Chapter 227
Chapter 227
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 227
>Chapter Title: Adventure 33. Dragon Struggle
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Adventure 33. ‘Dragon Struggle’
Dragon Struggle, the war of the Dragon Flowers to decide the new dragon that will lead the Khan Empire into the next era.
It is a trial where one overcomes given ordeals, receives evaluations befitting those feats, and challenges their limits.
Seolhong, the Death Flower with whom you share a slight acquaintance, is also one of the Dragon Flowers participating in this trial. You must help her undertake the Dragon Struggle.
Goal: Expel the uninvited guests.
Caution, this adventure is extremely dangerous.
Caution, this adventure’s situation changes from moment to moment.
Caution, this adventure is expected to be a long journey. Thus, you may not get proper rest.
Caution, this adventure can be abandoned at any time.
Current remaining time 「Unknown」
‘Can abandon it anytime?’
Following Alcatron, another long journey was anticipated.
However, unlike any adventures experienced so far, the phrase “can be abandoned at any time” stood out.
‘Does that mean it won’t be easy?’
In the past, he would have scoffed at such wording, but the situation now was a bit complicated.
‘My power hasn’t fully returned yet. I don’t know how far I can go.’
Ever since consuming the Eternal Life Pill, Kang Seol had been unable to draw out all his power. Thus, he planned to put off dangerous adventures until he recovered, but with the quest swaying before his eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
One slip, and he might lose the maintenance of the Oath Flower. Holes would form in his memories and abilities.
‘Can’t let that happen.’
Even if it strained him, he had no choice but to proceed.
Thus, the immediate issue was to advance to the next step.
So, just how far could Kang Seol go right now?
His stats were incomparable to other Transfers, and he had martial arts gained from training with Toki.
And beside him, the Demonic Spirit Weapon Bitan, sharing the rain.
Though not exactly suitable weapons for a summoner to wield, they were all powerful nonetheless.
Could he help Seolhong with just these?
Kang Seol pondered the answer briefly.
And reached a conclusion.
‘Yeah, I can.’
* * *
The village where Kang Seol, Seolhong, and Cheonju had stayed was called Blue Reed Village. In truth, the former Blue Reed Village had been far larger than it was now.
Frequent bandit raids had prevented any establishment of proper security to protect the residents, so everyone had left, shrinking it to its current size.
If blame were to be assigned, it would undoubtedly fall on the wild dogs of Eulalia Mountain.
Vicious plunderers who targeted not just villagers but even slash-and-burn farmers who had fled into the mountains for survival. Bandits so depraved they could no longer even blame the world.
The reason such bandits had survived so long in the great Khan Empire was simple.
Because Khan’s territory was that vast.
Mobilizing troops to suppress border bandit groups was exceedingly difficult, and local magnates beyond the Dragon Emperor’s influence had even colluded with them.
The current Khan Empire was truly a den of demons. Just as well-used objects rust or fray over time, so too had the nation developed rust spots.
The Dragon Emperor’s intentions were unknown for now, but there was already ample justification for sending the Dragon Flowers into the world while they endured the Dragon Struggle.
“This is the place…”
Seolhong had infiltrated Eulalia Mountain alone. With no one in the world to rely on but Cheonju, and him bedridden with illness, she was all alone.
No one stepped forward for her, nor did her status as the lowest-ranked Dragon Flower draw much interest.
A lottery with visible odds was something the capable never needed to scratch to know.
In the end, to meet the given deadline, she had no choice but to move alone.
‘Is this the path around to the back of their stronghold?’
Seolhong headed toward the rear of the bandit stronghold.
After walking some distance, she came close enough to gauge its scale.
‘…Big.’
These weren’t bandits to be taken lightly.
The stronghold could easily accommodate 40 to 50 men.
‘First, infiltrate the stronghold…’
Crack-!
The sound of something breaking.
It was a twig, but sensing something off, Seolhong rolled away.
Then, the ground she had stood on flipped, and a net shot into the air.
Whoooosh-!
‘A trap?’
Seolhong patted her chest and observed. Surely, the commotion would draw guards.
As expected, her prediction proved right.
Two guards approached the trap.
“Hm? Thought it was a bear.”
“What bear… Weird…”
“Some fool who doesn’t know his place wandering around again?”
“Kekeke… Then we get to have fun again.”
Seolhong’s blood ran cold.
‘Fools who don’t know their place?’
For now, she had to act before it was too late.
Shreek-!
“Hm?”
Thwack-!
“Urgh…”
The guard clutched his chest and collapsed.
“Wha, wha…”
Swish-!
Crack!
Seolhong twisted her waist, leaped, and drove a kick into the other guard’s neck. The ambushed guard flipped his eyes back and crumpled.
“Phew…”
Dragon Flowers were trained by palace warriors up to a certain level.
