Chapter 332 - Descendants of the Monkey King (7) (1/2)

Ding ding ding—

News of the Hoarder’s arrival rang in the Iron Lion’s base. Players moved frantically, but Yeon-woo began his attack.

Kwakwang!

Every stroke of Vigrid poured fire down from the sky and reduced the base to ruins.

“Where do you think this is?!”

The vice-clan leader of Iron Lion, Jonathan, rushed over to the scene, grinding his teeth.

After Torca, who was like a brother to him, died, he was having a conference about how to take care of the Hoarder with him roaming around the stage. He had frantically rushed over after hearing the news.

Jonathan gripped his sword. The Hoarder had been using the “hit and run” method to make the “alliance” helpless little by little.

But he had suddenly appeared. That could only mean one thing. He was looking down on them.

The fire turned the sky red and the ground black. Monster Portents poured out and slaughtered the players.

Then, Yeon-woo turned to him.

He was wearing a mask, but his eyes were like an abyss. Jonathan stepped back subconsciously in surprise. Something scary wrapped around his heart.

“Let me just ask you one thing.”

“What kind of bulls*** are you gonna talk about?”

Jonathan shouted to hide the fact that he had been scared for a moment.

Regardless, Yeon-woo just asked his question.

“What does the Iron Lion clan think about Kahn?”

“What…..!”

“Do you think he’s the son of the leader? Or simply an enemy?”

From the Tutorial, Kahn and Doyle had been wary about speaking about their parents. He knew that they were children of outstanding rankers, but they didn’t talk about it. He thought he understood how they felt.

Like they were tossed away.

Yeon-woo also despised his father, who disappeared suddenly when he was young.

He completely erased all memory of the man as he grew up, but he still sympathized with Kahn and Doyle.

But Kahn’s father, Iron Lion, was after Kahn. If he was just trying to save Kahn, Yeon-woo would’ve considered the clan his ally, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

They were treating Kahn like he was an enemy, no, like he was a criminal.

They looked as if they were going to force Kahn to go with them once he was caught.

However, that was just Yeon-woo’s opinion. He didn’t know what the Iron Lion clan was actually after.

He wanted to listen to what they had to say.

His relationship with the Iron Lion clan had gone past the point of no return, but if it was for Kahn, he was willing to work with them.

Also.

As if Yeon-woo’s thoughts had been clearly read, Jonathan’s gaze turned calm. His boiling fury and violent aura disappeared. Instead, he looked at Yeon-woo with cold eyes.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“I’m his friend.”

Friend. The word that he thought he would never say naturally flowed from Yeon-woo’s mouth.

The shadow containing Shanon and Hanryeong shook.

“Friend?”

But Jonathan just snorted.

“Did you say ‘friend’?”

He raised a corner of his mouth, forming a cold smile.

“He is the son of the lion. Do you think lions have friends? He may have learned the habits of wild dogs after hanging out with them, but a lion is still a lion. You don’t think that a thing whose roots are unclear like you can really be his friend, right?”

Kwaaaa—

Jonathan gripped swords in each of his hands. It was the dual-wielding technique, which was rare to see in the Tower.

“He’s walking the wrong path because he’s going through a rebellious phase. It’s up to us to lead him on the correct path again.”

His aura whipped around his blades.

The second-in-command, the pride of the Iron Lion clan. Although he had been pushed back by Yeon-woo for a bit, his abilities were near a high ranker’s.

“So whatever your reason is in the end, your purpose is to protect Kahn.”

Yeon-woo stood against his aura and smiled. A short sound of laughter escaped his mask.

In one way, it sounded like a laughter of relief, but it also sounded like a scoff.

Jonathan was about to step forward in anger again.

“What you just said saved your life.”

“What…..?!”

Jonathan couldn’t even shout. Yeon-woo suddenly dropped below. He instinctively tried to step back, pulling his dual blades towards him, but…..

Kashing—

Puak!

His right arm felt hot, and his arm was separated from his shoulder.

“Keaaaaack!”

Yeon-woo briefly appeared behind the screaming Jonathan and spread his wings of fire apart to dig deep into the Iron Lion clan.

‘Even though they’re on Kahn’s side, they’re just a bother now. I better decrease their numbers.’

Krrrng—

* * *

Iron Lion.

Ivan was always proud of his name. “Iron” because he was strong and “lion” because he ruled the battlefield. A lion made of iron. Invincibility and tenacity symbolized him.

But.

“…..What a mess.”

Ivan laughed in disbelief at the sight in front of him.

It had been 10 days since he gave orders to bring his foolish son by the collar. He had brought the first brigade after receiving news that the Iron Lion clan was in danger. What greeted him was a military base in ruins.

Out of the five brigades he dispatched to the 20th floor, two of them were destroyed, one of them was half-gone, and the remaining two were either filled with soldiers who needed to recover or rest for a while.

And according to what he heard, each of the bases of the “alliance” were attacked, and half of their forces were gone. The destruction wasn’t something to take lightly.

Loss, what he hated the most, was in front of him.

If it was a simple loss, he would’ve been angry, but he wasn’t even angry at this devastating loss.

“Please kill me, sir.”

Jonathan got on one knee and lowered his head. He was gritting his teeth.

Ivan silently lowered his body and patted Jonathan’s right shoulder. It was an empty shoulder wrapped with bandages. He felt a fire flare inside of him upon looking at it.

Who was Jonathan? He was his subordinate who had stayed by his side when he had nothing and held a sword for the first time. No, he was his comrade, his family, and his only friend.

Such a friend was in this state.

“Get up.”

“But…..!”

“Get up. Are you going to continue humiliating me like this?”

Jonathan raised himself up after receiving Ivan’s help. However, because of his injury, his body was trembling.

Ivan’s face stiffened.

“The Hoarder, you said?”

“…..Yes.”

“Not only did he dare to get in my way, he touched my people. I heard he was insolent, but I didn’t know he was this arrogant.”

Ivan turned to look at his subordinate, who still had his head lowered.

“You.”

“Yes, sir!”

Male lions led the clan and bared their teeth when his pride of lions was attacked. And when his teeth were bared, he attacked using everything he had.

“Send people to each base in the alliance. For the leaders to meet—that the Iron Lion wants to meet. Immediately.”