Chapter 598: Chaos Purification (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 598: Chaos Purification (2)
The moment Ban’s command was given, the members of the Pluto Tribe began clearing the banquet hall in perfect unison.
Just as Jin was about to help, Boras, the 5th Fighting King, approached him.
“Haha! Stay right where you are, Brother Jin. Come slack off with me.”
“Brother Boras.”
“You’ve probably felt it already, but Brother Ban firmly believes you’ll overcome the First Chaos. The faith of the great Fighting God of the Pluto Tribe has never been wrong… well, actually, he’s been wrong a few times. Ahem.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
“Anyway, don’t worry too much. This Boras will craft an excellent Chaos Extraction Assist Device just for you.”
This was why Ban had said some preparation was needed before beginning the purification. Boras, the 5th Fighting King and the greatest blacksmith in the history of the Pluto Tribe, had to create the tool that would assist Ban.
“A Chaos Extraction Assist Device?”
“It’s a device to help Brother Ban extract the chaos from you more easily. It’ll also improve the stability of the process.”
“Is the Fighting God capable of extracting someone else’s chaos? Even if it’s the First Chaos?”
“Yes, he’s done it before.”
A hint of sorrow touched Boras’s eyes. He was remembering the brothers who had been tainted by the First Chaos before their tribe’s destruction.
“Naturally… there must be side effects, right? Like turning into a bug, as the others mentioned earlier.”
“Indeed. Side effects were expected when we injected the Fighting God’s blood as well, but the result was perfect. You’re someone who excels at trials and tribulations, Brother Jin, so things will turn out well this time too.”
Jin decided not to press for more details.
In truth, he had no choice. The moment he refused purification out of fear of side effects, the only future left for him was death—or something even more miserable.
Knowing more will only weigh on my mind. If I’m going to attempt this anyway, I have to trust my brothers and follow their lead. And if the Fighting God really has a way, then once I can bring the brothers to the outside world… he might be able to treat others as well.
It was impossible to know when he would be able to bring the Pluto Tribe into the human world. Furthermore, given the severe side effects, it might not be of much practical help to other infected people.
Still, it would be good if we could find a way to reduce the side effects through my purification.
The banquet hall was soon cleared.
Except for Ban and Boras, the rest of the Pluto Tribe and Jin moved to the training grounds. Though they had been drinking all night, it didn’t hinder their ability to spar in the slightest.
“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors to decide who spars with Brother Jin first.”
“Rock-paper-scissors is the only fair way!”
As Shaku and the other common warriors spoke up, Baltirok, the 1st Fighting King, shook his head.
“Brothers, this time, only the Fighting Kings will be checking Brother Jin’s skills.”
“Are you Fighting Kings going to be that stingy?”
“The Fighting God told us to verify his achievements, not to train him through sparring. This duel is a check-up for the purification process.”
“Ugh, that feels unfair.”
“If it’s unfair, then the rest of you should become Fighting Kings too. Kyahaha! If we let common warriors check Brother Jin’s skills, an accident might happen.”
Teto, the 12th Fighting King, stuck his tongue out, mocking the common warriors. At that, Rumora, the 2nd Fighting King, smacked Teto on the back of the head.
Klang—!
A sound like splitting iron rang out.
“How many times do I have to tell you to watch your mouth, Brother 12th? You’re going to be hated by the others.”
“Ugh! I was just stating facts. And none of the brothers hate me. They all know I just have a foul mouth.”
“Anyway, brothers, the 12th Fighting King isn’t wrong. The common warriors will watch, and the Fighting Kings will take turns observing Brother Jin’s skills.”
Rumora pushed Teto forward.
“The 12th Fighting King will start. The rest of you, gather here for rock-paper-scissors.”
“Kekeke, I knew it! Even if you hit me all the time, the 2nd Fighting King is the best for looking out for me.”
Teto spun his spear smoothly and walked to the center of the training ground. He was a spear specialist among the users of the Pluto Sword.
Jin hadn’t interacted with Teto much during his first and second training sessions. However, he knew one thing for certain.
“I’ll tell you in advance, I’m the weakest among the Fighting Kings.”
Jin let out a small smirk. This was exactly why Rumora had sent Teto out first.
“I know, Brother Teto. I heard you barely made the cut.”
“Even so, you won’t be able to keep your wits about you against my dazzling spear.”
Swish—!
The moment the words left his mouth, Teto thrust his spear.
It was a strike aimed squarely at the throat; had Jin been careless and failed to dodge, it could have easily been a fatal wound.
Brothers never crippled or threatened each other’s lives. Teto’s attack violated that principle, yet none of the others pointed it out.
They were all certain that Jin wouldn’t fall for Teto’s surprise attack—not even from a Fighting King.
“Kyakaka! You really have grown stronger, Brother Jin!”
“You’d better take this more seriously, Brother Teto.”
Jin replied coldly, but his heart felt light with the realization that he was finally being recognized. Only another Fighting King or the Fighting God himself could spar with a Fighting King in this manner.
