Time left: one month.

In this one month, I had to prepare to face them.

I needed to push my resources to their absolute limit.

The highest priority was training my followers.

I couldn’t take on the entire enemy force alone, so I needed them by my side.

From my perspective, Chilrang might seem like a cute puppy, but in reality, even he was a predator stronger than most humans.

Not just a wolf—a direwolf.

Thanks to Baekrang’s influence, he had grown far larger than a typical direwolf.

If the youngest of the pack, Chilrang, was this formidable, his older siblings were giants, comparable in size to tigers.

If I could harness the wolves' agility on the battlefield, they would prove invaluable.

Of course, with the overwhelming number of enemies, complete safety wasn’t guaranteed.

This would be an all-out war.

Even so, my goal was absolute victory with zero casualties among my allies.

I understood how difficult that was.

Even achieving victory alone was uncertain, let alone preventing any losses.

The chances of failure were high.

But I had to try as hard as I could.

That was one of the reasons I prioritized training my followers.

“Keeng!”
“Kioong!”

Tus and Pus had also started mastering the power of ice.

“Awooo!”

The wolves, including Chilrang, were progressing as well.

Compared to Baekrang’s strength, their abilities might seem insignificant.

Even with a full month of training, achieving meaningful results would be tough.

But if we focused their icy powers on defense?

At the very least, they’d have a better chance of surviving.

Baekrang concentrated on teaching them techniques essential for survival.

With Cheoldooryong (Iron-Clad Dragon) joining the fight, the icy abilities of my followers would only grow stronger.

“Ilbooo… Dachuuuooor!”
“Ilbo! Ilbooo!”

The Two-Horned Beasts didn’t seem capable of wielding ice, but they remained solid assets.

While they might not match the enemy’s elite forces, most foes wouldn’t withstand the charge of ten of them.

I tapped their horns with my claws; their durability was impressive.

The beasts had been sharpening their horns, preparing for battle.

“I hope we don’t lose anyone.”

Baekrang stretched and approached me.

She looked exhausted, having spent countless sleepless nights preparing.

I felt guilty but knew I needed her to endure a little more.

While I had tasks to handle personally, Baekrang oversaw preparations within the territory: setting traps, training the followers, and managing supplies.

It was no wonder she was so tired.

“Those two—Tang Soyeong and Nephila—are working the hardest,” Baekrang said, gesturing toward them with a paw.

"Neither of them is particularly suited for combat, but they’re still doing their best to help."

Despite her own struggles, Baekrang didn’t complain.

How could someone—or rather, a wolf—be so kind?

Without thinking, I reached out and patted her head.

“…You know, you keep treating me like a dog… It doesn’t make me feel good,” she muttered.

But her tail wagged gently.

“…Forget it. Talking to you always feels like I’m being drawn into something.”

She glanced at me briefly before settling beside me with a soft plop.

“Is everything coming along?”

“Gegek.”

“Of course, I shouldn’t have doubted.”

A brief silence fell between us.

Baekrang broke it, unable to bear the stillness.

“Taking down Gongbok is going to be the hardest part… Do you think it’ll go as planned?”

The Dragon Descendant, Gongbok.

That was my biggest concern.

The safest strategy would be to strike the Rocky Mountain before Gongbok could join forces with the Hwasan Sect.

But Gongbok wasn’t an easy opponent.

From the Dragon Gate, I had gained the power to manipulate plants—a force tied to Wood.

What kind of power did Gongbok wield?

Most likely, it controlled the very earth itself.

My territory was rapidly transforming into a lush forest.

If I used my abilities to prepare the plants in advance, they would prove invaluable later.

It was far more efficient to manipulate fully grown plants than to start from seeds.

If I could come up with this strategy so quickly after acquiring the Dragon Gate’s power, what about Gongbok?

Gongbok had possessed its Dragon Gate power far longer than I had.

The Rocky Mountain was practically an extension of its body by now.

Knowing this, attacking it preemptively would be foolish.

When I lacked information, I thought teaming up with Baekrang might work.

But after witnessing Gongbok’s extraordinary defense, I knew that plan was hopeless.

Ironically, my best option was to wait until the Hwasan Sect and Gongbok combined their forces and attacked my territory together.

“Considering the Five Elements, your power has the upper hand. Trees naturally draw nutrients from the earth—it’s a basic principle of nature,” Baekrang remarked.

If my claws couldn’t pierce Gongbok, I’d exploit our elemental advantage.

“And while ice is similar to earth, its source is water. Water feeds trees, so the stronger your followers grow, the more your abilities will be amplified.”

In the future I had seen, I couldn’t even scratch Gongbok.

No matter how desperate the situation, there was no way I hadn’t used my Wood power.

Yet, even with that power, I had been defeated.

“If Cheoldooryong joins us and I provide support… we might actually manage to pierce that thing’s skin,” Baekrang said.

The me from the future was different from the me now.

Back then, my followers couldn’t fully utilize their icy powers, and Cheoldooryong hadn’t been part of the fight.

Things were different now.

With the combined strength of two Dragon Gates, even a Dragon Descendant like Gongbok would have to sustain injuries.

Baekrang stared at my arm.

“…Still can’t believe it. With those arms of yours… I mean, they’re so thick…”

Her tail wagged subtly as her eyes lingered.

“…Hah!”

Drool dripped slightly before she shook her head as if snapping out of it.

“Cough! Anyway, your claws are sharp too, aren’t they? And you can wield your energy, right?”

She tapped my arm lightly with her paw.

“…Are you sure you didn’t even scratch it?”

Baekrang ducked under my arm and tried to lift it with her head, inspecting it closely.

Even I found it hard to believe.

I could wield sword energy, yet I hadn’t managed to cut a serpent made of stone.

