Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: I Don't Travel with Biting Dogs
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That night.
Krash had promised to journey with Lacradion, and now he lay in his room with his eyes closed, tempering his aura.
Thanks to Crim's advice, he trained his aura every single day, and with each passing day, his growth accelerated.
Of course, even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was still woefully inadequate.
At that moment, Krash's eyelids slowly began to lift.
He sensed a presence on his lap.
There lay Bianca, using his lap as a pillow, fast asleep.
When did she get here?
Krash swallowed a wry smile and gently lifted her head to place it on a pillow.
He pulled the blanket over her and was about to get out of bed when—
"Lord Krash."
A sleepy voice called out to him from Bianca.
Krash turned to look at her, and she rubbed her eyes before asking,
"Are you leaving already?"
Bianca's words meant: Are you heading to the Demonic Palace?
If he went to the Demonic Palace, she'd have to be apart from him for quite a while.
Because of that, she'd been sticking even closer to him during their remaining time together.
Krash raised his hand and slowly stroked her head.
"No, not yet. I'll be back, so sleep more."
"Mmm, okay."
Bianca relaxed, nuzzling into his hand before drifting off again with a soft sigh.
Lately, she seemed to be hitting a real growth spurt and was getting bigger by the day, yet her clinginess only increased—it was worrying.
Krash quietly slipped out of the room so as not to wake her.
Crimson Garden flew over and perched on his shoulder.
"Where do you see that?"
Krash shot Crimson Garden an incredulous look.
Krash could only marvel at Crimson Garden pretending not to know the full story.
At first, he'd tried to get Bianca her own room at the inn.
But she'd said she was scared to be alone.
When he suggested sharing with her personal maid, Elly, she'd outright admitted she wanted to stay with him.
Bianca was easing her newfound anxieties—born from her budding emotions—by staying close to him.
Knowing that, Krash couldn't bring himself to refuse her whims.
So he'd picked a room with two beds on purpose.
Yet every night, somehow, Bianca ended up slipping into his bed to sleep beside him.
He'd carried her back to her own bed a few times, but she'd always snuck right back over, so he'd given up.
The academy's going to be a problem.
Once this year ended and he enrolled in Raheln Academy, they wouldn't see each other for at least a year.
Krash pondered how Bianca would handle it, then chuckled at himself in disbelief.
To think he'd come to care about her this much.
Before his regression, their bond had been little more than a distant engagement—things had changed dramatically.
"You always say the most—"
Krash grumbled at the nitpicking spirit and headed out of the inn.
The reason he'd ventured out this late was that his heightened Sixth Sense had picked up on someone.
And this was a guest he'd been expecting.
Though it was night, Krash deliberately headed toward a back alley to make it easy for them to show.
Sure enough, as he stepped inside, a figure emerged.
A man cloaked in a robe.
"Pendal."
It was none other than Pendal.
Recognizing him, Pendal slowly pushed back his hood.
His gray hair gleamed under the moonlight as he glared ferociously at Krash.
"Valheim direct lineage—you're really going into the Demonic Palace with Lacradion?"
Just as I thought.
Krash met his gaze with a relaxed expression—Pendal was playing right into his expectations.
"And?"
Pendal ground his teeth.
He glared for a moment before getting to the point.
"If you're going, come with me instead of Lacradion. Pendalrod is challenging Nakcheon too."
An unexpected offer from Pendal's lips.
"Pendalrod has been tackling the Demonic Palace nonstop. The interior's changed over the past few years—shortcuts too. We can blaze through to the 8th floor using them. We've prepared plenty to take on Nakcheon, naturally."
On the surface, it wasn't a bad deal.
Pendal had reigned as the king of the Demonic Palace, after all.
Though he no longer set foot on the 8th floor, he'd navigated the floors below with ease.
He was an expert, no doubt.
Lacradion, meanwhile, had abandoned the palace and swung his sword alone ever since.
Pendal might have the edge in palace knowledge.
"Pass."
But even weighing all that, Krash had zero interest in teaming up with him.
"What?"
"Who in their right mind ventures into danger with a dog that's already bared its teeth at them?"
A dog that bites once keeps biting.
Pendal gnashed his teeth viciously.
"Besides, you were the one who blew your chance from the start."
It was Pendal who'd tried to block Krash from entering the palace.
He surely knew that.
"Coming to me now, asking to go instead of Lacradion—doesn't even that sound ridiculous to you?"
Pendal clamped his mouth shut.
Krash had known he'd show up tonight.
And that he'd make this exact pitch.
But the answer was decided from the beginning.
Pendal had always been a worthless sort in Krash's memories.
