Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Northern King (8)
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"Yes. It's Zaifa's son, Aradan Tergun."
Ronan fell silent, at a loss for words. The unpleasant premonition he'd felt since earlier was finally revealed.
Aradan's swordsmanship, driven by feral instincts, bore an uncanny resemblance to Zaifa's. Adeshan, breathing raggedly, spoke in a trembling voice.
"You... brought your own nephew back... with necromancy?"
"Indeed. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Aradan fulfilled my lifelong wish. Unlike me, who has no talent for martial arts, he perfectly inherited his father's gifts."
"H-how... how could you..."
"Aradan will surely be delighted as well. He gets to punish the enemy who killed him and the father who went soft."
There wasn't a shred of guilt in Barca's calm voice. Aradan's eyes, belonging to a body long past its expiration, gleamed with an eerie chill.
It was the characteristic ghostly aura of a corpse defying the natural order. Adeshan clamped her hand over her mouth as she met that gaze. She felt vomit rising if she let her guard down even for a moment.
With everyone fallen silent, the only sounds echoing in the grotesque stillness were the clashes of steel. Ronan parried wordlessly before muttering under his breath.
"And you call yourself..."
"Kraaaargh!"
Suddenly, a mindless roar erupted from Aradan's maw. His strikes grew even more savage, raining down on Ronan. Just as the two blades, sharp as fangs, aimed to pierce his throat, Ronan gripped his hilt with crushing force and bellowed.
"And you call yourself human, you son of a bitch?!"
"Krugh?!"
Aradan's eyes widened. The super-accelerated Lamancha deflected both incoming swords. Ka-chang! Shattered blade fragments scattered like snowflakes.
"Get out of my way!"
Ronan immediately lashed out with a kick to Aradan's abdomen. He felt the sensation of organs rupturing and spine shattering travel up his leg. Kwang! The body flew, smashing through lab equipment before slamming into the research room wall.
"...As expected of a brute."
Barca shook his head as he watched. Ronan's leg, enhanced by Baren's aura, was enveloped in a golden haze. Ronan turned to him with a growl.
"I'll show you hell."
Even after living two lives, he'd never felt such disgust. A maggot-infested field hospital would feel cleaner by comparison.
He had to kill him. As painfully as possible. Just as Ronan was about to unleash his aura.
"Do as you like. But shouldn't we finish the duel we started?"
"What?"
Ronan furrowed his brow at the baffling words. In that instant, the smoke rising from where Aradan had crashed parted left and right. His arms moved on instinct into a defensive stance. Kwang! A shadow hurtled like lightning and collided with him.
"Kruk! Kraaak!"
"What the fu—!"
Ronan spat curses as he looked up. Five claws reminiscent of a scimitar gripped Lamancha. Aradan, baring his fangs in a roar, looked shockingly intact.
How is it still moving?
He'd clearly shattered its spine, yet he couldn't fathom it. The abdomen struck by the kick was still deeply caved in. Even for an undead, a destroyed body shouldn't move freely.
He wanted to figure out the cause, but Aradan gave no such luxury. Regaining his stance, it spun sideways and swung its arm.
"Kruuuugh!"
There wasn't a single opening in the flawless rotation. It was hard to believe it was driven purely by instinct and murderous intent. The claw slicing through the air would rip off Ronan's head—and his entire upper body.
"Got some spirit."
Ronan twisted his lips. Meeting it head-on would shatter his shoulder. As he retreated to a safe distance to counter, shwaak! Suddenly extended nails raked across his face.
"Kuh?!"
His cheek tore, blood spraying. The reach was longer than he'd gauged. Turning his head at the last second had kept it to a graze—fortunate. Ronan raised his brows as his eyes reached Aradan.
"That's...!"
"Kruk! Kuruk!"
Indeed, Aradan's left arm had elongated to drag on the floor. From a gash on the inner elbow, black tentacles writhed.
It wasn't just revived with a breath of life. Barca spoke in a voice laced with amusement.
"Give up. He's not an opponent you can beat."
"You bastard, what the hell did you do to that kid to turn him into this monster?"
"I bestowed a favor. My nephew wanted to be the strongest warrior above all."
Barca boasted proudly that he'd made Aradan a true warrior through black magic and experiments. Ronan bit his lower lip. He wanted to charge and sever that neck right then, but Aradan didn't yield the path.
"Deal with them and come back."
Barca turned his back on the struggling Ronan. Despite his leisurely tone, his steps were hurried. Several corpses rose from corners of the lab, surrounding him like escorts.
"Greeek...!"
"Grulk, gruk."
The near-combat-ineffective husks were purely meat shields to block Ronan's aura. Limping on one leg, he entered a side door in the corner.
"Damn it, move!"
Growing impatient, Ronan gripped his hilt. His hand blurred momentarily, and a black line appeared across Aradan's chest. Shwaak! Rot-black blood splashed Ronan's face.
"Fuck, tough bastard."
"Grruk!"
