Chapter 157. From This Moment On

The Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association collectively swallowed hard. They knew better than anyone how sturdy that fortress gate was, yet it had been shattered in an instant.

Did he just steal the kill after we did all the work?

No way. We barely even managed to crack it.

That South Korean brat—no, that South Korean man...

As their thoughts raced, Wang Lifei felt a chill crawl up his spine. He recalled when they had attempted to stop that Hunter’s advance.

Shit! We almost doomed ourselves...

If the old man hadn’t intervened, they’d have been killed! The thought sent a shiver down his neck.

“Lifei, what are we going to do?”

“

Huh?

About what?”

“Are we going in?” one of the Hunters whispered as he pointed toward the broken gate.

Inside, Kim Do-Joon was advancing without hesitation, his steps steady and fearless.

The sight made Wang Lifei reach a decision.

“Let’s follow him.”

Quietly, Wang Lifei and the Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association began to trail him.

***

Whoosh! Whoosh!

When they stepped through the broken gate, arrows rained down from above, each carrying tremendous force. However, they were useless against Kim Do-Joon. He swung his spear in wide arcs, effortlessly deflecting the arrows.

Clink! Clang!

—

Kieek!

—

Kek!

Most of the arrows bounced away harmlessly, but some rebounded with lethal force, striking the heads of their very archers. Kim Do-Joon finished off the remaining soldiers in one fell swoop.

Crackle!

Lightning surged from his spear, leaping to the soldiers on the wall. The bolts instantly fried their shadowy forms.

In just a few swift motions, the wall became empty. Kim Do-Joon resumed his advance.

“Human, people are following us," Ashunaga remarked.

As she had said, the Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association were trailing behind at a safe distance.

Kim Do-Joon glanced back at them. His gaze made the Hunters freeze in their tracks and stare at him with a mix of fear and wariness.

“Leave them be.”

They weren’t much of a threat to him anyway. Then again, they didn’t seem particularly useful either.

But anyway... This terrain...

In front of the narrow, canyon-like path beyond the gate, he could sense faint traces of mana deeper inside.

Anyone capable of sensing mana would probably dismiss it because it was far weaker than that of the Black Knights or even the shadow soldiers. However, Kim Do-Joon knew better.

It’s a trap.

Whoever was ahead was deliberately concealing their power, distorting the flow of mana. No ordinary monster could manage such a feat since they lacked the necessary intelligence and skill.

Is it Gao Lin?

His gaze darkened. When Kim Do-Joon advanced further, he was greeted by the deeply unsettling and grotesque noise of something being chewed.

Crrk. Crunch.

Quickening his pace, Kim Do-Joon soon caught sight of the source: a Black Knight undergoing Beastification.

However, its appearance was unlike anything Kim Do-Joon had seen before. Neither Li Weifeng nor the tailed knight could compare to it.

It was covered in black scales, with horns, wings, and a tail. It looked like a grotesque fusion of a dragon and a human, straight out of legend.

Above its horned head, a crown-like ring of jagged spikes floated ominously. The creature sat slumped against the cliffside.

Though Kim Do-Joon could hear chewing, the knight wasn’t eating anything.

The noise came from its shadow. The dark mass writhed, sprouting jagged, tooth-like shapes that gnawed away at the surroundings as if consuming the very essence of the air and earth.

That armor...

Kim Do-Joon's eyes widened as he recognized the black armor among the carnage.

Weren’t those supposed to belong to their own allies?

Scattered among the corpses were bodies in fluttering robes, each bearing the distinct Chinese character for "Dragon[1]."

“You bastard!”

The Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association, who had caught up moments later, furiously gritted their teeth. Wang Lifei, trembling with rage, hissed in frustration.

Kim Do-Joon clicked his tongue. He didn’t particularly enjoy the sight either.

Soon, the creature let out a strange sound.

Woo... Ah...

The noise resembled the babble of a newborn. Its grotesque grin stretched unnaturally wide, reaching almost to its ears.

Nothing about it looked innocent.

“Kill him!” Wang Lifei finally snapped, shouting orders to his men.

Despite his anger, he still retained a shred of tactical awareness. The creature’s weak mana signature reassured him that it wasn’t a significant threat.

