Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Feud with the Ryu Heir
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"But it would be wise not to expect guardians around you forever. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable won't be watching over you eternally, after all."
Even whispered, there was no way Darmosa hadn't heard it.
Runshin looked like a fool digging his own grave.
"Ha! Look at this bastard."
Unexpectedly, it was an unlikely figure who latched onto the remark.
Glancing to the side, I saw Napahel Monarch.
"Since when did the Ryu Clan dare to bare their teeth in front of us Monarchs?"
"You...?"
"He's Napahel Monarch, the rightful heir of the Monarch family."
"Who calls a Monarch an 'ex'-Monarch?"
Two men with similar temperaments clashed.
It was like two rabid dogs snarling at each other.
Then Orlando Monarch approached me.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah, yes."
"You don't look fine. Your clothes are soaked in blood."
The skin on both elbows, where I'd blocked the spear thrust, and my right knee was completely torn open.
But my internals were unharmed, so for blocking a mechanical spear, it was a cheap price to pay.
"...You need treatment."
"I'm really fine. Something like this heals with one trip to medical later. Right now, I have to join the class."
"...You sure you're okay?"
"Yes."
Orlando Monarch couldn't tear her eyes from my bleeding spots.
I brushed it off.
For some reason, every conversation with Orlando Monarch—Lemon's birth mother—left me with an inexplicable unease.
"What, you think we can't make things uncomfortable for you? Hilarious. Let's see how long your Ryu Clan holds out before coming crawling back."
"Shut your laughable mouth and get lost. A great Zhonghua man doesn't entertain such pathetic threats."
"What era do you think this is, still yapping about Zhonghua? You're a total relic."
"What? You mocking Zhonghua thought? What do you take the 10 billion Zhonghua people across the universe for?"
"10 billion? That's just the delusion of a few idiots like your Ryu Clan."
The argument showed no signs of ending.
To outsiders, they'd seem evenly matched.
Still, I wanted to give Napahel the edge.
For fearlessly ripping into Runshin on the same level.
"...I won't forget this."
"Forget? I'll make it burn into your bones."
In the end, Runshin stormed off first.
"You think that'll be okay?"
"No way you're worried, right? Ignore the Ryu Clan, bro."
"...Bro?"
I flinched.
The term "bro" from Napahel felt utterly foreign and out of place.
"The Ryu Clan are just has-beens living off past glory anyway. They're no match for us Monarchs."
"Why act chummy all of a sudden?"
"Chummy?"
Napahel blinked as if genuinely clueless.
Then he smirked and continued.
"Chummy... I just got pissed that idiot was tarnishing my 'Monarch' name. Calling you bro? Well, you earned it."
"Hilarious."
Earned what?
Anyway, both of them thought in their own terms.
Even if I wasn't the old Lemon anymore, going mad against families like these didn't seem so strange.
"Let's just go back to how it was."
"Back to how it was? You mean pretending we don't know each other until there's something to gain, then acting friendly... that business relationship?"
"Yeah."
"That won't work for me. I actually want to get close to you for real, bro."
Napahel grinned at me.
'Is this guy serious?'
The distance that had felt like a thousand miles now clung like it never existed.
This friendliness was completely unforeseen.
"It's a secret, but I've never really hated you, bro."
"Save it, Napahel."
"Got it, Mom. Guess seeing you after so long got me emotional."
The surroundings had cleared up too.
After calming the shocked outsiders, Darmosa approached.
"Ah, thanks, Captain."
"Forget it. Your mom called, so I made it in time. Nearly had a disaster because of that lunatic."
"You two are on a first-name basis?"
"Napahel."
"I know, Mom."
Class proceeded as scheduled.
I headed off first for medical treatment.
Thanks to Orlando and Napahel staying put, I regained some peace.
About two hours later, I returned to the training hall.
'Huh...?'
But a fight was already underway in the training hall.
In a sectioned-off area, two familiar figures were exchanging blows.
The stars: Roze and Darmosa.
Darmosa, shrouded in green mist, was blocking Roze's onslaught.
I pushed through the crowd to join my group while watching.
Saim noticed me and turned.
"Treatment go well?"
"Yeah. How long has that been going?"
"Just started."
A back-and-forth clash.
Each collision boomed loud enough to deafen.
Roze was impressive for unleashing that power barehanded, but Darmosa absorbing it all was jaw-dropping.
Watching, I suddenly spoke up.
"No Core Weapon?"
"Obviously. The Central Superhuman Unit Captain using a Core Weapon on a cadet would be cheating."