"I'm going with Lacradion. No deal you offer will change that."
Krash brushed past him as he spoke.
"Wait—!"
Pendal reached out to stop him but froze upon meeting Krash's eyes.
He'd been thoroughly thrashed by Krash recently.
He wouldn't deny he'd let his guard down then, but even in a straight fight now, victory wasn't guaranteed.
And above all, this was a Valheim.
Even if he won, attacking him at night after luring him out? No way he could handle the fallout.
Pendal withdrew his hand and ground his teeth once more.
"...We'll head to the Demonic Palace ahead of you. Pendalrod will be the ones to crush Nakcheon."
He had no intention of letting Lacradion and Krash beat him to it.
"Do whatever."
Krash paid him no mind and walked on.
Crimson Garden clicked its tongue in pity.
And Krash didn't disagree.
Pendal was following his predictions to the letter.
His true nature, I suppose.
Before or after regression, some people never changed—that was Krash's take.
The Demonic Palace.
A masterpiece completed by ancient weapon smiths and World Erosion dwarves, pouring their souls into it.
Krash glanced sideways as he entered the first floor.
Four in total for the 8th-floor raid, including himself.
One was Derek, the scout in charge of traps and paths—his protruding gut stood out despite the title.
Another was Penichelli, a white mage versed in holy and offensive spells.
The last was the light of the Demonic Palace, Lacradion.
"Man, who'd have thought Rak would step back into the Demonic Palace."
Derek let out a hearty laugh, clearly thrilled.
Penichelli seemed just as excited.
"For real. When word got out that Lacradion sis was raiding, everyone lost it. I'm so honored to be here."
Her deep brown ponytail swayed as she beamed.
Lacradion scratched his head awkwardly.
"You've got their trust."
"Yeah, well, seems like it."
Krash tossed in a quip, and Lacradion fanned his flushed face.
"On the surface, sure."
Krash reacted just as expected.
He glanced at Lacradion.
Pendal harbored a toxic mix of inferiority toward him.
He hadn't openly targeted Lacradion out of shame.
But if the spark ignites...
Krash knew he'd bare his fangs eventually.
All he had to do was wait.
Krash looked up.
The first floor of the Demonic Palace came into view at the end of the stairs.
An opulent hallway stretched ahead.
Red carpet lined the floor, paintings adorned the walls, and vases of flowers stood in rows.
Even more bizarre: every wall had windows.
Despite the palace being underground.
No matter how many times he visited, this place was utterly uncanny—the Demonic Palace.
Suddenly, a ticking sound echoed from ahead, and a rabbit appeared.
Clutching a pocket watch, it glanced their way and charged.
With each tick, the rabbit's body swelled larger.
In moments, rippling with explosive muscle, it lunged without hesitation.
"Lacradion."
Krash eyed the beast.
"Care to show me what you've got?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Lacradion was already moving.
She kicked off the ground, her sword drawing a clean arc straight into the muscle-bound rabbit's neck.
Golden aura blade erupted from the blade, slicing through muscle and bone.
Schwick!
One strike, and the rabbit's head flew into the air, rolling across the floor.
"Whew, still got it."
"As expected of sis!"
Derek and Penichelli gasped in admiration.
Krash was impressed too.
Clean work. A true master.
Where Pendal was erratic and unrefined, this was precision incarnate.
Two entirely different powerhouses.
And this was a prime chance to observe the early master realm—Krash's next stepping stone.
No matter how undervalued it was compared to higher realms.
Reality was, far more spent lifetimes chasing it in vain.
Krash was no exception.
Even with elixirs, skills, and secret arts.
The master realm demanded personal breakthrough.
Though Annihilation Erosion let him hang with masters.
Without crossing that wall, he was stuck.
Summer's almost here.
Events had flown by; spring yielded to early summer.
Once this passed, autumn, then winter.
Then Raheln Academy enrollment.
Less time than he'd thought.
To survive among prodigies.
"Let's keep moving."
This raid was an opportunity.
The perfect study material for breaking into early master was right beside him.
He might gain more than expected from this Demonic Palace run.
Outside the Babel forming the Demonic Palace.
One figure moved with purpose.
Her robe concealed an eyepatch over one eye, and weapons bristled from every inch of her body.
She lifted the robe's hood slightly to read a newspaper.
The Demonic Palace Gazette headline: Valheim direct lineage challenging Nakcheon.
"Fuck, trying to steal my kill?"
Cursing, she crumpled and tossed the paper with a scowl.
Her steps quickened.
The hem of her robe revealed a long, tiger-striped tail swishing behind her.