Arctic Sovereign — Part 3
There was no reason to refuse.
“Alright. Give
a mont.”
I finished the butchering process.
Every important material was extracted.
Deep within the stomach, I found a green flute.
[Manpasikjeok]
A treasure of the Dokkaebi Kingdom, imbued with the power to enforce a peace zone whenever played.
Even high-level arcane beasts could be cald enough for a conversation.
Even deities were affected.
Only for a short ti, of course. Eventually, things would return to normal.
‘Dokkaebi liberation, ready.’
I shoved Manpasikjeok deep into my golf bag.
Then, I neatly stacked Arctic Sovereign’s materials to one side and left Red to guard them.
“[Red. Keep watch.]”
[at!]
“[Yeah. The finest beef is waiting for you.]”
I secured the mana core at my side.
It was completely broken, no longer producing even a sliver of mana.
But it could be repaired.
If a Level 8 mage or priest handled it.
I already had a plan for it.
“Let’s go.”
I entered the central tower.
The Grand Elders were deep underground, performing so kind of ritual.
Now that Arctic Sovereign was dead, it was completely unnecessary.
“How fascinating.”
A tiny fairy, no bigger than a human palm, narrowed her eyes at .
“A Transcendent actually exists…”
Fairies, huh?
Even though I hadn’t demonstrated trait switching, she still saw through .
anwhile, the beastkin warrior sitting next to her just licked his lips.
“What’s a Transcendent?”
“It’s a thing.”
“Ugh, you always act like you’re so smart.”
“Then learn magic yourself.”
“No thanks. Why bother when I can just smash everything with my spear?”
“What? Arctic Sovereign is dead, so you wanna brawl after decades of peace?”
“Enough. We have a guest. Stop embarrassing yourselves.”
The one who intervened was a nightmare—a dream demon. (TL Note: Nightmare as in the Horse)
A demon, but radiating holy power.
Not regular holy power—dark-attribute holy power.
The nightmare staggered to his feet and greeted .
“It’s a pleasure, Ender of Arctic Sovereign. I am Nightmare, one of the three leaders of this city.”
“I am Tianlong.”
“I am Aliaya.”
“We are deeply grateful to you. By slaying Arctic Sovereign, you have saved this entire city. Even the three of us, combined, could not achieve what you have. For that, we bow our heads in thanks.”
The nightmare lowered his head.
The cocky fairy and the smirking beastkin followed suit, solemnly bowing in gratitude.
“It was sothing I needed to do.”
“Regardless of your reasons, the fact remains—we are in your debt. It has been a full century since we sealed off this city. The progress of humanity has been astonishing. Even soone like you has appeared.”
“You flatter .”
“It is no flattery. Not a single one of us here accomplished what you have at your age. May I ask? How old are you? You seem quite young.”
“I’m twenty-three.”
“…Hah.”
“…Wow.”
“No matter how fast humans grow in strength…”
Excuse .
You are humans too, you know?
Just because your appearances resemble other species doesn’t an your DNA is different.
These three could definitely have human children.
They shook their heads in disbelief.
Then, the fairy’s gaze landed on the mana core strapped to my side.
“Human hero, what do you plan to do with that?”
“I’m willing to transfer ownership under certain conditions.”
“Conditions?”
The mana core had many potential uses.
It could be used for trait elixirs, equipnt crafting, or consumable items.
At first, I considered making gear out of it, but the problem was—
I had no need for any new equipnt.
From head to toe, I was already fully equipped with SSR-tier gear.
Creating an entirely new set, like the Dragon Monarch’s Crown?
I wasn’t willing to replace anything.
Forging a sword or spear?
I had too many weapons already.
So, I made my decision.
“I want you to extract Frostbane from this mana core. Once that’s done, the core is yours.”
[Frostbane].
The attribute of Arctic Sovereign.
A high-tier ice-attribute trait, on par with Darkfla, Lightning Surge, and Earthquake.
It wasn’t quite Supre Fla, but it was still powerful.
Also, it was the final missing piece among the four major Arcane Seoul elents.
“You want Frostbane extracted?”
“Yes. Once that’s done, the mana core belongs to you.”
“Hmm… If we extract Frostbane, the mana core will lose most of its energy.”
“Then just refill it. Given ti, it will fully regenerate.”
Ti.
That was the issue.
With war against the Old Father’s Cult looming, I couldn’t afford to wait decades for it to recharge.
It was better to gain a high-tier trait now and let them handle the core.
“Hmm.”
The nightmare fell into thought.
He glanced at his two companions.
The fairy hesitated.
The beastkin, however, imdiately nodded.
“I agree.”
“Tianlong?”
