Chapter 103

EPISODE 103 – KARAVAL (3)

The warriors of the Blade Song tribe who inherited the blood of the Hyjal Orcs were physically superior .

They were more like beasts than humans in terms of physical abilities such as strength, agility, and so on .

Sun Song was one of the best among the warriors of such a tribe .

Red Wind wouldn’t be able to last a few seconds if she fought him head-on in a battle of strength . Or rather, it was clearly at a level where her whole body would crumble because she couldn’t bear it .

‘I’ll be honest . If you got hit with just one blow, it would be difficult for you to win . ’

Their weight difference alone was more than three times .

Their difference in muscle strength might as well be more than six times .

If she got hit, that was it .

If she suffered from a blow on her chest or stomach, she wouldn’t be able to properly breathe .

‘So you can’t get hit even once . ’

It was an unreasonable demand .

But if she couldn’t do it, she had no chance of winning .

And one more added to this .

A word from Cordelia, who was silently watching Jude teaching her while next to him .

‘It’s okay, don’t think too hard about it . You just have to look carefully and avoid it . I’ve always done that . ’

She said that with such a big smile that Red Wind couldn’t even refute her words .

“Uooo!”

His shout shook her eardrums .

Sun Song roughly kicked the ground and rushed at her in a terrifying speed .

Red Wind concentrated .

She even held her breath and looked at him .

She naturally recalled Jude’s words .

‘Well, this beast’s words aren’t wrong . ’

‘Beast? Beeaast? Wurf-wurf! Wurf-wurf! Grrrrrr!”

No, not this one .

The next thing he said .

‘Look carefully and completely avoid it . It’s possible to do it . I will – no, we will make that possible to do . ’

Time had stopped .

She could see the grains of sand rising in front of her .

She could also see the saliva coming out of Sun Song’s big mouth .

Having the blood of Winter Elves, Red Wind’s eyes were innately good in the first place . Jude’s magic scroll additionally helped her .

.

A spell that maximized the eye’s ability to discern shapes and details of everything it sees .

That wasn’t enough, so Jude trained her .

‘This is how Sun Song moves . ’

“Kuooo!”

Sun Song swung his scimitar .

Red Wind had met Sun Song for the first time today, and it was also the first time she had seen him swing his scimitar with all his strength .

But it was familiar .

That attack .

The speed of Sun Song .

‘Look . ’

Jude wasn’t just talking about momentary movements .

How the attack would continue .

What the scimitar’s trajectory was and how far would it reach .

Jude taught her .

Jude made her become familiar with it .

‘Look carefully and completely avoid it . ’

Cordelia’s words .

And another of her words .

‘Then you’ll feel it . Not only through sight but you’ll feel it with your whole body at some point . ’

She didn’t understand what Cordelia was talking about then .

She wondered what Cordelia meant about feeling the attack with one’s whole body .

She really liked Cordelia, but she thought that Cordelia wasn’t good at explaining .

But Cordelia wasn’t wrong .

Her unnie told her how to do it .

‘I can feel it . ’

It wasn’t just the sight .

Her sense of hearing reacted .

Her sense of touch reacted .

She felt it beyond her five senses and perceived it through her sixth sense .

Sound, the vibration of the air, and the momentum of Sun Song’s force .

‘I think I understand . ’

She understood what it meant to feel with one’s whole body .

And what she should do now .

‘There are two things . ’

The scimitar gradually approached in the slow-moving time .

She recalled Cordelia’s words whispering to her again between Sun Song’s roar .

‘Once you feel it, there are two choices you can make . ’

The blade drew near .

It felt like it would reach her anytime soon .

Red Wind saw Sun Song .

His face that was yelling a battle roar was terrifying as if proving that he had the blood of Hyjal Orcs .

His canine teeth protruding from his mouth reminded her of a beast than a person .

And his eyes .

His bloodshot eyes that stared at Red Wind .

A person’s face was reflected in his eyes .

It was Red Wind’s own face .

But the face reminded Red Wind of Cordelia .

The beauty who enchanted even those of the same sex, spoke as her canine teeth shined .

‘Either you step back or move forward . ’

She usually stepped back .

It was normal to step back .

But that just meant running away .