But the truth was, I had failed.

“Maybe size is the issue? You’re huge, but Gongbok’s even bigger. Your attacks probably didn’t even register.”

The brief glimpse I’d had of Gongbok showed it to be colossal.

It was practically a mountain of stone.

“If you stab something with a needle, it’ll penetrate, won’t it? But it’s so small it doesn’t make a noticeable wound,” Baekrang said, shooting a glance at Tang Soyeong, who was sprawled out nearby.

She might have a point.

But it didn’t change the facts.

Whether it was due to extraordinary defense or sheer size, my close-range attacks couldn’t inflict meaningful damage.

“So, what if you attacked with something bigger?”

Baekrang’s gaze shifted to my tail.

My tail, which accounted for over sixty percent of my body length, could act more like a cleaver than a needle.

But it wasn’t sharpened.

I couldn’t coat it with sword energy, and it wasn’t as sharp as my claws.

While it could be a powerful weapon when swung like a whip, it wouldn’t be effective against Gongbok.

“Gekek.”

“If you have time, it might be worth exploring. You never know—it could be an unexpected breakthrough.”

Focusing on my tail… It was an interesting theory, but I had more pressing matters to address.

What I needed to focus on now wasn’t my tail.

It was the Fox Marble.

Elsewhere…

“These damned monks…”

Namgoong Yeon muttered under his breath.

“To think Master Hyemyung opposed this personally.”

Akbulhwi responded, “It seems things won’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped.”

Namgoong Yeon sighed.

The Nine Great Clans and the Five Noble Families, despite their rivalries, always united under the banner of the Martial Alliance when the Central Plains faced crisis.

Akbulhwi, the leader of the Hwasan Sect, had attempted to form the Martial Alliance with the justification of striking the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts. However, the Abbot of Shaolin had opposed it, leading to the plan's failure.

"Is it a miracle or what? No matter how many plans I lay, they always find a way out," Namgoong Yeon muttered.

"Do we even need to go that far? It’s just a few mystical beasts," Akbulhwi replied dismissively.

Although Akbulhwi had agreed to Namgoong Yeon's suggestion, he thought the latter was overcomplicating things.

After all, it was just one lizard.

Sure, the lizard might have some other mystical creatures under its command, but Akbulhwi was confident he could handle the leader alone.

"It’s not just a mystical beast. It’s a mystical beast imbued with divinity," Namgoong Yeon countered. "Its strength likely surpasses even the Red Dragon."

"Stronger than the Red Dragon?" Akbulhwi mused, his interest piqued.

"...I trust you’re not planning to face it directly. Throwing the Red Dragon at it should be enough to ensure it destroys itself. There’s no need to waste energy," Namgoong Yeon added.

"You’re right. It’s best to conserve our strength. Who knows if that devil of a Cult Leader might emerge," Akbulhwi said, stroking his beard.

"The Red Dragon… is she doing well?" Akbulhwi asked.

"Irihwa. She accepted the Go poison on the condition that her stability was guaranteed," Namgoong Yeon replied.

"...As expected of her," Akbulhwi said, closing his eyes briefly as if lost in thought.

"The Tang Clan has sent us a valuable gift—not only a means to control that fiery beast but also a mystical creature capable of manipulating Hollow Energy at will," Akbulhwi continued.

"...Though the condition was to pluck the Tang Clan’s 'flower,' " Namgoong Yeon added.

It was an overwhelming level of support for eliminating just one lizard.

Although Akbulhwi found it somewhat irritating, he didn’t let it bother him too much.

"I wonder what sort of 'flower' they’re referring to. But we’ve already gained plenty, so it’s only fair to uphold our side of the deal," Akbulhwi said, as if reminding himself of the Tang Clan’s ways.

"The Red Dragon and the Tang Clan’s mystical beast… Namgoong Yeon, are you still uneasy?" Akbulhwi asked.

No matter how he calculated it, the forces seemed excessive for their mission.

Even without forming the Martial Alliance, this army should be more than enough to achieve their goal.

"Not to mention, that other mystical beast will also be joining the fight," Akbulhwi added.

Namgoong Yeon immediately understood who Akbulhwi was referring to.

"Yes. Gongbok will arrive on time."

"Hoho… Gongbok. Every time I hear its name, I’m amazed. A dragon’s descendant known to mere humans," Akbulhwi said with a dangerous smile.

Namgoong Yeon could sense the killing intent radiating from Akbulhwi.

"...I trust you’re not planning to target Gongbok," Namgoong Yeon said cautiously.

Akbulhwi silently smiled.

Gongbok, said to possess a body impervious to harm—a Diamond Invincible Body.

Legends claimed that no sword could cut through Gongbok’s form.

But Akbulhwi thought differently.

To him, there was no such thing as an uncuttable foe.

That was his creed.

"I’ll leave it alone… until this matter is resolved," Akbulhwi said finally.

Namgoong Yeon sighed again.

The leader of the Hwasan Sect, Akbulhwi—his strength and renown were assets, but controlling him was an entirely different matter.

"You jest too much," Namgoong Yeon said, stepping back cautiously.

"…This is not our only mission. Please, endure just a little longer."

Namgoong Yeon’s gaze fell on the sword sheathed at Akbulhwi’s waist.

"Hahaha! Do you take me for a petty outlaw, slaying our allies' mystical beasts?!" Akbulhwi bellowed with laughter.

"Just as you said, I was only joking," he added.

But Namgoong Yeon knew his words were a lie.

Whether it was sheer bravado or a veiled warning tied to his true intentions, Namgoong Yeon couldn’t be sure.

But there was one thing he knew for certain.

He couldn’t stand with Akbulhwi to the very end.

And Akbulhwi was well aware of that too.