“How did you get here...?”

Yeomyeong started to ask, but a brash voice cut him off.

“You damn lizard! Go to hell!!”

Accompanied by rough language, two automatic rifles simultaneously burst into flames. Tatatatatata!!!

Bullets, shining with a white light, pierced through the darkness and rained down on the dragon. It was less of a targeted assault and more of a reckless barrage.

The dragon was as large as several trucks stacked together, and the bullets hammered relentlessly against its massive body.

-Krrraaarrr!!

Holy mana was said to be the perfect counter to the undead, and that proved true. With each shining bullet that struck the dragon’s bones, its mana noticeably weakened.

-Stop it! Stop that revolting thing!

The dragon, writhing in pain from the bullets, screamed in agony. Zombies, which had been occupied with Kim Mansu, rushed toward the shooter.

The zombies trampled over each other, some falling dead, but many more flung themselves at the gunfire.

“Ugh, if I’d known, I would’ve brought a magic wand.”

The Gunslinger, seeing the approaching zombies, threw the empty magazine to the ground and disappeared into a translucent shimmer.

Suddenly deprived of their target, the zombies wandered aimlessly in circles or simply froze in place.

A brief lull followed—a moment the dragon had been waiting for.

The dragon gathered the dispersed mana and, with a flap of its wings and a swing of its tail, rose from the ground.

-A wielder of such holiness hiding behind a cloak? How crude.

Rage boiled deep within Kahal Magdu’s chest. His previously composed tone vanished, replaced by a sinister flame flickering from his mouth.

-Let’s see how long you can hide!

Massive mana gathered in the dragon’s mouth, more intense than any magic it had shown before.

Gwoooom-

The signature dragon attack: Breath.

Sensing the impending power, Yeomyeong attempted to dodge, but just then, urgent footsteps reached his ears.

He turned towards the sound, leaping, and managed to grab onto something soft in the empty space.

“Kyaa!?”

The invisible body stiffened as Yeomyeong scooped her up and, channeling all his mana, jumped high from the ground.

Kwaaaah!!!

A blue flame erupted right where they had stood, narrowly missing them. The escaping heat burned his back, and the smell of scorched hair filled his nose.

The Gunslinger, now carried under his arm, shouted something, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of the flames.

They ran until they were finally out of the dragon’s sight.

“Hey…! You crazy bastard! Watch where you’re touching!”

She struggled, more flustered than angry.

Yeomyeong quickly released her, letting her drop unceremoniously onto the ground. The translucent cloak slipped slightly, revealing a girl who looked around Seti's age.

She had pale skin, even paler long hair, a straight nose, a pointed chin, and a thick blindfold covering her eyes.

She looked like a statue in a temple—noble and mysterious—but with only her head floating in midair, any beauty was overshadowed by absurdity. Yeomyeong chuckled wryly.

“You...you…!”

“Are you going to thank me for saving you? You’re welcome.”

“That’s not…!”

Though blindfolded, she seemed to look back and forth between the burned forest and Yeomyeong, her lips trembling.

“…Ugh, you’re right.”

“….”

“Thanks for sa—sa…saving me? Well, actually, I saved you first! So we’re even!”

Yeomyeong raised an eyebrow, a brief silence followed, but then Kim Mansu arrived with the zombies trailing behind, his mouth agape.

“Saintess?”

Saintess? Her?

Yeomyeong frowned at the unexpected title. The saintess he knew was the previous one… a kindly, elderly lady.

Seeing his expression, the saintess was about to shout back, but then, the sound of trees collapsing echoed from afar.

It was the dragon, regaining mana.

“Seriously, no rest for even a minute.”

The saintess jumped up, extending her hand from the cloak.

Kim Mansu, who caught sight of her floating head and hand, gasped, but the saintess ignored him, speaking to Yeomyeong.

“Give me your sword and your hand.”

“What?”

“No time. Do it now.”

As Yeomyeong carefully extended his hands, a warm and soft mana emanated from her. She grasped his hand, and mana surged through him.

First, the torn veins from previous strain healed. Then, his heart and muscles, worn from battle, regained their strength, and finally, his depleted mana reserves refilled.

It was the first healing spell Yeomyeong had ever received. As he blinked in surprise, the saintess sighed deeply.

“What did you do to end up in this state?”

“….”

“Ugh, even with a blessing, three minutes is the best I can do.”

She looked at him through her blindfold, then nodded towards the dragon, which was regathering mana in the distance.

“From now on, I’ll cast the blessing of Redox on you. It’ll last at most three minutes. I’ll cover you, so within three minutes, stab its heart. If you fail, all three of us….”

