Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Fixing My Junior's Bad Attitude
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In front of a corridor at Raheln Academy.
Krash and Arashim faced each other.
A moment ago, the words Arashim had heard.
"Why have you been talking down to me since earlier?"
Arashim's face went blank as he mulled over Krash's words.
He hadn't expected the man to nitpick something like this.
"...Is that really what's important right now?"
"Talking down to me again."
This was blatantly picking a fight, no matter who looked at it.
And Arashim realized why Krash was acting this way.
He had figured out why Krash had bothered to warn him about Crimson Garden.
Krash met Arashim's gaze with a sinister smile.
That smile confirmed Arashim's suspicions were spot on.
Krash took a step closer.
At that moment, the aura of the White Dragon began to swirl around him, gradually intensifying.
After his secluded training, Krash had absorbed even more of the White Dragon King's power.
The raging White Dragon aura was fiercer than ever before.
"Ugh!"
The instant Arashim clashed with the oncoming White Dragon aura, he stomped the ground.
Blue shadows erupted from beneath his feet, wrapping around the walls and blanketing the surroundings.
Kakagagagang!
The White Dragon aura collided with the shadows, kicking up a racket.
The Lactea Family's secret art.
Azure Shadow Reach.
A secret technique similar to the skill Umbra wielded by Zodiac Gloria of the White Sheep Group.
The reason it resembled Umbra was simple.
The god who once protected the Lactea Family had granted Umbra exclusively to them.
But not anymore.
A conflict arose between the god and the half-ascended Tyrant Emperor, leading the Shadow God to withdraw protection from the Lactea Family.
As a result, Umbra fell into Zodiac Gloria's hands, leaving the Lactea Family with only Azure Shadow Reach.
'As expected, this guy's not direct Lactea lineage.'
Arashim was skilled enough, but he felt more like collateral branch material.
Besides, Krash knew there was only one direct descendant in the Lactea line.
And he knew just how devastating their Azure Shadow Reach could be.
'That guy's way older than me anyway.'
He probably couldn't even get into Raheln Academy.
Direct or collateral, it didn't matter to Krash.
There was only one thing he needed to do right now.
"Shadows are weak to fire."
Once and for all, crush him underfoot.
As Krash said this with a short laugh, Arashim felt a chill run down his spine.
By the time he tried to pull back, it was too late.
Black Flame joined the swirling White Dragon aura.
It unfolded in a completely different way from the cold-infused aura before.
The realm Krash had attained through his secluded training.
The Black Dragon aura.
The momentum, infused with heat that would burn everything to ash, slammed into the shadow space.
Hwaruk, kuaaaaang!
The Black Flame's blaze tore the shadows to shreds and incinerated them in an instant.
Arashim was caught in the explosion and sent tumbling across the floor.
"Cough, cough, ugh."
He swallowed a groan and tried to get up.
But then he realized a shadow loomed over his head.
Krash stood there, arms crossed, looking down at him impassively.
Just that alone made Arashim feel crushed.
He'd known it already, but this level of strength...
Completely overwhelmed, Arashim swallowed hard.
"Now, let's get to the point."
Krash looked down at Arashim and asked.
"What did you want in exchange for warning me about Crimson Garden's dangers and telling me how to break free from them?"
As expected, Krash cut straight to Arashim's real motive.
The Lactea already knew Krash was tied to World Eroders.
Yet they hadn't taken any action against him and had even come to warn him personally.
For the Lactea, a group united by extreme hatred of World Eroders, to make that choice...
It meant there was profit to be gained from Krash beyond mere disgust.
Arashim clenched his fists, realizing why Krash had acted so aggressively.
'This is him seizing the initiative to control the conversation.'
Arashim bit his lip slightly.
He'd known the guy wasn't easy, but he hadn't expected this level of recklessness for his own goals.
Arashim's eyes darted around for a moment.
He was searching for a way to regain control, but saw none.
Krash had utterly dominated him in a mere aura clash.
