Hephaestus blinked several times, staring at the small creature tucked in this human’s clothing. At first glance, it might be mistaken for an insignificant monster, but Hephaestus immediately knew its true identity. It was a dragon, the ruling species of the Deep Realm.
In the farthest reaches of the abyss known as the Core was the Deep Realm, and the beings that ruled there were the most powerful across all dimensions.
The dragons, a total of ten, were each assigned a rank from first to tenth. And among them, the strongest, the primordial dragon, who once ruled the Deep Realm as the Overlord, was the Dragon Lord, Izaas.
“Y-you are...” With an audible thump, Hephaestus, an ancient god, immediately knelt before the unmistakable king of the Deep Realm, Izaas.
Though he held the exalted title of a god, he could not compare to Izaas. Especially since the dragon was rumored to have a tyrannical disposition, Hephaestus bowed his head to ensure his survival.
“I greet the Overlord!”
Hearing his nickname, Yong-Yong slid down from the hood of the jacket and poked his head out through the half-open zipper, blinking his eyes. When Hephaestus addressed him familiarly, Yong-Yong tried to remember who Hephaestus was, but his memories of the Deep Realm were unclear. All he could do was blink at him.
Then, he chuckled and said, “Looks like I was quite the celebrity.”
“P-pardon? I beg your pardon, but could you explain what you mean by that?”
Hephaestus had no idea what the term “celebrity” meant. Afraid that moving on without understanding what it meant could potentially lead to trouble, he took the risk to cautiously ask for clarification.
“Ahem. You see, a celebrity is...”
The melting of the Heavenly Soul Stone was in progress. Hephaestus used the roaring flames in the furnace for this process. At first, he doubted the fire’s strength, but the flames surpassed even Ignium, renowned as the hottest fire ever.
This doesn’t make any sense, Hephaestus thought.
The fact that such intense flames could be created by human hands defied reason, but what truly baffled him was something else—the relationship between Do-Jun and Izaas. The king of the Deep Realm, once known as Izaas and now called Yong-Yong, was following Do-Jun, addressing him as “Master.”
The Overlord is serving a human?! Hephaestus thought and quickly stole a glance at Do-Jun.
Crafting a ring from the Heavenly Soul Stone required careful effort, and even Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, said it would take at least two hours. Meanwhile, Do-Jun took a book out of a small pouch on his belt and began reading. Yong-Yong wandered nearby, striking up a conversation.
“Master, why are you making a ring all of a sudden?”
“It’s for Yoon-Hee, so she won’t get hurt anywhere. Once the ring is complete, I’ll imbue a bit of my power into it.”
Eavesdropping on their conversation, Hephaestus found himself wondering who this “Yoon-Hee” might be, momentarily distracted from his work.
At that moment, Yong-Yong appeared beside him and leaped onto his shoulder. “Put your blood, sweat, and tears into this, got it? The ring you’re making right now is for the second most powerful person in our household. If you slack off because you’re lazy, it won’t end well for you.”
The second most powerful person in the household?
Hephaestus’s eyes darted nervously, sweat beading on his brow. He wasn’t sure how strong Do-Jun was, but if the Overlord called him “Master,” it was clear that Do-Jun was the most powerful figure in the household. And if the Overlord called this “Yoon-Hee,” the second most powerful...
T-there are two beings stronger than the Overlord?! Hephaestus was struck with utter disbelief.
By the end of the promised two hours, Hephaestus had successfully melted the Heavenly Soul Stone and crafted a ring identical in design to the Elder Elf’s Ring. He approached Do-Jun with the finished ring, presenting it with both hands in a reverent gesture. For some reason, it just felt like the proper thing to do.
“Thank you,” Do-Jun said, inspecting the ring. It shimmered with a green hue, identical to the Elder Elf’s Ring.
Set into the grooves of the ring was a golden leaf-shaped gemstone, which was a fragment of the Heavenly Soul Stone.
The Elder Elf’s Ring was an artifact Do-Jun had stumbled upon during an exploration of the B-rank Fissure, Elf’s Forest. He recalled how thrilled Yoon-Hee had been when he gifted it to her.
“I’ll treasure it forever!” she had said.
A faint hum filled the air as energy swirled in Do-Jun’s hand. The pure internal energy stored within his body began to seep into the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring. Using the ring as a conduit, Do-Jun intended to craft a Mana Shield—an artifact that could generate a one-time protective barrier by absorbing a Hunter’s magical energy.
Unlike the typical Mana Shield, which exhausted all its power after a single use, the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring was designed to be used several times—somewhat like a semi-permanent item.
The hum grew louder as the ring absorbed more and more of Do-Jun’s internal energy. He had chosen the Heavenly Soul Stone for this reason, as most materials couldn’t withstand his internal energy if it were to be stored for prolonged periods.
Eventually, the ring resonated—a signal that it could hold no more.
Though he regretted that it couldn’t store as much energy as he wanted it to, Do-Jun decided to stop infusing it further.
Hephaestus observed the faint blue aura emanating from the ring. The Heavenly Soul Stone Ring, having absorbed its fill, began to settle, returning to its original green color as though nothing had happened.
