Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

---

Chapter 352

Humans live their lives with countless efforts. To become stronger, to become wiser, and much more besides…

Yeon-woo has also put in a lot of effort. Before his return, he not only trained in martial arts but also honed his ability to gauge his enemies. After returning, he learned every possible means to enable him to face any foe that came his way.

Even so, the training with the sword had not been neglected, and he was proud to claim he reached the exalted realm of mastery.

However, not all efforts bear fruit. Some become worthless upon reflection, and some might even seem worse than doing nothing at all.

Yet, effort must be made. One must keep pushing forward. Even if something seems impossible, only by trying can one find out if it truly is.

“Got it, Namgung Merchen. It seems impossible, but you have to try. That’s how you can take the easy route.”

“There’s a madman here talking about taking the easy route…”

Yeon-woo half-listened to Namgung Seong’s incredulous remark as he surveyed the situation. The curse cloud had flown away, and both the Demon King and the War Leader were about to unleash their ultimate techniques against each other.

In times like this, it was crucial to observe and gather information. There are both low and high methods to obtain that information—sacrificing allies for intel, acquiring it oneself, or keeping a distance and watching would be the hierarchy from low to high.

For Yeon-woo, both the War Leader and the Demon King would soon be opponents he had to face. In other words, it was like sitting in his seat, leisurely sipping vital information about major foes as if it were cold rice porridge.

Especially since such secret techniques were not something one could easily grasp just by hearing about them. As he pondered that, Namgung Seong’s voice drifted back to him.

“Hey, why isn’t there a Great Warrior?”

“Huh?”

“Toyo, right? I’m just wondering why the Demon King is fighting the Great Warrior himself instead of bringing him along. Isn’t that a bit mismatched?”

“Uh… true?”

Upon reflection, it was indeed peculiar. What reason could there be for the Demon King to fight personally without bringing the Great Warrior? Perhaps the affinity was bad or something?

But it felt like Toyo wouldn’t hesitate to throw in subordinates just over a mere affinity.

‘Now that I think about it, I never saw a Great Warrior claiming to be “Void” even before the return.’

What’s going on? No Great Warrior? That couldn’t be true. Among the cults of the Demon King, Oblivion was among those with the largest scale, boasting strength and violence.

The process to become an official member was said to be quite harsh compared to the brutality, which suggests a strongly expansionist nature, accepting even trash, implying some use.

If you gather them indiscriminately, you’re bound to catch a promising one. Yet, the absence of Oblivion’s Great Warrior was hard to believe.

As the sudden doubt crossed his mind, Yeon-woo stroked his chin. At that moment, an immense magical power burst forth. It felt like the answer would be revealed, but he couldn’t miss the clash of the two.

Crimson mana spiraled upwards into the sky. It was a violent confrontation. The malice and ambition intertwined like long threads, blooming in the air as they gripped each other tightly.

In contrast, Toyo was fiddling with his staff as if playing an instrument. Following that, various haunting shrieks flowed from the staff, creating a horrifically beautiful melody.

The mana, which had been slowly inflating like a balloon, suddenly seemed to pause, reaching its critical point, waiting for the moment to explode.

And then, at that very moment. As if a fuse was burning somewhere, both released their mana simultaneously.

Eerie wails enveloped the surroundings. Curses darkening the sunlight, screams of agony, pleas for salvation, and hatred towards the living erased even the chaotic sounds of the battlefield.

The curses began to spread their territory. Yeon-woo and Namgung Seong took involuntary steps back, overwhelmed by the intense malevolence.

Just gazing at it sent shivers down their spines. It resembled Yeon-woo’s Tae-oh. The martial artist expands his senses to assist with the fight, but the magician directly transforms his environment into one that suits him.

The realm born from this process is, above all, the space most compatible with the magician themselves. Thus, the magician can wield powers in there that are akin to those of a god.

Naturally, Toyo was unlike a makeshift magician like Yeon-woo. There was bound to be a significant gap in the power, prestige, and everything else regarding the magic utilized within that realm.

“Alright, keep your eyes wide open and remember, Namgung Seong.”

“Are you saying I might have to fight in this kind of place? That’s driving me crazy.”

Just watching felt like it was going to scramble his mind. The endless wails, pain, and screams were disheveling even the master’s sanity.

However, the War Leader was not just passively consumed in there. The sounds of explosions, like bombs going off, faintly echoed in that area. What started as barely audible noise grew louder.

“Wow, what kind of mindless act…?”

Even Namgung Seong, who was unparalleled in mindlessness, couldn’t help but marvel at it; it was simple yet ferocious.

First, he swung the axe. The crimson mana wrapped around it collided with the overflowing malevolence, creating a dazzling explosion.

Before the impact reached the War Leader, he swung the axe again with his other hand. One explosion pushed back the other. As a result, the second explosion swept through an even greater area.

