Shion had lost much in the war. Power, authority, influence, and even his future!

Storm and Breaker had eyes and ears everywhere. He covered his face with a mask, and passed through the alleys with his mouth shut, as if it were under lock and key.

'I'm out of options.' Shion gritted his teeth.

He had no way of getting revenge on those who'd humiliated him: the Storm Guild, Helena, Kang Oh, etc.

'Especially Kang Oh!'

Kang Oh played the largest role in the Hercules Guild's collapse. Not only had he stolen their soul dungeons, but he'd also used those soul dungeons to draw the Storm Guild into the conflict. He also used them as bait, causing their allied guilds to turn their backs on them.

It was all because of Kang Oh.

However, rebuilding the guild was a harder prospect than revenge.

He couldn't get in contact with Lacus, Paton, Duvalnetta, etc. They must've abandoned the Hercules Guild already, and gone their separate ways.

Ultimately, all Shion had left was the treasure and top-tier items he'd taken from the treasure house.

'Should I dispose of these items and just live in peace?' he thought resignedly.

He soon shook his head.

As the leader of one of the 5 great guilds, he'd already had a taste of power and authority. He couldn't forget that sweet taste.

Plus, if he was discovered, Storm, Breaker, and those he'd hurt would come after him and repeatedly PK him.

'There's nothing I can do.' Shion's shoulders drooped. A sense of frustration welled up within him.

Then...

A half ripped wanted letter fell to the ground, carried by the wind.

Red.

That was the name written on it.

Then, Shion's eyes burned with determination.

'Yeah, this guy's the answer!'

Red led the criminal organization, Red Moon, and was known as the Worst Criminal!

Shion clenched his fists. He wasn't sure how he'd rebuild the Hercules Guild, but he had found his ticket to getting revenge.

However, Red and Red Moon weren't to be taken lightly. If he made one wrong move, then he could be the one getting killed.

'Well, I've lost everything anyway. I might as well bet it all.'

Shion, who'd made his decision, disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Nowadays, everyone was looking for soul dungeons!

Kang Oh enjoyed this time more than any other.

Information on soul dungeons came in day after day! Plus, incidents and news regarding soul dungeons were being updated daily!

With that information, news, and his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh discovered countless soul dungeons. He defeated the guardians and then their owners, laying claim over the soul dungeons.

Aktan Tribe's Valley!

Damp Ziggurat!

Grudge Filled Catacombs!

Tristana's Underground Labyrinth!

Those were the soul dungeons he'd recently obtained. He'd also sold them off at an extremely expensive price!

Because so many people wanted soul dungeons, it wasn't difficult to find someone willing to pay a large price for them. Of course, owning the soul dungeon for a long period of time was more profitable than selling it right away.

However, the soul dungeons he'd sold didn't offer him anything special like the mysterious scroll, dragon materials, or the Gold Bean.

On the flip side, the dungeons he'd sold were well-known to people, and the guardians were weak. Thus, he would have to fight a Sacred Duel two or three times a day.

He thought about reinforcing the guardian and increasing the difficulty level of the dungeon, but in many ways, getting rid of them was a much better option.

The scramble for soul dungeons!

Soul dungeons were worth more now than any other time!

"Hehe, let's see how far this goes."

Kang Oh paid Arthtory's information fee, and looked over the accumulated information on soul dungeons.

* * *

"Tch, it was a complete miss. It's been a while since that happened." Kang Oh returned to Altein and clicked his tongue.

Arthtory's information wasn't 100% accurate. Unfortunately, Kang Oh had returned to Altein empty-handed.

'I should go there next.' Kang Oh walked over to the Tamer Guild.

The Tamer Guild looked like a giant farm. Several animals and monsters rested within the fenced off area, which was larger than the main building itself.

One of the creatures was quite eye-catching.

A Unicorn!

It was a creature covered in snow-white fur, and possessed a bright horn on its head, which glowed with seven different colors.

He wasn't sure which Tamer was in charge of it, but its beauty was the real deal.

"Ooh, a Unicorn."

"Wow."

Those passing the Tamer Guild looked on in astonishment.

'Hmph. But it's still not as good as a Phoenix.' Kang Oh snorted.

He had a Phoenix Egg inside his inventory.

A Phoenix was, like Wukong, a mythical creature! A Phoenix versus a Unicorn? There was no comparison.

