CHAPTER 73 – King Zlatan’s palace under the lake (part 4)

Stopping the big fist of the humanoid killer whale with the side of my sword I then increased the amount of lightning energy on it, shocking its arm and paralyzing it, though only its arm. I then swung the sword to make it back off to then cut him, but just as the killer wave humanoid stepped back, the sword was grabbed by a chain. Taking the chance, I sent an electric shock through the chains towards the soldier that used it, stopping his movement for a moment, making it easier for me to pull him towards me using the chain and then giving him an ax kick on the head, breaking his helmet and skull with my mana-reinforced feet.

Then I turned off the sword to drop the chains before turning it on, right on time to use it to stop the humanoid crab that gave a strong punch with its armored fists and what looked like mana reinforcement, with a brownish shine on its fist.

{So, this guy can also use mana reinforcement, or is some kind of ability…}-I thought while stomping the ground to spread a thunder wave around me and shock the crab for two seconds, and even if his resistance is enough for it to reduce the power of the shock, it seems more like lightning isn't strong against it.

{Earth…}-I thought while moving his arm away with the sword and kick it on the abdomen with a reinforced kick, cracking its carapace slightly, while also using the force to propel myself back, evading the incoming turtle head that tried to bite me.

{This seems a fucking aquarium… Oh, wait, it is…}-I thought to myself before making a quick-step and appearing in front of four warriors that were running towards me. Cutting the first one's right arm before kicking him, decapitating the one at his left while evading the incoming mace from the one at the right and using the kinetic energy of the swing to kick the remaining warrior's feet, before cutting him in two with an ascending cut while he was still in the air after the low-kick.

I evaded two incoming magic bolts while putting my sword in front to stop another three that were going towards my head. After which, I used quick-step to get to the crossbowmen that were shooting at me, but before I could do anything, a giant humanoid blue whale came down and step in front.

{How the heck are you not falling over your head?}-It was a weird sight, as its head was disproportionally big, and that's precisely what it used to bash me, only that I cut at it.

*CLANG!*

{And it's freaking hard.}-I thought, as its head was really resistant as if it was made of metal. It even had a silver hue over it. {Mm?}-I pushed myself back with the sword, evading the incoming white shark humanoid that tried to bite me.

{These guys are good at teamwork, even if they're big enough to mess with each other's stance.}-I looked at both monsters that were covering the retreating crossbowmen.

Until now, I've noted that the whale and the crab had some kind of reinforcement, while both the sharks and the killer whale didn't show anything like that.

{Maybe it's something only those specialized in defense have?}-I thought while looking at them. {No. They're at least of a similar species. If it was just the crab, I could explain it with a special ability, but the bighead has it too.}

I then crouched down, evading a hydro-jet, before jumping towards the white shark, while the shooting dolphin tried to redirect the hydro-jet to my previous position, only to miss miserably.

"Can't you give me a rest?"-I ask them as I cut down towards the shark, only to be met by the blue whale's head, while the shark came from under it and tried to cut me with the sharp fins that it had on its arms.

With the head of the whale as a support, I used my sword to launch me up, evading the sharp fins of the shark.

On the air, I spun to deflect the incoming bolts, before taking an incoming hydro-jet with the sword's side, which sent me all the way towards the third floor of the now broken castle.

"*tch…*"-I clicked my tongue as I fell on what seemed to be a bathroom, with an enormous bathtub, that seemed more like a low-depth pool, cut in half. "I guess the throne room isn't here huh… *sigh…*"

Looking down I could see the crossbowmen taking aim, while there's till ten of them, they're a pain in the ass with their intermittent shooting. While I still have the fourteen aquatic humanoids and at least nine more warriors to take care of.

[Reinforcements have entered the dungeon thanks to the connection with the Demon Realm; they are currently in the town and will arrive at the castle in one minute.]

[New Boss type monster has entered the dungeon through the connection to the Demon Realm.]

[New Boss type monster had made a pact with an enemy from the Demon Realm.]

[New Boss type monster has further increased its power.]

"Haha… This gets even more interesting. So… Who's the so-called enemy?"-I murmured to myself before tilting my upper-body back to evade an incoming bolt while using the sword to stop the rest of them.

