Chapter 22: Dragon Heart

It was a natural story, but it wasn’t easy to fight both the front and rear at the same time. They were surrounded from the beginning, and once one side collapsed, the other side would collapse as well. Indeed, it was a disadvantageous fight.

Obviously, the number of barbarians was greater than that of the demon king’s army which was following behind. However, that story changed when Takar’s defense troops were added. The barbarians couldn’t enjoy the numbers advantage.

Nevertheless, the barbarian king had attacked Takar, and Takar’s troops were in front of him while the demon king’s army was behind.

If so, how would he fight?

Ideally, he would want to fight against the demon king’s army away from Takar. Takar’s defense troops weren’t part of the demon king’s army, but the barbarians could escape the pressure of a simultaneous attack if they fought a certain distance away from the immovable wall.

However, that was just an ideal wish. The demon king’s army and Takar’s defense troops weren’t stupid. The demon king’s army wouldn’t participate until the barbarian king’s army had attacked Takar, and Takar wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.

Therefore, the barbarian king picked a simple way to get rid of the complex dilemma—simplify the situation.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

“Ku-pa-ha!”

The barbarians rushed toward Takar’s walls with a characteristic battle cry, while the barbarian king was the one leading them.

The barbarian king’s rush was strange. He jumped out like he was attacking alone. None of the barbarians were able to stay by their king’s side.

Takar’s defense troops fired their ranged weapons hastily, and arrows poured down from the sky like rain.

The barbarian king didn’t even think of blocking the rain of arrows. He just ran and broke through the rain of arrows with his speed. A great many arrows poured down in the place where the barbarian king had already passed, but none of them passed the king.

Takar’s defense chief, Paion, was confused. The barbarian king had broken through the rain of arrows with a super fast maneuver. However, he couldn’t cross the walls with just this. In front of a variable called height, even a speed machine was forced to be powerless.

What was the barbarian king thinking as he rushed to the wall?

There was no time to think. Having surpassed the rain of arrows, the barbarian king arrived in front of Takar’s walls before the archers could fire a second wave.

The barbarian king laughed and poured strength into his hand which was holding the mace. He rushed toward Takar’s gate without reducing his speed at all. The red power of War soon surrounded his arms and mace.

“Perhaps?”

Someone shouted. Some were laughing while others were panicking.

The barbarian king was rushing toward the gate. The giant mace and his hands were emitting a huge red energy.

All types of attacks rained down from the walls, but the barbarian king ignored them again. He placed his feet on the back of the galloping black horse and looked at one sole point. Then the barbarian king jumped. The rain of arrows poured down on the heads of the other barbarians. Paion breathed in, and the magicians on the walls aimed at the barbarian king.

The barbarian king landed on the ground, swinging his mace at the gate.

Kwang!

It was like thunder shook the heavens and the earth, and the red aura exploded with a huge roar.

The barbarian king’s special move from his weapon, Skull Crusher, was added to his power. The gate could not withstand the blow. Almost all the parts connecting the gate to the walls were destroyed, and the wreckage of the gate fell to the ground. Even a part of the wall collapsed.

Confronted with the unimaginable blow, everyone was silent. It seemed like the entire battlefield was frozen.

The barbarian king grinned wildly in the calm that the destruction had created. Instead of roaring to praise his accomplishment, he climbed back on top of his black horse and dug into Takar’s walls.

The barbarians shouted with pleasure.

Takar’s defense troops were overwhelmed. The gate was breached as soon as the battle began, and the one who had destroyed the gate was now inside.

“Kupaha!”

“Kupaha!”

The barbarians stampeded toward the collapsed gate. Paion moved defense troops to the gate hurriedly, but it wasn’t easy. Fear and agitation dulled the hands and feet of the defense troops. Moreover, there was the barbarian king. He didn’t wait for the barbarians; he ran straight toward the castle.

The defense was broken, but the shattered gate wasn’t the only problem. The barbarians threw hooks toward the walls. They climbed over the walls and laughed as the defense troops weren’t in the right place.

A disaster had occurred only a few minutes after the battle had started.

The demon king’s army saw all of this. They had been waiting for the barbarians to attack Takar, but there was no reason to wait now. If they made the wrong move, Takar would fall.

The barbarian king’s choice was a terrible melee. Rather than fighting against enemies at the rear and front, he chose to dig into one side and cause confusion.

It was only possible due to the barbarian king’s transcendent streak.

In-gong was reminded of the lycanthrope subjugation. At the time, Caitlin had done something similar to the barbarian king. She had destroyed the gate with one blow and transformed a siege into a terrible melee.

It was a super special move… or a technique with equivalent power.

In-gong didn’t delay any longer and ordered a charge hastily. Kaparang and Alita hastened to spread the order, and the demon king’s army sprang at the barbarians.

In-gong checked the mini-map to determine the placement of the barbarians. As expected, less than half of the total force had rushed toward Takar. The rest of the troops were gathered in the middle of the battlefield, preparing to meet the demon king’s army.

They would block the demon king’s army until the barbarian king took Takar.

No, it wasn’t that simple—they were gathering to rush over here.

In-gong watched them from where he was seated on Maybach. His heart was pounding so hard that it was almost painful.

The barbarians were surrounded with a red, fire-like aura. It was the power of War. It raised the barbarians’ strength, and their angry roars seemed to pierce through the sky.

In-gong didn’t sit idly. While running on Maybach, he raised the king’s flag.

The white power of Conquest spread to the demon king’s army, and it pushed at the angry momentum of War. There was only a little bit left to go before they would collide, but In-gong was busy thinking.