Thus, Seolhong possessed more than average martial prowess.
The issue was how far that prowess would hold.
Rustle… Rustle…
She used the guards’ rope to bind them to a tree.
Then tore their clothes and stuffed them in their mouths.
It was Seolhong’s soft spot.
These scum deserved death, yet her inexperience led her to delay the judgment.
A weak notion that accepting their surrender might suffice.
Killing was still a line she didn’t wish to cross.
‘I’ll infiltrate the stronghold like this.’
Seolhong vaulted over the fence surrounding the stronghold, which concealed what went on inside.
And vowed.
She would definitely succeed.
Ruuush…
Her rain-soaked bangs slightly obscured her vision, but she ignored it.
Seolhong swiftly slipped into the stronghold.
Visual, olfactory, auditory information flooded her.
“Puhehe… That guy paid more than market value, so winter’s no worry.”
“He knows it too. No one else supplies slaves as steadily as us.”
These talks were likely about slave trading from their plunders.
The bandits were well-fed and plump, no different from giants.
Arms covered in hair, wild beards, hair unwashed for months.
The stench filled the air.
But this stench didn’t stem solely from their lack of hygiene.
‘This smell…’
An unfamiliar scent.
The kind that made your head spin when occasionally encountered in unfamiliar situations.
‘Blood…’
Seolhong quickly located the source of the blood smell.
Blood pooled with rainwater, visible even from afar.
“Gasp…”
Seolhong had never imagined a person could be skewered like meat.
Over ten people impaled on spits, displayed brazenly. Like hunters boasting their kills.
If that were all, she would have trembled at the wild dogs’ cruelty and vowed revenge.
But…
- No helping it. We’re the Dragon Emperor’s cast-off spawn; we can’t go up against those ahead.
- Self-deprecation isn’t good!
- Know your place, Seolhong. You know reality too, don’t you?
“Jahyo… Brother…”
Jahyo, one of the men skewered, shared Seolhong’s fate at the bottom of the succession.
And beside him… two more siblings.
“Wh-why…”
“Why? Because they’re idiots.”
Startled by the voice behind her, Seolhong whipped around.
That instant.
Smaaack-!
Squeeee…
A massive impact, and she lost consciousness.
* * *
A month ago, when the Dragon Struggle began, every Dragon Flower was assigned a Recorder.
These individuals were versed in both civil and military arts, possessing insight to remain calm in any situation.
“…The Death Flower didn’t flee. But… with this, every candidate assigned the wild dogs has failed.”
“The wild dogs’ forces were larger than anticipated. The lowest-ranked Dragon Flowers wouldn’t have the power to topple the stronghold alone.”
“Isn’t that too harsh?”
“The Dragon Struggle isn’t watering flowers. It’s weeding them out. Nutrients meant for the qualified mustn’t be wasted on the inept. This is that process.”
A woman nodded at the words of the eldest among the Recorders.
“It was a trial the Dragon Flowers could have overcome.”
“Why…?”
“Underestimating the enemy is a bad habit of Dragon Flowers. Competition in this Dragon Struggle matters, but they overlooked that cooperation was possible too.”
“That applies to Jahyo, Miju, and Charin. But Seolhong arrived late here because her sole attendant fell to a local disease. No cooperation, nor even knowledge of her siblings’ situations.”
“So what? Bad luck?”
“My point is…”
“Heavenly fortune is a vital virtue for dragons too. Heaven doesn’t abandon dragons. If it does… that one wasn’t dragon material. Blaming everything on luck is just running away.”
“…Understood. Then we deem the trial a failure, and as for Seolhong’s life, we…”
The eldest Recorder shook his head.
“Absolutely no intervention.”
“Why! Why not!”
“……”
“She’s… her child. Lady Yu-hwa’s…”
“Enough! We can’t defy Dragon Struggle rules even for her child!”
“…Everyone’s voices rose unnecessarily. Look over there.”
The youth and elder’s gazes followed the woman’s pointing finger.
A young man was lightly ascending the mountain.
Under a black umbrella.
His umbrella somehow seemed unusual too.
* * *
Squeeee…
The ringing in her ears wouldn’t stop.
Ruuush…
Seolhong opened her eyes and looked ahead.
“Gasp…”
Her siblings’ skewered corpses.
One spit was empty.
Her mind filled the void with horrific imagination.
“Hah… Hah…”
“Little one, having trouble breathing?”
“……”
A rough-looking man grinned before the chair binding Seolhong.
Dozens of bandits stood around him.
The man called to someone.
“Is this one for sure?”
“Yes! We got done in by this puny thing…”
Thwack-!
“Urgh…”
“Even beaten by a kid like this? You idiots are dragging my name, Hwichang, through the mud.”
“S-sorry…”
“Forgive us…”
Hwichang addressed Seolhong, who stared blankly at him from her seat.
