Not A Regressor-Chapter 314: Faded Promise (6)

Now that they had a clear objective, it was time to work out the details of the plan.

Kwon Oh-Jin, Kellion, and Isabella put their heads together to fine-tune the decoy strategy. They coordinated the escape routes, personnel, and timing to minimize sacrifices.

The possibility existed that the demonkin could move first. Fortunately, during the few days spent strategizing, no sudden attacks came from the demonkin’s pursuit squads.

“Hmm. All I have to do is use the flashiest techniques possible?” Vega cocked her head after hearing Kwon Oh-Jin’s explanation.

“Yeah. No need to destroy anything. Just use your powers like you’re setting off fireworks.”

“If that’s all, I think I can manage that.” 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Just like she had used lightning as a signal flare back in the Sky Mountains, Vega could easily attract attention.

“On the other hand, I just go over here and start smashing everything in sight?” Riarc asked Kwon Oh-Jin.

“And even better if you throw in a few roars while you're at it.”

Kwon Oh-Jin planned to cause a commotion deep within the kingdom with only Vega and Riarc infiltrating on their own. Sneaking the entire dragonkin group into the kingdom was impossible, but just those two would be easy. Of course, the demonkin forces everywhere would quickly discover them, but that was the point.

Vega and Riarc can easily escape even if an army surrounds them.

They had an absolute ability to escape perfectly.

“If it gets too dangerous, just draw as many of them in as possible and retreat to the Sanctum.”

Retreating to the Sanctum couldn’t be stopped unless a Celestial used their Sacred Ground or some kind of special barrier existed.

“I understand!” Vega said.

“Breaking stuff isn’t hard anyway.”

Vega and Riarc nodded eagerly.

When they first discussed the plan, Kwon Oh-Jin had worried that Vega would still be too flustered to cooperate. After all, she couldn’t even meet his eyes after being summoned and kept running away.

After hearing about the Dragonian Kingdom’s situation and the story of the Dragon God, she seriously listened to the plan as if she had never run away in the first place.

Separating one’s personal and professional life was obvious. Vega quickly switched into full battle mode even after getting caught whimpering from being spanked. Her feelings for Kwon Oh-Jin had also been discovered.

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn't help but be impressed by her mental fortitude.

“A-Ahem, my child.” Vega carefully approached and whispered in his ear, “A-All of that before... it was a misunderstanding. Never forget that I am not some shameless woman with perverse tastes!”

Nevermind. She definitely hasn't fully processed it yet.

Suppressing a bitter chuckle, Kwon Oh-Jin turned away.

The dragonkin warriors looked at him with tense expressions.

“Everyone, remember. What matters most in this operation is the order and timing.”

The plan went as followed. First, Vega and Riarc would sneak into the kingdom and cause a disturbance. Second, the main force would blast through the front gate and rush toward the imprisoned dragonkin. Third, if the demonkin showed signs of using hostages or reinforcing their positions, the group would immediately reverse course and escape the kingdom.

It sounded simple enough, but unless every part clicked together like gears at the right moment, they would suffer a high number of casualties.

“Is everyone ready?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

No one loudly cheered. The dragonkin simply nodded with solemn expressions.

“Good.”

Vega and Riarc would secretly infiltrate the kingdom.

“Can you check how many guards are stationed at the castle wall right now?” Vega asked.

“Of course.”

Just like the first time he had scouted the kingdom, Kwon Oh-Jin climbed a high cliff and used Lightning Steps. The ruined kingdom stretched out before him.

He focused on the castle walls and frowned.

What the hell?

Had the demonkin already decided that the Dragonian Kingdom was completely wiped out? No demonkin guarded the wall, and only a few demonic beasts lazily roamed around.

Either way, the lack of surveillance was good news.

“Head that way.” Kwon Oh-Jin pointed toward an area with no guards.

Vega and Riarc soared toward the castle wall. She could fly naturally, and Riarc could also use Lightning Steps like Kwon Oh-Jin. The kingdom’s high walls posed no more of an obstacle than a schoolyard fence.

“We’ll begin the operation in exactly fifteen minutes.” Kwon Oh-Jin approached Isabella. “I’ll leave blowing up the gate to you.”

“Hehe. Of course.”

A giant thirty-meter-tall gate marked the Dragonian Kingdom’s entrance. The demonkin’s initial invasion had already damaged it with holes in several places. If they concentrated their firepower and attacked all at once, the gate wouldn’t last long.

Kwon Oh-Jin gently patted Boppy’s neck. Isabella would be riding on its back.

“I’m counting on you to take care of Bella.”

“Grrr!” Boppy clicked its beak and nodded.

In terms of raw speed, Isabella could run faster than Boppy at a full sprint. However, it was safer to ride Boppy and focus solely on attacking with demonkin and demonic beasts closing in from all directions.

“You’re coming with us until halfway, right, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

“Yeah. Once we turn to escape, it’ll just be me, Ha-Eun, and the Elder heading to the Dragon God's lair.”

“Please be careful, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“You’re the one who should be careful, not me.”

Isabella and the dragonkin unit were the real key to this operation. Even though Vega and Riarc would stir up chaos first, that was only meant to briefly draw attention.

Once the demonkin see the gate being blown apart, they’ll definitely gather on Isabella’s side.

No matter how one looked at it, Isabella had the most dangerous role by far.

“Hmm, are you worried about me?” Isabella asked.

“Of course, I am.”

Who wouldn’t worry when their partner volunteered to act as bait against an army in the tens of thousands?

“Oh my, how sweet!” Isabella shrieked in delight, placing her hands on her cheeks.