There were times when she had to move forward .

‘The criteria for judging it…hehe, you’ll know it yourself when that moment comes . ’

‘You’re talking as if there’s something, but you’re not actually thinking about it . ‘Coz you’re a beast . ’

‘Do you want to die?’

She remembered unnecessary things, but it wasn’t bad .

A smile spread over Red Wind’s face . She was surprised when she widely smiled, but she took a step forward .

Shaaak-!

The scimitar cut the air .

Above the head of Red Wind who evaded the attack by bending her waist backwards .

The scimitar cut off a few strands of her pure white hair and scattered it . Sun Song was unable to control the power of his swing and continued moving forward while Red Wind disappeared from his sight .

T/N: Okay, it seems that the author made a mistake here . When Red Wind was first introduced, she was described as having azure hair that was reminiscent of the clear blue sky . But the paragraph above said that she had pure-white hair . I double-checked the Korean words used in the earlier chapters and here, and it really referred to her hair . Perhaps it was a typo by the author and the azure color being referred was her eyes and not the hair .

It was just a second .

A mere moment .

“Huu . ”

Red Wind exhaled . She straightened her back and saw Sun Song’s clearly exposed back . Instead of looking at the face of Sun Song who hastily turned his head to find her, she swung her sword . The slash stirred up the wind .

Slaaash-!

Her sword only slashed the air .

But she had intended it .

The Phoenix rose and followed the sword’s trajectory as it charged and attacked .

Stretching out like a sword, the Phoenix struck Sun Song whose giant body was then greatly hurled backwards .

Boom!

There was a blast .

No one heard of the small and light footsteps that echoed together with the blast .

Thump .

After rotating once, Red Wind fixed her position and held her breath .

She felt Sun Song again with her whole body .

She sensed him flying away, rolling on the floor, and groaning in pain .

“Haa . ”

She let out her breath .

And Red Wind thought .

‘This…is this the world you live in?’

She was wrong .

The world of Cordelia was more special .

Jude had met geniuses of all kinds, but even he had to admit that the world seen by a combat genius, who could only be described as a beast, was impossible for the current Red Wind to reach .

But it was enough for now . If she could feel and read Sun Song’s movements, then it was enough .

Bang!

Red Wind kicked the ground this time . She rushed towards Sun Song .

It was a splendid fight .

Red Wind quickly moved amidst the flames .

But like a seasoned warrior, Sun Song did not let himself be swept away from the battle .

He knew .

Just one hit .

That he could win with just one hit .

So he endured it .

As he endured the pain, she wildly swung her sword again and again . Red Wind refused to give up as she danced with her sword like willow leaves fluttering in the wind .

Slash! Slash!

Red Wind’s attacks poured out in succession .

Sun song received Red Wind’s attacks with his body and shot a series of attacks towards her .

Baaaang!

Flames sprung out .

Since both sides used fire, the fight looked flashy and splendid .

Different flames came together and clashed .

“As planned . ”

Jude said as he watched .

Cordelia nodded her head .

Because Jude had memorized all of Sun Song’s combat patterns, Red Wind was able to ‘feel’ Sun Song .

Although it was the result of receiving help from different kinds of magic, what she felt was the real deal .

“Red Wind will win . ”

Jude agreed with Cordelia’s conviction .

Because Jude’s calculations agreed with the words of Cordelia who perceived results while skipping the process with an intuition that was close to foresight .

Red Wind would win .

It would take some time, but it would eventually lead to her victory .

So Jude averted his gaze .

While everyone gathered here were focusing on the fight between Red Wind and Sun Song, he took a step back and thought .

‘An unfounded apprehension?’

Several chieftains gathered in Karaval .

The Eastern Alliance would be established regardless of who won the Karaval .

So if they moved, now was the perfect moment .

If someone wanted to interfere, it should have been now .

However, the Angry Bull tribe did not come .

Perhaps they hadn’t completed their military expedition in the west yet .

Maybe they were trying to avoid a situation where it would become dangerous if they moved the troops they left behind in their home base .

It was a possibility .

But would they just let go of this opportunity and watch?

Jude thought about the land of Gentle Snow Breeze where the Karaval was held .

