Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Tyrant's Killing Intent
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I swung my arm with all my might.
Three or four daggers, about half the size of a shortsword, shot out like arrows.
*Pa-pa-pa-pat!*
Boika twisted his body nimbly to dodge them.
*Pu-thuk! Thuk!*
“Ugh!”
But the others took daggers to the forehead and collapsed.
“You bastard!”
As Boika glared and reached for his sword, Dark’s dagger flew toward him.
His face stiffened as he hurriedly threw himself sideways.
Boika rolled on the ground and sprang up, but this time Dark’s kick sliced sharply toward his side.
“Damn it!”
He used his arm as a shield to block.
*Thuk!*
A heavy impact sent his body staggering back.
Under Dark’s relentless assault, Boika could only scramble to defend.
Meanwhile, Dark frowned at how Boika was blocking all his attacks.
‘He’s strong!’
His plan to dispatch them in one go had gone awry.
On top of that, Chaos’s subordinates, who had been thrown into disarray, were regaining their senses one by one, surrounding and pressing in on him.
Beyond them, Dark spotted Millerph and Aria disembarking from the ship, mounting the horses he had prepared, and fleeing.
The worst-case scenario had been averted for now. He just needed to buy a little time and escape.
Dark kicked off the ground and leaped up, swinging his arm.
Another dagger shot from his wrist like lightning.
“You think I’ll fall for the same trick again?”
Boika drew his sword and swung it fiercely.
A grayish aura blade flew out, knocking away all the daggers.
He then thrust his sword at Dark.
*Pa-pat.*
Dark twisted his upper body just enough to evade, then thrust his dagger at Boika’s chest.
Just before the dagger reached his chest!
Boika grabbed Dark’s wrist like a hawk snatching prey.
“What the—!”
Dark panicked and quickly kicked toward Boika’s head.
But Boika slammed him straight to the ground.
*Kuang!*
“Khuk!”
Caught off guard, Dark was done in.
“Had your fun? Now it’s my turn.”
Boika kicked Dark’s side and drove his knee into his waist.
*Ppaak.*
“Argh!”
Even Dark, who hadn’t groaned easily in spars with Arthur, had his face contort in agony.
From then on, Boika’s merciless barrage poured down.
*Thuk! Pu-thuk! Thuk!*
As the fight broke out at the pier in broad daylight, it drew a crowd, and word spread like wildfire.
The news reached Arthur, who had stepped out with the priests.
“A fight at the pier!”
“They’re beating each other half to death!”
“Let’s go check it out.”
People rushed toward the pier.
Arthur couldn’t afford to waste time and headed for the rendezvous to link up with the Devil Squad.
But the word ‘pier’ nagged at him.
The Devil Squad might not be ready yet, leaving Millerph and Aria waiting on the ship.
After some hesitation, he decided to make a quick detour.
“I need to check the ship.”
“Understood.”
The priests surrounded him protectively and moved out without question.
Moments later, they arrived at the pier, where quite a crowd had gathered.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the Ventarr Merchant Group’s ship.
“Damn!”
A bad premonition hit Arthur. He bolted toward the ship.
*Thuk!*
Dark flew through the air and crashed backward.
Having been utterly dominated by Boika, his body ached like it was shattering.
He’d sparred one-on-one with Arthur countless times and was confident he wouldn’t lose easily in a fair fight.
He couldn’t understand what had gone wrong to leave him getting thrashed like this.
The fact that the guy wasn’t even using a sword—just bare-knuckle fighting—made it clear he was being toyed with.
Rage surged.
“Raaargh!”
Dark roared ferociously and leaped to his feet, assuming a fighting stance against Boika once more.
That was when he saw Arthur approaching beyond Boika.
‘Y-Young Master…’
Dark’s face hardened.
Boika, watching Dark, smirked mockingly.
“I’ll give you credit for your durability. But you’re not enough to handle me.”
Dark dropped to one knee.
“Finally realizing it, huh? Too bad—I’m not done yet.”
As Boika reached for his sword, a chilling voice whispered in his ear from behind.
“Draw it, and you die.”
“…!”
In an instant, Boika and his men froze like statues.
An intense, explosive aura approached, forcing them to instinctively step aside.
Arthur strolled calmly through them and stopped beside Boika.
He spoke to Dark, who had his head bowed low.
“Lift your head.”
Dark immediately looked up at Arthur.
Arthur could sense shame, confusion, and rage burning tangled in his eyes.
“Are those two still on the ship?”
“They left first.”
“I wanted to let you finish it yourself, but we’re short on time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t forget what happened today.”
“Yes.”
Dark bowed deeply in respect.
Boika, who had been silently listening, scowled viciously and bellowed.
“What the hell is this bullshit? You blind or what?”
He drew his sword like lightning and swung.
*Chak.*
“Wh-what the…?”
Arthur had blocked the attack with a single finger. Then, murder filled his eyes.
“Die.”
The moment the word left his lips, Arthur’s dagger plunged into Boika’s chest.
It had happened so fast no one saw him draw it.
Even Boika hadn’t sensed Arthur’s movement.
“H-how… *cough*.”
Blood spewed from his mouth as he collapsed sideways.
“C-Captain…”
“This can’t be…”
As Boika’s men fell into chaos, Arthur turned to them.
His piercing gaze felt like sharp daggers stabbing their hearts.
“Gasp!”
Their mouths gaped open in collective terror.
They instinctively knew one wrong move meant death for all.
Arthur walked past them leisurely.
Dark followed silently, sensing Arthur’s aura was utterly different from anything before.
It was filled only with killing intent—so chilling it raised goosebumps.
Any more pressure, and their hearts might stop.
