Chapter 198 – There’s a Dragon? (3)

Guardian Knight Clopeh Sekka could not believe it.
There was a Black Bone Dragon and a black-haired sword master standing in front of him as if they were guarding the Henituse castle.

'Now there is even a sword master?!
How could there be such a crazy territory?!'

The fact that they did not have the Roan Kingdom's royal crest made it seem as if all of these forces belonged to the Henituse household. Clopeh's expression stiffened up.

It was at that moment.

"Captain-nim."

One of his subordinate knights approached him.
It was the same one that had come up when the Flying Skeleton Brigade had first appeared. He was the only one who was allowed to come to talk to Clopeh.

"What is it?"

Clopeh kept his gaze locked on Choi Han as he answered back. The subordinate started to speak. It was a voice that was full of trust.

"It seems like someone like you, who will become a legend, will always have tall walls to climb."

Clopeh's expression became odd. Fear and greed both filled his face. He then gave an order to his subordinate.

"Put all of our strength into destroying the shield."
"Yes, I understand."

The knight stepped back as Clopeh raised his sword into the air. The white aura shot up to the sky even farther and brighter than the black aura.

An aura was the sword master's identity.
It followed the owner's personality. That was why the Guardian Knight trusted his strength over that black-haired punk.

It was at that moment.

Grrrrr.

The white wyvern roared as well. Choi Han shouted in order to be heard through that roar.

"Come."

"Ha. What an arrogant kid!"

The white light turned into a ball and charged toward Choi Han. The Black Bone Dragon started to move as well.

It felt as if the entire heaven and earth was shaking.
The black light clashed against the white light and let out a screeching noise.

Rooooooooooar!

The white wyvern's claws scratched at the Bone Dragon's bones. It then tried to bite down on one of the dragon's wings as well.

However, it was futile.

Scraaaaaaatch!

The claw could not scratch the bones of the Bone Dragon.
The wing bones also did not break.

This was an existence that stood above all other existences in the world.
Both the Whale tribe, the rulers of the ocean, and the Bear tribe and Lion tribe that aimed to be the rulers on land, were called tribes. Only Dragons were called, 'Dragons,' and not the Dragon tribe.

It was not because they were large or strong.

They were a different class of existence.

The white wyvern screeched.
It started to bleed as one of its claws broke off. This white wyvern was a mutant that was stronger than the other wyverns.
That was why it believed that it could destroy this Bone Dragon. Although a living Dragon might be difficult, this was a dead Dragon that only had its bones remaining.

Unfortunately, there were no monsters that could break a Dragon's bones.

An existence at a lower class. That was not only the case for the wyvern.

Choi Han's sword easily blocked the white aura. He then observed Clopeh Sekka's face.

Baaaaang!

The white wyvern did not give up as it slammed into the Bone Dragon with its whole body. It was doing its best to turn the bones into rubble. The two swordsmen clashed once more as the wyvern crashed into the Bone Dragon.

Shhhhhh-

Clopeh was wily.
The white aura slithered like a snake and charged toward Choi Han.
In contrast, Choi Han's black aura went straight forward.
It instantly cut the neck off of the snaking white aura.

"You're not too bad!"

Clopeh still believed in his longer and brighter aura as he mocked Choi Han. However, there was no change in Choi Han's expression.
This lack of response made Clopeh start to frown.

"I guess someone like me needs obstacles like you in order to create my legend!"

Twitch.
Choi Han's eyebrows twitched at that comment.
The Bone Dragon and the white wyvern moved away after ramming into each other.

It was the moment that Clopeh started to smirk after seeing the change in Choi Han's expression.

"I was going to quietly take care of you since you were so annoying, but you are speaking such nonsense."
"'…What?"

The Guardian Knight was at a loss for words after seeing Choi Han's gaze that looked as if he was looking down at him. Choi Han was indeed looking down at him for being an arrogant bastard.

Choi Han's black aura started to grow dimmer. It continued to grow dim until it became a lightless darkness.

The aura matched the personality of the user.
A lightless darkness.
That was the true nature of darkness, as well as the true nature of Choi Han that he developed in the Forest of Darkness. Choi Han had now chosen to accept that nature thanks to a certain someone.

His aura continued to grow dimmer.

Choi Han could not sit still after hearing the things this clueless person was saying.
'He thinks he will create a legend?'

Choi Han pointed the darkness toward Clopeh and started to speak.

"You are not the one who will create a legend. That role is already reserved for someone else."

Legend.
A new history.
'The history I will make in my second hometown with my second family.'

There was already an owner for that new history. Only that person had the qualifications to do such a thing.

"What?"

Clopeh asked in disbelief. However, he suddenly felt the back of his neck becoming cold. Choi Han's blade now had only a small amount of light left on it.
This was his current limit. He knew that he would walk a new path of the sword the day that he could make his sword go completely dark.