Creak.

Kang Oh opened the door and entered the Tamer Guild. There were quite a lot of people inside.

'I think he'd be best.'

Kang Oh approached an old Tamer. "Hello," he said.

"Hello. You don't look like a Tamer. What did you come here for today?"

"I acquired a rare egg. I'd like to ask you some questions about it."

"A rare egg, huh? What kind of egg?" the Tamer asked.

"I'd like to speak privately."

"Hmm, I understand. Follow me." The Tamer led Kang Oh to his room.

"My name is Raven."

"I am Kang Oh."

"What kind of egg is it?"

Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory.

"Ooh, this is...!" Raven's eyes widened. "D-Do you mind if I touch it?"

"Go ahead."

Raven accepted the egg and began examining it all over.

"It is a Phoenix Egg!" He was in awe. "Where did you find this precious thing?"

"I picked it up." Kang Oh grinned.

"Mm, you're quite lucky. You don't look like a Tamer... Would you like to sell this egg to me?"

"How much?"

"10,000 gold! It's my entire fortune."

The value of gold had depreciated so much.

1 gold was equal to 3,000 won ($3 USD). So 10,000 gold was worth 30 million won ($30,000 USD).

Kang Oh shook his head.

"As expected. A pity."

"What do I have to do to get it to hatch?" Kang Oh asked.

"Normally, you'd leave it with the Tamer Guild, and it would hatch after a certain amount of time. However, unique eggs like this one require a special method."

"What is that special method?"

"A Phoenix is a being of fire. If you want to awaken it, then you need to feed it flames," Raven said.

"Should I put it in fire?"

"That would work. However, you need extremely hot flames. Alternatively, you could leave it with a powerful fire item. If you do, it'll absorb the item's flames and awaken."

"I see."

Kang Oh thought of Fire's Heart. It was a sword of fire that'd remained within lava, absorbing its flames, for quite some time! This weapon should be strong enough to awaken the Phoenix.

"Do you plan on awakening it?"

"Yes. What's wrong with that?"

"You're not a Tamer, are you? You won't be able to draw out its full power."

Tamers had their own set of skills. These skills increased the power of an animal or monster.

"But it's still a Phoenix. Bringing it with me should be really helpful."

It was a Phoenix for god's sake!

"The Phoenix is a mythical creature, so it may give you a hidden class. If it does, don't let that opportunity slip away."

Kang Oh's eyes gleamed. 'A hidden class?'

Then again, it made sense. This was a Phoenix we're talking about. Why wouldn't there be a hidden class related to a mythical creature?

The problem was that Kang Oh was already a Demonic Swordsman, the pinnacle of all Swordsman classes. No other class would do for him.

If that's the case, then selling it to someone close to him would be a good idea.

'I have just the person in mind.'

"Thank you for chatting with me." Kang Oh stood up.

"I had a good time too. You gave me a chance to see a Phoenix Egg up close." Raven beamed.

Kang Oh left the Tamer Guild and opened a message window.

- Mr. Sephiro.

- Yes?

- I have something for you.

Kang Oh grinned. He had a really expensive present for him.

- No thank you.

Sephiro had spent so much time with Kang Oh. He knew how he operated. Kang Oh never gave anyone anything for free.

- It's a Phoenix Egg.

- What?

- If you want a Phoenix Egg, then get over here now. I'll be waiting in the Viyoom Inn.

- Understood.

Sephiro's class was Giant Hunter!

A 'Hunter' was a mixed class between an Archer and a Tamer. He'd obviously be interested in the Phoenix Egg.

* * *

"I'm here!" Sephiro appeared before Kang Oh, breathing haggardly and carrying Waryong on his back.

"Let's speak privately."

Kang Oh and Sephiro entered a room on the 2nd floor of the Viyoom Inn.

"You managed to get your hands on a Phoenix Egg? How did that happen?"

"I picked it up." Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory.

"Oh, it's the real deal!" Sephiro read the item's information and sat in awe.

"Do you want it?"

"Excuse me?"

"How much will you pay for it? I'll sell it to you for cheap."

Of course, that was a complete lie. He planned on selling it to him at an exorbitant price, like the time he sold Waryong's egg to him.

However, Sephiro shook his head.

"I'm not buying it."

