Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Leviathan (3)
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Shadowmare venom.
Why was the energy that had turned Umbra into the Shadow Dragon in his past life emanating from the Sea King?
*Something's off.*
It was then that Theo intensified the spiritual energy he'd infused into the corners of his eyes, making it shine even brighter.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Roooaaar—
Just as he sensed the Sea King's frenzy worsening, it suddenly jerked its head upward.
Where its gaze landed.
Theo was there.
But in the eyes of the reasonless Sea King, Theo appeared entirely different.
As Kriemhild, who had cast it into this tiresome deep sea!
"Kriemhild! Kriiieemhiiiild!"
The Sea King spewed its madness-tainted thoughts wildly as it gaped its maw toward Theo.
"Oh no!"
Pontus cried out, trying to shove the Sea King away with his body to protect Theo, but
*No need to worry that much.*
"What do you...!"
Pontus halted mid-motion and lifted his head at something chilling that ran down his spine.
Kwaaaang!
An immense pressure crashed down abruptly, sending a dust cloud billowing across the abyssal plain.
The Sea King had been forcibly slammed into the ground.
"Let me go! Let me goooo!"
"Your sorry state is truly laughable, Leviathan. Who could believe that you, like this, were once the <Guardian> who saved and protected this world long ago?"
The being pinning the Sea King from above scoffed lightly.
The Sea King thrashed desperately to escape, but the restraining force only grew stronger with each struggle.
Its size was utterly dwarfed by the Sea King's.
Yet its presence was incomparably overwhelming as the dragon spread its wings wide, flaunting its majesty.
"That one is...?"
Pontus stared at the dragon, entranced,
*Lodbrok.*
Theo felt his shoulders tense instinctively and smiled.
*My guardian dragon.*
"So the familiar aura I sensed from you originated from that one!"
This was the first time Pontus had seen Lodbrok in the flesh, but he knew her name well.
The pinnacle of the <Guardians> descended from the Ancient Dragon.
The king of the ancient dragons, most of whom now slumbered or were extinct.
The warrior single-handedly holding back the [Nameless Sovereign].
The true lord of the Winter Mountains.
Every one of her feats was worthy of reverence!
*Though right now, it seems she's only manifested as a spirit body, not her true form.*
The one regret was that Lodbrok's body pinning the Sea King had a translucent glow.
Leaving her nest without her heart must have been burdensome.
Even so, in this state, she was strong enough to suppress the Sea King thoroughly.
If she regained her full power, what would she be like?
Theo shuddered involuntarily, having glimpsed a fragment of Lodbrok's true nature.
"Companion. What brings you all the way here? I told you to rest easy from here on out—I'd handle everything."
Lodbrok even turned toward Theo with leisure.
"Were you worried this body of mine might get hurt?"
Her massive eyes curved like crescent moons in a playful smile.
Theo let out a light chuckle and nodded.
*Who else would look after my companion's health if not me?*
"Such a sly, seductive line. You aren't whispering that to all your other mates, are you?"
*As if. I'm minding my conduct.*
"Hahaha. Is that so?"
Pontus broke into a cold sweat, overhearing the banter between Theo and Lodbrok.
He was struggling just to endure the clashing magics of Lodbrok and the Sea King—how could they be so nonchalant?
At the same time, his new master felt all the more extraordinary.
"In any case, I'll handle this. It might get dangerous, though, so fall back."
It was Lodbrok's considerate concern.
But Theo shook his head calmly.
*No. I'll stay.*
"What are you saying?"
*Kriemhild left me a request.*
"Kriemhild? You mean the dragon slayer who pinned this one to the seabed?"
Theo nodded.
Pontus watched wide-eyed from the side.
Lodbrok narrowed her eyes.
"My condition isn't ideal. I can't suppress this one while protecting you."
*I know. So don't worry about me. I'll handle fulfilling Kriemhild's last words myself.*
"I can't fathom what you're thinking."
Tsk!
Lodbrok clicked her tongue in disapproval, but when she turned back to the Sea King, a faint smile played at her eyes.
"Still, if you're being this stubborn, there must be good reason. You've always been that way. I hope it's the same this time."