Choi Han shared the future he was going to make to Clopeh.

"I will create the path for him to get there."

The path for that person to become a legend.
He would be the one to create that path.
That was Choi Han's determination.

Mary was the only one who could hear this conversation.
The necromancer who was controlling this Bone Dragon that was a higher class of existence was pale.

A Dragon's bones change colors based on their attributes. That was why it was difficult for her to control these special bones. However, Mary's dead mana had dyed the area where the White Crown, the one that gave Cale the Dominating Aura ancient power, used to rest.
She had managed to do it.

She was the only one who was connected to that Bone Dragon right now. That was why she became the Dragon's ears and listened to the conversation.

She could clearly hear Choi Han's voice.

'The legend, I will create the path for him to get there.'

Mary's gaze headed to the front.
It was focused on Cale, who continued to keep the shield activated. She could even hear his quiet mumbling.

"What the hell are they talking about instead of fighting?"

It was said quietly so that others could not hear. However, Mary was able to hear it. Although his comment made him sound unreliable, Mary could clearly see what Cale was going through.

His back was drenched in sweat.
His shoulders were slightly shaking.
She knew that young master Cale was the one who was struggling the most right now. He was always like this.

For Cale, it was hard to maintain this posture of keeping his arms out to pretend that he was forcing himself to keep the shield active.
He felt as if he was being punished, and his arms that were weaker than before were shaking in pain.

However, Mary looked at Cale's shaking hands as she remembered what Cale had told her three days ago when he activated the shield.

'Don't leave our side.
The number of people who want to harm you will increase the moment you use your powers for our territory.'

But Mary had already made up her mind.
She was more than willing to do this much for the people who showed her a beautiful world outside of the underground. Shielding her presence and hiding away was her specialty.

However, her thoughts had changed after hearing what Cale had said.

'But you do not need to worry.
You are not someone who should live in hiding.
I will let you live as you want.'

Cale's words had shaken her heart. Mary's hands that were covered in black blood veins started to move again.

Swooooooosh-

A strong winter breeze blew by them.
Mary's black robe was fluttering. It felt as if her hood would fall off from the wind, however, Mary did not push her hood back down with her hands.

There was something more important to do.

Nobody else could see her because she was currently invisible.
However, one person could feel it.

Choi Han looked down at his feet.

Black balls of light started to gather together in the Bone Dragon's bones. It was dead mana.
It was Mary's power.

The black lights that had only been at the Bone Dragon's pupils beforehand started to expand to cover the Bone Dragon's entire body. They then converged at the Bone Dragon's heart.

That made Choi Han instantly realize it.
He could understand what Mary was trying to say.

'You feel the same way.
You and I are trying to walk the same path.'

It was times like these that made Choi Han truly feel that he was not alone. How could he fear anything in such a situation?

Choi Han reached his hand out. The Bone Dragon started to move in rhythm with him, as if it had become his feet.
The swordsman and the Dragon.
Both were moving as one.

Boom.

The pair were not very loud.

Rooooooooooar!
The Dragon's fangs bit down on the white wyvern's neck.

Slash.
The white aura was instantly cut at the same time. Clopeh's eyes turned wide. The lightless darkness soon covered his sight.

Kiiiiiiiii-!

Blood started to spurt out of the white wyvern's neck. The Bone Dragon's claws stabbed through the blood. Its claws were clenching onto the white wyvern's neck.

Choi Han grabbed onto the Bone Dragon's neck bone.

"Mary, let's go up."

Mary responded to his statement.
Flap, flap.
Her dead mana spread like spiderwebs in order to create wings for the Bone Dragon.

Mary's eyes started to become covered in black thread-like blood veins. However, she did not stop.
She was currently growing.
She was about to overcome a wall.

Her hands clasped around the neck she could not see.

Grrrrr-!
The white wyvern's neck started to become dyed black.

"Ugh!"

Clopeh pulled on the reins in order to regain his balance. His white aura then shot out toward the Bone Dragon's front paw. However, the Bone Dragon started to flap its wings.

It was going up.

The Bone Dragon continued to keep the white wyvern in its paw as it shot up farther and farther into the sky.
Choi Han was stationed at the Bone Dragon's head as it flew up.

One of the knights standing on top of the wall could not help but comment.

"…Dragon Knight."

The knight's heart was going wild as he said that. It was a title that held a significant weight that was incomparable to that of a Wyvern Knight.
The knight's gaze was focused on the sky. The direction of this battle would turn based on the result of the battle between the Bone Dragon and the white wyvern.

It was at that moment.

Baaaaang!

A loud noise made the knight open his eyes wide.
Cale, who was watching, could not do anything as his jaws dropped.

One of the stone mountains lost its peak.
The Bone Dragon had slammed the white wyvern into the mountain.

