Chapter 218
Chapter: 218
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 218
>Chapter Title: Flower Garden (4)
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>A chilling shiver ran down his spine in that instant.
Seongjin pulled Louise's long cloak sharply, yanking her body back reflexively.
Thanks to him, she nearly tumbled head over heels but caught herself by planting a hand on the ground and spinning back into position. She turned to him with a puzzled look.
"Your Highness? Why all of a sudden...?"
And at the same moment—
BOOM!
A massive crater exploded into the ice where Louise had been standing. It was the direct hit from Bazra's brutish fist.
The shockwave was so immense that some of the snow piled atop the canyon rim came tumbling down in a rush.
"Why all of a sudden?"
Louise was utterly flustered by Bazra's sudden change in demeanor. Hadn't he just been spilling out his sob story, acting all heartbroken?
"That's not Bazra."
Seongjin replied as he drew his walnut cracker and aimed it straight ahead.
Louise flinched in surprise as well and raised her sword. She'd sensed the drastic shift in the creature's aura.
[...Finally found you!]
A gravelly, savage voice echoed fiercely in their minds.
[You came crawling right to me! It would've been such a hassle to tear through all of Sigismund Territory searching!]
It was telepathic communication through a familiar. Louise, who had treated Max as her familiar until recently, knew the method all too well.
"...Lycanthrope Lord!"
Just as she said.
The thick fog of ice particles cleared like smoke, revealing Bazra in a form clearly different from before.
His muscles had swollen enormously, and his red fur stood on end, making his body look even larger.
That wasn't all. His eyes, now devoid of reason and clouded over, glared at Seongjin and Louise with a sinister gleam.
It was unmistakably hostile.
[Humans. Which one of you is it?]
The Lycanthrope Lord dominating Bazra—undoubtedly Berseus—growled the question at them.
Vicious breath billowed from between his fully bared fangs, turning white in the frigid air.
[Which of you bastards is the mongrel heir to Nebraska's blood?]
Just like Bazra.
Berseus, the Lycanthrope Lord controlling him, could faintly sense Nebraska's aura from both of them.
But he already knew Nebraska's lineage consisted of only one. So one of them had to be the familiar of that detestable mongrel he'd love to crush.
[Answer me!]
Yet the moment he heard the question, a strange premonition flashed through Seongjin's mind.
And before he could even fully register it, Seongjin was already spouting nonsense at the Lycanthrope Lord.
"Yeah. Why are you looking for me, you worthless mongrel?"
"......!"
[......!]
Louise and the Lord's eyes widened in unison as they stared at Seongjin.
"...Your Highness?"
[What? You little shit dare call me a mongrel...?]
The Demon King was equally aghast.
[Hey, Lee Seongjin? Are you insane?]
Huh. Yeah, really. It felt like he'd just screwed things up big time.
But regardless of that realization, Seongjin's mouth kept steadily provoking the beast.
"You know damn well, so why act like this? The whole world knows neither you nor I are pureblood Lycanthropes. You shouldn't have brought up 'mongrel' first if you didn't want to hear it back. Can't even do that basic math, you dimwitted mongrel?"
The Lord's face twisted viciously.
[You bastard... you dare...?]
"Why'd you do it then? I just wanted to live quietly, but some damn mongrel comes sniffing around my territory, kicking up a racket. Annoying as hell. You think I'd say anything nice now?"
Of course, everyone had heard the story from Louise.
But that alone seemed to convince him that Seongjin was his target.
[GRRRAAAAH!]
He let out a roar that shook the entire canyon, glaring at Seongjin. His eyes now blazed with such fury they seemed ready to spit sparks.
A thick purple aura began seeping from his entire body, growing fiercer in reflection of his rage.
[...I'll kill you!]
No sooner had the words left him—
THUD!
With a heavy impact, the leaping Lord charged at Seongjin and Louise. The two split apart in perfect sync, dodging his assault.
In the midst of it, Louise caught Seongjin's glance and kept silent, but the question in her eyes was clear.
*Why on earth?*
Well, it was hard to explain now, but it just felt necessary.
Either way, it was still just the two of them against him. For a guy with a separate main body, this misunderstanding could throw a wrench in whatever he planned later, right?
[No chance you'll get badly hurt here and end up finished off by your dad?]
The Demon King sighed and grumbled, but Seongjin remained nonchalant.
It's fine, it's fine.
I took down a Lycanthrope boss once before, remember.
BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE!
The narrow canyon shook from massive impacts, snow from the summit and mountain glaciers collapsing with thunderous roars.
The physical prowess of a pureblood Lycanthrope was absurdly overwhelming—like a bulldozer wrapped in aura charging full tilt.
And after clashing with him for a while, Seongjin's conclusion was this.
*...His movements are too unfamiliar! Totally different from Blata Mentis!*
[You think a bug-type monster moves like a Lycanthrope?]
The Demon King finally snapped at Seongjin in an agitated voice.
*But the one we caught in the labyrinth didn't move like this!*
In truth, the boss mob Seongjin and Orden had fought was a Lycanthrope shell overlaid with Blata Mentis data. Of course, Seongjin had no way of knowing that.
CRASH!
Ice shattered sharply from the beast's wild swings, shards flying everywhere.
Splatter.
Some grazed Seongjin's cheek, drawing thin red lines.
Even keeping a safe distance and trading blows lightly, the beast pursued relentlessly, aura at full blast.
Against that, Seongjin couldn't avoid minor scratches.
[What the hell are you doing? Why lie and draw his aggro for no reason?]
