Published at 21st of November 2020 07:50:37 PM
Chapter 103
EPISODE 103 – KARAVAL (3)
The warriors of the Blade Song tribe who inherited the blood of the Hyjal Orcs were physically superior .
They were more like beasts than humans in terms of physical abilities such as strength, agility, and so on .
Sun Song was one of the best among the warriors of such a tribe .
Red Wind wouldn’t be able to last a few seconds if she fought him head-on in a battle of strength . Or rather, it was clearly at a level where her whole body would crumble because she couldn’t bear it .
‘I’ll be honest . If you got hit with just one blow, it would be difficult for you to win . ’
Their weight difference alone was more than three times .
Their difference in muscle strength might as well be more than six times .
If she got hit, that was it .
If she suffered from a blow on her chest or stomach, she wouldn’t be able to properly breathe .
‘So you can’t get hit even once . ’
It was an unreasonable demand .
But if she couldn’t do it, she had no chance of winning .
And one more added to this .
A word from Cordelia, who was silently watching Jude teaching her while next to him .
‘It’s okay, don’t think too hard about it . You just have to look carefully and avoid it . I’ve always done that . ’
She said that with such a big smile that Red Wind couldn’t even refute her words .
“Uooo!”
His shout shook her eardrums .
Sun Song roughly kicked the ground and rushed at her in a terrifying speed .
Red Wind concentrated .
She even held her breath and looked at him .
She naturally recalled Jude’s words .
‘Well, this beast’s words aren’t wrong . ’
‘Beast? Beeaast? Wurf-wurf! Wurf-wurf! Grrrrrr!”
No, not this one .
The next thing he said .
‘Look carefully and completely avoid it . It’s possible to do it . I will – no, we will make that possible to do . ’
Time had stopped .
She could see the grains of sand rising in front of her .
She could also see the saliva coming out of Sun Song’s big mouth .
Having the blood of Winter Elves, Red Wind’s eyes were innately good in the first place . Jude’s magic scroll additionally helped her .
A spell that maximized the eye’s ability to discern shapes and details of everything it sees .
That wasn’t enough, so Jude trained her .
‘This is how Sun Song moves . ’
“Kuooo!”
Sun Song swung his scimitar .
Red Wind had met Sun Song for the first time today, and it was also the first time she had seen him swing his scimitar with all his strength .
But it was familiar .
That attack .
The speed of Sun Song .
‘Look . ’
Jude wasn’t just talking about momentary movements .
How the attack would continue .
What the scimitar’s trajectory was and how far would it reach .
Jude taught her .
Jude made her become familiar with it .
‘Look carefully and completely avoid it . ’
Cordelia’s words .
And another of her words .
‘Then you’ll feel it . Not only through sight but you’ll feel it with your whole body at some point . ’
She didn’t understand what Cordelia was talking about then .
She wondered what Cordelia meant about feeling the attack with one’s whole body .
She really liked Cordelia, but she thought that Cordelia wasn’t good at explaining .
But Cordelia wasn’t wrong .
Her unnie told her how to do it .
‘I can feel it . ’
It wasn’t just the sight .
Her sense of hearing reacted .
Her sense of touch reacted .
She felt it beyond her five senses and perceived it through her sixth sense .
Sound, the vibration of the air, and the momentum of Sun Song’s force .
‘I think I understand . ’
She understood what it meant to feel with one’s whole body .
And what she should do now .
‘There are two things . ’
The scimitar gradually approached in the slow-moving time .
She recalled Cordelia’s words whispering to her again between Sun Song’s roar .
‘Once you feel it, there are two choices you can make . ’
The blade drew near .
It felt like it would reach her anytime soon .
Red Wind saw Sun Song .
His face that was yelling a battle roar was terrifying as if proving that he had the blood of Hyjal Orcs .
His canine teeth protruding from his mouth reminded her of a beast than a person .
And his eyes .
