Chapter 356: Chapter 356

There were two main factions among the dragons, the apex predators of Ganghwange.

The Five Dragons, born into their lineage, and the Ascended Dragons, who achieved their status through arduous cultivation.

But there wasn’t a significant difference in their abilities.

The Five Dragons inherited the accumulated power and knowledge of their bloodline, but those who passed through the Dragon Gate, a trial so difficult that only one in a thousand succeeded, were no less powerful.

They could be compared to those born into nobility and those who built their own empires through hard work and determination.

The problem was… the unavoidable discrimination.

The Five Dragons, revered as descendants of the Dragon God, enjoyed privileges and held positions of power.

The Ascended Dragons, despite reaching the same level of power, were treated no differently from other divine beasts.

The composition of the Golden Island Sect’s leadership was a clear example.

And five of those positions were always reserved for the Five Dragons.

And since it was an alliance, the Five Dragons couldn’t monopolize all the positions, so only one Ascended Dragon, the Winged Dragon, was usually included.

The remaining positions were distributed among the other divine beasts, like the Kirin, the Black Tortoise, and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Naturally, there was resentment.

But the Ascended Dragons, having transcended their limits through arduous cultivation, rarely complained.

Most of them were more interested in pushing their own boundaries than in political power.

But not everyone was the same.

There were… exceptions.

‘Are they all fools? Why do they just accept this injustice?’

He couldn’t tolerate the current situation.

They said he should be content with his position, as he wasn’t a true descendant of the Dragon God?

But he was also a descendant, albeit a distant and diluted one, a bastard child of the Dragon God.

He had been treated like an ordinary demon, even though he was a member of the Dragon species, until he passed through the Dragon Gate and proved his worth!

‘I worked so hard to get here…!’

Thousands of years of arduous cultivation, pushing himself to his limits…

And yet, he was still beneath them?

He felt a burning rage, a sense of injustice, every time he witnessed their casual disregard, the subtle discrimination that permeated their society.

He had even confronted the Winged Dragon, a member of the leadership, but nothing had changed.

He had been dismissed, told to focus on his cultivation, his concerns brushed aside.

‘Am I the one who’s wrong? Are they right?’

He had pondered the question countless times, but he couldn’t find any fault in his own reasoning.

And as he struggled with his frustration, his ambition and his desire for recognition growing stronger, a rebellious spirit began to fester within him, twisting and distorting his once pure intentions.

‘No, they’re the ones who are wrong. I am also a descendant of the Dragon God. I have the right to be here.’

Resentment towards the system, which he couldn’t change with his own power.

Jealousy towards those who enjoyed privileges he couldn’t even dream of.

Greed for what he lacked, what he could never have.

‘This is… a necessary sacrifice for reform.’

He was consumed by his inner demons, his mind twisted and corrupted.

But he didn't resist. He embraced the darkness…

…and committed an unforgivable act.

If he couldn’t have it, he would take it.

It wasn’t difficult to trick the young and naive Red Dragon, who had just completed his Dragon Orb and was still celebrating his coming-of-age ceremony.

He had never imagined that another dragon, a member of his own kind, would harm him within the hidden realm.

Having acquired a second head, he continued his gruesome work, his power amplified by his new acquisition.

It was easier than he had expected.

[W-what are you doing?! Gah!]

He acquired a third head.

His growth rate was exceeding his expectations.

He should have done this sooner.

He regretted the wasted time.

[Do you think you can be forgiven…?!]

He acquired a fourth head.

As expected, the results were outstanding.

His increased power allowed him to hunt stronger prey, expanding his options.

Four heads, red, black, white, and his original green, each holding a Dragon Orb in its mouth, twisted and writhed, their voices a cacophony of roars and screams.

They were still… unruly.

He needed to consolidate his power.

The situation deteriorated.

Even if they were young dragons who had just completed their coming-of-age ceremonies, the sudden disappearance of three dragons couldn't go unnoticed.

He acquired a fifth head, but the situation continued to worsen.