Her words carried infinite trust.
Theo bowed in gratitude, then glanced at Pontus.
"...Y-You're truly a fascinating human the more I see you."
Lodbrok's demeanor must have seemed novel to him.
*Pontus, I could use your help.*
"Me? How?"
*Clear a path as close to the Sea King as possible.*
"You want me to control the currents?"
*Yeah.*
Pontus pondered briefly before replying.
"My kin and I could manage it somehow, once. But we can't withstand that venom either. It gave us no small trouble."
*I'll handle that too, so don't worry.*
"Alright. Understood."
Pontus sighed lightly, then suddenly sharpened his gaze and threw his head back.
He unleashed a resounding roar.
Groooaaar!
Sound doesn't propagate in the ocean.
Instead, his sonic waves rippled violently, and the scattered sea beasts responded in unison.
"Clear a path for this human to reach Father—!"
Grooo! Grooo!
Groooaaar—
Hundreds of sea beasts roared back together, exhaling in harmony.
The massive waves from the overlapping sonics shoved the turbulent currents outward in an instant, carving a path toward the Sea King.
*Thanks.*
Flash!
Theo launched himself without hesitation.
[Wind Thunder God – Gale Slayer]
Not content with that, he used Desbit as a foothold for even greater propulsion.
Screeeee—
A trail of white foam stretched long in his wake like a trajectory,
[Shadowmare venom approaches.]
And Theo plunged into the black mist emanating from the Sea King.
Keeeek!
Umbra wailed from within the shadows.
As if demanding why it was here.
*Beats me why it's here, but all the better.*
Theo pulled the winds he'd scattered behind him forward, wrapping them around his body.
Gale.
The third stage of Wind Thunder God activated.
His mastery over mana had surged thanks to acquiring Kriemhild's mystery.
Level ups too.
[Allocating 25 additional stats to Intelligence.]
[Intelligence: 79 → 104]
[Skill comprehension increases.]
[Mana control improves.]
[Intelligence coefficient surpasses 100.]
[Hidden function unlocks: Foresight now available.]
+
[Foresight]
· Type: Special Ability
· Effect: Vastly enhanced judgment and insight enable rapid predictions of given situations.
+
Theo's perceived time in the mystery had been about a month.
In that span, battling countless dragon plague beasts and inheriting Nibelrung had amassed huge experience, raising his level by 7.
Plus steady investment in other stats had yielded remarkable growth.
[Wind Thunder God – Gale Pull]
Theo thrust his hand forward, then yanked it inward.
The gale enveloping him sucked in too, drawing the turbid venom toward him.
The shadowmare venom threatened him in the process, but
Theo already had some resistance to it, and with [Foresight] activating constantly, he could dilute it with mana whenever it thickened.
Thus, Theo forcibly separated the seawater from the shadowmare venom.
Kwaaaa!
Soon, a blackened orb of venom rested in his hand.
Toxin essence, its peril mostly refined away.
He'd planned to just dump it into the seawater.
*Too much of a waste to discard.*
Theo licked his lips, then turned to the shadow with a sudden idea.
*Umbra.*
Keek?
*Want to eat it?*
KeeEEK!
The shadow shuddered violently.
As if protesting the horrific suggestion.
*I've stripped most of the toxicity—it's safe. Just swallow.*
Kiek?
*If you won't eat it?*
Keek!
*Then toss it.*
Keek! KeeEEK!
*No can do. The sealed shadow demon venom in me might react. But for you, with immunity, it's as good as an elixir.*
Keeek......
Umbra agonized long, then cried out.
KeeEEK!
Gimme!
*Good.*
Theo smiled and dropped the toxin essence into the shadow.
Laced with the Sea King's draconic power, it was surely superior in quality to what Umbra had consumed before.
*Maybe Umbra can become a new Shadow Dragon, free from madness.*
Theo repeated separating and refining the shadowmare venom from the seawater, feeding it to the shadow, until he reached the Sea King's nape.
Amid the stiffly upright scales, one grew reversed.
Reverse scale.
*Found it.*
Kriemhild had said:
-Levi's nape has a reverse scale. Stab your heel there. That's the source of the frenzy.
