DEB 145

Mana Infiltration is, in simple terms, similar to fluid building up in the lungs, a phenomenon caused when something that should never enter the body settles in a place it absolutely shouldn’t be.

For Vina, who possesses the most refined mana of a purely benevolent nature, demonic energy is like a lethal poison. If such energy seeps in only through the respiratory system, it can be purified by his mana flow and cause no issue. But if, like this time, it is forcefully injected directly into the heart region by an external attack, it causes a clash between mana and demonic energy at the heart.

That is what Mana Infiltration is. In other words, Vina had part of the surface of his heart surgically removed after allowing such erosion. He had become that weakened.

So, he must be treated as quickly as possible. In such urgent circumstances, one can’t afford to be picky about methods.

Vina may now be human, but what composes his body and makes his heart beat is still the pure mana of dragons. To treat someone like him, common medicinal herbs used by ordinary hunters are meaningless. Unless they could somehow obtain an elixir from legend.

Which leaves no choice. They’d have to slay a dragon.

This shocking declaration stirred up passionate reactions among the disciples.

“Slay a dragon? What are you talking about? There are still dragons around?”

“Let’s get it straight. Dragons are practically extinct. After Yasha died, the dragon race gradually vanished. So how could one still be around?”

“Don’t tell me… you’re saying there’s truly a seventh disciple or something?”

The declaration of becoming a dragon slayer sent shockwaves through the room. 

Huiyun calmed the murmuring disciples, filled with questions, anticipation, and caution.

“Let me finish. I said I’d slay a demonic dragon, not a true dragon like you were.”

“Demonic dragon? You mean Kelben?”

“…Excuse me?”

Vita grimaced as if he’d heard something he wished he hadn’t.

Originally, dragons were born in the image of Yasha, the primordial being, and naturally possessed benevolent power. But as always, there were exceptions.

Even among the angel, there was Lucifer, who fell and became a demon god, so why should dragons be any different?

The demonic dragon Kelben was the only golden dragon who bore the most radiant golden light, yet abandoned all duties as a dragon and sided with the Demon God.

So the disciples’ reactions were understandable.

“Kelben… Has he returned to the surface?” Zenith asked cautiously, her face full of worry.

“Yes,” Huiyun nodded grimly.

He had heard of Kelben’s reappearance in Incheon from Vina, who had been one of the few to know. It had been delicate information—so only Moot, Vina, and Huiyun had kept it between themselves until the truth could be confirmed. 

But now that things had reached this point, there was no choice but to reveal everything.

Hearing Huiyun’s unhesitant confirmation, the disciples’ faces darkened. The betrayal of Kelben, a fellow dragon, was still a painful memory for them, and Huiyun feared it might cause them to spiral into memories they’d rather avoid.

Just as Huiyun was about to comfort them, Zenith’s sigh pierced the silence.

“So even he has resurrected. …Then it must be true, that the Lord of Pride has returned as well.”

“…It would seem so.”

It was no longer speculation—it was certainty. The Lord of Pride, whom Huiyun had once destroyed during the Heavenly Demon War, had been resurrected. And now, his most loyal subordinate, Kelben, had descended upon Incheon as a calamity. 

The more certain the information became, the clearer it was how quickly and how much power the demons were regaining.

So stopping Kelben wasn’t just about treating Vina, it was also to prevent the demons from growing stronger.

“If Kelben has returned, then the resurrection of the Lord of Sloth must be near. Once all the Demon Lords return, war will follow. We must take down Kelben before the real war begins. This is the best opportunity while the demons are still fighting among themselves.”

“…Wait, do you actually know where Kelben is?”

Ash asked, slightly hurt. 

It was clear now that some of them had been left out of the loop. 

Huiyun admitted it without resistance.

“In Incheon. The request came through the Bureau Director. A gate of unprecedented danger level was discovered, and they asked for help. At the time, none of you, nor I, had the power to handle it—so I postponed it. But now, we have no reason to hold back.”

The disciples had regained their peak strength through the Fountain of Souls, and though Huiyun’s awakening was still incomplete, he could now use his former power as Yasha without strain. The gate where Kelben appeared had to be cleared.