‘The power of War.’

It was one of the reasons why Vandal’s army had been defeated by the barbarian king.

He had to stop it. The source of the power of War which surrounded the barbarians didn’t come from the barbarian king. In-gong knew that through Conquest.

It was coming from the middle of the barbarian camp. That was the source—a blood red flag.

“Vandal!”

In-gong’s shout was like a thunderbolt. According to what they had pre-arranged, Carack hastily sent a signal, and the command to attack the flagpole was sent to each unit.

Vandal took the lead. He left command of the vanguard to Alita and completely revealed the violence suppressed within him. Although there were only half of the ogre guards left, they still gave a powerful cry.

“Arararararai!”

Finally, the demon king’s army and the barbarians collided. Vandal rushed like an angry chariot and smashed into the barbarians. However, the barbarians didn’t stand still. As Conquest and War clashed, a brutal conflict began.

In-gong watched all of this on the mini-map. Vandal’s mission wasn’t simply to beat the barbarians—it was to open a path.

The battlefield was like a living creature. It was inevitable that changes would occur due to the actions from each side.

Picking up such changes while standing in the middle of the battlefield wasn’t something that anyone could do. It was only for those with animal senses like Vandal or those with the means to understand the whole battlefield.

In-gong wasn’t capable of it, but he had the mini-map. Therefore, he could capture the changes to both sides on the battlefield clearly.

He entered that gap. Capturing the flag of War was the top priority.

“Kaparang!”

In-gong shouted. He jumped down from Maybach, while Caitlin and Kaparang clung to In-gong’s left and right. Hundreds of lycanthropes in beast form followed him.

Instead of rushing with In-gong, Carack raised the flag of light which had been given to him. As a king’s knight, he was able to hold the flag of Conquest.

“You!”

A barbarian rushed toward him.

In-gong knew that face.

‘Paratus!’

Due to the power of War, his body was more robust now than in comparison to when he had been at the auction house.

Paratus headed alone toward In-gong. Instead of avoiding Paratus, In-gong met him head on. He ran straight ahead and shouted,

“Paratus!”

At the clear call, Paratus’ movements became even fiercer. There was a look of delight on his face.

The distance narrowed, and Paratus pulled back his fist.

At that moment, In-gong opened his inventory. He had prepared it in advance, so he didn’t need to look at the inventory to pull out what he wanted.

The Dragon King’s Golden Helmet—

It was a symbol for the barbarians.

Paratus, who was concentrating on In-gong, moved his gaze instantly to the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet that was thrown. Especially since Paratus had missed the golden helmet when it had been right in front of him—this time, he didn’t just follow with his eyes but also stretched out a hand.

Thus, a gap was created.

Dark blue smoke exploded. In-gong used Blink and struck Paratus. His palm pressed against Paratus’ abdomen and used Arang with the aura of Divine Sura Authority, the technique that destroyed the enemy’s aura internally!

‘Arang!’

The white aura dug into Paratus’ body. His hardened shell was useless. Paratus was thrown back while coughing blood, and In-gong took a deep breath. Instead of following, he pulled back the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet which was connected to his left arm with a thin string. Caitlin passed by In-gong. She moved with In-gong and proceeded with a joint attack on Paratus.

Clearly, Paratus was strong. He was able to withstand In-gong and Caitlin’s pincer attack as though it was a normal battle. However, he had been injured from the beginning, so it was like he’d been hit by a very strong blow.

“Kuha!”

Paratus shouted loudly and struggled. A group of barbarians ran out to save him.

Caitlin remained calm. Instead of sticking to Paratus, she maintained a distance. This wasn’t a place where there could be a long showdown of skills but a battlefield where hundreds or thousands of enemies and allies fought together.

Kaparang and the lycanthropes collided with the barbarians. It was filled with blood and death.

In-gong looked at the mini-map once again, and he conveyed his intention to Caitlin through the Moonlight Core. Caitlin’s response came back, and he prepared something else.

‘Black Specter!’

Night Watch’s super special move was activated. There were sounds of hundreds of flying creatures flapping their wings as a black smoke spread far and wide.

However, it was different from before. The smoke didn’t spread in a circle. It moved in front of In-gong, and its length was almost 100 meters. Additionally, one more thing happened. The place where the black smoke reappeared was different. It wasn’t at the place where In-gong had invoked Black Specter. Instead, it was at the other end of where the black smoke had extended.

In-gong had crossed more than 100 meters, and the barbarians couldn’t respond right away to In-gong who had suddenly appeared in their midst.

In-gong sprang up from the ground and used Blink once again. The dark blue smoke appeared before the red flag which contained the power of War.

At the same time, White Eagle and Black Eagle flew. The complex trajectory of light pushed back the barbarians who were around In-gong. Then In-gong reached out and grabbed the red flag.

He felt the power of War. It was red and very intense; the power was like a flame.

The red-haired woman wearing red armour flashed into his head—In-gong knew who she was.

‘War.’

It was the only thing he could call her. She was an existence that stood shoulder to shoulder with Conquest, Death and Famine.

She smiled. Rather than showing a violent affection like Famine or an overwhelming feeling like Death, War had an alluring smile on her face.

‘Conquest.’

The white woman’s voice was heard. Her voice was different from how it usually sounded.

After hearing the voice, the red woman laughed loudly, and the power of War rose like flames.

However, In-gong’s white light suppressed the red flames. Thanks to Conquest, the power of War was suppressed and destroyed.

The red woman laughed as the power of War was scattered. Then In-gong raised his head and looked at reality. The flagpole containing the power of War was crushed, and the aura of War, which had spread throughout the battlefield, was now scattered.

