Chapter 375
Chapter 375
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 375
Chapter Title: The Beast King Awakens
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Crash!
With the sound of glass shattering, every light orb illuminating the darkness exploded into pieces. A single gust of wind swept into the workshop now engulfed in pitch blackness. It rushed from the hole in the stone door deep into the workshop's heart.
The wind howled like a beast's roar.
"......"
Neither Lania nor Kalt spoke.
Their gazes were fixed on the depths of the darkened workshop. Glowing sapphire eyes flickering like blue flames. An immense presence emanated from that stare.
...The presence of a calamity.
A colossal existence. When a being of a higher realm reveals itself, the surrounding mana crumples under the pressure. That's exactly what was happening now.
'Not the Apostate.'
Lania was certain.
The Apostate doesn't announce itself with such an aura. When it appears amid a thick stench of blood, the mana scatters away as if fleeing from it.
It wasn't the Sword of Death either.
If that monster had shown up, the mana would have been shredded like flesh under a blade rather than crushed.
'...A presence I've never felt before.'
So this was the aura of another calamity.
The ambient mana knelt in submission before the massive entity. The mana crawling low along the floor was eerie. Lania stared at the being that had brought this unnatural flow.
The entity stared back at Lania.
The blue glow hidden in the darkness didn't waver. It didn't reveal its concealed body. It simply gazed at the two humans before it. In the silence, a drop echoed as something fell.
A stone fragment from the ceiling hit the floor.
The faint noise broke the stillness. Taking it as a cue, Kalt's sword shinged into motion. Lania slammed her fist into the ground, clenching it tight.
And then.
Boom.
The sapphire glow in the darkness surged. In an instant, the air currents reversed, and the wind blowing in from outside the workshop twisted. A fierce gale now howled from the workshop's depths outward.
The incoming wind carried the musky stench of beasts.
And the scent of humans as well.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
It opened its eyes in the darkness.
Born in a land untouched by starlight, a forsaken land where the discarded were discarded once more. All around reeked of death.
It realized.
That it had returned from death.
That its eternal rest had been disturbed.
Displeasure at this fact was fleeting. Having gained a second life, it recalled its first. Memories were hazy, yielding nothing clear. All it remembered was the brilliant light at its final moment.
The light it had yearned for.
A light that could blind.
Recalling that beautiful, radiant flash, it rose. The entity that had gathered useless corpses to forge a body was gone. Abandoned by whatever revived it, it wandered endlessly.
Where should it go?
What should it pursue?
No purpose. No reason. Only a desire for that radiant light. Thus, it was no king. Reduced to a mere beast, it roamed. No matter what it devoured, the hunger remained unquenched, drawing it back to its birthplace.
Believing something waited there.
And then, the beast encountered it.
The sword.
Silver-white swordlight gleaming even in darkness, the blade humming with vibration, sword energy rising from the edge.
Finally, it saw the swordsman wielding the sword.
The light it desired was there.
Upon realizing this, the beast was already charging.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Boom! The air exploded.
A massive silhouette cleaved through the air in a sprint.
The revealed entity resembled the failed creations but wasn't made of filth. It had flesh, skin, fur. It exuded an oppressive presence absent in the failures.
Thud.
Lania's eyes widened as she stomped and thrust her fist, but the beast was faster. Surpassing her speed in an instant, it brushed past her side.
The beast hadn't targeted Lania from the start.
Its sapphire glow, bulging muscles, razor claws—all aimed solely at Kalt. Shattering the stone floor, it swung its arm at him. The air tore with a screech.
"...!"
Kalt swallowed hard and swung his sword.
Silver swordlight clashed with the beast's claws; Kalt's sword was repelled. Numb shock widened his eyes.
'What power...!'
Spinning with his rebounding sword, Kalt followed with another strike. The superhuman blade traced a sharp arc, clashing anew with the beast's claws.
Claaang!
A deafening metallic crash.
This time the beast's arm recoiled too, but while Kalt had only one sword, the beast's entire body was a weapon.
Whoosh.
The beast thrust its forepaw. Kalt barely raised his sword against the air-bursting kick. Clang! His body launched into the air.
