'The Last Yellow Dragon.'
The title and its description were strikingly familiar. He had received a similar achievement in Auterica, "The Last Golden Dragon."
'It seems Greed was considered a Yellow Dragon until now.'
More accurately, his unique ability had incorporated all Five Dragons into his being. With his death, they were all deemed deceased, transferring the "Last" title to Horus.
An unexpected gain.
'I hadn't seen any related messages, so I wasn't expecting this…'
The other dragons treated Horus as the Yellow Dragon, but he assumed that was separate from the system's recognition. He hadn't realized there was another reason.
"Well, it's good for me either way."
Besides the karma gain, the perks obtained from achievements were powerful abilities in their own right. Each one was incredibly difficult to obtain, practically a unique skill.
'Let's see, the perks I currently have…'
First— 「Interdimensional Transfer Gate Summon」, obtained for the 'feat' of returning to Earth on his own. It was a bit of a cheat, but this perk was the cornerstone of his current power. Its cooldown had been halved after he achieved the additional feat of entering a new world.
'Then there's 「Instant Death Immunity」, obtained from becoming the Undead King, 「Extra Life」, gained through Hans's notoriety, 「In The Hero's Footsteps」, thanks to Heinrich…'
And there were more.
「Karma Shop Ver.2 Update」, obtained by accumulating excessive karma.
「Monarch's Authority」, gained from becoming the Vampire King of Auterica.
And most recently, 「Dragon's Lair」, from becoming the Last Golden Dragon.
'I had seven before. Now I have nine.'
Hans stroked his chin, a smirk playing on his lips. He had accomplished quite a bit. So many trophies, each requiring incredibly difficult 'achievements.'
'Some abilities I use frequently, while others are gathering dust.'
He wondered which category his new perks would fall into. He reviewed the new authorities residing within his soul.
「Power of Gluttony」.
The name clearly linked it to the 'Greed' he had just defeated. Its function was simple: consume and absorb, making the consumed object his own.
'…This seems like a good fit for Harley.'
That was his immediate thought, but as a perk, it likely had more to offer. The system never provided instructions, so he would have to experiment.
'It will also be helpful for Hugo, with his 「Heavenly Body」 and the undigested elixirs accumulated within him. It could boost the growth of other avatars too… Wait.'
He paused mid-thought, a new possibility emerging.
'Consume and completely absorb. Could I apply this to my main body on Earth…?'
Earth, a barren land devoid of mystical energy. The only exceptions were the Awakened, chosen by the system that governed all dimensions. Their ability to recover expended energy was due to the system's influence, not absorption from the environment.
But upon returning to Earth, they faced limitations on their growth. Like plants transplanted from fertile ground to a barren desert.
'Of course, they won't wither and die thanks to the system's protection.'
They could still use their abilities, increase skill proficiency, and even evolve their skills.
However—
'That's not enough.'
The growth bonus they enjoyed in other worlds was gone. Progress was slow, the sense of growth fading, leaving only a sense of deprivation. Even karma points, their safety net, were unusable.
'And that's just considering skills. The biggest problem is…'
On Earth, devoid of mystical energy, they couldn't accumulate ki or advance their realms, regardless of how much they trained. They could refine their techniques, but they couldn't break through the wall blocking their progress. Breakthroughs required not only enlightenment but also the support of ambient energy.
'There's a reason everyone in Ganghwange is obsessed with dragon veins.'
There was a slim chance of breaking through on Earth. If they could obtain an elixir from their original dimension and consume it at the exact moment of enlightenment.
'But most of its potency would be lost due to the difference in energy density, and if they failed to break through due to insufficient energy, they would become crippled.'
They would probably need a Dragon Heart level elixir. It was more practical to give up than waste such precious resources on every attempt.
'But 「Power of Gluttony」 can solve that problem.'
Consume and completely absorb. In other words, near-perfect energy absorption efficiency!
He wouldn't need to waste high-grade elixirs. His main body could finally begin cultivating.
'I avoided the risk because 「Avatar Projection」 allowed me to draw on the energy of other avatars…'
But more power was always welcome, especially with an uncertain future.
'I need to start looking for elixirs more carefully. Harris is the best suited for that.'
Hans and the undead were out of the question. Their mere presence contaminated elixirs.
'And then there's… 「Yellow Dragon's Orb」.'
The perk Horus obtained from becoming the Last Yellow Dragon.
This one was different.
'…What is this? How do I use it?'
He couldn't make sense of it. The system was usually unhelpful, but this was the first time he received no information whatsoever.
There was only one cryptic sentence:
"It will activate when the time is right."
It felt strangely different from his usual interactions with the system.
'…Tsk, no need to dwell on it. It was a bonus anyway.'
As a perk, it wouldn't be detrimental to him. The Akasha System was meticulous in that regard.
Whether this perk was given according to its rules or influenced by some other will, he didn't know.
