"I don't just read the Communist Manifesto, you know. I also read Earth's Bible occasionally. It's a surprisingly educational book.

…My favorite Bible verse, you ask?

I'd say it's Leviticus 24:20. I carry it with me in my heart every day."

From an Interview with War Correspondent Levine and Marxist Thinker Demeronde

 

The sudden voice of the dragon held no anger, no hostility.

It was pure joy.

Yeomyeong and everyone else in the valley found this emotion incomprehensible.

After all, everyone here—whether they were mercenaries or those pig-headed warriors—had come to kill the dragon and claim the Imperial Seal.

To not only appear before the intruders who had come to kill it but to also feel joy?

"A young dragon is a lie, and there's more to this blood lineage than the dwarves let on…"

Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes, observing Kwon Mongju, the commander.

Of everyone here, the most suspicious figure was the commander, who had devised the plan directly with the dwarves.

And as if to confirm Yeomyeong's suspicions, Kwon Mongju began to subtly prepare something.

Fortunately, the pig-headed warriors were so focused on the dragon that they didn't notice, but if they had been fighting, the Saintess standing beside him could have been in danger.

"Though my ankle hasn't fully healed yet…"

Yeomyeong moved his aching ankle and started toward his companions.

Just as he took a step forward, the dragon spoke again.

"[Bearer of the mountain's will! Step forth and reveal your mark!]"

The voice resonated through the valley.

The pig-headed warriors and mercenaries, unable to withstand the mana-infused voice, all covered their ears.

Even Yeomyeong winced, blocking his ears, but only Kwon Mongju seemed unaffected as he boldly stepped forward.

"Ohr Se Tabul! O mighty dragon, guardian of the mountains and king of kings!"

He shouted in a voice so powerful it could reach the dragon above.

"[You are… not a dwarf.]"

A flicker of disappointment crossed the dragon’s yellow eyes as it looked down at Kwon Mongju, but the commander continued without hesitation, kneeling on one knee toward the dragon.

"O great dragon, I am Kwon Mongju. Son of Daral Dun, and here as the representative of Darulma Dun."

In an unusually solemn manner, he extended his right hand toward the dragon.

On his palm was a thick ring that Darulma Dun had worn, emanating an extraordinary aura even from afar.

The dragon’s eyes twitched as it looked at the ring.

"[The Dun clan?]"

"A branch family of the Sculptor’s Mountain."

"[Dun… Dun… Ah, I remember. The cowards who fled first beyond the dimensional gate.]"

"O great dragon, it’s a misunderstanding! The Dun clan left to prepare for a greater vengeance…"

"[Spare me your excuses.]"

The dragon’s voice chilled, an ominous sign.

"[What I need from you is not excuses but an explanation. Why did Darulma Dun not come here himself and instead send a mere Earthling like you?]"

"Darulma intended to come personally. However…"

"[However?]"

"An unknown enemy targeting the Imperial Seal ambushed him, forcing me to come in his stead."

The commander gestured toward the pig-headed warriors. Under the dragon's sudden scrutiny, they visibly flinched.

"[Indeed, only Earthlings could create such revolting abominations.]"

The dragon's observation was brief, and its action was swift. It raised its left hand and pointed a claw at the pig-headed warriors.

"[Begone.]"

With a flick!

A searing crimson flame burst forth from the dragon's long claw.

Like a bolt of lightning, the flames rained down, sparing the mercenaries and the Saintess but engulfing the pig-headed warriors entirely.

A few tried to mutter spells or turn to flee, but not a single one escaped the fiery onslaught.

"Gyahh!!"

Their tortured screams were swallowed by the flames.

In a blink, nothing remained where they had stood but ash and the smell of burning flesh.

Yeomyeong clicked his tongue, glancing at Kim Mansu and the mercenaries, whose expressions were frozen in horror from the heat’s aftermath.

"If magic of this caliber can be cast without an incantation… that dragon must be on par with Kahal Magdu."

