Chapter 130

Chapter 130
## Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The White King’s Apology

Rumble rumble rumble!

The residence of the White King trembled with extreme force.

Kwarrr rumble rumble!

The sturdy walls of the White King’s Palace began to disintegrate, and a violent tremor erupted across the entirety of Kramdel, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing that pierced the ears of all nearby.

“W-What is happening?”

“Could this be an earthquake?”

The monstrous denizens of Kramdel were struck by immediate panic. A tectonic shift of this magnitude was entirely unprecedented in their history.

If it wasn’t a natural disaster, the only other explanation was an invasion.

The terrifying reality was that the epicenter of this devastation was the White King’s Palace itself.

“Is the White King’s Palace under siege?”

“Who possesses the insanity required to challenge Lord White King?”

“Where would such an attack even originate?”

“If there were an intruder, wouldn’t Lady Medusa have detected them long ago?”

This was no external assault.

It was blindingly obvious that the White King’s Palace was being torn apart from within.

Though no one could fathom how an adversary had bypassed the extensive security web to reach the heart of the kingdom, this marked only the second instance of the White King’s Palace being targeted since the inception of Kramdel.

“……Lord White King?”

Goong-gi’s brow knit together in confusion.

He had departed the palace only moments ago to coordinate for the upcoming conflict when the chaos erupted.

Furthermore, the nature of the power being unleashed was unmistakably that of the White King himself.

The devastating, earth-shattering ‘Dragon Rise’ was a technique unique to the White King’s arsenal.

But it made no sense.

Why would the White King unleash the fury of Dragon Rise inside his own sanctuary?

At this moment, only three individuals were present within those walls.

The White King, Aria, and……

“……Oh Joo-ryeok!”

A realization struck Goong-gi like a bolt of lightning.

Of course. Oh Joo-ryeok was there.

He had arrived to attend the feast with Aria.

If someone had managed to provoke the White King to the point of a lethal personal strike, it could only be Oh Joo-ryeok.

What could have possibly transpired in such a short window of time?

Goong-gi spun around and sprinted back toward the source of the destruction.

Goong-gi, Medusa, and the Great Earth Dragon.

The remaining elite powers of Kramdel converged on the White King’s Palace the second they registered the upheaval.

Kwang! Kwarung!

Above the ruins of the partially demolished White King’s Palace, a massive plume of debris resembled a mushroom cloud.

This was the signature aftereffect of the Dragon Rise.

As dust swirled violently, a localized black cyclone began to howl.

The interior was obscured, but the gathered elites all arrived at the same grim conclusion.

‘It is finished.’

……End of the line.

Since the initial discharge of the ‘Dragon Rise,’ there had been no further signs of combat or retaliation.

That silence indicated the target had been vaporized by that single, overwhelming blow.

It stood to reason; no living soul was expected to survive a direct collision with Dragon Rise.

Even the other high-ranking elites would likely perish under its weight.

Who could possibly withstand such a catastrophic force?

The victim was almost certainly Oh Joo-ryeok.

“It appears Oh Joo-ryeok has met his end.”

Tsk tsk tsk. The Great Earth Dragon let out a soft, mocking click of his tongue.

Just as he had done previously, the crow must have attempted to overstep his bounds with the White King, leading to this ruinous outcome.

He likely believed the White King’s patience was bottomless.

‘In the end, you leaped into a chasm you couldn’t climb out of, you delusional bird.’

He had predicted this from the start.

If a crow was going to lose its mind, it should have done so with more caution.

The mad bird had finally overplayed his hand, and the inevitable consequence had arrived.

He had significantly undervalued the White King’s temper.

The White King was cold-blooded once his favor vanished.

Particularly regarding those he perceived as foes or turncoats—he would not cease until they were extinguished.

‘In the end, he was just a hollow shell with little substance.’

He had actually expected the insane crow to provide a bit more entertainment.

His entrance onto the stage had been quite theatrical.

He had conquered the Myth Tower where even the White King had faltered, bound the King of the Dead Ahram, and even cleared the Abyssal Labyrinth—achievements that were legitimately shocking.

Yet, he was snuffed out in a single moment.

He had been built up far beyond his actual worth.

The observers had been mesmerized by his track record and couldn’t hide their awe.

But in truth, he was merely a fragile scavenger.

In comparison to the White King……

“Huff! Look at the White King’s Palace!”

“M-My Lords. What has transpired at the palace?”

“Is Lord White King unharmed?”

The inhabitants of Kramdel began to swarm the area.

With the very center of Kramdel in ruins, they couldn’t remain idle.

The crowd of monsters grew to thousands within minutes.

However, even the elite leaders found it difficult to provide answers to their frantic inquiries.

But then.

“……The storm is breaking.”

Goong-gi noted with a heavy tone.

As he observed, the intensity of the cyclone was fading.

Slowly, the dark winds began to dissolve into nothingness.

And as the silhouettes within the ‘center of the storm’ became visible.

“……!”

“That is……!”

“Why is Lord White King in such a position with Lord Oh Joo-ryeok?”

A collective gasp of disbelief rose from the gathered monsters.

Those who recognized Oh Joo-ryeok were paralyzed with shock.

……Because the White King’s arm was buried deep within Oh Joo-ryeok’s chest.

Yet, the scene was bizarre.

……It defied all logic.

“He’s still drawing breath……?”

“How can he possibly be alive?”

Oh Joo-ryeok was unmistakably conscious.

Under normal circumstances, a perforated chest was a death sentence.

Especially when the wound was inflicted by the White King. That strike operated on a transcendent plane, sundering anything it touched.

