Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 379: After Returning from the Grave Wars

After coming back and finally taking a leisurely break, I heard that the damage from the graveyard wars had been somewhat addressed.

There had already been discussions before the regressions about what to do with the remains of the participants, so Yeon-woo had shared some opinions as well.

As a result, it was decided that unidentified corpses would have memorial stones erected at the war sites, while those with known identities would be sent back to their respective countries. In Korea’s case, it was resolved to create a memorial park for their interment.

Yeon-woo also received an invitation to the memorial ceremony. While he wasn’t particularly fond of attending such events, it was a bit awkward for him to refuse since he was the biggest contributor to the graveyard wars.

After much contemplation, Yeon-woo reluctantly agreed to attend. After all, just participating in the memorial park’s opening ceremony was way easier than having to attend the distant memorial stone inauguration abroad.

Because time wasn’t infinite, it was better to save whatever little moments you could in such instances.

The Demon Kings weren’t recklessly causing chaos every few days either.

However, Toyo’s Demon King was experienced enough to easily handle such situations. The other Demon Kings weren’t necessarily that knowledgeable.

Among them, Shuyo and Il-yo were famously low-key among the Demon Kings.

Though the chaos caused by last Wednesday and the quiet Sunday were no less than the other Demon Kings, records of what they had done after that were exceptionally rare.

Therefore, honestly, Yeon-woo thought neither of those two could take on the Earth Serpent. It seemed far more likely that the Demon King of Alkeon or the Heavenly Demon would be responsible.

Regardless of the situation, there was plenty to do after returning from the inauguration ceremony. The first thing would be to go meet the Earth Serpent.

It was questionable whether the creature, which spent most of its time sleeping, would even meet him just because he showed up.

“Alright, I’m off.”

“Yeah… you need to come back quickly.”

“Exactly. Go quickly and come back quickly, please.”

With the early morning sun rising, the two children greeted Yeon-woo at the front door with forlorn faces.

Heh, these days, with more people around and plenty of things to do, they seemed to accept that Yeon-woo’s presence didn’t matter too much. But it still felt nice to be missed like this when he was heading out.

This was probably an emotion the kids wouldn’t feel once they hit puberty… Or maybe his kids wouldn’t even have to go through that phase? Such absurd thoughts crossed his mind.

Yeon-woo waved goodbye as he left the house. Shar and Tae-oh, watching him with melancholy eyes, turned to each other as the door slammed shut.

“So, what should we play today?”

“Hmmm, I like racing games!”

The children’s loneliness and the father’s sentiment were fleeting, like flowers that only appeared before the foolish.

*

“…I didn’t feel it until now, but it really feels like a dream.”

Hearing Nea’s mumble, Riley set down her tea on the table. After rolling her eyes for a moment, Nea took a sip of the tea.

The aroma was rich and subtle; it was clear that Riley had used excellent tea leaves, matching her skills as well.

“Is that so?”

As Riley stood behind Nea and answered, Nea waved her hand. Riley bent down and leaned her ear closer.

“Don’t be scary; just sit down….”

“But I’m living here as an aide, you know.”

“Just… just do as I say….”

Her tone was adept at looking down on others, yet she seemed awkward when it came to serving. Riley tilted her head and took her cup to sit across from Nea.

Of course, this wasn’t the case. Dragons, by their noble nature, could effectively handle duties they had never once experienced. But the situation was different now.

Even though it was a holiday, the relationship between Nea and Riley was more akin to a superior-subordinate dynamic.

As they were designated external collaborators, they got along like friends, but they often had to maintain some level of hierarchy.

Nea didn’t want to create unnecessary power struggles in her research lab or the company taking shape.

Yet having that kind of relationship maintained at home felt rather uncomfortable. Even for Nea, adapting to this kind of rapidly shifting relationship was quite a challenge.

“Treat me as a friend, please.”

“I understand. I will do that.”

Riley nodded reluctantly, and Nea sighed in profound relief.

Riley’s face grew more puzzled by Nea’s reaction, but she assumed that Nea seemed to need a friend rather than a servant.

“So, what made you say that?”

“Hmm, until now, I’ve been lost in my thoughts. But moving here makes me realize that I’ve truly escaped that cave…”

Nea said shyly. She didn’t seem like she needed to feel embarrassed, but that’s how Riley perceived it.

“It must have felt like a prison to you.”

Riley could empathize with that sentiment. While it wasn’t completely the same, she had thought similarly too.

Not that she had anything against the children in the archives, but the archives felt like a prison, didn’t they?

At least Riley had been able to communicate with magical books, while Nea’s cave wasn’t even at that level, which made it all the more poignant.

The only living beings she encountered were the occasional humans who drifted in—most of whom didn’t last long. So for Nea, who had an exceptionally long lifespan, it must’ve returned as a profound loneliness.

