Chapter 380: Chapter 380

The Daeryong Group scandal, which had caused such a stir in Korea,

…didn’t make much of a splash overseas.

After all, such incidents weren’t uncommon in other countries.

Most people simply shrugged it off, some even finding the Korean public’s reaction… excessive.

“…This is going to be troublesome. They’re finally targeting the elites.”

Of course, there were exceptions.

Those who had been watching the situation closely.

And those who were directly involved.

“Such a waste. It would be difficult to find another target as… suitable as Daeryong.”

A woman with brown skin, reclining on a low sofa in a room decorated with mandala patterns, muttered softly.

She took a long drag from her hookah, exhaling a cloud of pastel-colored smoke.

Light blue, pink, light green…

The smoke filled the room, swirling and dancing in the air.

‘…Tsk, it can’t be helped. I anticipated this.’

Her irritation gradually subsided as her mind drifted, lulled by the soothing smoke.

After all, she had deliberately restricted the flow of information to that greedy old man, hadn't she?

‘It’s a shame to lose a valuable asset before even using it properly.’

But it wasn’t a complete loss.

She had learned that his influence and intelligence network in Korea were far greater than they had anticipated.

She wasn't sure if it extended overseas, but it was something to consider for future operations.

‘I’ll leave Korea alone for now. There’s not much to gain from interfering in this situation.’

Oracle, the woman with the hookah, nodded slowly, dismissing the thought.

There was no point in dwelling on the past.

Her priority was to adjust her plans accordingly.

She exhaled slowly, a stream of pale yellow smoke escaping her lips.

The smoke, swirling and twisting, formed amorphous shapes in the air.

She stared at it, her eyes unfocused, her mind drifting.

Wooong— Wooong— Wooong—

A torrent of thoughts and images flooded her mind.

The world, its elements collapsing and merging, concepts twisting and distorting, separating and recombining.

Mountains and oceans coexisting, human-shaped clouds devouring hammers from the sun and reading foxes.

Insect-shaped guns, elephants drinking lightning, stars made of mud…

She swam through the surreal and nonsensical visions, her mind adrift.

And then, after about an hour,

…her eyes refocused, and she took another drag from her hookah, reaching for a communication device.

She activated it and contacted someone.

-“What is it, Oracle? This is sudden.”

“Nothing much… You’re in the Philippines, right?”

-“Yes. Those rats have been annoying me, so I was planning to wipe them all out… but they’re hiding somewhere. There are too many islands. It’s frustrating.”

“Go to Dinagat Island. It seems they’re planning something there.”

-“Oh? That’s good to hear. Eliminating them won’t be a problem once I know their location. They’re just rats, after all.”

She nodded slowly, listening to the cheerful voice of the Southeast Asia Branch Manager, and then spoke, her tone calm and measured.

The information about the resistance group’s location was just a… bonus. She had something else she wanted to discuss.

“And we’ll be sending the Executioner there soon.”

-“…That madman? I heard he’s busy in Africa.”

The Branch Manager’s voice turned… cautious.

He considered himself quite the madman, but the Executioner was on a completely different level.

“Yes, we need to be more proactive. You know the situation. Yulryeongja, the Duke, and Scribe are all dead, and Doctor is in a regeneration pod. We can’t afford any more losses.”

-“Ahem, if that’s Oracle’s will, then it can’t be helped.”

The Southeast Asia Branch Manager reluctantly agreed, despite his clear displeasure.

He couldn't argue with his superior’s decision.

And he was also… concerned.

Even the Duke, the European Branch Manager, a powerful transcendent, had been killed recently.

“Good. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

-“Huu… This is going to be troublesome. I’ll have to… relieve some stress by crushing those rats.”

The communication ended.

Oracle narrowed her eyes, staring into the void,

…as if trying to see something that wasn't there.

“…I still can’t see anything. But…”

She had missed a few variables recently, but she was learning.

She wasn't a powerful combatant, but she was a transcendent, her abilities far surpassing those of ordinary humans.

And she had a global intelligence network!

It wasn't difficult to predict the enemy's next move.

‘I should start preparing.’

To welcome the… troublesome guest who had been disrupting their plans.

Africa, a land notorious for its lawlessness and violence.

Even before the emergence of Awakened individuals, it had been a constant battlefield, a place where human life was cheap.

Death wasn’t even news here.

Most governments struggled to maintain control even over their capital cities, their influence barely extending beyond the urban areas.

Countless warlords and criminal organizations, armed with guns and otherworldly abilities, fought for control of the land, their battles a constant cycle of violence and bloodshed.

It was arguably the most active battlefield for Awakened individuals on Earth.

“Ugh… Kgh… D-demon…!”

And yet, what was happening now was… unusual.

A transcendent Awakened, a veteran who had been fighting in this land for over a decade, was… terrified.

He was known as a ruthless killer, someone who wouldn’t hesitate to tear a person apart with his bare hands… and yet, he was trembling in fear.

It was an unbelievable sight… but anyone who witnessed the scene before him would react the same way.

Raging flames, the scorched earth, and the viscous blood that covered everything.

There was one thing that wasn’t red.

A figure, approaching him slowly, its footsteps crunching on the charred remains, its form… indistinct.

No, was it even a ‘person’?

