Ranker Who Lives Twice

Team: HH, thursdays, Yahiko (6/12)

Yeon-woo grinned because the letter was extremely fitting of Kahn. He hadn’t shown himself once when Yeon-woo had looked for him back then, and this was all he started his letter with.

The letter was long, and the first section mostly asked how Yeon-woo was. Information about what Kahn went through was near the end.

…..Actually, after that day, I had to spend my days busily. I made a deal with the Devil Army.

Yeon-woo’s face turned stiff, eyes flashing. A deal with the Devil Army. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

‘Victoria said the people following them and Kahn were gone when she woke up.’

There weren’t any details about what kind of deal Kahn had made with them.

All he said was that there was nothing to worry about and that he was doing fine.

Anyways. I left for the first time in a while to meet my damned father and heard you’ve been asking around for me. So I wrote this letter.

But then, I also heard that you do deals here, too? Dang. I’m doing this through connections, but you’re really amazing. Right?

Yeon-woo lifted his gaze to look at Atran. He didn’t say anything, but Atran shook his head as if he knew what he was going to ask.

“You already know that we’re extremely secretive about the information on our customers. However, depending on the person, some constraints are ignored. Sir Kahn is a royal-rank, and it was fine to tell him that you had a contract with us, whereas his is a secret. In fact, we don’t even know it that well.”

Unless Kahn was stupid, he would have made a direct deal with By the Table since he was trying to stay off the grid.

You probably have a lot of questions, but this is it. It’s like how you were hiding a lot from me in the beginning. Please understand it like that.

But I’m doing fine, so don’t worry, and deliver my greetings to Victoria. I’ll come after I’m done with things here. Okay? Stay well until then.

Kahn’s letter ended like that.

Where was he, and what was he doing? What deal did he make with the Devil Army? Why couldn’t he find anything about Doyle? And what happened between the two of them?

Yeon-woo sighed as he closed the letter.

He didn’t know if Kahn really was doing well or if he just acted like he was when he was actually getting into more trouble.

‘But it’s a relief that he’s able to write to me.’

And he learned one other thing.

‘So Kahn was the son of the Iron Lion.’

The mercenary clan Yeon-woo had seen in passing during the battle with Walpurgisnacht, the Iron Lion Clan. He didn’t know that their master was Kahn’s father.

It wasn’t necessarily a secret, but Yeon-woo hadn’t looked into Kahn’s background, so he hadn’t known.

‘If something happens, I can look for him through Iron Lion.’

He hoped, wherever Kahn was, he was doing well.

And he became worried about where Doyle was and how he was doing.

* * *

“Aaaack! Save me! Please! Pl…..ease!”

“Hehehe. Centaurs. I’ve always wanted to eat them once. I heard their livers are so good….. I wonder how it tastes.”

Half-human, half-horse beings. Centaurs were native to the 32nd floor. However, there weren’t many, and they weren’t social, so it was hard to meet them.

However, because of their unmatched strength, whenever they did appear, they always received the spotlight.

Natahan was also one of those beings. When he was a teenager, he left because he didn’t like the small society of his species, and he succeeded in entering Red Dragon’s 81 Eyes.

There was almost no one in the Tower who didn’t know the nickname ‘Red-Eyed Archer.’ When he returned to his homeland, he felt good about himself because of the gazes of his old friends.

However, his mother wasn’t like them. She kept on telling him to stop and become free. He would be in danger if he went any further. Centaurs didn’t belong on the dark battlefield but in a large, open field.

Natahan just shouted at his mother, telling her that she didn’t know anything.

He didn’t like to listen to her nagging. He was progressing well. He was successful, so why was his mother so concerned?

It was stressful, and he hated it.

However.

The moment he was at death’s door, all Natahan could remember was his mother’s concerned eyes. What she said about him returning to their homeland anytime echoed in his ears.

The smiling Gluttony Emperor looked like a demon to him.

‘Mother, I’m sorry…..!’

Puk!

The Gluttony Emperor’s hand dug into his left lower body. He didn’t resist. The predatory aura of the Gluttony Emperor made him lose all will to fight.

