Chapter 73 – The Fallen One

Se-min gathered the Sawtooth Angels and explained.

The Dragon Tribal would cause an accident, and if they utilized that, Kaorak could become the goblin lord.

“The Dragon Tribal wasn’t a completely preposterous organization.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly as it sounds.”

The Dragon Tribal was a strange group that worshipped dragons. Nevertheless, their approval rating was high, so when Se-min looked into it, there was a story about dragons among the goblins.

“A real dragon will appear.”

As Se-min said that, everyone fell silent.

To find out the truth of whether the Emperor had lost his mind or was joking, everyone closely examined his face.

“Are you sick somewhere?”

Kaorak asked directly.

Se-min stroked his head.

“No.”

As Se-min answered gently, Kaorak rolled his eyes, feeling anxious instead.

Calpacino stepped forward.

“If a dragon appears as you said, what do you plan to do?”

“I suppose I should catch it.”

“The dragon?”

“Yes.”

Calpacino contemplated something. And he spoke to Se-min.

“There will be casualties…”

“We must bear it.”

Se-min had infiltrated the fortress of the Dragon Tribal and watched them perform the ritual. It was a process to awaken the dragon.

Se-min could have stopped them before they caused trouble. However, he chose to spy on them and wait without bothering to interfere.

That was his decision.

“Understood. Then where on earth is the dragon?”

“The dragon…”

Se-min pointed above his head.

None of them understood the meaning and tilted their heads.

“That is the dragon.”

After experiencing the phenomenon of the light flickering not long ago, Se-min wondered what it was and directly flew up to the ceiling using the Cloud Ladder Step.

A barrier blocked him midway. There existed a powerful repelling force that made it almost impossible to even approach.

Because it was Se-min, he broke through it; had it been other fellows, they would have been consumed by the power of the barrier and shattered.

Se-min gouged the barrier with Lupus and neutralized the repelling force with the power of the Cosmic Style.

And he advanced inside.

Inside the thick fog, Se-min discovered a glowing body.

Dragon.

That was the true identity of the light.

The dragon, fallen into a deep sleep, was emitting light from its entire body.

While it was surprising that a dragon existed and that it was the identity of the light, its appearance was even more shocking.

“I think it is Badurbarok’s intention that goblins live in Pandemonium. That fellow played a hand.”

“Played a hand?”

“The dragon…”

The appearance of the dragon was unique.

It was no different from a demonic beast.

Its scales were peeled off here and there, and from the gaps, tentacles that would only be seen on demonic beasts crawled out and swayed.

Biological organs surrounding the area were connected to various parts of the dragon’s body, continuously supplying dark power.

It shed a turbid energy and emitted a strange light.

It was a form mutated by Badurbarok.

Se-min felt as if even that light was filthy.

“I think your exile to Pandemonium was also Badurbarok’s trick.”

That was Se-min’s conclusion.

“For Badurbarok, who has to keep waging wars, rather than wiping out the remnants, he probably wanted to confine and manage the goblins in Pandemonium. He put the dragon inside here to create a permanent light, creating an environment where goblins could live.”

“That is a dangerous statement. Coming to Pandemonium was the choice of the great goblins.”

Se-min laughed.

“Even those great goblins were played by Badurbarok, or there was no such thing as greatness in the first place.”

Everyone fell silent.

Although the Sawtooth Angels were a group of gangsters, they possessed pride in their race.

“If I hadn’t come here, Kiplo would have become the goblin lord. The goblins would have entered under Badurbarok’s command. Then what would have happened to this Pandemonium? It would have become nothing but Badurbarok’s farm to raise goblin soldiers. You would live relying on that light for the rest of your lives.”

Se-min realized that the light was not ordinary.

The goblins were unusually gloomy and lacked motivation. They did not act like the ancient race he had read and heard about. They were brave and spirited warriors.

That light was changing the nature of the goblins.

Because that would make them easier to rule.

“Such a thing…”

But the goblins could not accept that fact.