"Come on. We better clean things up! I don't want to be rude and leave such a mess for our guests."-I shout at them before going back down to the first floor, evading bolts, water-type ranged attacks like the hydro-jet of the dolphin, and the spikes of what looks like some kind of black sea urchin, which was the smallest of the animals standing between 4 and 5 meters tall.

Once I landed, I started running towards my first target, the remaining warriors, who took position and stood there waiting for me.

With a quick-step, I made it towards them and was received by the shield from to of them, but I wasn't aiming for a frontal strike. Jumping up over them, I spun mid-air and charged the sword with lightning energy, releasing it in the form of a thunder ball that exploded in the middle of the remaining warriors, killing the closest ones to the impact and paralyzing the ones further away.

After falling down, I received the fist of the crab humanoid with my sword, while clenching my teeth and, with the hurt left arm, receiving the spiked fist of the sea urchin, which further hurt my weakened hand while piercing it.

"…"-I strongly clenched my mana-reinforced left hand over its own fist before using it to hammer the crab away, which tried to evade the monster but wasn't fast enough. "I'm curious to see what a sea urchin tastes like when it's cooked with lightning."-I said, still holding the urchin with my left hand, before frying it using lightning and moving it again to hit the incoming shark that tried to save it.

{FUCK! It hurts…}-I clenched my teeth even harder than before from the pain on my left arm.

It seems like the skin of the shark is quite resistant, as the electrified spikes of the urchin didn't pierce it that deeply, though they still took out blood and even paralyzed the guy, giving me enough time to evade the incoming hydro-jet before cleaving the shark's head in half.

"Twelve more to go."-I said while throwing the dead sea urchin towards the crossbowmen that had to run to evade the corpse.

I then stopped the impact of the hydro-jet of the dolphin, being in a stalemate with it, until I increased the Natural Energy even more before I sent it all towards the hydro-jet with enough power to make it travel all the way towards the dolphin's mouth, frying it black and probably hurting some innards, making it drop on the ground convulsing.

"And they say dolphins are the smartest in the sea."-I said before quick-stepping towards the crossbowmen while evading a round of bolts from them. But I couldn't get to them as once again the crab got in the way, stopping my sword with its arms that were shining in the same brown hue.

From my back, the ray came as if flying, but before it could get any closer, I shocked and slightly pushed the crab using the lightning flowing in my sword, before sending a lightning blade towards the flying ray, forcing it to evade and giving me chance to rush towards the crab, holding its ugly face with my left arm and striking it with an ascending reinforced knee to the face, breaking the armor covering it.

"Shit, you're even uglier."-I said before piercing his face with the sword, all the way down to the chest, before sending an electric wave to its core.

With the dolphin out of the game, and the crab now dead, only ten humanoids remained. But time was over.

"Over there!"-A sudden scream resonated inside the entrance hall of the castle, while the door was kicked open.

"We're here to help King's Zlatan!"-A warrior wearing an emerald blue armor came into the place, and right behind him, sixty more came running right behind him, everyone charging ahead with a long spear that had a long and wide spear blade while having a sword hanging at the side. And at the end, entered what could be perfectly called a fully armored knight.

It was wearing armor with emerald color and golden decorations that looked like they were made of gold. His helmet also had a shark fin on the top made of a silverish metal, that would probably be made to attack to with the sharp edge that it had, at both sides were also silver fins, but that should be more of a decoration, as they're not long enough to use for the attack.

He also held a spear, but more elaborate than the one used by the soldiers. It was longer, with a shaft of at least 1,80 meters and of emerald color. Its spear blade was what stands out more from its looks, as it was big, with a width of at least 30 centimeters and a length of almost 60 centimeters, it had the form of a shark's tooth, with two side blades extending from the back-end of the main blade, and ending in the top side of the shaft.

"Guests are here huh…"-I looked at them. {That spear looks oddly uncomfortable to wield…}-I thought after looking at what would probably be the commander.

"You…"-The commander said once he saw me. "Everyone!"-He shouted, and all the warriors stayed on alert, while he just looked at me.