He recalled the skeletal dragon, Kahal Magdu, he had encountered in northern Manchuria.

The mana radiating from this red dragon’s spell rivaled that of Kahal Magdu, although he couldn’t precisely gauge the power since he had never encountered a living dragon before.

Still, if that single spell was anything to go by, one thing was clear.

If he had to fight that dragon, it would be a battle of life and death.

Fortunately, both the dragon and Commander Kwon seemed more inclined to talk than to clash.

For now, at least.

"[Earthling Kwon Mongju, representative of the Dun clan. I will hear your explanation. Now, tell me why you are here.]"

“…Lord Darulma and the Dun clan seek to recover the Golden Imperial Seal.”

At the mention of the Golden Imperial Seal, the dragon’s mana quivered as though it struggled to contain its excitement.

"[At last, the time for vengeance has come.]"

Vengeance? Yeomyeong tilted his head slightly as Commander Kwon spoke in a calm voice.

"O great dragon, Lord Darulma… is not seeking the Seal for revenge."

"[What? He dares to forsake vengeance?]"

"No, the revenge has already been achieved. The Soviet Union lost Siberia, fractured into small states, and Stalin is no longer of this world."

"[What?]"

"The fallen Soviet Union paid reparations, and the dwarves reclaimed their homeland. The war has ended."

"[Stalin… is dead? The Soviet Union has fallen?]"

The dragon looked shocked, shifting its gaze between Kwon and the northwestern sky, as if Moscow might somehow appear on the horizon.

"Yes, o great dragon, this is common knowledge among Earthlings."

"[...]"

"And so, the Dun clan and the dwarves now seek to prevent the Seal from becoming a curse upon the innocent."

Upon hearing the commander's words, the dragon paused, then extended its hand softly.

"[Show me the mark.]"

Kwon bowed his head and raised his hand, presenting the ring.

An unseen force enveloped the ring, lifting it from his hand.

Under the moonlight reflecting off the deep valley, the golden ring floated toward the dragon.

"[Finally….]"

Despite being a thick dwarven ring, it appeared as tiny as a button in the dragon's palm.

Intense emotions flickered in the dragon's eyes, yet it remained silent.

What was it trying to confirm?

The dragon’s mouth opened again only after Yeomyeong's fractured leg had completely healed.

"[Earthling, do you know the name of the king who buried the Seal here?]"

"…That…"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Kwon faltered.

Unperturbed, the dragon gazed at the ring and continued.

"[Daval Hillin. He was the rightful king of the Dragon Scale Mountains, the mightiest warrior.]"

Nostalgia softened the dragon's gaze, looking not to the present but to a distant past.

"[He was one of history's few great kings, the most… noble king. His nobility was unmatched, even by dragons, too lofty for any to emulate.]"

The dragon’s voice was tranquil, but Yeomyeong felt an unshakable foreboding.

"[Do you know? Ten years ago, the Seal bored tunnels beneath every volcano in this land.]"

"…"

"[So why haven’t they erupted? It’s simple: King Hillin didn't want it. He modified the Seal to keep it from triggering volcanic eruptions.]"

Commander Kwon exhaled in relief, but the dragon was not done.

"[But do not be mistaken. He didn’t abandon vengeance. Rather, he left the choice of vengeance to his descendants.]"

"A choice… left behind?"

"[By manipulating the Seal with the bloodline’s mark, one can either seal the tunnels or unleash the volcanoes.]"

"…Then, as the representative, I must inform you: the descendants of House Dun and all the dwarves under them do not wish for revenge."

Commander Kwon’s declaration concluded Darulma’s request.

…It should have ended.

But the dragon did not respond to the commander. It neither returned the mark nor offered the Seal.

Instead, it bared its fangs in a sinister smile. A chilling, madman’s grin.

"[However, my thoughts differ.]"

The dragon drew something from the scales under its neck—a small golden rectangle, just larger than its claw.

