Chapter 234

Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Karma Shopping (2)

“Puzzling.”

Such was the brief remark from the Revolutionary upon observing the recent sequence of occurrences.

The assassination plot against the princess intended to fracture the Empire, the submerging of the Enamel Continent via the destruction of the World Tree, the fracturing of mankind driven by the northern march of the Tribal Federation, and even the resurrection of the Immortal King, which he had deemed a triumph…

Every single operation he had set in motion concurrently was unravelling in highly improbable manners.

It felt as though a deliberate hand was disrupting his work, an act of malicious and unnatural interference.

‘Well, I suppose matters have proceeded too easily until this point.’

His ultimate objective was to defy the decree of the Main God, the architect of this realm.

He had never anticipated that his path would be entirely smooth from the inception.

For that very reason, he had spent decades concealed within the dark, carefully organizing his pieces…

Yet even that preparation now appeared insufficient.

‘Nevertheless, it cannot be called a total failure.’

While it was aggravating that his protracted endeavors had been derailed, the outcome remained far superior to his earlier strategies, which had collapsed prior to even being initiated.

He had, at the very least, managed to instigate chaos and diminish the collective strength of the world by causing immense loss of life.

‘Furthermore… ’

That was not the sole benefit he had reaped from these recent events.

“Ha! I had my suspicions, but this confirms it beyond a doubt.”

He had arrived at a definitive realization.

Though he had harbored doubts for some time, he was now nearly positive.

That the Immortal King, who was meant to stand at the vanguard of the abyss to propagate demise—

Was participating in a clandestine pact with the Saint of the Main God Church, his absolute antithesis.

“Heh, what an absurd state of affairs.”

No one else residing across the continent would ever conceive of such a notion, let alone entertain the suspicion, but he, possessing a deeper understanding of the Immortal King than any other living soul, could evaluate the circumstances with absolute detachment.

An occurrence he had deemed utterly impossible had manifested as reality.

‘Main God… what exactly have you orchestrated?’

Utilizing the Immortal King had invariably proven to be a triumphant tactic, both ten centuries ago and three centuries ago.

He had even succeeded in eradicating the dragons, the greatest barrier to his ultimate ambition, utilizing that exact method.

Yet for such an anomaly to transpire now, at the ultimate phase…

‘The most significant anomaly in recent times has been… the otherworlders, without a doubt.’

Immersed in reflection, the Revolutionary knit his brows as he arrived at this deduction.

Contaminants originating from alternate dimensions, characterized by rapid advancement and anomalous capabilities.

He had previously captured and utilized them, executing vivisections and trials upon them, after discovering their existence.

However, upon determining that they were merely ordinary humans granted anomalous traits, fleeting travelers within this domain, he had paid them little heed.

It was possible he had severely underestimated their capacity.

‘…To think a common mortal could defy the demise of this world and actively obstruct it. No, that is merely a theory, I must not leap to hasty conclusions.’

The matter demanding his immediate attention was determining how to navigate the current predicament.

The Immortal King, his premier asset, was performing half-heartedly, entirely contrary to his designs. He was left with no option but to implement his backup strategy…

Regrettably, the advancement of that secondary plot was proving deficient as well.

‘The diffusion of insanity is advancing at a slower rate than I calculated. With a multitude of giants unleashed, how can the influence remain at this meager level?’

The Revolutionary scowled, casting his gaze toward the curled-up human figure resting beside him.

The vital prerequisite for his secondary strategy required the density of insanity to surpass a specific benchmark, yet they appeared to remain distant from that target.

‘That barbarian… what manner of entity is he?’

The blame lay entirely with that barbarian, who had been consuming the very insanity meant to saturate the world, working in tandem with the Saint.

He had recently identified a current of insanity converging toward and being absorbed by that individual.

It represented yet another incomprehensible anomaly, mirroring the situation surrounding the Immortal King.

‘The baseline density continues to rise, yet the duration squandered on account of him is substantial. I would prefer to eliminate him before all else, but… ’

The target was currently detached from the grand host and isolated within the southern territories, presenting an ideal window of opportunity.

However, given that the vast majority of his internal forces were dispersed and diminished, he lacked the immediate assets required to contest such a formidable warrior.

Dispatched incomplete giants would prove inadequate for the task, and he could not easily risk exposing himself.

“…Tsk, I require additional time.”

It would prove disadvantageous for civilization to regain equilibrium too rapidly before his arrangements reached fruition.

The monstrosities and the White Giants persisted in generating turmoil, but that alone was insufficient.

The onslaughts of the Immortal Army had dwindled concurrently with the Immortal King’s withdrawal from the southern theater.

‘In that case… ’

The Revolutionary’s eyes, gleaming with a sinister calculation, turned toward one of the innumerable dimensional rifts encompassing his position.

An operation initiated in tandem with his other schemes, yet one that had developed silently without drawing notice due to its highly covert execution.

Directly toward the Zepia Republic situated within the eastern territories of the Ion Continent.

—

“Hmm.”

A degree of anxiety had plagued my mind.

I had committed a Dragon Heart, an exceedingly scarce and valuable component, but what if the outcome was merely a ‘Dragonborn’ akin to Harley?

Granted, there was nothing inherently flawed with being a Dragonborn, yet… they remained vastly inferior when measured against genuine dragons.

I could not help but harbor doubts, particularly when factoring in the sheer volume of points expended.

‘As it turns out, it was an entirely groundless apprehension.’

Providentially, the manifested vessel was indubitably a true dragon.

‘Nonetheless… ’

At this precise moment,

I stood observing the freshly generated vessel with my arms folded across my chest.

My vision angled downward.

The dragon vessel mirrored the action, gazing back.

Its vision angled upward.

‘I suspected this outcome was a distinct possibility.’

