Chapter 235: Symbol of Victory (7)

While Lock was stunned, Shaman Gashan stared at Clopeh.

"Is the enemy a Dragon right now?"

"Yes."

Clopeh casually ignored Gashan's disapproving look.

"Rasheel-nim is fighting against a Dragon named Kendall."

An elder behind reacted to those words.

"The God of Victory...!"

Clopeh looked at the elder indifferently. The others also glanced around before staying still.

"Grrrr-"

Ignoring the howling of the beasts that could be heard, Clopeh told Gashan.

"This place is dangerous; go around another way."

The elder, who had reacted surprised to these words, nodded.

"If it's Kendall, he's a powerful opponent besides the Dragon Lord in this place. We can't defeat a Dragon of that caliber."

"That's right. When I last saw him, Rasheel-nim was in an unfavorable position. He was being overwhelmed."

Lock, who was listening, hesitated before speaking.

"Still, shouldn't we help? If it's a Dragon like that, it seems difficult for Rasheel-nim alone."

Although Lock couldn't express his thoughts clearly, his gaze was quite determined.

"Lock, well..."

The elder addressed Lock, unsure of how to approach the situation. The others were the same. They were filled with fear upon hearing the name of the God of Victory.

"Oh."

Clopeh observed the situation with great interest. Although he showed a calm appearance, in reality...

"They are definitely from the Wolf Tribe, and they are looking very closely at young Lock."

It was unknown what had happened in the village where the wolves were hiding, but when dealing with Lock, they showed a rather submissive attitude. It was uncomfortable for Lock. Even though he tried to get along with them, the other party didn't seem willing. Clopeh silently observed the awkward interaction between Lock and the wolves.

"..."

And Gashan secretly watched Clopeh.

'I didn't notice.'

As Lock and the wolves made their way back, Gashan quickly grasped the situation. A sudden avalanche on the hill they needed to cross signaled the approach of a powerful force. However, he hadn't expected to encounter an enemy dragon so soon. Before he could assess the battlefield, Clopeh appeared, blocking their path and explaining what was happening, which took Gashan by surprise.

'I didn't feel his presence at all.'

Gashan couldn't sense a trace of Clopeh's presence. To be precise, he couldn't perceive his existence at all. Only when he was about to approach, he could notice it.

'How is that possible?'

Clopeh originally was a person who radiated an overwhelming presence. From his appearance and atmosphere to his strength when he lost his Sword Master abilities, he unconsciously emitted his presence. Even if he had taken a wrong path with the Indomitable Alliance, Clopeh definitely had the potential to become a leader. But now, his presence couldn't be felt at all.

"Hey!"

Clopeh's eyes met Gashan's.

He smiled gently.

Gashan felt uneasy.

'Even though I don't know what he did, it seems like he figured out how to erase his presence.'

Tiger Tribe Shaman Gashan felt an inexplicable danger for the first time as he looked at Clopeh.

'...A genius is definitely a genius.'

Among humans, very few people reach the rank of Sword Master.

One of them was Clopeh Sekka.

Just because he couldn't properly hold a sword for several years and couldn't use the Aura, he wouldn't have lost his brilliance right away.

'Mmm.'

It was said that Clopeh had learned the way to use the Aura again from Choi Han. Gashan, looking at Clopeh indifferently, asked him:

"Is this one of the skills you acquired from the Heavenly Demon, thanks to Choi Han's guidance?"

Despite being a straightforward question, Clopeh's smile became even brighter.

"Choi Han taught me this technique, which he learned from Lord Heavenly Demon."

Even though the question was direct, Clopeh's smile became even brighter.

'Malicious.'

Gashan felt danger again from Clopeh, who smiled as if he had guessed his thoughts.

And Clopeh opened his mouth. A clear and reliable voice was heard.

"It could be said that the Heavenly Demon is my new Master."

Then, he shook his head.

"But this is not the Heavenly Demon's technique. Rather-"

The words that stopped resumed.

"It's similar to Choi Han's."

The Heavenly Demon and Choi Han. Their power became known in the world, proclaiming one's existence and how they had lived.

"The path I'm following is different."

Clopeh didn't wipe the smile off his lips.

"I'm seeking my own path."

'Was erasing his own presence his method?'

Gashan was perplexed.

Aipotu. In this world, one had to possess the ability to project their own presence as one of the most effective forms of combat, like Cale and Choi Han's powers.

However, Clopeh Sekka seemed to be choosing an opposite path. Therefore, Gashan, unknowingly, murmured:

"You're a smart guy."

He then added:

"Very smart."