The Golden Imperial Seal.

It hadn’t been sealed in a cavern after all? Commander Kwon’s expression hardened.

"[The dwarves tainted by Earth are unworthy. They lack the right to possess, let alone choose with Hillin’s Seal. In this world, only I hold that right.]"

The dragon brought the ring, the Dun clan’s insignia, close to the Seal.

"[By my choice, Earthlings, suffer.]"

Flash!

The Seal trembled, releasing a fierce golden mana.

In the next moment, a massive golden magic circle appeared above the valley cliffs.

No explanation was needed for what it was.

As soon as the ground beneath their feet resonated with the magic, the sky above the valley was dyed gold.

Rumble!!!

"The earthquake that started in the valley spread across Manchuria in a violent wave.

 

The earth cried out in agony.

Deep-rooted trees shivered in terror, rocks and grass shaking up and down.

Even those with superhuman senses could barely stay upright amid the overwhelming quake.

Balancing on the brink of disaster, Commander Kwon steadied himself and shouted, "O great dragon! Stalin is dead, and the Soviet Union has long since vanished! The object of your vengeance no longer exists!"

"[Ha! And what of the communists who joined hands with the Soviet Union? What of the Red traitors who lived in this very land of Manchuria? They still walk this earth!]"

The dragon roared, the Golden Imperial Seal clutched in its grasp, casting a long shadow over its face against the glowing magic circle.

"...That war was not the will of these people! Among the tens of millions of Manchurians here, how many even remember that conflict?"

"[They have forgotten. For Earthlings, a few decades are enough to turn even their crimes into mere history! But I have not forgotten! I remember their greed and the cruelty of the communists as though it were only yesterday!]"

The dragon’s mournful voice resounded as it unfurled its crimson wings.

The immense mana radiating from its body surged, feeding into the magic circle, coloring the sky above the valley in golden light.

"And what about the dwarves? What will you do to them? If Manchuria is destroyed, what of all the dwarves who have settled on Earth?"

His voice, raw with desperation, tore through the air.

Some mercenaries rushed to Commander Kwon, attempting to pull him back.

They seemed ready to flee with him at any moment, but Kwon resisted with all his strength and shouted,

"Earth will not forgive the dwarves! The peace hard-won will be shattered!"

"[Peace? How dare you call that peace? That is not peace, representative of the Dun clan.]"

The dragon and Commander Kwon. Under the golden-drenched sky, their gazes met in defiance.

"[True peace cannot be attained merely by forgetting old grudges. Peace is only achieved when the grudges of those who died unjustly are avenged! Only then can peace be claimed!]"

"Then only the guilty should suffer! The innocent people of this land—"

"[The dwarves who perished in gas chambers were innocent as well! Was it their crime that Stalin coveted mana metal? Was the Cold War their sin?!]"

The dragon raised its hand, the ring absorbed into the Seal, which glowed brilliantly.

Golden mana rippled and cascaded down like a waterfall to the earth.

"[How can the innocent be avenged with the blood of the guilty? The life of a sinner is not equal to that of the innocent!]"

Beneath Commander Kwon and Yeomyeong's feet, a long golden line extended beyond the valley, linking to the Xing'an Range.

One, two, three, five, ten… then dozens.

From the valley, dozens of lines stretched, each heading in a different direction—some toward northern Manchuria, others to Baekdu Mountain.

Even without explanation, everyone present realized what they were looking at.

A network of tunnels connected to every volcano throughout Manchuria and its surroundings.

Commander Kwon and the mercenaries could easily envision the devastation that would follow.

The dragon, ignoring them, reveled in its own fervor, crying out to the heavens above Manchuria.

"[A fair death! Only innocent blood can soothe the grudges of the innocent!]"

At the crescendo of the dragon's voice,

"[Earthlings! Prepare to bu—]"

Bang!

A bullet, glowing pure white, pierced through the dragon’s eye."