Chapter 358: Ozdok (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 358: Ozdok (5)
Jin, Murakan, Mary, and Tuben all turned their heads simultaneously to look at Ozdok. Murakan, in particular, blinked his large amber eyes repeatedly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
[What? Ugh, this guy is spewing nonsense just to cling to his pathetic life. Hey, hey! Get a grip, will you?]
[Aigo, please just listen to me for a moment!]
At that moment, a certain someone came to Jin’s mind.
Is he the monster version of Jet…? I’ve seen it all now.
Every gesture and action Ozdok made was a perfect mirror of Jet.
The legendary monster that had displayed such majesty right before Tuben’s appearance was nowhere to be found. In its place remained only a foolish creature, wretched and groveling, trying to prolong its miserable existence.
“Aigo, aigo-oo!”
As Ozdok let out wails of despair, fat tears actually streamed from his eyes.
Perhaps someone without an immunity to such shamelessness might have inadvertently looked away and forgiven the creature.
However, that did not apply to the Great Black Dragon or the Sword Ghosts of Runcandel.
“Speak. I’ll at least listen.”
Among them, Jin was the relatively compassionate one. To Ozdok, his voice sounded like a lifeline from heaven.
[Kid, there’s nothing more to hear. An inner core monster dies if it loses its core.]
“If I decide that what he says from now on is nonsense, kill him immediately without asking me.”
It was a precarious lifeline that could snap at any moment.
[Thank you!]
Ozdok began his explanation, cautiously gauging the reactions of the four.
[This is a real secret… but I actually have two inner cores.]
The world knew nothing of monsters possessing more than one inner core.
Naturally, Murakan glared at him, looking ready to trample him to death on the spot.
[P-Please, calm down. If I were a monster with only one inner core, do you think I could have thrown my weight around like that back in the day?]
Both Murakan and the heroes of a thousand years ago who had faced Ozdok in his prime had found his power strange. Generally, even if an inner core monster’s combat power was only average, dragons would form subjugation teams to deal with them. Ozdok, however, had been on an entirely different level.
People had simply assumed Ozdok was an exceptional monster, much like how transcendent powerhouses occasionally appear among humans and dragons.
But the source of Ozdok’s power lay in his two inner cores.
Unlike other monsters, Ozdok was an embodiment of human greed. Even after fulfilling all the conditions to become an inner core monster, he had craved more. As a result, he had secretly acquired a second inner core.
[Fine, let’s say you have two. They should be inside your body, right? Take it out right now.]
[The other one isn't in my body; it’s somewhere else.]
Crack!
Tuben lightly shifted Ozdok’s jaw with his elbow.
The monster nearly collapsed but quickly snapped back into a stiff posture.
“The Guardian Dragon of Runcandel asked a question. Do not just state the location; bring it here and show it to us yourself.”
[Yes…!]
Originally, Ozdok had planned to lie and say the core was buried very far away, hoping to use that as an opportunity to escape.
However, he realized once again that the situation was not so simple. His only path forward was to cough up the second core and be taken away by Tuben.
Swallowing a deep sigh, Ozdok walked toward the spot where he had first awakened.
How hard I worked to get that core… and now I have to just hand it over!
He thought bitterly as he began to dig. However, Ozdok was a monster with a massive greed not just for gold and power, but for survival—just like any other living being.
After digging for a long time, Ozdok returned to the surface holding the buried core.
[Huh, there really are two?]
The inner core looked like a lump of pure gold the size of an apple. It emitted a light so intense that even a commoner could easily distinguish it from ordinary gold.
[It even looks like a better core than the one inside you. Why did you hide it? Was it some kind of insurance?]
Murakan immediately recognized the immense energy contained within the core. If Ozdok had kept this core inside his body, he wouldn't have been defeated so miserably, even by Tuben.
[Currently, my body lacks sufficient nutrients, so I couldn't contain it.]
[Oho. So you planned to deal with the kids, eat some gold outside to recover your strength, and then come back to use it?]
[That is correct, sir.]
[Hand it over. Not to me, but to the kid. No, not that kid, this kid!]
Ozdok, who had been heading toward Mary, turned and held the core out to Jin. His hands trembled noticeably, as if he truly hated to part with it.
[If you had recovered and used that core, you would’ve been at sixty or seventy percent of your prime. I can already see the havoc you would’ve wreaked.]
As Jin tucked the core into his robes, Ozdok finally let go of his reluctance and spoke.
[Please… use it for a good cause.]
It was ridiculous to hear such words from a monster, but Jin didn't mock him. Instead, he gave a quiet nod. Granting that much mercy wasn't difficult.
[And please do not forget this Ozdok. I look forward to the day I can serve you…!]
Ozdok was indeed a calculating monster. He realized that to have even a sliver of hope for the future, he needed to get on Jin’s good side, not Murakan’s.
