Chapter 150 - Chapter 29: War Destruction

Chapter 150 – Chapter 29: War Destruction

As he recovered consciousness, there was a series of changes. In-gong opened his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness. The time till In-gong truly woke up was getting shorter.

In-gong blinked. At that moment, a woman appeared in the air and hugged In-gong tightly. A loud voice woke In-gong up,

“Master! You’re awake?!”

In-gong woke up because of her. There was a heavy but comfortable pressure on his chest as In-gong shook his head. When he stared in front of him, he saw a green haired beauty smiling at him.

“Green Wind.”

“That’s right. It is Green Wind. I am not Greenie.”

Green Wind made the antlers on her head smaller than usual and rubbed her cheek against In-gong’s chest. In-gong narrowed his eyes as he felt hungrier than usual.

“Green Wind, how long has it been?”

He asked while stroking her head. Then Green Wind answered as she enjoyed the touch,

“A week. Master was asleep for a week.”

It was longer than he had expected. Somehow, he was hungry despite being full of power.

In-gong closed his eyes for a moment and searched through his memories. The last memory was of his meeting with the demon king. The sins of the gandharva that the demon king mentioned… Additionally, the Seed of Extreme Nothingness which the demon king had given to him.

‘Somehow, I feel reborn.’

It wasn’t a mere feeling. The balance in his body was fixed, and the original aura heart and Moonlight Core were now strengthened, just like when the dragon heart had absorbed the crystal magic power. Aura and magic power blended together naturally.

‘Was it some type of metamorphosis?’

His overall stats had also risen slightly. Thanks to the Seed of Extreme Nothingness, his body was now optimized.

‘Zephyr and I, we are the only two.’

Zephyr had also received the Seed of Extreme Nothingness from the demon king. Perhaps the reason why this Zephyr was stronger than the one in Knight Saga was because of the Seed of Extreme Nothingness.

‘Extreme Nothingness.’

The sword duke’s name for it was very good, and In-gong could agree with that name. The only word which could express the absolute strength of the demon king was extreme. How did Zephyr make use of the Extreme Nothingness? Furthermore, could In-gong conquer the Extreme Nothingness?

A smile formed on In-gong’s face. If Carack was here, he would say that In-gong was burning with ambition.

It was just Zephyr and In-gong who had received the Seed of Extreme Nothingness. Before In-gong had appeared, Zephyr had been the sole contender in the race to become the demon king’s successor. In-gong had caught up with Zephyr in this area. Far from being fazed about the Extreme Nothingness which was difficult to conquer, Conquest was actually excited.

“Oh, Prince. You woke up?”

A voice interrupted In-gong while he was thinking. It was a face he had wanted to see as much as Green Wind’s.

“Carack.”

As In-gong called out his name, Carack smiled and walked over to the bed.

“The sword duke brought Prince back. He said you would sleep for a week in the aftermath of the demon king’s teachings, but you really did wake up after a week.”

As always, it was Carack who explained the situation to In-gong. Before In-gong carried on with the conversation, In-gong touched his belly, and a rumbling sound was heard from the area.

“Carack, let’s eat first. I am hungry.”

After all, he had been starving for a week.

“It hasn’t been prepared. Wait a bit, and I’ll get it for you.”

Carack answered reliably and left the room. Regardless of what happened around her, Green Wind just closed her eyes and leaned her head on In-gong’s chest. He took a short nap.

&

“6th Princess and 8th Princess came to visit everyday.”

Green Wind released In-gong as he sat up with a tray of food in front of him. After hearing that Felicia and Caitlin came everyday, In-gong felt grateful and satisfied. He was sorry that he worried them, but it was good to feel treasured.

In-gong tore a piece of warm bread and asked,

“Has anything big happened in the last week?”

“There was nothing big. If you want information, the boss will come soon.”

Carack said while looking at the door, and Nayatra entered the room with perfect timing.

“Your Highness.”

She bowed gracefully, as always, and looked at the food in front of In-gong before she started speaking,

“While Your Highness was unconscious, I gathered information about the situations of the other royal children.”

Yes, Nayatra was truly competent.

In-gong nodded, and Nayatra resumed speaking with a small smile. This was the simple summary of what she said:

In the north where 1st Prince Baikal and 2nd Prince Zephyr were located, there was tension after a big battle. The part of the Northern Limit Line, where Baikal was located, was in fact a highly disputed area where small battles occurred frequently.

Zephyr was located on the northern front, but it was an area with fewer battles. Zephyr, who had finished a big fight with great victory, wasn’t satisfied with defense. Instead, he advanced to the north, across the line, and attacked.

