Chapter 281
Lock's upright back seemed enormous to the White Snake.
"He's grown more."
Gashan's voice, filled with astonishment, reached her ears. It wasn't amazement but rather admiration. When she realized this,
BOOM!
The sky began to rumble with a deafening roar. Enemies and allies clashed. The first to attack was the Black Mage.
"Heh, heh—"
With a strange laugh, the Black Mage, whose vision had not been completely obscured, lunged at Cale.
"What a repulsive smell! A mere human, daring to use such an arrogant power!"
Black smoke emanated from his mouth.
Swish! His spread wings and the tips of his fingers, which had not been cut off, transformed into sharp tentacle-like shapes, attacking Cale.
BOOM!
And Choi Han intervened.
"Choi Han, don’t worry!"
Choi Han, enveloped in Raon's flight magic, swiftly swung his sword. The black aura sword aimed at the mage.
CLANG!
The sharp sound of clashing swords resonated.
"Ho."
The Black Mage smiled.
"Strong for a human."
Choi Han let out a deflated laugh, causing the mage's eyebrows to furrow. Choi Han, in a nonchalant tone, said:
"You're a nobody who thinks too highly of himself."
"What?"
The mage's black smoke thickened. Choi Han observed it, feeling a chill on his skin. That black smoke was filled with negative energy. Black Despair.
The Black Mage. What kind of creature was he?
Choi Han didn’t bother to think much about it.
"You damn brat, watch your mouth—!"
The mage's comment made Choi Han laugh again. Talking about age in the middle of a battle? Was he imitating Eruhaben-nim?
Choi Han didn’t express this with words.
Slash.
Only with the sword.
"Impossible!"
The Black Mage's eyes widened. His already short white hair grew even shorter. The cut hairs floated in the air as Choi Han moved among them.
Wuuu—
Choi Han's sword, letting out a black cry, attacked the Black Mage.
'I endured Black Despair.'
So, this mage would endure it too.
Choi Han focused solely on one enemy. Because his companions would handle the rest. And this was the most natural thing.
BOOM! BANG!
"Ah, really. Do I have to take care of everything?"
"Ha ha. A coward with no loyalty."
BOOM, BANG!
The Ancient Dragon, Eruhaben, and the Two-Star Dragon, Epley, were already fighting fiercely. Golden and yellow light. Clashing, they seemed like another sun.
"Do you need help, Gramps?"
Raon asked, to which Eruhaben responded.
"Just keep the shield up, brat!"
Raon was protecting Maren, the wingless Dragon, and her father, Letao. Especially Letao, who was severely injured.
"And protect Cale."
Eruhaben said no more.
BANG BOOM! BANG, BANG!
Instead, the intense clashes of light continued. Eruhaben, an expert in fighting using dust, and Epley—
'Her magic is incredible!'
Raon's eyes trembled. Epley, a Dragon follower of the God of Chaos, had truly powerful magic. Her long-range attacks didn't allow Eruhaben to get close.
Raon bit his lip but soon turned his head. He saw Cale's back. And beyond, he saw Ryan.
"Ha ha."
Ryan laughed.
"With this power, they won't be able to catch me."
Ryan looked up at the sky.
Rumble, rumble—
In the crying sky, a reddish flash appeared intermittently. Was he trying to burn me with that power?
"What a problem—"
He said, looking at Cale, who had his eyes closed. Though Ryan seemed to be in a state of Rage, his appearance was surprisingly rational.
"It's a bit scary."
The moment Ryan said this, Cale opened his eyes.
"Cale."
The Fire of Destruction spoke.
"Let’s begin."
Rumble—
Amid the sky's roar, reddish lightning began to fall.
Fzzzt—!
Dozens of lightning bolts cascaded down, all directed at Ryan.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Ryan laughed. That was when Cale and Ryan locked eyes. Despite his state, Ryan's eyes were surprisingly rational. Ryan smiled.
A moment earlier, Ryan had said it was a bit scary—
"That might simply escape. Didn’t you see?"
Yes. That black liquid knew how to dodge the lightning. That’s why it hadn’t been caught. Even under the stage it did so. What about on the surface?
"You don't think escaping is simply retreating, do you?"
With a twisted smile, Ryan waved his hand at the reddish flashes.
"Escape!"
As if obeying his order, the black liquid quickly sank down. In the end, the number of lightning bolts was limited, and escaping was enough.
"Ha ha ha—!"
Then Ryan deployed a shield and retreated. He also dodged the lightning. The lightning, like a torrential rain, was best avoided.
"There’s no need to fight a useless battle."
At that moment...
"Yes, that's what I thought."
Cale uttered these words. His voice was extremely calm. Moreover, Raon, who was watching, couldn’t contain himself and spoke to Cale in his mind.
"Human, the sky is still crying!"
