My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

After the young Gold Dragon Horus from Auterica had a smooth first meeting with the dragons of Ganghwange, he began an intensive education in the local spellcasting techniques under their watchful care. Azure Dragon and Red Dragon had initially said his mere presence as the Yellow Dragon during the ritual would suffice, but Horus insisted on learning more. Even as a symbolic mascot, understanding the proceedings was crucial. As a participant in the ritual, he argued, it would be beneficial for everyone if he had a basic understanding of the spellcasting involved.

The two dragons, impressed by his eagerness, promised their full support for his education. Of course, Horus's true intentions were—

'I've come this far; I might as well learn everything I can. …And maybe find a way to save the Dragon Children.'

—to exploit the situation to his advantage. He always thoroughly investigated the fundamentals before tackling a problem. To solve this world's challenges, he needed a firm grasp of its mysteries.

'They say the Mosan Sect is renowned for its spellcasting, but most of their techniques are derived from the Golden Island.'

And the pinnacle of spellcasting within the Golden Island were the dragons, revered as legendary divine beasts. Symbols of divine power, capable of controlling natural disasters. He couldn't pass up this opportunity to learn from them.

And Horus's learning speed…

…shocked Red Dragon and Azure Dragon, who still saw him as a cute, young dragon from another world.

"My… what is he? Did he already know everything and was just pretending? Otherwise, this speed is impossible."

"…Now I understand how he reached this level at such a young age. It's more than just talent. He understands mysteries instinctively, absorbing them effortlessly."

"Ha! Those old fogies who brag about their thousand years of cultivation would faint if they saw this. Time is truly meaningless."

"Indeed."

The tiny dragon absorbed everything they taught with terrifying speed, as if he had been born to learn spellcasting.

But it wasn't that strange, considering his skills.

「Overlord of All Creation」, which enhanced his affinity with energy and elements.

「Seeker of Mysteries」, which granted him aptitude in all mystic arts.

「Defier of Order」, which negated the limitations from the differences between dragons and Korean dragons.

And his already high proficiency in 「Dragon Language Magic」, the pinnacle of magic.

Horus was born with exceptional skills, a true prodigy. And he was currently benefiting from the 『Growth Elixir』 and other growth buffs.

'Not to mention the indirect support from other avatars like 「Unholy Sage」 and 「Path of Magic」.'

All of these factors combined created the current Horus. A being who could extrapolate ten from one, a hundred from ten, and a thousand from a hundred. An anomaly.

"The individual has achieved enlightenment. Acquired skill 「Heavenly Flow Spellcraft」."

And when he dedicated himself to something, the results were swift.

"…I didn't expect him to reach this level so quickly. What do you think, Azure Dragon?"

"It's certainly beyond expectations. We can move on to the next stage."

"I agree. At this rate… it's not a waste to give it to him."

"Yes, it's necessary anyway."

His rapid growth earned him the admiration and recognition of the two women, and…

…at the beginning of the next lesson, they presented him with a special gift. A treasure he never imagined he would see.

"Huh? Is this…!"

"Ufufu, even your surprised expression is cute, Horus."

"It's refreshing to be the ones surprised for once. Not bad."

A spherical orb, radiating a brilliant blue light, as if containing the clear sky itself. And within it, a bright golden light flickered like flames or waves, radiating a powerful presence. A mesmerizing, mystical beauty.

"A Yeouiju…"

"It's a gift for you, Horus. And it's necessary for the ritual. I didn't expect to give it to you so soon, though."

"The Yellow Dragon can't fulfill his role without a Yeouiju. Normally, you would have your own, but you're an exception, so the previous owner will understand."

A Yeouiju was an essential item for a Korean dragon, equivalent to a Dragon Heart. A treasure containing immense energy and bestowing various beneficial effects upon its user. It was an item that usually remained with its creator for life, unless something drastic happened.

"The previous owner…?"

"…Let's just say the previous Yellow Dragon. They didn't live long, so it's difficult to specify."

"Don't worry about it; it's just a memento. They left it hoping it would help in this situation."

Considering the recent events, it wasn't surprising that there was an ownerless Yeouiju.

Horus stared at the Yeouiju in his hand and focused his mind.

Whoosh—!

A storm of Qi swirled around him. The temperature fluctuated wildly as he struggled to control the immense energy, still unfamiliar to him. But proficiency came with practice. And his skills were beneficial for mastering it.

'Not bad. No, it's great! I didn't expect to receive this so soon.'

While his learning ability was a factor…

…there must have been other reasons for this drastic decision.

