Chapter 58
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Omen #3
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Everyone on the deck of the Black Flame Dragon stood with wide, startled eyes. Among the crew, some let out strange cries, halfway between a cheer and a scream.
The 9th Prince leaped from the deck, and the lake exploded.
Droplets of water shot high into the sky, sparkling beautifully in the red and yellow light of the sunset. The massive volume of displaced water returned to its rightful place with a tremendous roar, and when it all settled, the literally shattered corpse of a Sea Serpent floated on the surface.
One shot.
Though most of the crew hadn't witnessed the moment of attack, they understood instinctively.
The fight was over in one blow. The 9th Prince had slain the Sea Serpent, known as a dragon of the sea, in a single strike.
How on earth?
The crew members looked at each other, swallowing dryly. A few turned to their captain, Silvan, the strongest man on this ship. But Silvan’s reaction was no different. He, too, stared below the deck with a dazed expression.
Enhancing his vision with a jet-black aura, Silvan was able to spot Ingong standing among the fragments of the Sea Serpent.
He was not in the water, but standing proudly atop the White Eagle.
As Ingong waved toward the ship, Silvan reflexively waved back before coming to his senses. He glanced at Felicia and Caitlin, who were standing beside him. It was a pointless guess, but he felt Ingong hadn't been waving at him, but at Felicia and Caitlin.
“How?”
Silvan asked Felicia, who was excitedly waving back with wide motions. The word had escaped him before he knew it.
Felicia turned to Silvan and beamed. A trace of shock still lingered on her face, suggesting the attack had surprised her as well.
But instead of swimming in bewilderment like Silvan and the crew, Felicia lifted her chin, her expression haughty. She said, snapping open her fan.
“I told you, didn't I? Our Shutora is amazing. A sea snake like that is nothing more than a one-hit wonder for him.”
Had Chris been here, he would have asked why his sister was acting so smug, but it was Caitlin who stood in his place.
“That’s right, Shutora is incredible.”
Caitlin added with a nod. Both of them were clearly brimming with pride.
Silvan shook his head to clear the dizziness and looked below deck again. He ordered the crew to lower the Black Flame Dragon.
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‘Master, are you all right?’
Green Wind’s worried question lingered in Ingong’s ear. He let his right arm, equipped with Ascalon and Earthquaker, hang limply as he nodded. It might not have been visible from a distance, but Ingong’s face was pale.
“I’m fine. Though my arm hurts like hell.”
If he hadn't reinforced it with aura, it would have been shattered. The attack was immensely powerful, and the strain on his right arm, which had served as the launch platform, had been tremendous.
Ingong stored Ascalon and Earthquaker in his inventory one by one. Looking up at the sky again, he saw the Black Flame Dragon slowly descending.
‘Master, I’m sorry the White Eagle is so small. It might be difficult, but it seems you’ll have to stand until the ship comes down.’
“No, you did a great job, Green Wind. Thanks to you riding the wind so perfectly, I was able to hit it in one shot. You did very well.”
As Ingong spoke with a grin, Green Wind appeared in the air, semi-materialized. She looked down at the White Eagle’s body with a fretful expression, but it was barely wide enough for Ingong alone. If they squeezed together, maybe two could stand, but Ingong might lose his balance, and it would be difficult for Green Wind to control the wind.
‘Ugh, praise without petting or patting… but I will endure it until we return to land. Don't forget to praise me when we get back. I'll save it for now.’
Green Wind forced a stoic expression. Ingong didn't hold back his laughter.
“Alright, alright.”
Ingong gave Green Wind’s hair a brief, consoling pat before turning his attention to the floating fragments of the Sea Serpent on the lake.
It was a colossal beast, dozens of meters long. As a lesser dragon, it didn't possess true draconic intelligence, but it was clever enough and had several magical and psychic abilities it could use instinctively, making it a formidable foe.
In *Knight Saga*, facing it head-on required a significant struggle.
And he had killed it in one shot.
‘Dragon Bane.’
The name of the ultimate skill embedded in Ascalon, a masterpiece of the Dragon Slayer series.
The ‘Ultimate Skill Control’ was a skill that allowed him to use the ultimate abilities built into each piece of equipment.
Among the gear Ingong possessed, it wasn't just Earthquaker and White Eagle that had ultimate skills. Ascalon, the decisive weapon of Thunder Doom Fortress, also contained a powerful ultimate skill.
‘An ultimate skill specialized for giant monsters and dragons… Truly worthy of the name Ascalon.’
Dragon Bane, as its name suggested, was an ultimate skill designed to bring ruin to dragons. As Ascalon’s form implied, Dragon Bane was a technique manifested through a lance charge, and its single-point focus concept was a perfect match for Ingong's taste.
