Chapter 151: Star, Cadmus (1)

[Which name will you give the Baby Black Darkness Dragon, ‘Dragony’ or ‘Growly’?]

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…?”

Everyone looked at Chang-Sun to see if he was serious, but he remained nonchalant, unable to comprehend what the problem was. Even Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong, who wasn’t easily fazed, looked at Chang-Sun with a dumbstruck expression.

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ covers his face with his tail, cringing hard at your abysmal naming ability.]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ furtively looks away from you and, with a small voice, says that no one is perfect.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ tilts her head, wondering what was wrong because those names sound cute.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ advises her not to name her pets since her naming sense is just as bad as yours. ]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ springs up from her seat, saying that there is no owner in this world who can come up with pretty names like her!]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ doubtfully asks her what kind of names she has given to her pets.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ proudly lists Chirpy, Meowy, Quacky, and Oinky.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ heaves a very long sigh upon realizing that there is someone worse than you.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ still doesn’t understand what is wrong, so she tilts her head in confusion.]

“Oppa, you’re… not serious, are you?” Shin Eun-Seo asked in frustration, becoming the first one to break the silence. How could Chang-Sun try to name this adorable baby Dragon with ridiculous names like Dragony and Growly?! The baby Dragon was currently so cute that any of those names would suit it, but it would grow up and become magnificent sooner or later. Hence, those names were too half-heartedly created to give to this baby Dragon.

“Why? Is there a problem?” Chang-Sun asked.

However, Chang-Sun couldn’t seem to understand what he had done wrong. Those names were truly bizarre—no, it was grotesquely unique. How should Eun-Seo explain this? The people turned their heads to look at Eun-Seo, hoping she would stop Chang-Sun.

“Oppa, don’t you have a dog that you’ve raised for a long time?” Eun-Seo said.

Chang-Sun nodded.

“Then what’s the dog’s name?” Eun-Seo checked just in case.

“Jjong,” Chang-Sun answered.

“… Well, that’s a cute name for a dog. Who came up with the name? Did one of your family members named Jjong?”

“That’s right,” Chang-Sun said.

He wasn’t a fool, so he knew what Eun-Seo was trying to say. However, it was hard to understand how different the names ‘Dragony’ and ‘Growly’ were from the name ‘Jjong’ in his perspective

“Then wouldn’t it be good to ask for opinions from your family…!” Eun-Seo was about to continue, but she had to stop. The baby Dragon, who had been munching [Zhan Lu Sword] in Chang-Sun’s arms, smacked the back of his hand with its tail.

Slap!

Wondering why the Dragon was suddenly acting like this, Chang-Sun looked down and saw the baby Dragon growling as it frowned.

Krrr…!

[The ‘Baby Black Darkness Dragon’ complains that it does not like the name you came up with!]

[Its Affection has decreased by 15.]

[Its Happiness has decreased by 20.]

[The ‘Baby Black Darkness Dragon has become hostile to you.]

It seemed the baby Dragon also didn’t like the name.

“Look at the Dragon. It knows those names don’t suit it. Change it, come on.” Eun-Seo stroked the Dragon’s chin to pacify the annoyed baby Dragon. Feeling good, the baby Dragon fervently rubbed its face against Eun-Seo’s hand, but its eyes were still focused on Chang-Sun, making him silently click his tongue. Although Chang-Sun wasn’t sure why giving the Dragon a name was so tricky, it seemed he had to give it another name.

‘What should I name him? What could work…’?

Chang-Sun momentarily pondered.

The conceptualized a being and gave it an identity, so he had to find one that could meet their standards.

‘There’s a good one.’?

A name abruptly came across Chang-Sun’s mind. He had stashed it away somewhere deep in his mind a very long time ago and had forgotten about it, but it was the name of someone whom he always quietly missed yet could never meet.

‘Gramps,’?

Chang-Sun bitterly thought.

“Cadmus,” Chang-Sun said.

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

“I’m thinking of naming this dragon Cadmus. How does that sound?” Chang-Sun inquired.

“Oh…!”

“That’s a good one, isn’t it?”

As the people reacted quite well to the new name, Eun-Seo doubtfully looked at Chang-Sun.“Why did you come up with those names earlier when you can come up with such a good one, oppa? Were you just joking around earlier?”

[Will you name the Dragon ‘Cadmus’?]

Kiyooo!

[The ‘Baby Black Darkness Dragon’ is contented with the name, which sounds really cool and magnificent!]

[Its Affection has been regained.]

[Its Happiness has been regained.]

The baby Dragon happily resumed eating the [Zhan Lu Sword].

[You have named it ‘Cadmus.’]

[Its Affection has increased by 30.]

[Its Happiness has increased by 45.]

[‘Cadmus’ has become your subordinate.]

[A Soul Link has been connected.]

[One of the Soul Link’s terminals has been installed in the stigma, and the other in the heart of your Subordinate ‘Cadmus.’]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ can now create .]

[You can now partially hear the voice of ‘Cadmus.’ The higher its Affection is, the more you can hear its voice, and the more you can utilize.]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ has acquired skills.]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ has acquired the Skill ‘Dragon Breath.’]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ has acquired the Skill ‘Mana Heart.’]

[Your Subordinate ‘Cadmus ‘has acquired the Skill ‘Mind Expansion.’]

…

[The heart of your Subordinate ‘Cadmus’ has begun to manufacture , which you can now partially receive through the Soul Link.]

…

[The ‘stigma’ has been converted intoa skill!]

[Skill level has increased after acquiring more .]

