Chapter 302: Indra King
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 302: Indra King
The buzzing of his Death Warning tore frantically at his nerves.
Within his trembling vision, a colossal palm blotted out the sun, pressing down with a crushing weight. The sheer pressure—as if the entire world were collapsing—nearly caused Muen’s heart to stop.
As the mists swirled between the giant fingers, Muen clearly saw the ravine-like lines of the palm and the countless crisscrossing scars, looking as though they had been honed by mountains of blades.
It was truly a hand.
It looked like an ordinary hand.
Yet, at this moment, it felt like a mountain falling from the heavens.
Muen’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. He no longer cared if he would offend the girl; he reached out and grabbed Liya by her waist, her face just as pale as his.
Instantly.
The Alchemy Core activated.
Then.
Sixty-fold time dilation!
Ignoring the violent burning in his back and the stabbing pain of his muscles tearing, Muen frantically poured mana into the Alchemy Core, pushing the time dilation to his current absolute limit.
His bones creaked and groaned. Blood was squeezed from his overtaxed flesh, turning him into a man of gore in an instant. But his expression remained feral, his movements never slackening. Within the brief window created by this extreme time dilation, he retreated at full speed with Liya in his arms.
At the same time, a roar ripped from his lungs, shaking the very clouds.
"Pink Bear—!"
BOOM!
The mountain forest erupted.
Beneath Muen’s feet, the dense trees were parted like a giant wave. The pink, bear-shaped puppet leaped into the air, wielding a massive mace produced from nowhere, and slammed it violently against the descending palm.
"You motherfucker—get the hell away from him!"
Slosh, slosh. It sounded as if a torrent of blood was surging beneath the puppet’s plush skin. The Pink Bear roared, and a blinding crimson light erupted from the mace.
With a sharp crack, another distinct scar appeared on the giant palm.
"Tch."
A cold click of the tongue echoed. The giant hand slowly retreated, vanishing into the sea of clouds.
The Pink Bear did not relax for a second; instead, he looked as if he were facing a mortal enemy.
Muen landed, letting out a long breath. He couldn't stop the upheaval of his internal energy and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"You—you're bleeding!"
Liya, still somewhat dazed by the suddenness of it all, rushed over in a panic, Holy Light gathering in her hands. "I'll heal you!"
"Thanks."
Feeling the warmth of the Holy Light, Muen exhaled slowly. His gaze pierced through the forest—which had been nearly leveled by the aftershock—and stared fixedly at the now-calm sea of clouds at the edge of the Forest of Death.
Within that pure, white sea of clouds, a figure suddenly emerged.
It was a man—an old man.
He was as withered as dead wood, his eye sockets sunken deep. He looked like a walking corpse, wrapped only in a tattered piece of cloth that reminded Muen of the kasayas worn by monks in his previous life.
However, the man’s eyes held a terrifying, piercing light, and his skin possessed a bronze-like sheen. As he held his hands together in prayer, Muen could faintly see a fresh wound on the edge of one finger.
On a palm already covered in scars, it was... barely noticeable.
"Hey, kid..."
In front of him, the Pink Bear gripped his mace and stared at the man, suddenly speaking:
"You aren't actually some bastard son of that brat Audrich, are you?"
"Huh? Do I look like it?"
"Then tell me, why the hell is the person coming to kill you... a genuine Crown Bearer?!"
The Pink Bear turned his head and roared in agitation. "That old bastard Prang never mentioned this! No way, I need a raise, or I'm not doing this!"
"..."
"Long time no see, Oranriel."
Not far away, the old man studied the Pink Bear. A hint of nostalgia flickered in his eyes as he spoke:
"I didn't expect you to still be alive. Though, huddled inside that plush suit... you look truly pathetic."
"It's more surprising that an old fossil like you, rumored to have been dead for ten years, is still kicking."
The Pink Bear’s mouth pulled into a dry, awkward curve. His expression was as miserable as if someone had torn up his erotic books right in front of his face. His shoulders slumped as he said:
"I really don't want to fight a vile old ghost like you, Ascetic of the Red Absolute Desert—Indra King Nalulika."