What did he just do? He wondered.
Do-Jun suspended the ring in midair, making it float about two meters above the ground. Now it was time to test whether the shield worked properly.
Pointing at the ring, he said to Yong-Yong, “Try using your skill on it.”
Hephaestus frowned. Was this human really planning to destroy the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring after all the effort that went into making it? Even if it was made from the Heavenly Soul Stone, there was no way it could withstand the power of an Overlord.
But what happened next put Hephaestus in utter shock.
Yong-Yong’s appearance started to change into the one that once struck terror into the Deep Realm. It was the Overlord.
His crimson hair fluttered in the wind, and his sharp, piercing eyes became visible as he brushed his bangs aside. On the back of his hand, the number “1” glowed faintly.
“Give it your all,” Do-Jun commanded.
Yong-Yong nodded, and a menacing aura surged around him. His entire body began radiating magical power.
Hephaestus trembled. Even though they were in the domain of an ancient god, the very space shook violently as if it might collapse under the pressure.
Light gathered in Yong-Yong’s hands with a deafening roar. This was the power of the Overlord that once made even gods tremble in fear.
Hephaestus’ body started to shake uncontrollably, not because of his own will but as a response to the overwhelming energy coming from Yong-Yong. To shield himself from the oppressive force, Hephaestus channeled his own magic, forming a barrier around his body.
The light in Yong-Yong’s hand intensified, ready to unleash its devastating force.
Hephaestus opened his eyes. For a moment, he had lost consciousness. Only when the quakes subsided did he come to. Then, his eyes widened at the unbelievable sight before him.
It wasn’t destroyed, only humming slightly.
No, it should have been obliterated after taking the full force of the Overlord’s power. Yet, the ring remained intact, floating in midair in its original form, surrounded by a brilliant blue light. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NoveI★Fire.net
Yong-Yong was just as stunned since he had fully expected the ring to shatter into pieces after being hit by his Lord Breath.
The Status Window Snake coiled around Do-Jun’s wrist let out a screech, its color shifting to red. At the same time, Do-Jun swiftly swung his hand, sending a burst of energy streaking toward the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring.
A protective barrier formed around the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring, effortlessly blocking the sword qi.
This time, the snake turned orange.
Sword qi started to scatter all around the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring, but it couldn't break through the barrier surrounding it. The snake’s color kept escalating—yellow, green, blue... gradually reaching higher stages.
After a series of attacks, finally, a ★ symbol appeared on the snake’s forehead, marking the official peak of the Status Window: the purple stage with a hundred percent mastery.
But even then, the sword qi couldn't break through the ring’s barrier.
The Status Window Snake reverted to a colorless state.
Do-Jun had used only the Status Window’s strength to unleash sword qi, without infusing any of his own power. After confirming that even the purple stage posed no problems for the Heavenly Soul Stone Ring, he finally retrieved it.
“Good job,” Do-Jun said with a smile, praising Hephaestus, who had collapsed to the ground.
Hephaestus looked up at Do-Jun, his expression blank.
What had he just witnessed? Was what he just saw real?
Finally, Hephaestus understood why the Overlord had called Do-Jun “Master.”
He’s undoubtedly human. Yet...
He was an incomprehensible anomaly, a being that far exceeded human limits. Nonetheless, this amount of power was absurd—completely beyond reason.
“Can I ask you... no, may I humbly inquire something?” Hephaestus said to Do-Jun.
“How... how did you attain such power?”
Do-Jun simply shrugged.
A cold sweat ran down Hephaestus’ temple. Even now, the strongest in the Deep Realm were probably locked in battles for the throne.
It’s futile. He realized.
Yes. No matter how fiercely they fought against each other, everyone would be equal in the face of this human named Lee Do-Jun.
Ultimately, their fates hinged on how he chose to act. The one who held dominion over the Core—a world that unified all dimensions—was none other than....
The chirping of sparrows echoed outside.
“Mmm...” Although the alarm hadn’t gone off yet, Yoon-Hee opened her eyes.
Yong-Yong, Karsiel, and Byeol were all sleeping in a row beside her.
“Huh?” Yoon-Hee saw that the swelling on the back of her hand from the troll’s strike had completely disappeared. It didn’t hurt anymore. She had even struggled to sleep because of the throbbing pain, but now it was as if it had never been there.
Puzzled, Yoon-Hee unwrapped the bandage.
Then, as she stretched to shake off her drowsiness, she noticed that the Elder Elf’s Ring on her finger sparkled more brightly than usual. Thinking it was just her imagination playing tricks, she dismissed it as nothing and walked out of the bedroom.
As usual, Do-Jun sat at the dining table, drinking coffee and reading the morning newspaper.
“Good morning, Father. Did you sleep well?” Yoon-Hee greeted him.
“I did. Oh, right! Look, my injury’s completely healed. It doesn’t hurt at all anymore!”
She showed him her fully healed hand, marveling at it.
“That’s a relief,” Do-Jun said with a gentle smile.