If it escalated to a real fight, the outcome was obvious.
The loser had no choice but to submit.
"...I've been too rude to you, senior."
In the end, Arashim raised both hands in surrender.
He had no reason to make an enemy of Krash if he wanted the conversation to continue.
"Are you aware that a World Erode gang called Ixion has been active lately?"
With that, Arashim got straight to business.
Krash, who had half-expected Ixion to come up, nodded once.
"Of course."
"Yes, I figured you'd know, senior, given they've targeted you before."
"Wasn't it Sizzle they were after, not me?"
Krash probed lightly based on imperial intel, and Arashim let out a dry chuckle.
"World Eroders are our specialty. You think we can't see through a little bluff like that?"
Though you couldn't with Crimson Garden.
Krash decided not to point that out.
These guys had known about Ixion for a while and had been maneuvering subtly.
"More importantly, Lactea has allied with the Empire to wipe out Ixion."
And then came the unexpected bombshell.
That explained why Arashim knew more than anticipated.
Thanks to their pact with the Empire.
Ixion threatened the entire world right now.
With the Empire eager to crush them after this incident, teaming up with World Erode experts like Lactea made perfect sense.
"Do you know why they targeted you, senior Krash?"
Of course he did.
Because of Ignis, which he held—and they desperately needed.
Reading Krash's eyes, Arashim nodded.
If Krash already knew, things would be easier.
"They'll keep coming after you."
There had to be a reason for stating the obvious.
"So you're saying I should hide somewhere before they target me more?"
Krash responded indifferently.
Arashim shook his head at the question, of course.
"Soon, the Empire and Lactea will launch an all-out assault on Ixion. We're also spreading word to trustworthy allies behind the scenes, informing every kingdom."
Krash's eyes widened slightly at those words.
This meant they were gearing up for total war.
But there was one problem.
'War with the World Eroders was inevitable anyway.'
Yet the timing had come far sooner than expected.
An accelerated schedule meant unforeseen events could arise.
"...Scale?"
"We're mobilizing the Celestial Sovereigns and requesting the Ten World Supremes."
And the lineup was nothing but heavy hitters.
Krash slowly tapped his crossed arms.
'Wiping out Ixion like this is definitely a good thing.'
He'd even deliberately dragged them into the open himself.
To make the world see Ixion as the enemy and unite against them.
But something about this flow nagged at him.
After the Sword Sovereign was slain by Charlotte.
On that day when cornered World Eroders lashed out in desperation.
When the Worst they unleashed spread, dragging the world into abyss in an instant.
'Not all World Eroders love Ixion.'
But they were a World Erode faction, and others knew of their existence.
'In the previous regression, what united the World Eroders was after Seirang and Sephira were assassinated, driving Blavi of the Nine Constellations berserk and slaughtering a bunch of them.'
That drew out hidden World Eroders, even the Sword Sovereign, who killed Blavi himself.
And so the great war between the world and World Eroders began.
Ixion's annihilation might just be the spark this time.
Seeing it happen could push other World Eroders to abandon individualism and unite out of crisis.
Clashing head-on with Ixion would hurt this side too.
That damage would create openings, and other World Eroders would exploit them to survive.
'The moment World Eroders rally around the Sword Sovereign again.'
The great war with World Eroders was inevitable.
And their cornered frenzy would spawn more Worst outbreaks everywhere.
'Damn it.'
Krash felt a faint headache and rubbed his forehead.
He'd felt it before—this world defied any solution, always threatening the same outcome.
Ixion had to be dealt with.
But not in a way that instilled crisis across all World Eroders.
'Is that even possible?'
Even Krash couldn't see a clear path right now.
And the more he pondered, the more a certain figure came to mind.
'Arthur.'
Arthur had failed to save the world.
Not once, but repeatedly.
Maybe that's why his methods grew colder, more ruthless.
Because no matter what he tried, the result was predetermined—just like Krash now.