"Kuhk!"
He'd blocked with his sword, but the impact wasn't fully negated. Coughing blood-mixed breath, Kalt gritted his teeth. Rolling across the floor several times before rising, he was pursued immediately by the beast—but...
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Smash Raw physical pulverization
She wouldn't let it be.
Catching up in a flash, Lania punched toward the beast. A brilliant flash erupted from her clenched fist.
Kaboooom!
The roar unleashed a shockwave engulfing the beast. The ground trembled; it staggered back a few steps. But that was all. Spells that shattered skeleton branches in one hit drew no blood from this beast.
Kiiing.
It merely narrowed its blue eyes.
The beast stomped the ground. It clenched its fist and lowered its stance. Seeing this, Lania's brow furrowed.
"What the hell is that...?"
Immediately, the beast swung its fist.
Mimicking Lania, as if.
A body two or three times a human's, innate demonic beast bones and muscles. As its body contracted then expanded, the punch blasted air without mana—yet wrought a miracle like magic.
Kaboooom!
Facing the surging pressure wave, Lania gritted her teeth and cast a spell. The stone floor flipped in an instant, shoving her back. In the created gap, the beast's head snapped around with a crack.
The beast eyed the swordsman.
As he regained his footing and charged, it spread its hand wide. Instinctively grasping at empty air, it realized nothing was there and extended its five fingers straight. Its razor claws rivaled a blade.
Sword met sword.
But it didn't rebound like before. At impact, Kalt angled his blade. Deflecting the claw, he slashed upward.
Shing.
The tip grazed the beast's forearm. A sword mark etched; black blood sprayed belatedly.
'Shallow.'
Kalt clicked his tongue.
He'd aimed to sever the arm, but the beast's hide was tougher than imagined. The shallow cut healed instantly. Stepping forward, it closed on Kalt.
Another clash.
Attempting the same deflection, Kalt faltered. The beast's motion differed. At blade contact, it twisted its wrist.
Mimicking Kalt's technique.
The beast angled its claws. Kalt's sword clanged skyward along them.
Lured and countered.
Grinding his teeth, Kalt twisted his sword's path to bat away the incoming claws. His hands numbed. Forcing the trajectory wrenched his arm.
'What the...'
Blocking the onslaught, Kalt groaned. Unfathomable. The beast replicated years-honed skills instantly. As if recalling what it already knew.
Clang, claaang.
With each exchange, the beast grew faster. More precise. Learning, like.
'A learning beast...?'
A frame two or three times human-sized.
Demonic regeneration, sturdy flesh. Techniques leveraging it were terrifying. Each clash screamed through Kalt's body.
"Senior, hurry up!"
Kalt shouted.
A streak of light crashed between them. Lania appeared amid light and ash, bare hand outstretched to the beast's swinging claws.
Kiiiiing!
Claws repelling superhuman swords couldn't shake Lania's grip. Chains coiled around her hand spewed light, catching the claws. Crack, craaack—the stone under her feet split.
Crunch.
Yanking the gripped arm back, Lania pulled the beast forward. She pressed her free hand to its chest.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Chain Binding restraint / Mana conduit
Chains extended from her empty hand, wrapping the beast. They burrowed into its flesh, flashing blue.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Judgment Divine retribution strike
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spell-Bunch Multi-spell cascade
Thunderclap! Lightning bolts plunged down.
Condensed thunderbolts rode the chains, scorching the beast. Overwhelming current charred its flesh black; smoke billowed. Unable to endure even this, its body convulsed violently.
Crackle, zzzzap.
Enveloped in residual lightning, it looked consumed by blue flames. Unable to withstand the relentless shocks, its head drooped lower.
Thud.
Head low enough.
Lania seized its protruding horn. As she lifted to rip the chained beast's head free—
It twitched.
The beast's body shuddered massively.
Then it raised its lowered head. Its sapphire-flame eyes met Lania's at level. They flashed once.
Snap, snappop.
All chains shattered.
Smoke rose from its flesh; wounds healed instantly. Now even larger, the expanded body revealed Lania's realization.