But Aradan didn't care. Reacting as if pricked by a thumbtack, the were-tiger swiftly reset and charged. He'd definitely felt ribs severed—unbelievable vitality, even for a corpse.
"Let's call it quits. Yeah?"
"Kyaaaah!"
As expected, no response came as Ronan hoped. Aradan was long dead. A puppet marinated in malice and manipulated.
"Now I really have to kill you."
Ronan muttered through gritted teeth. Aradan was strong, but he didn't feel like he'd lose. It was just that knowing he was Zaifa's son weighed on his blade.
To end this, he'd have to mince it to bits—but he couldn't bring himself to. Damn it, he shouldn't have read Zaifa's letter. Suddenly, Barca halted midway through the side door.
"How about stopping that pathetic tailing?"
"Ugh...!"
Adeshan, advancing stealthily, ground her teeth. To think he'd notice amid the commotion.
While Ronan held Aradan's attention, she'd snuck toward Barca. He tapped his temple with a finger.
"You've been probing my mind this whole time. Dangerous power you have."
"Barca!"
Abandoning stealth, she drew her crossbow. The prepared bolt fired. Kang! It reached his forehead before ricocheting as if hitting a wall.
"Ah!"
"Even if I've fallen this low... you think I'd lose to the likes of you?"
Barca sneered. Stellar blessings rippled around him. Despair hardened Adeshan's face. He snapped his fingers as he turned away.
"Clear it."
"Th-this...!"
Adeshan fired her next bolt. If she couldn't hit the body, she'd collapse the ceiling. Then Aradan leaped from Ronan, blocking her path and swatting the bolt. Kwang!
"Krararak!"
"N-no way!"
Adeshan's eyes widened. Unreal reaction speed. Clearing the threat, Aradan thrust its claws.
"Kruung!"
"This...!"
Too late to dodge. She reflexively whipped upward. Kwajik! Dagger-like claws barely hit the whip instead of her heart. But it wasn't a clean block. The recoiling whip slammed into her upper body. She tumbled across the floor from the impact.
"Agh!"
Blood spurted from Adeshan's mouth. Five sharp iron shards had pierced from chest to side. She felt her organs damaged inside.
Barca had already vanished into the side door. His footsteps faded.
Squeezing her last strength, Adeshan fired another bolt toward Barca—not defending or dodging. Aradan couldn't react this time. Puk! The arrowhead sank into the darkness beyond.
"...Kuh!"
A hit. Barca's groan followed. The stellar blessing must have just ended—perfect timing. This would make it easier for Ronan to pursue.
"Hoo..."
Having lost much blood at once, her vision blurred rapidly. Fulfilling her duty, she collapsed. Aradan raised its arm for the finishing blow.
"Adeshan!"
Ronan's shout rang out. Simultaneously, sunset light poured from behind Aradan. The aura pulling the foe yanked it before Ronan in an instant.
"Kruuugh!"
Aradan spun without panic. The strike meant for Adeshan naturally fell toward Ronan's head. Without looking, Ronan yelled.
"You bastard, get lost!"
The crimson-glowing blade flushed deeper red. Lamancha vanished from sight. The passing hand grazed Ronan's ear and smashed the floor. Kwaaang! Stone shattered, revealing an icy subfloor.
"Kraaaak!"
A draw. Aradan lunged again, but Ronan was gone. Turning, it saw him ignoring it to rush to Adeshan.
"...Kruk?"
Then dozens of red lines scored Aradan's body. Sensing disconnection, it barked something. Peueok! The body exploded into exactly twenty chunks.
Black blood, guts, and severed tentacles spilled. Ronan, who had sliced through the meat-shield corpses in one go, rushed to Adeshan. She leaned against the wall, still impaled by the whip, groaning.
"Ro, Ronan..."
"Don't talk. I'll heal you right now."
The wound was deep. Ronan yanked the whip free and poured emergency potion on it. Sizzling like boiling water evaporating, blood staunched and flesh knit. Unable to bear the pain, Adeshan bit her arm.
"Ugh, uuugh...!"
"Damn it, why'd you pull such a reckless stunt? Not like you."
Ronan bit his lip. If he'd been a step slower, she'd be gone. It didn't suit her usual rationality.
"Hit his leg, so he can't go far... haa, hurry and chase him."
"Adeshan."
"Ronan, I..."
Her legs shook like a newborn fawn's as she rose. She pointed behind him abruptly.
"Look at... that."
"Huh?"
Aradan's flesh pieces writhed, gathering. Black tentacles like arthropod legs reconnected the severed parts.
"Fuck."
Ronan cursed. It wasn't fully ended. Even unrecognizable, Aradan sought revival.
The boy, murdered in his prime, suffered even in death. Watching the horror, Adeshan spoke.
"I can't forgive Barca."
Her voice was icy cold, contrasting boiling rage. Her ash-gray eyes flickered with an unusual hue. The inner voice she'd heard lately urged her on.