Chapter 182: Black Flame Dragon Emperor (2)

We headed to the conference room as guided by the attendant.

The conference room was spacious. Inside the large circular room, the chairs were arranged in a circular pattern as well.

In the modern-style meeting room, about 120 people were seated in various manners. Some had their legs crossed, others had their feet on the table, and some were staring at their phones with indifferent expressions.

As soon as we entered, all eyes were on us.

From looks of curiosity to those looking at me with interest.

“Oh my, new faces have arrived. Who’s the kid in the front? He looks like a completely fresh-faced baby.”

“Considering your age, who wouldn’t look like a baby? By the way, his aura isn’t ordinary. It’s completely refined.”

“The guys behind him aren’t ordinary either. They’re all new faces…”

As soon as I sized them up, they did the same to me.

“Hello, newbie. Nice to meet you.”

A woman with a lazy voice smiled at me and waved.

She was the upper-rank hero, Nareung (Thunder Spirit) Lee Aram.

“Flirting again?”

“What are you talking about? Oh, newbie, ignore this guy and come over here.”

Lee Aram beckoned gently. The man next to her, who was called “this guy,” looked annoyed.

Next to him was the upper-rank hero, Seomgwang (Flash) Son Han-gil, who secretly had a crush on Lee Aram.

I looked around the conference room once.

‘Most of them are familiar faces.’

Even if I didn’t know their names, personalities, or abilities, I had seen their illustrations.

“Mr. Lee Seo-ha, please come this way.”

The guide from the association led me.

My assigned seat was in the front row.

‘The front row?’

Given the number of people the association receives, there were always those who liked to rank themselves.

And everyone here was confident in their abilities.

Since they were all among the top 1,500 in the world, those who sat in the front row usually took command.

‘Is the association playing a prank? Or did they understand correctly?’

It didn’t matter either way. With our strength, sitting in the front row wasn’t strange.

“Why the front row?”

“Hey, quickly find out information about them.”

There was a brief commotion. Sitting in the front row, someone next to me approached in a friendly tone.

“Long time no see.”

He appeared to be in his early twenties. Wearing a fedora and holding a cane, he looked like the embodiment of the word ‘gentleman.’

I realized who had invited me here.

Even for the association, if someone of this caliber told them to bring me, seating me in the front row made sense.

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to observe your power.”

“My power has changed a lot since then, so it might not be very useful… By the way, how’s your injury?”

“Haha, I’m getting old, so it hasn’t healed much.”

The transcendent, Celestial, laughed.

No wonder a transcendent would move for such a big event. It seemed confirmed that a dragon was involved.

“Who’s that guy? How is he talking to Mr. Celestial?”

“By the way they talk, they seem close. What is the intelligence agency doing? If someone is close to a transcendent, we should be aware of it beforehand, right?”

The people sitting in the back, speaking among themselves in an elegant manner, were getting agitated.

I relaxed, took my seat, and drank the water provided.

“I’ve been watching from the beginning, but your growth rate is truly astonishing.”

“I was lucky.”

“Humility to that extent is arrogance. It’s hard to reach that level in just one year with mere luck.”

Celestial spoke while looking around me. Specifically, he was referring to the accumulated power I had built up until now.

“Accumulated power is like a story. The achievements you have etched into the world have transformed into strength. Although it’s high-rank now, with your power, even most top-rankers wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

“Can you see it?”

“My nickname is Celestial (Celestial Sight). I’ve even glimpsed the secrets of the heavens. I can see more than you think.”

Celestial looked at me as he spoke.

“But you still can’t see it. Usually, when one has this level of power, it tends to reveal itself outwardly. Yet, somehow, it’s even harder to see than when you were weaker. It’s an incredible level of control.”

“How strong am I, roughly?”

“Well, even the Emperor, who controls magic itself, wouldn’t be on your level.”

Higher than the Emperor, huh? That’s quite a generous assessment.

“But, Celestial, why are you here?”

“The one coming here this time is quite dangerous. He calls himself a dragon and is bringing monsters along with him.”

“A dragon…?”