It had taken the hits on purpose.
To lure an opening.
Its claws surged toward Lania's eyes. She twisted her head, kicked its abdomen, and retreated. Standing bipedally after snapping all chains, its dangling arms touched the ground.
White breath poured from its maw. Lania wiped her forehead with her hand's back. Claw marks scarred it. As the beast regenerated instantly, so did Lania's wound.
Lania narrowed her eyes.
The beast's glow contracted.
Instinct told her: this was the 'success,' revived by the Apostate as Beast King. And it must be excluded here. Steel resolve firm, Lania pressed her heart and murmured.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Acceleration Speed enhancement / Overclock
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
The workshop interior was a wreck.
Kalt slumped to the floor, panting raggedly. His sword clattered across the ground.
"Huff, haaah..."
Wiping forehead sweat, he exhaled deeply. Sitting, his gaze forward: Lania still standing.
Drip, drip.
She staunched blood from her slashed shoulder. Kalt inwardly marveled. Never since becoming a hero had she been wounded so badly.
"What... the hell was that?"
Kalt gasped the question.
He'd seen it: Lania accelerating repeatedly, the beast reacting. And finally, claws embedding in her shoulder.
"An ancient calamity."
Constraints lifted facing the Beast King?
Lania sighed, continuing.
"A unique entity called the Beast King."
"...Beast King?"
"Existed centuries ago, apparently. Looks like that damned Apostate revived it."
Lania flicked her arm lightly.
Splat. Something rolled across the floor. The beast's right arm. In the fierce fight, Lania tore it off; the beast used it as bait to claw her shoulder.
"What a pain."
Lania irritably tousled her hair.
She'd severed the arm, but the beast escaped. Accelerating out, vanishing beyond the cliff into demon realm depths.
"Still, we got the arm. And a horn as bonus."
Kalt pointed to the sprawled horn.
Branch-like horn. Sliced by Kalt amid their clash. Gazing at it, he narrowed his eyes.
A learning beast.
One sacrificing limbs for goals, with resolve. Instinct warned Kalt: kill it soon. Lania felt the same.
"......"
Lania silently eyed the severed arm.
It was artificial, patched by the Apostate—not the true Beast King's flesh.
...The Beast King's true body.
Half used to forge Ganikalt's form. Only the left half remained; the beast had unstable patchwork from beasts and humans.
Yet something felt off.
Memory from the northern tower.
Kardi's description of the Beast King.
It was noble, seeking to understand humans, capable of speech—like one. But the beast just now? Merely an animal. No such nobility despite learning techniques.
'Less a Beast King and more...'
Just a beast.
So Lania thought: kill it before it becomes king.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Crunch, crack.
The beast tore into a demonic beast.
Grabbing one from the demon realm with one hand, pinning it with a foot, ripping its head and devouring. It thought.
Tasteless.
Nothing from this.
Groaning at unquenched thirst, it chewed another to fill its belly. Gathering bones and flesh from kills, it rebuilt its empty right arm.
Framing bones.
Suturing meat and bone into an arm.
Repeating the oddly familiar act, it filled the void with hunted parts. Mulling defeat. It had lost. Fled without pride. Unsure what pride was, displeasure lingered.
Why lose?
It lacked that.
The swordsman's sharp blade—like a sword it didn't have. Recalling the sword's glow. The radiant light it craved.
Sword.
That single word filled its mind. Thinking of sword made it human. Bearing scents of both human and beast, it murmured.
"Ga... nikalt."
Ganikalt van Galatrick.
Only that name haunted it. Unfathomable hate, envy, longing, vague admiration. Emotions filling its head, it groaned.
Thirst unabated.
In burning thirst, it recalled its final moments. Bleeding on white snow. The human aiming a sword—and the blade he held.
At rebirth, it identified the glow's source. Recognized the vague light desired.
What might its death place reveal? Unknown. Just hoping to quench this thirst, it wandered aimlessly. Forcing all seen beasts to kneel, advancing.
Death littered its path.
Eventually, beasts bowed before it. It strode amid terrified demonic beasts.