*No, it just felt like the right call.*
Think about it logically. The Dachiano Marquis wasn't just any Lycanthrope Lord—he was a noble with massive influence among humans.
Sooner or later, he'd target a commoner like Louise if the chance arose.
[So you're fine with it?]
Of course. I'm a full-fledged prince of the Holy Empire.
Think a mere marquis can touch me? He got a death wish?
[...Unbelievable!]
The Demon King clicked his tongue.
"Your Highness!"
Just then, Louise shouted from behind the beast and swung her bastard sword.
Whoosh.
The heavy blade arced down toward his thigh.
A strike relying purely on impact. With such a huge target, no chance of missing.
But—
CRUNCH!
Purple aura-clad claws blocked her sword effortlessly. With a flick of his arm, he swatted her away like swatting a fly; her light body went flying since she'd braced her sword against him.
"Urk!"
Louise soared nearly to the opposite cliff, twisting midair to land barefoot on the ice. Even if their aura control was similar, their base physiques were worlds apart.
"......!"
She shot Seongjin a desperate glance, as if asking permission. She clearly wanted to transform into her Lycanthrope form right then.
But with Seongjin already having pissed him off royally, she couldn't reveal herself unilaterally now. Smart call.
Seongjin shook his head slightly at her.
*Let's just go with it.*
They had a solid shot at winning.
For one, the beast wasn't fully utilizing the pureblood Lycanthrope body.
*The Dachiano Marquis isn't a proper fist fighter!*
He was comfortable with both hands. The fists smashing the canyon mercilessly swung with even power.
But Seongjin, who'd spent his life swinging fists, could tell: those weren't the moves of someone trained properly in punching.
[You rat bastard!]
The Lord vented his frustration.
Not only did Seongjin slither away like an eel every time, but he also inflicted hefty wounds in the openings.
The Lycanthrope's regeneration healed them quickly, but the rage boiling up was unavoidable.
[RWAAAAH!]
Another neurotic howl, shattering more cliffside.
Seongjin kicked off and leaped to the opposite side, narrowing his eyes to track the beast's movements.
*And his spacing...*
It was the range for a one-handed weapon—slightly beyond fist range, easy to swing lightly.
But like the punches, judging by his arm motion, it didn't require precise angle adjustments.
*Originally a blunt weapon user, huh...*
That was when he noticed it.
As the beast ground its teeth and turned toward Seongjin—
"Huh, that..."
Seongjin's eyes widened as he stared hard at it.
In that split second, the Lord lightning-kicked the ground and closed in explosively.
*...Crap!*
His body reacted late; that momentary hesitation cost him dearly.
The Lord caught up in a flash, seized him, and slammed him brutally into the ground.
[Lee Seongjin!]
BOOM!
"...Gah!"
The impact felt like colliding with heavy machinery—his breath cut off instantly.
"Your Highness!"
Louise's scream-like cry echoed from afar. His vision whited out briefly, then returned.
*Cough!*
Coughing raggedly, Seongjin forced his spinning head to assess the situation.
He'd coated himself in aura quickly, but the full-force smash from a pureblood Lycanthrope packed a punch.
*Spine's fine. Maybe a couple ribs cracked...*
Crunch.
The beast poured aura into pressing him down hard into the ice. Clearly intent on pulverizing him.
But.
[Got you at last!]
Now a stationary target.
The Lord growled a laugh and raised his free arm high. To crush Seongjin's skull in one go.
Seongjin gritted his teeth, focusing every nerve on timing it. Eyes locked on the fist, he gripped the walnut cracker's handle tight.
Right then.
Pat-pat-pat!
Light footfalls racing across the snow.
*Arf!*
A dog suddenly charged from behind and sank its teeth into the Lord's upraised forearm.
It was Max.
"......!"
[What the—?!]
The Lord stared incredulously at the dog dangling from his arm.
Compared to a normal dog, Max was a massive wolfhound, but hanging off a 3-meter-plus Lycanthrope, he looked like a cicada on an old tree.
Yet his eyes blazed with indomitable courage.
*I'm strong! I'm huge!*
Somehow hearing that from Max, Seongjin inwardly tsked.
Is this guy mistaking himself for his transformed state?
"Max!"
Louise rushed in haphazardly, swinging her sword.
But the Lord casually swung the dog-laden arm, sending her flying far again.
Even through that massive motion, Max clung to the forearm without budging.
[...What is this?]
The Lord gawked at Max in bewilderment. Then, for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ah. So you're of Ionia Wolf blood. A clumsy mongrel, sure, but a lineage rare in this dimension now."
Slurp.
With the wolfhound still attached, he brought his arm straight to his maw. Bared fangs suggested he meant to chomp it right there.
[Well, might make a decent familiar.]
That was when.
Slash!
A gruesome tearing sound.
SPLOOSH!
A geyser of blood erupted, blinding him. Simultaneously, one arm suddenly felt empty.
The Lord stared in disbelief at his severed forearm.
Whoosh.
Seongjin, gripping the wind-wreathed walnut cracker, staggered to his feet.
"Don't make me laugh!"
His face, drenched in Lycanthrope blood, showed only pale silver-gray eyes blazing fiercely.
Meeting that icy gaze, Berseus felt his heart sink.
[...Have I seen you somewhere before?]
Because of Nebraska's blood? Why does this human feel so familiar?
Grrrr—
Facing the instinctively baring, wary Lord, Seongjin grinned savagely, flashing his own teeth.
"Max is mine, you 'mongrel' shit!"
See if he dares now.