Chapter 185

Chapter 185
## Chapter 185: The Emergence of a New Dragon God

The opening notes of the grand invasion had been struck.

As the demonic forces launched their assault, the Global Alliance responded in kind.

“The primary targets are the metropolitan hubs.”

Inside the tactical command center established near the initial breach point, Darkstar rubbed his jaw while scrutinizing a holographic world map. Eight crimson markers pulsed on the display, pinpointing the zones currently under siege. Each one represented a major city with a massive civilian population.

“Leader, defending all eight sectors simultaneously is a logistical impossibility.”

It was a simple truth: stretching their personnel across eight fronts would strip them of any real effectiveness. Their total combat power was simply too thin. To succeed, they had to identify the most vital strongholds and concentrate their strength where a victory was guaranteed.

However, the war room was filled with representatives from every single one of those eight targeted regions.

‘We have to prioritize. We have to focus.’

If a total defense was off the table, they had to at least secure half of them. Yet, completely discarding the other four was a heavy burden to weigh.

‘What if we launched a direct strike on their source?’

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The identity of the supreme demonic commander remained a mystery. While whispers pointed toward Isera, there was no absolute proof. And even if it were Isera, that created a new tier of danger. If it truly was her, they would have to systematically dismantle her entire escort before a direct confrontation was even feasible.

“Our priority defense sectors will be Singapore, Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong.”

“Hold on! Are you suggesting we just abandon the other four nations?”

“Does this mean Korea is being left to rot?”

“This is madness…!”

Outraged cries erupted from the representatives of the four excluded countries. But Darkstar’s choices were cold and calculated, based on long-term global stability. He was placing his bets on territories that housed the most formidable players.

‘Our elite roster is small. We have to rally around the powerhouses.’

Darkstar remained unmoved. Since the global player count wasn’t growing, they had to rely on existing military assets. Singapore, Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong were home to numerous high-ranking individuals and a vast pool of active players. In contrast, places like Korea and Macau had failed to produce significant rankers and possessed negligible player numbers.

“Darkstar! If you are already deploying to Japan, can’t you spare resources for neighboring Korea?”

Park Tae-woo’s voice cut through the noise. As the Korean delegate to the Alliance, he was reeling from the decision. Geographically, the two nations were neighbors; surely a joint defense was possible?

Darkstar gave a stiff nod.

“Once we have neutralized the threats in our priority zones, we will, of course, transition to assist the remaining nations.”

“By then, Korea will be ashes! There are almost no Alliance assets left on the ground there…!”

“Are you declaring a withdrawal from the Alliance, then?”

Leaving the Alliance carried devastating penalties. It was a move that essentially codified a nation’s isolation, ensuring no future aid would come.

“……”

Park Tae-woo bit down on his lip until it nearly bled. If they broke away now, there was no hope of repelling the invasion with their local forces alone. They might survive the first hour, but what about the first day? Korea simply lacked the high-level talent required.

Darkstar’s tone turned frigid.

“The goal is a swift subjugation. This isn’t about abandonment; it is about maximum efficiency. If you lack the strategic mind to grasp that, then feel free to leave. I won’t stop you.”

“……!!!”

A volley of insults died in Park Tae-woo’s throat. The look in Darkstar’s eyes was one of pure dismissiveness. It was painfully obvious how little value the Alliance placed on Korea. To them, the country was a rounding error. And he couldn’t even argue the point—the Korean Alliance held no significant territory within Pangeniar.

In this world, power in Pangeniar was the only currency that mattered on Earth.

‘If we had just secured one major city…!’

If they had a foothold, would they still be treated like garbage? But claiming territory in Pangeniar was currently a nightmare. The landscape was a meat grinder of competing interests. One tactical error meant total annihilation. The White King dominated the north, the Black King held the south, the Friedrick King pushed from the east, and even the reclusive elves were mobilizing in the west.

‘The central continent is a powder keg too. The Empire is making moves.’

The Empire… they were in a league of their own. Challenging them was suicide. Lately, the Empire seemed obsessed with a systematic purge of all players.

‘They want us extinct. The reports of ‘sinner hunts’ and purges are coming in from every Imperial city.’

Because the Empire’s actions affected everyone, the news traveled like wildfire. The Death God Church’s inquisitions had become the ultimate shadow hanging over the player base. In a climate like that, drawing attention to oneself was a death sentence. Everyone was walking on eggshells, even as they fought over dwindling resources.

Because of this, Korea—and Park Tae-woo—had missed the window to claim a stake in Pangeniar. Without a base of operations, their growth had hit a ceiling.

‘This is my fault. I was too weak.’

Park Tae-woo shouldered the blame. As the leader of the Korean contingent, he saw their irrelevance as his personal failure.

It was in that moment of despair that a scout burst in.

“The demonic forces in Korea have retreated! All of them!”

On the holographic display, the red pulse over Korea flickered and vanished. It was the only city out of the eight to be cleared.

Darkstar’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“A retreat? Why? What changed?”

“W-we don’t have details yet, sir. But our sensors confirm zero demon signatures remaining in the sector.”

“How strange……”

Total withdrawal, and only in Korea. It defied logic. But the surprises weren’t over.

《‘Main Quest 10’ has been updated!》

《‘Mad Dragon Ainhassar’s Trial’ has transitioned to ‘Dragon God Ainhassar’s Trial’.》

《Honor Hall rankings for ‘Main Quest 10’ have been recalculated.》

System alerts began chiming—a mid-quest revision, something that had never happened before. And it was Quest 10, of all things.

‘Randolph!’