His bloodshot eyes that stared at Red Wind .
A person’s face was reflected in his eyes .
It was Red Wind’s own face .
But the face reminded Red Wind of Cordelia .
The beauty who enchanted even those of the same sex, spoke as her canine teeth shined .
‘Either you step back or move forward . ’
She usually stepped back .
It was normal to step back .
But that just meant running away .
There were times when she had to move forward .
‘The criteria for judging it…hehe, you’ll know it yourself when that moment comes . ’
‘You’re talking as if there’s something, but you’re not actually thinking about it . ‘Coz you’re a beast . ’
‘Do you want to die?’
She remembered unnecessary things, but it wasn’t bad .
A smile spread over Red Wind’s face . She was surprised when she widely smiled, but she took a step forward .
Shaaak-!
The scimitar cut the air .
Above the head of Red Wind who evaded the attack by bending her waist backwards .
The scimitar cut off a few strands of her pure white hair and scattered it . Sun Song was unable to control the power of his swing and continued moving forward while Red Wind disappeared from his sight .
T/N: Okay, it seems that the author made a mistake here . When Red Wind was first introduced, she was described as having azure hair that was reminiscent of the clear blue sky . But the paragraph above said that she had pure-white hair . I double-checked the Korean words used in the earlier chapters and here, and it really referred to her hair . Perhaps it was a typo by the author and the azure color being referred was her eyes and not the hair .
It was just a second .
A mere moment .
“Huu . ”
Red Wind exhaled . She straightened her back and saw Sun Song’s clearly exposed back . Instead of looking at the face of Sun Song who hastily turned his head to find her, she swung her sword . The slash stirred up the wind .
Slaaash-!
Her sword only slashed the air .
But she had intended it .
The Phoenix rose and followed the sword’s trajectory as it charged and attacked .
Stretching out like a sword, the Phoenix struck Sun Song whose giant body was then greatly hurled backwards .
Boom!
There was a blast .
No one heard of the small and light footsteps that echoed together with the blast .
Thump .
After rotating once, Red Wind fixed her position and held her breath .
She felt Sun Song again with her whole body .
She sensed him flying away, rolling on the floor, and groaning in pain .
“Haa . ”
She let out her breath .
And Red Wind thought .
‘This…is this the world you live in?’
She was wrong .
The world of Cordelia was more special .
Jude had met geniuses of all kinds, but even he had to admit that the world seen by a combat genius, who could only be described as a beast, was impossible for the current Red Wind to reach .
But it was enough for now . If she could feel and read Sun Song’s movements, then it was enough .
Bang!
Red Wind kicked the ground this time . She rushed towards Sun Song .
It was a splendid fight .
Red Wind quickly moved amidst the flames .
But like a seasoned warrior, Sun Song did not let himself be swept away from the battle .
He knew .
Just one hit .
That he could win with just one hit .
So he endured it .
As he endured the pain, she wildly swung her sword again and again . Red Wind refused to give up as she danced with her sword like willow leaves fluttering in the wind .
Slash! Slash!
Red Wind’s attacks poured out in succession .
Sun song received Red Wind’s attacks with his body and shot a series of attacks towards her .
Baaaang!
Flames sprung out .
Since both sides used fire, the fight looked flashy and splendid .
Different flames came together and clashed .
“As planned . ”
Jude said as he watched .
Cordelia nodded her head .
Because Jude had memorized all of Sun Song’s combat patterns, Red Wind was able to ‘feel’ Sun Song .
Although it was the result of receiving help from different kinds of magic, what she felt was the real deal .
“Red Wind will win . ”
Jude agreed with Cordelia’s conviction .
Because Jude’s calculations agreed with the words of Cordelia who perceived results while skipping the process with an intuition that was close to foresight .
Red Wind would win .
It would take some time, but it would eventually lead to her victory .
So Jude averted his gaze .