Certainly, he was a genius. When Gashan hadn't felt Clopeh's presence a moment ago, it was different from how the Assassin hid his presence. Clopeh's presence seemed to fade away as if the person's existence itself became faint.

"Hmm."

Choi Han's Black Aura and Clopeh's White Aura.

But the paths they took with their Auras were different.

'Quite interesting.'

How would Clopeh Sekka grow?

Although Clopeh was originally weaker than Choi Han and had been stuck at the same level for a long time, Gashan had a feeling that Clopeh might be able to catch up to Choi Han more quickly than expected.

'Miss Hannah considers Choi Han as a master.'

Hannah, Saint Jack's sister. Although she sometimes scolded Choi Han, there was no doubt that she saw him as her master. During the training, he could see the respect towards Choi Han in Hannah's gaze.

But Clopeh Sekka...

'Respect? Master?'

No, definitely not.

'He sees him as a wall to overcome.'

With a calm smile on his face, he will humbly learn from Choi Han while secretly aspiring to surpass him.

'Well, it's not bad.'

Gashan didn't see the situation as a bad thing. He thought Choi Han and Clopeh Sekka could benefit from each other and help each other grow.

'However, I must be careful with Clopeh Sekka.'

This guy, somehow, was becoming dangerously strong in a way different from Choi Han.

If he continues like this...

'I might fall behind by a lot.'

Gashan still wanted to stay active.

It was then...

A completely different roar echoed from the mountaintop. A gigantic dust cloud mixed with snow rose into the sky.

Thuuud~

"There's going to be an avalanche."

Gashan spoke calmly.

"Let's go back. This place is dangerous."

The expressions of the members of the Wolf Tribe brightened, and Lock couldn't hide his concern for Rasheel.

"Lock."

He tapped Lock's shoulder and whispered.

"We must protect the Wolf Tribe."

Upon these words, Lock nodded. Although he thought that if it were Cale, he would have protected both the Wolf Tribe and saved Rasheel-nim, being realistic, Lock, who couldn't unleash Dragon Fear or something similar, thought it wouldn't be appropriate to get involved in that fight.

"And don't worry."

"What?"

To Gashan's following words, Lock looked at him with a strange feeling. At that moment, he could see someone climbing the mountain, passing over Clopeh on Gashan's shoulder.

"Oh."

Lock's expression brightened. Gashan's voice reached him.

"Archie will help Rasheel-nim."

When his name was mentioned, Archie turned casually to look back and raised his hand. Then, he waved it casually.

"If you don't want to be swept away by an avalanche, hurry up."

And then, he spoke bluntly to Clopeh Sekka.

"And you, don't interfere for no reason."

Clopeh smiled cheerfully.

"Rasheel-nim wouldn't like you intervening in the fight, right?"

To that, Archie responded with a rather disdainful expression.

"How would I know?"

Archie, the Killer Whale. He snorted once and headed to the mountaintop without hesitation. His steps became faster and faster.

Thuuud!

A continuous rumble was heard. It was a sound loud enough to worry that the mountain might explode into pieces.

'It seems like he's falling behind quite a bit.'

Hearing that Rasheel was falling behind, Archie decided to intervene in that fight. It wasn't because he was concerned about Rasheel.

Archie thought, "This is annoying."

Because Witira, the Whale Tribe Successor, was dealing with the Eradication Team, Archie had to visit the Wolf Tribe village.

'A world where you can't use your power properly except for Dragons?'

I really don't like it.

Archie's face was full of discontent. A defiant look gleamed in his eyes. His steps became faster and faster. He became impatient. And when he reached the top...

Thuuud!

A roar echoed. The ground broke, and a huge stone chunk flew towards Archie.

"Damn it!"

Bang!

Archie easily shattered the rock thrown at him with a light punch.

And then, Rasheel shouted.

"Hey, Whale brat. Why are you meddling in my fight that I'm about to win?"

"I'm trying to help because it looks like you're in a tough spot."

"Don't lie! Just looking at you, you're itching for a fight!"

"I'm not."

When Archie saw the stone chunk Rasheel angrily threw to the ground, he unintentionally started speaking more casually to the Dragon. With neither Paseton, Witira, nor Cale around to stop him, his tone became less formal.

And Rasheel, feeling Archie approaching, got angrier.

'I can't believe I showed this shit not to the others, but to that bastard!'

"Ah, how annoying!"

Rasheel exclaimed.

"I'm annoyed too!"

Archie also shouted.

"..."

And Kendall looked at Rasheel and Archie with an astonished expression.

"These weaklings, how dare they?"