But oddly...
Krash felt Arthur's face growing hazy in his memory.
'It's been years since the regression, and now I'm starting to forget? Already?'
Instead, the face that surfaced was Fake Arthur's.
The man tied to Abella, Krash's top danger pick.
Maybe it was time to open Pandora's box.
"Why tell me this?"
Krash halted his thoughts.
He couldn't blindly block the world's momentum.
So what he could do was intervene and shape the best outcome.
Arashim bowed his head at Krash's question.
"I want you to be the bait to lure out Ixion, senior Krash."
Bait.
Not entirely unexpected.
"Ixion's base is still shrouded in mystery. They change locations constantly."
Ixion always shifted their meeting spots periodically.
Even now.
The mad zealot, now a corpse in Evelask, was proof—summoned to different places each time.
Krash had a rough grasp of their spots.
But so did Abella.
They were surely changing them steadily.
"But there's one day even they must all gather. When they seize an opportunity they absolutely can't pass up."
Who could play that role?
None other than Krash.
"Going for total annihilation?"
"Yes. Anything less, and they'll slink away even more slyly."
They had the Black Witch, top-tier in spatial abilities.
Missing her alone would doom the op.
But with Krash, even the Black Witch couldn't flee lightly.
He was the card they had to have.
"So you're saying I should get captured as bait to draw them together."
Now it all clicked for Krash.
Why Lactea overlooked his deep World Erode ties.
He was the perfect bait for Ixion.
Even if he died mid-op, his Erode connections meant no guilt for them.
'Typical shadowy bastards.'
Krash glimpsed the madness in Arashim's eyes.
Even after being crushed by force, his hatred for World Eroders burned beyond.
Lactea bred that loathing through indoctrination from birth.
Krash wasn't particularly offended.
He'd factored it all in when allying with Eroders and wielding their power.
Nothing was more familiar to him than hatred.
A chilling smile crept across Krash's lips.
Instead, seize this as opportunity.
The delicate line where neither Lactea nor Ixion could touch him recklessly.
Claim control of that line.
'I'll decide when to strike Ixion.'
Crisis into opportunity.
Krash's specialty.
"Yes, they'll definitely approach you."
As expected, Arashim echoed the sentiment.
"How do you know when?"
Figures like them couldn't wait around forever.
Arashim nodded at Krash's skeptical retort.
"You're right—it's an indefinite timeline. But the Empire's Demon Emperor is developing an item.
A magic tool that lets him teleport to your location instantly, if you wish."
Krash listened silently.
Allied with the Empire, Lactea had their preparations too.
They knew he'd refuse without safeguards.
But Krash recalled something from the Giant's Forest.
'The ones who arrived before the Demon Emperor were World Eroders sent by the Black Witch.'
The Demon Emperor learned Krash's position via Crimson Garden.
But breaching the warped space of the forbidden Giant's Forest took time.
The Black Witch, without that intel, sent Eroders ahead of him.
'She holds the edge in World Erosion spatial refraction.'
The Demon Emperor was skilled, but outmatched by the Black Witch in Erosion.
Would his tool even work?
Krash shook his head inwardly.
A fact the stubborn Demon Emperor would never admit.
But with his life on the line, Krash couldn't gloss over it.
"I want to prepare my own safeguard."
"Your own?"
Arashim blinked.
As if to say, who could outdo the Demon Emperor?
But Krash met his gaze with a smile.
The Demon Emperor's magic was top-notch, but not in magic tools.
And Krash knew who reigned supreme there.
'Specialized department has talents for it.'
Plus, one person he needed to solve his own issue was tied to this.
'I haven't fully shed my mortal shell yet.'
Despite repeated secluded training, he hadn't fully absorbed the Dragon King's power.
His body couldn't handle it completely.
Not even the Four Seasons could fix this.
But Krash knew a madman who could help.
Celestial Sovereign
Demon Emperor
Terasius Jeblam
Time to meet that madman.