Chapter 99: The Promised Day and the Arrival of the Dragon

Each time the topic of Kratus surfaced, a murky sediment, long settled within Yeowon, would churn and rise, obscuring his thoughts. This clouded state of mind severely hindered his ability to think rationally.

“I think… you might suffer something even worse than what I endured.”

If such a thing truly came to pass, it would be entirely his fault. Each time Yeowon entertained such a thought, he was overcome by an urge to throw himself back to Kratus, the very torment he had so painstakingly fled.

“Sagyeol. I’ve grown to like you so much that I can’t help it. If I could turn back time, I’d return to before we met and erase any possibility of our paths crossing. I wish you had never known me.”

Sagyeol swallowed a curse.

That was cheating. To deliver such a heartfelt confession with such hateful words was, in its own way, a twisted talent. He carefully chose his words within his mind, but his tangled thoughts offered no room for caution or anything else.

“If you want to go back, then that’s fine.”

Yeowon’s eyes, which had widened slightly in surprise at Sagyeol’s unexpected words, slowly returned to their normal size. It was the moment the light vanished from his eyes, much like a dawn star fading from the sky.

“Even if such a thing were truly possible, and you went back countless times, we would still end up here. Because I would make it so.”

The sun rose.

The vague boundary between yesterday and today instantly crumbled. Winter sunlight, banishing the pale world, illuminated the two of them together.

“You can’t escape me now.”

Bathed directly in the sunlight, Sagyeol pulled Yeowon into a tight embrace. Amidst the suffocating pressure, Yeowon found a strange sense of peace. He felt an undeniable desire to walk with Sagyeol towards their obvious destruction.

He wept silently. Pretending not to notice his chest growing damp, Sagyeol gazed intently at the city’s edge, where the sun had fully risen.

It was the promised day.

Six o’clock in the afternoon.

A gate opened in Baekdam. It was unlike any ordinary gate, and even deviated from the ephemeral nature of irregular gates. The entirely golden gate, merely by opening, distorted nearby objects and caused cracks to form in the ground and buildings.

People screamed and fled, only to pause, mesmerized by the brilliant colors, and turn back. Even to modern people, accustomed to gates, this one felt entirely alien.

Before long, a jagged mass erupted from within. What appeared to be a rock gradually expanded, forming a face, then a colossal body, and finally, wings.

A pure white ice dragon exhaled a chilling breath. Several nearby buildings instantly froze solid. Behind it, a host of black shadows followed, a stark contrast to the dragon’s pristine form.

The dragon surveyed its surroundings, then closed its eyes. With a blinding flash, its massive form began to shrink.

Silvery-white hair, shimmering with luster, cascaded down. A dragonkin, with a slender physique and pointed ears, arrogantly lifted his chin.

“Yenis?”

The shadows offered no reply. Kratus merely smiled, his beautiful face gleaming like crystal.

“If he wouldn’t come after waiting all day, forcing me to come myself, he should at least have come out to greet me. Haha. I’ve indulged him too much for this to happen. Once I get my hands on him this time, I’ll keep him underground for a few years and violate him from the inside out. I’ll thoroughly ravage the deepest parts of his mind, ensuring he never dares to act so insolently again.”

“……”

“First, though, there’s something else to be done.”

Kratus lightly stamped his foot.

A thin, white sheet of frost spread outwards. It was a beautiful sight, like a delicate cloth draped over the landscape. However, the outcome was anything but beautiful. Everything the frost touched froze solid: cars, buildings, street trees, and even humans.

Those who died with their eyes open wore expressions of utter bewilderment, unaware of how they had met their end. The shadows remained motionless, even as frost crept over their skin. Only the faint mist of their breath revealed that they were still alive.

Kratus surveyed the now silent and tranquil surroundings with satisfaction. His long, white finger pointed towards the distant city center, untouched by his ice.

“Wipe it out.”

The grim news from Baekdam arrived a day and a half later.

It was midnight, with the moon high in the sky. Almost every floor of the Credit Guild building was brightly lit, its glow illuminating the protestors outside. Their numbers had doubled, and their picket signs had tripled. The protestors blared loud speakers, shouting and clamoring towards the Credit Guild building.

This was no peaceful demonstration. They resorted to aggressive tactics, aiming to blame and pressure their opponents into granting their demands as quickly as possible. Reflecting on the previous incident, this time only ordinary citizens, without any hunters, had taken action.

A hunter, who had descended to the lobby in preparation for any contingency, clicked his tongue in disdain.

“Can’t we just sweep them all away? It’s irritating to see these guys, who’d fall like dominoes with one kick, acting so brazenly just because they trust the law.”

