Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Peddler (3)
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"...Bran? What are you doing here?"
Ilrak narrowed her eyes as she came face-to-face with Bran.
She seemed to have only just noticed him, having been so fixated on Leo Dorn's whereabouts.
Fortunately, he didn't look hurt.
"Today was the day I was supposed to pick up the weapon from my commission. Old man Leo Dorn got kidnapped, right?"
"How did you...!"
"We were targets too. Don't worry, he's still alive. How'd you get here?"
"...I followed the scent."
"Scent? You have something with Leo Dorn's smell on it?"
"That. The box over there."
There was a small chest where she pointed. It was the same one that had held the numerite when it was transported. A light chill ran up Bran's neck.
It had been half a month since he received it, yet she'd tracked this place down by the lingering scent?
Ilrak ran a hand over her face.
"My fuck-up. I got distracted for just a second..."
"What could be so amazing that even someone like you looks away?"
"......Sorry. I have no excuse."
She muttered that, clenching her fist.
Bran had his suspicions but decided not to pry further.
There were more pressing matters right now.
Ilrak, steadying her breath, turned her gaze to the trio of kidnappers.
"By the way, Bran. Who the hell are these guys?"
"Kidnappers hired by Baek Eunsong."
"What the fuck? Baek Eunsong?"
Ilrak's brow furrowed.
The kidnappers, gripped by the terror of death, turned as pale as glaciers.
Ilrak strode over and grabbed the leftmost man by the collar, hoisting him up.
"Where did you take Leo Dorn?! Spill it now!"
"W-We don't know anything!"
"You're Baek Eunsong's hired trash and you don't know?! Fine. With three of you, I can break a couple necks..."
Krunch! Ilrak seized the man's crown.
To her, twisting a human neck was as simple as popping a cola cap.
"Gaaahhh! It's true! The ones who kidnapped the former executive director are a completely different group from us! We've never worked together or even met!"
His voice rang with sincerity, but it wasn't enough to sway the furious Ilrak.
She was about to spin his head around for a full view of his back.
"It's probably true."
"What?"
"These guys were too pathetic. If they managed to fool your eyes and snatch Leo Dorn, they'd have to be on a whole other level. They're really clueless."
Bran said.
Since they'd already spilled who was behind it, there was no need for further loyalty.
Bam! Ilrak slammed the man back into the forge.
"Guhk...!"
"Fuck! Then where the hell did they take him?! There's no more scent to follow!"
Left like this, Ilrak looked ready to explode.
Bran rubbed his chin and turned to Villmorris.
"Got any sap left? I doubt they used it all as catalyst."
"Um... Yes! A tiny bit remains. Please wait a moment!"
Villmorris rushed off and returned with the vial that had held Harmeno's sap.
Bran held it to his ear and shook—sloshing sounds came from within.
This should be enough.
"Ilrak. No chronic illnesses, right?"
"What the hell? No dragon gets sick like that."
Ilrak scowled.
Strictly speaking, she wasn't pureblood, so not fully immune to disease, but now wasn't the time to point that out.
"Then we can track him. You'll have to suffer a bit, though. You okay with that?"
"Fuck yeah! Anything short of dying!"
Ilrak shouted.
Bran thought her sheer momentum could ignite flames.
Bang!
Her tail, whipping in emotional turmoil, smacked the lever by the forge.
Before Bran could shout, having heard the familiar click...
Whoooosh!
Flames erupted like a torrent, engulfing the three kidnappers.
"Gah, what?!"
"Ah. Damn it."
Bran hurriedly reversed the lever.
The forge died instantly, but where the dragonfire had swept, only ash remained.
It burned so fast there was barely any smell.
Ilrak stared at the empty forge in panic.
"S-Sorry. Were they ones we couldn't kill?"
"...Nah. Don't worry about it."
Bran shook his head.
Better this than leaving them alive for future trouble.
You guys were villains anyway. Oh well.
"Let's go. For the full effect, we need to get as high as possible."
"I-I'm ready...!"