Suddenly, Skevin’s words after spars came to mind.
-An assassin must be able to subdue foes with killing intent alone.
He’d learned that those with ‘Tyrant’s Killing Intent’ could kill with aura alone.
What he felt from Arthur now might be just that.
‘Young Master…’
He’d started as a rival, then come to respect him over time. Now, that respect had soared beyond awe into worship and admiration.
This incident let him truly grasp what ‘absolute strength’ meant.
And he realized.
What his vague sense of inadequacy had been.
Dark’s eyes gleamed with fierce determination as he watched Arthur’s back.
‘I’ll definitely overcome it.’
As Arthur and Dark departed calmly, Boika—who they thought dead—mustered his last strength and pulled something from his bosom.
A gray vial the size of a finger.
He uncorked it and painfully swallowed the liquid inside.
“Ugh…”
His subordinates rushed over at his agonized groan.
“Captain!”
“Get him to the castle quick!”
As they lifted him, they spotted the gray vial on the ground.
“This!”
Their eyes flashed. They exchanged silent looks.
One spoke up.
“What do we do?”
“No choice now. We prepare too. And wait for the captain to wake.”
They nodded and pulled identical gray vials from their own bosoms, downing the contents.
Moments later.
Their eyes turned cold, a sinister aura seeping out bit by bit.
***
“Sorry for the delay.”
Jangjarban, back from repelling the monster invasion, knelt on one knee before Ruan and paid his respects.
Ruan, seated on the throne, nodded sternly.
“I heard the knight order took heavy losses.”
“Casualties have been minimal since Lord Altros appeared.”
“Good. But where is Altros?”
“En route, he stopped to tend to knights in critical condition.”
“Hmm.”
Ruan’s displeasure was evident.
He’d address that later. For now, the main issue.
“Have you figured out why the monsters appeared so suddenly?”
“Nothing yet. We’ve sent an investigation team to the eastern mountains—results soon.”
“Three thousand of them, including ogres, minotaurs, and griffons. With the Demon King’s creations appearing, his revival is certain.”
“I agree. We should greatly reinforce the eastern border.”
“Prepare countermeasures immediately.”
“Understood.”
As Jangjarban bowed and exited, Altros entered.
He approached Ruan and bowed deeply.
Ruan eyed him coldly.
The mage’s noticeably changed appearance intrigued him.
His mana aura had grown vastly stronger—likely from mana’s blessing.
It should be cause for congratulations, but his transgressions were too grave.
“You must have much to say to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t call you for an apology. Start with why you went to Valtre.”
“He was hiding Skana’s Spear.”
“…!”
Ruan’s eyes flashed.
Altros gauged his reaction before continuing.
“The first time I visited, I sensed a strange aura in his office but couldn’t identify it.”
“And?”
“Back in my lab at the castle, I realized it was the aura unique to ‘gods’ weapons.’”
“Then you should’ve reported it to me immediately.”
“At the time, my only thought was securing it before he hid it elsewhere. My foolishness has troubled Your Majesty—I’m ashamed.”
“Is that an excuse?”
Ruan shook his head.
“Did you recover the spear?”
“It had already been moved by the time I arrived.”
Locking eyes, Ruan pressed.
“You fought Valtre to find it?”
“No. The one who attacked me was Arthur Julius.”
“That brat was there?”
The unexpected answer threw him off.
As suspected, Valtre was behind the boy.
He itched to send Jangjarban and the knights to wipe them out, but the monster invasion tied his hands.
Now that he knew the enemy, he’d move once monster countermeasures were set.
That aside.
If Altros had faced the brat, the outcome was obvious.
Smirking, Ruan asked.
“He must’ve died miserably.”
“He far exceeded my expectations. He’s a Sword Master, and his accomplice—a descendant of Madroph who’s reached 6th class—is a mage.”
“…!”
“His weapon was something I’d never encountered, so I couldn’t counter properly. Plus, he’s protected by Parsia, the supreme wind spirit. I barely escaped via teleport after their combined assault.”
“What?!”
Ruan shot to his feet.
Absurd.
Altros was an 8th-class grand mage.
Handling a Sword Master alone was no issue.
Even with a 6th-class mage, it was like facing two Sword Masters.
Could an 8th-class fail against two?
A supreme spirit tipped the scales—tricky even for 8th class.
He saw why Valtre chose Arthur Julius.
Above all, this upstart who’d hidden his power until now had rattled him.
“Insolent fool.”
Completely off his predictions.
And amid the monster crisis.
Ruan’s gaze deepened, a faint smile curling his lips.
‘Getting more interesting.’
Altros’s face hardened as he watched Ruan.
‘His aura’s denser. He must’ve gone there while I was away.’
“Lord Altros.”
Altros bowed politely at Ruan’s call.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“With our current situation, we can’t act rashly. Watch their moves.”
“I obey. But if they counterattack, our losses won’t be light.”
“Might be good to test Marquis Mandora’s abilities. They’ll have to go through him to reach me.”
“Then I’ll prepare accordingly.”
As Altros bowed to leave.
“Congratulations on mana’s blessing. 9th class isn’t far.”
‘How did he…?‘
He’d never fully revealed his power before Ruan.
Yet he knew exactly.
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace.”
Altros replied calmly, but inside he was in turmoil and shock.
Ruan smiled meaningfully.
“While you were away, I grew just as strong—don’t leave me out.”
‘He’s denser, but I didn’t notice beyond that…!’
On the verge of panic.
Altros barely composed himself and bowed deeply.
“I’ve only disappointed Your Majesty—my shame.”
“May my faith in you endure.”
Ruan’s eyes blackened as golden aura rose like smoke.