Chapter 94

Chapter 19. The One-Horned Tribe (4)

“...?”

Yeonwoo furrowed his brows, thinking he might have heard something wrong.

To suddenly be told to take his daughter.

Was it a suggestion to get married?

Why would such a thing come up all of a sudden?

Yeonwoo, who never thought the king would say something frivolous, fell into a brief, deep contemplation to understand the meaning of his words.

Meanwhile,

“Father!”

Edora, who had been standing quietly, suddenly burst out in anger as if struck by lightning.

Her face, which usually remained unperturbed, had turned as red as a beet.

However, the king laughed with his characteristic brazenness and said,

“Daughter, have you forgotten our customs in just a few days? When you find a good catch, you should snatch it quickly. He’s perfect. Even I met your mother and got married when I was your age...!”

“The issue of marriage is something I’ll handle myself, so don’t worry about it!”

“Haha. You’re blushing.”

“...If you tease me one more time, I’ll... I’ll use my sword, no matter who you are!”

Edora growled, her hand moving towards her sword.

The murderous intent radiating from her was palpable, indicating she would draw her sword without hesitation if provoked further.

The king, finding his daughter’s reaction incredibly amusing, couldn’t stop his broad smile.

This only made Edora angrier.

The king then looked around at the people and shouted,

“Anyway, it’s been a long time since we’ve had visitors from outside. We can’t keep you standing. Come inside. Let’s have some tea and continue our conversation.”

* * *

The king led Yeonwoo into a large hut at the back.

Edora, sticking close to Yeonwoo, pointed to the place and called it the ‘palace.’ Its official name was the Wu Palace (武威).

Yeonwoo nodded inwardly, confirming his suspicion, but he was slightly surprised as he passed through the Wu Palace.

The internal structure was as simple and practical as it looked from the outside.

The courtyard was just a vegetable garden with potatoes and sweet potatoes, and the interior was filled with simple furnishings.

Who would think this was the residence of the king who ruled the strongest clan?

The food served in the reception room was just warm tea and cookies made from grains.

Yeonwoo took a bite of the cookie to taste it.

It was crispy and had a unique texture, and the more you chewed, the more savory it became.

It wasn’t overwhelmingly delicious, but it was the kind of taste that would linger in your mind after one bite.

‘Now that I think about it, didn’t Pant and Edora usually avoid meat?’

Perhaps these grains were a significant part of their diet.

While lost in these thoughts, the king entered the reception room.

“Sorry for the delay. I was changing clothes and got a bit late. I hadn’t worn this in a long time, so I forgot the order.”

The king had changed from his original clothes into a different set.

The new outfit was a combination of gold and black patterns, exuding both elegance and solemnity.

It seemed to be the attire worn for formal ceremonies or when receiving guests from outside.

“It suits you well.”

“Haha. I know. I’ve always had a good sense of style. In my younger days, I made quite a few women cry.”

There it goes, his self-praise.

Edora sighed deeply, and Pant shook his head.

The other elders and guards, who were already used to it, wore indifferent expressions, muttering about how he hadn’t changed despite his age.

Yeonwoo suddenly thought that the king, though not mentioned in the diary, might be a talkative person.

He seemed to be someone who, when bored, would boast about his good qualities, a person with a strong sense of self-love.

“Shall we start the conversation now?”

Yeonwoo stood up from his seat and observed proper etiquette.

This was the important part.

“First, let me introduce myself. I am currently climbing the 11th floor...”

“Ah, if you’re introducing yourself, that’s enough. I’ve already heard all about you from my son and daughter. In fact, if you’re someone interested in the lower floors, there’s almost no one who doesn’t know you.”

The king crossed his arms and continued.

“The best rookie who swept all the records in the tutorial and beginner zones. The partner of Blood Sword and Fox Tail. A monster who isn’t satisfied until he sweeps all the rewards. A glutton.”

All these were titles referring to Yeonwoo.

“And.”

The king paused, emphasizing his next words.

He curled one corner of his mouth, and the fang he revealed made Yeonwoo feel inexplicably tense.

‘The rookie who defeated the Arangdan alone. Right?’

“...!”

Yeonwoo involuntarily stood up from his seat.

The Arangdan incident could be the catalyst for the war between the Red Dragon and Qinghua Island.

For someone who didn’t want to reveal himself to the outside world, it was an event that needed to be kept secret.

He had to ask how the king knew about it, thinking there were no witnesses other than Khan and Doyle.

However,

Swoosh—

The other guards reflexively reached for their sword handles, and the elders frowned.

A tense atmosphere enveloped the palace.

Then,

The king, at the center, smiled and said,

“Sit down.”

“...”

It was just a simple command, yet...

‘I can’t move...’

Yeonwoo felt as if he were bound by invisible chains, his body stiff and unable to move.

The aura emanating from the king was pressing down on him.

Cold sweat trickled down Yeonwoo’s back.

‘A monster.’

Yeonwoo realized he had been mistaken.