Bran brushed back his blood-matted bangs.
Kael gripped his staff with a resolute expression.
Good call skipping the wash. Fresh blood would stain soon enough.
Ilrak nodded.
"Alright. Everyone, come here."
"Come?"
"You gonna get there on those short legs anytime soon?"
She spread her arms wide.
It wasn't hard to get the meaning.
Bran chuckled. Never thought he'd be the one hearing this.
"Quit stalling!"
Whoosh. Ilrak strode over and scooped them up, tucking one under each arm.
"Whoa."
The ride was surprisingly comfy.
Aside from her uncomfortably high body heat, nothing to complain about.
"Gah, so hard...!"
Kael squirmed, face mashed into her abs.
Ilrak's thighs bulged.
Like coiled springs, she turned to Villmorris.
"Sorry. I'll make it up to you."
"Haha, I don't know the details, but I hope it all works out."
Villmorris waved it off.
Even blind, you could tell she was a top-tier warrior.
More than qualified to receive her weapon, just like Bran.
Kabooom!
Ilrak leaped.
The sky pressed on his shoulders as the ground fell away.
Kael's scream echoed over Valkeros skies.
"Gyaaaah!"
"Ha!"
Bran chuckled. What absurd leg strength.
Looking down, the forge and Iron Song workshop looked like miniatures already.
Night winds whipped their hair.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Exiting the crater in one bound, Ilrak kicked off ground and buildings repeatedly, soaring higher.
"How's this?"
Finally, she landed atop a towering chimney in the Steel District.
No ground in sight. Nothing taller except the Steel Tower.
Valkeros sprawled below at a glance.
Even late night, half the city blazed with lights.
"Perfect. Drink this here."
Bran said, offering the sap vial.
Ilrak tilted her head.
"Drink? What's this?"
"Sap from a sacred tree. Barely a few drops left, so down it all at once. Brace yourself—tastes like shit."
"Hm. Tree sap, huh..."
Ilrak followed his words despite her doubts.
A few drops of dark red sap hit her tongue.
Slurp. She swallowed, then convulsed like she'd been struck by lightning.
"Grah! What the hell's this taste...!"
"Told you."
The now-empty vial dropped.
Bran watched her with pity.
Scales bristled on her tail and neck.
"Don't puke. Hold it down."
"Grr, graaah!"
If she weren't dragonblood, he wouldn't have even suggested it. Unrefined Harmeno sap was basically deadly poison.
To use as elixir, it needed precise post-processing.
"Haa... haaa...!"
But even unprocessed, its unique effects remained.
The hallmark symptom: hyper-sensitive senses.
Right now, she was perceiving sounds and smells dozens of times sharper than a normal person.
Panting heavily, Ilrak snapped her head up.
"Huh?"
Like a hound catching a rabbit's scent.
Glancing around, she faced the wind's direction.
Her tail scales rippled up and down.
Sniff sniff.
Her pupils narrowed vertically.
"......Found you."
The night deepened.
On Valkeros's northern outskirts, abutting the Red Mountains, stood massive logistics warehouses.
Usually for storing harmful ores or scrap metal, but occasionally for other uses.
Like interrogating kidnapped rivals.
"Takes fucking forever. What's so hard about making an old geezer talk?"
Rain Roberts muttered.
His full plate armor gleamed in the moonlight.
He was the leader of the Ironveil Mercenaries, on guard duty.
"Money's good, though. Separate kidnap team, guard team, errand boys."
Roberts glanced around with a smirk.
Ironveil members patrolled the warehouse perimeter on high alert.
One day's labor could buy a house in the Golden District.
He got the client's paranoia for perfection, but this was overkill.
Suddenly, a subordinate spoke up.
"Captain. You sure this is fine?"
"What?"
"I'm still worried we touched Ilrak's protectee. Won't there be payback?"
His tone dripped unease.
Makes sense. Ilrak's reputation spanned beyond Valkeros.
Fools who messed with her lightly ended up as shredded corpses.
But tonight was different.
"Worrying over nothing. Cleanup was flawless—think she'll track us?"
