Naming Ceremony, Day 19
I finally reached the heart of the island—the most dangerous territory known to be ruled by dragonkin.
"Hoo…"
Letting out a long breath, I stared at the monster blocking my path.
— Grrr!
A Draco, a 7th-tier monster of the dragonkin race.
Standing at nearly two meters tall, it had short, budding horns and small, membranous wings. Its appearance was like that of a dragon in miniature.
'Dragonkin truly are on another level.'
I steadied my breathing as I assessed the Draco.
Dragonkin are significantly stronger than monsters of the same tier. Even lower-tier creatures with only a trace of dragon blood inherit formidable power. Draco, widely known as the "flightless dragon," was an undeniable member of the dragonkin race—and it was definitely strong.
'Still, I can handle this!'
— Krrrk!
The Draco opened its jaws wide.
A flash of red light burst forth from its gaping mouth.
Kwaaaaaah!
A breath attack—a technique considered exclusive to the dragonkin.
Facing the ferocious wave of heat, I swung my standard-issue iron sword.
Demon Slayer.
The raging flames split cleanly in two.
'Now!'
I charged straight through the dissipating fire.
The Draco's vertically slit pupils widened in shock.
Crack!
My sword pierced precisely through its forehead.
Without even a final scream, the Draco's body collapsed lifelessly.
Only then did I release my tension, exhaling in relief.
"Phew, so I've finally made it to the very core."
At the end of my third week here, I had finally advanced into the heart of Jeokcheong Island, the most dangerous part—especially due to the dragonkin inhabiting it.
The deeper I ventured, the stronger the enemies became. Had I attempted this right after entering Jeokcheong Island, I might have been killed by the first breath attack I encountered.
'In my past life, this didn't seem to have any real effect… I see now why the old apothecary was so secretive about it.'
The potion I had concocted wasn't even complete—I had omitted several key herbs and refining steps.
But if I followed the recipe perfectly, it could become an elixir rivaling the best of them. The old apothecary wasn't lying when he refused to share its secrets.
'Time to move.'
I suppressed my presence and advanced cautiously.
The dragonkin's domain was far too dangerous to let my guard down even for a moment.
They were aggressive, strong, and territorial.
Other dragonkin would undoubtedly rush in to seize the now-vacant territory left by the fallen Draco.
'I need to find that thing and get out of here. Staying too long would be a waste of time.'
There was one item I absolutely had to obtain before this Naming Ceremony was over.
With that in mind, I quickly left the Draco's territory.
However, I soon came to an abrupt stop.
'…Again?'
Sniff, sniff.
The wind carried the distinctively pungent scent of reptiles to my nose.
I turned toward the source of the smell, moving carefully.
— Kyaaaaak!
Brushing aside the bushes, I found two monsters standing before me.
Lizardmen.
8th-tier monsters.
Lizardmen were typically low-tier creatures that only inhabited the island's outskirts. They had no business being in the island's core—let alone in the dragonkin's domain.
'One, two… three total this time.'
I sensed the presence of another Lizardman hiding in the bushes.
I wasn't sure what was happening, but I immediately channeled my mana and prepared for battle.
— Churrrk! Chiiiik!
— Kik! Kik!
But before I could attack, the Lizardmen suddenly turned and ran.
'They're fleeing again.'
I gave chase.
— Kieeek!
Slash!
They didn't even attempt to fight back, only focused on escaping.
In an instant, I cut down two of them, leaving only one desperately crashing through the underbrush.
'What's been going on since yesterday?'
If this had only happened once, I might have dismissed it as coincidence. But twice? That meant something was definitely happening.
'…I need to track them.'
Hoo… Hoo…
Taking deep breaths, I channeled mana through my entire body.
As the energy spread, my presence began to fade drastically.
Ancient Magic: Invisibility Technique.
'Let's go.'
I had let the last one escape on purpose.
Carefully suppressing my presence, I followed its tracks.
The sunset stretched long like a crimson canopy over Jeokcheong Island's land.
***
In a sunlit clearing, a man sat in a long, flowing ritual robe of an old, Eastern style.
