Chapter 184

Chapter 184
## Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Seventh Lord Basara

The designated two-week period had concluded, leaving Isera with no choice but to knit her brows in frustration.

“Union has disappeared?”

“That is correct, Legion Commander!”

“The fortress and the man himself vanished simultaneously without warning.”

“We beg for your forgiveness!”

The demonic entities tasked with tracking Union lowered their heads, perspiration dripping from their skin.

These were monsters refined for the art of pursuit and observation. Yet, even their specialized senses could find no trail of Union, who had slipped away as if he had never existed.

A dark crease formed between Isera’s eyes.

‘He secured himself a reprieve only to bolt. Was there a hidden motive behind his delay?’

Isera was well aware that Union had been forced to lock away his own capabilities.

Even assuming he had alternative plans, she couldn’t fathom why he would choose to remain in hiding without first reclaiming his full potential.

At the very least, his hunger for vengeance against both the neighboring world and the human realm had seemed entirely sincere.

However.

‘I was right to withhold my confidence from the start and move forward on my own.’

She had never truly placed her faith in him.

Because of that skepticism, she hadn’t left the hunt for the Dragon God solely in Union’s hands.

Isera had been utilizing her own clandestine methods to force the Dragon God into the open.

Just as her elder sister Basara had once warned, the inhabitants of the Empire were notoriously difficult to anticipate.

“He can’t remain in the shadows indefinitely regardless. I still hold his ‘soul’ as surety.”

She possessed the ultimate leverage.

Isera held Union’s very essence within her palm; she could extinguish his life with a simple thought if she so desired.

The sole reason he drew breath was her curiosity regarding the full scope of the situation.

She wanted to understand why Union—a man she once thought would never defy her—was now acting in a manner so contrary to her logic.

That information alone could prove to be a vital strategic asset.

With his soul in her possession, he was bound to surface eventually.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Isera spoke again.

“Have you located the ‘dragon veins’ yet?”

“We have pinpointed eight potential sites!”

A high-ranking demon draped in heavy robes stood nearby and provided the answer.

Tracking the Dragon God wasn’t just about finding cracks in the world’s equilibrium.

Dragon veins—the vital conduits linked to the nesting grounds of dragons—could be utilized. Shattering these points would inevitably force the Dragon God to manifest.

Eight sites, however, was a significant number.

She had hoped to find and execute the Dragon God swiftly, avoiding a protracted search if possible.

‘It will require two days of effort.’

There was no sense in dwelling on it.

Isera gave a sharp nod and handed down her directive.

“Level every one of those suspected locations.”

Slurp!

A woman shielded by dark sunglasses looked out over the city, casually enjoying a cup of steaming coffee in a comfortable position.

“Truly, this realm is remarkably serene.”

This was Basara.

She was of the same blood as Isera and held the rank of Seventh Legion Commander of the Abyss.

Upon her initial arrival on Earth, she had inhabited the frame of a low-tier demon, but she had since migrated her essence into the mind of a human woman, fully usurping her form.

Furthermore, she had been systematically absorbing ‘memories’ by drifting through the consciousnesses of various humans.

‘A society where every piece of knowledge is accessible with a mere motion of the finger.’

She had quickly adapted to the modern comforts of Earth.

To her eyes, this world was an intriguing novelty.

Its advancement was sophisticated, evolving in a direction that was fundamentally different from the path taken by Pangeniar.

Everything here was designed to be simpler, more compact, and faster.

Because of those efficiencies, Basara had easily unearthed the details she required.

“…It is undoubtedly tucked away in this region.”

That included data on the individual she was currently tracking.

Basara was presently situated in Korea.

In a small coffee shop within Eunpyeong-gu.

The very location where Hydragon had once been summoned was perfectly framed in her view!

Having almost entirely perfected the combat styles of Wilhelm, she recognized instantly that the person responsible for calling forth Hydragon was ‘him.’

Naturally, she was likely the only being on this planet who would connect that event to ‘Wilhelm.’