Theo raised the wildly humming Dragon Slayer Sword high.
-What's there to torment the Sea King like that?
-Shame. A forgotten ancient curse that pinned him to the sea depths.
A wound from the [Nameless Sovereign].
Theo drew a deep breath, channeling all his intent into the blade tip, and thrust the Dragon Slayer Sword forward.
-And <Nibelrung> dilutes such curses. A secret I learned living with Levi. It's also how to wield the Dragon Slayer Sword.
Nibelrung, the crowning jewel of Kriemhild's secrets, discerns an opponent's flaw and strikes it in one blow.
It meshed well with the Dragon Isle style Theo pursued, synergizing with [Dragon's Claw].
The orb's gift of insight had aided blending them.
Thus was born this secret technique.
[Nibelrung's Claw]
Shlaaaash!
Rend.
The vertical slash split the reverse scale.
Craaack—
And,
[Nibelrung's Fang]
Theo jammed the Dragon Slayer Sword into the wound.
Thuuud—
Pierce.
If the claw slashes down, the fang stabs deep.
Kraaaaah!
The Sea King writhed in agony.
But it couldn't even convulse under Lodbrok's pressure.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each head twist spawned shockwaves.
Yet Theo clung tenaciously, refusing to be dislodged.
He shoved the Dragon Slayer Sword deeper into the reverse scale, pouring all his mana.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Each time, the Dragon's Heart and dantian resonated madly, spewing heat.
Lightning crackled, steam gushed.
The reverse scale's wound gaped wider, the [Nameless Sovereign]'s curse inside igniting root and branch,
Fwoooosh!
Sudden waves of intense thoughts crashed over Theo.
['Skill: Hatchling Synchro' forcibly activates. Sea King's voice is heard.]
"I... I...!"
Countless afterimages flashed before Theo's eyes.
The Sea King's joyful memories.
Fragments of times with Kriemhild.
Her making a flower crown for his knobby horn, tending his wounds all night.
Listening to her woes about grueling slave labor, sharing tales of the outside world she'd never seen.
Happy times of the past.
-He was trapped in those joyful moments during his sealing and frenzy, endlessly replaying them.
And,
*You're worried.*
Theo read the worry in the Sea King's voice.
Fear that his sole friend might resent or hate him.
Terror that Kriemhild might despise him for ravaging his homeland in madness.
*No. She doesn't.*
Theo shook his head vehemently and shouted.
So Kriemhild's voice could reach.
*Kriemhild left words for you.*
-Levi.
*Levi.*
The Sea King slowly raised its head.
Levi.
The nickname Kriemhild gave, claiming his name too hard to pronounce.
So he'd called her by her first initial too.
She'd grumble every time.
"Kri...em..."
What was that? Not like fresh cream cake.
That scene seemed to flicker in the Sea King's eyes.
-It was fun. Being with you.
*It was fun. Being with you.*
A spark of life returned to the Sea King's turbid pupils.
Kriemhild's afterimage overlapped Theo.
-So no more.
*So no more nightmares, I hope.*
When the two voices overlapped.
The Sea King unwittingly squeezed its eyes shut.
Something trickled from its eye, swept away by the currents.
And,
"Brother."
Crunck!
Lodbrok buried her face in the Sea King's nape.
Scales and muscle shattered.
When she lifted her head again.
Amid heavy bleeding, a massive orb dangled from her jaws.
Dragon Heart.
The ancient dragon's mana core.
"Your deeds pass to me with this heart. Return to nature's embrace and bless us."
Roooaaarrr—!
Lodbrok devoured the Dragon Heart in one gulp amid a fierce roar.
Flaaash!
In that instant, dazzling radiance enveloped her spirit body.
Illuminating the dark abyss like daylight.
[Congratulations! You defeated the Sea King maddened by shadowmare venom and safely delivered its heart to Lodbrok. Scenario Quest #4 cleared.]
[Rating: S+]
[Reward: Affinity +100. Dragon blood talent finally awakened.]
[Level up.]
[Level up.]
[Qualification acquired. Dragonkin talents previously sealed for viewing now unlocked.]