"You think that sixty more warriors would make the difference."-I ask him while lifting an eyebrow.

"I'll be enough."-He answered shortly before a current of reddish demonic power got out from him. "Go towards King's Zlatan's throne room! Wait for me there."-He shouted.

"Ho? Now, this is indeed curious. I didn't think you would fight me directly."-I said while resting the sword in my shoulder.

"Fight a cripple? I'll be more than enough."-He said. "I'll end this fight in no time."

"…"-I frowned at him. "Hey, didn't Zepar tell you how his past minions ended? Mm?"-I ask him.

"I'm not them. I'm Prince Zulgar of the Ol'Karut. A kingdom of true warriors. I won't fail like they did, because I'm stronger than any other that you have fought before."-He said.

"Haha… I wouldn't be so sure about that. Kid."-I smirk.

"Sir… We-"-One of the soldiers tried to speak.

"Stop. I'll be enough. I told you all to go to the throne room."-Zulgar said.

"*snort* You may be a prince. But not a prince of my kingdom. I'll stay here and fight. I won't retreat."-The whale humanoid spoke.

"You better go back to your king. You'll do nothing more than interrupt me."-Zulgar said while a great amount of demonic power started to flow out of him. "Leave. Now!"-He shouted, making everyone around us flinch.

{He's indeed different than the last tones… Still, it's not like it will make any difference.}-I thought to myself while looking at the demonic power that's flowing out of him.

"… Everyone! To the throne room."-The warrior that spoke before led everyone out of the hall, towards a big door at the end, that would probably lead towards the throne room. The remaining warriors and crossbowmen also followed them, with the humanoid aquatic monsters right behind.

The blue whale glared at me for a moment, before snorting at Zulgar and leaving the place.

{Now I know the way.}-I thought to myself.

"Prepare to die."-Zulgar said.

"Don't you have something better to say? 'Pripir ti dii'. You're so creative in your words…"-I said before lowering my sword from my shoulder and pointing it towards the floor. "Either way, let's see what makes you so sure about defeating me. Also… Tell Zepar that he should remember, that last time, I told him to come himself if he was going to keep doing these shitty tricks..."

Without answering, he just lowered his body and disappeared, while I swung my sword to the front, clashing it against the spear blade that suddenly appeared.

"Well, this surely gives you more points than those before you."-I said, swinging my sword again multiple times to stop the slices of his spear, before I kicked at him, a kick he stopped using his spear's shaft, making him slide back a little.

"You're not bad."-He said, before concentrating the demonic power on the blade of his spear. "But that's just a warming up."-He shot back at me with his demonic-power-filled spear, trying to cut at me.

"*snort*"-I just snorted while deflecting his spear again. "Mm…?"

After deflecting a few hits, my Magic Sword started to feel pressured.

{I guess that's the difference in weapons for you…}-I thought to myself before jumping back to evade a descending cut.

"You're not going anywhere!"-He shouted before rushing towards me.

I spun mid-air and propel myself while hitting the air as I cut forward, towards the appearing blade of the spear, throwing him back and chasing him while stepping on air. Each time I get close to him I swing my sword, making him go higher and higher, and soon enough we end up out of the castle.

"Oh, man… I didn't want to get back to the second stage…"-I said as I soar over him, evading a cut of his spear, and swinging down my sword, which he could stop while using the kinetic energy to make a quick rotation in the air and defend with the shaft of the spear. But, even then, he was thrown back to the inside of the castle, breaking a few floors on the way thanks to the strength of my swing. I followed closely.

*BOOM!*

He landed in a room that looked like the castle's dungeon. With empty cells all around. I landed softly moments after.

"…"-I looked at him with a frown. If this was all his power. Then I don't know what he was boasting about.

"*cough, cough* You're indeed better than I expected…"-He said after rising from the debris that covered him.

"You're just an idiot. You had an army and some more that could've helped you. But you still came against me saying you were enough. That's just stupid. I invaded this place by myself, fighting against hundreds of warriors and soldiers, what did make you think that you were enough?"-I asked him.

