Talks (3)
Talks (3)
There had been a few minor hiccups along the way, but this was, in name, a gathering for exchange and harmony.
The next event on the schedule, the friendly sparring, proceeded without a hitch.
The arena where the sparring would take place was attached to the side of the Citadel. Our party had gathered in the VIP seats situated above the arena.
"Is it your turn already?"
【Yep, I'm up first, and then there's a friendly match between members of the Three Great Families.】
【Being petted feels nice】
"...?"
At the touch of my master's hand on my head, I smiled brightly and nodded.
The friendly sparring was open for outsiders... even guests could observe.
This was also part of the summit's schedule, but it wasn't where the weighty discussions took place.
【I'll do my best. And I'll get a good result, too.】
In other words, this was my chance to show my skills to those who only saw me as a troublemaker.
When I made my declaration with a serious face, my master, who had worn a subtle expression, chuckled and patted my head.
"Doing your best is good, but don't worry about the result. Just don't get hurt."
"She's right. Be enthusiastic, but always be careful of injuries. Especially you, Ha-yul, since you tend to take injuries lightly."
"If you come back without getting hurt, I'll give you a prize. So you absolutely cannot get hurt, okay? Promise?"
"......"
【Being patted on the head feels nice】
【Hmph】
【A prize?】
I'd taken down a 3rd-Rank Alpha monster without a problem, and yet this was how they treated me.
And this was just a friendly sparring match, no less.
I pouted my lips slightly and hugged Seo-yul tightly.
【Seo-yul, Daddy will be right back】
"Okay, I'll be watching."
Seo-yul beamed and hugged me back. Her gently fluttering wings wrapped around me softly.
'I'm glad she seems to be in a good mood.'
She had been utterly terrified when she'd first returned to land, but her expression had brightened considerably.
I smiled, satisfied, within the wings that enveloped me. Then Seo-yul rested her chin on my shoulder and whispered.
"I'll be watching from above, so you can't get hurt, okay?"
【...That's too much】
【Sad I made my daughter worry】
.
.
.
"Young master, has something displeased you?"
【It's nothing】
【Sulking】
I stomped my way down into the arena.
Hong Jin-hyeok, the Jeonghwaju of the Calamity Flame, who had already descended, tilted his head curiously.
I let out the air puffed up in my cheeks with a sigh and shook my head. Hong Jin-hyeok chuckled lightly.
"The world is full of all sorts of dangers, after all. No matter how strong you are, it's only natural that people can't help but worry, wouldn't you agree?"
【Gasp】
【How did you know?】
"It's written all over your face."
Hong Jin-hyeok shrugged his shoulders when I replied with clear surprise. It was proof that he was a superhuman whose insight was just as exceptional as his martial prowess.
'Well, he is the Jeonghwaju of the Calamity Flame.'
There was no way an incompetent person could hold that position.
【...But what about the two behind you?】
I nodded absently and casually scanned behind him with Observation. There were two more people behind Hong Jin-hyeok.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, young master."
A blue-haired woman gave a slight bow of her head. This was Baek Yu-rim, the Changpaju of the Azure Sea.
My focus then shifted to the man beside her.
A man of massive build, packed with muscle. His hair was brown, and from his eyes to his entire body, he was thickly suffused with vitality energy.
"I am Lee Sang-gun, Pure Life Pillar of Taesan. I will participate in this sparring with diligence."
The man, Pure Life Pillar Lee Sang-gun, gave a small nod of his head.
I tilted my head with a quizzical expression.
【...Wasn't it supposed to be one at a time?】
"If we came at you one by one, wouldn't we just get pitifully thrashed? Still, we occupy important positions; we need to show something at least."
【Aren't you being too humble...?】
Hong Jin-hyeok shrugged silently and drew his sword.
It wasn't the Beacon Fire Sword granted to the Jeonghwaju, but a straight sword made for sparring.
Baek Yu-rim also readied her staff, and Lee Sang-gun clenched his bare fists.
'Hmm.'
It seemed they'd decided to come at me all at once, probably taking my improved skills into account.
I tapped the ground with the tip of my foot and scanned my surroundings.
It was a spacious, circular arena. The members of the Three Great Families were seated in the spectator stands that looked down upon this place.
When I opened my eyes, my gaze met Yeon-hwa's. Yeon-hwa grinned and waved, sending a Sound Transmission.
- Do well, and don't get hurt.
- Please don't get hurt.
- Junior, you mustn't overdo it, okay?
【Heh...】
【Happy they care / Sad I made them worry】
At the string of Sound Transmissions that arrived, my cheeks, which I'd finally managed to deflate, puffed right back up.
【The Three Great Families Summit friendly sparring, first match, will now begin】
A stiff, mechanical voice rang out from the spell formulas attached throughout the arena.
【The rules are for a friendly match. Full combat is permitted, including body strengthening, aura, magic, and unique abilities. If your special protective barrier falls below 30%, it will be considered a loss】
Along with that voice, mana shifted and rose from beneath my feet.
I stayed still and didn't brush it off, so a thin protective spell enveloped my body.
'It's quite sturdy.'
