The Divine Twilight's Return

Chapter 153: Star, Cadmus (3)

“Urgh…! That crazy bastard!” Gang Woo-Chan gritted his teeth.

After Chang-Sun’s interview, Woo-Chan got out of the airport to avoid difficult interactions with the hostile media staff. If Joachim Wolff didn’t come forward and stood up for Chang-Sun, anything could have happened. However, the problem was that Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong and the other two elders had too much fun watching the interview.

Hyeon-Ryong, in particular, showed deep interest in Chang-Sun, making Woo-Chan feel ominous. The more the three elders paid attention to Chang-Sun, the lower the probability of Woo-Chan’s plan succeeding.

‘I don’t have a choice, though. The ball is already rolling,’ Woo-Chan reassured himself several times as he secretly moved to the area Department Head Shim Geon-Ho had told him about.

He furtively took a look around and noticed that the people in his vicinity didn’t seem to care about him, who was an outsider. The place that Geon-Ho had told him about was an old apartment that looked as if it was about to collapse. It had several mailboxes on the wall for its residents, but they looked as if they hadn’t been used in quite some time now because cobwebs were all over them. Among those boxes, Woo-Chan quietly put the two letters inside Unit 606’s mailbox, which looked the rustiest, and left the area.

Squeak!

Shortly after Woo-Chan left, the apartment’s front gate opened, and a Latino who didn’t seem to belong in this slum walked out. He read the two letters in Unit 606’s mailbox and went back inside.

* * *

Chang-Sun and the others immediately got on the limousine bus, which had been prepared for them, and headed to the hotel where they were supposed to be staying.

“Once we arrive at the hotel, check in first. Don’t even think about going somewhere else! Come back to the lobby as soon as you finish unpacking in the room you’re assigned to. We are going to have a short seminar and welcome party with French Clans… Pay attention, all of you!” Woo-Chan shouted in anger. He was briefing about what to do as soon as the group arrived at the hotel, but Chang-Sun and the rest of the Team L members paid him zero attention.

Starting this evening to the day they leave France, which was fifteen days away, their schedules were packed tight, so they couldn’t make any mistakes. They weren’t listening at all, but the evening welcoming party was an especially important event for the White Tiger Clan. While it was still about ‘establishing a relationship with the French Clans,’ which was the White Tiger Clan’s official purpose for this business trip, the Clan members had to leave a strong impression on the other Clans in this party since the White Tiger Clan was about to rise.

.

Although Chang-Sun and the Team L members were going to take charge of clearing the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert,’ Woo-Chan was in charge of communicating with others. Since he was also an experienced member of the Future Strategy Department, he was confident that he could keep up with the schedule even though Chang-Sun considered him a small fry.

Even so, the key members of this business trip were Chang-Sun and the Team L members. If they made mistakes, the whole business trip could be ruined, putting Woo-Chan on edge. That was why Woo-Chan yelled at them to pull themselves together.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Chang-Sun, Baek Gyeo-Ul, Shin Eun-Seo, and Shin Geum-Gyu still didn’t look at Woo-Chan. Even the girl named Woo Hye-Bin, the new Team L member and a mercenary, was looking elsewhere. Their reactions were understandable, though. Woo-Chan blatantly showed hostility toward Chang-Sun before they left Korea, and since Team L was formed by Chang-Sun, they had no reason to act politely toward such a person.

Nyom, nyom!

Ever since they arrived at the airport, Chang-Sun had been feeding Cadmus something, and Gyeo-Ul had been so amazed by the first country he had ever visited that he couldn’t take his eyes off the window.

“Woah…!” Gyeo-Ul blurted out.

They were also going to stay in a luxury hotel close to the Eiffel Tower during their stay in Paris. Hearing about being able to see the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower from their room made Eun-Seo and Hye-Bin feel as if they were just traveling, so they excitedly talked about where to go during the free time they were going to have at night.

Geum-Gyu continued to focus on reading the mysteriously thick book that he had been reading since they were on the plane. From what Woo-Chan heard, Geum-Gyu was really into magic, so he began to study it from the very basics. As a result, he didn’t hear what Woo-Chan was saying.

“Yawwwn!”

“When are we going to arrive? I’m bored.”

“Wake me up when we get to the hotel.”

Moreover, the three elders weren’t people who should listen to Woo-Chan in the first place.

