Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Law of the Jungle (6)
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Running toward death was like hurling oneself into a frozen icy sea.
The sensation of endlessly sinking into that frigid icy sea was a nightmare he never wanted to relive.
Yet Cain calmly threw himself into the sea of death. All for the sake of seizing a single victory.
The Water King stamped his foot. Just that alone shook the earth like an earthquake.
The fist that shot out like a flash of light was the pinnacle of pure power. In comparison, Cain's sword seemed utterly pathetic.
Boom!! The fist of light shattered Cain's greatsword and once again crushed his skull.
But even so, the fact that he was steadily advancing forward remained unchanged.
At first, he couldn't even withstand a single blow, but after repeating death, a real fight was now possible.
His eyes opened once more without fail. There he was, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Masters each possess a secret technique born from their own enlightenment. The Water King, being a master, is no different.
'The Water King is like a fortress. It's been damaged to some extent, but overwhelming offensive power is needed to fully breach it.'
A faint light was beginning to show. As the time he could endure grew longer, the Water King's momentum was gradually waning.
However, it was impossible to completely silence the Water King with Cain's current attack power.
Right now, the Water King was perfectly embodying a secret technique infused with the profound mystery of offense and defense as one.
In the end, overwhelming attack power was needed to shatter it. Yes, something like the Water King's attacks right now.
And once again, the Water King stamped his foot. He had lost count of how many times he'd seen this already.
At first, he couldn't even react. But through repeated deaths, he had gradually learned to track its trajectory with his eyes.
"Alright, let's do this."
"That resolve in facing the challenge! Excellent!"
"Don't get the wrong idea."
Exhaling a sigh chilled with cold resolve, Cain assumed his stance once more. At his calm demeanor, Kahn let out words of praise.
The leader of the Seven Beast Kings and a master himself—yet not only was Cain keeping up with his full power,
but he was calmly facing down this ultimate technique unleashed at the cost of his life.
'Ordinary folk would collapse just from facing me... As expected, he's the perfect final opponent!'
That was why it was regrettable. If only they had met when he was at full strength—what a thrilling battle it could have been.
But he poured all those regrets and emotions into this fist. No more looking back—only forward.
A desperate blow containing his entire life up to now. At last, the Water King stamped his foot.
'It's all the same. From the foot stomp to the hip movement, and even the fist's trajectory... I've seen it countless times already.'
He already knew it all. The direction, speed, timing—everything he'd experienced, he used it all.
At last, the jet-black greatsword blazing like black flames spun greatly in his hand.
The power dwelling in the fist that touched the blade's surface. Using his death force, he redirected the mana alongside it.
Of course, this wasn't something possible simply because Cain had reached the pinnacle of technique.
Strictly speaking, it was closer to leveraging his advantageous death force to bounce back the mana along with it.
Even that had only succeeded after repeated deaths, fully grasping the timing and motion of the killing blow.
Thud!
But the result was satisfying. The Water King's mana, bounced back along with the death force, pierced straight through his abdomen.
Blood dripped from the Water King's mouth. A massive hole gaped in his stomach.
"I see. You turned my own power against me... Well done."
"......"
"I can't deny it. This is your victory."
The Water King's body, once an impregnable fortress, began to crumble. Bleeding profusely, he collapsed to the ground.
Yet even after finally claiming victory, Cain's expression wasn't particularly bright.
At least Cain himself knew this wasn't a proper win.
"......Why the hell did you take the bait?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Your head isn't just for show. You could've easily won by attacking with your army... So why respond to my provocation?"
"Do I need another reason? I was weak, and you were strong. That's all there is to it."
Even as he lay dying, bleeding out, his eyes still burned with unextinguished life.
It made even Cain flinch. The Water King chuckled softly and spoke.
"Ever since becoming king, I've lived a life of not quite dying. Always, I had to think of my kin first, not myself."
"Isn't that the path you chose?"
"It is. No regrets there. But when you reach the end of such a life, you can't help but yearn for it—a battle where you stake your life......"
The reason he had ascended to master was his pure, unadulterated thirst for victory in every fight.
But after becoming king, he had to suppress that fighting spirit forcibly, living a half-life where he couldn't truly live or die.
In the demon realm's harsh environment, pointless battles were pure loss. He had to restrain the urge to fight as much as possible.
"......Now, end it. As a reward for the thrilling final battle you gave me, I offer you my neck."
"With pleasure."
Cain raised his greatsword. Even toward this foe who fought to the very end without retreat, he showed proper respect.
Though an enemy, the Water King's fighting spirit and technical extremes had been an excellent teacher for Cain.
At last, Cain's sword cleanly severed his neck. He held up the head.
"Everyone, cease fighting! The outcome of this war has been decided!"
At Cain's thunderous roar, every soldier's gaze turned to him.
Thanks to that, they all witnessed it. Cain, proudly holding the Water King's head, standing tall in his hard-won victory.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Princess Morgana had initially opposed the offensive. There was simply no reason to abandon the advantage of defending the fortress.
Just wait a little, and a master from the Empire would arrive. In other words, stalling for time would lead to certain victory.
Yet Cain chose to attack. Morgana tried to persuade him otherwise, but he rejected every argument.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Water King possesses the power to raze a fortress single-handedly. Stubbornly defending would only lead to losing everything. If his will was that firm, there was nothing more Morgana could do.
On the battlefield, the commander's decisions took absolute priority. Even for royalty, there were no exceptions.
Of course, a part of her still couldn't accept it. Not until she witnessed the battle between the two.
'What in the world is that insane fight...?!'
She had seen masters before. But this was her first time seeing masters fight with their lives on the line.
That overwhelming might pressed down on her very skin. It felt like thorns sprouting all over her body.
Boom! Each massive explosion shook the ground violently, reshaping the terrain. Craters? That was child's play.
"Wh-what? A cliff just appeared...?!"
"That's a master's battle for you."
"B-but Lord Blackguard isn't a master, is he?"
Anna, who had been guarding the princess alongside Master Grandel right beside her, spoke up.
Grandel nodded at her words. Indeed, Cain was not a master.
Before, he had been at best a Sword User. But now, in an instant, he had risen to mid-tier Sword Expert.
'Even so... for a Sword Expert to fight a master on equal footing.'
Strictly speaking, it wasn't equal. Looking closely at their clashes, Cain was always the one being pushed back.
But considering the gap between them, the mere fact that a fight was happening defied logic.
Yet Cain stood his ground without flinching, engaging the Water King in a true battle.
But the momentum shifted. Not content with charging full-force into that fiery storm that made sweat bead just from watching,
he even severed the Water King's arm? And at the end, he countered the Water King's attack, inflicting a fatal wound.
"Everyone, cease fighting! The outcome of this war has been decided!"
Cain, who had finally claimed victory over a master, proudly held up the head.
Thanks to that, not a single soul missed witnessing his majestic triumph.
The monumental feat of a Sword Expert defeating a master.
'The masters I've trained all showed promise as Experts. But not one ever fought a master on equal terms.'
The masters he had raised so far—every one a prodigy of the highest caliber—had never displayed such an overwhelming achievement.
That was why he couldn't help but wonder.
If this man, who fought a master on equal footing and ultimately won, reached the master's realm?
How strong could he become?