I couldn’t react properly to the dragons’ greeting.
I should’ve politely declined right away knowing that I didn’t do anything much to deserve their respects, but I was late.
‘Strictly speaking, I did very little this time, right?’
It was Hwang Jiho and Yeom Bangyeol who prevented the attack on the Red Lion Team Building.
Most of what happened at the Dragon Palace was solved without me having to step up.
Yoon Yeorang produced good test results despite the interference of the shamans.
Hwangryong changed the structure of the Dragon Palace despite it being half-eroded, and later on knocked down the monster together with Cheongryong.
‘Since Hwang Jiho didn’t invoke his boundary skill, Kim Shinrok wasn’t taken hostage. Kim Shinrok must’ve succeeded with the energy wave link.’
It was Hwang Jiho who protected the Dragon Palace’s boundary, and it was Jeokho who hid him from the eyes of the Black Screen and the shamans.
And Yong Jegun… didn’t really do anything in particular except tease the shamans.
‘But I was safe thanks to the Black Pearl he gave me.’
The Black Pearl that I used to stop the monster was given by Yong Jegun, and the scales that I gave to Hwangryong were from the Dragon King.
Jeokryong, Baekryong, and Heukryong gave scales to help the advent ritual.
After all, my only role was that I was one of the five who participated in the ritual.
Digging deeper, the power that I used is actually Yoon Yeorang’s, so I’ve done very little on my own.
I belatedly conveyed my thoughts, but it wasn’t delivered properly.
[My eyes are covered, but it seems like the benefactor’s are too. None of those you spoke of would’ve done what they did without you.]
The Dragon King trusts people and gives affection too easily.
Is this what the shamans abused in their betrayal?
A scathing thought came into my mind, but I didn’t put it into words.
The dragons continued the conversation.
[It’s hard to thank our humble benefactor.]
“It’s hard to reciprocate because all the gifts we gave you from our gratitude are used, right Hwangryong?”
“You’re right, Cheongryong. The Dragon Clan’s benefactor seems to have used the Black Pearl as well. We have to repay this time.”
I didn’t really use everything that the Dragon Clan gave me.
I have well-stored Yeom Junyeol and Hongryong merch that I received.
Taking that point, I appealed to the dragons.
“I still have a lot of gifts from Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim. Thank you.”
But after my words, the dragons only smiled happily.
They added, “Thank you for treating our Junyeol-ie’s gifts so dearly,” and “If you accept more of his gifts, Junyeol-ie will be happier.”
In that short time, it seemed like the Dragon King heard a joke from Baekryong.
[I heard from Baekryong. Baekryong, Jeokryong, and Heukryong wanted to give their palaces.]
“Hm, since Hwangryong and I haven’t ascended, the process of changing our palace’s owners is tricky. Instead of that, why don’t I build the benefactor a temple inside the Blue Dragon Palace?”
“I wanted to redecorate the Yellow Dragon Palace too. If the Dragon King allows, I would like to build another pavilion for the benefactor with a good sight of the Yellow Cloud Lake.”
The dragons began talking about me in vain but in strangely specific ways.
Hearing their conversation, I thought I was going to pass more than half of the Dragon Palace.
They were making a ridiculous plan to transfer the rights of the Dragon Palace itself, as well as the goods and products within it.
I found it difficult to refute something so ridiculous.
“Something noble must’ve been going on while this body was working on the Dragon Palace’s boundary. Don’t pass on unnecessary things to the Tiger Clan’s benefactor.”
Hwang Jiho’s voice sounded pleasant.
As if he was retreating his power, the golden color was just disappearing from his hair and eyes.
“Hwangho is right. You are greatly indebted to the Tiger Clan’s benefactor, of course, and you will need to match that in return. If you’re going to give him something, offer something worth more.”
Jeokho was here too.
Hwang Jiho and Jeokho stood side by side with faint expressions.
Although the Dragon King was here, they didn’t seem to be greatly affected by the pressure from a superior being.
‘Kim Shinrok must be safe too. But I don’t think he can come this way.’
He was in the direction of Hwang Jiho and Jeokho.
Unlike the other tigers, Kim Shinrok couldn’t come closer.
It seemed like the two told him in advance not to go near the Dragon King.
As Hwang Jiho and Jeokho approached the Dragon King, he spoke.
[I thank the Tiger Clan for their cooperation. It’s been a while since I saw a royal lineage up close.]
“We only acted in accordance with the alliance with the Dragon Clan and accepted the request of Jo Euishin, the Tiger Clan’s benefactor. And since Cheonshin has gone sightseeing many times in the old days, this much is nothing.”
Seeing that he’s used to the presence, he must meet superior beings often.
As expected, Yoon Yeorang can also endure well since she met the Dragon King several times in her dreams.
“The Dragon King is giving the palace to the Dragon Clan’s benefactor. Understand, Hwangho.”
“What kind of understanding are you trying to ask for in relation to the Tiger Clan’s benefactor?”
“The time that the Dragon Clan’s benefactor stays in our territory and the Dragon Palace will increase.”
“Ha.”
Hwang Jiho clicked his tongue, not liking what Cheongryong just said.
It was a victorious moment when the monster was defeated, but there was a strange tension in the room.
Judging from the situation, I decided to keep my mouth shut since I thought Hwang Jiho would prevent the Dragon Clan from excessively baptizing me with gifts.
Hwang Jiho clearly expressed that he had no intention of “understanding.”
“I respect the Dragon King as the superior being of the Dragon Clan, but the only superior being I follow is Cheonshin. Even if it’s a different superior being, my position will not change.”
“If we twist it, Hwangho should also make Cheonshin descend.”