‘Master!’

Despite accomplishing the goal, Green Wind cried out urgently. In-gong raised his gaze reflexively. Although the flagpole had been destroyed, he could still feel the mighty strength of War, and it was rushing toward In-gong from a distance.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

A huge roar shook the battlefield, like a burning meteor radiating red energy.

Barbarian King Karatus…

He leapt from the walls and crossed the sky. Like a lightning bolt, he aimed for In-gong’s head.

His body reacted before he could think. The moment the barbarian king was about to hit him, In-gong used Wind Style to retreat. It was truly a narrow escape. The place where In-gong had just been standing was struck by the barbarian king’s mace, and the earth was split apart. It shook from the power, and some of the barbarians in the area fell to the ground.

It wasn’t a special blow, nor was it the technique that smashed the gate. This was just a simple attack.

Yet it transcended common sense.

The barbarian king lifted his head as he raised his mace. In-gong was only two to three meters away.

“Good.”

The barbarian king spoke in a rough but excited voice.

He used Body Hardening as a rigid shell wrapped around his whole body. Its quality was completely different from Paratus’, and although the sizes were similar, In-gong couldn’t think of them as the same. This time, it was like facing a mountain.

The barbarian king had the power of War. Unlike the other barbarians, the red aura was burning like a flame.

In-gong knew instinctively…

The barbarian king wasn’t a War Knight. However, he was strong. The power of War was really enormous.

It was like facing the man with the spear at Thunderdoom Fortress. That man came to mind. Maybe the barbarian king was a similar existence.

‘Apostle of War.’

Those words emerged, and the white woman’s voice was also heard.

In-gong understood. It was the War Knight that had given the barbarian king the power of War. This meant that the one behind the barbarian king was not the Death Knight but the War Knight.

He had granted the power and the flag.

In-gong finished organizing his thoughts and focused on the barbarian king before him.

In Knight Saga, the barbarian king had a strength comparable to that of an advanced general. Moreover, he now had the power of War. He was sure to be much stronger than the barbarian king in Knight Saga.

Fighting him now wasn’t a good idea. It was the middle of enemy territory. At the very least, he should lure the barbarian king back to his camp where allies could fight together.

In-gong came to the conclusion quickly and used Wind Style again. He was surrounded by barbarians, so it wasn’t possible to retreat with Wind Style alone. However, he was only aiming for a small gap. Once the distance increased from two to three meters to five or six metres, In-gong used his last Blink.

A blue smoke exploded. In-gong was aiming for a place which was diagonal to the starting location. The moment was instantaneous. Then something collided with the blue smoke.

In-gong screamed. The moment he had reappeared, the barbarian king’s mace slammed into him. It tore through the air!

This was a shallow attack.

The barbarian king didn’t speak, but In-gong seemed to hear the voice of the barbarian king in his ear.

The moment when In-gong used Blink, the barbarian king had raised his head and looked at the air. He had moved before the blue smoke had even disappeared.

There were two reasons for this.

One, the barbarian king knew about In-gong’s flying and blinking ability. He hadn’t seen it on the battlefield, but he had heard about it from Paratus and the other barbarians.

Blink’s strength was that In-gong changed locations instantly. Moreover, the location where he appeared wasn’t specified, so the enemies were helpless. However, was it really like that? Was there truly no specific location as to where he would appear?

When someone’s life was at risk, the use of Blink was likely to be straightforward.

The barbarian king had read the intention to withdraw in In-gong’s eyes. In fact, In-gong had used elusive footwork to step backwards like the wind.

If he was using Blink in that situation, he had to step back. In-gong needed to be as far as possible without any enemies.

Then that meant the trajectory was calculated. By taking a diagonal step backward, it was obvious he would go in a straight line from there.

The other thing was the power of War.

The barbarian king, who held the power of War, didn’t miss the power of Conquest which had been used in the beginning. The barbarian king could feel the power of Conquest.

He read the direction and trajectory, then he determined the distance through feeling.

It was about a dozen meters. Obviously, that wasn’t a close distance. However, as soon as Blink was triggered, he had been able to narrow the distance. He wielded Skull Crusher the moment In-gong appeared in the air.

The barbarian king couldn’t catch up completely, but this distance… it was just enough to hit In-gong.

Kwang!

There was a tremendous roar as the atmosphere shook.

Shortly before the attack hit, In-gong’s aura had exploded. That explosion pushed In-gong and also affected the trajectory of Skull Crusher. Affecting both the target and attacker, the explosion reduced the strength of the hit.

However, that was it. The attack was still enough for what the barbarian king had intended.

The barbarian king’s power was beyond imagination. In-gong flew more than a dozen meters and slammed into the ground.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t distinguish between right and left, as well as front and back. There was no feeling in both arms, and there was no strength in his legs.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

The barbarian king shouted. He was already racing toward In-gong, and the distance narrowed in an instant.

Kwang!

The barbarian king’s second attack clashed with White Eagle. The green force field, strengthened by Black Eagle, shook roughly. Despite being far away, White Eagle had moved to In-gong’s position and prevented the second attack. However, it was unable to withstand the strength of the attack and was pushed back.

The barbarian king laughed out loud, and Green Wind screamed In-gong’s name.

Kwang!

It was the third attack. This time, White Eagle blocked it again. Due to the fact that it was coming from a diagonal direction, White Eagle was pushed diagonally and into the ground.

The barbarian king raised Skull Crusher once again. However, there was a crack in Green Wind’s force field. In-gong gritted his teeth and used Dragon Style as he raised his head.

