121. Another Being
Gana Continent, northwest at the 12 o'clock position. Beneath the evening sunset, a red castle stood out starkly.
Its walls, piled high with red sandstone, resembled a fusion of castle and fortress. It bore a striking resemblance to Redport, the red castle in the northeast centered around the Gana Continent.
The Grander family had expanded their territory based on these two castles... The one seized by the Bascon family was Redport in the northeast. This place was Red Felniche in the northwest.
The entire castle was bathed in an intense red glow, turning the scenery into a painting worthy of admiration. In stark contrast to the visible landscape, the atmosphere inside was profoundly dark.
A thick haze of cigarette smoke filled the dim room, like a heavy fog had settled in. Amid the pitch blackness, rough breathing echoed.
"Hah... hah... whew."
Soon, the sound of exhaling smoke followed. The source was none other than Helden.
His appearance had changed somewhat from before... His whole body was wrapped in bandages, and he wore a black eyepatch over his right eye. Despite his injuries, he gripped swords in both hands with a cigarette dangling from his lips.
The honed blades and their luster revealed they were no ordinary weapons. Iron chains bound his wrists and ankles, each ending in a cannonball-sized weight.
Swish.
Swish...
The swords in his hands sliced through the empty air. Even with the considerable weight dragging him down, his movements were remarkably agile. Sweat beaded on his forehead and soon dripped to the floor.
Drip.
Drip...
Beside the sweat drops on the ground sat half-finished bottles of liquor. In front of him stood a rack lined with countless swords— all top-grade weapons, over twenty in number. Each one had been seized from opponents he'd defeated.
The rack, packed full of swords, had one empty slot. Helden scowled at it.
And he recalled the face of the one responsible for his current state.
'Bin Bascon...'
He'd let his guard down and lost an eye. But would he have been so careless against anyone else? Absolutely not. That meant the boy was no one to underestimate.
The monster in human form surpassed most 1st class knights. And his strategic timing, reading human psychology before unleashing his skills—it was far from ordinary. No, among all he'd faced, this one ranked at the top.
Bin was undoubtedly destined to become a threat in the future. Just as that certainty dawned on him—
"Urgh... urgh..."
Helden groaned, clutching his head. Memories of his family members slaughtered by rival houses flooded back.
In his headache-fueled rage, he swung his swords wildly.
Swish.
Swish...
"Hah... hah..."
Helden's face was grim as he panted roughly. Dark circles hung under his eyes, the result of sleepless nights.
The more his body ached, the more Bin's face surfaced in his mind. A boy with even greater potential than his own. Thinking of him bred anxiety and impatience. Unconsciously, he gnawed at his nails.
Anxiety gripped him, robbing him of sleep. His halved vision only amplified the unease.
'To reduce me to this...'
Hero of the Grander family. Innate genius. Those were the words that defined him. He'd always been confident. Even against strong foes, he believed time would bend them to his will.
As he conquered the northern families of the Gana Continent one by one, his confidence soared. He even dreamed of targeting the Gana natives next.
But now...
One-eyed, half-blind. He could maintain his position despite the lost field of vision. But against that boy, it would be different. Bin would surely grow further, becoming a real threat.
As anxiety surged—
Crunch.
He gripped his head with both hands, pulling out clumps of hair. But no good ideas came, no matter how hard he wrung his mind.
"That sword..."
Bin's Luminare flashed in Helden's thoughts.
"If not for that sword... Arghhh!"
A sword that absorbed the abilities of enemy weapons. An untouchable artifact. Losing his reason, Helden swung wildly.
Shwaaaa!
The swift sword winds flew forth. Swords tumbled from the rack in the aftermath.
Clang! Clang!
Deafening crashes filled his ears. Venting on innocents wouldn't restore his sanity.
Grind.
As the haggard Helden ground his teeth, unable to contain his fury—
[Do you need power?]
A sinister, alien voice. Helden's gaze snapped toward it. He furrowed his brow instantly.
"...!"
An unfathomable magi emanated from it. Undoubtedly equivalent to a top-tier 1st class monster.
A shadowy figure with a dragon-like head. It spoke again.
[I'll remake you into a being no one can ignore.]
"A being no one can ignore...?"
Bin's face flashed in Helden's mind. He'd seen it in the boy's fearless eyes and the clash of their blades—the boy had read his every move and thought. It felt like dancing in the palm of his hand.
Once more, Helden's face twisted. In his eyes, only the black shadow with its ominous power registered.
