Chapter 208: Different Dreams
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Different Dreams
One month left.
I had one month to prepare to face them.
I had to utilize every resource I possessed to its absolute limit.
The top priority, of course, was training my followers.
I couldn't defeat all the enemies alone; I had to fight alongside them.
To me, Chillang-i might seem like a cute puppy, but she was a predator stronger than most humans. She wasn't just any wolf, but a direwolf. And perhaps due to Baek Rang's influence, she was much larger than a typical one.
If the youngest, Chillang-i, was this formidable, her older sisters must be enormous, rivaling tigers in size. Utilizing their swift mobility to sweep across the battlefield would be a huge advantage.
Of course, with the sheer number of enemies, it was impossible to guarantee everyone's safety. This would be nothing short of an all-out war.
Despite that, my goal was a perfect victory with zero casualties on our side.
I knew how difficult that was. Victory itself was uncertain, let alone achieving it without any losses. The chance of failure was extremely high.
Still, I had to try everything in my power.
And that was one of the reasons I was prioritizing the training of my followers.
“Keeeeng!”
“Kiooong!”
Tus and Pus were also getting the hang of wielding the power of cold.
“Awooo!”
The same went for Chillang-i and the other wolves.
Their power was insignificant compared to Baek Rang's. Even if they made the most of the month, it would be difficult to achieve any significant results.
But what if they focused this cold energy on defense?
At the very least, they should be able to save their own lives.
The skills Baek Rang was focusing on teaching were all for survival.
Iron Head Dragon would be joining the fight as well, which would further amplify the cold energy my followers wielded.
“Poly… gamyyyyy!”
“Polyg! Polyg-myyyy!”
The Arsinoitheriums didn't seem capable of wielding cold energy, but that didn't change the fact that they were a reliable fighting force. They probably couldn't stand up to the enemy's core units, but most foes wouldn't be able to withstand a charge from all ten of them.
I'd tested their hides with my claws, and their durability was quite high.
The Arsinoitheriums were busy sharpening their horns.
“I hope no one gets hurt.”
Baek Rang stretched as she walked over to me. Her eyes were weary; she hadn't been sleeping well with all the preparations.
I felt bad for her, but I needed her to push herself a little longer. Since I had personal matters to attend to, Baek Rang was in charge of all preparations within the territory—setting traps, training the followers, and more. On top of managing all that, she was also responsible for securing food. It was no wonder she was exhausted.
“That girl and the Priestess are probably working the hardest,” Baek Rang said, gesturing toward Tang Soyeong and Nephila with her forepaw. “Neither of them is really a fighter, but they're doing everything they can to help.”
Even though she was exhausted, she never complained.
How could a person—no, a wolf—be so kind?
I found myself naturally stroking her head.
“…You keep treating me like a puppy… It’s not like this makes me feel good, you know?”
And yet, her tail was wagging.
“…Never mind. I feel like I always get swept up in your pace when we talk.”
She glanced at me for a moment before plopping down beside me.
“How are things on your end?”
“Gekgek.”
“Right. I’m sure you’ve got it under control.”
A brief silence fell between us.
Unable to stand it, Baek Rang spoke again.
“Defeating Gongbok is the most crucial part… Do you think it will go as planned?”
Gongbok, one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon. He was the most bothersome of them all.
The textbook strategy would be to rush to his rocky mountain and take him down before he could join forces with the Mount Hua Sect. But he was no pushover, so that might be a bad move.
The power I gained from the Dragon Gate was the ability to control plants—the power of Wood, essentially.
What power did he wield? It was reasonable to assume he controlled the earth itself.
My territory was already becoming a dense forest. By using my ability in advance to prepare the plants, I could use them to my advantage later. It was far easier to manipulate fully grown plants than to sprout them from seeds.
Even I, who only recently acquired the Dragon Gate, could come up with a strategy like this.
So what about Gongbok? He was a spirit beast who had held the power of the Dragon Gate for an incomparably longer time. By now, that rocky mountain was probably an extension of his own body.
That was why I wasn't making a preemptive strike.
When I had less information, I thought Baek Rang and I could somehow manage it together. But after witnessing his transcendent defense, I knew that was out of the question.
Ironically, my best bet was to wait for the Mount Hua Sect and Gongbok to join forces and attack my territory together.
“Based on the Five Elements, your power should have the advantage,” Baek Rang mused. “It’s natural for wood to draw nutrients from the earth.”
If my claws couldn't pierce him, I'd have to use the elemental matchup.
“And while cold energy is similar to earth, its source is the power of Water. Water nourishes wood, so as your followers grow stronger, your own abilities will be amplified.”
The me I saw in the future was defeated without leaving a single scratch on him. No matter how desperate the situation, I must have used the power of Wood. I lost even with that power.
“If Iron Head Dragon joins us and I support you,” Baek Rang continued, “we might actually be able to pierce his hide.”
Of course, I was different from the me in that future. Back then, my followers couldn't actively use their cold energy, and Iron Head Dragon wasn't with us.
Things were different now.
When the powers of two Dragon Gates combined, even one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon would be forced to take damage.
Like a tree taking root in the earth as rain falls from above.
Baek Rang stared intently at my arm.
“Hmm… I still can’t believe even this arm couldn’t do anything. I mean, your other parts are one thing, but this arm…”
She gulped.
“It’s so thick…”
Her tail swayed back and forth.
“…Hah!”
A trickle of drool escaped before she seemed to catch herself, shaking her head vigorously.
“Ahem! Anyway! Your claws are incredibly sharp, too. Plus, you can wield Qi, can’t you?”
She lifted a paw and tapped my arm.
“…Are you really sure you couldn’t even scratch him?”
“Gek?”