“It’s Arctic Sovereign’s mana core. Think of what it could do for climate control magic. We could transform this land into fertile soil—without disrupting the planet’s balance.”
“And restoring the mana core? That won’t be difficult. We just need to adjust the seal formation here.”
“But it would take too long.”
“And where else are we supposed to get another Level 8 mana core? Even if we spent all our ti, all our knowledge, or sacrificed our people, we still wouldn’t get one.
When an opportunity like this cos, you take it.”
A surprisingly sharp insight.
The nightmare and the fairy exchanged glances, then nodded.
“I agree.”
“Alright. We accept your proposal, human hero. Hand over the mana core.”
I passed the mana core to them.
The beastkin held it up, while the nightmare and the fairy placed their hands on either side.
Then, they focused their mana.
A harmonious blend of three-colored magic wrapped around Arctic Sovereign’s mana core.
Monts later, a cold, transparent mass of energy seeped out.
“This is the Frostbane power you requested.”
“Thank you.”
I absorbed it imdiately.
A chilling sensation spread through my entire body.
Just like when Arctic Sovereign went berserk.
Just like when the Northern Winds threatened to freeze
solid.
Acquired the trait: [Frostbane].
It was easy because three Level 8 Superhumans helped .
If they hadn’t, I would’ve needed to craft an elixir, inject mana into a crystal chamber, and hook myself up to a mana-infused IV drip.
Ssssss.
The mana core visibly weakened.
Its color darkened, turning completely blackened and lifeless.
The nightmare t my gaze.
“With this, Arctic Sovereign’s mana core belongs to us.”
“Yes. A satisfactory deal.”
“Good. Very good. Is there anything else you desire?”
“I’d like to commission so equipnt.”
“Equipnt? Ah, using Arctic Sovereign’s materials, I assu. Fine. But we’ll need compensation as well.”
“I’ll give you one-fourth of Arctic Sovereign’s materials in exchange for the following:
One magic grenade launcher for my use.
A set of ten rings and necklaces with enchantnts.”
“A magic grenade launcher and jewelry? Interesting. But it will take ti.”
I had debated between two options:
A sword or a heavy weapon.
Spears were also in consideration, but they were the first to be eliminated.
I wasn’t a Weapon Master—I was a Swordmaster.
Spreading myself thin now would only make things ssy.
‘A Mystical Armant would be nice…’
A sword, or a relic-like weapon.
No.
For my main weapon, Black Tiger Sword was superior.
Unless it was the Celestial Demon Sword—a data-mined legendary weapon that only existed in files—there was no point.
That left
with one clear choice:
A grenade launcher.
Specifically, ice-elental.
Imagine this—a fire-elental rocket launcher paired with an ice-elental grenade launcher.
The ultimate offensive combination.
“Fine. Do you have a specific design in mind?”
“I’ll provide a blueprint. Follow it as closely as possible, but feel free to refine the details.”
I handed over the design for a magazine-fed automatic grenade launcher.
Not a six-shot revolver-style launcher, but one with a detachable magazine.
Naturally, it was massive.
Heavy as hell.
In the past, I would’ve struggled to carry it.
But now?
That wasn’t an issue.
“What about the rings and necklaces? What enchantnts should they have?”
“Standard magic enhancents. Mana storage, ice-attribute offensive spells for ergency use, elental resistance—if possible, also environntal adaptation or defensive spells.”
“Hmm. This will require so thought. You sure bring troubleso requests.”
“You’re getting compensated generously for it.”
“That’s why we’re accepting it without complaint. After all, you’ve done a lot for this city.”
The Grand Elders imdiately got to work.
I assisted as well.
Outside, a grand festival took place, with people calling for
every single day—
But I ignored it.
I didn’t have ti.
The sooner I got my rewards, the sooner I could go ho.
[Delicious!]
Aside from transporting a high-speed aircraft into the Castle of the Inexplicable and feeding Red an absurd amount of beef, I didn’t leave the tower.
One Week Later
“It’s done!”
At last—
My new grenade launcher was complete.
“This is…”
A work of art.
It looked as though it had been carved from crystal.
Its shape resembled a bulky assault rifle, but with key differences—
The magazine.
Instead of a standard ammo clip, there were ten hexagonal crystal cells, clustered like a honeycomb.
The fairy tapped each crystal one by one.
“Each of these holds a Frostbane grenade. If the light is on, it’s loaded. If the light is off, it needs recharging.”
“I can recharge it with my mana?”
“Yup. Just infuse Frostbane mana, and it’ll refill after a set amount. Even if you leave it alone, it will fully recharge in a day.”
“The firepower should be impressive. Not as devastating as the icicles Arctic Sovereign used, but far beyond any ordinary ice mage.”