While everyone gathered here were focusing on the fight between Red Wind and Sun Song, he took a step back and thought .
‘An unfounded apprehension?’
Several chieftains gathered in Karaval .
The Eastern Alliance would be established regardless of who won the Karaval .
So if they moved, now was the perfect moment .
If someone wanted to interfere, it should have been now .
However, the Angry Bull tribe did not come .
Perhaps they hadn’t completed their military expedition in the west yet .
Maybe they were trying to avoid a situation where it would become dangerous if they moved the troops they left behind in their home base .
It was a possibility .
But would they just let go of this opportunity and watch?
Jude thought about the land of Gentle Snow Breeze where the Karaval was held .
It was an open plain on all sides, so they would know early on if someone wanted to invade it .
‘It’s impossible with a few troops . ’
It was ridiculous to count the number of warriors gathered here .
There were also several powerful chieftains, so even if they dispatched elite troops, they would still need a dozen units .
‘If that’s the case, they would have been sighted . ’
Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze was here now .
She had retained her powers unlike Violent Avalanche . But even then, she did not detect any movement of troops when she looked around .
No enemy was coming .
The west had given up hindering the establishment of an eastern alliance .
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So everyone was focused on the Karaval only .
Everyone who had gathered here focused their attention on the battle between Red Wind and Sun Song .
Jude had been doing that until now .
That was why he doubted it once more .
He wondered if there was anything he missed .
Perhaps there was something he did not think of .
‘Sky . ’
It was still clear and blue .
Sunset would arrive soon, but the sky was still blue now .
‘West . ’
Jude turned his head and looked west .
There was still nothing visible . Only the plain with white snow was seen .
‘Am I worrying for nothing then?’
Though that would be the best scenario .
Jude bitterly smiled and tried to watch Red Wind’s fight again .
But someone pulled on Jude’s arm before that .
“Jude . ”
Cordelia .
He understood it the moment their eyes met .
He understood from Cordelia’s frowning expression and her twisting her body about as if she wanted to answer the call of nature .
A foreboding .
Cordelia couldn’t really explain what that ominous thing was, but she certainly felt something .
So Jude focused .
He tried to find something he missed .
And Cordelia pulled Jude’s arm again .
“Tremor . ”
She said with widely opened eyes and pointed to her feet by gesturing with her chin . Therefore, Jude also figured it out .
The moment he heard Cordelia’s words, he concentrated and managed to notice it .
He could feel the vibration .
Very small tremors .
It was hard to feel unless one was as sensitive as Cordelia .
It grew bigger . It was getting closer .
“Under . ”
Jude and Cordelia looked at their feet at the same time . They raised their heads and simultaneously shouted .
“Watch out!”
“It’s coming from underground!”
The invasion from outside finally happened .
As if an earthquake had occurred, the tremors instantly became violent and the ground cracked!
Booom!
Massive spikes shot up from the ground .
Whether it was their aim or just an accidental coincidence, it came from under Red Wind and Sun Song’s feet .
Baaang-!
Red Wind simultaneously saw both Sun Song and the soaring spikes as the spikes shot up like a blade .
Her instincts told her that the spike would soon pierce Sun Song’s body .
So Red Wind moved .
Her instincts that preceded her thoughts was what made her move .
Because Sun Song was not an enemy .
Because he was their eastern ally who would join forces with them against the west!
Pooook!
Red Wind hit Sun Song . She threw her whole body and pushed him away .
And blood .
A piercing scream .
“Red Wind!”
Shwaaak!
A large spike grazed Red Wind’s slender waist . Red Wind fell down on top of Sun Song as she groaned and crouched her body . Red blood spurted from her torn waist .
“Run away!”
Cordelia’s cry was heard .
The ground was broken, and a huge monster shot up . Strange creatures that seemed to be a mix of humans and monsters came out one after another from the hole leading underground . Sun Song hurriedly lifted and carried Red Wind on the spur of the moment .