"Hand over the son of the Duke behind you, and we naturally won't have to fight," the Indra King said with a smile. "Since we are old friends, why not make things easy? I'll even credit you with a third of the merit, and the reward can be negotiated."
"Tch, I’d love to tie this heartless brat up and hand him over to you. But I can't. My tsundere grand-niece has a foul temper. If I throw away her fiancé, she’ll come looking for trouble, and I can't handle that."
The Pink Bear narrowed his eyes. "Besides, the kid’s old man isn't exactly a nobody. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Heh, that Lion King is indeed a formidable member of the younger generation. Even his son, being able to dodge my sneak attack just now, seems less disappointing than the rumors suggest."
The Indra King took a deep look at Muen and said, "But once you take someone's money, you must eliminate their problems. And as you said, I am already a man with one foot in the grave. Why should I care about the overwhelming waves of the new generation?"
"Fair point."
The Pink Bear’s expression gradually turned serious. "In that case, if your old bones break in a moment, don't blame me!"
"Naturally."
The Indra King bowed slightly.
"Please."
"Here I come!"
The Pink Bear bellowed, and a terrifying aura began to emanate from his ridiculous plush suit.
A thick, crimson light flared, making even the daylight seem to dim by comparison. His momentum was staggering.
I didn't expect the Pink Bear to actually be this fierce?
Seeing that the Pink Bear wasn't flinching at all and was even suppressing the other in terms of presence, Muen was stunned. He couldn't help but feel a sense of shock and admiration.
I guess I really was looking at him through biased lenses.
I should show this potential elder a bit more respect in the future...
"Get ready to bolt!"
Right then, the Pink Bear’s sneaky voice suddenly rang in Muen’s ear.
"Eh?"
"Run. I'm not his match," the Pink Bear’s tone sounded urgent.
"...But aren't you 'on par' with a Crown Bearer?"
"Dammit, being 'on par' and being able to win are two different things, okay? His neck is just longer than mine, what do you want me to do?"
Facing the intimidating Indra King, the Pink Bear maintained a smirk of disdain, looking every bit the unfathomable, peerless master.
But the telepathy he was sending to Muen was a different story entirely.
"This Indra King isn't some nobody among the Crowned. Whether it's seniority or strength, he's terrifyingly deep. If your old man were here personally, it might be fine, but how could a cute and harmless bear like me be his match? Besides, I don't even have a girlfriend yet, and I haven't seen enough beautiful legs. I don't want to kick the bucket here!"
"..." Muen’s mouth twitched.
Give me back my admiration, you bastard!
"Let's go!"
Since the Pink Bear had put it that way, Muen didn't delay for a second. He grabbed Liya’s hand, turned, and ran.
"That won't do."
A sharp light flashed in the Indra King’s eyes. He curled his fingers slightly and made a sudden grasping motion toward the direction Muen was fleeing.
The earth shook violently, as if an invisible behemoth had swung its claws across the ground. Five bottomless ravines formed a cage, chasing after the fleeing Muen.
But in the next instant.
Clang!
A piercing sound, like metal grinding on metal, suddenly rang out.
The Pink Bear slammed his mace down, crushing the invisible claws and the ravines into nothingness. He took a massive stride, blocking the Indra King’s path.
"Is this really okay? I said I was coming for you."
The mace swung horizontally, the crimson light reaching its zenith. With a savage grin, the Pink Bear brought the weapon down!
"Who do you think you're looking down on, you old geezer?!"
A massive crater appeared beneath the Indra King’s feet, as if struck by a meteorite. The rampaging winds whipped his tattered cloth robes, making the old man look like a candle flame about to be extinguished in a storm.
Yet his expression remained unchanged. He was still... perfectly calm.
"It seems a peaceful solution is impossible."
The old man sighed deeply.
He brought his fingers together, formed a fist, and punched upward.
Space distorted instantly.
Then,
A Brilliant Crown rose into the air, like the descent of a rising sun!