When Huiyun gave the order to depart, the disciples glanced at each other before preparing with conflicted expressions.

“…Honestly, I feel like I’ve been busier than ever since I stopped being a dragon.”

“Hey, don’t ruin the mood. Just pack your stuff.”

“Why is it always me you scold?”

“Vita. Ash. Quiet.”

Listening to them bicker was oddly reassuring. Huiyun had feared the news of Kelben’s return might be too heavy for them, but they were handling it well.

He let out a small laugh at their unexpected composure and steeled himself. Even if they looked calm now, once they met Kelben, their hearts could waver—so he had to stay strong.

“Ready. We’re going now, right?”

“Yes. But just in case, we should set up some defenses.”

At Huiyun’s signal, he turned to Verita.

“Verita. Can you set up a barrier around Vina?”

“Please don’t ask me to do what I must already do, Yasha.”

“I’ll help too, Verita.”

As Verita moved to follow the order, Zenith joined him, summoning plant life to surround Vina like sentinels. Over them, Verita laid layers of sacred barriers, forming a firm protective shield—the strongest they could create together.

“Looks like a rare-grade fortress. Haven’t seen one of these in a while.”

Ash muttered, tapping the barrier with the back of his hand.

“Still weaker than a proper lair.”

“…Did you really have to say that?”

“Typical Yasha. Still correcting our grammar.”

“I don’t even know why that came up now.”

Huiyun blinked in confusion but soon inspected the barrier. It was solid, like a fortress, yet far weaker than the lair where he once resided as Yasha.

Uncomfortable leaving it as-is, he added another layer using his power of dominion. The backlash from such a large spell caused a bit of internal bleeding, but he suppressed it without showing.

“This should be enough to stop even a Demon Lord.”

“I also activated the alert sensor—if anyone breaks in, we’ll know immediately.”

“Besides, Yasha’s brother and that shadow guy are staying behind, right? We’re not all leaving. Let’s head out quickly. The sooner we return, the better the protection.”

Seeing Huiyun still worried, Ash gave him a reassuring shoulder squeeze and urged him on. Since there was no reason to reject the second reminder, Huiyun nodded and asked Moot to request a teleportation specialist from the Bureau.

“…Oh, already?”

“That was fast.”

“It had to be. They’re in just as much of a crisis as we are.”

Since they were also responding to the Bureau Director’s request while looking for a cure for Vina, the teleportation user was summoned immediately. As the disciples whispered in admiration at the speed, a woman with a high ponytail approached and handed Huiyun a card.

Huiyun looked down to read the bold print:

“8282 Anytime, 8282! Your life-saving teleport specialist, Bei! Just 10 million won per jump! Call now!”

Correction: it wasn’t a business card—it was practically a flyer. As Huiyun looked on with disdain, the surprisingly sharp-dressed Awakened introduced herself with a respectful nod.

“I was contacted by the Bureau Director. I’m Bei, a mercenary under the Bureau. I’ve been worried about the Incheon Gate’s instability, so I’m glad I was reached just in time. There’s no time to waste, let’s depart immediately.”

Without taking a breath, Bei sliced her palm, let the blood fall to the ground, and drew a teleportation array with it. She infused it with mana, causing the red glyph to glow and emit waves.

“Let’s go. I’ll be accompanying you into the gate. Since this is the first ‘High Danger Level’ gate, the Bureau Director has requested I stay with you in case anything happens.”

“…So you’ll help us escape with teleportation if something goes wrong?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“I’ve heard that high-tier gates interfere with teleportation or return stones. Is that not an issue?”

His tone hinted at a warning, but Bei only looked at Huiyun’s serious face, then shrugged.

“My life-saving fee covers it. Initiating teleport now.”

“…Excuse me?”

Before he could finish, the glyph activated.

FWOOSH!

As the blinding light engulfed his vision, Huiyun closed his eyes and muttered to himself in disbelief.

Does the Bureau Director have a knack for hiring lunatics? Because none of the mercenaries he’s brought in ever seemed normal.

Except for Huiyun himself, of course.