Just like Silvan, Chris had gone to the north-east region and experienced a number of battles, but the frequency was relatively low. Finally, Anastasia and Victor had gone west, and it was peaceful there. Unlike the eastern barbarians, the barbarians beyond the Western Limit Line were waiting quietly.

‘They will be impatient.’

If nothing happened, they wouldn’t be able to build up merits. Anastasia was seriously aiming for the throne of the demon king, so she wouldn’t be satisfied with peace.

“Thank you, that was helpful.”

The information was really helpful, so those weren’t just empty words. Nayatra had been able to gather such detailed information on this matter that he felt sorry towards Carack. However, Nayatra was the best in the field of information.

“Thank you. I am glad that you are satisfied.”

Nayatra replied with a wide smile, completely different from her old nickname of ice princess. In-gong felt better and asked Nayatra,

“Uh, Nayatra. Is that a whip?”

A rolled up leather whip was hanging from Nayatra’s waist. Nayatra nodded quickly at In-gong’s question and replied,

“Yes, in fact, I specialize in whipping.”

Her eyes were shining like she was expecting something. In-gong thought about what to do with this deep-rooted misunderstanding and decided to put it aside. Looking at In-gong’s life, it was natural the misunderstandings would remain.

‘As long as it doesn’t get deeper.’

Nayatra’s gaze was hot as she stared at In-gong, and Carack just chuckled.

“So. Prince, what are you going to do today?”

There were three choices for In-gong.

One, go with Felicia to the library.

Two, train with Caitlin.

Three, walk around alone.

In the cases of the first two choices, they both had distinct purposes.

If he met Felicia, he could investigate the Four Knights of the Apocalypse as well as ask her about 3rd Queen Sylvia. Additionally, he had to talk to Sylvia about Silvan’s fairy. Sylvia had said she would prepare some compensation next time, but In-gong had rescued Felicia and Sylvia because he had wanted to. However, he didn’t intend to refuse any compensation.

The meeting with Caitlin also included the meeting with 4th Queen Elaine. He didn’t have to converse with her like he had to with Sylvia, but she still needed to reward him for killing Gerard. No matter which of the two he chose, it would be a joyful meeting with a beautiful girl.

However, after some deliberation, In-gong chose the third option.

“A whole week has passed.”

It had been more than a week since he arrived at the Demon King’s Palace. Looking back at the past, it was his longest stay. He didn’t know what would happen again, so he had to do the Demon King’s Palace tour when there was still time.

“Well, Prince’s senses are good, so I will stay by your side.”

Instead of asking why, In-gong started moving immediately. He sent a letter to Felicia and Caitlin stating he had woken up safely, then he left his mansion with Carack.

“Now, let’s get started.”

It was an opportunity to use his knowledge from Knight Saga. In-gong hurried as he thought this. In order to complete his planned tour in one day, fast progress was essential.

This was a rough summary:

After arriving at an old fountain on the outskirts of the town in the Demon King’s Palace, In-gong threw in a gold coin he had prepared in advance. Then a translucent blue soul appeared over the fountain.

The old man parted his lips slowly,

“You, according to the guidance of good luck…”

“Flitcher.”

In-gong said briefly and the soul became confused. In-gong continued without caring,

“The name of the man who drove you to your death is Flitcher. And this is a bottle that contains his soul after he died.”

In-gong pulled out a bottle from the inventory, and the soul of the old man blinked in shock.

“H-how? I never said…”

However, once again, In-gong didn’t listen. He threw the bottle on the floor and covered it with holy water he had prepared in advance. Then with a short scream, Flitcher’s soul, which was in the bottle, disappeared.

“Now, I have resolved your grudge. Aren’t you thankful? So quickly give me compensation.”

The old man, who had been staring at the bottle blankly, woke up at In-gong’s words. He looked at In-gong with a face full of chagrin before disappearing. Carack, who had seen this sight several times, clicked his tongue and said,

“You are cruel.”

“There is no time.”

In-gong recovered the magic necklace left behind in the place where the soul had disappeared and moved to the next area immediately.

After that, In-gong travelled all over the palace: opening up secret bookcases; destroying a statue which moved in the daytime; and opening up a treasure storehouse in a basement.

Considering the problem of time and the butterfly effect, In-gong skipped character related quests and only proceeded with the quests associated with specific places. In fact, there were some quests which weren’t so rewarding, but In-gong did them all. It was better than no compensation at all, and it would be a shame if Zephyr obtained them.

