N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 520
Raon looked at the seagull and his hand, which was holding Heavenly Drive, trembled.
"Is it really you?"
"I missed you."
Although she did not answer the question, he could be sure who she was from the words "I missed you." She was Merlin, who had now become a stalker beyond a madwoman.
Grrr...!
Wrath curled up like a turtle hiding in its shell.
Why is that madwoman here?!
He seemed to be shaking his sky-blue eyes in disbelief.
We parted in the center of the continent, but how can we meet in this coastal city?
‘I don't know either…’
Raon shook his head. He really didn't know what to say.
"You are... Ah."
When he was about to ask Merlin a question, he felt a battle going on to his right. It was similar to the aura of the sea fog tribe he had defeated a little earlier.
"When the urgent battle is over, let's talk."
"I'll wait as long as you need."
Merlin nodded as if to say he could do whatever he wanted and landed on his shoulder.
"Phew."
Raon sighed briefly and stepped to the right with the Supreme Harmony steps. The sea fog tribe's energy was much larger than those he had fought with a little earlier. This seemed to be the real one.
Turning into a dusty alley, he found three sea fog tribe members gathered near a large fountain. A massive fog rose above, seemingly enclosing the city.
"Let's dispel the fog!"
"It won't burn, and it won't freeze!"
"Damn it! We can't break through with force."
"Even in defense, the attacks are too fierce. Eight have already fallen!"
The swordsmen and magicians in the city tried to attack the sea fog tribe, but the fog was too thick and they couldn't open a path due to the monsters around them.
Instead, they were killed one by one when they tried to attack and were stabbed by the sea fog tribe's fog.
Chiiing.
Raon adjusted his grip on Heavenly Drive and assessed the sea fog tribe's condition. The young men on the left and right were similar to the ones he had defeated earlier, and the middle-aged sea fog tribe man who was manipulating the fog seemed to be much stronger than them. He seemed to be the leader.
Turing!
He aimed at the man in the center and used the Supreme Harmony steps. When he tried to break through the sea fog tribe's fog, the sea monsters that were scattered around began to gather.
'Can they control monsters too?'
Raon hadn't heard of sea fog tribes having the power to control monsters. It seemed like they were moving together under the command of a dragon.
"Well then..."
Raon pulled Heavenly Drive back over his shoulder. He stepped forward with his left foot and raised the aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation in his energy center. The heat that rushed through the mana circuit drew the shape of a dragon on the blade of Heavenly Drive.
Hundred Flames.
Flames Dragon Art.
The breath of the fire dragon that stretched out from the blade swallowed up all the monsters that existed in front of him.
Kugugugugugugu!
Even though the proficiency of his swordsmanship had significantly declined due to the problem with his upper energy center, it seemed that the firepower itself had become stronger thanks to the increase in his stats.
Huwuhuuuk!
The heat of the Flame Dragon Art did not leave a single sea monsters alive, but the sea fog tribe erected a wall of condensed fog, perfectly blocking the flames.
"How troublesome."
Stepping on the charred ground, Raon charged towards the fog, which had been scorched a deep crimson.
Chiiiing!
The gray fog controlled by the sea fog tribe slashed through the air like a raised blade, targeting Raon's vulnerable neck.
'Show yourself.'
Because he was operating the Ring of Fire and the Evil Eye of Wrath at the same time, he felt the flow of the fog as delicately as if it were within his grasp.
Tatak!
He stepped on the Garambo method (still don't know what Garambo is supposed to be) to follow the movement of the fog. He rushed into the fog with gentle movements like a salmon swimming up a stream.
"Kill him."
The middle-aged sea fog tribe waved his hand, and the young sea fog tribe standing next to him threw spears and swords made of fog. They were not aiming for the vital points, but they were numerous enough to skewer his entire body.
Chiiiing!
Raon did not back down. He drew the Frost Pond while moving faster. The silver blade and the frost blade were connected like shadows.
Kwaaadddduk!
The fearsomely sharpened blade broke through the sea fog tribe's weapons and moved forward.
"S, stop!"
The two sea fog tribe tried to erect a wall of fog belatedly, but it was too late. The two blades had already touched their foreheads.
Zzreuureuuk!