The ‘beast’ wasn’t lurking in the corners of the king’s eyes.

It was already out in the open; he just hadn’t noticed it because the king was smiling.

The king had been laughing and looking at him all along.

Only then did Yeonwoo faintly understand why his brother had simply called him a ‘beast.’

How would a predator, with its prey right in front of it, play around? It would look like this, wouldn’t it?

The pressure quickly intensified, forcing him to sit back down.

However, the look in Yeonwoo’s eyes, visible beneath his mask, was sharp. It meant he wasn’t submitting, but was ready to move at any moment.

Thud—

The king laughed, finding it amusing.

‘Don’t worry. There are no more than three people in the tower who know this fact.’

Despite his lips being closed, the voice was transmitted through telepathy, as clear as if someone were whispering beside him.

It meant he had no intention of revealing this fact to the outside world.

Yeonwoo tightly closed his mouth, looking at the king with a calm, intense gaze.

He desperately wanted to ask how the king knew, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak rashly.

His priority was to understand what the king was thinking.

The fact that three people knew also made him wonder who the other two were.

However, the king simply smiled and watched Yeonwoo without any further comment.

Yeonwoo felt even more tension from his expression.

Then,

“Again, that nasty attitude of yours, old man. Did you provoke someone with your strange words again?”

Pant grumbled, as if it were obvious.

The guards finally released their sword handles, and the elders shook their heads, muttering about how he hadn’t changed despite his age.

“Father?”

Edora frowned and glared at the king.

The king, smiling mischievously, made Edora sigh as she apologized on his behalf.

“I’m sorry, brother. My father can be... well, a bit mischievous... or rather, a bit eccentric. He tends to provoke people he likes. I apologize for this, but I hope you can understand.”

The king grumbled.

“Hey, isn’t calling me eccentric a bit too much, daughter?”

“You can’t deny it, can you?”

“Now that you’re protecting your husband, I’m completely out of favor. I’ve raised a useless child.”

“Please, just shut up.”

After a light-hearted argument with Edora, the king turned to Yeonwoo.

“You must have a lot of questions. We can talk about the details later when the others leave. I’ll answer them properly.”

“...Understood.”

Yeonwoo forced himself to hold back his questions.

Clearly, this wasn’t the place for such a conversation.

“Now, let’s get to the main topic. I’ve heard from Yanu about why you came to our village. Is that large object over there the egg?”

“Yes.”

Yeonwoo nodded and waved his hand.

The egg, which had been standing like a rock behind him, floated up and landed on the table with a thud.

The ceiling was high enough to avoid a collision, but its mere presence was enough to surprise everyone.

“I thought it was nonsense when I heard from Yanu, but I’m amazed.”

“Is this even possible...?”

“I’ve seen countless trials on the 11th floor, but I’ve never seen a case like this. Such a large egg of a revenant. What could be inside?”

The elders gathered around the egg, examining it from all angles and discussing among themselves.

One elder tapped on it to check its hardness, another used a magnifying glass to compare the color and patterns.

Another elder sat down and flipped through an old book he had brought.

“These are our village elders. Though they usually just eat and do nothing, they’ve heard a lot from various places and can probably be of help.”

The elders glared at the king, but soon returned their attention to the egg.

The new egg was enough to pique their curiosity.

Yeonwoo quietly observed the elders.

There was a saying that the One-Horned Tribe was obsessed with strength in their youth and knowledge in their old age.

Despite their advanced age, they all displayed robust physiques and dignified presence, revealing a strong sense of curiosity.

Most of them were so powerful that Yeonwoo couldn’t even guess their strength.

From this, Yeonwoo could faintly understand the ‘potential’ of the One-Horned Tribe.

“Is there a way to...?”

Unable to disturb the elders, he turned to the king and asked.

The king, still wearing an unreadable smile, shrugged.

“I don’t know. Physical strength is my specialty, but this kind of thing gives me a headache. Still, you can trust our elders. They’re useless, but they’re useful.”

Despite his words, the king’s gaze on the elders was filled with deep trust.

Then,

After a long discussion, the elders separated and looked at Yeonwoo.

“There was a similar case in the literature. We suspect this might be the same.”

“Really?”

Yeonwoo jumped up from his seat. Could they have discovered something that even Phoenix couldn’t?

He was a bit surprised, having come here based on Edora’s insight.

At the same time, his eyes sparkled with the thought that he might finally clear the 11th floor stage.

“Really? What is it, old man?”

The king also showed great interest.

The elder, adjusting his glasses, glared at their childish king before nodding at Yeonwoo.

“However, there is a slight problem.”

“Do you mean there’s no solution?”

“No. There is a solution. In the past, the egg grew to about four meters, but they managed to hatch it by applying a certain method. The creature that hatched was the current Void Dragon, which is quite surprising, isn’t it?”

“...!”

“Oh.”

“Wow?”

Yeonwoo, the king, Pant, and even the other elders and guards were all surprised.

