**C479**
Night.
The moon and stars were hidden behind thick clouds.
Rain fell heavily.
The wind blew violently.
But in On's eyes and ears, none of that mattered at that moment.
"…!"
She couldn't speak.
"Ron-!"
"Ron, Grandpa!"
Cale and Raon's shouts.
"Grandpaaaaa!"
Even the cry of her younger brother, Hong.
On didn't hear them.
It was as if time had stopped… no, as if it was flowing too slowly.
Slowly.
An arm raised, bitten by a gray snake.
The other arm moving to hide On behind him.
And then…
"And you must always consider all possibilities."
A serene but indifferent voice.
Far from the kindness he showed in front of Cale, but also far from the warm tone that the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben, Choi Han, Rosalyn, and others used with her and her brother.
Even so, strangely, On felt at peace when she was with Ron.
Simply… at peace.
In that stopped time, his voice reached her ears intact.
'Ah.'
On couldn't say anything.
Her mind went blank.
The gray snake, which had grown by absorbing the rainwater.
The contaminated water it contained—
Guaaaa—!
—burst.
And pounced on Ron.
Everything happened in an instant.
*Chwak-!*
Ron's body was pushed back by the explosion.
*Tok.*
On crashed against his back.
After the explosion, a brief silence fell.
Shoooaaah—
The sound of the rain and wind was deafening.
But, for some reason, On only felt a suffocating silence.
"……."
She couldn't speak.
What would have happened to Grandpa?
She couldn't even afford to think about it. Her body was paralyzed, as if she couldn't move.
Shoooaaah—
Perhaps because the rain soaked everything, her body felt cold.
No.
This was different.
It was different from when Cale got hurt.
Suddenly, On saw Ron's back, bigger than hers but somehow fragile.
It hadn't changed.
Yes, everyone had changed: Cale, Choi Han, even she and Hong had grown.
But that back remained the same.
The same one that always welcomed them when returning to the mansion.
"Ah."
On's legs lost strength.
Ron wasn't strong.
That fact was engraved in her mind.
Without realizing it, her body staggered.
Then…
"On."
Ron's voice reached her ears.
It sounded somewhat muffled.
"!"
On's eyes widened.
'Could it be…?'
She raised her head. Her legs, which had been faltering, regained strength.
Ron was there.
"The weaker you are, the more prepared you must be."
As always, he was giving her a lesson.
Shoooaaah—
Ron's wet arm could be seen.
The marks of the water snake's bite.
His clothes were torn.
Not only his arm.
Shoooaaah—
Part of his torso was also torn apart by the explosion.
'Huh?'
But what could be seen under the torn clothes was—
'Metal plates?'
Thin metal protections could be seen on his arms, which also covered part of his torso.
Sure, the plates were deformed, and surely the impact had reached his body, but…
'It's not serious.'
It wasn't a serious wound.
And the contamination—
The contamination hadn't entered his body.
"!"
When On, realizing something, raised her head further, she also saw Ron's face.
His voice had sounded strange because he had a thick cloth covering his face.
It was the cloth he always carried with him, since handkerchiefs weren't enough to clean Cale's blood.
After pushing On back with the unbitten arm, he used that same arm to cover his face.
And now that face was hidden behind the thick cloth.
"Ah."
A sigh escaped On's lips.
The weaker you are, the more prepared you must be.
Ron's lesson was no different from the previous ones.
He always said it:
*The weaker you are, the more you must watch your surroundings and use all the resources at your disposal.*
It was the way Ron, a former assassin and information gatherer, had learned to deal with stronger opponents.
While everyone was getting stronger, Ron meticulously prepared so as not to be left behind.
That was his way of life.
"!"
And then On understood.
He was strong.
The way Ron lived… was strong.
There was strength in her too.
It was a great revelation for On, who lately had only seen Choi Han and Cale's methods.
"And also—"
In the instant their eyes met.
"!"
Ron moved quickly.
And his pupils told On:
*Follow me.*
On understood and moved.
Her cold body?
Her legs without strength?
That had already disappeared.
Her movements, similar to Ron's, were agile and fast.
"!"
At the moment On realized that she was moving away from the rock and moving in the opposite direction from the river, Ron's voice reached her ears.
"Against a strong enemy, you can't lower your guard."
On understood the meaning of those words.
"Don't forget the enemy's objective either."
With those words, the intelligent On understood many things.
The gray snake that had tried to bite her.
That snake had absorbed the rainwater and grown.
Then it had bitten Ron and exploded.
Its enormous body.
But it was water.
Water in the rain, next to the river.
Would it disappear just because it exploded?
No.
Rather, after eliminating the obstacles—Ron and On—
Ssssshh—!
A sound different from the rain.
Nor was it the sound of the river.
On didn't look back, she just followed Ron's back as he moved quickly.
Ron had taught her:
"Don't forget the power we have either."
At the moment Ron said that.
Boom!
On looked back.
She could do it.
"This old assassin! Don't scare people like that!"