“…That’s right. It wasn’t that bad of a place, actually.”

“Indeed.”

It wasn’t that bad, but there would eventually come a time when it was unbearable.

For Nea, it was when Yeon-woo entered, and for Riley, it was when the gate connecting to the outside world was established.

While exiting caused risks to the archives, it was certain that without that, she wouldn’t have even dreamed of experiencing her current life.

The two women watched with delight as the two children rushed up the stairs. It seemed they were going to wake Dawn for their game.

“Hmm, I guess I should do some work as well.”

“No, just sit. I’ll handle it.”

“Let’s do it together. I need to learn too, right?”

“I don’t want to do that either…”

Riley’s resistant expression hinted at her sincere reluctance to diminish her household chores, but Nea forced her to learn. It was a truly peaceful moment.

*

Why try to share? You can have it all. You deserve it.

Recently, a somewhat unsettling whisper had been stirring in my mind. It felt like a familiar, even almost comforting whisper. Baek In-hwa frowned at the indescribable discomfort.

There had been many pleasant things lately. Among them was Nea not opposing her enrollment.

Baek In-hwa had been worried because Nea’s disposition had changed from before, but good outcomes were simply good.

In-hwa didn’t particularly expect Yeon-woo to love her. Human hearts can’t be manipulated that easily.

Just as she couldn’t help but develop feelings for Yeon-woo, it was possible that he couldn’t help but not love her back.

However, emotions are also about the unpredictable; she thought that perhaps, you never know.

But suddenly, it felt like an infamous demon had begun to whisper unpleasant words in her head.

At first, she didn’t pay much attention. She was a person too. Despite always trying to remain calm, her innate human malice might have started surfacing.

In the beginning, it was fine. Things like reclaim your rightful authority or don’t you want to be loved were just whispers and didn’t bother her.

But soon, they began to overstep boundaries. There were increasing voices urging her to harm Nea directly.

That was when Baek In-hwa began to doubt those whispers. No matter what, someone like her would never suggest harming someone to win love.

Before considering her own traits, she knew how much Choi Yeon-woo loved Nea. Such actions would only throw away any potential love without a second thought.

‘Anyway, I might not even be able to win.’

How could she, in her current state, defeat a Dragon? Although she’d gained access to Cold Moon, that alone wouldn’t be enough. She at least needed to become a Master to even have a chance.

Of course, there might be ways to harm without direct confrontation, but that wasn’t the Ice Palace’s style.

Honorable warriors of the North Sea fought with their heads locked together, not with poison.

‘Why does it have to happen at a time like this?’

Baek In-hwa sighed sincerely. It might be a demon’s influence. It seemed exceedingly coincidental that it would come at a time when she felt she could reach Master with enough time spent.

“Choi Yeon-woo… did he say he had things to do today? I need to meet him as soon as he’s back.”

Should she ask Namgung Seong first? After all, as a Master senior, he probably knew better how to handle a demon. As that thought crossed her mind, Baek In-hwa shook off the seat and stood up.

She didn’t want to tell her father… She wished to show an even slightly better version of herself than being swayed by a demon.

Resolute, Baek In-hwa contacted Namgung Seong.

*

‘Hmm, this is troublesome.’

Traveling to Seoul on a Monster Train, Yeon-woo muttered to himself. Is there some bad luck lingering around? Why do things keep happening?

“Everyone, put your hands up!! I’ll kill anyone who moves!!”

A group of masked thugs shouted in a voice full of malice. It was a classic hijacking.

What in the world were they planning by hijacking the Monster Train? Regardless, they succeeded.

It was quite remarkable. The Monster Train was usually well-prepared against such intrusions.

They would prevent weapons from being conjured with magic, and you couldn’t board without proper identification.

Yet despite that, it seemed they had somehow breached security.

Were they more competent than he thought? But considering their scattered appearance, it didn’t seem like it.

‘Could it be Soolma’s doing?’

That possibility existed. It became more likely due to the fact they used masks rather than full-face coverings.

As Yeon-woo concentrated, an ominous aura began to creep into view. It seemed his assumption was right.

It looked like they were trying to disrupt the Monster Train while simultaneously invading the Earth. Essentially, those masked thugs were being used.

‘What should I do….’

Yeon-woo took a moment to assess the situation. The opposition didn’t seem too experienced, but most of the people riding the Monster Train were civilians.

Even Yeon-woo couldn’t easily dodge all the stray bullets without knowing how many members were in that group. Inside the Monster Train, his senses were somewhat limited too.

For now, he decided to wait until lives were in imminent danger. If, even then, he couldn’t grasp their exact numbers… well, then he’d have to manage something.

(To be continued.)