– Dragons really are strong! Wyverns are as weak as a tiny tree branch! But I, the great and mighty Dragon, Raon Miru, am even more amazing than that Bone Dragon!

Cale listened to Raon's excited voice as if it was background music as he nervously chuckled.

'…I hope they didn't kill him.'

Cale nervously looked toward the stone mountain while hoping that he did not lose out on a pile of gold.

Grrrrr, grr!
There was blood coming out of the wyvern's mouth, however, the wyvern could only flail around. It could not get up. The thing that had slammed it into the mountain, that stupid Bone Dragon, was stepping on its head and looking down at it.

"Ugh...!"

However, Clopeh was still fine. He had jumped away from the wyvern the moment it was thrown and managed to land safely.
However, he continued to grow his aura.

Slash.

It happened again.
His white aura was slashed again.
No matter how hard he tried to wrap around Choi Han like a snake, his sword could not cut him.

That person had followed him right after he had landed on the ground.

"It looks like your sword is a white snake. It suits you better than the wyvern."

Clopeh started to shiver after hearing Choi Han's calm voice.
A white snake.
That was the true symbol of the Sekka household. The qualifications for becoming a Guardian Knight rested with such snake-like characters.

"Y, you nameless bastard dares to go against a Guardian Knight like myself...!"

Clopeh's sword charged toward Choi Han once again, however, Choi Han only had two words to say.

"So annoying."

That was it.
Clopeh could see the darkness approaching him once again. The white snake's body was gobbled up by the darkness.

Clang-!
Clopeh's sword fell to the ground.

"M, my arm...! Ugh!"

There was no longer an arm attached to Clopeh's right shoulder. His neck was then choked by the black-haired man just as the Bone Dragon had done to the white wyvern.
He could not breathe. The pain from being unable to breathe made it so that he could not feel the pain from losing his arm. He heard a cold voice at that moment.

"Tell the wyverns to stop."

Choi Han was giving him an order.
He took out the flute from Clopeh's pocket and motioned to him with his eyes.
All he had left to do was to return after successfully fulfilling Cale's order.

He had caught both the white wyvern and the Guardian Knight alive. He did not kill either of them.

"Ugh, ugh!"

He could hear the Guardian Knight gasping for breath.
Choi Han's expression changed.

The Guardian Knight was shaking his head.
Maybe it was because he could not breathe, but he was crying like a baby as he shook his head.

This suddenly made Choi Han question the details.

'How, how could a white snake control a wyvern?'
An aura was the user's identity.
A white snake could not control a wyvern.

Choi Han turned his head. He immediately jumped back on the Bone Dragon and shouted to Mary.

"We need to go back!"

There was more.
This was not it.

The Bone Dragon flew back up into the sky. Choi Han then heard a noise.

He heard a whistle.
Someone was quietly whistling.

It was the helmet-wearing knight, the only one that was allowed to talk to Clopeh Sekka. He was the one that was whistling.

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!

The wyvern underneath the Bone Dragon's feet started to run wild. The wyvern struggled so much that its veins started to pop out. It was moving as if it had forgotten about fear and death. The wyvern that had no energy to move tried to slowly crawl through the ground.

"Damn it...!"

Choi Han and the Bone Dragon started to fly toward the helmeted knight.
However, the knight moved first.

The other wyverns all charged toward the shield.

Baaaaang! Baaaaang!

They could see the wyverns' wings, claws, and arms breaking apart.
However, the wyverns did not stop. They were trying to cut through the shield as if they had gone crazy.

The silver shield started to become drenched in red blood.

– Human, the wyverns seem to have gone nuts! How cute!

But Cale could not hear Raon's voice.

'…The Guardian Knight is not the one that controls the wyverns?
It was the Guardian Knight in the novel!'

Cale realized that there were things that had not been revealed in the first five volumes.

The helmeted knight.
He had no knowledge about this person.

That knight got on a wyvern and headed toward Cale.
However, there was nothing in the knight's hand.

It was at that moment.

– Human, something is weird. I can feel the power of nature on him.

'What?
Power of nature?
…An ancient power?'

Cale could see a sword starting to appear in the helmeted knight's hand. He could easily tell what it was.

That was a sword.
It was an ancient power in the shape of a sword.

That sword continued to get longer and wider.
It almost looked like a spear now.

It was at that moment.

Boom.

Cale could feel his heart start to beat wildly.
He then heard the voice of the glutton priestess.

– You will block it.

The shield started to shrink.

"What the hel...!"

Cale could not speak properly. His entire body was heating up. He was not in pain, however, it was getting hard to breathe.
The ancient powers were roaring inside of his body.

The tattoos around his body felt as if they were on fire.

The shield continued to shrink as that happened.
The silver wings disappeared as well.