[Skill level has increased.]

…

[Stigma]

A scar engraved on mortals who have acquired Divinity fragments. The Divinity inside the stigma requires extreme caution when used since it originates from a totally different source than mana. The power comes with the danger of it potentially going berserk, but controlling it will allow you to manifest power beyond the knowledge of ordinary mortals. Currently, you have the Celestial Fire of the ‘Gemini’ and the Darkness of the ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil.’

· Skill level: 3

· Type: Authority.

· Effect: Own Divinity. Divinity Outburst.

Chang-Sun could faintly sense Cadmus was happy through their link, making him feel good as well. He smiled as he patted Cadmus. Perhaps because they were both happy, he remembered a fond memory he had of the name’s owner.

“Sun,” Gramps called.

“Why are you acting so serious, Gramps? It doesn’t suit you,” Chang-Sun commented.

“… You cocky bastard, I was trying to start a serious conversation for the first time in so long, but you’re really making it hard.” Gramps clicked his tongue.?

“It doesn’t suit you.” Chang-Sun shook his head.?

“Anyway, why do you pretend to be even more serious over time?”

“What do you mean?” Chang-Sun asked.

“Phew! My heart sinks whenever I think about leaving you behind someday.” Gramps sighed.?

“Why are you planning to go anywhere else in the first place? Just keep living here with me. I don’t have a family here, and you don’t have one either. We’re both lonely, so let’s just live together,” Chang-Sun suggested.

“Seriously… How can you always sound cocky every time you speak? It is really hard to like you.” Gramps narrowed his eyes.?

“So what do you want to say?” Chang-Sun asked.

For some reason, Gramps looked happy yet bitter at the time.

“I wanted to tell you not to live the way I do. I couldn’t live up to my name, but I hope you’ll be able to.” Gramps looked at Chang-Sun with sadness in his eyes.?

Chang-Sun only later found out about it, but the name ‘Cadmus’ originated from the hero from the ‘Silver Generation,’ which not many people in Arcadia could remember. Many Celestials loved him and received help from him, and he eventually became a king in the end. He even had a myth about killing an Evil Dragon and planting its teeth on the ground, creating Spartois.

Regretting the fact that Gramps couldn’t live up to his name, he told Chang-Sun he wished for him to live like Cadmus. Of course, Chang-Sun didn’t even pretend to listen. Hero? It sounded nice, but he was far from being one. He was busy trying to survive every day back then. Regardless, the name had been passed down to his new subordinate. Since it had a myth that was related to Dragons, Chang-Sun thought it suited the Dragon.

Kiyooo!

Cadmus’ howling soothed Chang-Sun’s heart for some reason.

[Successfully completed the Subquest (Verification Test Ⅰ)!]

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

[A new Subquest has been created.]

[Verification Test Ⅱ]

Type: Subquest. Linked quest.

Description: Upgrade your ‘stigma’ and complete the Inauspicious heart, which is based on Darkness, using the Darkness you receive from the messenger of the ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil.’

Quest Failure Penalty: Scenario Quest Failure.

Quest Reward: Subquest ‘Verification Test II.’

* * *

『Dear passengers, we are about to land, so please put on your seatbelts and put your seats and tables back up…』

After flying for over twelve hours, the pilot finally announced that they were about to land. Storm Fist Gang Woo-Chan put on the seatbelt and gritted his teeth. He felt fine when they had just left Korea, but he became nervous as they approached France.

‘I have to assist the three elders so they would feel comfortable during this trip, and I also have to safely deliver the two letters in my pocket to their recipients.’?

Woo-Chan went through the list of things he had to do several times as soon as he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Woo-Chan had a lot on his mind, and he obsessively thought about how he should make no mistakes and that things were going to become serious once he had delivered the letters. Woo-Chan didn’t know what was in France, but he knew that clearing the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert’ in Nice was just an excuse.

He had been ordered to actively assist the three Elders in finding something with Chang-Sun, but he wouldn’t be able to obey that order if the Illuminati took action and Crna Ruka attacked them. Since he didn’t want to die in vain if all hell broke loose, he had to pull himself together.

‘Lee Chang-Sun… You better not blame me, considering everything is your fault. You’re the one who made so many enemies,’

Woo-Chang thought, but he wasn’t sure how he should solve the problem that he was going to have as soon as he arrived at the airport.

“Once you arrive at the airport, there will be many reporters. The news article titles will be somewhere along the line of… the Korean and French governments have joined forces to clear the uncleared Dungeons. The French media is also going to publish similar articles, so make sure the interview goes smoothly,” Department Head Shim Geon-Ho explained.

Geon-Ho had asked Woo-Chan to prioritize giving a proper interview to the French media. Since the official reason for their trip was to clear the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert’, the White Tiger Clan had to ask the French media to cooperate. On top of that, this trip was about turning the ‘Tyrant’ into the White Tiger Clan’s world-class franchise Player. Hence, Woo-Chan had to make the interview happen as ordered even though he didn’t really want to. To accomplish his task, Woo-Chan had to come up with a way to persuade the three elders, who were absolutely going to dislike giving interviews. However, there was one person who caused Woo-Chan headaches the most.

‘… How should I know what that asshole is going to say in the interview?!’?

Woo-Chan fiercely gritted his teeth as he glared at the back of Chang-Sun’s head.

Back when Tyrant Lee Chang-Sun was just a professional gamer, he was very famous for giving unimaginably arrogant interviews. Woo-Chan couldn’t help but worry about the kind of bullcraps Chang-Sun was going to say.