Chapter 1036 — Book 2: Chapter 235: Symbol of Victory (7)
13 min read ·
While Lock was blankly standing there, Gashan stared at Clopeh.
“Are you saying that the enemy right now is a Dragon?”
“Yes sir.”
Clopeh simply ignored Gashan’s suspicious gaze that was directed at him.
"Rasheel-nim is fighting against a Dragon who introduced himself as Kendall.”
One of the old men standing in the back reacted.
“The God of Victory……!”
Clopeh looked at the old man with an indifferent gaze. He took a quick glance at the others as well before flinching.
“Grrrrrr-!”
“It is dangerous here so please go around in a different way.”
The old man who had reacted earlier nodded his head.
“Kendall is one of the ten strongest in this world after the Dragon Lord. We cannot defeat a Dragon of that level.”
“I see. No wonder Rasheel-nim seemed to be getting pushed back when I last saw him. He was getting pummeled.”
Lock seemed fidgety as he responded.
“But still, s, shouldn’t we help? It will probably be difficult for Rasheel-nim alone if it is such a strong Dragon-”
Lock could not even properly finish his sentence, but his gaze was quite firm.
“Lock-nim, that-”
The old man spoke respectfully to Lock but looked as if he didn't know what to do.
It was the same for the others. They had become scared as soon as they heard the name of the God of Victory.
It was the same for Koukan, who had named himself the guide for Lock.
“Kendall’s attribute is Victory. This is what they say about him. The world is on his side. There are talks of the world changing so that he can be victorious.”
Koukan looked as if he wanted to convince Lock.
‘Hoooo.’
Clopeh looked at that quite keen interest.
Of course, he looked calm on the outside.
‘It’s clear they are Wolves. But they are extremely cautious about disagreeing with little Lock.’
He didn’t know what had happened in the hidden Wolf Village, but they were extremely subservient to Lock.
Lock seemed uncomfortable because of that. He seemed to be trying his best to make everybody comfortable around him, but they showed no desire to do so.
Clopeh quietly watched the Wolves and Lock not know what to do around each other.
“…….”
Gashan was stealthily watching Clopeh as he did that.
‘I didn’t notice him.’
The way back with Lock and the Wolves…
Gashan had urgently come here after the peak they needed to pass suddenly had an avalanche and he felt the clash of two strong powers.
Of course, he never expected that an enemy Dragon would already be here.
However, Clopeh appeared before he could even take a glance at the battle and stopped them to inform them about the situation.
Gashan was shocked about that.
‘I didn’t sense his presence at all.’
He had been unable to sense Clopeh at all.
To be more specific, he couldn’t feel his presence at all. He only recognized that Clopeh was there when Clopeh was right in front of his face.
‘How is that possible?’
Clopeh was someone whose presence was usually overflowing.
Starting from his appearance and demeanor, Clopeh was someone who subconsciously released his presence even when he had lost his powers as a sword master.
The Indomitable Alliance. Had he not fallen into that wrong path, Clopeh was definitely someone who had the qualities to become a leader.
But Gashan had been unable to sense even the slightest bit of such a person's presence.
‘!’
Gashan made eye contact with Clopeh.
Clopeh smiled gently at him.
It made Gashan feel uneasy.
‘I don’t know what he did, but it looks like he learned how to erase his presence.’
Gashan was a Tiger shaman.
He felt a mysterious sense of danger for the first time while looking at Clopeh.
‘…A genius truly is a genius.’
There were extremely few sword masters among humans.
Clopeh Sekka was one of them.
He would not have lost his light right away because he had not been able to even lift a sword properly or use his aura the past few years.
‘Hmm.’
Gashan had heard that Choi Han had taught Clopeh how to use aura again.
Gashan nonchalantly asked Clopeh, who was still looking at him.
“Is that what you learned from that Heavenly Demon person?”
The question was very vague but Clopeh's smile became even brighter.
‘Wicked bastard.’
Gashan felt a sense of danger again while looking at Clopeh who had a gaze that seemed to be saying he understood Gashan’s inner thoughts.
Clopeh opened his mouth to speak.
It was a warm and trustworthy voice.
“You could say that the Heavenly Demon is my new teacher.”
He soon shook his head.
“However, this is not the Heavenly Demon's method. That person is more-”
He stopped for a bit before continuing.
“He’s similar to Choi Han.”
The Heavenly Demon and Choi Han…
Their powers were being seen by the world.
‘The existence known as me is here.’ ‘This is how I have lived.’
“Their paths are different from the path I seek.”
The smile did not disappear from Clopeh's face.
“I am looking for my own methods.”
‘Erasing his presence is his own method?’
Gashan was flabbergasted.
Aipotu.
One of the most efficient ways of fighting in this world was to have a power that allowed an individual to release their presence.
Dragon Fear, Force, Cale and Choi Han's auras, were all examples of doing that.
But Clopeh Sekka was saying that he was going to walk the opposite path.
It made Gashan subconsciously comment.
“Shrewd bastard.”