From above, came Cale's voice, angry, laughing, or relieved—On couldn't distinguish it through the rain.
And—
"Sister!"
Hong ran towards her.
"Grandpaaaaa!"
Raon also flew towards them.
"Oops!"
But Raon suddenly stopped and headed towards Cale.
And then On, from behind Cale's shoulder—
Ssshh—sssshhh—!
She saw how the water that had exploded was reassembling.
And, in doing so, it absorbed more rainwater around it.
It could no longer be called a snake.
Ssshh—sssshhh—!
It passed over Cale's shoulder and, in an instant, absorbed so much rainwater that it surpassed him in size.
"Ha! This isn't a snake, it's a water dragon!"
Cale understood what that thing in front of him was.
"Human, it's the Third Emperor's dragon! A small version!"
As Raon said.
This water dragon was ridiculously small compared to the one they had seen before, but it continued to grow and its shape increasingly resembled that dragon.
Now she understood.
Why it had been so difficult to detect that snake.
Why it was so intelligent.
And why it was strong enough to explode and transform its body.
'Water dragon.'
If the dragon in front of them was a small version of that one, then it made sense.
*-Cale. Do you think if it grows, it will become the dragon of the prophecy?*
Super Rock spoke.
*-That's full of the contamination of chaos! It feels like an avatar of the water dragon we saw before!*
Sky Eating Water spoke in an urgent tone.
Then Cale, staring at the water dragon that was absorbing the rain, shouted:
"Ron! Clean yourself or wash right now!"
Cale had been very scared when he saw the gray snake attacking On.
Then he was surprised to see Ron stop it.
Sure, he was relieved to see that Ron was prepared.
But he didn't know how the contamination that flowed in the water could be absorbed.
Cale warned Ron.
And then he stared at the water dragon.
'Damn Third Emperor!'
This guy was not only complicating things, but he almost hurt Ron and On.
No, Ron was an assassin, but this man was no longer old enough to run in the rain like that.
Don't they know how to respect the elders?
And On?
She, in Korea, would be in elementary school.
An elementary school girl almost gets contaminated.
Did that make sense?
The corner of Cale's lips twisted into an ironic grimace.
Third Emperor, you.
You're going to get a beating from me.
When flames appeared in Cale's eyes.
"Yes, young master. I will do as you say. But who is that old assassin?"
"!"
Cale's pupils trembled, and he pretended he hadn't heard.
He had no other choice.
Even if he wanted to answer, there was no time.
Really.
He couldn't take his eyes off the water dragon full of chaos contamination.
Now, the creature, closer to a dragon than a snake, opened its mouth.
Guaaaaa—!
His target was Cale.
The gray dragon pointed towards him.
And then towards his companions, the soldiers and knights around.
"!"
"Human, I'll protect them!"
The nearby knights and soldiers.
Even On, Hong, and Raon were surprised.
Boom!
The water dragon stomped on the ground and lunged towards them quickly.
"Back!"
"Get away!"
"Human, I'll put up a shield!"
Miaaaauuu!
Everyone prepared to face him in their own way.
"Hmph."
Then. Cale laughed disdainfully.
Guaaaaa—!
The dragon that roared.
As it pounced on Cale, it turned its body quickly.
"H-Human, it's going towards the river!"
The river.
If his body, which was growing by absorbing the rain, reached the river, what would happen?
"No!"
At the moment the knights and soldiers shouted desperately.
"I knew you'd do this."
Cale's calm voice echoed in the rain.
He extended his hand towards the river.
"!"
"……!"
The nearby soldiers and knights.
The troops of the Demon Kingdom and the Territory who, noticing the commotion, were running towards them.
The demonic inhabitants who, hidden near the river, watched with bated breath.
None of them saw the small water dragon running towards the river.
Shoooaaah—
A sound different from the rain.
"Can I do this?"
Cale asked, and Sky Eating Water answered.
*-Of course.*
The gray dragon, which felt like an avatar of the water dragon.
*-One tenth.*
Sky Eating Water's judgment, who had seen the water dragon, about his power.
*-It's one tenth of the water dragon.*
If that was the case…
*-It's easy.*
Chwaaaah—!
The course of the river split.
The water of the river, swollen by the heavy rain.
By dividing, something emerged from it.
*-Since I was trapped, I know. Do you think there's something like this?*
Chwa-rururur—!
Five chains emerged.
Chains made of water.
Those chains caught the water dragon that was trying to launch itself into the river and wrapped it in an instant.
—!
The gray dragon's body twisted.
He knew it by instinct.
This isn't normal water!
It's not water I can control…!
He couldn't mix with it.
He couldn't absorb it.
It was weaker…!
Chwa-rururur—!
Kuaaaa—!
The water chains squeezed the gray dragon.
The dragon roared, trying to break free.
He wanted to reach the river.
But his body, suspended in the air, could only twist within the chains.
Kuaaaa—!
The gray dragon struggled. He tried to grow by absorbing more rainwater.