However, that assumption was a fatal mistake. If he had been just a little calmer, he’d have wondered why the Black Knights and the Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association were all lying at the creature’s feet.

“Wait—!”

Kim Do-Joon turned to stop them, but it was too late.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The shadows, which had been idly writhing, suddenly surged past Kim Do-Joon and lashed out at the Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association. Caught in their fury over their comrades’ deaths, the Hunters charged recklessly, only to be engulfed by the shadowy tendrils.

Kim Do-Joon quickly assessed his options. He could ignore the Hunters and deal a decisive blow to the creature’s core instead. However, if he did, the Hunters would almost certainly die.

Truthfully, he felt no loyalty toward the Eight Dragons Association. They had been more of a nuisance than an ally. In fact, Gao Lin and the Ghost Slayer Division had nearly cost him his life more than once.

Yet, for a brief moment, the creature’s eyes met his. Its mocking gaze was sharp and focused, as if Kim Do-Joon was the only person in the world that mattered. He didn’t even spare a glance for the Hunters.

“Damn it.”

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Kim Do-Joon pivoted and rushed toward the Hunters. Planting himself firmly between the writhing shadows and Wang Lifei, Kim Do-Joon delivered a swift kick.

“

Urgh!

”

“

Agh!

”

Thud! Thud!

The Hunters of the Eight Dragons Association were sent flying like ragdolls, knocked out of the shadow’s reach.

“

Oooh...

”

The creature’s grin twisted into a scowl, clearly displeased with the interference. Raising one finger, it beckoned toward Kim Do-Joon. The shadows, momentarily robbed of their prey, then converged toward Kim Do-Joon instead.

“Watch out!”

Ashunaga, reacting a split second too late, swung her crescent blade toward the approaching shadows. The weapon sliced through the air and passed through the intangible tendrils.

“No!”

Although Ashunaga seemed disappointed, Kim Do-Joon just quietly chuckled.

Nice try!

He slammed his foot into the ground.

Boom!

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

An inky darkness, even denser than the creature’s shadows, erupted like blooming flowers from beneath him. The spikes of his shadow extended outward, skewering the tendrils mid-flight.

Shlick!

The trapped shadows writhed, but Kim Do-Joon’s shadowy spears pinned them in place.

Whoosh!

One of his shadow spikes shot forward, piercing through the air with pinpoint precision. It slammed directly into the creature’s chest.

Thunk!

The creature froze, staring down at the spike embedded in its torso. Its eerie grin faltered as its eyes trembled.

“

Ugh...

”

It was the same look of fear that the Black Knights had when they had faced his shadows.

The creature’s head jerked upward in a series of unnatural, mechanical movements. Then, his neck twisted as he slowly turned to face Kim Do-Joon.

Crack... Crack—!

“You must be... the one... the king... spoke about...” the creature muttered in a garbled, wet voice. Saliva dripped from its mouth as it spoke.

***

When the creature first opened his eyes, it found a crowd of beings who looked like him.

“These ones don’t carry the spores of the World Tree,” rumbled a deep and resonant voice.

Before it stood its creator: the Shadow Lord.

The Shadow Lord, an imposing figure cloaked in darkness, rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he observed the throng. These weren’t elite warriors from the Black Dragon Guild; they were just ordinary civilians. They lacked mana, so they were unmarked by spores, limiting their potential.

Even if they could wield blades, they were far too inefficient. The effort required to nurture them into a formidable force wasn’t worth the energy. He was better off focusing on replenishing his own strength.

Thus, their purpose became clear: serve as disposable fodder or something else entirely.

“Ah, I know.” The Shadow Lord snapped his fingers.

Immediately, around the gathered crowd, thick walls of shadow rose, forming an inescapable prison. No one could leave without the Shadow Lord’s permission.

“Kill each other.”

His cold and commanding voice echoed within the shadowy enclosure.

Perhaps the last one standing would prove useful.

The creature didn’t have a name. It emerged—battered and bloodstained—but victorious. Despite being the sole survivor, the Shadow Lord didn’t bestow it any name. Instead, it was granted freedom.

“Do as you wish,” the Shadow Lord had said.