‘A lance charge never looks back.’
A brave and daring rush to pierce the target. It was a technique that truly made his blood boil.
‘Is this something of a combination attack with White Eagle?’
He had jumped from a height of two hundred meters because he had the White Eagle. Landing on it mid-fall, Ingong had ridden the wind like a surfer on a surfboard to execute the lance charge.
‘It’s a good thing Green Wind can control the wind.’
It meant she could properly steer the White Eagle’s course. Moreover, since Green Wind was the one controlling the wind, Ingong himself only needed to focus on the attack.
Ingong let out another long breath. Thanks to using Caitlin’s aura, he had been able to suppress some of the dragon-slaying energy emanating from Ascalon, but it wasn't without its toll.
The Dragon Blood, the massive consumption of aura, and using holy power for the first time had left his entire body exhausted. If he hadn't leveled up from defeating the Sea Serpent, his legs probably would have given out, and he would have fallen into the water.
‘The only drawback is that it’s exclusively for monsters, I guess.’
Ascalon was far too large to use against people. An opponent like Gerard or a Guardian Spirit would have easily dodged his lance charge.
‘Well, I have countermeasures for people, too.’
There was Gigantic Piston, Arang, and even Earthquaker's ultimate skill, Ruination, which boasted immense power.
‘I’m looking forward to the third dragon weapon.’
The equipment of the Elder Dragon, Kaltein the Fierce.
What kind of weapon would it be? What kind of ultimate skill would it hold?
“Shutora!”
Felicia’s call was close. Ingong steered the White Eagle toward the Black Flame Dragon as it settled on the lake's surface.
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What awaited Ingong on the deck was not the crew’s applause, Felicia’s admiration, or Karak’s gruff praise.
“That was too much, Shutora.”
Caitlin said with her arms crossed and a sternly serious face. She was still cute, but Ingong forced a serious expression of his own.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not just some aura battery for you.”
“I know. I’m really sorry.”
He had wrung out her aura without any prior consent. This time, especially, he’d been driven by a desire to see her reaction, so he had no room for excuses.
As Ingong quietly repeated his apology, Caitlin’s shoulders slumped. She smiled sweetly and said.
“From now on, please make sure to tell me before you take my aura.”
“So it’s okay if I tell you first?”
“If you tell me beforehand, it’s fine.”
Caitlin’s gentle, chiding tone was truly that of a saint. But Ingong didn't stop there.
“Um, what about in an emergency?”
What if it was a situation so urgent he couldn't even speak, like when he fought the Guardian Spirit?
At Ingong’s question, Caitlin’s eyebrows furrowed into a ‘V’ shape. She hesitated before answering.
“In an emergency, you can just take it.”
“Got it, noona. I’ll do that.”
Ingong beamed, and Caitlin felt as if she'd been had. Seira gently placed a hand on Caitlin’s shoulder and said.
“Your Highness is too soft on His Highness the 9th Prince.”
“Right? Look at them go.”
Felicia chimed in with a click of her tongue, then immediately changed the subject.
“Anyway, that was quite a show. Even if Ascalon is the perfect counter for a Sea Serpent with draconic factors… I was shocked. In terms of single-hit power, that seemed way stronger than Silvan or Chris, don't you think?”
Ingong, charging at the Sea Serpent, had looked like a meteor falling from the sky. The sight of the lake water shooting dozens of meters into the air was a spectacle, but it was also something that required an enormous amount of physical force.
Wincing at Felicia’s direct comparison, Silvan fiddled with the eyepatch on his right eye and said.
“Hmm. Still, if I were to remove my eyepatch…”
His voice was small and lacked conviction. As if to console the suddenly dejected Silvan, Ingong said.
“Just as Felicia said, the opponent was a Sea Serpent with draconic factors. Besides, Ascalon itself is too big to use the technique easily… And strength isn’t just about the power of a single blow, right? For now, you and Chris are still a cut above me. Right, Silvan?”
He subtly made his tone more casual.
Silvan hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile and nodded.
“Hmm, yes. You are excellent, Shutora.”
Felicia giggled at the awkward praise.
As if to rescue the once again embarrassed Silvan, Karak joined the conversation.
“By the way, what are you gonna do with the Sea Serpent's corpse? Are you taking that to the raccoon fella too?”
The Sea Serpent was one of the stronger species among lesser dragons.
Though a step below a true dragon, its scales and bones were undoubtedly high-grade materials.
“That would be nice, but it’s too big… Silvan, can the Black Flame Dragon transport it?”