One-shot devastation—Mountain Wail Rocket Launcher.
Rapid-fire suppression—this grenade launcher.
“I’ll call it Hailstorm.”
Ten automatic shots.
Instant mana recharge, allowing for sustained barrages.
A na perfectly suited for it.
The Grand Elders nodded in approval.
“An excellent na.”
“Even just hearing it sounds powerful!”
“Now, we have a gift for you as well.”
The nightmare gestured.
This ti, instead of servants, the three Captains who had fought alongside
entered.
Each carried an item.
A large magic saddle.
A set of elbow guards.
And lastly, a dragon-shaped whistle.
Ah.
They made riding Red more convenient.
Not bad.
I had been uncomfortably wedged between his scales, making it difficult to wield my sword or gun properly.
The Elven Guard Captain stepped forward and handed
the elbow guards first.
“Superhuman, please put these on.”
“I can sense magic from them. What are they?”
“We call them the Mark of Bonding.”
Mark of Bonding?
Following their instructions, I strapped the elbow guards onto my arms.
My Golden Fleece armor already extended from my hands to my forearms.
It fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made for .
The Mark of Bonding covered my elbows seamlessly, connecting with my Golden Fleece armor as if they were one.
The stone giant handed
the saddle next.
“Attach this to the Red Emperor—ah, I an, your dragon, Superhuman. After that, simply blow the whistle, and he will be stored in his own personal subspace.”
“That’s possible?”
“Yes. It was left behind by an ancient Dragon Knight who once protected our city. It’s one of the few remaining artifacts of its kind.”
I understood now.
A mount slot.
In the ga, quick slots were represented by the Armory, while mount slots were tied to the Mark of Bonding.
In the ga, I wouldn’t have needed any of these items.
Each character already had a dedicated mount slot in their inventory.
“Thank you. I was hoping for sothing like this.”
“Indeed. No matter how strong or fast the Red Emperor is, he still can’t match the supersonic aircraft you arrived in.”
“The outside world has truly advanced while we kept our city sealed.”
“We sent scholars to the Academy, spies into industries… but—”
“There were limits.”
Of course there were.
A stagnant pond will only rot without fresh water.
At least the non-humans of the Castle of the Inexplicable were now aware of reality.
And their ancient magical knowledge remained valuable.
“Take this as well.”
The Grand Elders handed
additional items—
Gold bars, enchanted gemstones, various consumables, unique city specialties, and powerful magical artifacts.
It reminded
of the Poca Cult in Brazil.
I received a similar haul from them.
But my true objective wasn’t material wealth.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the Grand Elders and Captains suddenly grew serious.
“You face a great enemy, Superhuman.”
“That’s right.”
“As much as you have helped us, we wish to help you in return. Simply call upon us, and we will co to fight by your side. Even if it ans facing gods themselves.”
This was what I truly wanted.
There was no pact or contract, yet I could trust them.
They were humans by origin, but after centuries of persecution and suffering, they had embraced their non-human identities.
And once they gave their word, they would uphold it—even if a blade was pressed to their throats.
I t their solemn expressions with an equally serious nod.
“Thank you. When the ti cos, I’ll contact you.”
The Grand Elders wouldn’t be able to participate in battle.
Maintaining the seals for decades had left them weakened—they needed ti to recover.
Even a year of rest would be enough.
But war wouldn’t wait that long.
However, the three Captains before
would fight.
The other Captains would stay to defend the city, but these three would join the war.
Including the true Winter Queen.
This—
The Dragons’ Call and the Non-Human Alliance—
Was my greatest gain from this journey to the North Pole.
Whoosh!
Red vanished into subspace without resistance.
[at!]
Shouting just one word.
As soon as I promised him one hundred cows’ worth of premium beef, he eagerly accepted the saddle.
Seeing that massive dragon act so adorable, I suddenly felt a strong urge not to grow old like that.
Roar!
I powered up my supersonic aircraft.
The magic engine roared to life.
The runway unfolded, a path of light rising into the sky.
“Safe travels!”
“Thank you for everything!”
“The human Superhuman is our city’s hero!”
Crowds flooded the plaza.
The entire square was packed.
I glanced through Bright Eyes.
Zeros stretched endlessly across the population count.
Two million.
Nearly all the non-humans of the Castle of the Inexplicable had gathered to see
off.
Among them were the Level 7 Captains, the elders, and even the Level 8 Grand Elders.
“Travel safely.”
“Farewell! See you again soday!”
“May you be victorious! Win at all costs!”
My destination—the Republic of Korea.
But not Seoul.
There was one place I needed to visit first.
The Dokkaebi Kingdom.
It was ti to break their seal.
–TL Notes–
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