“Jang Taeheon! Snap out of it!”

I had to ask for help, even from Jang Taeheon.

His shoulders flinched as I shouted his name.

Just as Jang Taeheon staggered to his feet, a member of Zone 3 shouted.

“That’s it! We killed them all—!”

-Chwaaaaak!

Before he could even finish his sentence, something black burst forth like a geyser from the dammed water.

The people surrounding the imugi were sent tumbling in all directions.

Something black oozed and slithered from the spot where the imugi had been, then began to gather and take shape once more.

-Keuoooo!

The imugi was screaming, twisting its body in apparent agony.

Blood tears overflowed from its eyes, and its body bulged and morphed into a new form.

The Token of Friendship I had bound to it snapped apart.

“W-What in the world is this…”

The Zone 3 members stared at the imugi in a daze.

The imugi gradually changed shape and grew larger until it was now the size of a small building.

It was no longer a snake, nor was it an imugi.

It bore the shape of a four-legged beast, yet it was not a beast; it had the tail of a serpent, yet it was not a serpent; its entire body was covered in dragon scales, yet it was not a dragon.

It was nothing more than a corrupted demon beast, one that could no longer become a god.

═══════════════

[Name] Gangcheol

[Rank] Third Dragon Grade

[Description] A corrupted imugi that failed to become a dragon. As a poison dragon, it possesses fire and poison attributes, and has a body as tough as steel.

═══════════════

【We’re doomed, totally doomed!】

【Did those crazy bastards not read the manual?】

【Wow, I’m seeing Gangcheol for the first time.】

True to its name, Gangcheol’s entire body was as hard as steel, and its two eyes flashed red.

Every time Gangcheol took a breath, a searing heat radiated outward.

“What the hell is that?”

“A-A demon beast. A demon beast appeared…!”

“Damn it, just take it down first!”

The Zone 3 members charged toward Gangcheol.

However, that was nothing short of suicide.

I saw Gangcheol draw in a massive breath.

A preparatory motion.

I shouted toward Jang Taeheon.

“Jang Taeheon, get down!”

-Kwa-aaaa!

At that very moment, a torrent of fierce flames poured from Gangcheol’s maw.

The surrounding trees instantly burned to ash.

I barely managed to flatten myself against the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack.

I only suffered a stinging sensation on my singed back.

-Grrrrr…

Seeing Gangcheol in pain, it didn’t seem like the next attack would come immediately.

It appeared confused, as if it hadn’t been a demon beast for long.

【Hey, what do we do now?】

【We have to stop Gangcheol!】

【But everyone’s in bad shape right now, aren’t they?】

I forcefully broke the trap, then approached Jang Taeheon and fed him another recovery potion.

This should at least allow him to move.

Just then, the fallen Zone 3 members struggled to call out to Jang Taeheon.

“J-Jang Taeheon. Help us…”

I glanced at them and spoke.

“Looks like those are your allies over there.”

At those words, Jang Taeheon’s face instantly went pale.

He spoke urgently.

“I didn’t call them! I had no intention of stabbing you in the back to win!”

It seemed he had misunderstood my question.

He must have thought I was implying he had colluded with them to stab me in the back.

I helped Jang Taeheon to his feet.

“I know. You’re not that kind of guy.”

Jang Taeheon wasn’t the type to scheme.

The other members must have jumped in on their own accord.

He looked bewildered and asked.

“…Are you really trusting me?”

“Yeah. We need to get out of here first.”

Gangcheol was currently running rampant, having lost its senses.

It was an opponent we couldn’t defeat even in perfect condition.

From the looks of it, while there were injured among the Zone 3 members, there didn’t seem to be any casualties.

Everyone was grabbing the wounded and retreating.

For now, we also needed to fall back, recover, and regroup with the others.

“Jang Taeheon, you’re coming with me.”

I thought there was a chance he would refuse, but Jang Taeheon nodded and followed behind me.

When we reached the container area, several people had gathered and were looking toward where Gangcheol was.

“What in the world is that monster?”

“Something like that was in this Demon Realm?”

Gangcheol was so massive that it pierced through the canopy and loomed in the sky.

At that size, everyone in this Demon Realm must be looking at Gangcheol right now.

Just then, Shin Sooa saw me and ran over in surprise.

“Seo Kangrim, did you hurt your leg? What in the world…!”

“I’ve already taken a recovery potion for first aid. Where is Father Yohan? I need healing.”

“I’ll bring him right away!”

Shin Sooa hurriedly brought Father Yohan over.

Thanks to his healing, both Jang Taeheon and I barely managed to return to full health.

Amidst the chaos, I could see Seo Jungmin panicking, not knowing what to do.

“Ah, damn it! Why did it have to be Gangcheol…! Everyone, evacuate to the lobby. The Fate Protection Bureau will handle everything after this… huh?”

He was shouting at the people when his words abruptly cut off.

A single message window floated before his eyes.

Seo Jungmin read the message and let out a sigh.

