Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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I couldn't afford to waste any more time here, having noticed the anomaly with the Yeouiju.
After all, there was nothing more foolish than showing an opening to an enemy who had clearly come targeting me.
[Very well. Dragon King's daughter. If you wish to fight me, I shall gladly oblige.]
"F-Fight?! "
Honestly, I had no desire to fight.
It wasn't because I feared the spirit beast right in front of me.
Rather, it was the Dragon King lurking behind her that bothered me.
'But I can't just let this slide.'
If I allowed her to plant the image that I was weak, who knew what schemes she'd use against me later.
Better to crush her here and now.
Of course! To avoid properly enraging the Dragon King, I'd have to spare her life.
Gulp.
A dry swallow—whose, I couldn't tell—echoed as the Dragon King's daughter raised her hand slightly and spoke.
"I'm the Dragon King's daughter, after all. I have no intention of just handing over the Yeouiju..."
[None whatsoever. If you want it, kill me and take it.]
So, let's fight.
The battle heat from fighting those surprisingly weak spirits hadn't fully dissipated yet.
In this state, I could have a fine bout with her.
Rumble.
"Q-Quality."
[Why do you stand there idly? Take your stance. Show me your full power if you intend to kill me.]
At my will, the accumulated lightning power in my body stirred the heavens.
Amid the black thunderclouds, faint flashes of lightning waited poised for my attack command.
"I-I'm water-based, so electricity is my weakness!"
[And what of it?]
Even as she braced herself against my impending attack, gathering her power, her movements clearly marked her as one seasoned in battle.
The only issue? She was focusing too much upward.
[Then take this!]
Roar!
"Ch-Cheat! You prepped lightning from the sky, so why breathe fire from your mouth?!"
Because you were blatantly fixated above.
The scorching flames swept forward, engulfing the Dragon King's daughter.
Not ordinary fire, but the purest, most primal blaze of fire itself.
Any average spirit beast struck directly by this would likely be finished off easily.
Slash.
Right. Any average spirit beast, that is.
[...You cleaved the flames?]
Yet she parted them all too easily.
The straight-line shockwave of the attack sliced through my flames and even grazed her body.
The spirit who had shattered head-on the flames that even the spirits had dodged, now stroked the edge of her right hand and said,
"Water may be weak to lightning types, but it's strong against fire."
A closer look revealed moisture coating her hand blade and the area affected by the attack.
'She wrapped her hand blade in water and swung.'
Even so, to cleave my flames.
Her title as Dragon King's daughter wasn't just for show, then.
"Dragon King Style: Sea Cleaver. Few have ever forced me to use my hand blade. Be proud."
[What nonsense you spout.]
Wasn't it laughable?
She was the challenger from the start, pulling out a defensive technique against my attack, yet saying that.
Well, considering the technique's impact, it was a strike worthy of pride—but flaunting it before me was far too arrogant.
As if she were stronger than me.
Rumble.
"Ugh?!"
The ground heaved and twisted, warping the terrain.
In the process, the one planted firmly on both feet had to divide her attention to keep balance, and I seized the chance to blast wind at her.
"Eek!"
Slash.
This time, she used both hands' hand blades to cleave the wind.
Even though I'd amplified its power and speed mimicking the wind spirits' techniques from earlier, she blocked it effortlessly.
That Dragon King Style, though.
The more I saw it, the more I liked it.
Ample power, suitable for both offense and defense—such techniques are rare.
[And given the name Dragon King Style, the Dragon King likely created it.]
She probably learned it out of her father's consideration.
'She's only used hand blade attacks so far. No other styles?'
I needed to confirm.
My primal curiosity reared up, demanding I witness every facet of this Dragon King Style right now.
Rumble.
[Now, how will you handle lightning falling from the sky?]
"Hya!"
Suddenly, my vision flashed as the lightning that had merely danced in the air until now finally obeyed my command and struck mercilessly at the foe.
Boom!
[That Dragon King Style. Seems it's exclusively handled with hand blades.]
This lightning too, she blocked with her hand blade Dragon King Style.
But the crackling aftershocks spreading everywhere proved too much; her movements grew sluggish, faint tremors braking her body repeatedly.