It was a blow capable of shredding the very soul.

And yet, Oh Joo-ryeok persisted.

He looked entirely unfazed.

On the contrary.

“Why have they stopped moving?”

“There is a literal eye on Lord White King’s chest……”

“Is that the eye of the crow?”

Indeed.

The White King, whose hand remained inside Oh Joo-ryeok, was frozen as if turned to stone.

Upon his chest, a crow’s eye had manifested, partially unlidded.

It appeared the White King was paralyzed by the presence of that spectral eye.

And if that eye were to open completely……

Gulp!

The crowd watched the stalemate with bated breath.

Finally.

“It seems both father and daughter share the trait of acting before listening, kkaak.”

……Oh Joo-ryeok spoke.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Truly, like parent, like child.

Neither Aria nor the White King bothered to wait for an explanation before resorting to violence.

《’He Who Ignites Darkness’ nullifies the strike through the ability ‘Darkenization.’》

《Warning: In this form, ‘He Who Ignites Darkness’ sustains 1,000% increased damage from ‘Light’ and ‘Holy’ based strikes.》

《’Dread Omen Eye (Lv. 10)’ is triggered.》

《The White King enters the ‘Blooming Darkness’ condition.》

The White King’s lethal blow had no effect on me.

The power of ‘He Who Ignites Darkness,’ known as Darkenization, converts the user into the essence of shadows.

While not true immortality, it is a phenomenal ability that permits the user to disregard attacks of that magnitude.

The effect lasts for 30 seconds.

Naturally, there were significant trade-offs.

Once the skill was in motion, I couldn’t simply turn it off.

Furthermore, while in this state, even the touch of sunlight was agonizing.

Taking a hit from a holy or light-aligned source would be fatal.

Luckily, the White King wielded neither of those elements.

However, just as he couldn’t harm me, I was unable to physically strike him back.

‘The Dread Omen Eye remains functional even during Darkenization.’

The solitary ability I could deploy was the ‘Dread Omen Eye.’

This was the same power that had allowed me to seize control over the Northern Heavenly Ice Sword.

“A fascinating…… and irritating parlor trick.”

The difficulty lay in the fact that the White King was a genuine, high-tier monster.

The ‘Dread Omen Eye’ that had surfaced on the White King’s chest wasn’t fully dilated.

The seizure of control requires a full opening, but the White King was resisting the influence with sheer will.

The White King was slowly beginning to tap into his ‘true essence.’

‘What a terrifying monster!’

Because of his resistance.

The Omen Eye was beginning to flutter shut.

At this rate, my Darkenization would expire, and the Omen Eye would fail.

The consequence of that outcome was painfully obvious.

“Aria is still breathing, kkaak. Or are you determined to see this through to a bloody end, kkaak?”

“She lives……? But you clearly placed her under a ‘binding’……”

“I merely provided a demonstration, kkaak. A glimpse of my ‘Seizure’ power, kkaak.”

“……”

The White King fell silent.

The eye currently restricting his movements.

It was identical to the mark burned into the Northern Heavenly Ice Sword.

This had to be Oh Joo-ryeok’s unique authority.

A transcendent power capable of usurping even bound artifacts.

Having felt its weight personally, he finally understood.

Oh Joo-ryeok had intentionally applied the mark to dispel the King’s misconceptions and force him to see reason.

“Do you wish to continue this, kkaak?”

As the intense struggle subsided, I gradually retracted the ‘Dread Omen Eye.’

It was a calculated move—I was nearing my own physical breaking point.

Maintaining a stoic exterior was all I could manage.

‘Even with my current strength, the most I can do is momentarily paralyze him.’

Regardless, I had made massive strides.

In the past, a single ‘Dragon Rise’ would have erased me from existence.

Now, having withstood it and counterattacked, my growth was undeniable.

If my opponent had been one of the other elites instead of the White King, I could have ended the fight right then.

“I must verify her safety with my own eyes. ……If I have indeed misjudged the situation, I will offer my apologies.”

The White King, now capable of movement, looked toward the encased Aria and spoke.

Even after the chaos, Aria remained miraculously unharmed.

The precision required to use such a destructive skill without harming the surrounding target was staggering.

But this wasn’t the time for admiration.

-W-What! Stop! I haven’t done anything to deserve being broken!

As the Omen Eye threatened to open once more, the consciousness within the Northern Heavenly Ice Sword began to wail.

Was this weapon doing this on purpose?

I had asserted my dominance over it, but the decision to freeze Aria hadn’t been mine.

The Northern Heavenly Ice Sword had acted on its own.

‘Perhaps I should just shatter it into dust.’

-P-Please don’t destroy me! I understand, I’m sorry! Hiiing!

As the Omen Eye dilated fully, the Northern Heavenly Ice Sword finally surrendered.

Directly following.

Ssssss.

The ice began to liquefy.

Before Aria’s limp form could strike the ground, the White King stepped in and caught her.

“……She is alive.”

“So try listening until the words are finished, kkaak. And for the record, it was she who initiated the fight, kkaak.”

“Aria did……?”

The White King appeared stunned.

However, the realization soon settled in.

It was exactly the kind of thing Aria would do.

He hadn’t expected her to lash out at Oh Joo-ryeok specifically, but it wasn’t out of character.

Flutter flutter.

The White King’s facial tendrils twitched slightly.

Finally, he addressed me.

“……I apologize.”

The White King offered a sincere apology.

He did so openly, in front of all his subjects.

But this wasn’t a matter that could be settled with just a few words.

“Oh Joo-ryeok. What do you seek as restitution?”

What price would he pay for Aria’s recklessness and his own blind rage?