Chapter 112 : The Gathering of the Last Allies

The Espers of Legion had each become anarchists for different reasons, but if you looked closely at their stories, most involved losing a loved one to a monster attack. The resentment they had built up over the years had finally reached a breaking point as they watched their comrades fall during the battle with the Lamia. This was the reason none of them backed down; everyone volunteered for this potentially suicidal mission.

Just then, an Esper specializing in physical attacks raised his hand.

“Still, shouldn’t we notify the Bureau and get help from other guilds? It’s not that I’m scared, but it would be safer.”

Jin-woo sighed before answering.

“Do you think we didn’t try? As soon as they heard it was a hallucination gate created by a Cyclops, they all pretended not to hear. The Bureau is using the election as an excuse, and all the Espers who made it out of Frame alive are in the hospital. There’s no one else coming. Abandon that hope.”

“What about the other guilds?”

“Don’t you think their lives are just as precious to them?”

“Right… I see. We’re all going to di—”

The Esper caught himself mid-sentence, shocked by his own slip of the tongue, and quickly covered his mouth.

At that moment, Jae-hyung stepped halfway into the Frame building. One foot was inside, while the other was still outside, held firmly by Yong-yong. As the other Espers relaxed slightly and laughed at Jae-hyung’s comical stance, the conversation between Hae-jin and Jae-hyung began to broadcast through the comms.

They listened intently until they heard the phrase, “Yong-yong is the sexiest pink in the world,” which sent everyone into another fit of laughter.

“Why is everyone laughing!”

Yong-yong, who couldn’t hear the transmission, asked. When Jin-woo explained the reason, Yong-yong let out a long sigh.

“What? That was the code? Haaa… that mischievous human.”

Jae-hyung pulled his foot back and addressed the group.

“You all heard, right? Three days have passed, but Hyung didn’t even realize how much time had gone by. The same thing will happen to us once we go in, so steel your resolve. You can’t trust anyone inside. If you have even a shadow of a doubt, ask for the code.”

“What’s Cha Hae-jin’s location?”

“I’ve found him. The interior is like a maze, but Hae-jin Hyung’s energy is so strong that it shouldn’t be hard to find him… wait, what is that?”

Suddenly, a screeching sound—like a massive bird landing—echoed through the air, followed by the heavy thud of something enormous hitting the ground. The startled Espers stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to run or approach.

As the massive figure drew closer, its form became clear. A huge body, wings, a mane rising from its back, and a gaping maw—it was unmistakably a dragon.

The sudden appearance of a dragon was shocking enough, but what happened next was even more incredible. The dragon surged forward and, with a loud ‘Poof!’, transformed into a human. Upon seeing this, Yong-yong gasped.

“T-that’s a dragon…”

Following Yong-yong’s lead, a large, fully armed man approached with a smile.

“How have you been, nephew?”

Jae-hyung narrowed his eyes at the man. He looked similar to Yong-yong and radiated the energy of a dragon, but he couldn’t just trust a stranger claiming to be a relative. However, the innocent Yong-yong seemed to believe him immediately.

“N-nephew? I… my race… we were all exter—”

The man placed a hand on Yong-yong’s shoulder. Feeling the unmistakable energy of his own kind, Yong-yong began to sob. The man pulled the sniffling Yong-yong into an embrace and spoke to the Legion Espers.

“I am the last survivor of the Dragon race, and the Vice Representative of Hasard—a guild pushed out years ago during a power struggle. My name is Ji Seung-hyun.”

Jae-hyung, who had remained silent until then, pulled Seung-hyun’s arm away and stepped in front of Yong-yong.

“I believe you’re a dragon. But I don’t believe you’re Yong-yong’s relative.”

Despite Jae-hyung’s hostile attitude, Ji Seung-hyun remained calm and extended a hand.

“It’s natural to doubt. But if I weren’t his uncle, why would I show up here now?”

“It could be a trap! How can we trust a person—no, a dragon—we’ve never seen before!”

Yong-yong sniffled and stopped Jae-hyung. “Dragons do not lie to their own kind! He is indeed my uncle.”