They continued to shrink until it became a tiny shield. However, Raon's shield continued to prevent the wyverns from coming in.

At that moment, Cale could see the helmeted knight starting to smile.

"Try blocking this."

The helmeted knight slowly threw the sword.
The large sword that had become a spear shot down toward Cale.

– …Human, something is weird about it! I will create more shields!

Raon created more layers of shields until there were four total layers.
However, something still felt off.

It felt as if magic would not work on that sword.

A natural disaster.
This was the term for the most dangerous things in nature.
Hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, hail.

These were all natural disasters.

Looking at that sword made Raon think about that term.
It was something that had the destructive forces of nature in it.
The six-year-old Dragon's instincts were telling him something.

It was saying it was not possible to block the sword with magic.

The only thing that could block that sword was a Dragon.
A Dragon's Breath or a Dragon's body.
It had to be the sturdy body of a creature that was in a class of its own.

There were only a few seconds before the sword would hit Cale.
Raon's eyes were focused on Cale during those few seconds.
His body subconsciously started to move forward.

It was at that moment.
He could hear Cale's voice.

"Fuck!"

That shout made Raon return to his senses. He then started to shout.

– Mary! Call the Dragon!

Raon increased the number of shields.
Five layers, six layers.
The Black Dragon that had yet to go through his first growth phase and could not use Dragon's Breath was reaching his limit.

Crack.
However, the natural disaster easily destroyed the shields the moment it touched them. A shield like this was a child's toy to this destructive natural disaster.
One, two. The shields quietly started to disappear.

'I just need to resist.
I just need to resist until Mary's Dragon gets here.'

Raon created new shields whenever a layer was destroyed.
He then heard Cale's voice.
"Enough."

Raon flinched.
He then looked toward Cale.

It was at that moment.

Baaaaaang!

The people on the wall could not do anything as they heard the loud noise and a flash of light.
The last thing they saw was the Black Bone Dragon ramming into the large sword.
Once their vision returned, they could see that the Dragon's bones were breaking, although it had caused a crack in the sword.
However, these lifeless old Dragon bones were not enough. They were not enough to destroy the sword.

Raon could see that this was the case.
This six-year-old baby Dragon that lacked experience sensed danger for the first time. Raon's body started to move.

"He, hehe-"

He heard Cale laughing at that moment.
Raon turned his head. He could see Cale coughing up a large amount of blood. Cale was bleeding from his mouth, nose, and ears as he continued to laugh.
A voice was going off inside of Cale's mind.

– Isn't that my sword?

It was the previous owner of the Dominating Aura.
He was the one that was speaking.

– That's the Dragon Slaying Sword.

Cale realized it at that moment.

'Dragon Slayer. That helmet's sword is the Dragon Slaying Sword.'

That was the reason it had managed to destroy the Bone Dragon.
He then thought about the crown he had stolen from the North.
It was the white crown that looked similar to the crown that had disappeared when he gained the Dominating Aura.
It was the crown in his magic bag that was said to like Dragon's blood.

The sword and the crown. Cale realized that they must be a pair.
That was the reason the crown had been in the North.

There was one more thing.
He realized this fact, as if his instincts were telling him.
It was the faint vision of the future that the World Tree had seen.
It was one of the three things the World Tree had told him. This was the third thing, aside from Raon's parents and the Water of Judgment.

'The person who is collecting ancient powers has collected a total of three ancient powers.'

'It must have been talking about this helmeted bastard.'

"…You son of a bitch."

Cale clenched his fists.
His whole body was shaking.

"Raon, don't move!"

Cale shouted toward the invisible baby Dragon as he focused on the words in his mind.

– Are you trying to sacrifice yourself?

'No! I will never hurt myself for others.'

Cale ignored the Super Rock's question.
Instead, he focused his thoughts on the words of his fellow glutton.
The glutton priestess.
He could hear her voice.

– This is enough.

The tattoo on Cale's heart had changed.
The silver shield tattoo had received a heart in it when he had received the Vitality of the Heart. That red heart was slowly turning silver.

The shield had eaten up the first power.

Cale poured out as much of the shield as possible.

A natural disaster.
And the Vitality of the Heart. It was the restoration power of the human who wanted to live.
The power of a human to overcome natural disasters came from their vitality and their desire to live.

Baaaaaang!

Although there were cracks on the still large sword, the tip of it still ran into the tiny shield.

A light brighter than the one earlier covered the entire Henituse territory.
Cale could see Choi Han jumping behind the helmeted knight like a devil before he lost his sight. He could also feel Raon supporting his back with his paws as he heard the priestess's voice.

– Good job.

Cale quickly realized it.

He had blocked it.

The power of restoration and the will to live.
It was the power of humans, who managed to survive through all sorts of nature's attacks.

The shield did not break.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]