Darkstar knew there was only one person capable of such a feat. But it was impossible. The man had only just finished Quest 9. How could he have already cleared the tenth?

‘The quest everyone fails dozens of times?’

Main Quest 10: Mad Dragon Ainhassar’s Trial. It was notorious for being unbeatable on the first attempt. Ainhassar was known for tailoring trials that mathematically exceeded a challenger’s limits. For Randolph to crush it on his first try…

‘The Mad Dragon ascended to a Dragon God. The demons fled Korea. Is that a fluke? Or is the rumor that Phantom is Korean actually true?’

He had heard the whispers, but he’d dismissed them as nationalist hopium. It had to be a coincidence. The timing was just a strange statistical overlap.

But then, a final notification shook him to his core.

《A new ‘Dragon Vein’ has manifested at the specified coordinates.》

《During the existence of the ‘Dragon Vein’, all ‘Invaders’ will suffer a 20% reduction to all stats.》

《A ‘Guardian’ is being born. The ‘Dragon Vein’ will be visible to the world for 7 days.》

《Protect the ‘Dragon Vein’.》

“……!!!”

For the first time, Darkstar’s composure shattered, his eyes trembling with shock. What was happening?

—

“How do I facilitate the birth of a new Dragon God?”

That was my second inquiry.

The focus was the Dragon God. I knew that the forces of Destruction would never let a being like Ainhassar exist peacefully. A Dragon God was a conceptual poison to Destruction. From my knowledge, ‘Guardians’ were the cosmic anchors that kept the world from tipping into chaos. Naturally, the Demon King’s legions prioritized their execution above all else.

‘The presence of a Dragon God is a weight the Invaders cannot carry.’

I was certain of this truth. I needed to know if a new one could be created. Even if there was no precedent, I had to ask. This information was worth more than any Unique Pattern. Patterns I could find through sweat and blood, but a secret like this could only be unlocked here.

‘Guardians are part of a cycle. There must be a mechanism for their emergence.’

Ainhassar, the Dragon of Knowledge. If the answer existed, it was locked behind his teeth.

Finally, Ainhassar spoke.

-It is your lucky day. That is a mystery I am permitted to solve.

A faint smile touched his features. He didn’t explain it immediately, however. The specifics were delivered through the system interface as my quest rewards finalized.

《Main Quest 10 – ‘Mad Dragon Ainhassar’s Trial’ Completed.》

《You have conquered the ultimate trial that none have ever reached.》

《Guardian of Balance, you have shattered Ainhassar’s ancient curse!》

《The challenger has authored a new legend.》

《Final Evaluation.》

《1,500 points awarded!》

《Obtained: ‘Perfect Golden Rule’ and ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule (1,500h)’.》

《Lucky Die effect triggered.》

《‘Dragon God’s Blessing’ has been added to the rewards.》

《‘Dragon God Ainhassar’ has provided the answer to your inquiry.》

《Three specific rewards granted:》

《Transcendent Evolution Core》, 《World Tree’s Root》, 《Heavenly Broken Egg》

—

The path was clear: Use the Dragon God Ainhassar’s Wish Orb to trigger a Dragon Vein, then facilitate the birth of a new ‘Dragon God’ within that focal point.

The hurdle was the reagents.

‘I have to sacrifice all these unique rewards to birth the God.’

The system didn’t provide a manual. It was a puzzle I had to solve through intuition.

‘World Tree’s Root… Heavenly Broken Egg.’

The names alone carried immense weight. The ‘Heavenly Broken Egg’ clearly had celestial origins, but the ‘broken’ descriptor meant it was a shell—an empty vessel. It wouldn’t hatch on its own.

‘It isn’t a womb; it’s a catalyst.’

The key had to be the ‘Transcendent Evolution Core.’

‘To evolve a being into a Dragon God.’

I had to choose a candidate for this ascension. Who or what could handle such power? The Hydragon? Or something else?

“… All of you, step forward.”

I stood in the center of the vacant dragon’s lair and summoned my legion.

*Gurgle. Chitter!*

With a chorus of unsettling sounds, thousands of my demonic bloodkin materialized from the shadows. In their center stood the queen, ‘Hana.’ Her form was a nightmare of biology—a massive, undulating body with two wide, ray-like maws and a lower half that resembled a bloated maggot.

*Kieeeek!*

She screeched, sensing my presence with what seemed like genuine affection. Thanks to my ‘Radiant Pureblood’s Presence’ ring, my regeneration was clocked at over 4,000%. This acted as an infinite fuel source for the queen’s spawning. My personal army was already approaching 10,000 strong.

‘I will choose the queen for the evolution.’

The decision was made. I would take this demon queen and forge her into a deity of balance.

《Applying ‘Transcendent Evolution Core’ to the Demonic Bloodkin Queen, ‘Hana’.》

《The Queen has ascended to the rank of ‘Blade Queen of Demonic Bloodkin’.》

《Applying ‘World Tree’s Root’ to the Blade Queen.》

《Hana has attained the qualification of ‘Truth’.》

《Applying ‘Heavenly Broken Egg’ to the Blade Queen.》

《Hana enters the shell of the ‘Heavenly Broken Egg’ to begin a 7-day gestation.》

《Siphoning energy from the Dragon Vein.》

《Siphoning energy from the User.》

《The Blade Queen begins her communion with Truth and the Origin of the World.》

《The Blade Queen has claimed the Karma of a ‘Dragon God’ Guardian.》

《Hidden Trait ‘King of Demonic Bloodkin’ has evolved into ‘God of Demonic Bloodkin’.》