“Ah, seriously. What are the higher-ups thinking…”

Even as he said that, Seo Jungmin pulled a small megaphone from his pocket.

【The Fate Protection Bureau makes an announcement!】

A booming voice echoed through the megaphone.

It was loud enough for everyone in the Demon Realm to hear.

【The Dragon Grade demon beast Gangcheol has appeared in the Snake’s Room. Accordingly, the Fate Protection Bureau offers you another mission!】

【A second condition to achieve the mission has been added! Subjugating Gangcheol will also be treated as completing the mission.】

【It is still possible to choose the original mission. Completing the additional mission will increase your rewards!】

As soon as those words finished, a notification popped up in front of me.

It seemed everyone had received the same message, not just me.

[The Snake’s Room is beginning.]

[Subjugate the demon beast ‘Gangcheol’.]

[Time Limit: None]

People seemed shaken by the suddenly updated mission.

However, no one could be more troubled than me.

I asked Seo Jungmin.

“Do we have to subjugate Gangcheol?”

“There is no choice. It is a failed creation. A snake that failed to become a dragon must die.”

At the words ‘failed creation,’ I saw Jang Taeheon’s shoulders tremble slightly.

Meanwhile, a few people spoke with troubled expressions.

“If we just survive today, the mission ends… Wouldn’t it be better not to hunt it?”

“But they’re giving extra rewards, so how about we go for it?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to gather people and go?”

I wiped the blood from my face and stood up.

The only people here right now were Shin Sooa and Father Yohan.

I asked the two of them.

“What will you two do? Are you going to hunt Gangcheol?”

“What about you, Kangrim?”

“I think I have to go check on Gangcheol first. Because Gangcheol is the imugi I was protecting.”

At those words, Father Yohan’s eyes widened.

He stammered.

“T-Then if people kill Gangcheol, Brother Seo Kangrim’s mission is an automatic failure.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

I didn’t have many options.

Others could evacuate while protecting their own snakes, but not me.

If it was going to be killed, I had to kill it before anyone else did.

The gods seemed quite pleased by this fact.

【Wow, Kangrim picked the imugi for nothing.】

【Should’ve just picked a snake.】

【Doesn’t Seo Kangrim have to kill Gangcheol no matter what?】

【Right. Or maybe endure it and let Gangcheol survive for the day?】

【But if he kills both Jang Taeheon and Gangcheol, doesn’t he complete both missions?】

As they said, if I joined forces with Jang Taeheon and killed Gangcheol, we could all proceed to the next stage.

Father Yohan glanced at me and spoke.

“Then are you going to hunt Gangcheol, Brother?”

“Yes. I suppose I have to subjugate Gangcheol.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be an easy task.

There was no one here who could face a Dragon Grade demon beast like Gangcheol alone.

I addressed Shin Sooa and Father Yohan.

“Could the two of you lend me your strength?”

If they didn’t help me, I had no way of doing this.

Fortunately, they both nodded readily.

“Alright. We also owe a debt to you, Kangrim.”

“I-I will help too. I don’t know if it will be possible, but…”

In the meantime, Gangcheol’s cries began to change.

Was it slowly coming to its senses now?

Shin Sooa picked up the sword she had set aside and spoke.

“Bom and Gyeoul must have seen Gangcheol too, so they’ll be here soon. And Dokgo Jun.”

I wasn’t sure how many of those three would help me, but at least two of them would.

Would Jang Taeheon help me?

I glanced at him, and his expression was not good.

Jang Taeheon asked with a pale face.

“Are you going to kill it? It’s your snake.”

“You were planning to take me down and kill my snake anyway, weren’t you?”

“Me killing it and you killing it are different.”

Jang Taeheon was a man who valued loyalty, so he probably didn’t like my attitude.

Just as I was about to explain further, he whipped around.

“If you’re going to kill the imugi, I can’t help you.”

Leaving only those words, he quickly left the area.

I wanted to follow him, grab him, and talk, but I didn’t have the time.

Gangcheol’s cries were growing increasingly sharper.

“…Let’s go for now.”

I said to Father Yohan and Shin Sooa, who were watching me.

They nodded and followed behind me.

As we returned to where Gangcheol had appeared with the others, the anguished screams grew even clearer.

-Keuaaaak!

As we approached Gangcheol, my skin began to sting.

The air around here was brimming with poison and heat.

Despite it being broad daylight, the surrounding air was distorted in a red hue, as if a sunset and the apocalypse had arrived at once.

“Take it down! Take it down!”

“Attack from behind!”

In the meantime, there were people who had arrived before us.

The Zone 3 members were surrounding Gangcheol and launching attacks.

【Huh, why did they come back?】

【They seem like different guys.】

【Do they not grasp the situation… looks like they came back to die.】

Since failing to complete the mission by today would result in mission failure, it seemed they had chosen to hunt Gangcheol.

If people killed Gangcheol like this, my mission would end in failure.

I had only one option given to me.

I had to subjugate Gangcheol before anyone else did, no matter what.