The sea fog tribe who were stabbed by the cold of the Frost Pond fell back without being able to support their bodies. It was instant death. No matter how robust their vitality, enduring Frost Pond was an implausible feat.
'Now, one more... Huh?'
As Raon swung Heavenly Drive, conjuring flames, a gray energy surged like waves before him. The remaining middle-aged sea fog tribe, having thrown two men as bait, prepared an unavoidable assault.
Kuung!
Raon stepped on the solid ground with a heavy step and shook off Heavenly Drive. The flames wrapped around the blade flickered in white light and wrapped around the pouring waves of fog.
Raon Zieghart Style Swordplay.
Fifth form: White Shadow Slash.
The white-stained blade wiped out all the waves of fog that reached the sky. The eyes of the sea fog tribe, who were revealed with surprise, were seen in the fading fog.
Tuurong!
Raon did not miss the opportunity when the middle-aged sea fog tribe was surprised, and he penetrated his space.
"Grrr!"
The middle-aged sea fog tribe wrapped his body in the fog that covered the city, creating a gray whirlwind.
Raon stopped walking and gently waved Heavenly Drive. The red petals that bloomed on the blade began to dance gracefully along the vortex of fog.
Hwaaaaaaaah!
The Flame Spirit, who had gained a small insight thanks to Wrath, mercilessly tore apart the vortex of fog that was wrapped around the sea fog tribe.
"Ah....”
The middle-aged sea fog tribe trembled his lips as he looked at the melted fog in disbelief.
Jubuk.
Raon approached the sea fog tribe with a calm step. When the man tried to make a last struggle by gritting his teeth, he cut him down.
Zzreuureuuk!
The middle-aged sea fog tribe split in half along with the hand poised for an attack
A momentary silence descended over the blood-stained fountain.
"Hu....”
"To defeat three sea fog tribes alone...."
"And without swinging the sword more than a few times."
"How can someone wield such power at such a young age...."
The swordsmen and magicians who were fighting the sea fog tribe let out a sigh of disbelief. They couldn't believe that the fog barrier that they had been unable to break even with their lives on the line had been broken so easily.
The fog that covered the coastal city of Aikar began to disappear. However, it was not completely gone, but only a quarter.
It seemed that they had to do the same thing three more times to clear all the fog in this place.
'I need to move faster.'
Raon was about to look for the other sea fog tribe's presence after sending the injured to the port.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAA!
A magnificent aura rose from the sky of the city. It was so eerie and the huge energy made his fingertips tremble.
It was obvious who was there, even though it was hard to see because of the fog.
'Aris Zieghart.'
The weirdo who had handed over the position of Pirate King to her subordinate was floating in the sky above.
Raon used the Evil Eye of Wrath to penetrate the fog and see Aris inside the fog.
Aris closed her eyes, bending her upper body forward with her hands on the sword hilt. The stance of the Flying Sword. Unbelievable concentration and energy fluctuations were pulsating.
The moment her pupils flashed with a red glint, the air split open. An ultra-fast sword technique invisible to the naked eye. However, the crucial aspect wasn't the speed of the sword.
Zherueorg!
Aris' sword strikes traversed space, slicing through the lifelines of monsters and sea fog tribe members spread across the entire city.
Squelch
Entering a back alley at the sound of screams, the sea monsters that were alive just moments ago convulsed in agony, torn in half.
Paaaaaaaaaang!
The mass of fog covering Aikar burst, revealing the clear sunlight in an instant.
"Phew...."
Raon looked up at the blue sky and trembled his lips.
'Is this swordsmanship?'
Having witnessed numerous swordsmanship techniques before, he had never seen anything that could transcend space. It felt more like witnessing magic than swordsmanship.
Indeed, it's space.
Wrath twisted his lips as he surveyed the corpses of monsters.
'Space?'
That thief girl cut the monsters through the space where the monsters existed. In your terms, it should be called space sword.
‘Space sword..’
Uttering the words, Raon swallowed dryly. Though it seemed challenging to use, the , in his heart burned. He desperately wanted to learn it.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuung!
The sound of ship movement echoed from the port. It seemed like flagship of the Pirate King, Blue Wind had arrived in the city. The crew's movements were palpable. It felt like everything was finally coming to an end.