Its strength was considerable relative to its thickness. Enough to withstand a few light attacks without issue.
Still, it wasn't something you could use as a shield. It was purely a safety mechanism, just as the voice said.
Defense would have to be handled individually, with aura or magic.
【Both sides, ready】
A firm pressure emanated from in front of me. I released the breath trapped in my cheeks and raised my mana.
【Match begin】
"Ha!"
The moment the signal rang out, Hong Jin-hyeok kicked off the ground.
Boom! Propelled like a cannonball from the deeply cratered ground, Hong Jin-hyeok closed in instantly. A sword tip, condensed with blazing red Calamity Flame, was already thrusting toward me.
An intangible pressure radiated from between the flickering Calamity Flames.
A technique-category expansion ability. He was coming at me seriously from the start. I clicked my tongue inwardly and guided my Innate Talent.
- Fwoosh...
Calamity Flame silently wreathed my hand. I held that palm out toward the incoming sword tip.
Ferocious Calamity Flame met docile Calamity Flame. Fwoo-oosh! The two differently colored flames wildly flared up, each straining against the other without yielding.
"Ugh...!"
A stalemate.
Considering the mana I'd put in, this was my advantage.
As if he had expected this, Hong Jin-hyeok twisted his sword.
His attack transitioned from a thrust to a slash, digging into my left side. Despite being clad in flames, its trajectory was as fluid as a watercourse.
- Boom!
The other side wasn't left empty. Lee Sang-gun had followed right behind Hong Jin-hyeok. Cloaked in the Golden Mountain Iron Wall, he dove into my right side.
I could feel mana from the front, too. Dozens of spell formulas were weaving together around Baek Yu-rim, who remained standing in place.
A coordinated assault.
This was what made a typical gang-up fight so demanding on your attention.
'Hooo.'
I let out a short breath and spread both hands.
I extended my left hand toward Hong Jin-hyeok.
The condensed Calamity Flame in my open palm swelled. Then, it exploded, unleashing a cascade of slashes, all of different sizes, within the blaze.
Every one of them was a spell woven from Calamity Flame.
Hong Jin-hyeok's eyes widened as he deflected the slashes. In that opening, I reached my right hand towards Lee Sang-gun.
'Manifest, Taesan.'
The earth energy coiling around my right arm formed a gauntlet engraved with patterns. My wide-open palm caught his fist.
Lee Sang-gun's eyes gleamed. The vitality energy concentrated in his fist expanded.
His expansion ability, Mountain-Breaking.
Sensing the precursor signs with Observation, I pushed Taesan even higher. Ku-gu-gung! The armor grew thicker, and the vitality energy flowing through the engraved patterns glowed brightly.
Thud! The back of his hand jolted slightly. The fist caught by the hand came to a halt.
"What—"
Lee Sang-gun's eyes flew wide open.
Even as he startled, his movements didn't slow. Kururumble! The caught fist trembled violently. Strength to Uproot Mountains—a body-strengthening expansion ability.
His other hand curled into a fist and flew at me, while he interfered with the earth's dominion simultaneously.
- Fwoosh...!
Calamity Flame surged from Hong Jin-hyeok's body as he deflected the slash. The blaze deepened in hue, and the ground around him melted where he'd planted his feet.
Flame Bloom—the expansion ability of Calamity Flame.
The pressure from both sides intensified fiercely. I exhaled every last breath and drew up my mana.
At the blatant warning I'd sent, both of them wrapped themselves in thick auras.
'Calamity Flame.'
- Kwaang!
The Calamity Flame I'd ignited at my toes in a single breath erupted. Leaving the two who had been pushed aside in my wake, I used the explosion as propulsion and launched myself forward.
"—!"
Baek Yu-rim, now my target, raised her staff high. A brief incantation woven in pushed forward a volley of spells.
Offensive magic for suppressive fire. The Azure Sea's water energy was threaded through them, giving them extraordinary force.
'Manifest, Azure Sea.'
I conjured cold energy above my shoulders. Thorns grown from the vines tangled across my shoulders shot outward.
- Thunk!
The thorns embedded themselves into the spells. The magic froze to its core in an instant and collapsed.
"That's seriously broken!" Baek Yu-rim vented her indignation between incantations as she raised her arm.
Streams of water coiled around her forearm. Vortex Water Palm—used to directly bring Azure Sea water energy into close combat.
Those vortices layered together. Boom! The compressed whirlpool surged forward with the palm strike Baek Yu-rim thrust out.
Torrent Crush.
A technique she'd learned from Baek A-rin, compressing the Vortex Water Palm into a single explosive strike.
I could execute the same technique, but instead I gathered cold energy in my hand and gripped it tight.
A vine densely covered with thorns. I grasped its tip, twisted my body, and lashed my wrist.
Shwaak! The vine carved a straight line like a beam of light, piercing through the torrent. The frozen current shattered and fell apart.
But it seemed she'd bought enough time.
I spun my body and swung the vine in a wide arc. The other two, who'd already closed in, reacted to the vine's uncanny trajectory as they pressed forward.
Hong Jin-hyeok grinned and brought his sword down.
"Young master! Going after the frail spellcaster first—isn't that a bit much?!"