A pronounced disparity existed between our respective eye levels.

I observed the golden entity positioned before me, a dragon possessing the dimensions of a substantial hound, its scales radiating brilliantly beneath the artificial illumination.

The awe-inspiring and authoritative visage I had carefully fashioned utilizing the “Customization” feature was nowhere to be found.

A diminutive infant dragon featuring rounded, endearing attributes was peering up at me with an aggrieved countenance.

‘Well, at the very least, it did not emerge as an egg.’

While Elves and Dwarves possessed extended life cycles spanning multiple centuries, dragons were reputed to endure for nearly ten millennia.

I was a mere twenty years of age, meaning that even with the assistance of “Customization”, fabricating a fully matured dragon from the onset would have proven an immense challenge.

Furthermore, dragons represented a species whose might amplified progressively with the passage of eras.

The capability of a freshly minted vessel was bound by constraints, making this development entirely logical.

“Ka—!”

Its vocal apparatus was currently unsuited for articulating human speech, meaning it lacked the capacity for vocal communication for the time being, though it would gain the ability to employ sorcery to convey thoughts once it acclimated to its anatomy.

I reviewed the distinct status profile of my latest dragon vessel, Horus, and offered a content nod.

-Individual Name: Horus

-Race: Dragon (Hatchling)

-Common Traits: “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Xenoglossy”

-Individual Traits: “Gold Dragon”, “Ruler of All”, “Polymorph”, “Dragon Language Magic”

-Special Notes: Han Seong-hyeon’s eleventh avatar. A Gold Dragon Hatchling’s Dragon Heart was used as the catalyst. Despite being a hatchling, its growth potential is unmatched.

‘It appears that employing a costly catalyst yields a corresponding return.’

Four fundamental capabilities from the start.

I had deliberately selected only “Dragon Language Magic”, meaning the remaining three attributes were bestowed as inherent baseline traits.

An unusual detail was that every single capability I had previously secured via structural reinforcement, ranging from “Super Recovery” to “Insight”, had been amalgamated directly into “Gold Dragon”.

“Gold Dragon” served to further amplify the already transcendent physical power, sensory perception, and sorcerous immunity inherent to the dragon race.

“Ruler of All” granted supplementary enhancements to affinity and defense across every elemental aspect, including raw mana.

Lastly, “Polymorph” provided the entity the capacity to assume the guise of alternative species, enabling seamless integration into their civilizations.

‘The expenditure was well worth the cost. I even secured “Dragon Language Magic”, an attribute an infant dragon would typically never possess.’

The Dragon Language functioned as a manifestation of words of power, the authority to materialize phenomena through vocalization—a foundational trait defining the species alongside their destructive breath weapons.

Yet both capabilities remained standardly locked to immature hatchlings. I had managed to secure one of these options by utilizing the feature that allows a selection from three randomized abilities.

‘Fortunate circumstances. There existed no certainty that I could acquire it at a later date, and even if achievable, the process would have demanded an immense duration.’

Upon integrating the capability, I performed a brief review of the esoteric understanding required for its invocation, and the reality became immediately apparent.

It would have required a minimum of a decade to achieve proficiency through standard practice, even when utilizing every available advancement multiplier.

The steep learning curve and structural intricacy of the discipline were entirely beyond the scope of Hesperon’s “Introduction to Magic”.

‘Its current state as a hatchling poses a minor inconvenience, but I intend to utilize its human guise for the vast majority of operations regardless. Horus possesses “Polymorph”, after all.’

The moment had arrived to conduct a practical trial.

I directed my attention toward Horus, who was currently padding across the floorboards of the living area, assessing his novel anatomy.

“Kyaa!”

The instant a high-pitched, endearing cry escaped its maw,

Flash—

Its gilded scales flared with light, and its physical structure began to alter.

In a mere breath, the creature remade itself into the form of a human.

An exceptionally striking human, to be precise.

Luminous, cascading golden locks paired with deep, melancholic golden irises.

Flawless, fair complexion complemented by soft, youthful cheeks.

The figure was that of an incredibly handsome and charming young lad.

…The solitary complication being that he appeared to possess the age of roughly five or six years.

“Huh? What is the meaning of this?”

Horus, evidently dissatisfied with the turn of events, patted his face with both palms and scowled.

Though it was a petulant display, I found the behavior incredibly amusing.

‘Ah, that explains it.’

“Polymorph” was not merely a standard illusion or transformation spell; it was an innate authority enabling a dragon to fully embody the species they chose to replicate.

In principle, he retained the capability to alter race, gender, and maturity at will…

‘However, his current mastery remains underdeveloped.’

A mere hour had elapsed since his initial creation.

It was unrealistic to expect absolute mastery over a freshly integrated capability so rapidly.

Furthermore, given the sheer depth of the ability, securing full proficiency would likely demand a prolonged period.

‘I cannot even upgrade his distinct attributes through the use of “Other Skill Enhancement”.’

Consequently, the only requirement was the dedication of time for refinement.

Yet an abundance of assets possessed the capacity to compress even the most protracted timelines.

I accessed the interface of the Karma Shop once more and procured additional ‘Growth Elixirs’ without a moment’s pause.

The monitoring of Hesperon and Howard remained incomplete, but with a reserve of 2 million points remaining, this constituted a justifiable expenditure.

‘I ought to have Horus sample the substance as well. While it may fail to upgrade his active capabilities, it could potentially force a rapid physical maturation.’

The moment the elixir materialized in my possession, I resumed scanning the catalog of the market, evaluating the optimal method to allocate my remaining points, when—

I caught sight of an anomaly.

“Huh?”

An item etched indelibly into my recollection.

『Fragment of the XXed XXX’s XX (29,700,000)』

The valuation of that obscured relic, which had previously demanded 30 million, had visibly declined.