“Attack!”
“Help Sun Song!”
“Red Wind!”
Voices burst out simultaneously .
The warriors who gathered for Karaval drew their own swords .
It wasn’t just them . Even Gentle Snow Breeze angrily yelled and widely spread out her wings .
And it was at that moment .
“Aaaah!”
The monster that broke the ground stood up as it roared .
It was like a giant mole that was around 5 meters tall . There were several horns on its head, and it had glowing red eyes . A purple aura entangled its body as if it was cursed .
“O-oh my goodness! Dark Ghost!”
Violent Avalanche screamed and Gentle Snow Breeze widely opened her eyes .
Dark Ghost .
It was the first time Jude and Cordelia had heard of that name . But they realized it based on the two wild gods’ reactions .
The monster in front of them was a corrupted wild god .
No, it wasn’t even properly corrupted .
From the perspective of the Devil’s Eye, Dark Ghost was not completely corrupted and was just a failure that went crazy .
“Aaaah!”
Dark Ghost let out a tormenting scream .
The eastern warriors were tormented by the cry that contained the power of a wild god, and the increasing dozens of monsters penetrated into that gap .
‘Failures!’
They were one of the attempts to mass-produce demonic humans by combining humans and monsters .
If it had succeeded, it would become a low-ranking demonic human who possessed the power of monsters and a human’s intelligence, but if it had failed, it just became a monster .
“Kiaaaa!”
The deformed monsters moved towards the warriors .
And Gaël pulled out his sword . Having secured Adelia’s safety, he condensed his Qi energy and diffused it as he roared like a lion .
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“Go!”
At his tremendous roar filled with Qi, the curse in Dark Ghost’ scream was canceled at that moment .
The warriors came to their senses and Gaël quickly moved on the ground .
“Save Red Wind!”
Gaël unhesitatingly charged into the middle of the enemy’s group . Adelia also raised her hands and cast magic in succession, and a fight broke out between the monsters and the warriors who barely came to their senses .
“Dark Ghost!”
“Brother Dark Ghost!”
Violent Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze cried out, and Gentle Snow Breeze even tried to run towards Dark Ghost .
“No! He’s not the Dark Ghost we used to know!”
Violent Avalanche grabbed Gentle Snow Breeze’s feet to stop her .
He tried to overcome the current situation by calming down Gentle Snow Breeze who burst into tears upon seeing Dark Ghost’s changed appearance .
“Damn it! What the heck happened!”
Violent Avalanches had lost most of his powers, but not Gentle Snow Breeze . So he wondered on how they tricked the senses of Gentle Snow Breeze . Even if the ground was that deep, she would have noticed if they had approached near her .
Was there something that could hide their powers?
And the corruption .
The wild god was corrupted together with the dragon vein and sanctuary .
The fact that Violent Avalanche himself could have been like that gave him goosebumps . He felt like his heart was being torn at the fact that Dark Ghost had been corrupted .
And it was at that moment .
A voice rang in the minds of Jude and Cordelia .
It made Jude and Cordelia stop at once from helping Gaël who was trying to save Red Wind .
[Ki…kill! Please…kill me!]
It was Dark Ghost’s cry .
Jude and Cordelia could hear his pained screams because they were recognized as guardians of the wild lands by the Golden Dragon King .
[N-no . I-I don’t want to . Hurt everyone- Violent Avalanche- Gentle Snow…Breeze . N-no . Please kill…me…]
Dark Ghost’s scream grew louder, and the power of the curse also became stronger again .
Gentle Snow Breeze radiated her power to cancel the curse but that was all . She couldn’t do any more than that .
“Jude!”
Violent Avalanche shouted .
Because he too heard Dark Ghost’s cry .
And he also knew .
The reason why Dark Ghost told them to kill him wasn’t just because of the pain!
“Bomb . ”
Cordelia said with a pained look .
Dark Ghost was a bomb .