"Silence! I'm a Prince! I'm enough to fight the likes of you!"-He shouted at me, while all the demonic power that surrounded him started to condense and surround his armor. "I'll destroy you by myself!"-Once the demonic power calmed down, the once emerald-colored armor turned to reddish dark-green color, with spikes all around and a demonic look on it.

"Hey… Does everyone that contracts with Zepar get armor like that?"-I ask him while tilting my head.

"…"-He didn't say anything and instead focused even more demonic power on the spear, making its spear blade grow even more and acquiring an atrocious look. It got thinner but longer than before, and the blade had a wavy form to it. On the base of the blade, a lizard's eye rested, as if connecting the blade to the shaft while looking at the enemy. A big red cape also appeared at the back of Zulgar, while his overall size increased until he became 3 meters tall.

His helmet also transformed and got a demonic look, now showing a pair of totally pitch-black eyes. The fin at the top of the helmet increased its size and transformed into a 40 centimeters long blade, while the lateral fins stretched until they got to a length of 25 centimeters approximately.

"Mm? That's new."-I said while looking at his overall transformation. "Though… I must say. I hate multiple-stage bosses… And also… Isn't it really early for you to transform already?"-I ask him.

"I don't know what you're mumbling about… But I'll kill you now."-He lowered his stance.

"And it's still the same boring villain line… *sigh…*"-I said before lowering my stance. "You should really learn how to speak better."

We both dashed against each other before clashing our weapons, making everything around us blow up with the expansive force that generated after the impact.

***

On a solitary training ground, Shin Jonghak was once again swinging his spear, again and again, without spear, repeating each and every movement as if his life depended on it.

{This won't do! I need to be faster!}-I thought while swinging my spear. First was a thrust, followed by a cut, and then a half-moon-sweep.

{Again!}-I thought, once again repeating the same three movements. Trying to do it faster than before, but the faster I did it, the worse my form got.

{Not like this… Focus.}-I started again from the start, thrust, cut, sweep, repeat, thrust, cut, sweep, repeat.

With each repetition, I increased my speed while keeping the form as perfect as I could. Until, once again, I lost my form while trying to hit faster.

"Jonghak!"-A sudden shout woke me up from my trance.

"Mm?"-I looked around, to find Yoo Yeonha. "Oh… It's you…"-I sighed slightly.

"Huh? Did you expect someone else?"-She asks while frowning for a moment before returning to her smile.

"No."-I shortly answered.

{Though… It wouldn't be that bad if it was Chae Nayun… But she's too occupied with her incoming bet against that commoner.}-I thought to myself while frowning.

"Mm? Is something the matter?"-Yeonha asked.

"Nothing wrong. So? What's the problem?"

"What do you mean?"

"…"-I frowned at her. "Why did you stop my training?"

"No reason… It's just that you looked like you were really tired… So, I wanted to ask if you wanted to go rest or something, there's this great restaurant in Seoul that's recently opened."

"No. I need to keep training."-I answered her.

{I don't have time to be wasting on some mere restaurant.}-I thought to myself.

"…"-She looked at me with worried eyes. "Is it… Because your fight against Cristopher?"

"…"-I slightly glared at her. "*snort* As if… He's just a bastard with luck."-I averted my eyes, still frowning.

"…"-She looks at me sternly. "You don't have to force yourself so much. He… He's a special case, you know?"

"What?"

"I'm telling you… You don't have to force yourse-"

"You don't dare say what I must or must not do. I'm not afraid of that piece of trash!"-I exploded at her. "I'm going to fight against him again. And when that happens. I'll sweep the floor with him!"

"…"-She stepped back, looking at me with worried eyes. "Listen to me, Jonghak… It's for your own good… You better stop trying to fight him… That… Won't end good… Trust me."

"Huh…? What would you know!? Maybe… Are you trying to protect him? Are you trying to stop me from taking my revenge over the humiliation!?"

"N-no! I just don't want something bad to happen to you!"

{Huh? What could happen to me? I'm not that weak!}

"Shut it! I'm not that weak! I'll get stronger and will sweep the floor with him… Now, leave! I need to keep training."-I said while going further into the training ground.

"Jonghak…"-A wistful voice made its way to my ears, but I ignored it.