If that light was truly Badurbarok’s arrangement, and they were bred underground under his intention, their entire lives spent so far would be denied.

After a silence, Calpacino spoke.

“The Emperor’s words must be correct.”

He acknowledged Se-min. The other goblins stared at him.

“The Emperor has never lied to us so far. There is no reason for him to do so now. If so, we should not worry about the truth of those words, but contemplate what we must do in the future. Everyone, snap out of it.”

Se-min was impressed. Not many individuals suppressed their emotions and sought what needed to be done. It was a great quality. Calpacino would be able to remain calm like that even in the face of despair and fear.

He asked again.

“Are you confident in defeating the dragon?”

Dragons went extinct long ago. Therefore, stories about them only came down as legends. The abilities of the dragons in the tales were powerful beyond imagination, and it was said that cities burned down whenever they acted up.

“Of course.”

Se-min grinned.

“I have a close dragon brother. I learned everything about raiding dragons through that brother. Although he refused to sell out his own kind… he was extremely enraged when he heard that a dragon was contaminated by Badurbarok. Soon, the dragon’s hellfire might head toward Badurbarok.”

He spoke unbelievable nonsense.

The goblins looked at each other.

The Emperor occasionally said such strange things. A dragon brother, what on earth was this nonsense?

“Indeed… is there another brother… Keereuk…”

But Kaorak nodded seriously.

“Is he an existence like that human brother we met back then?”

“Yes. The brothers know each other well too. If we are to be exact, the dragon brother is the eldest brother.”

“Eldest brother! Keereuk! Reliable! Just how many brothers do you have!”

“Countless. There are more than one or two brothers.”

“Keereuk-keereuk!”

Kaorak stomped his feet in excitement.

Seeing Se-min and Kaorak snickering and clashing hands, Calpacino decided to abandon complex thoughts.

“Did you say the dragon awakens at midnight today?”

“Yes.”

“Then the schedule is empty until then. Kaorak, get up.”

“Boss?”

“Community service.”

As Calpacino gestured with his chin, the prepared goblins stood up. Kaorak was dragged away.

Calpacino remained calm even at the news of a dragon’s appearance, calculating what they had to do.

Se-min was impressed once again.

“Emperor, the work you mentioned back then is finished.”

“What work?”

“I found and contacted the goblin who was donating anonymously to the orphanage. I think we can bribe him and present it as if the anonymous donor all this time was Kaorak.”

“That is good news.”

Se-min replied, looking up at the ceiling.

Flicker.

The light turned off, and then turned back on.

***

It became midnight.

The Sawtooth Angels gathered at their hideout and waited for the dragon to awaken.

Se-min’s companions also gathered after a long time, and all five were fully armed.

“Can’t I take off these clothes…?”

“If that tears, you die. Be careful.”

“Ugh…”

Kaorak was still wearing Se-min’s sukajan. It was too large, making movement uncomfortable, but Se-min insisted that it would be the symbol of the goblin lord and forced Kaorak to keep wearing it.

“Bi-ryu. Are you ready?”

“Yes. It is an honor to see a living dragon.”

“It’s not a very good look. It’s terrible.”

Bi-ryu played an important role in this operation.

“Ah, I feel it.”

Bi-ryu turned his head. Se-min also looked in the same direction. A giant power was moving there. It was the direction of the Dragon Tribal’s fortress.

Something was about to begin now.

Se-min drew Lupus from his back. His aura whirled around Lupus. His power discharged in the air.

It was a battle after a long time.

Moreover, the opponent was a dragon.

His heart pounded.

Black stains began to spread on the light above their heads. The vision gradually darkened. Soon, it became pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.

Se-min raised his aura to open his vision.

In the far cavern ceiling, something was breaking.

A resonance was transmitted.

It was the growl of a dragon.

Stones fell from the sky. The ceiling collapsed as the dragon flapped its wings. Goblins who felt the anomaly began to scream.

The light rose again.

“Ah…”

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

It was a dragon.

