Yeon-woo bit his lips as he looked around the territory of the Abyss Turtle. He was too late again. The ocean-sized lake had been drained until all that was left was a muddy pit. However, the Abyss Turtle was still clinging to life even though its heart and Neidan had been pulled out.

『A human who has received the blessing of the Phoenix and the Void Dragon? I saw someone like you 600 years ago, and I never imagined I would see it again. But there’s nothing you can do, human. You are a step too late.』

The Abyss Turtle was a humongous creature that was a blend of a turtle and a snake. They’d been created from the combination of a Mythical Beast and a Magical Beast, which meant that they were both one single creature and two. They had a turtle’s head and body and a long snake’s head near their tail.

One head signified a god, and the other signified magic, which was how they tested players. The Abyss Turtle had the mildest personality of the Four Legendary Beasts, and they even liked humans, so they gave tests to whoever asked. But appropriately enough for a creature with two heads, they created tests so difficult that many died in the process of taking them.

The Abyss Turtle blinked slowly and looked at Yeon-woo with two pairs of eyes. They also knew that they had to do the same thing that the Void Dragon had. No matter how gentle someone was, it was impossible not to be infuriated by a sudden attack. In fact, the Abyss Turtle’s fury likely ran deeper than the Void Dragon’s since the snake was a Magical Beast that once used to eat Manticores. He couldn’t accept dying this way.

『We have a blessing.』

『Will you accept our blessing?』

And the favor of the Abyss Turtle appeared.

“Yes, I leave it to you.” Yeon-woo nodded.

[You have received the Blessing of the Abyss Turtle.]

[You have made an achievement that is not easily accomplished. Additional karma will be provided.]

[You have received 5,000 karma.]

[You have received an additional 3,000 karma.]

....

[You have accepted the request of the Abyss Turtle and you must finish the test.]

[This is a forced condition. You cannot reject it. If you reject it, you will receive a severe penalty.]

[Hidden Quest / The Abyss Turtle’s Test]

[Description: The Abyss Turtle is watching you carry out the test of the Phoenix and the Void Dragon with interest. They wish to give you a test. The Abyss Turtle wants someone to carry out their revenge. Please look for a Mythical Beast worthy of becoming his successor and turn it into a Legendary Beast.]

[Rewards:

1. A piece of the Turtle Head’s shell

2. Shedding of the Snake Tail's skin

3. ???]

‘A successor?’ Yeon-woo had been expecting something more violent, like the kind of revenge that the Void Dragon had in mind.

『What would we do with revenge?.』

『There’s no such thing as immortality anyway. We have lived double a normal life since we are two.』

『We have no regrets in death.』

『Unlike the Phoenix, we didn’t leave children behind.』

Yeon-woo realized that their eyes were focused on Chirpy, brimming with warmth and envy. Even though the Phoenix was a rare creature, she had managed to find a mate. Since the Abyss Turtle was a combination of two creatures, they hadn’t been so fortunate. Descendants were proof that someone had once been alive, and the Abyss Turtle wanted to leave a legacy behind as well. ‘Since they can’t produce children, they are looking for a successor.’ What kind of creature would satisfy the Abyss Turtle? Yeon-woo thought this test was even more difficult than the Void Dragon’s revenge.

『We leave it to you.』

『We’ll be watching you from the Styx.』

The Abyss Turtle blinked their big eyes and gradually disappeared. As dust blew around them, they split into two creatures once more. The turtle spun around Yeon-woo and was absorbed first.

[The Magic Circuit is opening.]

[You have received the nickname ‘the Substitute of the Abyss Turtle.]

[Your strength has increased by 10 points.]

[Your dexterity has increased by 10 points.]

...

[Affinity towards water element has increased by 50.]

[Affinity towards ice element has increased by 50.]

....

Yeon-woo’s empty Magic Circuit started filling up, just as it had after the Void Dragon. But the Abyss Turtle had one more thing to give him. The particles of the snake landed on Yeon-woo’s skin, and a message appeared.

[The skill ‘Blue Spirit’s Blessing (Temporary)’ has been created.]

‘Skill?’ Yeon-woo’s eyes widened as he checked his new skill.

[Blue Spirit’s Blessing (Temporary)]

[Rank: ???]

[Proficiency: 0.0%]

[Description: A spirit has been stuck on you by the Abyss Turtle so that you can focus on the test. With the spirit, the different blessings of the Legendary Beasts will not clash with each other, and you will be able to use them all.]

[***This skill is inherent. Only those that have been acknowledged by the Abyss Turtle can receive this skill, and depending on the proficiency, growth is possible.]

‘It’s a passive skill.’ Yeon-woo realized the Abyss Turtle had given him something he hadn’t realized he needed, and he immediately sensed the different energies in his body settling. The blessings of the Legendary Beasts were powerful, which meant that he had to watch out for their compatibilities, just like buffs. If any conflicts between them happened during battle, it would be over for him.