The transcendent Awakened from South Sudan, his legs severed, his body covered in blood, lay on the ground, staring up at the approaching figure, his mind racing.

Black scales, reflecting the flickering flames, a massive body, over three meters tall, four sharp horns extending upwards from its head, a pair of bat-like wings unfurled behind its back, and a long, whip-like tail with a sharp, spear-like tip.

It looked like a demon straight from hell.

‘Is that… really an Awakened? Or… a being from another world?’

Two eyes, burning with a crimson light, gleamed from above its sharp, shark-like teeth.

His mind, honed through years of battle and strengthened by his transcendence, wavered under its gaze.

He bit down on his tongue, the sharp pain snapping him back to reality.

He pushed himself up, his body screaming in protest, his severed legs dangling uselessly.

One leg was missing below the knee, the other from mid-shin down, but such injuries weren't a problem for a transcendent being like him.

His elite Awakened subordinates, even the Master Realm experts among them, had been slaughtered by this single demon, and he himself had lost both his legs.

It was a humiliating defeat.

‘But I’m not going down without a fight.’

He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

This was a matter of pride.

He was a renowned warrior, a butcher who had made a name for himself in countless battles, the strongest in South Sudan… He couldn’t die , without even landing a single blow.

His Aether, fueled by his fighting spirit, surged through his body, enveloping him in a protective aura.

The demon, which had been approaching him slowly, suddenly stopped.

Not because it was intimidated by his defiance…

…but because it had received a message.

It nodded slowly, having confirmed the contents of the message.

It had been planning to… savor the moment… but it seemed like it was time to end this.

A crimson flame, erupting from the demon’s hand, surged upwards, enveloping its claws.

The air around it distorted, and cracks appeared on the ground beneath its feet.

The transcendent Awakened, his face pale and covered in sweat, stared at the approaching demon, his heart pounding in his chest.

That wasn’t ordinary fire.

It was a concentrated mass of energy, shaped like flames, its destructive power immense.

It was the same power that had crushed his subordinates, turning them into puddles of blood, and severed his legs.

He had nothing left to lose.

He unleashed his final attack, his body a projectile, his life force fuel for his power,

…a desperate gamble against the demon that had taken everything from him.

…the demon, which had been silent until now, chuckled softly.

As if finally satisfied.

Its wings unfurled behind its back.

Its four horns resonated with a low hum.

It grinned, its crimson eyes fixed on the incoming attack, a streak of light like a meteor,

…and then, with a casual flick of its flame-wreathed hand,

…it tore through space.

The deafening roar, a sound beyond human comprehension, came later.

The torn space snapped back into place, the resulting shockwave crushing and shattering everything in its path.

The earth trembled, a powerful earthquake, and the clouds in the sky dispersed.

The residual energy, scattering in all directions, ignited the surrounding area, turning it into a blazing inferno.

Amidst the devastation, the aftermath of an overwhelming display of power,

…only the sound of crackling flames and the tremors of the earth remained.

Where there had once been people, only a massive scar, like a claw mark on the earth, remained.

And the only one still standing, casually brushing the dust off his hands,

It glanced down at its chest, its black scales gleaming in the firelight.

Several scales were cracked and broken.

‘It would have been more fun if I had used this much power from the beginning.’

Would he find someone worthy of his full power in his next destination?

He tilted his head slightly, then turned and spread his wings.

To move on to the next location.

Africa, a land of savagery and chaos, its secrets shrouded in mystery.

The Executioner, a member of the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society’s personal guard, headed towards the Philippines,

…leaving behind a trail of carnage, dozens of transcendent beings and countless victims in his wake.

Inside the 「Dragon’s Lair」, a personal dimension, a private sanctuary,

“It’s finally complete!”

…a gruff voice echoed through the workshop area.

A massive forge, its flames blazing, a mystical anvil, and other state-of-the-art crafting equipment.

A dwarf, standing in the middle of the workshop, his hands raised, the metal gauntlets he held gleaming in the firelight, danced and cheered.

“Hahaha! I knew I could do it! It was nothing!”

Howard, the dwarf craftsman, who had been working tirelessly on the language translation magic tool for Andrew, minimizing distractions and focusing on his craft,

…had finally completed his task.

He had been prepared for a long and arduous process, but thanks to several factors, it had been completed much faster than he had anticipated.

‘This “Dragon’s Lair”… it’s a separate world, unbound by any laws!’

It wasn’t Earth, Auterica, or Ganghwange.

It wasn’t restricted by any specific rules or limitations, and he could use any material he desired, even those from other worlds he had never encountered before.

‘Excellent. The perfect workshop. Of course, now that I have “Savior”, which negates dimensional barriers, I can work in other worlds as well… but it won’t be easy to replicate this environment.’

A top-of-the-line magic workshop, accessible anytime, anywhere, created exclusively for him.

And with the semi-permanent time acceleration barrier he had set up, utilizing the energy flow within the 「Dragon’s Lair」, it was practically a heavenly realm for crafting.

Time flowed almost a hundred times faster here than on Earth.

“Huu, I can finally give Andrew’s activities a… boost.”

Howard smiled, gently stroking the beautifully crafted metal gauntlets,

…imagining Andrew’s joy upon receiving his gift.

Of course, he hadn’t considered the recipient’s preferences.

Who would dislike such a valuable and useful item?!