The dim fog that always wrapped the ceiling had all evaporated, and below it, a dark-colored dragon was emitting light while spreading its giant membrane wings.

“It is terrible.”

Someone muttered.

It was exactly as Se-min had described.

It had the skeleton of a dragon, but the entity was no different from a demonic beast. Tentacles rose from its body and swayed, and abnormally grown tumors made the dragon’s body asymmetrical.

That was the identity of the light source that had illuminated Pandemonium.

Even the light dropped by the dragon felt ominous.

“Everyone, stay tense.”

Se-min said.

Soon the dragon roared. The sound was bizarre. It was a wailing that made those who heard it suffer. The dragon wailed for a while, then circled in the air and began to fall toward the ground.

It was impossible to predict where it would go.

Due to the structure of Pandemonium where numerous caves shared the ceiling, the dragon could go anywhere it wanted immediately.

Se-min’s group kept their eyes on the dragon.

The first start was the Dragon Tribal.

***

Kartoros and the goblins of the Dragon Tribal were celebrating the success of their ritual.

They had achieved their long-cherished wish.

Although they thought the appearance of the dragon was strange, they tried not to pay deep attention to it.

“It was worth pushing through.”

Looking up at the dragon, Kartoros muttered.

He had intended to hold a formal ritual after becoming the goblin lord, but everything was disrupted when the human Emperor appeared.

So he forced the ritual to awaken the dragon. Because of that, his health was in an extremely bad state.

But it did not matter.

“The Dragon God will heal everything.”

Kartoros spread both hands toward the sky.

“The Dragon God is coming! Everyone, welcome him!”

The members of the Dragon Tribal all prostrated on the floor. Only Kartoros stood at the center, stretching his hand toward the dragon.

“Dragon God!”

The dragon nose-dived down.

It gradually drew closer.

Seeing that figure up close, Kartoros felt bewildered.

The dragon’s face was hideous. Abnormally grown eyes were attached here and there between the two eyeballs, blinking at him.

Tentacles and tumors grew like parasites all over its body.

An odor drifted from its breath.

Was that truly the appearance of the Dragon God he had been waiting for?

[Did you awaken me…]

But the moment he heard the dragon’s words, doubt disappeared. It was an overwhelming pressure.

Kartoros immediately prostrated himself and bowed to the dragon.

“Correct, Dragon God! We…”

The dragon cut off his words.

[Where is Lord Badurbarok?]

“Pardon?”

Kartoros raised his head awkwardly.

[Where is Lord Badurbarok?]

Kartoros’s eyes widened.

Why did the Dragon God refer to Badurbarok with such respect? The Dragon God was supposed to be the savior who would fight against Badurbarok with them, so why was he looking for him?

Kartoros stared blankly at the dragon.

[You rascal. You awakened me arbitrarily.]

The dragon’s face distorted.

Fluid dripped down.

The terrible smell made it feel as if his breath would stop.

[Die.]

There was no warning.

Flames enveloped the Dragon Tribal.

“Damn it.”

Se-min was floating in the air, watching the scene.

It seemed they exchanged some words, but it immediately released a breath and burned the fortress down. The Dragon Tribal was entirely reduced to ashes. Only the remnants of the fortress that had not yet been consumed by the flames burned and emitted fire.

Se-min felt intuitively that the calculation he had made could go wrong.

“It is stronger than I thought.”

In the distance, goblins who detected the anomaly were in a state of confusion. Se-min held Lupus tightly, hoping Kaorak would play his role properly.

“Are you ready?”

At Se-min’s words, the goblins nodded.

On the ground, goblins with excellent skills from the Sawtooth Angels were waiting with weapons in hand.

Goblins are natural-born warriors. Holding weapons, they possessed a disaster-level power just as named on Earth.

But the enemy was a dragon.

“Although you guys were beaten up by me, I know you are all strong warriors.”

Se-min said.

The goblins looked up at Se-min. Pointing at each of them, Se-min spoke.

