Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Sahara's Red Desert
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Swish.
Dark underbrush.
Hiding there, a figure with gleaming yellow pupils.
Scales covered his skin, and his slit pupils like a reptile's belonged to none other than the former chieftain of the dragonkin tribe.
Tail-Cutter Philo.
"Aldu, no matter how I think about it."
"I know."
"Isn't he going too far?"
"Can't be helped. We're not as light as Serena."
Indeed.
Leteti's Wings were wings of iron.
An artifact no different from an ancient relic, inscribed with spells to command the wind.
But it had its limits.
The tribe had lived on cliffs to begin with, so the artifact was made based on gliding on strong winds.
It wasn't an artifact for free flight, and it had its own weight limit. Exactly up to Serena.
It didn't apply to Aldu or Philo, who both exceeded a hundred kilos.
"Even if I were Kallias, I'd have taken Serena. Holding a fragrant lady and flying beats embracing a stinky guy, right? Romantic! Hahaha!"
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue but couldn't deny it.
They did make a pretty good pair, visually speaking.
Besides, Kallias's choice was reasonable enough.
"Here he comes."
He was visible, flying through the sky.
"Let's rest a bit too. The princess will give up in a few days anyway. Better to rest now since we have to bring this guy along."
-Grrr.
The thunder wyrmling biting the sword.
Philo sat down heavily, still feeling uneasy.
Clink.
Aldu pulled something from his bosom.
It looked like a metal container filled with water, but when he popped the lid, a thick liquor scent wafted out.
"What is it?"
"Liquor. Kallias said to kill time with this."
"Oh..."
"Aurora's Tears, he called it. Distilled from brewed liquor, apparently super strong and tasty, so worth looking forward to. Heh."
Aldu soon took a swig straight from the bottle, and his eyes shot wide open.
A fierce taste that burned the tongue and throat, with a rich aroma that was exquisite.
"Grrraaah! Yes! This is liquor!"
As strong as the fiery spirits boasted in the dwarf lands.
True northern liquor.
They said it was for enduring the cold, and sure enough, his whole body heated up in an instant, numbness from the intoxication dulling his senses.
"Whew, nice gift."
Wandering as a pilgrim, Aldu rarely found liquor this potent.
Most strong liquors were either tasteless or reeked like rotten potatoes, garbage.
But northern liquor was different.
Aurora's Tears.
He'd definitely visit the North next time.
"Give me a sip."
"Sure."
Philo took a sip after receiving it.
"Cough!"
He coughed violently as his throat burned.
Aldu laughed heartily, took another swig of Aurora's Tears, flushed red, and flopped down.
"The world's spinning! Hahaha!"
"Ugh, my tongue's on fire."
They passed the time grimacing or laughing boisterously.
Rumble.
A faint vibrating sound came.
"Hm?"
Philo's tail twitched.
He soon looked up.
"Aldu! Aldu! Wake up!"
"Mm, why... It was perfect."
"Look!"
Rubbing his eyes, Aldu looked to the sky.
"Already morning?"
The sky full of stars and moon had brightened.
He thought it was morning, but no.
A momentary light.
"Damn!"
Aldu realized it was the light from Serena's arrow.
Having traveled together for so long, he couldn't miss it.
"The princess has started moving."
"She was flying so well, why?"
"No idea. But we can't just sit here."
Aldu's hand gripped his hammer.
Philo's hand gripped his spear.
Vivi's mouth clamped hard on the sword.
"Let's go!"
Three shadows burst from the forest near the border, but no imperial troops noticed.
* * *
Boom!!
A towering peak that had stood for centuries crumbled pathetically.
Not from a mighty dragon's roar, nor a fallen one's rage.
A few small arrows had wrought this miracle, toppling the mountain sentinel.
Kwaaang!!
'Went a bit too flashy.'
He hadn't expected Serena to unleash such power.
Thanks to it, Luteon faltered momentarily, but it drew even more attention.
Kallias glanced back and clicked his tongue softly.
Troops stationed near the border were converging.
Some already on horseback loosing arrows, others hurling javelins.
He'd planned to slip through quietly, but Luteon complicated it. Still, a chance to turn it to advantage.
"Serena, keep him pinned. We break through like this."
"Yes!"
No intention to fight.
Battling Luteon would draw the rear forces, putting them on the defensive.
Finishing their unfinished duel mattered, but timing sucked.
Waste of time and strength.
And a dog's death? Pass.
"Just like this. Keep it up and fly, and I'll be grateful!"
Pew!
Serena rained countless arrows like a bomber.
Luteon found no respite amid the collapsing peak.
Forest aflame, peaks crumbling. Dodging arrows, using falling rocks as footholds—Luteon's prowess was impressive, but that was it.
"You bitches...!"
Serena's archery anticipated his moves, arrows forcing even the world's Luteon off balance.