His emphasis on ‘not forgetting’ was a plea for Jin to one day rescue him from the human named Tuben.
Will Father and the former Black Knights let Ozdok live?
It was natural for Tuben to capture Ozdok alive. The monster was significant enough to be reported to Cyron.
Furthermore, Ozdok possessed some memories from a thousand years ago.
Judging by Murakan’s reaction, he doesn't seem to know the deep secrets of that era in detail. But if we grill him, he might have information that Runcandel or Father needs.
Ozdok looked at Tuben with a dejected face, as if he wanted the man to take him away quickly. He feared that if the human named Mary started talking about ‘prey’ again, the situation would become complicated once more.
“Lord Murakan, may I take my leave now?”
Murakan nodded readily.
In truth, he had taken quite a liking to Tuben. He found it admirable that Tuben treated him with such respect, not acting arrogant despite being a former Black Knight.
[Yeah, go ahead.]
Tuben gave a slight bow. A moment later, he met Mary’s eyes.
“You’ve grown strong, 7th Flagbearer. I am proud. However… you’ve also changed.”
“I’ve changed?”
“The 7th Flagbearer I knew wouldn't have used a justification as a cover for a lie to achieve her goal.”
“What are you talking about, Mister?”
“The moment I said I was taking the monster back, you would have swung your sword. If you were the lady I remember, you certainly would have.”
A justification used as a cover for a lie.
Not just Jin, but Tuben also clearly realized that Mary had been bluffing to help her youngest brother.
“If you want, we can go at it right now. Until one of us is dead or crippled?”
At that, Tuben let out a snort, as if dealing with a cute niece.
“I didn't say it was a bad thing to see.”
“You’ve softened a lot too, Mister. Well, I guess it’s been a while since you officially retired.”
“I could have truly retired if the flagbearers had done a better job.”
Tuben slung his giant curved sword over his back.
His words had a sting to them, but Mary didn't flare up, seeming to accept it. She actually agreed with him.
“12th Flagbearer.”
“Yes, Sir Tuben.”
“You seem to have something you’re curious about.”
He certainly did.
Jin hadn't found the right opening to ask, so he was grateful that Tuben brought it up first.
He’ll surely ask about Lady Luna. Since Lady Luna holds the 12th Flagbearer in such high regard. Or he might ask about the Black Sea mission.
Since Cyron had brought Luna along for the Black Sea expedition, Tuben had naturally shared many conversations with her. Aside from mission-related topics, Luna spoke most about her youngest brother—a side of her that was very unfamiliar to Tuben, who had known her for a long time.
He also recalled Vanessa Olson, another former Black Knight currently on the mission in the Black Sea, mentioning Jin several times.
“How long were you on the battlefield?”
Jin asked a question completely different from what Tuben had expected.
“Until you revealed yourself, Sir Tuben, I couldn't sense any presence at all. I was confident in my ability to read energy, but I felt completely outplayed.”
“Outplayed?”
“If you had intended to kill me, Sir Tuben, it would have ended easily. I want to ask what kind of enlightenment is required to hide one’s presence to that extent.”
Tuben’s eyes deepened beneath his black hood.
“Did I ask too foolish a question?”
“…No. It’s just that the question was entirely different from what I anticipated. Honestly, I thought the 12th Flagbearer would ask about the Black Sea mission or Lady Luna’s well-being.”
“Regarding the Black Sea, I will naturally find out when Father deems it necessary for me to know. And while I am curious about Sister Luna, I believe there is a reason she hasn't sent word to me yet.”
For a few seconds, Tuben looked down at Jin in silence before replying.
“The 12th Flagbearer is also impressive.”
“You flatter me.”
“My ability to hide my presence wasn't because I have exceptional innate talent like Lady Yona, or stealth abilities on par with the Nameless King.”
Suddenly, Tuben lightly waved his hand in the air.
In that instant, Jin felt the intangible energy spread through the air by his gesture twist strangely.
Huh?
The sensation coming from the space Tuben had disturbed was bizarre. It felt as if the path was blocked; no matter how much he focused his senses in that direction, he felt nothing.
It was as if even the wind had stopped flowing.
“It was a simple trick. I used aura to spread a sort of barrier in the air. Since both the 7th and 12th Flagbearers were focusing all your attention on the battle, you couldn't find the unusual space where I was hiding.”
To call it a ‘simple trick’ was an understatement; it required a tremendous level of mastery.
I can also use aura to create a barrier in a small area like this to distort the feel of the space. Though the fatigue from doing just that would be considerable.
However, Tuben had filled most of the battlefield with such aura tricks. It was astonishing that he had done so while handling Ozdok as if he were a common street thug.
“You look like you’ve been stimulated.”
“I have, Sir Tuben.”
“I will report to the Lord that the 12th Flagbearer was the first to discover this monster. If the Lord deems the monster valuable, there will be a corresponding reward.”