During my last training, the Fighting Kings treated our spars like they were playing with a child. Now, it’s completely different…
Crackle!
Lightning surged through Sigmund. After a swift and light opening exchange, the entire training ground was dyed in their combined lightning energy before five moves had even passed.
Since the audience consisted of the strongest warrior race in history, the shockwaves were of no concern. The lightning energy released by the Fighting Kings and common warriors formed a thick protective barrier around the training ground.
Of course, since they weren't truly violating the rules of a brotherly spar, neither could use techniques like their Decisive or Ultimate Techniques. Such things were only possible if one side possessed overwhelmingly superior skill, but the gap between Teto and Jin was not that large.
Therefore, the two had to fight using only enough energy to avoid finishing each other off. Naturally, it became a battle of pure technique rather than a clash of raw power.
If I can’t use my lightning energy properly, I might actually lose.
“If Brother Jin closes the distance just once, it’s over,” one of the watching brothers murmured.
“Though closing that distance looks almost impossible,” another added.
As they said, Jin was struggling to close the gap. As the exchange grew longer, the range pressured by Teto’s spear expanded, while Jin’s own territory shrank.
I expected the difference to be smaller if we fought with pure martial technique at similar power levels.
But it wasn’t.
The spear of Teto, who called himself the weakest, was as dazzling as he’d boasted—so much so that it was difficult to keep one's bearings.
“Kekeke, the left this time! Actually, it’s the right!”
Minor wounds began to accumulate on Jin’s body.
“Left, right, left! Left! Strong, weak, medium-strong! Oh, good block. But you couldn’t dodge the thigh, could you? Ah, what a shame. And after the thigh, a scratch appears on Brother Jin’s right cheek!”
Teto’s obnoxious expression and tone were enough to make one’s blood boil.
It wasn't just an impression.
Jin felt a sudden, explosive surge of rage. As that rage snowballed, his eyes began to see the paths of Teto’s spear more clearly, and his body felt lighter.
Clang!
Their sword and spear locked, bound by the gravitational pull of Pluto Sword Basic Form: Oppression, which both had unleashed simultaneously.
Teto had used Oppression on purpose to keep their weapons locked so he could taunt Jin further. With their weapons bound, they had no choice but to trade blows with their free hands.
“You’re a bit weak at hand-to-hand, aren’t you, Brother Jin? Right after you became our true brother, you challenged Brother Shaku to a fistfight and got beaten to a pulp. And I, naturally, have a much more impressive fist than Brother Shaku!”
Thud, thwack!
Pulling on his spear shaft, Teto drove his fist into Jin’s jaw. Jin threw a punch in retaliation, but there was a clear gap between them in terms of basic physical strength.
It was at that moment the other brothers felt something was wrong.
Why isn’t he using the Rune of Mul-ta? Brother Jin isn’t the type to give up an advantage so easily.
His characteristic dogged tenacity isn't showing, either. He’s just taking the hits helplessly.
Rage.
The Demonization had begun abruptly after the spar started. Jin was failing to focus on the battle because he was too busy resisting it.
To be precise, he couldn't pay attention to the fight at all. Jin had already lost his reason.
All the Fighting Kings except Teto recognized this.
“It seems impossible to check his skills any further. We should stop this for now.”
Just as Belize was about to step in, Baltirok caught her shoulder.
“No, let’s watch a little longer, Brother 7th Fighting King.”
“The lightning energy forming Brother Jin’s Oppression is fading rapidly, Brother 1st. The 12th is being careless because he doesn't realize Brother Jin’s condition. Once Oppression breaks, Sigmund will pierce Teto’s chest.”
“Even so, I want to believe in Brother Jin. The Fighting God surely foresaw this situation…”
Baltirok, who had been speaking, suddenly threw himself forward.
The other Fighting Kings did the same. What Belize feared had happened.
Jin’s Oppression shattered, and Sigmund, imbued with lightning that far exceeded the rules of a brotherly spar, shot toward Teto’s chest.
No matter how fast the Fighting Kings were, it was a speed they couldn't possibly block. The distance between Jin and Teto was a mere single step.
“Guh!”
The reason Teto hadn't noticed Jin’s condition was because he had been that focused on the fight.
Furthermore, he had faith in Jin as a brother. Just as Teto had said, he only had a foul mouth; he loved and trusted his brothers more than anyone. He was certain that no matter what happened during the spar, Jin would never actually stab him.
“Haa, haa, haaaa…!”
Fortunately.
The brothers who had rushed in saw that Jin’s sword had stopped just before piercing Teto’s chest.
Jin panted heavily, having barely regained his senses, and the Fighting Kings who had lunged forward clutched their chests, sighing in relief.
Clatter!
Drenched in a cold sweat that poured like rain, Jin reflexively threw his sword aside.
And as his brothers surrounded him, hugging him and offering words of comfort, Jin was remembering one thing.
The moment the Demonization began—the moment Teto’s spear, which had seemed so overwhelming, became perfectly clear.