“No matter how I think about it, it just doesn’t make sense that you couldn’t hurt him with this arm.”
Baek Rang slipped into the space beneath my arm and nudged it upward with her head.
I didn't understand it either. I could use Sword Aura, yet I couldn't slice through a snake made of rock.
But that was the truth. I had been defeated.
“…Could it be a matter of size? You’re massive, but Gongbok is probably way bigger. Maybe your attacks just didn’t leave a noticeable mark.”
The brief glimpse I’d had of him confirmed his immense size. He was like a mountain of rock brought to life.
“It’s like what the Tang girl does. A needle can still pierce the skin, right? The wound is just too small to see.”
Baek Rang glanced over at Tang Soyeong, who was currently bowing with her rear end in the air.
She might have a point.
But it didn't change the outcome. Whether he had transcendent durability or was simply too massive for the damage to show, the fact remained: my melee attacks were ineffective.
“So, what if you attacked with something bigger?”
Baek Rang’s gaze shifted to my tail.
My long tail, which accounted for over sixty percent of my body length. It would be less like a needle and more like a cleaver.
But it wasn't sharp. I couldn't imbue it with Sword Aura, and it lacked the edge of my claws. Wielded like a whip, it was a fearsome weapon, but it wouldn't be much use against Gongbok.
“Gekgek.”
“If you have some time to spare, you should look into it. You never know, it might lead to an unexpected breakthrough.”
Look into my tail…
The theory sounded plausible, but right now, it was better to focus my efforts elsewhere. We were running out of time.
What I needed to focus on now wasn't my tail, but…
Voom.
The fox marble.
I had to figure out how to use this artifact.
*
“These damn monks…” Namgung Yeon muttered under his breath.
“To think Grand Master Hyemyeong himself would oppose us,” Ak Bulhwi added.
“…Things aren’t going as smoothly as I’d hoped.”
Namgung Yeon sighed.
The orthodox factions, including the Nine Factions and Five Families, might compete amongst themselves, but when the Central Plains face a crisis, they unite under the banner of the Murim Alliance. Ak Bulhwi, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, had tried to form the Alliance with the justification of striking the 100,000 Great Mountains, but he had failed due to the opposition of the Shaolin Abbot.
“It’s like a miracle. I’ve made several moves, yet it always manages to slip through,” Namgung Yeon said.
“There’s no need to be so dramatic. We’re only dealing with a few spirit beasts,” Ak Bulhwi replied. He had accepted Namgung Yeon’s proposal, but he felt the man was overreacting.
It was just a single lizard.
Sure, it might have other spirit beasts under its command, but Ak Bulhwi was confident he could take down the leader all by himself.
“It’s not just any spirit beast. It’s one that possesses divinity. It must be at least as powerful as the Red Dragon, if not more so.”
“More powerful than the Red Dragon, you say…” Ak Bulhwi murmured, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
“…I trust you don’t intend to face it yourself. If we throw the Red Dragon at it, they’ll destroy each other. There’s no need for us to waste our strength.”
“You are right. We must conserve our strength. The Demonic Cult Leader, that fiend, could emerge at any time.” Ak Bulhwi stroked his beard.
“The Red Dragon. How is she doing?”
“On the condition that we guarantee the safety of that wench, Irihwa, we transplanted the Gu-poison that was inside her.”
“…Yes, I expected as much from her.”
Ak Bulhwi closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought.
“The Tang Clan sent a valuable gift. Not only can we now control that fiery girl, but they also sent a spirit beast that can use Void Grasping at will.”
“On the condition that we ‘pluck the Flower of the Tang Clan,’ of course.”
It was an excessive amount of support for killing a single Second-Rate martial artist. Ak Bulhwi found it irksome, but it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
“I am curious what kind of ‘flower’ she is, but we’ve received our payment. We must honor our agreement.”
That was how the Tang Clan had always operated.
“The Red Dragon and the Tang Clan’s spirit beast. Namgung Yeon, are you still uneasy?”
No matter how he looked at it, Ak Bulhwi thought their forces were overkill. Even without the Murim Alliance, this much power was more than enough to achieve their objective.
“Besides, didn’t you say that spirit beast would be joining us as well?”
That spirit beast.
Namgung Yeon knew instantly who Ak Bulhwi meant.
“Yes. Gongbok will join us in time.”
Gongbok, one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.
“Hoh… Gongbok. It’s astonishing every time I hear it. To think a mere human knows of one of the Dragon’s children.”
Ak Bulhwi gave a slight, interested smile.
It was a dangerous smile.
Namgung Yeon sensed the killing intent radiating from him.
“…I trust you have no designs on Gongbok.”
Ak Bulhwi chuckled soundlessly.
Gongbok was said to possess an Adamantine Body. Legend had it that no swordsman could ever cut him.
But Ak Bulhwi was different.
There is nothing that cannot be cut.
That was his creed.
“Though I suppose I’ll have to leave him be… until this business is over.”
Namgung Yeon sighed again.
Ak Bulhwi, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. It was one thing to make use of his power and reputation, but controlling him was another matter entirely.
“You jest, sir.” Namgung Yeon hastily took a step back.
“……This won’t be our only venture together. Please, be patient a little longer.”
Namgung Yeon’s eyes were fixed on the sword at Ak Bulhwi’s waist.
“Hahaha! Do you take me for some Unorthodox scoundrel? Would I really cut down an allied spirit beast?” he boomed with laughter. “As you said, it was merely a jest.”
But Namgung Yeon knew he was lying.
He couldn't tell if it was simply Ak Bulhwi's competitive spirit or a warning, a sign that he knew Namgung Yeon's true objective. But one thing was certain.
He could not see this through to the end with Ak Bulhwi.
And Ak Bulhwi knew it, too.