The fourth attack—

Right before it struck, In-gong reached out for White Eagle with his white aura shining brilliantly!

‘Absolute Area!’

White Eagle’s super special move—it controlled all attacks within a certain range of White Eagle.

The moment Skull Crusher hit White Eagle, the barbarian king’s arm was bent at an unusual angle. It didn’t stop there as even the barbarian king’s body flew backwards.

‘Master!’

Green Wind shouted, but In-gong couldn’t be pleased. Absolute Area wasn’t a simple technique. It was a super special move which required a huge amount of aura and mental power. Yet he had used it to prevent an ordinary attack.

In-gong felt lightheaded. Blood poured from his body due to the backflow of aura.

This was the worst situation. His legs still had no power, and his hand which held onto White Eagle was trembling.

It was just like how Paratus had been. Due to the unexpected blow, he had received an enormous injury.

The barbarian king, who had been thrown back, landed on the ground. He glanced at his twisted right arm and laughed loudly. With one hand holding Skull Crusher, he readjusted the bones in his right arm.

Indeed, the barbarian king was a monster. When just looking at strength alone, he was stronger than Vandal who boasted the highest power in the demon king’s army.

He stared at In-gong, then he diverted his attention away from In-gong for a moment.

“Shutra!”

Caitlin’s voice—she was approaching, and the quad-core was activated.

She was racing through the barbarians with Kaparang and the lycanthropes. Paratus and his followers didn’t know what had happened. Maybe it was a reckless rush that left them behind.

The barbarian king just laughed. Then Caitlin arrived in front of him. Her angry aura exploded as she rushed toward the barbarian king. Kaparang and the lycanthropes were no different.

A battle broke out.

With one swing of Skull Crusher, three lycanthropes collapsed to the ground. The barbarians, who were watching the barbarian king’s battle, put pressure on the lycanthropes from all sides.

The fact that Caitlin and the lycanthropes were in the middle of the battlefield hadn’t changed. Vandal was far away, and the remaining troops were fighting the barbarians, so they couldn’t get there. The only ones there were the lycanthropes.

In-gong coughed up blood again. The sudden activation of the quad-core had a negative impact on him.

However, In-gong didn’t stop the quad-core as Caitlin’s durability was weaker than In-gong’s. Caitlin could lose her life from just one of the barbarian king’s blows. So, In-gong couldn’t reduce her combat capabilities.

‘Master, Master!’

In-gong heard Green Wind’s sad voice and took a deep breath. With trembling hands, he then pulled out a potion from his inventory and drank it. Meanwhile, the barbarian king’s Skull Crusher took the lives of three lycanthropes.

In-gong continued taking deep breaths, trying to normalize his flow of aura. He could feel Caitlin struggle. She seemed to be dancing on the edge of a blade. The number of lycanthropes, which had hardly been damaged in the repeated battles, decreased rapidly.

In-gong suppressed his impatience. He had to remain calm.

Abandoning Caitlin and the lycanthropes in order to run away wasn’t even a choice. He couldn’t do that. They had jumped into this fight in order to save In-gong. He had to help them.

However, victory was required.

He had to defeat the barbarian king—break him and destroy the spirit of the barbarians.

Right now, In-gong’s body was a broken mess. Furthermore, due to the backward flow, it was hard to reach his aura.

In-gong needed something else—a means to enhance his power, even if it was just a little bit.

His head started working overtime, and several things popped into his head.

Telekinesis, magic power, divine power—

They were all lacking. Although they were secondary powers, they couldn’t replace aura yet.

The deaths continued, and Caitlin screamed. The Starlight Core and Moonlight Core shook, causing In-gong to cough blood again.

“Master!”

Green Wind’s voice was heard. She appeared in solid form and caught In-gong. Both of her eyes were shining.

Green Wind…

The guardian of Enger Plains. She had been born from the fragment of Watcher Ainkel’s soul.

As he looked at her, it was like a lightning bolt struck him.

‘Watcher Ainkel.’

Her dragon heart—

In-gong had taken the fragment. As a result, In-gong had been able to become a dragon humanoid.

However, that was it. The fragment was an essence of an elder dragon, a being said to have the same power as a god, but the power of the dragon heart was only that much.

In-gong activated Dragon Style. He triggered Dragon Blood once again. The dragon genes were activated.

At that moment…

Green Wind touched In-gong’s cheek, and she smiled. Her smile was just like the one when he had talked to Green Wind alone in the temple on Enger Plains.

“I am completely conquered. Rule over me, Conquest Knight.”

Green Wind—Ainkel whispered, then she kissed In-gong’s lips. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

Conquest… Make them submit.

Watcher Ainkel’s strength—

He hadn’t absorbed it, and the fragments of power were scattered around in In-gong’s body.

Green Wind became a wind which wound around In-gong. He focused inwardly on the hidden powers in Dragon Style and Dragon Blood—the fragments of power in his dragon genes.

It was created.

He opened his eyes.

It was a third aura heart. This was a mighty magic power that only a dragon had…

Also known as a dragon heart!

The Moonlight Core was strong, and aura also sprang out from the gandharva aura heart which In-gong had originally.

The third aura heart—the dragon heart supplemented all the power of his dragon style, and In-gong’s magic power started to emit a dragon’s power.

[You have fully conquered Watcher Ainkel’s power.]

[A dragon heart has formed in your body.]

[The level of Dragon Humanoid has risen.]

[The level of Magic Power Control has risen.]

[The level of Magic Power Control has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

The woman’s voice rang in In-gong’s ears. All his injuries were restored as the white light that celebrated his achievement shone.