The Void Dragon is one of the Four Divine Beasts on the 11th floor, alongside Phoenix.

And the Void Dragon is known to be the strongest among the Divine Beasts.

If this was a case of the Void Dragon’s birth,

It meant there was a high possibility that a Divine Beast or a similarly powerful revenant could be born from Yeonwoo’s egg.

“Wow. It’s a dirty world where only the strong keep getting stronger. Should I really hang myself?”

Pant shook his head, looking at Yeonwoo with a face that clearly said, ‘What’s your secret?’ His envy was evident.

Yeonwoo ignored Pant and looked at the revenant’s egg.

Hum, hum—

Through the mental connection, he could feel the egg’s arrogance. It seemed to be challenging him, asking if he would still torment it.

Then,

Edora suddenly raised her hand, expressing her doubt.

“But, Elder, as far as I know, the Four Divine Beasts were not born in the tower...”

“That’s correct. The problem I wanted to point out is exactly that. The Divine Beasts are beings that flowed in from the outside. The Void Dragon is no exception, so this case happened long before the tower existed.”

‘A case that happened before the tower opened? But does that mean it’s happening again in my egg?’

Yeonwoo looked at the revenant’s egg.

What could be inside it to cause such a strange phenomenon?

At the same time, he had another thought.

Phoenix had said that the egg couldn’t hatch because Yeonwoo, its owner, lacked a ‘dream.’

Could the lack of a dream be the ‘condition’ that caused the revenant to mutate abnormally?

Then, the king summarized the situation.

“Anyway, since the Void Dragon was born from such an egg, it means a similar or equally powerful creature could be born from this egg, right, Elder?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then there’s no need to overthink it. If a powerful creature is about to appear, there’s no reason to refuse it.”

The elder glared at the king for simplifying the matter, but the king hummed a tune.

The elder clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Anyway, think of it this way. The egg has abnormally grown due to some unknown cause, and to correct it, you need the ‘Seed of the Moon.’”

‘Seed of the Moon?’

Yeonwoo tilted his head, hearing the term for the first time.

“Hmm! The Seed of the Moon, indeed.”

“It does make sense.”

The listeners nodded, as if it were obvious. Even Edora seemed to agree.

However, Yeonwoo’s confusion grew.

He knew countless artifacts and elixirs from the diary, but the Seed of the Moon was a new name to him.

Edora, noticing Yeonwoo’s puzzled look, explained calmly.

“The Seed of the Moon is one of the rare herbs passed down through generations in our clan. It’s not well-known outside our clan because it has little use for other races.”

Yeonwoo nodded. If it was a clan secret, it made sense that his brother didn’t know about it.

He clenched his fist, realizing the solution was with the One-Horned Tribe.

He examined the elder several times with his Dragon Eye, but the elder wasn’t lying.

It meant the truth.

Finally, his struggle of over a month was coming to an end.

“I want to obtain the Seed of the Moon. How can I get it?”

Yeonwoo looked at the king.

The king’s smile deepened.

“You desperately need the Seed of the Moon, and we have it, right?”

“Yes.”

“But as you heard from my daughter, it’s a very rare herb in our clan. It takes 15 years to cultivate just one root.”

Yeonwoo’s eyes narrowed beneath his mask.

The king was proposing a deal.

If he wanted the item, he had to pay a fair price.

Edora seemed to want to say something, but an elder beside her stopped her with a hand.

It meant she shouldn’t interfere.

No matter how reckless the king might seem, he acted as the clan’s leader, and it was a principle not to interfere.

Edora, realizing she couldn’t help, bit her lower lip.

Pant silently observed Yeonwoo and the king with a calm gaze.

A heavy silence filled the air.

Yeonwoo thought deeply and slowly spoke.

“As you can see, I don’t have much. I don’t belong to any faction, and I don’t have any support. If you want me to pay a price, perhaps in the future...”

“We don’t accept credit.”

“...”

A firm rejection.

Yeonwoo tightly closed his mouth. He needed to think of something else.

Various artifacts he possessed flashed through his mind. Each one was significant.

But among them, only Vigrid and Aegis might catch the king’s eye.

However, he couldn’t easily part with them.

If he had to give one, it would be Vigrid, which held memories with Khan and Doyle.

He couldn’t give that up.

His mind was in turmoil.

The king chuckled.

“Hey, you don’t necessarily have to offer a physical item as payment. Don’t you have a good body? How about lending it to us as payment for a while?”

Yeonwoo snapped back to reality. He was willing to put in physical labor if needed.

However, he was curious.

‘Does the One-Horned Tribe need my hands for something?’

He couldn’t guess what the king might ask him to do.

Then, the king’s proposal hit him like a slap on the back of the head, making his mind reel.

“Have you heard about the war between the Red Dragon and Qinghua Island? We’re about to join it as mercenaries. I’d like you to contribute a bit. How about it?”

Yeonwoo’s eyes widened.

‘What?’