Step.
Step.
As if entranced, Helden began to walk toward it.
'No more of that smug look.'
As he steeled his resolve—
The black entity began entering Helden's body.
Shwaaaa!
Soon after—
Screams tore from his throat.
"Arghhhh! Arghhhh!"
His body surged like boiling water. It felt like his organs were burning from within.
"Hah... hah..."
Helden, his eyes bloodshot, panted roughly.
"Hah... hah..."
After catching his breath briefly—
Sneer.
Feeling the power within, the corner of Helden's mouth lifted. He threw his head back and laughed maniacally.
"Kuhahaha! Kuhahaha!"
By now, one of his eyes had transformed into a monster's.
Meanwhile, at Plentel Castle, numerous family members shouldered burdens. Inside the loads were neatly stacked rectangular stones.
They were rebuilding the crumbled Plentel Castle. Sweat poured from their brows as they grumbled.
"All because of those Grander bastards. Days of this hellish labor..."
A man carrying a load behind chimed in.
"Tell me about it. Aigoo, my back. They say a man's back is his life..."
"When do you even use your back?"
"Jeez."
"Whew..."
The two men sighed suddenly. To lighten the grim mood—
One spoke up.
"Still, we got lucky blocking that ambush. We nearly all died."
"Yeah. They say if not for Young Master Bin, it would've been impossible."
"Right? He's incredible."
"Rumor has it he preempted that traitor, the 1st Division Vice-Captain Dongfr, and even took down Grander's deputy lord."
"What's there to say? Total legend."
"And now he's got the highest support to lead Bascon as heir."
"What? Heir...!"
One family member was shocked at the word "heir." And rightly so... Bin hadn't even turned twenty yet.
But his achievements and skills demanded recognition. Especially his pivotal role in repelling the ambush.
As he listened, a worry struck the man.
"If that happens... how will the other young masters react?"
"Well, they'd have to acknowledge Young Master Bin, right?"
At that moment, one figure smirked at the chatter: Codic.
"Yes, you lowly beasts. Spread word of my lord's greatness far and wide."
Lately, whenever family members mentioned Bin, Codic beamed with satisfaction. Unlike before, his lord's name was now laced with praise. Nothing could be better.
Codic, at Bin's waist, lifted his head and spoke.
"Lately, the family buzzes with my lord's name. What are your thoughts?"
"..."
But Bin didn't respond, lost in thought.
After the Grander ambush, what he'd gained and how he'd changed.
'This changes a lot.'
The Grander family, once called the largest in the north of Gana Continent. But they'd lost countless forces and a vice-captain in the raid. They'd likely halt conquests for a while. And their head, Helden, was injured.
The incident's scale spread rumors swiftly. Some said Grander was no longer the top family.
Views of Bascon shifted too. Once seen as a setting sun, now proven otherwise.
Bin's gaze turned to his shattered Luminare and his hand.
'I've gained more abilities from this. Though I need to repair the sword...'
Bin mentally tallied his battle gains: 7th Division Vice-Captain Chillis’s “body extraction” ability; 1st Division Vice-Captain Dongfr’s “attraction”; Emma Grander's “gate”; Helden Grander's “repulsion.”
He'd grown tremendously. But he couldn't stop here.
'I need to push further.'
Much remained. This wasn't for half-hearted revenge. He needed closure.
And furthermore... Bascon's standing on the continent.
And...
'The. Women. Stones.'
Bin recalled Bellatan's words. They surely held power rivaling Bellatan's. Settling now meant he couldn't face them.
Picturing them, he clenched his fist.
'Even if I meet them later, I won't yield.'
Plentel Castle, the family head's residence. There, Moden and various Bascon elders had gathered.
They discussed one topic: Bin's magi.
The elders addressed Moden.
"Family head, will you leave the young master be like this?"
"Indeed. He used magi, the forbidden power of Bascon."
"We can't break laws upheld for ages over one person, can we? You know what happens to those who wield magi, family head."
Moden's eyes narrowed at their words.
'Magi...'
Magi. Power emanating from a monster's body. It surpassed human limits. But since it originated from monsters, failure to control it led to succumbing to beastly instincts—seeing fellow humans as prey in a slaughter lust.
The Bascon family had precedents. Users who killed kin, even wives and children, unable to recognize them.
Since that day, Bascon had tabooed magi.
After deliberation, Moden spoke.
"I've heard the elders out. Now, my thoughts."
All eyes turned to him.