It was an open plain on all sides, so they would know early on if someone wanted to invade it .

‘It’s impossible with a few troops . ’

It was ridiculous to count the number of warriors gathered here .

There were also several powerful chieftains, so even if they dispatched elite troops, they would still need a dozen units .

‘If that’s the case, they would have been sighted . ’

Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze was here now .

She had retained her powers unlike Violent Avalanche . But even then, she did not detect any movement of troops when she looked around .

No enemy was coming .

The west had given up hindering the establishment of an eastern alliance .

So everyone was focused on the Karaval only .

Everyone who had gathered here focused their attention on the battle between Red Wind and Sun Song .

Jude had been doing that until now .

That was why he doubted it once more .

He wondered if there was anything he missed .

Perhaps there was something he did not think of .

‘Sky . ’

It was still clear and blue .

Sunset would arrive soon, but the sky was still blue now .

‘West . ’

Jude turned his head and looked west .

There was still nothing visible . Only the plain with white snow was seen .

‘Am I worrying for nothing then?’

Though that would be the best scenario .

Jude bitterly smiled and tried to watch Red Wind’s fight again .

But someone pulled on Jude’s arm before that .

“Jude . ”

Cordelia .

He understood it the moment their eyes met .

He understood from Cordelia’s frowning expression and her twisting her body about as if she wanted to answer the call of nature .

A foreboding .

Cordelia couldn’t really explain what that ominous thing was, but she certainly felt something .

So Jude focused .

He tried to find something he missed .

And Cordelia pulled Jude’s arm again .

“Tremor . ”

She said with widely opened eyes and pointed to her feet by gesturing with her chin . Therefore, Jude also figured it out .

The moment he heard Cordelia’s words, he concentrated and managed to notice it .

He could feel the vibration .

Very small tremors .

It was hard to feel unless one was as sensitive as Cordelia .

It grew bigger . It was getting closer .

“Under . ”

Jude and Cordelia looked at their feet at the same time . They raised their heads and simultaneously shouted .

“Watch out!”

“It’s coming from underground!”

The invasion from outside finally happened .

As if an earthquake had occurred, the tremors instantly became violent and the ground cracked!

Booom!

Massive spikes shot up from the ground .

Whether it was their aim or just an accidental coincidence, it came from under Red Wind and Sun Song’s feet .

Baaang-!

Red Wind simultaneously saw both Sun Song and the soaring spikes as the spikes shot up like a blade .

Her instincts told her that the spike would soon pierce Sun Song’s body .

So Red Wind moved .

Her instincts that preceded her thoughts was what made her move .

Because Sun Song was not an enemy .

Because he was their eastern ally who would join forces with them against the west!

Pooook!

Red Wind hit Sun Song . She threw her whole body and pushed him away .

And blood .

A piercing scream .

“Red Wind!”

Shwaaak!

A large spike grazed Red Wind’s slender waist . Red Wind fell down on top of Sun Song as she groaned and crouched her body . Red blood spurted from her torn waist .

“Run away!”

Cordelia’s cry was heard .

The ground was broken, and a huge monster shot up . Strange creatures that seemed to be a mix of humans and monsters came out one after another from the hole leading underground . Sun Song hurriedly lifted and carried Red Wind on the spur of the moment .

“Attack!”

“Help Sun Song!”

“Red Wind!”

Voices burst out simultaneously .

The warriors who gathered for Karaval drew their own swords .

It wasn’t just them . Even Gentle Snow Breeze angrily yelled and widely spread out her wings .

And it was at that moment .

“Aaaah!”

The monster that broke the ground stood up as it roared .

It was like a giant mole that was around 5 meters tall . There were several horns on its head, and it had glowing red eyes . A purple aura entangled its body as if it was cursed .

“O-oh my goodness! Dark Ghost!”

Violent Avalanche screamed and Gentle Snow Breeze widely opened her eyes .

Dark Ghost .

It was the first time Jude and Cordelia had heard of that name . But they realized it based on the two wild gods’ reactions .

The monster in front of them was a corrupted wild god .

No, it wasn’t even properly corrupted .

From the perspective of the Devil’s Eye, Dark Ghost was not completely corrupted and was just a failure that went crazy .