Was she being dramatic on purpose? The nervous tension around them suddenly seemed to loosen just a bit.

“Mr. Oh-Jin, could I ask you a small favor before we leave?”

“A favor?”

With less than five minutes left until the operation, what favor could she possibly ask for?

“Give me your hand for a moment.” Isabella hopped off Boppy’s back.

When he reached out, she grabbed his hand with both hands and pulled him close.

Looking up at him with a heated gaze, her breath turned sultry. “Please give me your hot and rich thing.”

“Huh?”

Give you what now?

“Mmm.”

Her soft tongue brushed against his fingertip. A sharp sting followed as her fangs pricked his skin, and blood welled up in his hand. Isabella drank his blood and pulled back with a sweet smile.

“Haha. Now I’m all set.”

“You could’ve just said you needed my blood.”

“Oh my? What did you think I was asking for?”

“Be quiet.” Kwon Oh-Jin looked away, trying to shake off the lingering sensation of her tongue.

He knew that his blood strengthened her, but why had his mind gone elsewhere?

Isabella burst into laughter, clearly amused by his flustered look.

“Anyway, pull out immediately if things get dangerous,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“Haha. I will, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“If things go well, I might even give you a reward.”

“Oh my? A reward?”

Since Isabella had taken on the riskiest and most crucial role in this mission, it wasn’t a bad idea to offer a little bonus to help her stay motivated.

“You like my blood, don’t you? After this, I’ll let you drink as much as you want.” He sounded like a manager promising to treat the team to Hanwoo[1] if the project succeeded.

Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t get the appeal himself, but judging by the way Isabella always trembled in bliss when she drank his blood, it probably tasted even better than a Hanwoo course to her.

“Hmm. Drinking your blood endlessly does sound nice, but...” She leaned in close and whispered seductively, “I’d like to drink something else too.”

Holy shit.

Kwon Oh-Jin jolted back like a cat pricked by a needle, putting immediate distance between them.

“Then, I’ll be looking forward to it.” Isabella licked her lips and climbed back onto Boppy.

“Having fun, are you?” Song Ha-Eun asked with a frown and clicked her tongue.

Just then, a blinding bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a ferocious roar from demonic beasts that shook the air.

Crackle!

“Kraaaaa!”

“Damn, they’re loud.”

The lightning was one thing, but a roar this loud from so far away was something else.

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled under his breath and looked toward the distant castle wall.

They’re moving.

Even with their lacking guards, the demonkin weren’t incompetent enough to ignore such a ruckus. He could see the demonic beasts stationed on the wall springing into action.

—The demonkin army is converging this way!

Vega informed them through the communicator that Kwon Oh-Jin had given her.

“We should get ready too,” Kwon Oh-Jin said to Kellion.

“Understood.”

Kelion placed a hand over his left chest. Behind him, the dragonkin warriors lined up in formation and also began drawing their Stigma’s mana as they prepared for battle.

Isabella raised her hand toward the castle gate. “Let it flow.”

Blood dripped down her palm, and a blooming crimson flower burst forth. Its red petals swirled in the air.

“Now!”

Boom!

The massive thirty-meter-tall gate tore apart like paper.

At the front, Kellion raised his staff high. “Proud warriors of the dragon! Let us reclaim our homeland!”

A thunderous cheer echoed out. “Whoooo!”

They charged through the narrow canyon as though it were an open plain. Though there were only a few hundred of them, the ground shook as if tens of thousands were marching.

The demonic beasts near the castle gate quickly gathered.

“Krrrr!”

“Shhh!”

“Not on my watch!” Isabella lightly waved her hand, and the charging demonic beasts exploded into minced meat.

Blood splattered everywhere. Screams and battle cries rang out. The operation to awaken the Dragon God had begun.

“Let it flow!”

At the front of the group, Isabella slaughtered the incoming demonic beasts without hesitation. The path she left behind was soaked in thick puddles of blood.

Swinging a massive crimson scythe, she cleaved through dozens of charging beasts. The sight of her, drenched in gore and cutting through enemies like a reaper, was sheer terror itself.

“K-Krrrk!”

“Khhhhk!”

Even the instinct-driven demonic beasts recognized her as a threat and began hesitating. Some even retreated.

At this rate, it felt like they could win the war without even waking the Dragon God.

The real battle starts now.

Kwon Oh-Jin silently followed Isabella while suppressing his presence. He bit his lip. If their timing was correct, then the real threat would soon begin to move.

“My child! The demonkin are heading your way!” Right on cue, Vega came through the communicator.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes gleamed coldly as he gripped his spear. In the distance, he could see the demonkin.

They’re coming.

There were around thirty of them, less than half of the original force, considering that there were over a hundred of them before.

The problem is that Isabella has to deal with them alone.

Kwon Oh-Jin and Song Ha-Eun had to slip away during the chaos to reach the lair, which meant neither of them could afford to fight with Isabella. Only Isabella, the designated bait, could face the demonkin.

Each demonkin possessed power equivalent to a nine-star Awakener at a minimum.

Basically, they have thirty high-ranking Awakeners.

That realization made the demonkin’s strength painfully clear.

He could faintly hear Isabella ahead.

“Agh...”

Kwon Oh-Jin bit his lip at the heaviness in her groan.

Even for Isabella, she must be scared.

It would be weird if acting as bait and fighting against thirty demonkin didn’t strike fear into someone.

“Mr. Oh-Jin’s hot and... rich... hehe, hehehe.”

Isabella was definitely weird.

1. Referring to Hanwoo beef, one of the top-quality beefs in the world, native to Korea. ☜