Seated in the lotus position, an eerie aura rose around him like shimmering heatwaves.
"Rim, Byung, Du, Ja, Gae, Jin…"
The man, who had been chanting the esoteric mantra, gradually lowered his voice.
Then, as if sensing something, he smirked slyly.
"The bloodline of the Sungmuiga is truly bizarre. How is that young boy handling multiple monsters on his own?"
With a somewhat anxious expression, the man glanced behind him.
There, a vajra exuding dense magical energy floated in midair.
"I still need a little more time."
The man looked beyond the vajra.
Even considering the time of sunset, an unusually deep darkness had settled there.
"It should be fine. It doesn't seem necessary to use that. No matter how strong he is, an inexperienced child should still fall for an obvious trap. My strength alone should be enough."
Clang!
The man struck the ground with his staff and stepped forward.
***
I held my breath and looked down the slope.
A small clearing lay below. The lizardman had descended the slope and was heading toward it.
And there, I spotted something that should never exist on this island.
"An outsider."
The lizardman lowered itself like a well-trained pet before a man dressed in elaborate Japanese-style clothing.
Few people could control monsters like that. But more than that, his distinctive attire…
A tamer.
A type of sorcerer who specializes in controlling monsters or spiritual creatures.
"So he was the one manipulating the monsters all this time."
As the man swung his staff and chanted, a force unlike magic spread outward in all directions.
Sorcery followed a different system from magic or martial arts. It was powered by what they called curse energy.
The tamer sat down once more in the open clearing.
I scanned the area and smirked bitterly.
"The fact that the lizardman tried to lure me was too obvious, so I had my doubts… but this really is a trap."
Faint presences lurked within the surrounding bushes, holding their breath. They were undoubtedly waiting for the moment I stepped into the clearing to ambush me.
"More importantly, how did an outsider sneak into Jeokcheongdo?"
The sea routes were strictly controlled by my family.
No force could secretly infiltrate by sea.
But one possibility came to mind.
"…If a teleportation array was set up."
A teleportation array, a magic circle that connects two fixed points, could make this possible.
Which meant…
"This was done by someone from my family."
Only a member of the Sungmuiga could infiltrate our land and set up a hidden teleportation array.
And of all things, they sent a tamer.
A perfect assassin to disguise the attack as a monster attack and eliminate an unwanted bastard child.
Plus, with the bracelet and brooch transmitting the situation in real time, the evidence was undeniable.
"Should I report this to the family and wait for reinforcements?"
I absentmindedly fiddled with the brooch pinned to my collar.
I often left my equipment behind, but I never abandoned my naming ceremony token. Unless I was handling martial arts or magic grass-related matters, I always kept it on me.
The distance was too great for it to capture video now, but if I wanted to, I could sneak up close enough to record the man.
If I did that, reinforcements would arrive in less than an hour.
"No, that's not the best option."
I shook my head.
Requesting backup in a crisis wasn't shameful, but things were different for a direct descendant of Sungmuiga.
Sungmuiga revered martial prowess above all.
If one of their heirs simply waited for support in a situation like this, doing nothing, that would be the real disgrace.
"Besides, that wouldn't help me. If the reinforcements arrive, all information about the one who orchestrated this will slip from my grasp."
That was an outcome I could not accept.
I wouldn't be able to use this politically, nor uncover any useful information about my attacker.
"But if I successfully subdue him, then even if the reinforcements arrive, I'll have full control over his fate."
The decision was made.
I tightened my grip around the iron sword in my hand.
A regular sorcerer would be dangerous, but not a tamer. Their direct combat abilities were nearly nonexistent beyond handling monsters.
I started descending the slope, slowly and cautiously.
***
Maintaining my concealment technique, I moved carefully through the shadows of the forest.
The tamer came into view. From atop the clearing, he was forming hand seals while chanting.
"Exhale…"
He took extra care to remain hidden.
Even though I had accumulated a great deal of power, subduing him without any difficulty wouldn't be easy.
30 meters.
The trainer's figure became clearly visible.
15 meters.
Still not within sword range.