“Aaaah!”

Dark Ghost let out a tormenting scream .

The eastern warriors were tormented by the cry that contained the power of a wild god, and the increasing dozens of monsters penetrated into that gap .

‘Failures!’

They were one of the attempts to mass-produce demonic humans by combining humans and monsters .

If it had succeeded, it would become a low-ranking demonic human who possessed the power of monsters and a human’s intelligence, but if it had failed, it just became a monster .

“Kiaaaa!”

The deformed monsters moved towards the warriors .

And Gaël pulled out his sword . Having secured Adelia’s safety, he condensed his Qi energy and diffused it as he roared like a lion .

“Go!”

At his tremendous roar filled with Qi, the curse in Dark Ghost’ scream was canceled at that moment .

The warriors came to their senses and Gaël quickly moved on the ground .

“Save Red Wind!”

Gaël unhesitatingly charged into the middle of the enemy’s group . Adelia also raised her hands and cast magic in succession, and a fight broke out between the monsters and the warriors who barely came to their senses .

“Dark Ghost!”

“Brother Dark Ghost!”

Violent Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze cried out, and Gentle Snow Breeze even tried to run towards Dark Ghost .

“No! He’s not the Dark Ghost we used to know!”

Violent Avalanche grabbed Gentle Snow Breeze’s feet to stop her .

He tried to overcome the current situation by calming down Gentle Snow Breeze who burst into tears upon seeing Dark Ghost’s changed appearance .

“Damn it! What the heck happened!”

Violent Avalanches had lost most of his powers, but not Gentle Snow Breeze . So he wondered on how they tricked the senses of Gentle Snow Breeze . Even if the ground was that deep, she would have noticed if they had approached near her .

Was there something that could hide their powers?

And the corruption .

The wild god was corrupted together with the dragon vein and sanctuary .

The fact that Violent Avalanche himself could have been like that gave him goosebumps . He felt like his heart was being torn at the fact that Dark Ghost had been corrupted .

And it was at that moment .

A voice rang in the minds of Jude and Cordelia .

It made Jude and Cordelia stop at once from helping Gaël who was trying to save Red Wind .

[Ki…kill! Please…kill me!]

It was Dark Ghost’s cry .

Jude and Cordelia could hear his pained screams because they were recognized as guardians of the wild lands by the Golden Dragon King .

[N-no . I-I don’t want to . Hurt everyone- Violent Avalanche- Gentle Snow…Breeze . N-no . Please kill…me…]

Dark Ghost’s scream grew louder, and the power of the curse also became stronger again .

Gentle Snow Breeze radiated her power to cancel the curse but that was all . She couldn’t do any more than that .

“Jude!”

Violent Avalanche shouted .

Because he too heard Dark Ghost’s cry .

And he also knew .

The reason why Dark Ghost told them to kill him wasn’t just because of the pain!

“Bomb . ”

Cordelia said with a pained look .

Dark Ghost was a bomb .

The Devil’s Eye plan was to wipe out the eastern chieftains by causing a huge explosion in the middle of the place where the Karaval was held .

‘Expendables . ’

They were failures after all .

Using them like this was an effective tactic .

Even if it failed, it would at least cause damage .

It was a good way to dispose of a defective product .

“Son of a b*tch!”

Cordelia angrily cursed . She was furious at the actions of the Devil’s Eye .

Jude deeply inhaled . He watched Gaël escape with Red Wind and Sun Song before he focused on Dark Ghost’s voice .

[Run…away!]

Dark Ghost should have originally blown himself up as soon as he broke and shot up from the ground .

Causing a disturbance without exploding was due to a part of Dark Ghost’s remaining will because he had not been completely corrupted .

But he didn’t last that long .

He didn’t have that much time .

“Kiaaaaaa!”

Dark Ghost let out a curse-filled scream again .

At that moment, Gentle Snow Breeze burst into tears .

Because she realized it .

Dark Ghost’s will had died down .

None of it was left . What was in front of them was just a monster that had gone crazy .

“We don’t have time! Run away, everyone!”

Violent Avalanche repeatedly stamped his feet and shouted . Now that the will of Dark Ghost had disappeared, the monster in front of them was a bomb that they were unsure on when and how it would explode .