After a long tour, it was sunset. In-gong couldn’t help but feel satisfied as he looked at his inventory. He had gained many quest items thanks to his knowledge of Knight Saga.

‘There are still quite a lot left.’

The area he roamed today was just inside the Demon King’s Palace. However, there were still facilities, such as the library, remaining, so there were still a few pleasures left.

“Your stamina is good. Isn’t it hard?”

It was a tiring day wandering around the Demon King’s Palace. Carack tapped on his legs like he was in pain, and In-gong laughed brightly. It was because his stats were ridiculously high compared to his level.

‘I should focus more on Carack’s growth. His persistence should increase.’

In-gong modified Carack’s nurturing plan instantly and used recovery magic before heading back to the mansion.

As expected, there were guests waiting at In-gong’s mansion.

“Shutra is too much.”

“That’s right, too much.”

“I guess he really is like the wind.”

Caitlin, Felicia and Silvan spoke in turn.

Upon receiving news that In-gong had woken up, the three people visited the mansion and had to wait hours for In-gong to return.

“Sorry.”

Caitlin swelled up at In-gong’s apology, while In-gong’s eyes narrowed. Despite the fairy still not being stabilized, Silvan was the only relatively calm one in the room. In-gong sat down and started comforting Caitlin and Felicia. Flora came in with timely refreshments.

“Did you receive a new teaching from the sword duke?”

Felicia asked with an anxious face.

A week ago, the sword duke had instructed Carack to hide In-gong’s encounter with the demon king. There had already been an uproar just from the demon king calling his name at the court gathering.

In-gong had been informed by Carack beforehand and nodded silently.

“Yes, you don’t have to worry about it. I am much healthier than I was a week ago.”

Of course, he didn’t intend to hide the meeting from Felicia and Caitlin, but there was no need to talk about it now. That talk was too complicated. Caitlin smiled at In-gong’s words and said,

“Shutra is correct. His aura has a very stable feel.”

There was no sense of incongruity with the dragon heart now.

“Umm, what does Silvan think?”

Felicia was pretty ignorant about aura, so she wanted to check with Silvan. Silvan looked at In-gong with moist eyes and said,

“I’m just envious.”

In-gong had received the teachings of the sword duke not once but twice. Silvan’s appearance was quite pitiful, but thankfully, the topic was changed.

“Shutra, I have something to say.”

Caitlin glanced at Felicia before talking.

“In a few days, I will leave for the north-east to help Chris. Felicia unni and Silvan oppa will also leave the Demon King’s Palace.”

“Both of you are going to help Chris hyung?”

Felicia shook her head at In-gong’s question.

“No, we have decided to go home with Omamama. We will pick up more crew members for the Black Flame Dragon and check Silvan’s condition.”

He was stable thanks to In-gong, but they couldn’t rest assured just yet.

“You don’t have to worry. I am healthy.”

Silvan laughed and spread his arms wide open. Felicia hit Silvan’s shoulder and while she watched Caitlin, Felicia opened her mouth,

“So, it makes sense…”

Felicia’s gaze headed back to In-gong. Then she asked with a warm smile,

“Shutra, do you want to come with us to the home of the dark elves? Haven’t you visited the lycanthropes? So, you should also visit the home of the dark elves to balance it out.”

“Um, I agree.”

Silvan supported her from the side. Then Caitlin shouted,

“Unni is mean! We decided to say it together.”

“Yes, so say it now.”

Felicia’s eyes widened as she turned away from Caitlin’s gaze. Caitlin puffed up her cheeks before turning to In-gong.

“Shutra, do you want to go with me to help Chris oppa? Chris oppa has been alone for so long. Oppa will want to see Shutra.”

In-gong remembered Chris’ face for a moment. It was likely that he wanted to see Caitlin more than In-gong.

‘Anyway, they both want me to go with them.’

It was embarrassing but also a very pleasant situation.

‘Master, your smile is evil.’

Green Wind muttered in his ear. In-gong tried to think seriously as he fixed his expression. However, his worries didn’t last long. Flora entered the room again and handed him a letter.

“Indeed, Prince’s senses is correct.”

He could see that it was a letter from the Merits Department. Instead of replying to Carack, In-gong opened the envelope and read the letter. As expected, it was about the new mission.

‘9th Prince Shutra, depart from the Demon King’s Palace at noon in four days to support the 3rd Prince Victor Nekrion and 4th Princess Anastasia Nekrion.’

Anastasia Nekrion…

The daughter of the demon king, who was the leader of one of three factions with Baikal and Zephyr.

It was time to face her.

&

“Then I will go with Shutra.”