Roberts snorted.
Unlike the third-rate errand boys, Leo Dorn's kidnappers were pros.
The distraction on Ilrak was genius.
Hit her unique complex.
Two weeks gathering intel and planning, then strike when her guard was down!
A model for all criminals.
"And if she comes? You forget who's in that warehouse?"
"......True, but..."
"World's a big place. If her dad or brother shows, maybe. But a half-breed who can't even breathe fire proper? No way she reclaims Leo Dorn."
His voice brimmed with certainty.
The subordinate eyed the warehouse.
Inside the dark building, it wasn't just Chloe and Leo Dorn.
"......Iron Blood Twin Shadows."
The rich coward Chloe had summoned absurd monsters as bodyguards.
Fear of Ilrak began to fade.
The subordinate sighed in relief, nodding.
"Guess I was too spooked. I'll patrol up ahead."
"Yeah. Don't forget you're one of our best. Too humble for your skill."
Roberts waved him off—get lost already.
The vice-captain fretting like that? For the only other 3-star Hard Body Technique master besides himself, he lacked confidence.
After twenty steps, the vice-captain froze.
"Hm?"
Something off in the air.
He scanned frantically—no suspicious signs.
...Just nerves.
As he stepped forward again...
Kaboooom!!!
A massive shadow crashed onto his head.
Crushing sounds. Blood sprayed from every orifice of his folded-spine corpse.
Silence fell like time stopped.
As night wind cleared the dust, the shadow's identity emerged.
"Found you, rats."
Ilrak growled low.
"Ilrak."
Roberts froze.
Heat haze rose from Ilrak's body.
Her slit pupils blazed.
Limbs swelled near to bursting.
The ultimate rage state everyone feared.
Ironveil mercs panicked.
"I-It's Ilrak! Ilrak's here!"
"How'd she find...!"
"Weapons out! All at once..."
Before he finished.
Bam. Ilrak crouched and charged.
The vice-captain's corpse, used as a springboard, shredded in a blood spray.
Closing over a hundred meters in one leap, she smashed a fist into a merc's face.
His helmet dwarfed by her fist, his head burst like a water balloon.
Splooosh!
Skull fragments scattered with brains. Ilrak twisted, swinging her massive tail.
Krunch!
Mercs flew like hit by a carriage, tumbling dead.
All instant kills. No last words.
She slew four more the same way.
Ten lives gone in 9 seconds.
"...That half-breed bitch dares invade my turf!"
Roberts ground his teeth.
Initial shock passed; he regained calm.
Just a ambush. Ironveil not broken yet. Regroup and swarm, and by morning he'd wear a coat of her hide.
Shing!
His greatsword from his waist gleamed blue.
Short salute, then he leaped at Ilrak—
"Hm...?!"
Killing intent nearby.
Roberts turned, frowning.
Just three steps away, a boy crouched in drawing stance.
"Who're you?"
Bran didn't answer.
He'd landed separately from Ilrak, targeting the leader from the start. Aura like a gunslinger finger on the trigger.
He pulled the hilt.
"Hah, she brought friends?"
Roberts sneered, countering instantly.
Mana from his heart accelerated his body.
3-star Skin Body realm.
He'd admit the opening, but his reflexes could handle it.
Lower left to upper right rising slash. Deflect sideways, knee to solar plexus—done.
Roberts swung, prediction spot-on.
Lower left rising slash. Exact trajectory.
But.
"What the..."
His greatsword failed to parry.
Numerite blade sliced smoothly into it.
Roberts' eyes widened.
"Uh."
Too late to realize the error.
The halved greatsword crumpled. The longsword pierced out behind his neck.
Shlick!
His head soared, spinning once as blood fountained from the stump.
Lighthearted Achievement! You have slain a foe stronger than yourself in a single strike!
Strength and Agility have increased!
The messages confirmed Roberts' strength belatedly.
Not that it mattered with his head gone.
Bran flicked blood from his blade, murmuring his impression of the new weapon.
"Not bad."