"W-Well, maybe... or maybe not..."
Even her tongue numbed?
Her slurring words prompted a light nod from me.
Crackle.
[Then let's verify.]
"Y-You madman."
Here comes the second one.
Flash.
Did you think that last strike was the end?
But overhead, the thunderclouds still loomed, cradling more lightning.
You'd only relax once the clouds cleared to a blue sky, no?
Splash.
That was when.
Just before the lightning fell. A faint splashing sound reached my ears.
[So, closing the distance, eh?]
As the bolt descended, I saw it.
The foe, who should have been there, slipped forward in an instant, right before me.
[Dragon King Style relies on hand blades, so close range would unleash its true might.]
However. Who said you could close in?
I raised the earth itself to block her approach.
Slash.
But would the hand blade that cleaved my flames falter now?
It sliced through the obstructing ground and bore down on me.
At that blinding speed, in the blink of an eye, she closed in and swung her hand blade at my belly.
[Hm. Like this, then.]
Slash.
"...Huh?"
Just before her hand blade parted my body.
My tail blocked it.
"H-How?"
Her eyes trembled in shock at my defense.
Ah, more precisely, at the 'technique' I used to defend.
"How do you know Dragon King Style?!"
A technique all too familiar to her had unfolded from my tail.
Dragon King Style. Reproduced now by my tail.
[Is now the time to lose focus?]
Slash.
"Eek!"
Perhaps because my physical strength held the advantage.
Pushed back, she swiftly raised her fingertips, thrusting in a stabbing form this time.
Clang.
"Even Depth Piercer?!"
But having grasped the mechanics of Dragon King Style, including Sea Cleaver, replication was no great feat for me.
[Killing the Dragon King's daughter would be troublesome, so I'll spare you with a light tail strike to one arm.]
In that instant, as shock from my instant technique copy left her stunned and sluggish, my razor-sharp tail whipped toward her arm.
Whoosh.
Did she sense the crisis in my attack?
Light burst from the ring around her neck, unleashing a massive storm that swept the surroundings.
"Dragon King! The princess right now!"
"I know. Enough."
The Dragon King's daughter, the princess of the Dragon Palace who monopolized everyone's love as the forbidden treasure here, had ascended to the surface.
The palace residents panicked and sought the ruler, her father the Dragon King.
Gulp.
But just before departing, the one she met was none other than her father, the Dragon King.
Feeling resentment toward his daughter who declared she'd leave home right before his eyes and went topside, he tilted his cup.
Of course, the servants watching were horrified.
His own daughter went to the surface, and he wasn't worried?!
"Aren't you worried, Your Majesty?"
Most held their tongues fearing his ire, but his bold bodyguard stepped forward to voice everyone's thoughts.
"Of course I'm worried."
What parent wouldn't fret over their child?
The Dragon King was so worried he couldn't even hand over the Yeouiju.
"But, to say it... my daughter isn't that weak."
Yes. Worry was natural as a father.
But as the Dragon Palace's ruler, his daughter was a sacred entity with ample power.
In terms of strength, she ranked in the top five.
"Besides, she's trained in Dragon King Style since childhood."
Well, Dragon King Style in name only.
In truth, techniques he personally devised for his daughter.
Worried for the child not born a true dragon, the Dragon King created them himself.
Average foes couldn't even scratch her with them.
Gulp.
So, she'd return safely.
The Dragon King took it for granted.
Rumble.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
"That wind!"
"......"
A colossal wind power surged skyward, delivering twice the usual shock.
Something grave had befallen his daughter, whom he'd assumed would return unscathed moments ago.
Otherwise, that item wouldn't have activated.
The protective ring from the Wind Spirit King, Typhoon Gem, given on condition of the Yeouiju handover.
"...I'll handle it myself. Everyone, stay here."
He'd planned to nurse his anger with drink until his daughter returned, but circumstances changed.
"Gone quite far, hasn't she."
Gauging the distance to the massive typhoon from the Typhoon Gem, he shook his head at his distant daughter's trail.
Still, at this range, 30 seconds would suffice.
As it held the Wind Spirit King's power, it should hold out for 30 seconds.
The Dragon King flew at full speed toward the typhoon's origin.