“You are the descendants of the great goblins. In my dimension, we regarded you goblins as a disaster. Show that dragon bastard that you are not just thugs, but real gangsters.”

The goblins snickered.

Although they were beaten up by Se-min, their past was the Sawtooth Gangsters, who were known as fear in Pandemonium.

Se-min confirmed sufficient determination on their faces.

“Then I’ll go first. Wait in the plaza.”

He kicked off the air and rushed toward the dragon.

Their eyes met.

[Krŕrrrrr…]

The dragon had already noticed Se-min’s existence. The moment it burned the fortress, the aura Se-min emitted grated on its nerves. The dragon’s eyes stared at Se-min.

The disgusting iris unique to reptiles was vivid.

“This is no joke.”

The size was about that of a building, and hideous tentacles were attached all over its body, making it terrifying just by its appearance.

But Se-min was a Raider who had killed countless demonic beasts and was covered in their bodily fluids.

He was not afraid of hideous appearances. Rather, seeing such things, he felt a deep hatred, wanting to tear them to death and remove them from the world.

Lupus vibrated.

Se-min flew to the dragon and swung Lupus.

At that, a bundle of tentacles sprang out and wrapped around Lupus. Se-min released his aura. His arm and Lupus shook violently, and soon the tentacles exploded.

He plunged Lupus into the defenseless outer skin.

The blade split the scales and tore the flesh. Blood gushed out. The blood was not red, but a glistening green color. He deployed a barrier with his aura to block the fluid. Smoke rose with an odor.

It was toxic fluid.

It had the skeleton of a dragon, but the contents were no different from a demonic beast.

Se-min shouted.

“Hey, dragon.”

At that, a reply came back.

[Who are you?]

“I am the Emperor.”

[Emperor.]

The dragon’s iris narrowed. Its snout distorted. Sulfur smoke began to rise from its mouth.

[The human Emperor. You bastards hunted us.]

“Hey, wait a minute. Isn’t that from too long ago?”

When reading history books in the library of Sargassonia, there was indeed a part where the Emperor conquered dragons. The content was that the dragons acted too maliciously, so he wiped them out.

Most of the dragon hearts that maintained the barriers were also acquired back then.

“Since you guys bullied people first…”

[Shut up!]

The dragon roared and gathered flames in its mouth.

“A breath all of a sudden?”

Se-min let out a hollow laugh.

Even so, isn’t it too much to try and burn everything in sight as soon as it awakens? Firing fire first means it must suffer from anger management issues.

“I happen to be an anger management therapist for fellows like you.”

Se-min activated the Tai Chi Wisdom. The harmonious energy of all creation pressed down the dragon’s distorted fire energy. The fire was extinguished right before the breath could be spewed.

The dragon’s iris shook.

[What!]

“Surprised?”

[How did you do it? Unbelievable…]

“Dragon. I have a question for you.”

Se-min shouted.

“Why did the descendant of dragons become such a hideous state?”

[Shut up!]

The dragon went wild and spread its wings and tentacles wide. Like a peacock showing off all its weapons, it opened its mouth toward Se-min.

[Do not insult dragons!]

“Look at your state now. You are a monster worse than a lizard.”

[You bastard!]

Se-min had received the weaknesses of dragons from Imuncaser. One of them was the provocation strategy.

Dragons were extremely weak to provocation, and when their pride was touched, they were highly prone to flying into a rage and spewing breaths.

Of course, ordinary humans would not call this a weakness. Because they would all melt in a single breath. But a skilled person who reached the peak like Se-min could easily target the gap.

[Try extinguishing it this time as well!]

The output was different this time.

The moment the dragon spewed the breath, Se-min instantly occupied its back and struck its defenseless backhead.

[Kugh!]

The second strategy following provocation. Striking the dragon while it is spewing a breath.

The dragon began to cough, clutching its chest as if it had choked. spewing fire inside and getting struck, how could it be fine?

As if something backflowed, the dragon painfully beat its chest.

[Agh! Cough!]

“How did you pass over to Badurbarok?”