The skill he’d just received would go far in preventing anything like that from happening, and he could rest easy using his strength at full power. Yeon-woo tried to find the Blue Spirit, but he couldn’t feel anything, probably because he didn’t have any control over it at the moment. He shook himself and continued to the next location where the Saber God was headed: the Sabertoothed Tiger of the West.

***

After running at full speed, Yeon-woo managed to arrive before the Saber God. However, after telling the Sabertoothed Tiger everything that had happened, from the fight between Red Dragon and the Cheonghwado to the three dead Legendary Beasts, the Sabertoothed Tiger only snorted.

『Hilarious. You’re telling me to leave? Me? I have been here since the beginning of the Tower.』

Yeon-woo had told him that it was too dangerous to stay, but the Sabertoothed Tiger only began to mock the other Legendary Beasts for falling to a mere human. 『The Void Dragon and the Abyss Turtle have lost their touch. Stupid fools. Haha! And the Phoenix left you her will? She’s crazy!』 The Sabertoothed Tiger growled, showing off his fangs that were each as big as Yeon-woo’s head. 『Go away, human. I’m not like them. I’ll take care of everything myself.』

“But…”

『I said go away.』 The Sabertoothed Tiger’s long roar was a warning. He was known to have the most pride among the Legendary Beasts, and one had to put in a lot of effort to earn his test. He was upset that Yeon-woo had arrived without any plans, and even though Chirpy tried to persuade him, he refused, saying that the others had ended up dead due to their own foolishness. He even went so far as to say something that offended Yeon-woo. 『Leave the child with me. Legendary Beasts can help each other get stronger.』

Yeon-woo eventually left with a scowl.

***

“What are you planning on doing now?”

“I’m not sure.”

Yeon-woo looked at the Sabertoothed Tiger’s territory with a creased forehead.

“If I may say something: we won’t be able to stop the Saber God on our own. There’s just no way.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I can tell the difference between courage and foolishness.”

Chirpy nodded. He didn’t really want to help the Sabertoothed Tiger anymore after he called his mother stupid. And then he’d gone so far as to say that he wanted Chirpy for himself. Still, a tiny part of him felt that he ought to help the Sabertoothed Tiger despite it all. However, he couldn’t understand why the Sabertoothed Tiger was being so stubborn. He only needed to hide for a short while.

Yeon-woo kind of understood the Tiger’s motivation. ‘Even if he knows it’s dangerous, his pride won’t let him leave.’ He had lived a long time as a Legendary Beast and abandoning his territory would wound his ego too much. There was nothing Yeon-woo could do now that the Tiger had shut his ears.

Also, he couldn’t just wait here and help the Tiger fight the Saber God. It wouldn’t be easy to defeat Madodan, who always followed the Saber God like a shadow. He needed another method.

“May I give you a suggestion?” Edora said cautiously.

Yeon-woo looked at her with an intimidating expression. “Do you have a good idea?”

“First, I think we should leave.”

“Why?”

“Because we no longer have any reason to remain.”

“No reason to remain?”

Edora furiously nodded. “Yes. The Phoenix, the Void Dragon, and the Abyss Dragon left things for you, so we should complete those tasks, but the Sabertoothed Tiger is different.” Her voice grew firmer. “He ignored our warnings and rejected our assistance. We already did everything we could, didn’t we?”

Yeon-woo nodded. Edora was right. He’d only come here because of Chirpy’s request, and he didn’t have any connections with any of the Legendary Beasts apart from the Phoenix.

“After we leave, we need to plan for the future carefully. I don’t think it’s good to even pass by the Saber God.”

Yeon-woo would have to kill the Saber God at some point, even if he hadn’t been responsible for the Phoenix’s death. However, he would bide his time since this had to be done carefully. The Void Dragon had known that, which was why he hadn’t placed a time limit on his revenge.

However, Yeon-woo wanted to confirm something before he left. He made a decision. “All right. I think your suggestion is good.”

Edora nodded with a brighter expression. She’d been filled with worry ever since they started chasing after the Saber God. Fighting him meant going to war against the Cheonghwado, and that was impossible. Helping Yeon-woo made her worry that she was acting against the One-horned tribe. She was thankful that she’d managed to persuade him. It was fortunate that Yeon-woo wasn’t foolhardy and maintained a logical and cool mind. “Good. Let’s go back and think things through. We might have another chance to catch the Cheonghwado.”

But Edora didn’t realize that no matter how logical or cold Yeon-woo was, he never gave up. “No, I’ve already made my decision. I can’t be with the Cheonghwado anymore. I’ll get my egg back and return right away.”

Edora’s eyes widened. “Then?’

“I’ll cross over to Red Dragon.”

Edora was speechless.

“If I can’t do it by myself, I’ll use someone else’s strength to do it.” Behind the mask, Yeon-woo’s eyes were steely, as though they had taken pieces of the Void. ‘I will try to lead Red Dragon and the Cheonghwado to their end.’ Plans flashed through Yeon-woo’s head. ‘But before that, I should harvest what I can.’

If he managed to collect all of the powers of the Legendary Beast, what would happen? Yeon-woo clenched and unclenched his left hand. Bathory’s Vampiric Sword’s teeth clattered together.