And so, it acted on its own impulses. Its first instinct was hunger, so it devoured everything in sight—fellow soldiers created by the Shadow Lord and even the elite knights who stood in his way. All it knew was to eat, so it devoured endlessly.

With every bite, it evolved, becoming stronger and faster. In no time, it transformed based on the most powerful being it could imagine.

“You must be... the one... the king... spoke about...”

A memory about the figure his creator had mentioned surfaced.

The Shadow Lord had talked about a human who was eerily similar to himself. In exchange for freedom, he also left the creature one order.

“If you find that human, bring him back alive.”

Its mouth watered as it thought about the human, imagining the possibilities.

What would happen if I devoured him? Would I be able to grow teeth strong enough to rip off my lord’s throat? Could I become the king?

Soon, it would have the only name that mattered:

King.

Born of the Shadow Lord’s will, the creature carried his creator's insatiable greed more intensely than any of its brethren.

***

“

Kieek... Kik...

”

A chilling laugh echoed.

Ashunaga’s face turned pale as she whispered, “T-that thing looks really dangerous, doesn’t it?”

The creature had unleashed its suppressed power. With prime prey standing before it, there was no need to hold back anymore.

Kim Do-Joon frowned. Though he had expected this development, the energy that the creature radiated far exceeded his expectations.

“He's definitely dangerous,” Kim Do-Joon said, steadying his stance. “Stay back.”

“Got it!” Ashunaga responded immediately, darting away to hide behind a boulder.

Kim Do-Joon couldn’t help but snort in disbelief.

I take it back. She’s still the same.

From behind the rock, Ashunaga waved ecstatically as if to cheer him on. It was both amusing and exasperating. Still, he thought that she did the right thing. She’d only hinder him in combat.

Kim Do-Joon turned his focus back to the creature. With a thunderous crash, the creature pushed itself off the ground so hard that it left a massive crater behind.

Boom!

Kim Do-Joon raised his spear just in time to block the incoming punch. The force reverberated through him, numbing his hands.

The creature followed up with an unrelenting barrage of attacks, using its fists, feet, and even its tail to strike.

Kim Do-Joon met each move with precision. His spear deflected blows, and his Invincible Body withstood those he couldn’t parry. The creature’s strikes were so fast that they blurred together, creating a whirlwind of motion too fast for most eyes to follow.

Yet, neither combatant fought recklessly. Each attack flowed into the next with purpose, and each blow was countered with impeccable timing.

Watching from the sidelines, Wang Lifei and his subordinates were rendered speechless.

“How... How is that even possible?” one of them murmured.

They didn’t even dare to dream of stepping into that fight. Helping Kim Do-Joon seemed useless, and betraying him now also made no sense.

No matter what they tried, they could not imagine him faltering—not even for a moment.

Even Ashunaga found herself entranced by the battle, her earlier fears forgotten.

“Got you...!”

The creature’s shadow seized a fleeting opening and shot forward. A tendril of darkness snaked its way past Kim Do-Joon’s guard and sank its teeth into his arm.

Clang—!

The creature flinched in surprise. Its shadow, capable of slicing through solid steel like tofu, was met with an unexpected resistance.

“This... can’t be!”

Its eyes narrowed, and it redoubled its efforts.

Crack—!

Kim Do-Joon winced as the shadow’s fangs finally pierced through his defense. Blood streamed down his arm as he tried to wrench his arm free, but the shadow’s grip refused to yield.

Damn it! Thorns!

Shadowy spikes erupted from the ground, aiming for the creature.

Crack—!

However, the creature reacted instantly. Another shadow intercepted Kim Do-Joon’s spikes, snapping them in half like brittle twigs.

Kim Do-Joon gritted his teeth. He had to admit that when it came to controlling shadows, this thing was a step ahead.

“Human!” Ashunaga called out.

“Hey! Hey!”

The creature grinned, confident that it had turned the tide. Shadows surged from it and descended on Kim Do-Joon like a school of ravenous piranhas.

Briefly, Kim Do-Joon’s eyes grew cold. His gaze shifted to something glowing faintly in the distance. A flicker of fire bloomed behind his opponent.

In the blink of an eye, Kim Do-Joon disappeared from the jaws of the shadows, leaving nothing behind.

1. The raw is

龍

. ☜