And in that light, the power of Conquest stopped. All those fighting against it looked at In-gong.

In-gong raised his head. Time had passed. The bodies of the lycanthropes were scattered all around, and he saw the bloody back of Caitlin, who seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.

In-gong’s gaze moved away from her, and he glared at the barbarian king who was beyond Caitlin. He declared without hiding his anger,

“Penta-core.”

Five aura hearts.

A pure white aura emerged from the dragon heart in the center.

The Moonlight Core and Starlight Core continued to be connected.

In-gong and Caitlin influenced each other. In-gong had three aura hearts, while Caitlin had two. The dragon style which came from the dragon heart headed toward Caitlin. The aura which was exchanged through the Moonlight Core and Starlight Core painted their auras with both colours.

The quad-core was a great force, but the penta-core was more than that. It wasn’t simply the addition of one aura heart.

The aura flow was bigger and stronger, and the aura recovery rate was faster as well. In a short time, Caitlin’s body, which had consumed an enormous amount of aura, filled with a new aura.

In-gong didn’t capture all the aura. Instead of controlling the enormous power of the penta-core, he released it. The white aura emerged from In-gong’s body like fire, and the dark blue aura twisted with the white.

The aura’s density was different. It wasn’t a mild light. For a moment, In-gong seemed like the sun.

Aura was life force. Everyone had it, so everyone could feel the power. It was  a force which could be understood better than any other.

The lycanthropes were astounded, and the barbarians trembled in fear.

However, the barbarian king smiled, and he laughed loudly.

“Aura! It is the same as War!”

It was meaningless to everyone except for In-gong, but it didn’t matter.

The barbarian increased the power of his Body Hardening one step further. His body became redder, stronger and harder.

The aura of War surrounded the barbarian king, and In-gong stared straight at him. The barbarian king was inherently strong. In-gong hadn’t struggled against Gerard just because of the power of Famine, but Gerard himself was powerful as well.

So, it wasn’t just the power of War—In-gong needed to concentrate on the barbarian king himself.

Barbarian King Karatus…

A person who was more incredible than Vandal. When it came to just the power of the body, he was superior to any enemies In-gong had faced so far. From the beginning, it had been all about power. He couldn’t drag this out too long.

In-gong took a step forward. While the barbarians and lycanthropes were still in shock, he triggered Wind Style. There was no noise. There were no signs. The moment that massive amount of aura was released, In-gong’s body appeared beside the barbarian king.

The barbarian king hadn’t seen In-gong move, but he was a natural warrior and wielded Skull Crusher instinctively.

In-gong saw it. Naturally, he reached out his left hand and triggered Great Mountain.

The pushing force collided with Skull Crusher. The brutal force tried to destroy Great Mountain, but it didn’t work. Great Mountain diverted Skull Crusher’s trajectory. As it struck the ground, In-gong took one step and aimed for the barbarian king.

The barbarian king once again instinctively tried to defend. He strengthened his front parts, such as his chest and abdomen, through Body Hardening. The change occurred in the blink of an eye, almost creating a fortress in the front of the body.

However, In-gong didn’t pay attention to it. He knew the barbarian king would do this. Instead of using a fist, he stretched out his palm. The barbarian king felt something ominous and opened his eyes, but it was already too late. In-gong’s palm just touched the abdomen of the barbarian king.

A technique of Divine Sura Authority was triggered.

It was an attack that destroyed the enemy’s aura from within!

“Arang!”

A rough aura, like an angry wolf, dug inside the barbarian king. The hard, external shell was no use. The tremendous aura devastated the barbarian king’s insides. His life force was damaged.

Cough!

The barbarian king coughed up blood, and his red flesh returned to its normal state. The blow was so severe that Body Hardening was turned off.

However, he wasn’t thrown back like Paratus had been. The barbarian king swallowed down the pain and pushed strength through his entire body. It was enough to make In-gong admire his patience and durability.

In-gong didn’t panic. He hadn’t thought the barbarian king would fall with just this, so he pulled back his palm and rotated his body. The barbarian king had been able to withstand Arang, but this strong kick to his abdomen pushed him back.

Kwakakakakang!

At the same time, a huge amount of aura spread. It was a sense of pushing, rather than destruction. The barbarian was thrown back into the sky and flew 20 meters. He would have flown much further if he hadn’t encountered so many barbarian warriors.

The barbarian king slammed into the ground. Instead of pursuing the barbarian king, In-gong chose to take some time to breathe.

It seemed like ages, but only a few dozen seconds had passed in reality. In-gong looked at  the mini-map. Vandal was moving toward In-gong’s side with his troops. In the rear, Takar’s troops were fighting the barbarians, and the lycanthropes were still surrounded by barbarians.

In-gong stretched out his hand. He recovered the king’s flag from Carack and penetrated it into the ground, spreading the power of Conquest. A ray of light shot up into the sky. As Conquest spread like a shockwave, the lycanthropes were covered with the white energy.

After confirming In-gong’s position through the light, the movements of Vandal and other high ranking members became more active. Additionally, the lycanthropes regained the strength to fight.

Caitlin approached In-gong. She hadn’t adapted to the penta-core yet. It was like a flooding river of aura, so it was hard to control it. However, she was a genius, and it wasn’t long before she bound back the floor of aura.

In-gong watched the barbarian king while asking Caitlin,

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, it isn’t my blood.”

Despite the pain, Caitlin spoke in a bright voice to reassure In-gong. She was always like this.