At Ingong’s question, Silvan puffed out his chest and answered with a voice full of pride.
“No problem. The Black Flame Dragon has incredible power. It can carry monsters far larger than that.”
“Then let’s move it to shore for now. It looks like all sorts of scavengers are gathering, drawn by the Sea Serpent’s corpse.”
Just as a flock of crows would gather to feast on a mighty beast that has fallen.
Not only fish, but smaller aquatic monsters were beginning to gather one by one.
Felicia said.
“Shouldn’t we also prepare for the Caltus? That was our original purpose for coming here, after all.”
Though not on the level of a Sea Serpent, the Caltus was still a formidable enemy. Its entire body was made of hard metal, making it an exceptionally tricky opponent.
“Hmm, I have a feeling that a purple aura is going to rise from the Caltus, too.”
Karak voiced his anxiety in a small voice. Ingong shot him a look.
“You said words have power.”
“I’m just hoping it doesn’t happen.”
Karak said with a serious face, and thankfully, his wish came true.
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“I will now explain how to defeat a Caltus.”
After the Black Flame Dragon docked on the shore, Ingong began an impromptu lecture. The students were Felicia, Caitlin, Silvan, and all the other combatants.
“The Caltus’s entire body is made of metal. But in truth, it’s not entirely metal. Only the surface is. The inside, like any other living creature, is made of flesh and blood.”
The Caltus was a monster with the head of a crocodile and the body of a lion. Its entire body was covered in metallic scales of a color close to black-green.
Ingong pointed to a large drawing of a Caltus, skillfully rendered by Delia, and continued.
“The most effective way to defeat a Caltus, which is resistant to both physical and magical attacks, is to attack its insides. We will exploit its greatest weapon and weakness—this large mouth.”
“You mean we attack the inside of its mouth when it opens it?”
Felicia asked, raising her hand slightly. Ingong immediately nodded.
“Yes. The Caltus has a habit of trying to land a finishing blow with a bite. We’ll use that against them.”
Felicia’s expression turned complicated at Ingong’s answer. It was a rather daunting strategy.
As if he had expected this reaction, Ingong smiled and continued his explanation.
“The next most effective thing is ice magic. The Caltus is extremely weak to cold, so its movements become drastically slower when its body temperature drops. In other words, we slow it down with ice magic, then aim for the inside of its mouth.”
Felicia nodded as if she finally understood.
“My time to shine.”
After all, she was the most skilled in ice magic among the group. But Silvan shook his head and stepped forward.
“Hmph, a rather interesting strategy. However, I have a more effective and efficient method.”
Standing next to Ingong, Silvan suddenly drew his sword and channeled a jet-black aura into it. A sharp blade of aura formed over the sword’s edge.
The Aura Blade, which could cut through anything.
It was the signature skill of the brilliant swordsman Silvan.
“My Aura Blade can cut through metal as if it were paper. Their hard shells will be no obstacle for me.”
He was right. Silvan’s Aura Blade would slice through the Caltus’s shell and everything else with ease.
Felicia clasped her hands together and exclaimed in admiration.
“You’re so cool, Big Brother.”
Her address for Silvan changed to ‘Big Brother.’ But instead of feeling it was strange, Silvan only felt pleased.
Felicia continued.
“I’ll leave the Caltus hunt to you, Big Brother. I want to cheer on your amazing performance.”
It was an awkward and transparently cute act, but not to Silvan. A bright smile spread across Silvan’s face as he pounded his chest.
“Leave it to your big brother, Felicia.”
“Okay, I’m counting on you. I trust you completely.”
“Alright, I’m off then. Just get ready to store the Caltus!”
Silvan shouted loudly and leaped from the deck without a backward glance. He cut a truly magnificent figure, running with his cape fluttering behind him.
Felicia watched his retreating back for a moment before turning to the others and saying.
“Alright, let’s have dinner and rest. We need to manage our condition since we’re going into the lake tomorrow morning.”
Just as they’d suspected.
As Caitlin blinked in bewilderment, Felicia wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said.
“Caitlin, this is how you handle older brothers. Got it?”
Caitlin could only stare with wide, shocked eyes.
Karak clicked his tongue.
“Poor 5th Prince.”
“Well, he looks like he’s having fun.”
Ingong watched Silvan’s back for a moment, then shrugged lightly and lost interest.
Before meeting him, he’d worried about how to win Silvan over, but it seemed to be a needless concern.
‘Because Felicia is with us.’
Ingong chuckled and looked out at the Lake of the Sun. A faint golden light rising from the lake’s surface was spreading through the encroaching darkness.
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End of Chapter 15 - Omen #3 + Event Result Announcement