Chapter 335: Awakening
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 335: Awakening
Black flames began to spread from where my hand guided them.
Fwoooosh
No, to be more precise, they erupted. The undead far off on the castle walls were incinerated in an instant, unable to even scream. The flames moved as if they had a life of their own. Even when I didn't extend my hand, they continued to leap from one target to the next.
“What… the fuck…” Choi Seulgi muttered in disbelief.
I could hardly believe it myself. A spell that would normally require a host of high-level magicians chanting in unison was erupting from my own hand.
—This isn’t because I’m lacking in ability.
My magic was being consumed at a terrifying rate. The reserves I had were completely depleted. As my magic ran out, the flames sustaining my body began to flicker and die. The fire on my back and the flames clinging to my voice were extinguished in an instant. It felt like I was squeezing out my very life force just to maintain this state. Blood vessels burst in my eyes, and I kept coughing up mouthfuls of blood. I could feel my insides trembling, but I knew I had to hold on a little longer. If this was all I did, it would be no different than just casting one big spell.
—This is the limit.
‘A little more.’
—Hey… Hey! Do you want to die? Darling? Darling?
‘Just a little more.’
Crrrack.
CRUUUUNCH.
The moment the wave of black flames finished sweeping through the enemy forces, I felt myself being forcibly separated from Levatain. It was not a pleasant sensation. Levatain was flung from my body, flying into the distance and embedding itself in the ground. I collapsed.
“Bleeeaaargh!”
I vomited blood the moment I hit the ground, but the sight that filled my vision was deeply satisfying. This was a power beyond measure. A power worthy of being called the flames of ruin, capable of incinerating the world. I could see why Levatain was so confident. I didn't know how effective it would be in a one-on-one fight, but against an enemy this numerous, its efficiency was unimaginable.
The gazes of those around me fell upon me once more. From the faces of Goff and Black Spear to those of my clan members, they all stared. It hadn't taken long, but for them, the fact that I had used such power must have seemed impossible.
“A-Attack!”
“Attack!”
I could see the humans on the walls shouting. Spells continued to rain down, and archers loosed their arrows. My vision began to blur. No, it was actually blurring.
“A…are…you…o…kay?”
“Fuck… Hey! Kim… sung!… Snap… out… of… it!”
“My… Sav…ior…”
“Chieftain!...”
I lost consciousness.
*
I shot up the moment I opened my eyes. As I did, I saw someone in front of me jump in surprise.
“My… My Lord Savior! A-Are you… Are you alright?”
It was Baek Ahyeon. I looked down at my body and saw that it was wrapped in bandages. She could have just healed me with her holy power; I wasn't sure why she’d bothered with all these bandages. I tried to speak but realized my voice wouldn't come out properly, which made me understand that my condition was more serious than I’d thought.
‘I almost died.’
I really had been on the verge of death.
“Baek Ahyeon… Where is this?”
“Ah… hic… sob… It is a large city in the North, my Lord.”
Her face was a mess. Tears and snot ran down her cheeks, and she looked like she hadn't washed in days. It seemed she had been pouring her holy power into me day and night.
“What about the war?”
“The enemies struck by your power, my Lord Savior, were thrown into chaos and have all retreated!”
Baek Ahyeon spoke, clenching her small fists. My vision still felt a little hazy. My body hadn't fully recovered yet. It was no surprise, considering I had recklessly spammed a power that was meant to be used only once.
“And now?”
“For… For now, there are no further attacks. I heard we repelled the first wave without suffering major losses. Thanks to that, we were able to send troops to the Eastern Front and other regions to clean up the remaining undead.”
“I see…”
For them, it had been a probing attack. The fact that they had pulled back meant that what I had done was likely not part of their calculations. Their plan was probably to wear down our stamina before pressing in from both inside and out, but it seemed the damage was greater than they’d anticipated, forcing them to withdraw their forces for the time being.
“What about the others…?”
“They are currently in a meeting.”
I could guess what kind of meeting it was. They were probably thinking they could advance into the Northern Continent. Our side’s humans and Green Skins must have realized it too—not only was there no magic used in this siege, but the enemy leadership was strangely hesitant to show themselves.
There were individuals who looked like commanders, but no one who could be called a leader was visible. They might be trying to hide the fact that the black wind they used before has a penalty, or perhaps they have another strategy. But what mattered was that we had held them off.
“Good…”
Sleep washed over me. I slowly closed my eyes again. I could hear Baek Ahyeon’s voice, but it grew muffled, as if I were underwater.
When I next opened my eyes, I saw Mev and Jung Hayeon.
“Tae… Taesung?”
“Chieftain!”
“We were… we were so worried.”
“Hic… sob… Ch-Chieftain.”
Even though they must have heard from Baek Ahyeon that I had woken up once, they were making quite a fuss. A smile tugged at my lips.
“How many days has it been?”
“You… You slept for three whole days. After you woke up the first time, you were only up for half a day.”