10 meters.
Getting any closer would be dangerous. I would surely be detected.
'I'll close the distance in an instant and inflict damage right away.'
I gathered my magic, concentrating it in my forepaws, and took a powerful leap forward.
Boom!
The magic that had been concealing my presence through stealth techniques suddenly shifted into amplification magic, unleashing an explosive surge of power.
At that moment—
Screeeeech!
A horrifying cry erupted from the trainer's arms.
'Ebon's cry?'
One of the highest-grade artifacts, capable of detecting lethal danger before its owner even realizes it.
"You're already this close?!"
The trainer frantically swung his staff, releasing a burst of energy.
Clang!
My sword strike, delivered as a surprise attack, was blocked by the force emanating from his staff.
"What a ghostly boy! How did you notice me?"
I understood Japanese, but I had no intention of conversing.
Even if his combat abilities were lacking, he wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly. That's why I didn't give him any room to react and moved immediately.
Boom!
With a single step, the distance between us closed in an instant.
The trainer swung his staff and shouted.
"Stop him!"
Screeeech!
At his command, monsters lurking in the darkness surged forward.
The distance to the trainer: approximately 3 meters.
Blocking my path: 10 monsters.
'That's manageable.'
As expected, he couldn't control too many monsters effectively in an unprepared situation.
I gripped my sword tightly and swung.
Seven-Star Sword. Third Form. Jincheong.
A technique passed down through my family, honed in the training grounds. Unlike Cheokma, which consumed a massive amount of magic, Jincheong was specialized for chaotic battles, allowing me to cut down monsters efficiently without excessive magic expenditure.
One strike per monster.
I slashed and stabbed, taking down every charging enemy.
Now, only 2 meters separated me from the trainer.
A single swing of my sword, and I could reach him.
But I couldn't swing.
Vwoom!
Suddenly, something surged up from the ground, suppressing my magic throughout my entire body.
Despite the sweat trickling down his face, the trainer smirked triumphantly.
"This formation is the highest-tier barrier that seals warriors' magic! Without magic, you're just a powerless child! Now, become food for the beasts!"
With that, the trainer turned and fled.
I couldn't let him escape.
'Sealed my magic?'
I focused immediately on my internal magic circuits.
A foreign energy had latched onto my mana core, suppressing it.
'If my mana core is blocked, then I'll just use my magic circuits!'
I activated the magic circulating within me, forcing power outward in an instant.
Boom!
Breaking free from the formation took only a moment.
My magic system was different from other warriors'. Just sealing my mana core wouldn't be enough to stop me.
'I'll chase him down immediately!'
I propelled myself toward the direction the trainer had fled.
With my magic converted into Shunshin techniques, my muscles coiled like springs, driving me forward at even greater speed.
Deeper within the dark forest, I finally caught up to the trainer.
"Have you given up on running?"
I taunted lightly, but I remained cautious.
If he had stopped moving, it meant he was preparing something.
I carefully observed him.
"…How did you break the formation?"
"There's no reason for me to tell you. Just surrender. Your image has already been transmitted to headquarters via communication equipment. The Younggeomdan will be here soon."
"Kuhaha… That doesn't matter. I'll kill you before they arrive and reclaim my freedom."
"That won't happen."
I tightened my grip on my sword.
At that moment, an overwhelming darkness descended.
As if a thick veil had been draped over the world, everything was swallowed by an even deeper blackness.
My instincts screamed.
'Something's coming!'
Acting on pure reflex, I leapt into the air and flared my magic.
Boom!
A massive, unknown force struck me.
"Ugh."
With a sickening crack, pain shot through my ribs.
"There's a request not to kill you… but I'll make sure you suffer."
A chilling sensation ran down my spine.
The massive hill behind the trainer began to move.
Even the faint moonlight that had illuminated the ground and the distant lights on the horizon disappeared.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze.
A darkness even deeper than the night sky loomed overhead.
No—this wasn't mere darkness.
It was part of a monster.
Something so colossal that it blotted out the heavens.
"The Turju…!"
The master of Jeokcheongdo had finally revealed itself.