As Barton said.
Core Weapon.
The symbol of superhumans—an armor, a weapon, the pinnacle of Human Alliance tech.
The mechanical spear I'd seen before was technically an early form of Core Weapon.
Modern ones were primarily wearable like infantry close-combat armor, enabling activity in various environments, assisting movement, and defending against threats.
Especially the barrier function—it could tank a battleship's main gun head-on.
'But they're expensive as hell.'
Matching their complex production, Core Weapons cost a fortune.
Unofficially, the price of one could outfit and run an artillery battalion.
"Going for a one-shot breakthrough?"
"Good call. Against Darmosa's ability, it's no good in a stamina war."
Roze assumed a stance.
On closer look, it resembled the pose from her pressure gauge measurement.
Seemed she planned to gather all power in her right fist for a honest punch—but telegraphing it so openly, would it land?
Still, against Darmosa, that might be best.
'Darmosa with footing on the ground is unbreakable.'
A line I'd described about Darmosa's ability in the original work.
His power was deeply tied to the earth.
As long as he stayed grounded, his recovery was so strong that simple exchanges like this barely drained his ability.
His green mist especially amplified another layer when planted, making him strongest in prolonged fights.
"Here I come."
"Come."
Roze moved soon after.
She shot forward so fast even my dynamic vision registered her as vanishing—crashing into the thickened green mist.
Like fog scattering.
The ability couldn't withstand the impact and dispersed, Roze advancing through the gap.
"Where!"
The green mist coalesced, attacking indiscriminately.
Roze dodged with unbelievable fluidity and broke through.
I couldn't help but admire.
Both showed extreme control in power usage.
"Just a bit more..."
The cadets were unconsciously cheering for Roze.
Her fearless advance against the overwhelmingly dominant Darmosa tugged at heartstrings.
But as is, reaching him seemed distant.
He still had margin.
Just retreating kept the exact distance as her advance.
But as time passed, things shifted slightly.
"What?"
Darmosa muttered in bewilderment.
The green mist scattered faster.
Even denser, higher resistance—yet pierced effortlessly by her fist.
Compared to start, her skin visibly flushed red-hot.
"Redhead, you really a cadet?"
Rampage?
No.
Just pushing her body to limits with physical control.
Drawing all stored energy, accelerating heartbeat, squeezing muscles harshly.
'Amazing.'
But who else but Roze could pull that off.
Not mere physical control—self-modification at the cellular level.
That was the pinnacle of body control she always emphasized.
'Though not to this extent until recently.'
I'd seen Roze's full power a few times.
Namely, sparring with Merdi.
She accelerated her body well then too.
But not sustaining it long-term like now against Darmosa.
Short bursts, like overdrive.
'Breathing... that's it.'
I realized the reason quickly.
Heat was the biggest risk in acceleration.
Excess temperature didn't just erode the body—it could impair the brain.
Oxygen lagged behind explosive movement, risking loss of control.
But her lung capacity had surged.
Just yesterday, referencing my changes, she'd optimized her respiratory system.
One problem solved.
"She might break through."
"Go for it!"
Darmosa got busy.
The green mist moved more variably, faster than before.
Snaring like a noose, or enveloping like a net.
But nothing stopped Roze's straight advance.
Finally, piercing all mist, she swung at Darmosa.
He blocked the fist, stalemating briefly.
"She did it."
"Won? Look at this reckless fool."
As Roze relaxed a moment, Darmosa's kick flew.
"Huh?"
"Perfect. Now back."
She deflected the kick, but the follow-up attack and incoming mist overwhelmed her.
In the end, despite closing in, Roze was pushed back to the original gap.
"Eek."
"More?"
Roze pouted.
Darmosa was no slouch in martial arts, matching his ability.
A lapse cost dearly.
"No. I'm hungry."
A somewhat anticlimactic end.
But her performance until then was so cool that applause erupted everywhere.
'She put up a hell of a fight.'
This spar confirmed it.
Roze's growth outpaced the original.
In a few years, she'd surpass Darmosa, ushering a true new era.
'And not just Roze.'
Her growth wouldn't end with her.
Feeling challenged by Roze spars, Merdi was working on control beyond wild bursts, and the other two stimulated too.
"Close one."
"Couldn't land a hit."
"Next time, you could."
"...Yeah?"
I pulled snacks from my pocket—prepared for Roze—and praised her.
Her gloom lifted at the sight.
Watching her pop one in, I offered another.
"...You carry stuff like that?"
"Uh... lately? Comes in handy."
Barton and the group eyed me oddly.