He then added on.
“You are truly shrewd.”
He was definitely a genius as well.
When he couldn’t notice Clopeh’s presence earlier…
It was different from how Ron, the assassin, hides his presence. Clopeh’s felt like a person's existence itself was becoming faint.
‘Hmm.’
Choi Han’s black aura…
Clopeh's white aura…
However, the paths the two of them were walking were different from their auras.
‘How interesting.’
How would Clopeh Sekka grow from here?
Of course, Clopeh was too far back and his time had stopped for too long for him to catch up to Choi Han.
But for some odd reason, Gashan felt as if Clopeh would significantly close that gap.
‘Little Hannah treats Choi Han like her teacher.’
Saint Jack’s younger sister, Hannah. She was always grumbling toward Choi Han but Gashan was certain that she saw him as her teacher.
He had seen the respect in her eyes for Choi Han during their spars.
However, Clopeh Sekka, toward Choi Han-
‘Respect? Teacher?’
Absolutely not.
Rather-
‘He probably sees Choi Han as a wall he needs to climb.’
The way Clopeh smiled as if he was calm and thoroughly learned from Choi Han…despite all of that, he probably wanted to overcome Choi Han and hate him.
‘Well, that’s not bad.’
Gashan didn't think too negatively of the situation.
Choi Han and Clopeh Sekka…
The two of them would be good stimuli for each other.
‘However, it looks like I will need to keep an eye on Clopeh Sekka.’
This bastard will become dangerously strong in a different manner than Choi Han.
If things continue like this-
‘I may be left far in the dust.’
Gashan still wanted to be out in the field.
It was at that moment.
Baaaaaaaaaang—–
They heard an explosion that was much stronger than what they heard until now coming from the peak.
A large dust cloud mixed with the snow and shot up into the air.
Bababaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—
“There’s going to be another avalanche.”
Gashan spoke calmly.
“Let’s go back. It is dangerous here.”
The Wolves’ faces turned bright while Lock could not hide his concern for Rasheel.”
“Lock.”
He patted Lock's shoulder and quietly whispered.
"We need to protect the Wolves.”
Lock nodded his head.
He thought that Cale would have found a way to protect the Wolves and to save Rasheel-nim, but realistically, Lock thought that it was the right decision to not get involved in this battle as he could not use Dragon Fear or aura.
“And don't worry.”
“Excuse me?”
Lock sensed something weird about what Gashan said and looked toward him.
He then saw past Gashan’s shoulder to see someone almost stomping past Clopeh.
“Ah.”
Lock’s face lit up.
He heard Gashan’s voice.
"Archie will help Rasheel-nim.”
Archie heard his voice, took a quick glance back, and waved.
He then shooed them away.
“Hurry up, go, if you don’t want to get swept away by the avalanche.”
He then brusquely spoke to Clopeh Sekka.
“Hey. Don't get involved in this.”
Clopeh smiled brightly.
“Rasheel-nim will not like you getting involved, Sir Archie.”
Archie commented with an extremely rude look on his face.
“Who the hell cares?”
The Killer Whale Archie.
He snorted and headed toward the mountain peak without any hesitation. His walking slowly became faster.
Baaaaaaaaaaang—!
The explosions continued.
The sounds were so loud that they were concerned the entire mountain might be blown away.
‘He must be getting pushed back quite a bit.’
Archie decided to get involved after hearing that Rasheel was getting pushed back.
It was not because he was worried about Rasheel.
‘I'm itching for a fight.’
Since the heir of the Whales, Witira, had been the one to fight against the subjugation squad, Archie had to go to the Wolves Village.
‘This is a world where everybody other than Dragons can’t use their powers?
Seriously, this-
I don't like it.’
Archie looked extremely annoyed. His eyes were full of rebellious fire.
His walking became even quicker.
He was feeling antsy.
Once he got to the top…
Baaaaaaaaaang—–!
There was a loud explosion.
The ground cracked and a large boulder was sent flying toward Archie.
“Fuck!”
Bang!
Archie used his fist to easily break the boulder. He then scowled as he shouted.
“Fuck, why are you trying that at me?! Hey Dragon, have you gone completely crazy?!”
He was looking at Rasheel, who was bleeding from his head and mouth.
Rasheel shouted back at him.
“Hey, you damn Whale! Why are you trying to get involved in a battle I've basically finished?!”
“Finished my ass! I was trying to help you because it looked like you were getting beaten up!”
“Cut the crap! It’s obvious you are crazy for fights!”
“I’m not!”
The moment Archie saw the boulder Rasheel threw at him, the anger made him subconsciously speak disrespectfully and get angry at a Dragon. It was because Paseton, Witira, Cale, nobody was here to stop him.
Rasheel was annoyed because he felt Archie’s presence getting closer and closer.
‘I can’t believe I’m showing this damn thug of all punks this terrible state I'm in!’
"Ah, it's so annoying!”
Rasheel shouted.
“I'm annoyed too!”
Archie shouted as well.