The Devil’s Eye plan was to wipe out the eastern chieftains by causing a huge explosion in the middle of the place where the Karaval was held .
‘Expendables . ’
They were failures after all .
Using them like this was an effective tactic .
Even if it failed, it would at least cause damage .
It was a good way to dispose of a defective product .
“Son of a b*tch!”
Cordelia angrily cursed . She was furious at the actions of the Devil’s Eye .
Jude deeply inhaled . He watched Gaël escape with Red Wind and Sun Song before he focused on Dark Ghost’s voice .
[Run…away!]
Dark Ghost should have originally blown himself up as soon as he broke and shot up from the ground .
Causing a disturbance without exploding was due to a part of Dark Ghost’s remaining will because he had not been completely corrupted .
But he didn’t last that long .
He didn’t have that much time .
“Kiaaaaaa!”
Dark Ghost let out a curse-filled scream again .
At that moment, Gentle Snow Breeze burst into tears .
Because she realized it .
Dark Ghost’s will had died down .
None of it was left . What was in front of them was just a monster that had gone crazy .
“We don’t have time! Run away, everyone!”
Violent Avalanche repeatedly stamped his feet and shouted . Now that the will of Dark Ghost had disappeared, the monster in front of them was a bomb that they were unsure on when and how it would explode .
But it was impossible .
The battle between the warriors and monsters had already began . If they turned around to run away in the middle of this, they would only be killed .
“Huu…huu…”
Jude took a deep breath again . He searched for a solution .
What do I do? What must I do?
It was also impossible to run away because of the monsters .
But if they leave it like this, everyone would be swept away by Dark Ghost’s self-destruction .
‘I have to find a way . ’
Something different, something else other than just running away from the range of explosion .
“Jude!”
Jude’s eyes widened in surprise . Cordelia was right in front of him . She shouted as her blue eyes sparkled .
“Let’s burst it!”
“What?”
“Let’s explode it before it self-destructs!”
What is she talking about?
Is there a difference between an explosion and self-destruction?
Wouldn’t we die even if we kill it anyway?
“No! Not that!”
Cordelia exclaimed as if she was frustrated .
She couldn’t explain it properly, so she conveyed it through her eyes, and Jude eventually figured it out . He unwittingly said .
“You’re a genius . ”
“Of course!”
Cordelia smiled . Jude impulsively hugged Cordelia tightly, and she struggled .
“Hey! Hey?!”
“Let’s go . ”
Jude immediately released Cordelia . Resisting the urge to kiss her on the cheek, he advanced towards Dark Ghost .
“Let’s goooo!”
Cordelia transformed into a witch and chased after Jude .
Adelia shouted from behind, but she didn’t listen . She had to reach Jude as soon as possible .
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“Unnie! Open the way for me!”
At Cordelia’s cry, Adelia let out a curse .
Adelia suddenly clenched her fists and gathered them in front of her chest before she swung them widely to the side .
“
And double casting .
Mana was released from Adelia’s small body like an explosion, and an outrageous feat took place .
Booooooooooooooom!
Two walls of fire spread out along with a roar . The fire of nearly 3 meters tall rose and made a path, and all of the monsters caught in between it were burned . Not one of them dared to approach Jude and Cordelia .
“Wow!”
“Unnie is the best!”
Jude and Cordelia ran in the path surrounded by flames .
The monsters tried to attack, but it was impossible .
“
The magic attack wasn’t wasted . As the monsters slipped because of the grease, the fallen monsters hit the walls of fire .
Kwaaaa!
Even when the flames were burning, Jude and Cordelia did not stop . They trampled on those who did not touch the fire walls or did not slip luckily as the two ran towards Dark Ghost .
“Keuaaaaa!”
Dark Ghost screamed .
Gaël had ran ahead first as he carried Red Wind in his arms and tried to run away from the explosion range . On the other hand, Sun Song slightly offset Dark Ghost’s scream with his battle roar .