[You're even worse...]
[Shock]
Thud! In that interval, Baek Yu-rim completed her spell and struck the ground with her staff.
The water energy that had spread around her settled into the ground, and within it, her innate talent and spell formulas swelled to the surface. A spring formed there.
"Heavenly Water Dragon."
A thick column of water shot up from within the spring.
The column took the form of a dragon. A water dragon rendered in meticulous detail down to each individual scale gaped its jaws wide open.
Dense water energy gathered at the corners of its mouth and formed a spell formula.
'Taesan.'
I shook off the two people clinging to me from the front and drove my feet into the ground.
The earth behind me surged upward, forming a barrier wall.
- Kwagagagak!
The torrent slammed violently against the wall. Shattered fragments pelted down in a steady shower.
It didn't collapse. The destroyed portions restored themselves in a heartbeat.
I drew up more Taesan. The engraved patterns on the wall spread across the ground.
Pababak! Countless blades erupted from the ground wherever the two of them stepped.
I caught my breath for a moment, letting them freely put some distance between us.
"Oh dear. If I'd gotten hit by that, it'd have punched straight through my aura."
Hong Jin-hyeok, who'd fallen back next to Baek Yu-rim, stuck out his tongue. He steadied his grip on his sword and glanced sidelong at Lee Sang-gun standing beside him.
"Hey, the tank is supposed to properly pin the guy down for the damage dealers, you know. He's flying around all over the place—catching an opening is a nightmare."
"Easy to say... Didn't you see him block Mountain-Breaking with one hand? I thought only the family head could pull off something like that."
Lee Sang-gun raised his fist. Cracks had spread across the gauntlet it had struck, fragments flaking off as the armor regenerated.
Baek Yu-rim, who'd planted her staff in the spring, grumbled.
"That's my line. If you're on the vanguard, you should be biting down on him properly. When he came at me, I thought I was going to die."
"Didn't you just see Flame Bloom get shut down? Biting down as hard as we could—that's what that was."
At Hong Jin-hyeok's grumbling as he raised his sword, Baek Yu-rim closed her mouth too.
It was true enough. The skirmish just now had been the best they could manage to hold me back.
- No more splitting up like that. Group together and keep the pressure on with joint attacks.
- Then help out with some magic support. If I take a bad hit from the Calamity Flame, one shot and it's over.
- Give the signal and I'll stir up vitality energy, so land the Calamity Flame properly.
Even as they complained out loud, a serious conversation passed secretly through sound transmissions.
'Joint attacks would be a pain, though.'
Even if I was eavesdropping on every word of those sound transmissions.
'And of all opponents, it had to be those three.'
Being outnumbered is always a disadvantage, but against those three specifically, that disadvantage was even worse.
Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan.
They share a relationship of mutual promotion and repulsion. If they coordinate well, they become several times more troublesome to deal with than if you fought each individually.
I'd already experienced that firsthand while observing Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, and Lee Ji-yeon fighting together.
'But that doesn't mean I'm at a disadvantage.'
Those three divided among themselves Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan.
Whereas on my side, I held all three.
Each had its own merits and drawbacks.
Their side had greater numbers. With three, the range of strategies available to them was wider. They could pressure me from every angle.
My advantage was simple.
'My innate talent.'
Through it, a technique called Three Ends came into being.
Everyone was well aware of Three Ends' monstrous output.
Undead or not, hadn't it erased the Twin-headed Poison Dragon without a trace? In the Tower of Growth, hadn't it finished off a 3rd-Rank Alpha just the same?
'But that's not all.'
Three Ends wasn't the full extent of its potential.
Even without reaching Three Ends, the ways to utilize it were infinite.
I exhaled the breath in my lungs and expanded the innate talent I'd drawn up.
- Kururumble!
The ground surged upward beside me.
The moment the three of them settled into their stances with wary eyes, an undead thrust its head out through the rising earth.
"An Earth Dragon?"
Lee Sang-gun, who'd swelled his Golden Mountain Iron Wall, narrowed his eyes.
A monster whose corpse I'd taken from the dungeon where we encountered Terramor and turned into an undead.
Hearing Lee Sang-gun's murmur, Baek Yu-rim formed hand seals. From the spring, a water dragon reared up again.
Two water dragons gaped their jaws wide. At one's mouth, water energy gathered. At the other's, cold energy pooled.
As if to match them, the earth dragon also opened its jaws wide.
Its maw stretched beyond its natural limit. What filled its throat wasn't earth energy—it was vitality energy.
"...Ah—!"
Horror spread across Lee Sang-gun's face, which had been knitted in a frown.
Kururumble! The barrier wall shot up the instant his horror registered, and Baek Yu-rim layered defensive magic over it.
They'd realized too late and responded too slowly.
I stepped back behind the earth dragon's head and snapped my fingers.
'Expansion Ability.'
Flame Bloom.
Calamity Flame ignited inside the earth dragon's gullet. The fire met the vitality energy that filled it. The vitality caught flame, swelling explosively as the fire spread through it.
- Kwaaaaah—!
The Calamity Flame pouring from the earth dragon's maw swept across the arena.