[Cough, cough…]

“Did you just get brainwashed? Does a dragon not even have that level of mental strength?”

Every time the dragon tilted its head back, an odor leaked out along with flames.

“You didn’t just succumb to brainwashing, did you?”

[No!]

“Then are you unrelated to Badurbarok?”

[Not quite…]

The dragon’s eyes shook.

[Go away!]

The dragon struck Se-min’s body with its tail.

It was too fast this time, so Se-min could not block it properly and was sent flying.

Se-min flew for a long time and crashed into a stone pillar, getting buried under the debris. The entirety of Pandemonium vibrated.

Soon, Lupus poked out from the pile of stones.

Se-min pushed the debris aside and stood up. Dust fell from his body.

“As expected of a dragon.”

Se-min smiled, wiping the blood flowing from his mouth.

He had not fought an opponent who could match him since becoming the Emperor. He had met an opponent that made his heart pound after a long time.

Aura rose from Se-min’s body drawing a Tai Chi, and it soon connected to the Cosmic Style.

“Badurbarok’s dog.”

Se-min called the dragon in a low voice. The dragon flapped its wings. The beast seemed to feel confusion along with anger.

The dragon kept whispering something.

[I… for Lord Badurbarok… no… I am a dragon… this place… here is…]

The dragon raised its tentacles and clutched its head.

Multiple irises shook anxiously.

At that moment, a commotion arose in the distance. The goblins discovered the appearance of the dragon and began to scream.

Before Se-min could react, the dragon rushed toward that place.

“Kaorak, you bastard!”

Se-min pursued.

***

Kaorak was calming the goblins down.

Starting from his hometown Sawtooth Tribe, the Blue Droplet Tribe, the Kite Tribe, the Blade-Bridge Nose Tribe, and the Coalition of Good Goblins, the goblins who lived in their respective areas gathered in one place.

They gathered their voices saying they must escape to the surface quickly.

“Open the gate!”

“We have to get out of Pandemonium!”

“Save me!”

Since the dragon went far away, the light became dim, and the surroundings could not even be seen properly. Relying on the faint light, the goblins were looking for a way to get outside.

“What is the Red Banner Coalition doing! They manage the path to the outside!”

“Kiplo! Where are you, Kiplo!”

“Where is Candidate Number 1! Did he run away first!”

As their lives became endangered, the goblins’ voices grew louder.

Kaorak struggled to control the goblins along with the Sawtooth Angels.

“Everyone, calm down! I, Candidate Number 4 King Kaorak, will help you! Please maintain order! Trust me, King Kaorak!”

But his words did not work at all.

As the situation turned out to be more difficult than expected, Kaorak even hoped for the other candidates to appear and help.

He had intended to respond quickly to the crisis to raise his approval rating, but at this rate, everyone would end up killed by the dragon before he could become the goblin lord.

Kaorak asked the members of the Sawtooth Angels.

“What are Kiplo and Kukri doing?”

“They say they’re all staying holed up without moving?”

“Those bastards!”

Although their paths were different, he believed their hearts for the goblins were thorough. Kaorak felt great disappointment toward them.

It was then.

In the midst of that confusion, Kaorak saw someone.

“Kirna?”

“Kaorak?”

Kaorak’s face froze.

There were several reasons why he had left Pandemonium, but the biggest trigger was a woman.

The woman he had a crush on, Kirna.

But she had no interest in Kaorak.

So Kaorak joined Badurbarok’s army, planning to return in glory after becoming a person of power to win her heart.

But becoming Badurbarok’s subordinate was different from what he had thought.

He was brainwashed and hunted humans. Later, he received a mission to take the Imperial Throne in Sargassonia, but lost his force to Fersen and was captured.

Far from a glorious return, it was a shabby homecoming.

So he wanted to become the goblin lord at least.

But Kaorak realized not long ago that it was all useless.

“It’s been a while, Kirna. I heard the news. Congratulations.”

Now, she was no longer someone Kaorak could love.

“I heard you became a mother.”