She glanced at Kim Mansu before continuing.

“…all three of us die. Got it?”

Yeomyeong nodded. The next moment, the saintess’s mana turned red.

Unlike the twisted, dark red mana of the Shepherds, it was a pure red.

As he admired the color, she began to pray.

“Oh, Red God, ruler of all strife and war, your warrior beseeches you. A warrior here needs your strength….”

As her prayer continued, the soft glow of her mana began to swell, enveloping his hands, then his entire body.

Suddenly—

Flash!

The dragon, noticing the red glow, shifted its gaze. Past the charred forest, the dragon’s blue eyes narrowed at the sight of the three humans.

-A Saintess? That wasn’t part of the deal.

With an annoyed tone, it flicked its finger.

In response, the surviving zombies charged towards them.

-I may not like working beyond what I’m paid for, but… work is work.

With a snarl, the dragon watched as Yeomyeong, holding his red-tinged sword, started to run.

“I’ll cover you, so ignore the zombies and run!”

As Yeomyeong sprang forward, the saintess drew out her automatic rifle from the cloak once again.

Gunfire echoed through the forest, followed by the wails of zombies falling behind him.

Yeomyeong obeyed, sprinting toward the dragon without even glancing at the approaching zombies.

He employed his footwork with flawless technique, accelerating with pyang-gyeol, pumping his heart, and overlaying the foreign mana flowing through him.

Divine mana, or holy power.

The saintess’s blessing pushed Yeomyeong’s body beyond its limits.

His veins and heart, strained to the breaking point, pulsed with unleashed potential. Fear replaced by sheer combat desire.

He accelerated further, leaving a trail of red mana behind him.

Whooosh!

The distance between him and the dragon closed rapidly. Speed and surprise. That was his only focus.

-It’s been a while since I’ve seen a full blessing.

Just as he reached the dragon, he shifted all his momentum into his shoulder, swinging his sword.

The dragon’s mana instantly arrayed itself, forming a translucent shield between them.

Crack!

The shield, hastily formed, couldn’t withstand the force of his blow. It shattered, scattering mana fragments.

In that fleeting moment, an ice spike shot down from above. Yeomyeong pushed off the remnants of the shield, accelerating once more.

-But Earthling, how long can that blessing last? A minute? Three? Even a Saintess can’t maintain that level of blessing for long.

The dragon unleashed spell after spell. Lightning and ice spikes repeatedly obstructed his path.

The spells failed to hit him directly, but they slowed him enough to allow the dragon to gain altitude.

Its skeletal wings, imbued with some magic, lifted it to a height above the treetops with a few flaps.

-To face a dragon, you need a helicopter or something. Do you think my wings are for show?

Kahal Magdu mocked Yeomyeong, casting a weaker breath that spread widely over the ground.

What’s it doing? Yeomyeong frowned, dodging the blue flames.

Then he realized—the flames encircled the forest beneath the dragon.

Its goal was simple: burn down all the trees Yeomyeong could use to jump.

-You’re still green.

The dragon laughed like a demon, high above the flaming trees and smoke.

It was the laugh of someone confident in victory, sure no sword could harm him.

The dragon leisurely gathered more mana, and a massive magic circle formed above its head, stirring the air.

-Shall we end this game now?

But at that moment, Kim Mansu shouted.

“Newbie!!”

He was charging towards them, carrying a massive coniferous tree the dragon had felled.

No explanation was needed. Yeomyeong instantly understood and redirected his path toward Kim Mansu.

“Use it as a step!”

With all his strength, Kim Mansu hurled the tree into the air. Yeomyeong didn’t miss a beat, leaping onto it.

Mana surged through his legs, propelling him further, using the airborne tree as a stepping stone.

But then—

-A good idea. But...

Kahal Magdu raised his hand, forming his fingers into a circle.

-If you can’t change your position midair, it’s meaningless.

Snap! The dragon flicked his fingers. Yeomyeong swung his sword reflexively, but this time, there was more than one projectile.

The shards of the motorcycle the saintess had detonated earlier rained down on him like shrapnel from a grenade.

A simple yet effective strategy. Evading every tiny shard in midair was impossible.

Thunk—

One shard pierced Yeomyeong’s right shoulder, severing a nerve, making him lose grip on his sword.

The dragon flicked his fingers again. Another shard punctured his body, sending him plummeting back down.

Yeomyeong clenched his teeth. Only 50 seconds of blessing remained, not enough time to jump again.

Is this the end?

To die before avenging his comrades, in this absurd battle against a ludicrous enemy?