Genius or not.
Humans couldn't fly.
"Kalliaaaas!!"
His enraged scream echoed through the mountains. Hit in the shoulder by Serena's arrow, Luteon plummeted.
But he didn't just fall.
Screaming, he hurled his last remaining spear.
'Exploding Spear Amess.'
He threw it.
"Serena."
"No problem."
Serena's bow glowed again. Arrows split instantly, intercepting Luteon's spear.
But then.
"Amess!"
With Luteon's shout.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The spear exploded.
Blast waves surged every direction.
Likely meant to down Kallias with the shockwave.
A masterstroke.
"Expected that much."
Kallias had fought Luteon before. When the bastard tossed his last spear, he'd anticipated.
The exploding spear that had once bested him.
Kallias wasn't fool enough to forget.
"Three Realms: Sky Shatter."
Chanting, Kallias's eyes turned violet, fairy power blooming like haze, dominating space.
Kallias folded Leteti's Wings.
Midair, drawing a castle gate in the sky, his lips curled.
Black explosion rushing in. Sullivian's divine spell completed instantly.
"Heavenly Chains."
Clank!
Hundreds of transparent iron chains of compressed air appeared, wrapping him and Serena.
Kuaaaaa!
Shockwave shook the air, flinging Kallias and Serena far away.
As their forms traced parabolas.
Clank!
Wings unfurled again.
"Damn bastard."
Falling Luteon spat curses.
He could never down the flying Kallias.
"Our unfinished bout? Next time."
Whoosh!
Flapping iron wings, Kallias rode an updraft. Mocking Luteon, he left the mountains behind.
* * *
Rustle.
From the collapsing landslide, Luteon emerged relatively intact and yanked a spear from the ground irritably.
"......"
Standing still, replaying the fight, Luteon let out a hollow laugh.
He'd anticipated.
He'd heard in the North the bastard returned to battle with winged artifact. Expected him to cross here, and hit the mark.
But who knew.
"He'd be traveling with an elf."
A superhuman near master level transcended normal human sight.
So Luteon had seen clearly.
The irritating Kallias smirking, beautiful elf in his arms.
Crunch.
Gripping the spear till it might snap, killing intent settled on Luteon's face.
"Still hasn't quit chasing skirts. Why do you keep getting..."
Stronger.
Luteon felt the injustice.
The guy had no talent originally.
For such a dullard to grow, he figured he'd severed and discarded something.
He had, himself.
But the bastard remained the same.
Still holding women, that arrogant gaze looking down on all but himself unchanged.
Yet.
Why did the bastard grow stronger?
"What was that divine spell?"
The bizarre aura around him was utterly new.
'Fairy power? No way.'
Heard he embraced a thunder dragon—gained some weird power from that?
Unclear.
But certain: the bastard wielded not just swordsmanship, but powerful divine spells.
Strong enough to defend against his spear!
Yet Luteon's rage sublimated into a sneer.
"Hit his limit, huh. So he's picking up scraps."
Swordsmanship's limit.
A dullard like Kallias couldn't break it easily.
So he turned elsewhere.
Typical mortal narrow-mindedness.
Even if a sword-mangling fool gained power to cast divine spells.
He'd hit limits soon too.
But not him.
Staring solely at the spear, honing with momentum to shatter walls.
Shattering walls? Matter of time.
"Next time we meet."
He wouldn't escape so easily.
Then, definitely.
"I'll avenge her, whom you defiled."
* * *
Leaving the mountains revealed.
"Wow."
Sahara's red desert.
At its center, the towering holy tower.
Sahara's Holy Land.
Kallias and Serena, forgetting the recent battle, leisurely admired the vast vista from the sky.
How many could behold Sahara from such heights?
Kallias and Serena silently took in nature's painting for a while, chests swelling with grandeur.
Sahara's red desert was vast.
Immense.
And the tower equally grand and tall.
But the true marvel was elsewhere.
"Power."
"A holy land is a holy land."
Depleted energies refilled.
Amazed by the wondrous sensation, Serena marveled, Kallias in awe.
'Purer than Patalite's Holy Land by several times.'
Sahara's red desert, a graveyard of dragons and demons.
How could such pure divine power permeate the air here?
They marveled again and again.
Battle-consumed divine power more than restored.
Feeling the holy land's power, Serena gained insight; her aura shifted subtly.
To avoid disturbing, Kallias flew slower over Sahara's skies. His eyes scanned the red desert's edges meticulously.
Here lay traces of Saint Stella.
And the one who became a sword himself still resided in the holy land.
Finding them all.
Kallias would surpass the wall.
Shedding frail human flesh, transcending to rival dragons and demons.
True transcendent.
One slash parting seas, cleaving mountains.
Sword dividing heaven and earth.
Sword Master.
He would shed humanity.