A baby goblin lay asleep in her arms. Even in this commotion, the baby’s face was peaceful. She gently cupped the baby’s cheek.

“Kaorak. I heard you became a goblin lord candidate. How did that happen? What on earth is that monster?”

Kaorak stared quietly at the face of the baby who resembled Kirna, then raised his head.

“Don’t worry. My friends and I will block that monster.”

“Your friends? You mean those gangsters?”

It was a term that revealed how she thought of the Sawtooth Angels.

Kaorak smirked. She was right. He was just a gangster. How foolish was he to try and win someone?

But it was different now.

“No, I have new friends.”

The goblins began to scream. Kaorak raised his head. In the distance, the monster dragon was rushing toward them.

“I’ve changed from the past too.”

“Kaorak?”

“I am no longer just Kaorak.”

Kaorak held his sword. It was a longsword much larger than his body.

As Kaorak released his power, the dragon sukajan fluttered.

“I am King Kaorak now!”

Kaorak kicked off the ground and leaped up. Shozen, Gulad, and the goblins of the Sawtooth Angels, who were calming the residents, leaped up together.

They all gathered to form a defensive wall and blocked the dragon’s charge.

Their bodies collided with the dragon’s giant form.

The goblins were sent flying in all directions.

But thanks to that, they were able to stop the dragon. The dragon crashed to the ground from the impact.

While the residents shouted in surprise, someone’s figure plunged onto the dragon’s back.

Everyone looked at that spot.

It was Se-min.

His greatsword was piercing the dragon’s back.

“It’s the Emperor!”

“The human Emperor is helping us!”

The goblins backed away from the dragon.

But at that moment, a bundle of tentacles rose from the dragon’s back and wrapped around Se-min, hiding him from view.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

They had to help him.

But no one stepped forward.

The great warriors of the goblins had disappeared. Living in Pandemonium, they had lost their past courage. The damp air here had diluted the warrior’s blood.

“Help the Emperor!”

Someone shouted then.

It was Calondo, Calpacino’s rival.

The young goblins of the Blue Droplet Tribe rushed out in unison. They poked the dragon here and there with their weapons. Some climbed up its back, struggling to save Se-min.

[Roar!]

But as the dragon shook its body, they were all thrown off. Se-min also rolled on the ground, tangled with the tentacles.

Even though they were severed from the dragon’s body, the tentacles constricted Se-min’s body as if they were alive.

Se-min bit the tentacles with his teeth. As he kept chewing, the tentacles were finally torn off.

Se-min spat out the fluid and glared at the dragon.

“Damn it, this is a demonic beast, not a dragon.”

The strategies he obtained from Imuncaser were mostly neutralized due to the characteristics of the demonic beast.

“It’s better to kill it quickly.”

Originally, he had intended to drag out the time to make Kaorak stand out, but there was no room for that. Moreover, he didn’t know that Kiplo and the Red Banner Coalition would not appear at all. The strength of the goblins was also below expectations.

Se-min was inwardly disappointed in the goblins.

The first goblin he had faced was strong like a demon. Although he lost a precious person because of that guy, based on that experience, he believed the goblins of Pandemonium would be a great force.

But far from opposing the dragon, they were busy fleeing, and the gangsters with them were not of significant help.

They were weak.

Did the other ancient races change like this too?

He felt that the path to kill Badurbarok was becoming increasingly rugged.

At that moment, a much larger scream than before echoed. The dragon was devouring goblins all at once.

Blood and entrails dripped from its sharp teeth. That terrible sight was vividly illuminated by the glowing body of the dragon.

The goblins fled in panic.

“Bi-ryu!”

As Se-min shouted, Bi-ryu appeared beside him. Se-min instructed one of the 26 plans he had set up in advance.

“Plan T. Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

His reply was clear as always. Se-min smiled. What he wanted was a companion he could rely on at such dangerous moments.

“Now.”

Bi-ryu stretched out his hand.

Mana began to vibrate in his body. An energy of a different nature from aura flowed out from his body.