‘Could it be a Flame Explosion Dragon or a Shadow Conquering Dragon? It can’t be the Dark Flame Dragon…’

Several names crossed my mind. Fortunately, there are very few dragons, so it’s easy to guess. It’s probably either a Flame Explosion Dragon or a Shadow Conquering Dragon.

If it’s a Flame Explosion Dragon, I’d be fine with my many flame talents. If it’s a Shadow Conquering Dragon, I might be able to manage by fighting with the special stat Shadow.

“It’s a dragon that uses black flames.”

“…Black flames?”

“Yes. I watched from afar briefly, and it wasn’t the same power as yours. Oh, come to think of it, I heard they primarily use black flames in the U.S…”

As Celestial spoke, he sent me a mental message simultaneously.

-Your nickname is the Savior?

The message etched into my mind. I slightly nodded in response to Celestial’s message.

-So, you are indeed the Savior.

Celestial pondered the title for a moment.

“Anyway, be careful. Dragons are dangerous. If there is another being with similar power, they might feel threatened and try to kill you.”

-No other intentions. I just thought it suited you.

“I understand.”

I nodded while lost in thought.

The talent, “Black Heavenly Dragon Blood (S+),” reacted. Given that this power, which included dragon blood, responded, I thought the opponent might have sensed me in some way. Although rare, talents could sometimes resonate with each other.

Moreover, the special ability Dragon (龍) was in play. The likelihood that the opponent hadn’t noticed me was very low.

‘Whatever the case, I need to meet them.’

If they called themselves a dragon, it’s easy to guess their nature.

Surely, they would be brutal and unruly.

‘Could it be the Dark Flame Dragon?’

No, it couldn’t be. That being was incredibly strong. If it appeared now, Celestial might die.

In fact, it would be fortunate if it was the Dark Flame Dragon. If there’s a way to defeat it, I could save others.

‘The first attempt is always the hardest.’

I sighed inwardly and asked the Electronic Witch to prepare the necessary items.

[Electronic Witch]

-Ok. Got it. I'll prepare as quickly as possible.

[Me]

-Thank you.

I turned off my phone. I felt a presence approaching the center of the conference room.

An elderly man came into view.

The elderly man was wearing a white uniform symbolizing the association, adorned with various medals.

“People often say that the association is corrupt. But that’s inevitable. Humans are creatures of desire.”

“……”

“I offer this advice not to view the chairman too negatively, but you seem to have fewer prejudices than I expected?”

“Well, it would be problematic if he only had desires, but isn’t he also highly capable?”

“Yes, although the chairman is the embodiment of a desire for recognition and power, he is quite competent. Moreover, he knows how to maintain boundaries very well.”

“He has no choice but to.”

“Haha.”

As I spoke while looking at Celestial, he laughed.

The politicians of this era had a tough job. Unlike before, we now lived in a world ruled by transcendent beings. Those with powers comparable to gods interfered in society.

And most of them meddled with returnees.

The reason why South Korean politicians must remain clean: transcendent beings intervened, gathered opinions, and elected honest individuals. And the moment they crossed the line…

‘They simply die.’

Perhaps dying was the easier option.

“Nice to meet you all. I am the chairman of the association…”

It wasn’t an illusion that the small elderly man looked even smaller.

At the location of Mount Baekdu in North Korea.

Upon hearing the news that a dragon had appeared, some hunters and heroes formed a blockade. Those with the talent of an architect and magicians worked together to slow the advance of the monsters, even slightly.

Although news spread that heroes would soon gather, there were many civilians around.

Since North Korea had only recently been annexed by South Korea, there were people living in the mountains. The mission was to get them all to a safe zone.

Therefore, they had to move as quickly as possible.

“Hey, what are you doing! Move quickly!”

“……”

A guide staring blankly into the distance didn’t sit well with him.

“Hey, what are you staring at! This isn’t the time for that…”

He looked in the direction the guide was staring. There, he saw the vast sky.

And.

He saw something covering the vast sky.

Black scales glistened in the sunlight. Wings with membranes. Its size was enormous. A black dragon, likely over 100 meters.

The moment he saw the reptilian, bright yellow eyes, he realized.

They were going to lose their lives here.