“Sob… sniffle… uwaaah…”
Jung Hayeon spoke calmly, but Mev was crying so hard she could barely get her words out.
“What about the Brother’s Land? No, how is Choi Eunju…?”
“She woke up yesterday. She can’t move yet, though… Her stamina and magic seem to have recovered… but it looks like she overused her magic so much that there are side effects. Ahyeon is with her now.”
So that’s where she went. It seemed she was now stuck to Choi Eunju’s side.
“The Brother’s Land is safe, with no major damage. The children are still with the Queen of the East…”
“Chieftain… hic… sob…”
Mev kept trying to touch me here and there while sobbing, her tears and snot a bit overwhelming, but she looked so cute that I couldn't help but chuckle. After a light meal and talking with the two of them for a while, I felt drowsiness wash over me again.
My body was brutally honest, as if its plan was to recover all the energy I had expended. The periods I was awake were getting progressively shorter, so I figured it wouldn't be long before I woke up again. After sending a message to Jang Ye Ri to let her know I was awake, I fell back asleep.
I think I had a rather sweet dream.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Choi Seulgi.
“You up?”
“Yeah. It’s been a while.”
“A while? How the fuck can you say ‘it’s been a while’? Are you fucking crazy? You got a death wish?”
Honestly, I had nothing to say. Choi Seulgi stood before me, her face contorted in a scowl, her eyes welling with tears. I understood why she looked so furious. I would have been just as angry if she had done something similar.
“You think this is funny?”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“Fuck… You’re lucky you’re okay, you son of a bitch… hic…”
“Are you crying?”
“Get your tail off me, you bastard…”
I tried to playfully poke her with my tail, but it seemed it wasn't going to work this time.
“What happened?” Choi Seulgi asked.
“I got a new ability. It lets me become one with my weapon. It’s a unique ability that grants me additional power on top of what the weapon already has. I saw Agar and Sand Glave fighting. It feels like I received some kind of gift.”
“What kind of unique ability tries to kill a perfectly healthy person?”
“It seems like it’s fine to use once or twice. I just pushed it a little too far…”
“A little? You call that a little? You bastard, do you have any idea why you’re wrapped in bandages? Your body was splitting open, with flames bursting out of the cracks. It was a total mess, you asshole. I thought you were turning into some kind of dragon from an old video game… It’s like you were determined to make widows out of your perfectly healthy wives. We managed to drive back the undead, thanks to you, but… fuck… just thinking about it makes me want to cry.”
“Don’t cry.”
“I told you to get your tail off me… I’m being serious right now.”
When she made that face, there was really nothing I could say. Thinking it was better to change the subject, I spoke to her again.
“So, how’s the situation? No, more importantly, is Choi Eunju okay?”
“Eunju-unni can’t move freely yet either. Her magic is fully recovered, but her stamina is very low. You could say she’s like a fragile glass filled to the brim with water.”
“For the time being…”
“Right. She has to refrain from using magic for a while. That’s why the Queen of the East can’t come here and is just pacing around anxiously. Since their mom looked upset, the kids figured something was wrong and were apparently crying and making a huge scene. Lapura, the quick-witted one, even fainted… Your clan members were going crazy too.”
“……”
“They were all screaming that we had to invade the North immediately. I thought I was watching a mob of angry parents back in our country. If it weren't for Goff and Black Spear, they would’ve charged in right away. It’s a good thing they were there to stop them…”
A sense of joy mixed with guilt washed over me. I was reminded that I was no longer alone. There were people who would be sad if I got hurt. The fact that it wasn't just Choi Seulgi anymore suddenly made me smile.
“If you get it… then take better care of yourself next time. If you actually die, I’ll have to fucking go find you again…”
“I will.”
“You get strong to live… What’s the point of getting so fucking strong if you just die? Let me enjoy a little wealth and glory because of my boyfriend for once, huh?”
“You’re already enjoying it.”
“This is from my own ability…”
Choi Seulgi smirked at my words. She seemed to be in a slightly better mood, so I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
“Anyway, don’t you ever push yourself like that again. You know it best, but that was truly your limit. Maybe it’s because your body is made from a Seat, but if you were human, you would have definitely died from the power overload. I’m being serious about this.”
“I get it. You can stop now.”
“No way, you bastard. I’m going to nag you until your ears fall off.”
At Choi Seulgi’s words, I slowly pushed myself up. Pouring all those points into my physique had been the right call. I could feel my body recovering at a decent pace. As I lifted my head slightly, Choi Seulgi leaned in and gently kissed me.
It was then.
“S-Seulgi-nim!”
A voice suddenly called from outside.
“Didn’t I tell you not to look for me?”
“Th-That’s not it. I-It’s just…”
“Spit it out.”
The voice that burst out was quite unexpected.
“A… A survivor from the Northern Continent has crossed over.”
At the unexpected news of a defector from the North, Choi Seulgi and I stared, our mouths hanging open.