“But that Dragon Emperor’s a joke. What does he take me for, sending only whelps like this?”
Swish-!
Thud!
Hwichang hurled a hand axe, striking Jahyo’s torso on the spit dead center.
“Urk…”
“Heh heh… Dragon blood? Hilarious. You expect me to buy into legends that just breed delusions in mutts like you? All you Dragon Flowers are the same. Deluded brats mistaking daddy’s grace for your own superiority from birth.”
Stroke…
Hwichang lifted Seolhong’s chin with one hand.
“This is the price. Dog’s death. You lot treated my life like a fly’s… and thought you wouldn’t die? Lacking sincerity, that’s it. Sincerity.”
“……”
“You, hiding in glittering palaces, feasting—dare lecture on life and death? How laughable do you know that is?”
“……”
Slaaap-!
“Eek…”
A subordinate beside Hwichang backhanded Seolhong’s cheek.
Her cherry lips split, blood trickling.
“Answer the boss.”
“Scared of dying, little one? Beg for your life.”
“……”
Slaaap-!
“Keuh…”
“Killing young ones like you isn’t pure fun for us. Gives us nightmares… keh heh heh…”
Seolhong reacted.
“Puhe…”
“…Did she laugh?”
“Speak no lies, you misguided cur.”
“……”
Seolhong opened her eyes wide, staring defiantly at Hwichang.
“You who nursed on Khan Empire’s milk, why pile up evil karma?”
“Shut it!”
“Villages you plundered number over two digits, slaves you sold over a hundred. Those you killed…”
“Enough! Spare me the nauseating crap. Khan, Khaaaan! Khan made us this way. What’re you saying? That we’re wrong?”
Nod…
“Someone must tell you that you’re wrong.”
Slaaaap-!
“Disgusting… I’ll burn you alive. Oil! Get the oil!”
Hwichang’s eyes rolled in madness; his men trembled but obeyed.
“Beg forgiveness now. Then I’ll kill you clean.”
Seolhong didn’t break.
“I, Seolhong, lacked the power to punish you. But someday, you will repent. By someone other than me.”
“I’ll burn you.”
“…Kill me.”
Seolhong closed her eyes, awaiting death.
Then.
Slash-!
“Kaaaaagh-!”
“M-my arm! My aaaarm!”
The two bandits guarding Seolhong’s bound chair screamed as their arms detached.
Ruuush…
Thud thud thud thud thud…
The rain’s sound changed.
Seolhong’s sky was half-covered.
An umbrella shielded her.
“Getting wet would be troublesome.”
“…This voice.”
The voice from behind was one she’d heard often lately.
“Why… why are you here…”
“Cheonju is worried.”
“Cheonju… right, Cheonju… But what’s troublesome?”
“One more patient would be a hassle.”
Words unfit for the situation.
Hwichang grasped it and raged.
“What’re you doing! Hurry…”
Shhh…
Kang Seol pressed a finger to his lips.
A silent “be quiet.”
An absurd gesture, yet for some reason, Hwichang and his men couldn’t charge. Their bodies wouldn’t obey.
“M-my body…”
“Why…”
Before overwhelming power, the bandits could do nothing.
“…Pitying me?”
“Is that not allowed? Because you’re a Dragon Flower, Seolhong?”
“No, that’s not it…”
She gave a self-mocking smile, then
“This is just in case, so please don’t take offense.”
“Speak.”
Seolhong said tearfully.
Her furrowed face continued shedding tears. With the umbrella now, she couldn’t blame the rain.
“You… won’t become a hero?”
- You, won’t become a hero?
The words she’d said chasing down warriors in Blue Reed Village.
The reply came immediately.
Kang Seol’s answer differed from Seolhong’s hopes.
“Not interested in that.”
“…As expected?”
“I didn’t come for you to become a hero.”
“What…?”
“She sent me.”
“She? No way…”
“Yu-hwa, your mother.”
“M-Mother… why…”
“What do you wish for now?”
“Then…”
Kang Seol leaned in, and Seolhong whispered something.
He smiled faintly and said to Hwichang.
“You’re wrong.”
Eyes sprouted from the umbrella, chiming in.
【That’s right! They’re wrong! Hm? You sure?】
“Yeah, sure.”
【Then Bitan will punish them now! Hee hee hee!】
Hwichang shuddered in fury.
“Crazy in pairs now. I’ll skewer and dry you too.”
The ropes binding Seolhong were already undone.
“Not practicing medicine anymore?”
“Quit. No talent for saving lives.”
Swooo…
Kang Seol’s umbrella covered Seolhong and him.
Stroke…
And moments later, the two vanished cleanly from the spot.
Ruuush…
The rain continued. But now, Seolhong no longer faced it alone.
“Where’d he go!”
Hwichang’s shout.
“Kaaaaagh!”
Screams pierced the rain simultaneously.