The Golden Island Sect’s investigation team was closing in.

He had been careful, but they were faster than he had anticipated.

‘They’re still pursuing me! Only the Yellow Dragon is left…!’

He hadn't been exposed yet, but it was only a matter of time.

He had to act quickly and escape before they tightened their security.

Targeting the younger dragons was too risky now.

He needed a more… challenging target.

He lured a mature Yellow Dragon, one of the investigators, and attacked him.

[How… How did you acquire such power…?!]

Perhaps his opponent had been careless, underestimating him because he had only targeted younger dragons before… or perhaps his rapidly growing power was even greater than he had imagined.

The fight was easier than he had expected, and he successfully devoured the Yellow Dragon, acquiring his sixth head.

[…You’ve become a monster. Why… Why would you do this…?]

[He’s completely consumed by madness. It’s a miracle he managed to hide it for so long. We were too careless.]

[Tsk, it’s because of his… origin. This is why we shouldn’t accept just anyone.]

His true nature was revealed, and he was surrounded by the Golden Island Sect’s forces.

They took his actions seriously.

Three of the highest-ranking members of the leadership, Azure Dragon, Black Dragon, and Red Dragon, had come personally to subdue him.

They were confident they could end this, that the monstrous dragon would be defeated, and that peace would be restored.

[Haha! Origin? Origin, you say? How dare you! How dare you say such a thing!]

But things didn’t go as planned.

An overwhelming aura, far surpassing his previous level, erupted from the Six-Headed Dragon.

It wasn't just the combined power of six dragons, it was a qualitative change, a transcendence of limits.

[Five wasn’t enough. I’ll devour all Five Dragons!]

Normally, even after consuming five dragons, he shouldn't have been able to fully absorb their power.

There was the inevitable energy loss during the process, and the Dragon Orbs, the focal points of a dragon’s power, were more effective when used individually, their efficiency decreasing dramatically when used in multiples.

[This is the only way! If all Five Dragons disappear from this world, if I devour and absorb all the ‘descendants of the Dragon God’…!]

But there was a variable.

He was also a descendant of the Dragon God, albeit a bastard child.

And he hadn’t just relied on his bloodline. He had proven his worth through thousands of years of arduous cultivation, forcibly awakening the dormant power within his blood by devouring other dragons.

[…I will become the Dragon God’s only true heir!]

His origin was ‘Greed’.

A monster from legends, who devoured everything, even himself.

“So? What happened next?”

“…They underestimated him. Many died, including the Red Dragon of that era, and Azure Dragon and Black Dragon were severely injured and forced to retire. Of course, the Six-Headed Dragon also lost several of its heads and barely escaped with its life.”

Azure Dragon, her voice gentle and soothing, told the story as if it was a bedtime story for a child, responding to Horus’s eager questions, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

It was an old story, after all.

It had happened at least fifty or sixty years ago.

“But Horus, why are you so interested in this? It’s rare for you to ask about such things.”

She tilted her head slightly, a curious look on her face.

Of course, it had been a significant event in the Golden Island Sect’s history.

It had led to a series of reforms, addressing the discrimination and inequality within their society.

…But those reforms were no longer necessary.

The current crisis, the threat of extinction, had united them, overriding their petty squabbles.

“Hee hee… Restoring the Dragon Heart isn’t the end, is it? We have to be prepared. That bad dragon is probably plotting something evil!”

“…I suppose you’re right. He hasn’t shown himself yet, but we can’t let our guard down.”

Azure Dragon nodded gravely, as if realizing something important.

She gently stroked Horus’s soft, golden hair.

“You’ve taught me a valuable lesson, Horus. I’ve been too focused on the immediate threat and neglected the long-term dangers. I’ll have to prepare for him as well.”

“Hehehe… We’re short-handed, but… it’s better to be overworked than to face a greater disaster later.”

Azure Dragon, her eyes closed, lost in thought as she continued to stroke Horus’s hair, a troubled expression on her face.

Horus, feeling a surge of pride, shrugged and looked away.