Hans shifted his gaze back to the massive dragon corpse. A mangled, rotting chunk of flesh, devoid of its former majesty.
"I need to clean this up if I want to use it properly."
The battle had been fierce, and the corpse was heavily damaged. It wouldn't matter if he was reviving it as an undead, but he had other plans.
He placed his hand on the corpse, drawing out the encroaching 'death'…
'Oh?'
He raised an eyebrow. The energy was extracted and contained far more easily than he expected. He couldn't salvage the corrupted parts, but it was in better condition than he thought.
'I see. 「Power of Gluttony」 is at work here too.'
Consumption was meaningless for the undead Hans. The closest equivalent was absorbing energy, like he had just done.
'This perk is more versatile than I thought.'
Its flexibility expanded its potential applications. Hans nodded in satisfaction, then—
"…What's this?"
He turned sharply. Towards the area where he had meticulously erected a barrier before the battle.
Where the Dragon Children were being held.
'…Zhuge Huimei?'
He recognized the source of the anomaly. Her energy signature was familiar.
"Oh, a communication spell? Impressive."
Hans's eyes gleamed as he stroked his beard. A covert communication attempt during the chaos. It was so subtle he wouldn't have noticed it without the barrier.
'She's using Zhu Gangin's energy as well. She must have enlisted his help… She not only figured out the situation regarding the Dragon Children but also found a way to use her latent power in this short time.'
Communication spells were complex, beyond the reach of most sorcerers. Even major factions rarely used them despite their utility.
Using such high-level magic with a newly awakened power was extraordinary.
'I heard she was exceptionally knowledgeable about spell theory, but this is beyond expectations.'
Zhuge Huimei, the frail daughter of the Zhuge Clan, confined to her bed for most of her life. Her only pastime had been memorizing and analyzing spell theory books.
"This works out perfectly. I can use this."
He observed the faint energy carefully penetrating his barrier, his eyes narrowing. He nodded.
He dispelled the dark clouds covering the demonic realm and stored Greed's corpse. He had preemptively dealt with Ya Yulhwan and his forces, but he wouldn't abandon his original plan.
This was a rehearsal for the main event and a part of the larger plan to restore the Dragon Heart.
'Narrative is crucial for a satisfying conclusion. Especially for my karma accumulation.'
With Hans's tacit approval, the faint energy slowly reached the edge of the barrier. A cautious approach, as if trying to avoid detection.
And finally—
Pop
A small hole opened in the barrier, connecting the faint energy to the outside.
To Ha Seung-hoon—Hugo, who was resting after traveling via lightness skill and consuming elixirs using his newly acquired 「Power of Gluttony」.
After eliminating the attackers at the Zhuge Clan and sending the corpses to Hans, Harley began his journey to Mount Song, where the Shaolin Temple resided.
'They wouldn't turn me away after I saved them! I wonder how my number one subordinate in Ganghwange is doing? He was quite competent.'
The upcoming rehearsal required the participation of various factions, and the Shaolin Temple, a leading force in the martial world, was crucial. He would handle them personally.
Despite their recent losses, the Shaolin Temple's reputation couldn't be ignored.
KABOOM
Rumble
"Hiek! M-Monster!"
"Uwaaa! Why are you doing this to us?!"
"S-Spare me! I have a family…"
Punishing evil factions that threatened the harmony and peace of the martial world was a trivial matter. If these villains disrupted his plans, he would earn less karma. Cleaning up was best done preemptively.
'And it provides a nice side income.'
Harley left the ruined estate, his long, black iron spear, a prized weapon of Ganghwange, held aloft.
'Not bad. Worth dismantling to analyze the techniques used in its creation.'
He sent the spear to Howard the dwarf through the 「Avatar Cloud」. Then, he received another item, examining it with a curious expression.
"Sniff, sniff. Smells interesting. Like aged meat."
A chunk of discolored meat, freshly butchered and dripping with blood. A part of the Greed Dragon he had just slain.
He planned to sacrifice the entire body for the Dragon Heart restoration, but he couldn't resist sampling such a prize.
"Kahaha! Of course! This is nothing compared to its size… Hmm, maybe I can eat a little more. Just a small piece from each part…"
He had heard that meat on the verge of rotting was the most delicious. He had dismissed it as nonsense, but…
'It doesn't look so bad.'
Harley drooled. He preferred fresh meat, but he didn't mind a unique delicacy. A brief exposure to Hans would rot it instantly, so preparation wouldn't take long.
"Let's try a bite, shall we?"
His grin stretched from ear to ear. 「Voracity」, his unique skill that amplified the act of eating, activated.
Simultaneously, 「Power of Gluttony」 activated.
Crunch Crack
His sharp teeth tore through the flesh, releasing juices. A rich, meaty aroma with a cheesy undertone.
'This is… quite something.'
As Harley savored the taste—
"Individual has met the conditions for growth. Special Skill 「Voracity」 has evolved into 「Food God」."
The notification he had been anticipating appeared.