Only she possessed the intuition to sense ‘his’ specific mark.

There wasn’t much she could accomplish physically in this borrowed human shell.

‘I simply wish to lay eyes on him. To see the actual face of the solitary human who managed to kill me.’

Basara allowed a playful, cunning grin to surface.

The mere contemplation of it, the mental imagery alone, made her smile.

What sort of man was he now?

That perfect, flowing combat rhythm that left no room for error.

Had he found new heights of power?

Had he perhaps grown soft?

Or was he still struggling to mend his fractured strength?

It was in that moment.

Whiiiir!

Rumble rumble rumble!

A barrage of fireballs descended from the sky in the distance.

“Aaaah!”

“W-what’s happening?!”

“Get out of here!”

Dozens of dimensional rifts tore open, and from them poured demons who immediately began a violent assault on the populace.

Structures collapsed into rubble, and the peaceful neighborhood dissolved into a scene of chaotic terror in seconds.

“Hmm.”

Basara tilted her head curiously.

Wasn’t the primary objective to locate and destroy the Dragon God?

Had Union turned traitor or something along those lines?

“M-miss! Why are you still sitting there? You need to run—!”

A man screamed at her, baffled to see Basara still lounging by the window of the cafe.

His warning was cut short.

“Exterminate every human!”

Demons had reached the entrance of the shop.

The monsters began a ruthless slaughter the moment they stepped inside.

Inevitably, they closed in on Basara’s table.

“Cease.”

Basara spoke without even standing up.

The lead demon sneered at the sight of her.

“It seems you’ve forgotten how to fear.”

“Tch, mongrels that can’t even recognize their own superior.”

Reluctantly, Basara stood up.

Even though she had transitioned into a human form, she hadn’t anticipated that the rank-and-file demons would fail to sense her authority.

However, the moment the demon locked eyes with her, the dynamic shifted instantly.

“You…?”

“Submit.”

Thud!

Every demon who caught her gaze collapsed to their knees in unison.

There was no struggle, no hesitation.

“Why has Isera altered the strategy?”

“T-to… locate the dragon veins…”

“Dragon veins?”

“Yes!”

The responses were uniform.

Their logic and willpower were completely suppressed by her presence.

There was only one entity capable of generating this specific aura of dominance.

“Y-you… could you be…?”

Basara.

The absolute figure who commanded the authority of the Dragon God’s incantation.

Yet, they were physically unable to speak her name.

Only one person in existence had the right to address Basara by her name directly.

Her younger sister, Isera.

Anyone else bold enough to do so would not live to see the next dawn.

Even the Great Demon King himself avoided referencing Basara by name.

‘Isera. So she decided on a change of plans.’

They spoke of dragon veins.

Resorting to direct destruction meant that Union had failed to fulfill his specific purpose.

‘Dragon veins are typically concealed within the heart of high-density populations.’

Korea was almost certainly a primary target.

The Seoul metropolitan area, in particular, possessed some of the highest population densities on the globe.

‘By slaughtering the masses, the spiritual lines are forced open, exposing the dragon veins.’

Once those veins were shattered, the Dragon God would be yanked into the physical world.

In simpler terms.

They intended to wipe out every human being in the potential target zones.

Then, after the Dragon God was dealt with, the invading demonic forces would be able to exert their full strength without hindrance.

The conquest and subjugation of the world would become a simple formality.

The humans wouldn’t even have the chance to organize a defense.

After sorting through the implications, Basara gave her command.

“Inform Isera that no dragon veins exist in this sector.”

“B-but…! The Commander’s directives are final!”

An invasion order from a Legion Commander was supposed to be absolute.

Basara’s orders, issued from a vessel that wasn’t her primary body, technically carried less weight than Isera’s current mandate.

However, she wasn’t just any lord—she was Basara.

‘Isera, you little fool. You’ve forgotten the very basics of how dragon veins are established.’

Furthermore, Isera was acting impulsively, clearly driven by a lack of composure.

This wasn’t typical behavior for her sister.