Rumble, rumble—
Before using the lightning, the sky always stopped. Then, the reddish flashes would cover the view. Raon remembered this. But now, the sky kept crying. What did that mean?
"It seems the one who wants to dominate is the most cunning."
Cale, speaking distractedly, extended his hand downward. He asked in his mind once more.
'Is it possible?'
And someone answered.
"Yes, it is possible."
And he added.
"At least this, yes."
Ryan stopped.
"…?"
Rumble, rumble—
Although a series of lightning bolts had already passed, the sky kept crying. But now, the sound was deafening.
"I’ve grown a lot in the Central Plains!"
Cheapskate exclaimed excitedly.
"Destruction! No, Purification!"
Following his words, Cale spoke nonchalantly to Ryan.
"Try to escape. No, try to resist."
With those words, the sky's cry ceased. And the sky changed. It seemed like sunset had returned. No, the world had turned red.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless reddish lightning bolts fell upon Ryan and the escaping black liquid. The black liquid tried to escape. But on every path, no, everywhere, lightning bolts fell.
BOOM!
And the lightning bolts, as if searching for the black liquid, continued to fall relentlessly. Flames erupted.
Fwoosh!
If the black liquid even touched the flames a little, it was instantly consumed.
"Wow!"
The Whale Tribe member, Archie, commented.
"He’s killing them all with pure fire."
The quality and quantity. The reddish light fell in an overwhelming amount.
It wasn't a rain, it was a typhoon. No, it seemed like a monsoon. It didn’t stop falling.
BOOM! BOOM! BANG!
When it seemed impossible for this to happen...
"This, this—!"
Ryan, within the shield, understood the situation. His eyes filled with anger. He raised his head. His eyes met Cale's. Cale smiled.
It’s not that Cale was using his power indiscriminately. If he fainted, it would be a big problem. The lightning bolts were like wolves.
Wolves cornering sheep without a shepherd.
Therefore, the black liquids trying to escape met an inevitable end.
"That's trapped."
The black liquid reassembled like a swamp. And upon it, the fire lightning fell.
"Still, it's a bit dangerous. Cale, you know, right? To purify that you need five times more strength than usual, and you've already used quite a bit."
Cale ignored the words of Super Rock.
"No!"
Instead, he smiled at Ryan's shout. But soon that smile disappeared.
"We must eliminate it all at once."
Cheapskate spoke in a serious tone.
"Despair, if left unchecked, will spread again."
Thud, thud, thud.
Cale used the power within him once more.
Rumble—
The sky cried once again, and a large red lightning bolt descended to the earth. The power aimed at the black liquid. As if a divine spear wanted to split the black swamp, it shot downward.
---!
The bright light consumed the darkness, to the point where no sound could be heard. It was as if the sun itself had descended.
"Young Master!"
Cale opened his eyes involuntarily. Lock was running. Soon, he leaped onto the roof. At that moment, Cale and Lock made eye contact. Then, Lock looked away first.
"Ha!"
Cale laughed.
In a world covered in reddish flashes, when no one could move, when everyone was stunned, even Ryan, beyond anger, stood still.
"?!"
He saw a beastman wolf coming towards his shield.
"How dare—!"
A beastman wolf dared to attack him? Ryan's eyes filled with fury again. Thud, thud, thud. He realized it was time to release his final restraint. The last restraint to control his Rage. He might have to unleash what he had saved to face the Dragon Lord.
He wanted to hide that power from Apitoyu, planned to keep it. But, given the circumstances—
Crack—
The final restraint within him slowly broke. Even at that moment, Ryan was sure.
"Arrogant."
This wolf in front of him, he thought, could kill him without releasing the last restraint. He withdrew his shield. And as the Wolf of the Wolf Tribe lunged at him with raised fists, Ryan lifted his own fist.
Vuuum—
In his fist, a blue mana glowed. Lock, seeing that fist covered in scales, clenched his own even tighter.
'It's now or never!'
Once the reddish flashes dissipated and the purification was complete, even if the black liquid disappeared, the enemies would be more cautious and unite more. So in this moment of confusion, when the other enemies couldn't approach Ryan due to the lightning, this Dragon couldn't imagine a mere Madman attacking him!
"This inferior being—!"
Ryan's eyes widened. He stopped.
For a moment. A very brief moment.
For a second, he saw the mist enveloping him. And within that mist, poison.
Miaaauu.
Cat meows were heard.
"It's a special poison capable of facing a Dragon! It was made by the Lord, my sister, and Grandpa Ron!"
The children White Snake, Wisha, mentioned didn't just refer to Lock. Among the rubble of a collapsed building, two cats peeked out.
"Even though it's just a prototype and still weak!"
"Just enough to cause a pause."
Hong continued On's words, then declared.
"It's enough."
On's smile widened. It really was just an instant. A second, but a significant second. And those who knew best the efforts and practices of On and Hong were Lock and Raon.
"I'm here too!"