It crossed in various ways according to the caster’s will, implementing a miracle by adding the mystery of magic on top of the principles of the world.

The dragon, chewing on a goblin corpse, raised its head.

In Se-min’s eyes, it looked like a faint mirage, but to the dragon, it would look like an entity with physical form. The dragon’s face turned vicious.

The dragon spread its wings and flew up to attack the illusion.

“Bi-ryu. Lure it toward the Red Banner Coalition.”

“Understood.”

“I leave the rear to you.”

It was one of Se-min’s plans.

Luring the dragon.

The target was the Red Banner Coalition.

Since he didn’t know Kiplo would be holed up like this, Se-min decided to use Bi-ryu’s magic to directly throw the dragon there.

As intended, the dragon advanced relentlessly toward the area where the Red Banner Coalition’s settlement was located.

Wings and tentacles collided with the outer walls of Pandemonium, causing piles of stones to collapse here and there.

The underground vibrated.

As the dragon, the only luminous body underground, departed, the surroundings were completely dark.

“Sawtooth Angels!”

Se-min shouted.

“Evacuate the goblins! I’ll handle that fellow!”

“Yes!”

“Who is Candidate Number 4 who will take responsibility for Pandemonium?”

“King Kaorak!”

“That’s right! Work hard! Light up the fire!”

After a brief election campaign in the interlude, Se-min flew up pursuing the dragon.

Confirming that the goblins were holding torches, Se-min rushed like a cannonball utilizing the subtle principles of the Cloud Ladder Step.

Below, the dark scenery of Pandemonium brushed past.

The structure of Pandemonium, tangled like a maze, and the settlements of the goblins built here and there flickered.

They had lived in a narrow and dark place for a long time.

The only light they could rely on was the filthy glow of the contaminated dragon.

“Badurbarok.”

Se-min muttered the enemy’s name.

This place was a dark cage he had created. If they lost this war, all races in this world would die, or linger as Badurbarok’s playthings in such prisons. Perhaps he was looking down at Pandemonium and laughing.

His figure became even faster.

The dragon was looking down from above the Red Banner Coalition’s settlement.

Se-min accelerated further, cutting the dragon with inertia on his back.

Or rather, he tried to cut it.

Just before cutting the dragon, something blocked him. Se-min collided with an invisible barrier. The wall broke, and Se-min fell to the ground.

He crashed into the roof of a building.

Se-min stood up, relying on Lupus. The dragon stopped in the air, shaking its head. It looked as if it was conversing with someone.

Se-min looked around. A presence was felt.

The goblins of the Red Banner Coalition stood armed.

“Over there!”

As Se-min shouted, they were startled.

“What are you guys doing!”

They looked at each other’s faces, then raised spears and swords to aim at Se-min. Se-min stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded.

They backed away and began to shout.

“It’s the Emperor! The Emperor has come!”

“Lord Kiplo! Here it is!”

Se-min watched what they were doing.

Soon, the goblins of the Red Banner Coalition flocked. They wore red armor. It looked as if they had prepared for such a situation from long ago.

Kiplo stood at the front.

“Your Majesty, you came.”

“Yes. I came, punk.”

“When you appeared, all plans were ruined.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean it’s all because of you.”

Kiplo’s expression turned grim.

“I didn’t know Kartoros would be able to awaken a real dragon, but doing it to this extent must also be because of you.”

“Shifting the blame?”

“Originally, we were going to proceed slowly…”

Black aura rose from Kiplo’s body.

Se-min furrowed his brow.

That power was something he could not forget. That color was evidence of dark power.

That meant Kiplo was connected to Badurbarok more than Se-min had thought.

“Were you just Badurbarok’s subordinate?”

“Subordinate? It’s not wrong, but there is a better title than that.”

Not only Kiplo, but all the goblins of the Red Banner Coalition began to emit black aura.

The dragon floating in the sky roared loudly.

With the contaminated and hideous dragon as the background, Kiplo shook his black aura greatly and spoke.