No. He refused to accept it.

He channeled all his mana into his heart, sending blood and mana to his brain, quickening his thoughts, slowing down reality.

In that fleeting moment, he thought of the strongest human he’d ever known.

Freya Khan.

Could the holy sword have helped in this moment? In this free-fall, without wings or a weapon… if it were her…

‘She would’ve flown through the air and cut the dragon’s neck with the holy sword.’

A futile thought. Yeomyeong wasn’t chosen by the holy sword and couldn’t fly.

He only had Pyang-gyeol, Bigeom, and the unmastered art of the Comet Sword.

And then, a phrase flashed in his mind.

-With starlight overflowing, left or right, it knows no bounds.

Without realizing it, Yeomyeong reached for the blue dagger he’d kept close. Freya Khan’s gift, an ancient relic.

“With starlight overflowing….”

Though starlight was absent, the saintess’s divine blessing flowed through him. The red light gathered into the relic.

“It knows no bounds.”

His right hand was immobile, but his left hand still worked. He adopted the form of the Comet Sword with his left.

Was this the true essence of the Comet Sword? Was his interpretation correct? He didn’t know.

But he was sure of one thing: there was no other way.

Yeomyeong swung the dagger.

All his senses focused on the sword technique, cutting through the air. The saintess’s blessing burned bright, replacing starlight.

The light from his left hand—

-This sword technique… could it be?

A comet, with a tail of red light. The dragon reflexively arrayed mana, but the sword light was faster.

Crack—!

The unfinished shield shattered. The fierce red light pierced the sky, puncturing the dragon’s chest.

-Kraaaargh!

Red light stretched through the dragon’s ribs. Kahal Magdu clutched his chest, plummeting to the ground.

Thud! The massive impact shook the earth, sending burned trees and stones trembling.

“Newbie! You did it!!”

Kim Mansu caught Yeomyeong as he fell and cheered as the dragon hit the ground.

But Yeomyeong, gasping for breath, replied.

“It’s… not over yet.”

“What?”

“It… missed….”

Indeed, the dragon, though fallen, rose again. A piece of rib had broken off, but its chest still blazed with fire.

-The Comet Sword, huh?

Despite the shattered rib, the flames in the dragon’s eye sockets burned brighter than ever.

-An Earthling, guided by the stars. You’ve earned my respect. I won’t turn your corpse into an undead.

Kahal Magdu said, opening his mouth wide. Mana gathered, and a terrifying breath flickered once more.

Yeomyeong, now without the blessing, and even Kim Mansu had no way to avoid the incoming flames.

-Die.

Sensing death, Kim Mansu closed his eyes tightly. But the expected flames didn’t come.

...What’s going on?

When he opened his eyes, he saw the dragon looking away, towards the edge of the forest. Yeomyeong’s tired gaze followed.

Then, Kim Mansu heard a familiar sound.

Thudthudthudthud!!

Helicopter blades. Reinforcements from Manju.

-Already? Can’t they handle just one thing?

The dragon scoffed, glancing at Kim Mansu and Yeomyeong.

-Lucky Earthlings. Next time, we’ll meet in a more fitting place.

With those words, Kahal Magdu flew away, his wings flapping desperately.

How something so massive could disappear so quickly was beyond understanding. He vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.

“…Why’s he running away?”

Watching the dragon disappear into the darkness, Kim Mansu murmured, baffled.

The answer came from the saintess, who approached after dealing with the remaining zombies.

“He’s a mercenary dragon. No loyalty to fight a full-scale war with a nation.”

As her words sank in, Kim Mansu collapsed to the ground.

Yeomyeong, too, lay on the ground, exhausted. His strength was drained, leaving him barely able to move.

‘I’m alive. That’s enough.’

He closed his eyes, ready to lose consciousness, but then the saintess poured healing light onto his head.

“You don’t… need to heal me.”

Despite his protest, she didn’t stop. Eventually, regaining some energy, Yeomyeong forced his eyes open, seeing her scowling, head floating above him.

“Get up.”

“….”

“Reporters will be here soon.”

“…Reporters? So what?”

“You expect me to face them alone? You’re getting interviewed too. I’ll forgive you for groping earlier.”

“…Didn’t really need forgiving for that.”

Despite his words, he stood up, recalling why he’d come to Manju—to make a name for himself.

No reason to pass up this opportunity.

“Well… fine. I’ll deal with the reporters.”

“Really? No backing out?”

Yeomyeong nodded, then looked toward the forest beyond.

Over the dark horizon, numerous helicopters and military trucks approached.