writhed, trying to bite anywhere.
“You little brat, are you done talking!”
—Kyah, die! Die!
As the serpent tried to bite his hand, Young-pa, unable to contain his rage, crushed its head.
Screeeech!
Young-pa pursued the flying beast the serpent had been riding and cut its throat. The failure—a mix of pony, bird, and other animals—let out a shriek and was torn into several pieces.
Panting in excitement, he looked around. There were no living enemies left. Except for the hybrid monster he was riding.
“Let’s go down.”
The beast in the form of a winged dog obeyed submissively.
The failure lowered Young-pa to the ground and lay prostrate. Then, it opened its mouth and wagged its tail. Its face was gruesome, as if it had been hacked by an axe, but its behavior was like that of a young puppy.
The monster was extremely glad to see Young-pa. Young-pa barely managed to push it away as it lunged to knock him over and licked his face.
“Keep acting up and you’ll regret it.”
As Young-pa growled, the beast let out a whimpering sound and shrank its massive body. Young-pa barked at the monster to stay still and then stared blankly at the back of his hand. Feeling a sting on his palm, he turned it over to find it scorched pitch-black.
He recalled the battle from a short while ago. In his excitement, while firing off sorcery indiscriminately, a power he had never handled before had been mixed in. A few of the enemies had not been cut down as usual, but seemed to have been scorched to death.
‘An ability as troublesome as the master.’
Young-pa muttered to himself as he walked toward where Azure Dragon lay. He was still unconscious, and shaking his shoulder was useless. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered if they stayed put, so they had to flee. But was there anywhere in the entire mortal realm to hide from Black Tortoise?
‘If I… lose consciousness… it will become dangerous…. Go to… Asadal Mountain. To the lakeside.’
Young-pa clenched his fists. Why of all the mountains, Asadal Mountain? Biryoo had not seemed to be in his right mind when he said those words. However, with Ji Seo-gu’s subordinates searching with eyes like fire, he had no choice but to follow the final request.
Young-pa lifted Biryoo’s limp body and let him lean against his shoulder. Then, he assisted him onto the back of the beast.
― To be continued in Volume 3 ―