‘…So that’s what happened? There’s not a single normal dimension, is there? In Auterica, it was that human god, and here, it’s a bastard child of the Dragon God.’

Of course, it had been the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society who had dealt the critical blow to Ganghwange… but Yalu Huan, the Demonic Cult’s Strategist, had also played a significant role.

And based on what he had heard, he had the potential to become a calamity on par with the Immortal King of Auterica.

‘His missing heads have regenerated. I didn’t see any dragon corpses at the Demonic Cult’s headquarters… Did he devour them all?’

The Master and the Heavenly Demon had known he was a demon, so they would have tolerated his blood consumption.

Of course, he wouldn't have been able to gain as much power as he would have by hunting them personally, due to the limitations of indirect karma absorption.

He was grateful for that.

‘At his current level, he’s still within manageable parameters.’

Horus nodded with a satisfied smile, his gaze fixed on…

…not the peaceful and serene Golden Island Sect headquarters in the hidden realm…

…but on a distant battlefield, a scene of chaotic violence unfolding in the heart of a demonic land.

[“Kyaaa—! You insects! You’re annoying!”]

A thunderous roar, a monstrous howl, echoed through the air, and a powerful storm swept through the battlefield.

Those with weaker constitutions coughed up blood and stumbled, their bodies trembling from the intense emotional fluctuations contained within the roar.

But the undead army, shrouded in a dense abyssal aura, merely paused for a moment, then resumed their relentless assault, their movements mechanical and precise.

The Demonic Cult warriors were the only ones suffering… but even knowing that, the Six-Headed Dragon couldn’t calm down.

…A ferocious roar, even more savage than his own, echoed from the front lines.

A chilling howl, filled with the aura of death, a sound that couldn't possibly belong to a living being.

And then, a wave of destruction, a familiar sight, crashed down upon him.

The six Dragon Orbs glowed brightly, and the incoming attack weakened, twisted, and scattered, unable to penetrate his defenses, before finally dissipating into nothingness.

It was a familiar exchange, a repeated cycle of attack and defense.

But the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

‘What is that?! What is he doing?!’

The Six-Headed Dragon’s six heads roared in unison, their gazes darting around, searching for the source of the attack.

The Demonic Cult warriors had hurriedly retreated after his appearance, leaving only the dead behind.

And they were all elite monsters, their bodies radiating a dense deathly aura.

‘If it was just one-on-one, I would have crushed him…!’

The most conspicuous figure was a massive, winged skeletal dragon.

It was almost as large as he was, and it was the one who had just unleashed that devastating attack.

A formidable opponent, its massive size and its relentless Death Breath attacks a constant threat.

Not only were there strange, black jiangshi he had never seen before, but also the familiar demon jiangshi, hovering around him, waiting for an opening.

All of them were wreathed in a chilling aura of death.

And that was the biggest problem.

‘This cursed energy… it’s endless!’

The ominous black flames that enveloped their bodies were a deadly poison to the living… but a powerful weapon for the dead.

It amplified their strength, their defense, their every aspect, and even if their bodies were shattered, they would regenerate in an instant, their touch a deadly curse.

It was the perfect weapon, both offensive and defensive.

‘Tsk, I shouldn’t have eaten them!’

He was experiencing it firsthand.

Annoyed by their relentless regeneration, he had devoured a few of the black jiangshi and a part of the skeletal dragon’s body…

…And now, a strange, unsettling sound echoed from his massive stomach.

He had never experienced indigestion before… and now, he was experiencing it for the first time.

He didn’t even have an anus, as his body absorbed everything it consumed…

“Kkuk kuk— You seem to be in pain. That’s what happens when you eat whatever you find.”

But he didn’t have time to deal with it.

The voice of the one responsible for all this echoed in his ears, and—.

…A wave of destruction, erupting from the strange symbols that had appeared around him, crashed down upon him.

Chains, lightning, flames, thorns, fangs, beasts, axes…

Countless forms of death, their power overwhelming.