“I am the Governor of Pandemonium, delegated with the rule of goblins from Lord Badurbarok.”

“What?”

“I had intended to reveal my identity after this election ended, but it can’t be helped.”

The relationship between the Red Banner Coalition and Badurbarok was deeper than expected. The rumor Se-min had spread was not entirely false. Rather, it was close to the truth.

Se-min pointed to the dragon above his head.

“Did you know about that too?”

“Yes. We arranged it all. We intended to declare the entirety of Pandemonium as Lord Badurbarok’s territory once we became the goblin lord, but Your Majesty ruined everything. I will admit that I underestimated you.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Yes. You may be proud of it.”

Goblins emitting black aura surrounded Se-min.

“Because you are recognized as the only remaining opponent in this world.”

As Kiplo waved his hand, the dragon opened its mouth toward Se-min and roared. The dragon was now under Kiplo’s control.

Kiplo continued.

“Emperor. I will give you one last chance. Think carefully.”

“Polite talk is gone now, huh?”

“The human holed up in Sargassonia. The goblin hidden in Pandemonium. The other three ancient races are no different. What can you do? A meaningless fight only makes the surroundings unhappy. Surrender and live, resist and die. Do you want to plunge the surroundings into pain because of your stubbornness? Act like the Emperor.”

Kiplo’s words had persuasiveness.

Perhaps that was the wiser choice.

His force was weak, and Badurbarok was an enemy strong enough to conquer two dimensions. He said he was now planning a new dimension.

It might be a fight striking a rock with an egg.

Se-min knew that best.

“I know.”

“What?”

Se-min smiled. Such worries ended long ago.

“So what?”

Becoming the Emperor was not Se-min’s choice. The Imperial Throne pushed the position of the Emperor onto him. Therefore, he owed nothing to the position of the Emperor.

Sargassonia made him a slave. Everyone cried out for his death. Therefore, Se-min did not feel sorry for the war that would unfold.

Se-min was not some hospice who came to comfort a dying world.

He was closer to an executioner.

Crying out innocence to the end, or dying as guilty.

He came to start a war.

“You have fallen in despair. Emperor, you are indeed a foolish ruler.”

Kiplo shook his head. Se-min smirked and raised Lupus. Perhaps his words were correct. Se-min had lost many things while going through the trials of the Imperial Throne.

But there was something that did not change.

“Why explain so complexly? It’s simple. I am just…”

That was his mission.

Se-min glanced at the surroundings.

Black aura was surrounding him. To Se-min, it was like a permission. He released the killing intent he had suppressed. The loose aura convulsed, clawing the area.

“A Raider.”

A fountain of blood shot up.

***

The fortress of the Dragon Tribal, reduced to ashes.

From the land swept by the breath, a black hand poked out. It fumbled the surroundings, and soon a goblin dug up the ground and crawled up to the surface.

It was Kartoros.

His appearance was a mess. Right before the breath swept him, he used sorcery to hide under the ground. Thanks to that, he was able to survive even in the high heat of the breath.

“It can’t be…”

He muttered.

“The Dragon God would not do that… That is not the Dragon God. I was not wrong.”

Kartoros shook his head, muttering like a crazy person.

The ancient books and mysterious rituals he had read tangled in his head. Pandemonium certainly harbored a great dragon.

What he tried to awaken was not such a hideous existence.

“I will awaken the true Dragon God. Yes, the true dragon that will drive out such a hideous existence. The dragon of prophecy that will lead the goblins to light.”

He ran toward the collapsed fortress. And he began to dig through the ashes with his blistered hands.

It was only ashes and piles of dirt.

But Kartoros did not give up. After continuous work, he discovered something.

“You were here.”

It was a large box.

It did not lose its shape even in the breath, and gloss flowed from the surface of the box.

Kartoros stroked it gently, then placed his hand on the latch and chanted a spell. At that, the lock was released.

The box opened and light leaked out.

“I will awaken the true Dragon God.”

Kartoros smiled, looking down at the Dragon Heart.