Shadow Dragon: The Fallen Angel Is My Teacher

Chapter 208: Sulking Inngirl

I almost died because of him.

And even when I survived, I was confined like a captured animal.

The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became.

I would have definitely snitched to Mom if today wasn’t important.

But I needed to return to L Corp tonight.

If I caused trouble now and forced Dad to sleep in my room as punishment, it would complicate things.

So I swallowed it.

For now.

Later that night, I returned to L Corp.

The atmosphere was tense the moment I stepped inside.

The meeting hall lights were on. Lyra was already there, along with P Corp’s director, Patricia, and a few core members.

All of them had stiff expressions.

"What’s wrong?" I asked as I walked in.

Lyra looked up at me. Her brows were furrowed. She seemed hesitant.

"Your Cursed Item defended against an attack today," she said slowly.

I tilted my head. "That’s a good thing. Why do you all look like someone died? Was Dante injured?"

"No," she replied quickly. "He wasn’t injured. But..."

"Where did you find that abomination?"

P Corp’s director suddenly spoke, his voice slightly unstable.

His eyes trembled as if he were replaying something unpleasant.

"We ’threw’ him at the enemies and left immediately, just like you warned us. But... I saw it. Tentacles rising into the sky. Three heads descending from above. Something like a mass of flesh twisting through the air..."

He swallowed hard.

"And the sound, it didn’t even sound like a roar. It was like... reality tearing."

He couldn’t continue.

I raised an eyebrow.

’Seems like he saw one of Dante’s more dramatic forms.’

’Unlucky.’

Not every manifestation was that intense. It all depended on luck.

Lyra picked up where he stopped. "Some of the attackers disappeared, as if they never existed. Some were brutally killed. Torn apart. And some... were physically unharmed."

She paused.

"But their minds were broken beyond repair."

The room fell silent again.

I nodded slowly. "That sounds about right."

They all looked at me.

"Dante’s appearance sometimes is enough to shatter weaker minds. That’s why I told you to leave immediately after deploying him," I explained calmly.

Lyra nodded faintly. "We did. But even from a distance... it was overwhelming."

That made me furrow my brows.

’I know I told Dante to defend them, but I also told him to fight carefully.’

’But it seems he went all out.’

’The same happened in Japanese Exorcist Branch.’

’Back then, there was something wrong with him.’

’I will have to look more into this.’

While Dante wasn’t a Rank 5 in terms of straightforward combat power, the psychological impact he created was absurd.

People were not built to process certain visuals.

I glanced around the room. "Is that all?"

Patricia shook her head slightly. "We’ve confirmed that the attacking group has been completely erased. There’s no trace of their headquarters either."

"Good," I said simply.

Then I shifted the topic.

"What’s the progress with rebuilding L Corp? And what name did you choose? I assume you’ve already decided on a new direction if we’re marketing new technology."

That question brought some life back into their expressions.

Lyra straightened slightly.

"Leisure, Luxury, Lifestyle. That’s the new name for L Corp.

"We’ll focus on Severity Level Reduction operations as our core service.

"We’ll market them as premium lifestyle enhancements. On top of that, we’ll introduce next-generation prosthetics," she said.

"That’s good," I nodded.

"And you," Lyra added after a moment, "are the new Co-Director."

"That’s good."

"...You’re not surprised?"

"Why would I be?" I replied calmly as I took a seat. "If you couldn’t offer me the Co-Director position after everything I’ve done, you should be ashamed."

That earned a few wry smiles.

Their expressions clearly said the same thing: arrogant as always.

But none of them disagreed.

"What happened with the Head Corporations?" I asked.

"They came demanding information the war," Lyra replied.

"And?"

"P Corp’s director handled it," she said, glancing at the man beside her.

He cleared his throat. "I told them it was a joint combat exercise. Not a war."

I looked at him. "They accepted that?"

Lyra gave a small shrug. "Why wouldn’t they? As long as taxes are paid and no territory changes hands, they don’t care how much internal destruction happens. They scanned him to ensure he wasn’t under external control."

"And?"

"They found nothing."

I nodded.

Of course they found nothing.

The Slave Mark wasn’t something they could analyze with their technology.

"Still," Lyra continued, "we should assume we’re being observed more closely now."

"That’s obvious," I said. "But you need to worry about others instead of them. Other Corporations and illegal authorities will start moving. Today’s display might scare them, but it will also attract curiosity."

I leaned back in my chair.

"Strength attracts challengers. Be careful," I added calmly.

They nodded seriously.

After a few more operational discussions, I turned to P Corp’s director.

"Let’s go," I said.

He blinked. "Now?"

"Yes. We’ll go to your new residence. You’ll stay there until Lyra completes the restructuring. Once L Corp stabilizes, we’ll begin assisting you in rebuilding P Corp."

He stood up without further argument and gave a small nod.

There was a visible change in the way he carried himself around me now.

After seeing Dante in action, and after confirming that even the Head Corporations couldn’t detect the Slave Mark, his tone had shifted.

There was caution before. Now there was something closer to respect.

Or fear.

Both worked.

We moved to a quieter section of the building. I took out the key and inserted it into an ordinary-looking door.

He glanced at it. "This is the place?"

"Yes."

I turned the key and stepped through.

He followed.

The next moment, we were inside the Drinking Whale Inn.

The smell of cooked meat and ale lingered in the air. It was lively as always, though the noise from the main hall didn’t reach the private corridor where my room was located.

He looked around slowly. "This... is a Cursed Domain?"

"Bermuda Triangle. Nautilus to be exact," I replied.

He nodded.

"Follow me."

We stepped out of my room and walked down the narrow hallway toward the kitchen. The wooden floor creaked faintly under our steps.

Inside the kitchen, the inn girl was working.

She stood by the stove, sleeves rolled up, stirring something in a large pot while another pan sizzled nearby.

"Hey, Olivia," I called out casually. "I’ve brought a new helper for you."

There was no response.

She continued stirring.

I tilted my head slightly and walked closer. "Olivia?"

Still nothing.

I stepped beside her and looked at her profile. She didn’t even glance at me.

Finally, she spoke.

"Ye can wait, lad. I ain’t deaf. I heard ye the first time."

Her tone was calm, but there was a slight edge to it.

"I’ll see what the bilge rat can do first. If he’s worth the salt in his stew, I’ll take him on. If not, I’ll toss him out meself."

’Hmm?’

That wasn’t the reaction I expected.

I had assumed she would accept instantly, considering the rapport we had built over the past few days.

"Wait," I said slowly, smiling a little. "Are you sulking because I didn’t come to meet you yesterday?"

She stopped stirring for a brief second, then resumed with slightly more force than necessary.

"So I’m right—"

"Hmph! Don’t be talkin’ nonsense, ye scurvy pup. Why would I be broodin’ just ’cause ye didn’t show yer face for a day? I’ve got a inn to run, don’t I?"

I chuckled quietly.

"So you weren’t waiting?"

"I don’t wait for landlubbers. If ye come, ye come. If ye don’t, I’ll still be here makin’ coin," she shot back.