What had caused her to lose her cool?

Was it Union’s disappearance? The realization that her trust was misplaced?

Or was she simply being crushed by the weight of her responsibilities?

“I do not repeat myself. Carry the message to Isera.”

“Ah… Yes, My Lady!”

This rashness was a letdown.

Had Isera failed to mature after all this time?

At Basara’s firm tone, the demons retreated.

Within moments, the entire invading force vanished back through the warps.

“W-what just happened?”

“The creatures are leaving!”

“W-we’re saved! We’re actually alive!”

Isera would surely receive Basara’s notification shortly.

However, Basara soon found herself tilting her head once more.

《‘Main Quest 10’ has been refreshed!》

《‘Trial of the Light Dragon Ainhassar’ has transitioned to ‘Trial of the Dragon God Ainhassar.’》

…Floating text suddenly manifested in her field of vision.

It occurred to her then that the woman she was possessing was a registered player.

Though the level was negligible, Basara could still interpret the system’s data.

‘Ainhassar has shattered the curse of extinction?’

It was entirely sudden.

Without a single hint of warning.

He had dismantled a curse that was deemed impossible to break.

He couldn’t have achieved that feat in isolation; someone must have provided the catalyst.

If he had truly restored his status as a Dragon God, it was problematic news for the legions of Hell.

Yet, that barely held her focus.

Instead.

“Well now.”

A different detail grabbed her attention.

Her eyes momentarily shimmered with a golden light as she scanned the horizon.

A distinct golden radiance was visible a short distance away.

That was the unmistakable energy signature released when the ‘Dragon God’s Wish Orb’ was triggered.

There shouldn’t be a Dragon God present on this world, yet the Wish Orb had clearly been deployed.

And if it had manifested…

“…A dragon vein has been anchored here?”

Ainhassar reclaimed his mantle as a guardian, and the Dragon God’s Wish Orb appeared on Earth, fulfilling the precise criteria for a dragon vein to form.

None of this could be attributed to mere luck.

The common thread. The individual who had orchestrated these events.

‘Wilhelm. Or rather, are you going by Randolph now?’

It confirmed he was present.

The moment he arrived, he utilized the Wish Orb to ground a dragon vein.

But why?

What was the end goal?

‘You are setting the stage to take down my sister, Isera, aren’t you?’

Dragon veins served as the dwelling of the Dragon God and the spiritual center of a world.

They were the manifestation of balance.

As long as one remained active, the demons crossing over from the Abyss would find their powers suppressed.

Establishing one was, essentially, a public challenge to Isera.

But did he truly believe he could take her on by himself?

Even with the advantage of a dragon vein, Isera was far more powerful than she had been in the past.

Furthermore, Randolph wasn’t acting as a commander for this world’s players.

He was moving in the shadows, solitary.

This was a sharp departure from Wilhelm’s usual tactics. Wilhelm had always been a leader of massive crusades, throwing legions of allies at his foes to find a weakness.

Even when facing Isera, he had been willing to sacrifice thousands over years of attrition to find an opening.

How did he expect to survive a direct confrontation alone?

‘Wilhelm. Have you truly evolved that much already?’

One thing was undeniable: he was here.

This specific energy. He had clearly inherited the essence of Ainhassar’s Wish Orb.

It was unheard of for a Dragon God to surrender their Wish Orb to another being.

They were companions who grew in tandem; the orb was as vital as their own heart.

To hand it over meant he had ascended to a comparable level of existence.

And to do so after breaking the curse of ruin?

‘The rate of your progress is staggering.’

A smile played across Basara’s lips.

She should have expected nothing less from Wilhelm. He was the only person who had ever consistently defied her predictions.

He was the only being who could make her feel this sense of thrill and genuine amusement.

She hadn’t considered the possibility that he was already prepared to challenge Isera.

Basara’s eyes burned with a fervent curiosity.

Tap. Tap.

She began to walk leisurely toward the location of the newly established dragon vein.

Her heart raced with the prospect of finally standing before him once again.