Yoon Hye-ri smacked the back of the hunter’s head. It was a solid blow. The hunter’s body lurched forward, and he spun around, eyes narrowed in anger, only to freeze when he recognized Yoon Hye-ri as his assailant.

“Watch your mouth. These are the citizens of Grisha we are meant to protect.”

“But… they’re being hostile towards us first. Are you saying we still have to protect them?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it. Is being weak some kind of privilege?”

Yoon Hye-ri smiled gently.

“It is a privilege. It’s precisely because you’re a weakling that I hit you moderately.”

Otherwise, he would have been dead three seconds ago. The hunter finally shut his mouth.

Yu Seong and Jaehyeon, standing some distance away, whispered to each other.

“Wow, that guy must be crazy. Of all people, he had to provoke Team Leader Yoon Hye-ri.”

“Her temper is comparable to the Guild Master’s. Is he some clueless rookie?”

“Haha. Nah, that’s not right. Let’s just say her temper is a low-tier version of the Guild Master’s. A low-tier version.”

Yoon Hye-ri unfastened the executioner’s blade from her back and gripped it in her hand. Her face, as she slowly turned, resembled a demon from hell.

“This isn’t where you two are assigned, is it?”

“We were just passing by!”

“We’ll keep passing by!”

The Yu-Jae duo scrambled into the elevator as if fleeing for their lives. Only after the metal doors closed did Yoon Hye-ri put away her challenge. Looking forward belatedly, she saw the hunters stiff as dried pollack. The hunter who had spoken ill of the protestors, in particular, was pale with terror.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“No, I’m not! I’m fine!”

When asked what was wrong, he gave a stiff, formal reply. He seemed even more terrified than before.

Upon hearing the news, the leaders of the Hunter Association and the various guilds generally reacted in similar ways.

Some turned pale, others clutched their stomachs in pain, or ran a hand over their faces. The President of the Hunter Association, uncharacteristically, started with a curse.

The middle-aged man, plagued by hair loss, roughly raked his hands through his hair. He found himself caught between the citizen groups and the Credit Guild, unable to make a move.

The Credit Guild had no intention of handing over the Returnee, while the city government’s pressure intensified daily. Other uneasy guilds were also subtly exerting their influence. The Association President felt like screaming at them to just handle it themselves if that’s how they wanted to act.

Bluntly put, even if it came to that, there was nothing they could do. Exercise of force? With what would they enforce it?

Most of Grisha’s military power was concentrated within Credit. Even if major guilds united for an all-out war, they would likely lose. Moreover, the Credit Guild was teeming with magical creatures, each comparable to an A-rank hunter.

Attempts to gather intelligence or recruit informants proved futile.

To be useful, one needed to be at least a mid-level Credit executive, but everyone they approached rejected them with an impenetrable resolve. Their reasons were always the same.

‘Whatever happens, it’s better than dying by the boss’s hand.’

CRASH!

The Association President slammed his hands down on the desk. The secretary, standing nearby, quietly opened a terminal communication.

“Send up a new desk.”

[Yes.]

It was a calm order. The person who responded was equally unperturbed. Only the Association President lacked composure.

“Ah, damn it all. I swear. Argh!”

“If you get heated, your blood pressure will rise.”

“Argh!”

“It’s also not good for your hair loss.”

“……”

The Association President calmed down.

“What about Sagyeol? What’s the Credit Guild Master doing?”

“The last reply was that he is preparing. He is currently secluded within the guild building.”

“Haa… I swear. What did I ever see in this position? I should have just retired to some scenic outpost-”

The secretary’s expression soured, conveying ‘here he goes again’. Knowing his stronger desire for honor over wealth, he certainly wouldn’t have done that. It was ironic that the position of Association President was perfectly suited for someone exactly like him.

BEEP.

At that moment, the secretary’s terminal chimed. It wasn’t his main terminal, worn on his wrist, but a sub-terminal kept in his pocket. Recalling the list saved there, the secretary’s complexion changed dramatically. He frantically checked the device.

He could no longer curse the Association President. His previously impassive expression cycled rapidly between white and blue.

“A dragon…”

“What?”

“A dragon is coming!”

Instead of explaining, the secretary showed the Association President the video he had received, who was asking what he meant. Indeed, a dragon was coming. As the pure white dragon spewed ice, an entire small settlement instantly froze solid.

It wasn’t an official city, but a place between Baekdam and Grisha where outcasts had gathered.

“Q-Quickly, contact the Credit Guild!”

It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried to contact them; frankly, they were still trying. They confirmed the messages were sent, but no replies had ever come. The Association President, realizing this a beat too late, clutched at his hair.

“But they’ve been doing so well until now, why are they suddenly acting like this?!”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Underdog Connection

ChaebolContemporaryObsessiveLove

Read Now →
Not interested