Pfft.
But Cale laughed.
If he hadn't found it, perhaps he wouldn't have been able to capture it, but Cale wasn't so weak that he couldn't trap a dragon that was only one tenth of the water dragon.
Wasn't it Cale who had blocked the Third Emperor's power?
Kuaaaa—!
The gray dragon roared, but finally stared at Cale.
Grin.
And Cale smiled.
"Is your plan that obvious?"
The gray dragon's body began to crumble.
He would try to escape the water chains by turning into drops and falling into the river.
Cale wasn't so foolish as not to realize it.
Such an obvious trick.
*-I'm thirsty.*
Finally, Cale responded.
"Yes. I'll give you water. Is this okay?"
Suddenly, he wondered if it would be okay to give salty water to the glutton.
*-Yes!*
But if she wanted it, shouldn't he give it to her?
Uuuu—
A shield dyed gray appeared.
It wasn't the silver shield.
Chwaa—!
Two wings unfolded.
And that shield…
Kwajik!
…was thrust into the gray dragon's body, which was struggling inside the chains trying to escape.
Then, its large wings completely enveloped it.
Kuaaaa—!
The gray dragon roared.
*-Thanks for the food!*
As the contamination of chaos had seeped into the surface of the gray shield, the water began to be absorbed.
*-Glup, glup.*
The sound of the glutton drinking water was heard.
Kuaaaa—!
The gray dragon roared desperately.
His body was shrinking little by little.
The more that happened, the tighter Sky Eating Water's chains tightened, helping the shield.
"……."
Cale, with his arms crossed, watched it silently.
Kuaa…aaa—
The gray dragon's roars faded.
And finally…
*-I finished it!*
At the moment the glutton said it.
*Plop, plop.*
The common water that the gray dragon had absorbed fell from between the chains and seeped into the river.
"Oh."
Cale was surprised.
A special glow appeared in his eyes.
'One fifth.'
The shield dyed gray.
One fifth of it had returned to its original silver color.
*-Ugh. Salty.*
The glutton complained, but…
*-It's refreshing. I want more.*
The glow in Cale's eyes intensified.
The shield on which a heart was engraved.
In it, small leaves began to be drawn.
Only in the parts that had returned to being silver.
'Something is changing.'
The Indestructible Shield. The power of the tree was transforming.
And, for some reason, it seemed like a good change.
Grin.
When a malicious smile appeared on Cale's face.
---
"!"
The Third Emperor quickly stepped back and rolled up his sleeve.
Ten drops of water.
One of them had disappeared.
Only nine remained.
Those drops weren't simple marks.
They were like his avatars.
He had created them by infusing them with his power.
Within those small drops was an ocean.
'It disappeared?'
Without a trace?
The Third Emperor couldn't read the memories of that drop because it had disappeared.
His expression slowly faded from his face.
He raised his hand.
Guaaaaah—!
The water broke, and the Third Emperor stepped back again.
Among the splashes, he saw the Demon King staring at him.
But that wasn't the problem now.
'How dare he?'
Had someone destroyed his avatar?
Who had dared to do something like that?
A cold anger seized the Third Emperor's face, and he opened his mouth.
"Disciples."
He spoke to his subordinates.
To those who were watching him, he gave an order.
"Stop him."
He pointed to the Demon King.
That they stop him, even at the cost of their lives.
Because he needed a little respite.
The Third Emperor *had* to find and kill whoever had dared to destroy his precious dragon.
'But if I can't go…'
If the Demon King didn't give him the opportunity to move…
"……."
The Third Emperor looked at his arm.
Even if he couldn't move his body, if he managed to create a small space to evade the Demon King's gaze, he could send his avatar, the water dragon.
Not one tenth of his power, but all of it.
---
*-It's not enough.*
The glutton complained to Cale.
"How many times?"
Cale asked.
She answered.
*-Five!*
If she drank five times more, she would feel really satisfied.
A smile appeared on Cale's lips.
The chaos contamination of the Pope.
The chaos core created by the 43 rituals.
The sacred artifacts of chaos transported by the wind.
The shield had eaten a lot.
What would happen if he digested it all?
"Five times, then—"
Cale's gaze moved.
"Gasp, gasp—!"
General Molan, who arrived running out of breath.
Seeing him, Cale spoke.
"General Molan."
"?"
"Don't you have a way to contact the Demon King?"
"…Huh?"
"I have something to tell him."
It was obvious that the Demon King was fighting against the Third Emperor.
He had a favor to ask him.
*-It seems that the prophecy will only be half fulfilled.*
He ignored Super Rock's words.
*-Mmm.*
Sky Eating Water seemed to have a strange premonition.
"I'm thirsty."
"Human, if you keep smiling like that, it looks like everything is going to break!"
Cale ignored Raon's words and looked around.
The night was just beginning.
He had the feeling that it would be a night different from what he had imagined.
Thinking about squeezing the Third Emperor made him feel incredibly joyful and refreshed.
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