In-gong glanced at Caitlin and smiled. He adjusted the penta-core to alleviate some of the burden on Caitlin, then he breathed out and formed a fist.

“He’s coming.”

In-gong declared. The barbarian king was standing up. He was indeed strong. He wasn’t an opponent who could be defeated with just a few surprise attacks.

However, In-gong wasn’t afraid, and it wasn’t just because of the penta-core.

Then Caitlin grabbed In-gong’s hand. The connection between them was strengthened for a while, and the white aura and dark blue aura mixed together.

“Go.”

Caitlin said, and In-gong nodded. The two people let go of their hands as the barbarian king moved. Skull Crusher was giving off a formidable aura. The barbarian king was changing the way he fought.

In-gong ran toward the barbarian king, and Caitlin followed him. The barbarian king roared loudly.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

Skull Crusher moved through the air. A huge outpour of power rushed towards In-gong and Caitlin.

So far, the barbarian king had only used simple strikes. He hadn’t used wide area attacks like this shockwave. The reason was simple—there were allies on the battlefield. They would also be killed by the wide area attack.

However, he couldn’t afford to worry about that in a situation like this. The barbarian king was going all out.

Instead of jumping over the wave, In-gong and Caitlin extended their fists simultaneously. Aura radiated out and broke the shockwave. It was an ignorant method in order to protect the lycanthropes behind them.

The white and blue aura shattered the red, and the barbarian king moved through that gap. He aimed a strong blow at both In-gong and Caitlin.

Caitlin stepped back hurriedly, and In-gong used Wind Style to appear behind the barbarian king.

Thanks to the penta-core, the power of his aura had increased, but his durability hadn’t. He couldn’t face the barbarian king directly since one blow could cost him his life.

Between In-gong and Caitlin, the barbarian king chased Caitlin. The reason was simple—Caitlin was closer to the lycanthropes.

The barbarian king poured out attacks. Every time Skull Crusher was swung, there was a shockwave explosion. They swallowed up the lycanthropes who had resumed fighting the barbarians.

The lycanthropes tried to get away from the barbarian king, but it wasn’t easy because the barbarians were pushing the lycanthropes. Despite knowing they would be caught up in the shockwaves, the barbarians didn’t stop.

The barbarian king swung Skull Crusher again. Caitlin howled and rushed toward the barbarian king. At the same time, In-gong struck from the rear.

The roars continued in succession, and the earth shook a few times. The white, blue and red auras collided several times, causing explosions.

It was a bizarre fight. Despite all the attacks, none of them reached the target. The barbarian king repeated the quick and aggressive attacks. Since In-gong and Caitlin were focused on evasion, attack was indeed the best defense.

The barbarian king’s attacks became faster, and In-gong and Caitlin had to focus more on evasion.

This couldn’t continue. Unlike In-gong, Caitlin hadn’t received the bonus from levelling up, so she was quite tired. If this became a prolonged fight, Caitlin wouldn’t be able to escape from the barbarian king’s strikes.

In-gong had to shake the situation. First, Caitlin had to be determined.

Caitlin plunged through Skull Crusher’s trajectory. She moved through Skull Crusher and aimed her fist.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that all the power in Caitlin’s body was used in the blow, but the attack power didn’t reach its target. The barbarian king defended against it with all his strength. He staggered and aimed his left first at Caitlin, who was up in the air. Confronted with the inevitable blow, Caitlin’s eyes closed.

Kwang!

There was a loud clamor. However, it wasn’t the sound of flesh and bones breaking.

It was White Eagle. White Eagle had blocked the barbarian king’s fist with exquisite timing. Although Caitlin was pushed back more than a dozen meters, her life was saved.

This also created a chance for In-gong, and he rushed toward the barbarian king whose attack stance had collapsed. Once again, In-gong aimed Arang at the barbarian king’s abdomen.

However, unlike earlier, the reaction was different this time. The aura which was about to pour in was blocked by the power of War. The attack didn’t result in a fatal wound.

Despite the spilled blood, the barbarian king smiled. He widened the distance with In-gong and wielded Skull Crusher.

In-gong didn’t use Wind Style. Instead of increasing the distance, he yelled,

“Green Wind!”

It was the King’s Call!

Green Wind responded. She crossed through space and appeared instantly before In-gong. A green force field expanded out and blocked Skull Crusher!

Kwang!

There was a loud roar as White Eagle was pushed against somewhat. However, it didn’t break, and White Eagle defended from above In-gong’s head.

In-gong pulled back a fist, breaking the flow of aura himself. As blood flowed from between his lips, he concentrated his aura on Earth Quaker—

The destruction of the Great Enkidu!

‘True Destruction!’

In-gong slammed his fist into the barbarian king’s belly, and the power of destruction swallowed up the barbarian king.

The red energy of War peeled off instantly as cracks spread and the hard shell was destroyed. The barbarian king coughed up blood. His shell broke, revealing a bleeding wound. The firmly grasped Skull Crusher was dropped to the ground.

However, it was up to there. In-gong had used True Destruction hastily, and it was lacking.

In-gong coughed up blood as well. The barbarian king howled like a beast and swung his right arm. As it pushed against White Eagle, the barbarian king moved his left fist. It was a blow for taking In-gong down instantly.

“Shutra!”

Caitlin shouted.

In-gong raised his head and squeezed out his remaining strength. He moved his feet to avoid the barbarian king’s attack, then he reached out and grabbed the Skull Crusher which the barbarian king had dropped.

The barbarian king’s weapon…

Another thing which had been left behind by the Dragon King.

In-gong conquered it—dominated it. He took it for himself.