The Gluttony Emperor dug his head into the cut. He could see the fresh beating liver. The thick veins got in the way, but he cut them off with his canines and swallowed everything up. Even that was a delicacy for the Gluttony Emperor.

The image of him eating something alive may have looked disgusting, but the two dukes protected his side without any expressions on their faces. The two dukes, Duke Tuan Tien and Duke Moglay, didn’t take their eyes off as Natahan died.

Blood Land suffered huge losses when Duke Ardbad and Duke Robera died at the hands of the Summer Queen.

They entered an official war with White Dragon, and the first thing the Gluttony Emperor and the two Dukes did was hunt the old 81 Eyes.

Now that Natahan, the old left-hand of the Summer Queen, had died, the damages to both sides were approximately equal.

Of course, he didn’t plan on ending things like this. If he did, he wouldn’t have started the war in the first place. The Gluttony Emperor was going to work with Black Dragon to bring down White Dragon.

There was only one thing he wanted.

‘Eating the Spring Queen’s heart.’

The Gluttony Emperor’s desire to try dragon meat someday hadn’t changed. Also, he still had a small wish to try the One-horned tribe even after the Martial King beat him up like that in the past.

But if he ate the Spring Queen’s heart? He would be able to relieve himself of both of them. Where else would there be fun prey like that?

Crunch, crunch—

“Mmm.”

The Gluttony Emperor slowly lifted his head after he finished eating. His face and clothes were covered in blood.

He wiped his face with the handkerchief Duke Tuan Tien gave him and grinned. It was a smile of satisfaction after enjoying a good meal. Red energy gathered around his eyes and vanished.

〈Predation〉and 〈Digestion〉. These skills of the Gluttony Emperor stacked up the magic power and Blessings he ate into his body. Along with Bathory’s Vampiric Sword, it was among the best of the energy drain skills.

“Usually, centaurs don’t taste good because they have a lot of fat after being pent up in farms. But this one was quite muscular and tasted good.”

“That’s a relief, sir.”

“But it won’t be as good as dragon meat. I want to eat steak made of dragon meat! And how thrilling would wine made of Dragon Blood be! I must eat it someday!”

The more he ate these delicacies, the greater his obsession for dragon meat became.

“It seems that isn’t too far off.”

Duke Tuan Tien handed him another handkerchief.

“Ah, is there good news?”

“Black Dragon said they plan on attacking mainly White Dragon. Green Dragon will also attack them, and they want us to help.”

“Another direct attack, hm? Well, that’s fun in its own way.”

The struggle of the three clans after Red Dragon crumbled was still ongoing.

Clans like Blood Land and Elohim were looking to interfere as soon as a chance was presented.

The reason why new emerging clans could sprout up was that the large clans were focused on each other.

There were great battles every day, and it was confusing to differentiate between ally and foe.

However, right now, the Gluttony Emperor didn’t plan on betraying them. His revenge for his subordinate and desire for dragon meat had turned to one of obsession. If he saw a chance, he needed to take it.

“Good. Tuan Tien, you focus on the upcoming fight. It’ll be a true buffet. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

Duke Tuan Tien, the second-in-command of Blood Land, left thinking of the orders he would have to give out.

Duke Moglay took his place when he left.

“Your Majesty, the news you have been waiting for has just arrived.”

“News?”

“Our close friend, the Hoarder, who apologized saying he was too busy, has finally sent a message that he wants to see Your Majesty.”

“What? Why are you telling me that now?!”

The Gluttony Emperor’s face became flushed. He burst up from his seat.

“What are you doing? You should be getting ready to return to the castle now! An important visitor is coming. Then we need to prepare as such! A feast! Prepare a feast!”

* * *

After Yeon-woo told Blood Land he wanted to visit through Atran, he visited the One-horned tribe.

“I’ll be waiting here since outsiders aren’t allowed.”

After sending Yeon-woo off, Creutz set up a light barrier and began to rest. He hadn’t rested since leaving Tartarus.

Yeon-woo immediately went to Brahm.

“Do I have some Dragon Blood left over?”

“Yes.”

Brahm looked at Yeon-woo with a flabbergasted face.

