Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Trader (5)
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"...Water Fist, and now a mutt."
Jerban muttered.
He was so dumbfounded that he didn't even get angry—just stood there blankly.
"Keh."
But that lasted only a moment.
Jerban's lips split into a grin all the way to his ears.
"Kahaha, kahahahaha! Uhahahat!"
A burst of manic laughter exploded out.
After laughing his head off for a good while, he nodded at Bran.
"I like you. I'll be the one to take you on."
He'd laughed so hard tears welled up in his eyes.
It was utterly ridiculous.
Depending on when you encountered him in the game, Jerban's level started at a minimum of 8.
He turned to Bellan and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Bellan! Stay out of this!"
"Yeah, got it."
Bellan twirled the curved sword in her hand.
Bran inwardly cheered at her surprisingly compliant attitude.
'Perfect.'
He now had a shot.
Making it a one-on-one fight meant he'd already won half the battle.
Bran fixed his gaze on Jerban and spoke.
"You stay out too, Ilrak."
"Wh-what the hell?"
Ilrak's face crumpled.
"You're the one barging in out of nowhere spouting nonsense! You think you can beat that dog bastard?!"
"Yeah."
Bran nodded firmly.
Ilrak was left stunned.
But right now, Bran had better odds than her.
Plus, to snag the hidden piece, he had to be the one fighting—he knew the gimmick.
"You handle that psycho bitch. She's no pushover, so whatever you do, don't... Shit."
Bran spat a curse.
The moment he hurriedly laid his longsword flat in a defensive stance, Jerban—who'd charged like a gale—swung his claws down in a cleaving strike.
Claaaaang-!
The blades clashed, sending a metallic ring echoing through the air.
"You pick a fight with me, Jerban, just to chat?!"
Jerban roared.
The mane sprouting along his nape flickered like flames.
Jerban raised his claws high and unleashed a ferocious barrage.
"Ngh...!"
Bran gritted his teeth.
Like Ilrak, he fought with raw physical prowess.
Sparks flew every time Bran parried an attack.
"Bran!"
Ilrak cried out in alarm.
She'd thought he'd go down easy. It was an embarrassingly one-sided beatdown.
The instant she moved to support him, the scales on her nape bristled.
Danger.
It was her instinct's warning.
Ilrak twisted away sharply.
Boom! Bellan—who'd closed in undetected—sprang back.
"Sharp instincts."
"You."
Ilrak's eyes narrowed.
She hadn't sensed a thing until Bellan was three steps away.
And she'd even gotten lightly slashed.
Slash!
Muscle tore open across her shoulder blade, blood spurting out.
"I'll try to make it painless for you."
Bellan spun her curved sword casually and aimed the tip at her.
There wasn't a trace of tension on her haughty face.
"Fine, I'll smash that head of yours!"
That attitude provoked Ilrak.
Fury bulged the veins on her temples.
Kwaaaang!
Her fist crashed down like lightning on where Bellan had stood.
The fight dragged on for over ten minutes.
But the balance of power had clearly tipped.
Kwaaaang!
Bran flew straight into the wall.
"Kuhk!"
Cracks spiderwebbed across his back.
His vision shook from the spine-crushing impact.
No time to rest, though. He looked up to see Jerban hurtling toward him.
Kwaaaaang-!
The moment Bran desperately jerked his head aside, a wolf paw bigger than a child's torso slammed into where his head had been.
"Impressive senses. Dodging that too!"
Jerban exclaimed in admiration.
Bran twisted his lips in agony from the searing pain.
It wasn't hard to realize his left ear was gone.
"Hoo... Hooo..."
And it wasn't just his ear.
There wasn't a single uninjured spot on his body.
Over ten areas felt wrecked already.
His ribs were cracked. A broken one was stabbing his lung.
Two fingers on his left hand were nearly useless.
His head had been ringing with mild concussion since the fight started.
Yet he endured because he'd survived far worse in the past.
"I know."
Bran said.
He peeled away from the wall and reset his stance.
The instant his soles touched the ground, super-regeneration kicked in.
Heart of Harmeno activates! Recovery ability greatly increases while standing on the ground!
It felt like becoming a tree.
Earth's life force seeped into his body through his soles.
Bones knit, organs shifted back into place. The stump of his missing ear grew hot.
Jerban's eyes sparkled as he watched cartilage and flesh creep back into form.