The moment the mist covered them. That second of opportunity. Raon immediately cast his magic.
"!"
Ryan's eyes widened. A small black shield blocked his mana-covered fist. It was Raon's defense to protect Lock.
"These—!"
Just as Ryan broke free from the paralysis and destroyed the barrier, seeing Lock lunging with a fist towards his face, preparing to attack with magic and strength at the same time.
"Die!"
Lock shouted as he twisted his body. He threw his punch.
"Ha, ha ha!"
Cale laughed again.
'Young Master!'
When Lock shouted that, Raon spoke to Cale in his mind.
"Human! My sister came quietly and left a moment ago! She said she would take the Sacred Object with good Lock, so trust us!"
Since when have they grown so much?
Cale thought as he watched Lock, who pretended to punch Ryan and then twisted, throwing his fist. Lock got into Ryan's embrace.
"This, this brat!"
Immediately he grabbed the Sacred Object that Ryan held in his right hand. And pulled with all his might.
"How dare you!"
Though Ryan's furious voice echoed, Lock didn't hear it.
'I got it!'
Finally, he seized the Sacred Object.
Boom!
A voice was heard once again. Though he touched the black liquid with his bare hands, he didn't hesitate. There was no room for doubt in Lock's mind. It was instinct. He could touch it. On and Hong, who had followed him, whispered from under the rubble if it would be dangerous to touch it directly.
Lock nodded, convinced he was fine. Though his certainty had no basis, for Lock it was a truth. He heard a voice.
-You have arrived.
Now he just had to flee with the Sacred Object. Lock had to move quickly.
-As always, you are saving me.
Thud.
But his heart pounded hard. Lock stopped involuntarily.
"You have to move quickly!"
"What are you doing?!"
Desperate voices of On and Hong were heard. But Lock hesitated for a few seconds.
Thud, thud.
He felt as if his whole body, not just his heart, was pounding hard. And this time, Ryan didn't waste the opportunity.
"How dare you!"
In his left hand, mana glowed. With his left hand, with mana as sharp as a blade, he attacked Lock's side. It seemed he was going to cut his side completely.
Boom!
But Raon's shield immediately stopped it.
"!"
Hearing the sound, Lock was startled and snapped out of it. At the same time, he heard a low voice. It was Ryan's voice.
"Is this so valuable to you?"
Lock, being so close, could understand. This was the moment Ryan was most enraged.
"Then, what are you going to do?"
Ryan let go.
"The final step of the ritual is to break the Sacred Object."
Huh? Lock stopped.
"All the Sacred Objects are already contaminated."
Despite his relaxed tone, Ryan was already in motion. Raon's mana aimed at Ryan.
Boom!
Ryan blocked it. Crack. His body began to grow more. Like a monster shedding chains. And he launched magic in all directions.
"I'll handle it!"
Raon blocked everything.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
But because of this, Raon was completely occupied. In that instant, more than a dozen spells deployed immediately.
Crackle—
A lightning bolt struck Ryan. At the same time, Lock saw Cale grab his shoulder.
"Retreat."
The moment Cale tried to pull him back, Ryan, with an indifferent expression, let go.
"It's too late."
Crack. Lock looked down. Among the dozen spells, a small, tiny mana arrow, the size of a needle, had infiltrated. It flew directly to its target and, in the midst of the chaos, reached it.
Ryan spoke with an indifferent expression.
"The contaminated Sacred Object. The essence of the contaminated Sacred Object is already mine."
'The final step of the ritual is to break the Sacred Object.'
'All the Sacred Objects are already contaminated.'
Crack—
The Sacred Object began to crack rapidly with a small fissure. Ryan extended his hand.
"My swamp."
Black Liquid.
"What is reborn in my swamp is finally mine."
Crack, crack. Ryan's body grew even more. He was neither human nor Dragon. He had become something in between. His shadow covered both Cale and Lock.
He said.
"Essence of the Sacred Object. Come to me."
Crack—
The Sacred Object split in two completely. And Lock heard.
-If something gets dirty, just clean it.
-The essence doesn't change.
The Sacred Object, blackened. What emerged from it was a small blue flame.
"What, why—?"
Ryan, confused, heard a voice near his ear. Cale, smiling brightly, spoke softly.
"Wow, what a shame. It seems it's not contaminated."
He addressed Ryan casually.
"That's why what matters is what's inside, not the outside. Got it?"
Smiling, Cale suddenly stopped.
"Huh?"
The small blue flame, fleetingly, slipped into Lock's mouth, who was stunned with his mouth open. Literally, in an instant. Truly, in an instant.
"Huh?"
Cale was also surprised, and Lock remained paralyzed with his mouth open. Lock was so shocked he couldn't even speak. Cale heard the bewildered voice of Super Rock.
"Did Lock swallow the Sacred Object?"
Y-Yes, it seems so.
"Is this okay?"
Y-Yes, it seems so.
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