"What? Why? This is a Phoenix Egg. Do you not have the money?"

"No. I looked over the item's information. It said that if I want to raise the Phoenix, then I can't raise Waryong anymore." Sephiro petted Waryong's head.

Sephiro wasn't an actual Tamer. Thus, he could only keep a certain amount of pets with him. Because of this, he couldn't raise both Waryong and the Phoenix together.

"Then wouldn't you obviously go for the Phoenix?"

Sephiro looked at him scornfully. "Waryong's family! How could I get rid of him!?" he yelled.

Gyaa!

'He's right, you bad human!' Waryong shrieked, as if criticizing him too.

"You may receive a hidden class for awakening the Phoenix. That hidden class may enable you to raise both it and Waryong at the same time." Kang Oh cajoled him. Convincing Sephiro was the easiest thing ever!

"I'm fine. I'm content with my current class. And one day, I'll ride on Waryong's back!"

Sephiro's goal was clear. He would nurture Waryong, and eventually fly through the air on its back!

"Anyhow, if I can't raise Waryong and the Phoenix together, then I don't need it," Sephiro said firmly.

"Ahem. Alright, fine."

After parting ways with Sephiro, Kang Oh was lost in thought. 'What do I do with the Phoenix Egg?'

Then...

- Oppa.

Asu sent him a message.

- Yeah?

- Could you come to the Witch's Forest?

- Why?

- We rebuilt our base, so we're having a celebratory party.

- I'll be right there.

- Our new base is in Icerin, so go there.

- Icerin? Not Snowprim?

- Icerin! We moved there.

- Ok.

At this point in time, Kang Oh had no idea. That the Phoenix Egg had found a new owner.

* * *

The Witch's Forest was originally located in Snowprim, but they recently moved to Icerin City.

It was because of the Hercules Guild. Everyone knew where their previous base was, so people came in droves to either form personal connections with Helena and the Witch's Forest, or pressure Helena into doing something for them.

To counter this, the Witch's Forest had moved their base to Icerin, which was another small, quiet city that bordered the northern part of the continent.

Like before, their headquarters was located inside a forest, only this time, the building was located much deeper within it.

The building itself was slightly bigger than before, but it was still the right size for a friendship guild.

"You're here, Oppa," the golden-haired Asu said.

"Here!" Kang Oh passed her a flower.

"Hehe, thanks." Asu beamed.

Upon entry, Kang Oh was given a warm welcome.

"Welcome!"

"Good to see you!"

"How have you been?"

Kang Oh was no stranger to them. He was their savior, the one who'd helped them take revenge on the Hercules Guild; he was also Asu's boyfriend. Moreover, he was the renowned Predator Kang Oh!

"Yes, hello." Kang Oh was crazy busy saying hello to everyone.

Sometime later...

The party was in full swing, and Kang Oh was pulled around everywhere. Is this the problem with being a superstar?

Then, his savior extended her hand.

"Come over here." Asu pulled Kang Oh out of the crowd, and brought him to an empty storeroom. "Look at this."

"Hoh, this is Shion's equipment."

The items on display were definitely Shion's equipment.

"Yeah. We decided not to sell them and leave them here. They're proof that we won." Asu placed her hands on her hips and opened her shoulders.

"You know what, I stole something from him too," Kang Oh said.

"What is it?"

"This." Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory.

"Wow. This is a Phoenix Egg!" Asu was astonished.

"Yeah."

"You really hit him where it hurts." Asu hit his arm whilst smiling.

"Hehe." Kang Oh laughed.

"But how do you get it to hatch?" Asu asked.

"Want to see?"

"Yeah."

Kang Oh pulled out the SS-rank Fire's Heart from his inventory, and placed it on the egg.

"If you leave a fire element item with the egg, then it'll..."

Kang Oh was interrupted.

Roar!

All of a sudden, the Fire's Heart spat out a huge volume of flames.

"No!" Asu yelled. 'This is a new building! You can't burn it down!'

Fortunately, her worries were unwarranted. The Fire's Heart's flames burnt nothing. Instead, they were all absorbed by the Phoenix Egg.

How much time had passed?

Crack, crack!

The egg was cracking.

And...

A Phoenix popped out...

"Huh?" Kang Oh looked perplexed.

"Oh my, how cute." Asu beamed.

Chirp!

A yellow chick came out.