"Neat ability. A recovery-specialized strengthening art?"
"Told you, you're Water Fist."
Ptoo. Bran spat the blood pooling in his mouth.
This was why hidden traits mattered on return loads.
Even a low-tier recovery school's strengthening art needed at least 5-star mastery for this level.
Bran gripped his sword hilt and charged again.
"Stick your head out! Mutt!"
"Tough bastard...! Don't you get it? You have no chance!"
Jerban's eyes twisted in frustration.
Despite his overwhelming advantage, the grin faded from his face.
No end in sight.
Unlike his initial plan to toy with Bran, even his killing blows weren't finishing him—Bran barely dodged lethal hits and rose again.
"This time, you're dead!"
Kwaaaang! The beast and boy clashed once more.
It started even, but as always, Jerban pressed the attack.
Bran could only block or deflect.
Even that barely worked against the heavy hits—requiring Heavy Strike to cancel them out.
'Fucking strong, seriously.'
Bran cursed inwardly.
He knew it was futile, but it pissed him off anyway.
Just as he couldn't out-firepower Ilrak in bursts, crushing Jerban head-on was near impossible right now.
Would anyone laugh if an office worker fought a pro gamer and lost?
They'd hail surviving even one round as genius territory.
That was the level.
'Just once.'
But he couldn't keep taking hits.
Super-recovery had limits.
He was dodging kills with battle sense and tricks so far, but one slip-up on a big hit and it was over.
He needed a chance to land one solid blow.
Not one he made—but one from outside intervention. Just once.
And Ilrak was in the same boat.
"Haa... Haaa...!"
Ilrak heaved ragged breaths.
Her body was covered in wounds large and small.
None deep enough for bone or organs, but the bleeding was worrisome.
"This is exciting. Haven't had prey this good in ages."
Bellan murmured.
She stood behind Ilrak, arms crossed.
Her calm gaze sweeping Ilrak evoked a sculptor admiring her work.
"...You!"
Ilrak whipped her tail. Bellan hopped back effortlessly, then hurled two throwing daggers at her.
Thunk!
The blades slicing through the air embedded one in her back, one in her tail.
Ilrak bellowed at the stinging pain.
"Quit scampering like a rat and fight fair!"
"Why should I? I'd lose."
With that, Bellan melted into the shadows again.
Her clan's innate stealth let her vanish completely, even without cover.
"Fuck, you cowardly bitch...!"
Ilrak snarled.
Bran was right—she was no easy mark.
The longer it went, the more fatigued she got.
Bellan's style was relentless, like ancient mammoth hunters. Bad matchup for short-burst Ilrak.
She was confident one hit would kill, but Bellan dodged with machine-like precision, controlling distance flawlessly.
"Ilrak Zarheim. I know you."
Suddenly, Bellan's voice echoed from the dark.
"What?"
"Daughter of Fire Dragon Zarheim. The pitiful dragon who can't fly. You act free of worldly ties, but you're more bound by blood than anyone."
Ilrak's eyes widened.
Her most hated topic.
"Shut your mouth! What do you know?!"
"Heard how they kidnapped Leodorn. Assassins posed as merchants, struck up a chat. Rumors of a drug that lets you fly, sold here—asked where to buy. You were guarding, told them to fuck off. No, you asked back: 'Really? Does it exist?'"
Ilrak's heart sank.
Spot on.
She'd failed Leodorn because her obsession made her look away.
Conversation over, she turned—gone.
Shlaaash!
Bellan burst from the shadows, slashing at Ilrak's waist.
"Grahhh!"
"Hit."
This one was deep. Blood fountained from the withdrawing blade.
Bellan vanished again, continuing.
"Don't sweat it too much. Everyone has flaws. Like how great rulers' kids ruin nations—under a mighty dragon like Zarheim, trash like you slips through."
"Shut up! Shut up!"
"Lucky your brother's not here. If Alto came, Jerban and I would've been dead already."
Ilrak snapped.
Obvious bait, but she couldn't hold back.
Guessing Bellan's direction, she swung with all her might.
"Raaahhh!"
Kwaaaaang-!
Her fist cratered the floor, upheaving stone.
No Bellan.
She emerged beside, adding another wound. Ilrak's counter whiffed.
Lethal but sloppy attacks. Bellan dodged by a hair.
How long had this gone on?
"Kuhk."