Thus, Skull Crush’s super special move was able to be activated—the powerful blow that had destroyed Takar’s gate!

It was a surprise that shook the heavens and the earth!

The white light from Skull Crusher struck the barbarian king.

There was a dazzling light and loud sound which disturbed the eyes and ears of those who were watching.

In-gong swallowed back his pain. His two arms seemed broken. However, In-gong didn’t drop Skull Crusher. He glanced before him while coughing blood.

The barbarian king was standing, and he was reaching for In-gong. However, that hand didn’t reach him. The upper half of the barbarian king and his abdomen were gone. His entire shell was broken, exposing his insides. It was gory. The barbarian king’s knees were broken. The power of War couldn’t be found anymore. The hand stretching out toward In-gong fell to the ground, and both of the barbarian king’s eyes lost their light.

In-gong let out a long sigh. He let go of Skull Crusher and turned off the penta-core. Then letters of light rose up in succession.

[Boss: Barbarian King Karatus has been defeated.]

[The title of ‘King Slayer’ has risen from low to intermediate level.]

[Title: Evian’s Conqueror has been acquired.]

[Strength and durability have increased after the fight against the barbarian king.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

He gained three consecutive levels. This was the first time his level had risen so much since defeating the zombie dragon at Thunderdoom Fortress.

As always, the pure white light wound around In-gong. His flesh, which had been driven to the extremes during the fight with the barbarian king, recovered instantly, and his exhausted aura was once again filled.

In-gong exhaled. He could feel all the gazes around him. There was a mixture of respect, wonder and fear. Under all the gazes, In-gong raised Skull Crusher up high. Then the entire battlefield let go of the breaths they were holding. The lycanthropes roared loudly:

“The barbarian king was killed!”

“9th Prince has defeated the barbarian king!”

“The barbarian king has been knocked down!”

The cry spread like a wave throughout the whole battlefield, and the barbarians’ morale was broken.

In-gong put Skull Crusher into his inventory. Although his knees were broken, the barbarian king had died standing up. The aftermath of the battle had ruined the area around In-gong and the barbarian king, which caused the lycanthropes and barbarians to maintain a wide distance from him. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call it a blank space on the battlefield.

In-gong approached Caitlin, who looked at In-gong with a mixture of joy and absurdity. The joy was naturally about the victory, while the absurdity was due to In-gong’s energetic appearance despite it being right after the battle.

In-gong stretched out his hand to Caitlin and used a recovery spell on her. The lycanthropes surrounded In-gong and Caitlin, while some of the barbarians moved to retrieve the barbarian king’s body.

Instead of attacking the barbarians, In-gong looked at the mini-map.

The whole battlefield had transformed. Additionally, the death of the barbarian king had caused a great stir.

Takar’s defenders, who had been watching In-gong’s and the barbarian king’s fight from the high wall, started moving. They poured out from the castle and attacked the rear of the barbarians.

The barbarians scattered. After losing their most powerful force, the barbarian king, the barbarians lost their focal point. After the death of the barbarian king, some started to escape, while others pierced through the battlefield like they wanted to double check the death with their own eyes. However, the battle continued on as those on both sides fought the enemies in front of them.

Vandal and his guards were heading straight to In-gong. At the same time, there were also barbarians rushing there.

They were Paratus and his men.

In-gong drank some recovery potions and called to Kaparang. He entrusted Caitlin to Kaparang and climbed aboard White Eagle.

A strong wind blew. In-gong flew as high as he could and glanced at the entire battlefield. Then Paratus found In-gong and roared.

&

Following the losses of both the barbarian king and then Paratus, the barbarians no longer had the will to fight, and almost all of the barbarians started to flee.

General Vandal pursued the barbarians and smashed into them. They wouldn’t be able to dream of crossing the limit line for a while.

The victorious demon king’s army stretched out before Takar and rested. Takar’s ruler, Vulcanus, didn’t like the demon king’s army staying in front of Takar, but he wasn’t foolish enough to express such feelings.

Takar had received relatively minor damage. The gate had been destroyed, but the barbarians couldn’t enter deep into the city. Some of the areas had suffered quite a bit of damage, but they were in the lawless areas, and Takar itself wasn’t heavily affected.

Felicia used the transportation formation near Takar to report the victory. She didn’t forget to put in the first line of the report that In-gong was the one who killed the barbarian king.

Then night fell.

It was a night of victory.

&

Several large fires were ignited in the camp of the demon king’s army. The flames were so big and bright that they seemed like they would drive away the night.

Everyone ate meat and drank alcohol, enjoying the fact that they had survived and won.

However, there were many who had died. The lycanthropes lost more than a dozen people. In the first place, there had been only 200 of them, so the absences were big.

The night of victory was for both the living and the dead. The fires were a blessing to the living and a light of remembrance for the dead.

In-gong, along with Vandal, travelled all over the camp and encouraged the troops. Everyone knew of In-gong’s actions, so he was greeted with enthusiastic cheers everywhere he visited. The soldiers gazed at him with eyes full of respect and worship.

The night passed like this.

Vandal chuckled and looked down at In-gong. He then tapped In-gong’s back with his fingers and asked,

“Prince, are you okay?”

“I’m dying.”

In-gong had to drink a glass of alcohol at every place he visited, so he had drunk over a dozen cups. His fatigue was more due to the alcohol than the combat.

‘That reminds me, this is my first drink.’

He had never drunk any alcohol before coming here, so it truly was his first drink.

‘The first time is important.’

He thought he would be sitting next to Felicia and drinking it elegantly, but the reality was different. He didn’t know how much he had drunk nor had he tasted the alcohol.