Slrreung.
Raon put the Heavenly Drive in its scabbard and looked to the right. The seagull possessed by Merlin was still there.
Ah! Right! That crazy woman!
Wrath remembered Merlin again and shook his jaw.
"Why on earth are you here?"
Raon sighed with a similar expression to Wrath.
"I was looking for you."
"All this time?"
"Yeah, continuously."
Merlin smiled and nodded. He had never seen a seagull smile before in his life.
"You really have good luck."
Meeting at the end of the continent, it felt like a remarkable coincidence. The thought of it being fate crossed his mind.
"Hmm? It's not luck."
Merlin shook her head calmly.
"It's not luck?"
"I'm currently controlling more than a thousand animals."
"Uh...?"
Raon's mouth hung open, and he almost sat down as his legs went weak.
"A thousand animals?"
"Not only here but spread throughout the entire continent. They're still moving around."
Merlin chuckled, saying it wasn't a luck.
Thousand animals....
Foam started to come out of Wrath's mouth.
The King of Essence warned you, didn't he? She's more dangerous than the ones we encountered not long ago!
He urged them to run away, tapping Raon on the shoulder.
"Hmmm...."
Raon groaned and tilted his head.
"Is it possible to move a thousand animals?"
Even if it was Merlin, possessing over a thousand animals and wandering around the entire continent seemed impossible.
"I developed a new magic. My original body is in a state of suspended animation (deep sleep), and I divided my mind and put it in the animals."
"Ha...."
Raon let out a long sigh.
‘What is this person?’
'Developing a new spell just to find him?
Merlin casually uttered absurd words, claiming to have developed magical spells that had never existed before. It seemed as outrageous as comparing magic-making to cooking.
"I thought this would be the one that I wouldn't lose to anyone, and I'm glad it turned out that way."
"You won't lose?"
"Finding you."
Merlin twirled her wings as if she was embarrassed.
"Umm..."
Raon closed his eyes and asked the question he was curious about at first.
"Is that spell not dangerous?"
If you are in a deep sleep, you are defenseless, so he was concerned about her safety.
"Hehe."
Merlin covered her beak with her wing.
"Are you worried about me?"
"It's not that...."
"I am happy to hear that, but you don't need to worry. I stay hidden. And..."
Her eyes glowed with a strange intensity
"Even if I die, I have to find you. I'm so glad I'm still alive!"
Merlin spread her wings as if she didn't care about anything else.
Ugh....
Wrath shook his shoulders and sniffed.
She's a real crazy madwoman....
'I can't argue with that.'
Why is my life like this! The King of Essence came to eat delicious food, but the city is ruined, and why is that stalker crazy woman following here!
‘It must be fate.’
Raon patted Wrath on the shoulder to comfort him. Honestly, Merlin was scary, but he had received a lot of help from her, so he couldn't be afraid of her.
"How are your injuries?"
"My body?"
"You were stabbed by the tenth apostle's spear."
"Oh, right."
Merlin had forgotten that she was injured too, but she nodded slightly.
'Really...'
Even though he had met her quite a few times, he still couldn't get used to her madness.
"I'm so happy to have received your concern twice, I might not be able to sleep tonight."
Merlin blushed and touched her cheek with her wing.
"Ah..."
She smiled brightly and then shook her body.
"Why?"
"My emotions are getting too intense, and I think the spell will be broken."
"What do you mean...?"
"I've been using this spell for over two weeks now, and my mana is running low."
"Over two weeks?"
If that was true, it meant she hadn't stopped the spell since he went missing.
"You really..."
"Raon, this child has something to do with..."
Merlin was about to say something, but then her beak twitched. Her eyes changed. She disappeared without being able to tell Raon what the seagull wanted.
"Squawk."
The seagull approached as if leaping forward.
"Krrrk!"
The seagull flapped its wings as if demanding something.
"What?"
Raon swallowed his saliva as he watched the seagull approaching him.
"I don't know what you want..."
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The seagull did not leave, and instead landed on his shoulder, perhaps because it did not get what it wanted.
Raon had no choice but to look around the city with the seagull. The sight of the well-paved roads and buildings collapsed, and the black smoke rising into the sky was like hell itself. The coastal city that had been proud of its beauty just a few days ago had become a port of death.