“Did you forget that it was the Tiger Clan’s benefactor that called the Dragon King? Why do you speak like that, Jeokho? Did you get too close to Cheongryong to have the same train of thought?”
“We did not. Dragon Palace or not, I have no intention of handing over Jo Euishin.”
Aside from the weirdness of the conversation, Cheongryong and Jeokho did become quite close during our week of stay at the palace.
Anyway, as the tigers belligerently intervened in the conversation, the topic of giving the Dragon Palace disappeared a little.
The conversation between the tigers and dragons was not very important so I didn’t keep them in my head, but instead, I thought of other important things.
I spoke my mind at the right opportunity.
“Did you find out where the shamans are?”
The Dragon King replied to my words, but Hwang Jiho added nonsense.
[The Dragon Clan’s benefactor is wise and thoughtful.]
“The Tiger Clan’s benefactor is always wise and considerate in things other than his own work.”
The Dragon King was still here.
Because the Dragon Palace is close to the divine world, the Dragon King seems to receive fewer penalties for his advent.
And it also adds up that we called him down with a formal ceremony.
“I sent Unryong to check.”
After recovering his strength, Hwangryong immediately mobilized Unryong to prepare to catch the shamans.
Most of the shamans must have collapsed because they were drawn to the monster.
Hwangryong didn’t elaborate, but it was unlikely that those shamans were safe.
“No need to use our strength to walk. I will pull them this way.”
Kugugugugu!
Hwangryong reconstructed the Dragon Palace.
As the yellow clouds cleared, several Unryongs with vigilant expressions were seen floating.
Under each Unryong were the shamans.
All of them took off their face coverings, revealing their bare skin.
Their faces were filled with fresh burn marks.
‘What are those? The burn marks look similar to scales.’
The aftermath of the monster burning must be that the scales on the shamans also burned.
And it wasn’t just burn marks.
The shamans grew old as if they had aged at once.
I couldn’t tell it from the face since those were originally covered but from their hands.
Their hands before were smooth and without wrinkles, but now they are different.
The condition of the official shamans was particularly serious.
Those who were closer to Imoogi must’ve suffered more damage.
‘They’re not complete.’
I realized something important as I looked at the shamans.
More than twenty of them were entangled with painful faces so I didn’t realize it right away.
There was someone missing.
“Someone ran away.”
Hwangryong also noticed it.
Two shamans weren’t here — Yoohwang and Hong.
Confirming the absence of the two, Hwangryong said,
“The Dragon Clan’s benefactor’s predictions have reached this far.”
***
When Shaman Hong was found to not have eaten Imoogi’s scales, she was dragged outside.
Those who grabbed her arms and pulled her roughly looked at her with hateful eyes.
“If we were in your position, we would never have let Yoohwang-nim down.”
“If Shaman Hong’s position becomes vacant, we’ll have another opportunity, right? The oldest shaman-nim wouldn’t take this position, right?”
Sharp words poured out, but Shaman Hong felt her body and mind suddenly lighten.
It was because she was being brought away from Imoogi’s influence.
The other shamans threw her to the floor.
“Uh…”
The other shaman spoke coldly to Shaman Hong moaning in shock.
“Now, come on and say thank you to us. For that, we’ll slap you.”
Shaman Hong trembled as hands raised to slap her.
Then, the dragons who were friendly to her came to her mind.
She treated Yeom Junyeol lightly since they were the same age, but the dragons thanked her for treating him well and being close to him.
Yong Jegun would always play jokes to the point of laughing.
The sweet Hwangryong…
‘If only I hadn’t said then that I wanted to be a shaman.’
During her test at the succession ceremony, Yoohwang approached her and asked
Do you want to be a shaman?
Hell began from the moment Hong said yes.
For a moment, she was happy to be selected as Shaman Hong, but Yoohwang announced that she had been selected through a fraudulent process.
Yoohwang said that the safety of the Dragon Clan was in danger because she was greedy and a better candidate fell out.
Shaman Hong wasn’t greedy to become a shaman, but it was true that she answered yes to Yoohwang’s question.
Shaman Hong thought that everything was her fault, and it didn’t take long for her to become the others’ puppet.
‘I thought everything would be fine as long as the Dragon Clan was safe and the others got eternal life…’
The shamans didn’t tell Hong that those two could not co-exist.
It was too late when she realized that the shamans were preparing a scary plan.
It was the same at this moment.
She was suddenly called out in the middle of the night, and a ceremony began without knowing what they were doing.
When she learned that the ritual was to overthrow the Dragon Palace, Imoogi’s energy had already swallowed the place.
‘If it’s not too late… If the Dragon Clan is still safe…’
It was very late, but Hong desperately felt that if she missed this moment, she could never go back.
Shaman Hong mustered her last courage.
Hwik!
Instead of getting her cheek smashed, Shaman Hong got up and started running.
The palace shamans shouted something, but she ran forward without paying attention.
The Yellow Dragon Palace’s structure was changed into something she had never seen before, so she didn’t really know where she was heading.
She ran for a long time, and the ladies in her pursuit fell away.
If Imoogi had completely swallowed the Dragon Palace, it would be meaningless to give up coming after her easily.
However, Shaman Hong didn’t reach the exit, nor did she meet any dragons.
‘Dragon King, please hear my prayer!’
Shaman Hong has never called the Dragon King since she realized that she wasn’t chosen as his shaman through a legitimate process.
Still, the only one she could run to was the Dragon King.
She tried to call him anxiously, but she couldn’t feel his energy anywhere in the Dragon Palace.
When Shaman Hong collapsed on the floor while muttering an undying prayer…
Fwaaa…
The Dragon Palace suddenly began to overflow with warmth, and the Dragon King felt closer than ever.
The Dragon King had come to the Dragon Palace.
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