And in the meantime, he swung the axe again with the arm he managed to recover… essentially, he was infinitely repeating the act of swinging an axe. This was the War Leader’s hidden ultimate technique… or rather, it was just outright his special move.

No matter how one looked at it, it was simply the act of a foolish Orc, but the power it held was immense. The axe gained increasing acceleration. What was initially just a faint crimson whirlwind began to swell and push its territory.

The storm of Aura Blade clashed with the hell of the dead writhing in the realm of the living.

The dead crumbled, shredded, and sliced. Tens, hundreds of the deceased shattered in unison. However, soon the remaining undead filled their places.

[…Hah hah, I knew he was foolish, but he truly is a complete idiot!! Do you think you can win against all the deaths of mankind that have passed in this world!?]

The sight of the War Leader swinging his axe drew hearty laughter from the Demon King of Toyo standing at a distance. That was understandable. The Demon King of Toyo utilized death as a weapon. People usually think of it as just those dying moving forward, but that’s a misconception.

Not just humans, but all lives, even those long dead in the far past, count as his weapon. Thus, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the realm of the Demon King is limitless. Especially now, since Osiris was slain, and control over the afterlife was lost, this was even more pronounced.

‘But it won’t last long.’

It was to resurrect Osiris so he could reclaim the throne of the afterlife.

Having killed Osiris once and seized control, breaking the connection with Nephren-Ka permanently is impossible. However, if Osiris regains the throne, it’s feasible to temporarily halt that power.

“Alright, alright. I didn’t expect you to use such a realm, but the situation seems to have become favorable. Even without losing Usir’s skull, I thought I was going to have to open the afterlife and unleash monsters, but it looks like I could avoid that.”

“Are you saying we don’t have to fight in there? That’s music to my ears, really.”

Namgung Seong, clearly disliking that space, was showing a smile as Yeon-woo spoke. Well, it was understandable. Who would want to hear the senseless curses and malice of the dead?

“Should we wait for that clash to end and then dive in to chase off the Demon King and deal with the War Leader? Sounds tough.”

Regardless, the result of that clash would come soon. The War Leader clearly seemed outmatched in terms of affinity, so he didn’t expect him to win.

*

[Oh dear, our fool is getting hopelessly beaten up.]

From a distance, a boy watched with a broad grin, reveling in the spectacle. War was exhilarating. Just inhaling the air from afar fired him up, filling him with an excited warmth.

The Great Warrior was his cherished child. With a natural aggressiveness and physical abilities bordering on mutation, even for an Orc, plus a stubbornness that was hard to resist—he was a being who loved violence above all.

Relying purely on instinct to fight, he was getting bashed from all sides, but that meant shedding plenty of blood. Of course, if he ended up dying from it, that would be fate, so there was no reason to intervene.

[But since he seems to be in trouble, maybe I should save him this one time?]

That child was on the brink of death. If left unchecked, he would perish. Even if he survived the fight with Toyo, he would die in the following skirmish with that little brat.

That, too, the child might desire. Battling the Demon King and dying against two formidable opponents deemed worthy.

Well, if that were the case, Hwayo had no intention of stopping him.

[The problem is that he is not the Demon King.]

If that were the case, the child’s death would deviate from what he wished. It wouldn’t be dishonorable, but surely dying after fighting the real Saturday would feel far better for that kid.

What a handful he was. The carefree smile on Hwayo’s face vanished in an instant. The hill he stood on began to crumble and transform into a plain.

The sound of an explosion soon resonated. Boom, kaboom!! The blast was so tremendous that some Hunters stationed on the outer edge of the battlefield turned their heads in astonishment.

[Oh, crap.]

Boom, boom!!!

With a light shout, the Demon King of Hwayo descended like a meteor. The earth caved in massively, creating a giant crater.

Yeon-woo, startled by the unforeseen magical force, quickly embraced Namgung Seong and went into a teleportation skill. Otherwise, they would have turned into pancakes.

[Wow, you avoided that. Not bad.]

[…Who dares to interrupt my proceedings!?]

Perhaps disoriented from the obliterated domain, Toyo held his head in frustration. However, such annoyance was fleeting once he confirmed Hwayo’s existence.

[You, you are…!!]

[Nice to meet you, Toyo. I’m enjoying the meal you prepared, and now I’m thinking of feasting even more.]

Hwahaha, the Demon King of Hwayo erupted in laughter. Upon seeing him, Toyo’s complexion… or what was left of his pallor turned pale.

“M-Master…!! How can you let me flee before death…!!”

The War Leader standing at the explosion’s epicenter was in a horrific state. His body covered in wounds, the affected areas darkened with gnawed marks and scratches. Blood streamed from his entire form, with bones, muscle, and entrails visibly exposed in places.

[Hahaha, just wait a little longer, child. It’s been ages since I’ve met another Demon King; we ought to catch up.]

‘Toyo doesn’t seem to want that at all.’

Yeon-woo thought to himself.

(Continued in the next installment)