“Arggghhh!” Woo-Chan briefly screamed without realizing it. He couldn’t take it anymore, so he rubbed his temple really hard. Even then, no one cared.

* * *

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ really likes the ‘Winter King’s Treasures’!]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ looks at his new gigantic food warehouse with sparkling eyes.]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ is very happy to see all the tasty food.]

[The Fullness of your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ has increased.]

[The Affection of your Subordinate’ Cadmus’ has increased significantly.]

…

[The ‘Inauspicious Heart’ has been reinforced!]

[Current progress: 6.7%]

‘I’m not sure if I should like this or not…’ Chang-Sun wondered as he looked at Cadmus with mixed emotions.

Even when they had already arrived at the hotel, Cadmus still had quite an appetite—-no, it didn’t stop eating. It probably felt full when it finished eating the [Zhan Lu Sword] since it slept for quite some time afterward, but its appetite had reached its zenith when they arrived at the airport. Chang-Sun had given Cadmus all the items he had in his inventory, but it seemed Cadmus was never going to be full.

Among the items Chang-Sun had, he got several of them as Dungeon clear rewards. He would have earned at least a hundred million won if he had sold them, but they ended up inside Cadmus’ stomach instead.

Despite having already eaten so much, Cadmus continued to howl and expressed its annoyance by tapping Chang-Sun’s head with its tail, asking for more food. Hence, Chang-Sun opened the [Winter King’s Treasures], thinking it could be the answer. Ever since then, Cadmus had been ceaselessly chewing on something.

Nyom, nyom―!

Crack, crack!

‘… How can it make that sound with the [Glacier Helmet]?’?Chang-Sun thought.

Hugging a helmet that was way bigger and sturdier than itself like a dear treasure, Cadmus craned its neck and enjoyed the ‘food.’ The [Glacier Helmet] actually had one of the most impressive abilities among the treasures in the [Winter King’s Treasures] and was the Fourth Yeti King’s most prized treasure. Since it was made from [Thousand-Year Ice Crystals] and [Thousand-Year Cold Iron], it released visibly white, cold ice energy like an ice sculpture, creating a mystical atmosphere.

Chang-Sun wanted to give it to Jin or his other subordinates, but the helmet didn’t fit anyone, so he instead decided to store it in his inventory and give it to a future subordinate. However, it turned into a tasty treat after Cadmus got its paws on it.

The helmet was so sturdy Chang-Sun thought it would remain scratchless under most circumstances. However, Cadmus easily took a big chunk out of the helmet with each bite, although. He wasn’t sure how it was doing it. Whenever Cadmus found a part that was really hard to destroy, it used its [Dragon Breath] to melt that part down.

‘From what I’ve heard, even high-ranking Dragons can use [Dragon Breath]-type skills only after they learn how to control the natural elements that are in accordance to their wills…’?Chang-Sun thought.?

Of course, Cadmus’ [Dragon Breath] was much weaker than those of high-ranking Dragons that Chang-Sun knew, but that didn’t mean it could be taken lightly. After all, Cadmus released a little bit of <Darkness> every time it used the skill.

No matter the target, <Darkness> could be used to melt, burn, and erase it, completely ignoring attribute differences. A baby Dragon holding such a power… was just as dangerous as a baby holding a knife, so Chang-Sun kept an eye on it. He did hear Cadmus was an Evil Dragon, and it really did seem totally different from ordinary Dragons.

‘It also got bigger.’?Chang-Sun noticed.

Its height was now about two handspans—no, four handspans. Although it wasn’t much, Chang-Sun could actually see Cadmus growing up. Considering it had been less than twenty-four hours since its birth, its growth was remarkable. That seemed to be the reason Cadmus was eating so much, but Chang-Sun thought it could still be overdoing it. However, he wasn’t suffering a loss—no, he was actually benefiting a lot from it.

~

[Your Subordinate ‘Camus’ has consumed the ‘Glacier Helmet’!]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ is digesting the ‘Glacier Helmet’!]

[Absorbed 72 ice energy.]

[Absorbed 51 iron energy.]

…

[Your ‘Mana Heart’ has been reinforced!]

…

[The Effect ‘Heart Sharing’ has been activated, reinforcing the ‘Inauspicious Heart’!]

[The current progress: 7.1%]

‘Feeding Cadmus good items like [Glacier Helmet] is surely helpful. My current progress with the [Inauspicious Heart] has even increased by 0.4 percent.’ Chang-Sun smiled contentedly as he looked at the result.