“It is fortunate that you are still drinking. It is a hero’s style.”

Vandal laughed and tapped on In-gong’s back again. In-gong frowned but nodded.

‘Yes, this is a real benefit.’

His durability and mental power were significant, so he would probably be fine even if he drank a whole keg of alcohol.

“You should go back and rest, Prince. You had a great day today.”

Vandal said with an extended finger. His face, which was red from the alcohol, was filled with a bright smile.

In-gong laughed with pleasure and caught Vandal’s finger. As always, they shook it like a handshake, then Vandal spoke again,

“Prince.”

“Huh?”

“I have a request.”

Vandal was still smiling. Both of Vandal’s eyes were filled with affection, but In-gong realized the mood had changed. He had a vague idea of what Vandal was going to say.

In-gong let go of Vandal’s finger. Vandal bowed to In-gong and took a deep breath, then he stared straight at In-gong and declared,

“Five days later, both Prince and I will have washed away our fatigue from the battle. I want to fight with Prince then.”

Vandal didn’t want to take In-gong’s life.

Nor was it due to resentment or anger at In-gong.

It was due to a competitive spirit and some aspirations.

In-gong understood. It had been the same in Knight Saga— No, Knight Saga was different.

In Knight Saga, Zephyr had always been the one who offered first.

Once Nayatra found the conditions for recruiting Vandal, Zephyr would asked for a fight first. If Nayatra didn’t get this information, then Vandal would stipulate a fight when Zephyr asked him to become a subordinate.

Vandal never spoke first. He never sought a fight in order to test his lord.

However, that Vandal was now asking for a fight. He wanted to compete with In-gong.

In-gong nodded, eager to respond to Vandal’s pure desire.

“Yes, let’s fight. Five days later, when we are in the best condition.”

Those around In-gong and Vandal were excited and cheered enthusiastically. They were the surviving ogre guards and Carack.

Vandal took a deep breath and spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“It might be too soon, but it was a great fortune that I got to meet Prince. I am thankful that I was able to fight with Prince on this land.”

“It is my pleasure.”

He couldn’t say that he came to Evian in order to meet Vandal.

Instead of shaking hands once more, In-gong and Vandal bumped fists lightly. It was a natural exchange between men.

Vandal headed back to the excited ogre guards. In-gong gazed at Vandal’s back for a moment, then he returned to his quarters. Carack caught up to In-gong.

“Prince, isn’t this big?”

“It is something I have to do.”

In-gong couldn’t guarantee a win. This could be a struggle for life or death. Nevertheless, he wasn’t afraid. It was because this was Vandal, and Vandal had a pure competitive spirit.

“You are truly a warrior.”

Carack spoke with moist eyes, like In-gong was really brave, and In-gong made a disgusted expression at Carack before entering his tent.

The tent, which was filled with animal leather, was quiet. He had been sleeping with Caitlin for several days for the purpose of recovery, but the battle was over now. When he was at the drinking party, Caitlin had gone to sleep in her own tent with Seira.

“6th Princess left a letter.

Carack picked up a piece of paper from the floor and gave it to In-gong. She was already quite drunk, so the usually graceful writing was filled with random scribbles.

‘Did you drink the alcohol I gave you? That is forbidden today. Hihi. Shutra, you fool.’

In-gong was reminded of the Felicia he had seen when he was roaming around. She had been rejoicing with the other dark elves.

In-gong wasn’t sure how Felicia would feel about him drinking without her, but he couldn’t help laughing. Today was a fun day. It was good that Felicia could relax.

“I want to see her in that state in the future.”

Carack said, and In-gong nodded. Then Carack helped him prepare for bed.

‘Tired.’

In-gong was really tired. He would probably fall asleep as soon as he laid down. However, In-gong took something out of the inventory right before going to sleep. It was the pillow Caitlin had given him as a gift.

The Lucid Dream Pillow…

It was limited to 10 times, but it was a pillow that allowed the owner to dream what they wanted.

In-gong touched the surface of the soft pillow briefly. He had already decided what to dream:

A fight with the barbarian king. So far, the barbarian king had the highest strength and defense among any enemy In-gong had faced. The barbarian king had understood Blink and struck. He had defeated the second Arang, and although it was just an improvised one, he had endured True Destruction.

In-gong wanted to fight him again. It was clear that fighting him would lead In-gong to a higher place, so it would be good training prior to his fight with Vandal.

‘I will fight at night.’

Regardless of whether he won or lost, he would be able to fight many times in his dreams.

‘Tomorrow, let’s fight.’

His fatigue was too much today.

In-gong placed the pillow beside him. Carack saw the pillow and asked him,

“Prince.”

“Huh?”

“The number on the pillow has fallen from 10 to nine. When did you use it?”

The sharp question made In-gong flinch, and Carack’s eyes narrowed.

“Prince, was it a big dream? A good, big dream?”

In-gong shifted his gaze away from Carack, and a large smile appeared on Carack’s face. Just then, Green Wind appeared behind Carack. She then hugged In-gong’s neck and asked,

“Master, did you dream about me?”

In-gong stayed silent. He continued to stay silent until he fell asleep.

&

The news of In-gong’s victory was conveyed to the Demon King’s Palace…

And the news spread to all areas of the Demon World. Some were happy, while some felt impatient, and others were jealous.

In a place far away, where news from the Demon King’s Palace couldn’t be heard, there was a man who perceived In-gong’s victory.

The Death Knight…

The one who had been longing for the end of the world for a thousand years.

He raised his head and listened to the voice of death.