Ilrak buckled, one knee hitting the ground mid-kick.
"Hurk, geh."
Her heart felt like bursting.
Limbs weighed like lead anchors.
Fatigue from Ironveil had piled up, now crushing her.
"...Fuck."
Reason returned.
Tears streamed down one cheek.
Not sadness—rage.
Bellan's voice from nearby.
"Don't cry. Ugly corpses don't get mourners."
"Shut... up."
"I'll end it quick. Worry not—I'll package you pretty for Zarheim. Want that old man's corpse you failed too...?"
Then.
Bellan glanced at the waterfall, flinching, eyes narrowing.
"What."
Leodorn was gone.
His chair empty, only bloodstains.
Bellan scanned frantically.
Her eyes locked on one spot.
"You."
"Eek, d-discovered!"
Kael yelped.
Busted at the last second.
He'd been sneaking Leodorn away per Bran's orders.
They'd come to rescue him, not fight Iron-Blooded Twins.
He'd held off Morning's Blessing to stay hidden.
"Hurk... Huuu..."
Leodorn on his back breathed shallowly, wrapped in faint light.
A weak voice leaked from burst lips.
"...I can... move."
"Leodorn?"
Ilrak's eyes widened.
Somehow improved from before.
Panic flickered on Bellan's face for the first time.
"My mistake."
She'd forgotten the third guy.
Jerban hadn't noticed, locked in with Bran.
Bellan leaped at them, ignoring Ilrak.
"You. I'll kill you."
"Damn it, stop!"
Ilrak screamed.
She had to follow, but her body wouldn't obey.
Shaking legs. Limp tail.
As she strained to rise—
Fwaaa!
Sudden dawn light surged over her shoulders.
"This is...!"
Ilrak's eyes bulged.
Raweina's power: Morning's Blessing.
Her body lightened. Fatigue melted away.
She whipped to Kael.
He'd set Leodorn down, clutching his staff two-handed.
Pure holy power shimmered visibly at the white staff's tip.
His face and words didn't match the nobility.
"Gaaaaah! Help! Ilrak!"
Clear meaning.
Kael chose to buff her instead of fleeing.
Light enveloped her, igniting strength.
Ilrak's thighs swelled.
Bellan hadn't reached Kael yet.
Ilrak kicked off, arm outstretched.
"Stop! You bitch!"
"You're up quick."
Bellan glanced back with a sigh.
Futile. She had Ilrak's state pegged.
Early fight? Maybe. But exhausted now, no catching her.
Or so it should be.
"Huh?"
Ilrak was faster than expected.
A glow on her shoulders.
Bellan realized: blessing. Shock in her eyes.
A kid that young, this strong?
Outside her calculations. As she recalculated and retreated—
Kwachik!
Ilrak's hand seized her nape mid-air.
"Got you."
"...!"
Ilrak growled.
Bellan's eyes widened. Skull-cracking sounds rang in her head.
Danger.
Her sharp mind kicked into overdrive for escape.
"Uh, kuhk...!"
No solutions.
Can't dodge. Can't shake. No tools for turnaround.
She swung her sword desperately, but the curve blade lodged in Ilrak's arm without severing.
Then...
"No choice."
Bellan wryly smiled.
Ilrak slammed her face-first into the cave wall.
Kwaaaaang-!
A red flower bloomed under Ilrak's hand.
Bellan's corpse slid down the wall to the floor.
You defeated Bellan Remanin, Shadow of the Iron-Blooded Twins.
Commemorating the feat of vanquishing a formidable foe, Strength, Agility, and Mental Power increase!
The messages popped up before Bran's eyes too.
Since they'd fought together, her kill counted for him.
"Be-Bellan?!"
Jerban finally noticed, aghast.
He was still tangling with Bran, no finishing blow landed.
'Now.'
Bran gripped his hilt tight as Jerban's focus wavered.
Power of the Great Tree
Strength doubled!
This was the moment he'd waited for.
Power of the Great Tree activated. Bran's limbs ballooned explosively.
Life force swirling in his body surged into the longsword.
Bran dropped defense and lunged.
"You bastard...!"
Jerban whipped around desperately, but the gap had closed.
The thrust shot out like lightning, piercing his chest. Uplifting motion lifted Jerban's feet off the ground.
Pfshaaa!
The blade shattered armor, tore through his back, and emerged.