“If you’re talking about the Summer Queen’s, I obviously used all of it. Why would there be any left?”

There were many uses for Dragon Blood. Treasure with that much magic power wasn’t common.

Not only was it used to purify Vigird, but it was also used to construct the Outer Space and different magical items.

Brahm hadn’t planned on using it much since it was a precious treasure.

“You said to use it without hesitation. That there shouldn’t be anything left over when you invest in things.”

Of course he would be surprised that Yeon-woo came to ask about it suddenly. Brahm felt like he was being questioned and felt a bit unpleasant.

But Yeon-woo seemed to be satisfied.

“So that means there’s still some left.”

“Only an extremely small amount.”

“That’s good. If you have somewhere to use it, you can give me a diluted version. Or it can even be whatever’s left after you use it.”

Brahm realized Yeon-woo was planning something again. Interest filled his face.

“Where are you planning on using it?”

“To give it to the Gluttony Emperor.”

“What?”

pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ Brahm’s face slightly crumpled. The Gluttony Emperor was someone who had been after Sesha. But Yeon-woo wanted to give him what?

Before a misunderstanding occurred, Yeon-woo calmly explained his idea, and Brahm looked astonished. Then, he smirked.

“So you’re going to give the leftover blood and get Jamshid’s Liquor in return?”

“Yes, that is right.”

“Do you know what Jamshid’s Liquor is? Among fanatics, it sold even more expensively than Dragon Blood.

Jamshid’s Liquor wasn’t just simply wine. It had the magic power of an old king. Its value as an elixir was outstanding.

“But it’s not even a significant amount, and you just want to give him leftovers…..”

“The value of an item is subjective to whoever is buying it.”

“I suppose.”

Brahm clicked his tongue after thinking of the Gluttony Emperor’s obsession for Dragon Blood and dragon meat.

“Then wait here a moment.”

Brahm stood up and left for his lab. When he came back sometime later, he brought a tightly corked flask.

Yeon-woo caught it and looked inside. Red blood was shining within it.

“I diluted it and mixed it with a bunch of other stuff. I made it taste exactly like blood so that fool will like it.”

The Gluttony Emperor would probably still enjoy it.

“And this is dragon meat. I’ve been saving it in case of an emergency, so take as much as you want.”

Brahm put a big pouch on the table. Yeon-woo graciously accepted it.

“Thank you.”

“They were all yours anyway. Also.”

Brahm’s eyes flashed.

“Do you think it’s true that they can find Jeong-woo’s soul?”

“I’m not sure. But it seems it’s definitely being held somewhere not in the Beyond. So…..”

“You have to create Kynee as quickly as you can. Is that it?”

“Yes.”

Brahm nodded his head heavily.

“Hades—that guy didn’t leave Olympus that often, so I didn’t see him much myself, but he was very prideful and had responsibility for his work. That’s probably why he’s still in Tartarus.”

Then, he narrowed his eyes.

“But it’s a bit strange. He could’ve asked all of Olympus for assistance. But why…..”

Although Hades had a strong sense of responsibility, he wasn’t one to let things get this far. Was something preventing him from asking for help?

It was something Yeon-woo had thought of before, so he nodded in agreement.

“Where I used to live, they had a saying that went like ‘One hundred people, one hundred colors.’ It means that all people have their individual color or problem going on in their life. There’s no need to interfere with what the gods are doing. Instead, I’ll focus on creating Kynee.”

“I used to live under the rule of the principle of causality once. You don’t have to lecture me.”

Yeon-woo and Brahm made some more small talk. Then, Yeon-woo glanced at another room.

He could see Ananta sitting on a rocking chair inside. Her eyes were still blank.

“Could I speak with Ananta for a moment?”

“I’ll be grateful if you do. Ananta won’t be bored then.”

He entered the room Ananta was in.

There was a cute bear-patterned blanket on her knees. It was one that Sesha used frequently. It seemed she had brought it thinking her mom would be cold.

Yeon-woo grinned and kneeled to be eye-level with Ananta.

Then.

Clack—

He took off his mask and looked at Ananta in the eye with the same face Jeong-woo had.

“Ananta.”

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