The city was not the only thing that was destroyed. As soon as he turned his gaze, he saw countless bodies that had lost their shape. Men, women, and children alike, an uncountable number of residents had been killed.
‘There are almost no survivors.'
The presence of human life couldn't be felt in the surroundings.
'It must be because of the dragon's magic.'
The dragon's 9th circle magic fell one after another, destroying the city's defense system, and the guards too were unable to move a finger and died. Even the warriors who survived the magic must have struggled to defend the city, only to be swept away by the sea monsters and the sea fog tribe.
Crunch.
Raon turned his body towards the port and gritted his teeth. He saw a blood-stained rabbit doll and the hand of the doll's owner under the collapsed building. When he saw the small, child's hand, his heart felt like it was being squeezed with wire.
'Damn it...'
Originally, he thought this fight was not his, but Aris'. He thought that he would just help Aris and get the benefits and return to his family.
But looking at this ruined city and the innocent people who died, a sense of reality washed over him, like cold water poured on his head.
‘Is all this just because you hate humans?’
Whether it was because of the emotions he received from Wrath, or because of the malice towards the dragon, the anger that had attached itself to his soul began to boil like a wildfire.
The hypocrisy of the lizards has been famous since ancient times.
Wrath twisted his lips as he looked at the smoke rising from the city.
'Hypocrisy?'
If I do it, it's romance, if someone else does it, it's an adultery,
'Ah...'
The lizards say that they do not interfere with each other among the dragons, so they do not take any action even if a dragon kills humans or other races, However, when one dragon dies, they start moving.
He chuckled, saying the creature hadn't changed a bit.
Calling it continent protection is bullshit, they're just a filthy race.
'That's right.'
Raon nodded heavily. The dragon that shouted for the protection of the continent looked more like a devil than the demon king like Wrath who cherished his subordinates, or the demon king Sloth who just wants to sleep.
'I've made up my mind for sure now.'
From now on, this fight is his – a war to slay dragons that slaughter humans, elevate the level of soul, and secure the Sea Serpent Heart to create Silvia's energy center.
With a firm resolution, the turmoil in his stomach settled.
‘I couldn't save them, but I will avenge them.’
Raon put the blood-soaked rabbit doll in the child's hand and left the streets marked with wet stains.
When he arrived at the port late, he saw Aris, Labawin, and the crew standing.
"The monsters and sea fog tribe that invaded the city have all been eliminated. However, the damage is so great that..."
Labawin bit his lip as he looked behind the city.
"So, how many people are left?"
Aris asked, licking her lips briefly.
"The city's defense forces are wiped out, and only one-third of the original people who were supposed to move together remain. And plus..."
Labawin lowered his gaze and continued speaking.
"The fleet that was supposed to come from Yucal city was also attacked by sea fog tribes and sea monsters."
He sighed deeply, saying that hunting the dragon would become more difficult.
"Hmm..."
Raon frowned as he looked at Labawin.
'Nearly half are dead.'
Originally, Aris had planned to gather the fleet and pirates from this place, to go hunting for the dragon.
However, both cities that gathered resources and personnel were attacked, making it unclear how move forward.
"This city located on the opposite side of the dragon's nest, if it attacked...,"
Aris frowned as she glared at the sea.
"It means that it knew our movements."
Her words were correct. The location of Kaibar's nest and this city are quite far apart, and the direction is also different. The fact that this place and the support forces coming from Yucal were attacked clearly showed that the dragon knew their movements.
"What will we do? The plan has ruined, and it won't be an easy fight."
Labawin sighed and looked around at the crew. Everyone's eyes were filled with worry.
"Don't worry so much. Why did that crazy lizard attack this city?
Aris smiled faintly and spread her arms.
"Because it fears us. Our determination to hunt it. And that humans are scary."
"Hmm..."
At Aris' confident declaration, a glimmer of light appeared in the eyes of the crew.
"There is no need to avoid a lizard that is afraid of humans, right? The plan does not change."
Aris smiled faintly and looked at the distant sea.
"As soon as the preparations are finished, we will set out immediately. The neck of that dragon..."
Her gaze shifted to Raon at the back.
"Will be ours.”