'For example…'

The increasingly chaotic situation in the continent, which even the Golden Island couldn't ignore. The Demonic Cult's resurgence.

'They must be worried. Anything could happen at a time like this.'

The Yellow Dragon bloodline had already been extinguished in their conflict with the Demonic Cult. While the Society Master, the main culprit, was gone, the Demonic Cult's remaining forces were still a threat. It was natural for them to be concerned.

'Hmm, a Yeouiju. How should I use this most effectively…?'

But Horus wasn't worried at all.

He had already eliminated the Heavenly Demon, the root of all the problems, and was currently dismantling his headquarters, the Heavenly Demon Cult.

With the help of his invaluable partner.

The Tian Shan mountain range, the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Xinjiang Province.

KABOOM—!

The earth shook with a deafening roar.

The city, strangely peaceful despite being the source of the world's chaos, was thrown into turmoil.

"Hurry!"

"Earth Killing Unit, move out!"

The Cult's warriors moved frantically.

Jang Sam, a livestock farmer of over a decade, hid in the barn, watching them with a terrified expression.

'What's going on?!'

He had lost count of how many times he'd asked himself that question. He racked his brain, trying to understand the situation.

It had been an ordinary day. He woke up early, ate breakfast prepared by his wife, prayed to the Heavenly Demon, and went to work. He was feeding the cattle and cleaning the barn…

…when the clear sky suddenly darkened with storm clouds.

He and the other farmers exchanged confused glances at the sudden weather change.

And then—a booming thunder, and a voice, echoing from the heavens, filled the air.

["Hear me, mortals, hiding in your shells."]

["I am the master of all demons."]

["Kneel before your new Demon King."]

A solemn, divine voice, making his hair stand on end, his mouth go dry. The sheer will contained within the calm declaration was beyond his comprehension.

'Right, that's right. This happened right after that.'

Jang Sam, his fragmented memories returning, sighed heavily. Just those few words, a voice that seemed to erase his thoughts, and then the monstrous demonic Qi, engulfing everything, and the chaos began.

Kwaaang—!

He peeked outside, towards the city center.

[Roar!]

"Block them!"

Clang! Clash!

Battles raged everywhere. Figures, cloaked in darkness, attacked the Cult's warriors, and other experts, arriving as reinforcements, formed defensive formations.

Even he, ignorant of combat, could tell.

The Cult's warriors had no chance.

It was obvious. They were just stalling the small fries. No one could stop the figure descending from the sky, the mysterious being approaching them leisurely!

Boom!

[Kwarrrr!]

"[Groan…]"

Suddenly, the entrance to a building within the Heavenly Demon Cult exploded, and giant figures emerged. Inhumanly large beings.

"Y… Yokai?!"

It wasn't just their size. A monster with a boar's head and horns, a winged tiger-like monster, a bipedal wolf-like monster…

Just looking at them made his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't endure it any longer. Overwhelmed by the pressure of their auras, Jang Sam collapsed, foaming at the mouth, like everyone else in the city.

"Hoo? What's that…?"

Hans, having successfully enveloped the entire area within a barrier, looked towards the giants.

"Jiangshi made from yokai? And they look strangely familiar."

He narrowed his eyes, observing them. Towering figures, over five meters tall, their bodies covered in tattoos and talismans. Creating jiangshi from such massive bodies… he was intrigued by their techniques.

'They feel similar to Dool.'

It wasn't his imagination. They were jiangshi created from the Four Perils, powerful yokai who had been Dool's companions. The other three, excluding Dool, who had escaped to the Golden Island. They were now mindless puppets, their intelligence and power diminished, controlled by humans.

'And there are more.'

More yokai jiangshi emerged from the building, which seemed to be their workshop. His assumption that only human corpses were suitable for creating jiangshi was wrong.

And it wasn't a bad thing.

'Excellent samples!'

Their jiangshi techniques were surprisingly advanced. Adaptability and versatility were essential for integrating various techniques.

'I've seen enough.'

Hans looked around. He had been slowly tightening the noose, forcing them to reveal everything they had, now that the Cult Leader and most of their elites were gone…

…and it seemed they had nothing left.

'Time to clean up.'

He had much to do. He had to retrieve these samples intact and capture the Demonic Cult's leaders and researchers.

Goooo—

A dark, abyss-like demonic Qi, concentrated around him, began to spread, distorting space.

A cold smile appeared on Hans's face.

The remaining Demonic Cult members were no match for him.

A few hours after Hans's arrival…

…the Heavenly Demon Cult's headquarters fell.