Jae-hyung wasn’t convinced easily. This concerned Yong-yong’s safety, so he couldn’t let it slide. “Then why haven’t you contacted him until now!”

Ji Seung-hyun pointed at Yong-yong. “Then why did you all hide the existence of this dragon until now?”

Jae-hyung fell silent. He knew how the Bureau treated dragons. If the Vice Representative of Hasard had hidden himself for the same reasons Legion had hidden Yong-yong, it was understandable. His suspicion wasn’t entirely gone, but he had no ground left to argue.

While the Legion Espers were dazed by the dragon’s introduction, Jin-woo, who had kept his wits about him, stepped forward.

“Welcome. Seeing Yong-yong’s reaction, I believe you are a dragon. But what brings you here?”

“I heard my brother’s son was alive and searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find him and was about to give up.”

Yong-yong approached Seung-hyun and burst into tears. Having endured so much hardship and living only among humans despite his race’s social nature, his reaction was natural. Ji Seung-hyun stroked Yong-yong’s head a few times before continuing.

“The information guild told me that the Director of the R&D team at Legion seemed to be a dragon. I was looking for an opportunity to meet him, and when I heard there was a major battle today, I came. I couldn’t send him into a death trap without even seeing his face.”

Seung-hyun’s voice was thick with affection for his nephew, regret for having left him alone, and deep sympathy. Hearing the sincerity in his words, Jae-hyung finally stopped his guard.

As Jae-hyung awkwardly looked away, Jin-woo spoke for him. “Thank you. This will be a huge help.”

As Ji Seung-hyun was explaining the situation, a large vehicle arrived, and a group of unfamiliar Espers began to disembark. They were members of Hasard brought by Seung-hyun. The accompanying group of Guides said they wouldn’t participate in the combat but would set up a temporary medical center for emergencies.

While the Espers of Legion and Hasard were introducing themselves, a motorcycle pulled up. A man in a Guide uniform was riding it.

He took off his helmet and greeted the Legion members.

“I am Lee Kang-wook, an A-rank Guide from the Bureau. Don’t you think you’ll need at least one Guide who can distinguish hallucinations to catch a Cyclops?”

At the mention of being a “Bureau Guide,” both Legion and Hasard members grew wary. Neither guild had good feelings toward the Bureau. Kang-wook quickly corrected himself, as if he had expected this.

“Let me rephrase: I was with the Bureau, but as of today, I am Lee Kang-wook, an A-rank Guide joining Legion. You are currently looking for a Guide without an exclusive contract, right?”

Jin-woo asked, bewildered. “That’s true… but wait, how did a Bureau Guide come all the way here?”

“Didn’t you just send a request for help to the Bureau? I saw it and came. Is there a problem?”

For Legion, who was at odds with the Bureau, the fact that a Bureau Guide had come to fight was even more shocking than the appearance of a dragon relative.

“That’s not what I’m asking. It must have been difficult for you to participate for many reasons.”

“I came here planning to cut ties with the Bureau. I’ll need Legion to accept me now.”

When Jin-woo couldn’t find words, Kang-wook stepped closer.

“Let’s just say I have a personal debt to Guide Jung Lee Chae and I’m here to apologize. But do we have time for this? Shouldn’t we be going in?”

“Are you saying you’ll enter the gate?”

“I can hold my own in a fight. If I move with a scouting Esper, there won’t be any problems.”

Kang-wook was right. Now was not the time for talk, but for organizing their ranks and rescuing the two people who had lost their sense of time. Jin-woo looked at the crowd gathered before the gate created by the Humanoid—no, the Cyclops. He felt a flicker of hope that they might actually win. It was a rare assembly of dragons and high-ranking guides that was hard to find in any other battle.

Jin-woo, who felt a deep debt of conscience because this whole mess started with his kidnapping, clenched his fists. He vowed to lead this battle to success.

And so, a coalition was formed: Legion led by Jin-woo, Hasard, and Lee Kang-wook from the Bureau. Whether they would be annihilated or completely wipe the existence of monsters from this land was now entirely in their hands.