[Inauspicious Heart] was related to the second quest that Mephistopheles had given after sending Cadmus.

[Inauspicious Heart.]

A bonus reward given by the Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil,’ this heart is an energy organ that you will share with the Black Dragon Cadmus. It is capable of manufacturing <Darkness>, and the more developed it is, the more your stamina will increase, and the better you can resonate with your Stigma. The heart is currently incomplete. Fully developing it is required to identify its abilities more accurately.

· Skill level: ―

· Type: ―

· Effect: ―

Right now, he couldn’t tell what abilities the heart had, but its description made it obvious that it was incomparably better than other skills. Chang-Sun paid special attention to two things its description disclosed: manufacturing <Darkness>, and…

‘Sharing the heart.’?Chang-Sun faintly smiled.

[Manufacturing Darkness] literally meant that the heart was going to be producing <Darkness>. From a broader perspective, it was basically creating divinity. Not only would he be able to activate the Inferno Sights, but he would also get to use various techniques similar to that of Mephistopheles. In short, completing this quest would turn Chang-Sun into Mephistopheles’ ‘disciple.’

On the other hand, [Heart Sharing] meant he and Cadmus were going to share the same heart, so Chang-Sun would gain a Dragon’s immense stamina and maybe even Cadmus’ <Talents>. The high-ranking Dragons were known for their ability to use various magic spells and abilities. Considering how their wisdom originated from their hearts, it wasn’t impossible. The heart was by no means ‘inauspicious,’ and it was definitely not an ordinary bonus reward.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ nervously chews on her fingernails as she watches you complete the heart little by little.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ looks at the Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ and clicks his tongue, saying she is doing it again.]

…

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ decides that she should pull out a new ‘carrot’!]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ asks the Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ what she’s trying to do this time.]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ tenses up and looks at the Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt.’]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ looks at her daughter, who has become a fool with eyes full of contempt.]

‘I already gave everything that I needed right now from the [Winter King’s Treasures] to Jin, so Cadmus emptying the warehouse isn’t a problem… I’m curious about what will happen when I finish feeding Cadmus everything in it anyway,’?Chang-Sun wondered.

As the [Inauspicious Heart] developed, he could feel his stamina increasing and his body improving significantly. Hence, he couldn’t help but wonder how far he would improve once he had completed it.

‘Besides, I think I can use Cadmus’ magic-related abilities with runes… Mephistopheles and I are definitely a good duo,’ Chang-Sun thought.

『What’s this? That’s new.』

Jin suddenly talked to Chang-Sun telepathically. A fog then appeared by Chang-Sun’s side and took the form of a human.

「Huh?」

Jin looked at Cadmus with faint bewilderment. Although he didn’t hesitate to act as he pleased even before Chang-Sun, Jin seemed so puzzled that he wasn’t sure what to do.

‘Come to think of it, Arcadia has a tradition about respecting Dragons,’ Chang-Sun remembered.

A number of empires and imperial families that made up the Arcadian civilizations considered Dragons as their ancestors or chose them as their symbols. Hence, Jin’s reaction was understandable. Cadmus seemed to be paying zero attention to Jin, though, since it was busy searching for new food.

‘It will be really fun to watch their interactions.’

Having such thoughts, Chang-Sun asked Jin, “Why did you suddenly come here by the way?”

「That’s…!」

It seemed Jin had many questions on his mind, but he soon organized his thoughts. He frowned, still looking discontented for some reason, but he continued.

「Do you remember when I told you that I was going to show you something after you get back?」

“Ah, the Ghost Devil Horses?” Chang-Sun nodded and asked back.

Since they came across the Sheim Bloodline on the fifth floor of the Changgwi Cave, Jin had been devising a method to turn his subordinates into an elite army. That was why he had repeatedly talked about taming the Ghost Devil Horses. The last time Chang-Sun was in the Changgwi Cave, Jin had pompously told Chang-Sun that he had something to show him, and it seemed Jin was going to show off his accomplishment right now. Crossing his arms, Jin boastfully raised his chin.

「While you were gone, Master, I’ve been diligently making progress. It looks great now, and I have already done test runs.」

“Then…?” Chang-Sun tilted his head. One end of Jin’s lips curled up.

「That’s right, I have wiped out the Sheim Bloodline.」