When Kendall murmured his amazement and disgust.

Heh.

Archie laughed mockingly. He tilted his head to the side with one leg crossed, then opened his mouth to speak.

"How dare we?"

Archie looked him up and down.

"It seems like you're quite ordinary."

"You-!"

Anger reflected in Kendall's eyes. Still, he couldn't say anything.

It was at that moment...

Clang!

A completely metallic resonant sound was heard.

Kendall lowered his gaze to his hand.

The whip with which he had been attacking Rasheel moments ago. A large crack had adhered to the mana-made whip.

That marked the beginning.

Crack!

The whip quickly broke.

Kendall admitted it.

The Dragon in front of him.

Even though he repeatedly struck it, it resisted, and even after stripping it of mana, the Dragon itself shattered it with its pure strength.

Moreover, someone from the Whale Tribe, known to have been extinct, suddenly appeared.

"Huff."

He sincerely understood it.

"Yes. Now I have to do it seriously."

Kendall lifted his foot and gently pressed it against the ground.

Thrum!

A blunt vibration spread.

He extended both arms.

Uuuu~

The vibration turned into a strange lament.

Kendall smiled as he saw a strange silver arc forming around the mountaintop.

"It's a stadium."

A stadium for victory.

And that victory belonged only to Kendall.

Mana.

Wind.

Earth.

He could feel it. The moment when a completely different level of control was put into his hands...

"That guy is so cocky!"

Archie was already running without even looking around.

"Hey, you, stay out! I'll handle it!"

Then, Rasheel, as if he couldn't waste time, ran hastily.

"Hehe."

Kendall scoffed at them as he ran his hand through his hair. He regained his composure and reached his hand into the air.

And he clenched.

He whispered 'explode,' and at that moment, everything seemed to burst apart.

The manas in the air, mixed until now, reacted.

Baang!

It wasn't magic.

Baaaang!

Boom!

The manas existing for the winner's well-being in that stadium burst in the air.

But for the losers, this energy felt like an obstacle to their own progress.

Bang, boom!

More than a dozen mana explosions occurred, covering Rasheel and Archie.

"Move."

And the earth shook and quivered.

Only for the losers.

Whirrr!

Then, the wind blew again.

Towards the enemies.

No, towards the losers.

"Urgh!"

Archie's groan was heard.

Kendall smiled.

Baang!

Pushed by the mana explosion, Archie couldn't get closer and was pushed back little by little.

Kendall smiled.

Bam!

And he turned his gaze.

In the midst of the mana explosions covering Rasheel. Kendall's eyes widened.

Baam!

An arm shot out between the explosions.

That hand grabbed the exploding mana.

Crack!

And the mana was torn apart.

In that space, Kendall could see Rasheel's eyes looking directly at him.

Rasheel's eyes, covered with more small wounds and blood than before, were smiling.

He understood it.

"Now I get it."

He couldn't help but laugh because he found the matter amusing.

"You, have you never participated in a hand-to-hand fight, right? Or have you never had a real confrontation?"

Kendall's eyes widened. Rasheel was sure of it. The Dragon with the Victory Attribute was weak in hand-to-hand combat. It was evident from observing the patterns of his confrontations until now.

"Hehe."

Rasheel pounded the ground.

"You backward bastard."

He was sure that the moment he touched this guy, whether by the neck or the fingers, he would win.

"You've lost."

He himself was convinced that he would win. Rasheel inadvertently took a few steps forward. He got close enough to Kendall. Just one more step, and by reaching out his hand, he would win.

"T-This-"

Kendall shouted without realizing it.

"Block him!"

Those were not words for Victory.

Boom, Bang! Boom! Bang!

Explosions occurred in rapid succession. The ground shook violently. The wind blew around the explosion.

"Ugh."

Archie looked astonished at the place. Rasheel couldn't be seen. The place covered by the explosion, the whirlwind, and the earth's vibrations looked as if a disaster had occurred.

"Crazy."

But Archie saw a hand emerge through that whirlwind. A hand covered in blood, so covered in blood that the flesh was barely visible.

"Ugh!"

The hand quickly grabbed Kendall's neck, who was retreating in disbelief.

Kendall's eyes wavered.

He could see Rasheel's smiling eyes through the gap, looking at him through the catastrophic surroundings.

"I got you!"

Indomitability.

Rasheel had lived achieving anything he set out to do, no matter the situation.

The hand that wasn't holding the neck.

The hand, also covered in blood, headed towards Kendall.

Thud!

Rasheel's punch struck Kendall's face.

The blood covering his hand splattered across Kendall's face.

* * *

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]