“Ha.”
Kendall looked at Rasheel and Archie with disbelief.
"These shitty things dare-”
As Kendall mumbled in disbelief…
“Pfft.”
Archie snorted.
He stood straight on both legs and tilted his head to the side. He then opened his mouth.
“Did you just say shitty?”
He looked at Kendall up and down.
"Based on what I saw, you guys were about even.”
“You-!”
Kendall's eyes filled with rage.
However, he could not say anything.
It was at that moment.
Craaack-
He heard something completely crack.
Kendall looked down at his hand.
The whip that had been attacking Rasheel until moments ago… There was a large crack on the whip made of mana.
That was the beginning.
Crack.
The whip quickly started crumbling.
Kendall accepted it.
The Dragon in front of him…
This bastard persisted no matter how much he was pummeled. He even stole mana from this bastard but this guy used his pure strength to destroy that mana.
Furthermore, a tribe of Beast people that was said to be extinct, the Whale tribe, had suddenly appeared.
“Huuuuuu.”
He realized that he needed to be serious.
“Okay. I should be serious now.”
He lifted his foot and gently pushed down on the ground.
Boom-
A dull vibration spread out.
He opened up his arms.
Oooooo-
The vibration turned into an odd cry.
Kendall smiled while watching an odd silver semi-circle wrapping around the top of the mountain.
“It’s a stadium.”
A stadium for victory.
That victory was only for Kendall.
Mana. Wind. The ground…
He could feel that everything had become his subordinate.
As a level of dominance that was a whole different class from before was placed in his hand…
“Man, this motherfucker’s bluffing is too much!”
Archie was already charging at him without looking around.
“Hey, I told you to stay out of it! I'll take care of it!”
Rasheel was rushing forward as well, as he did not want to lose.
“Hmph.”
Kendall sneered at them and brushed his hair back with his hand.
He looked relaxed again as he extended his hand toward the sky.
He then clenched his hand.
“Explode.”
The moment he quietly mumbled that…
The mana mixed in the air reacted.
Baaaaang!
It was not magic.
Baaaaang!
Bang, baaaaang!
The mana that existed for his victory exploded from within the air.
They exploded to destroy anyone in this stadium who was not the victor.
They exploded to block the path of the losers.
Bang, baaang, baaaaang, bang, bang!
Dozens of mana explosions attacked Rasheel and Archie.
“Move.”
The ground shook before moving up and down.
Only toward the losers.
Swoooooooosh-
The wind swirled around.
Toward the enemies…
No, toward the losers.
“Ugh!”
Archie groaned.
Kendall smiled.
Bang!
He could see Archie slowly being pushed back by the mana explosions.
Kendall smiled.
Bang, baaaaang!
He then looked elsewhere.
He looked toward Rasheel, who was covered by multiple times the mana explosions that attacked Archie.
Kendall looked toward him.
“!”
Then Kendall's eyes opened wide.
A hand extended out through the explosions.
That hand clutched the exploding mana.
Crack!
The mana was ripped and suppressed.
Kendall could see Rasheel staring right at him through the gap that was created.
Rasheel was covered in even more small injuries and blood, but his eyes were smiling.
He looked at Kendall as he spoke.
“Now I get it.”
He couldn’t help but laugh because it was too funny.
“You, you’ve never fought a proper close-up battle, have you? No, you've never been in a damn fight.”
Kendall's eyes opened wide.
Rasheel was certain.
This Dragon with victory as his attribute was weak in close combat.
The answer was obvious when looking at his fighting pattern.
“Keke.”
Rasheel kicked off the ground.
“Shitty bastard.”
He was certain.
The moment he touched this bastard’s collar or even the tip of his hand…
“You will lose.”
He was certain that he would win.
Rasheel quickly took two or three steps.
He was that much closer to Kendall.
He just needed to take one more step and extend his hand to win.
“You, you-”
Kendall subconsciously shouted.
“Block him!”
That was not just for victory.
Bang, baaaaang! Bang! Baaaaang!
There were continuous explosions.
The ground shook intensely.
The wind swirled around the area of the explosion.
“Oy.”
Archie blankly stared at that spot.
He could not see Rasheel.
The area Rasheel was at was covered by explosion and whirlwind and the ground in that area was shaking so much it looked as if an earthquake was happening right there.
“Crazy bastard.”
However, Archie saw a hand piercing through that whirlwind.
His hand was completely covered in blood that his skin could not be seen.
“Ugh!”
That hand instantly grabbed Kendall, who was stepping backwards in disbelief, by the collar.
Kendall's pupils started shaking.
He could see Rasheel's smiling eyes through the gap that Rasheel created through this natural disaster-like environment.
“Got you.”
Indomitability.
Rasheel was a Dragon who, as long as he did not submit, always managed to make something happen.
The hand that was not holding the collar…
This hand, which was also covered in blood, headed toward Kendall.
Pow!
Rasheel’s fist punched Kendall in the face.
The blood covering his hand splattered on Kendall's face.
—
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