“Oooooh!”
Dark Ghost went mad and swung both of its hands .
Its force was so terrifying as it tore the air with his blade-like nails .
But Jude and Cordelia did not stop . Rather, they sped up and shouted .
“I am anvil!”
“I am hammer!”
Their coordination was over . Jude soared using a golden whirlwind while Cordelia stretched out both of her hands forward and began using a telekinetic power . She poured out all her power to block Dark Ghost’s movement .
“Aaaaaah!”
She didn’t just bind him . She applied force towards a certain direction . At the same time, she opened her eyes wide and activated the
“Kaaaak!”
Dark Ghost let out a gasp and was paralyzed . Tears of blood flowed down from Cordelia’s eyes .
“Juuuude!”
“Cordelia!”
Jude pulled his fist in the air . As he cried out Cordelia’s name, he struck his fist on the head of Dark Ghost who couldn’t move .
“Black Dragon Cross Strike!”
He shouted out loud .
A pitch-black cross appeared from Jude’s fist as it shot and struck Dark Ghost’s body . It pushed Dark Ghost into a certain direction .
“Oooooooh!”
Jude added his Qi energy into his cry . He fully mobilized all his inner Qi in his lower abdomen, while Cordelia asked for help . Violent Avalanche caught on their plan and shouted to Gentle Snow Breeze afterwards .
“Help them! You have to push Dark Ghost into the hole!”
Gentle Snow Breeze did not immediately understand what he was talking about . But she understood that she had to help Jude . So she released a force that headed in the same direction as Jude .
Booom!
Dark Ghost was pushed away . He fell into the hole he himself had dug .
“Get in!”
Cordelia shut her eyes and used the last of her powers . Jude’s black cross completely pushed down Dark Ghost . And Gentle Snow Breeze’s power pushed Dark Ghost into the deepest part of the hole .
Cordelia’s plan was simple .
Detonate before it self-destructed .
Under the ground .
Inside the hole it dug!
“Art is-!”
She couldn’t continue her words . She had a headache from using too much of her power . Her legs were trembling, and her breathing became rugged .
But Cordelia did not fall down . Jude ran as he roughly breathed before he held Cordelia on the waist . And continued the words on her behalf .
“An explosion . ”
Jude poured a potion into Cordelia’s mouth .
Cordelia suddenly hugged Jude’s body and used
“Ugggghhh…”
Both of them let out painful groans at the same time . But Cordelia’s mana was restored because of this, and Cordelia promptly cast a new spell using the mana she just got .
“
A witch’s spell that she could control .
Cordelia leant her head in Jude’s arms as she moved her fingers . She fired the spell by pulling her index finger as if she was using a real gun to shoot .
Shwaaaa!
The dark blade flew like a bullet into the dug hole . It reached the point where Gentle Snow Breeze and Dark Ghost’s powers collided .
The power that Dark Ghost suppressed .
The dark blade stimulated it .
It lit the fuse .
“Bang . ”
Cordelia said while Jude hugged her . The moment he turned his back to protect her, a tremendous explosion started from the ground .
Baaaaaaaaaang-!
The ground shook .
It shook like an earthquake .
All who were standing ended up falling down, regardless of warriors or monsters .
A tremor of that magnitude .
An explosion that shook the earth .
But it was deep underground .
A purple pillar shot up from the hole, but that was it . The aftermath of the explosion never reached the ground .
Ruuuuumble-
Aftershocks .
The second tremors .
But it was small . It quickly subsided .
“Ack . ”
Jude gasped .
To protect Cordelia from the possible aftermath, he lied her down on his chest, so he felt her weight .
“Haa . ”
Cordelia fell on top of Jude’s chest as she let out a sigh of relief . Her cold sweat trickled down before she said with a bright smile .
“We lived . ”
Jude also smiled at her short words . As the ring of light appeared around them, he hugged Cordelia once again .