But it was impossible .

The battle between the warriors and monsters had already began . If they turned around to run away in the middle of this, they would only be killed .

“Huu…huu…”

Jude took a deep breath again . He searched for a solution .

What do I do? What must I do?

It was also impossible to run away because of the monsters .

But if they leave it like this, everyone would be swept away by Dark Ghost’s self-destruction .

‘I have to find a way . ’

Something different, something else other than just running away from the range of explosion .

“Jude!”

Jude’s eyes widened in surprise . Cordelia was right in front of him . She shouted as her blue eyes sparkled .

“Let’s burst it!”

“What?”

“Let’s explode it before it self-destructs!”

What is she talking about?

Is there a difference between an explosion and self-destruction?

Wouldn’t we die even if we kill it anyway?

“No! Not that!”

Cordelia exclaimed as if she was frustrated .

She couldn’t explain it properly, so she conveyed it through her eyes, and Jude eventually figured it out . He unwittingly said .

“You’re a genius . ”

“Of course!”

Cordelia smiled . Jude impulsively hugged Cordelia tightly, and she struggled .

“Hey! Hey?!”

“Let’s go . ”

Jude immediately released Cordelia . Resisting the urge to kiss her on the cheek, he advanced towards Dark Ghost .

“Let’s goooo!”

Cordelia transformed into a witch and chased after Jude .

Adelia shouted from behind, but she didn’t listen . She had to reach Jude as soon as possible .

“Unnie! Open the way for me!”

At Cordelia’s cry, Adelia let out a curse .

Adelia suddenly clenched her fists and gathered them in front of her chest before she swung them widely to the side .

“”

And double casting .

Mana was released from Adelia’s small body like an explosion, and an outrageous feat took place .

Booooooooooooooom!

Two walls of fire spread out along with a roar . The fire of nearly 3 meters tall rose and made a path, and all of the monsters caught in between it were burned . Not one of them dared to approach Jude and Cordelia .

“Wow!”

“Unnie is the best!”

Jude and Cordelia ran in the path surrounded by flames .

The monsters tried to attack, but it was impossible .

“”

The magic attack wasn’t wasted . As the monsters slipped because of the grease, the fallen monsters hit the walls of fire .

Kwaaaa!

Even when the flames were burning, Jude and Cordelia did not stop . They trampled on those who did not touch the fire walls or did not slip luckily as the two ran towards Dark Ghost .

“Keuaaaaa!”

Dark Ghost screamed .

Gaël had ran ahead first as he carried Red Wind in his arms and tried to run away from the explosion range . On the other hand, Sun Song slightly offset Dark Ghost’s scream with his battle roar .

“Oooooh!”

Dark Ghost went mad and swung both of its hands .

Its force was so terrifying as it tore the air with his blade-like nails .

But Jude and Cordelia did not stop . Rather, they sped up and shouted .

“I am anvil!”

“I am hammer!”

Their coordination was over . Jude soared using a golden whirlwind while Cordelia stretched out both of her hands forward and began using a telekinetic power . She poured out all her power to block Dark Ghost’s movement .

“Aaaaaah!”

She didn’t just bind him . She applied force towards a certain direction . At the same time, she opened her eyes wide and activated the .

“Kaaaak!”

Dark Ghost let out a gasp and was paralyzed . Tears of blood flowed down from Cordelia’s eyes .

“Juuuude!”

“Cordelia!”

Jude pulled his fist in the air . As he cried out Cordelia’s name, he struck his fist on the head of Dark Ghost who couldn’t move .

“Black Dragon Cross Strike!”

He shouted out loud .

A pitch-black cross appeared from Jude’s fist as it shot and struck Dark Ghost’s body . It pushed Dark Ghost into a certain direction .

“Oooooooh!”

Jude added his Qi energy into his cry . He fully mobilized all his inner Qi in his lower abdomen, while Cordelia asked for help . Violent Avalanche caught on their plan and shouted to Gentle Snow Breeze afterwards .

“Help them! You have to push Dark Ghost into the hole!”

Gentle Snow Breeze did not immediately understand what he was talking about . But she understood that she had to help Jude . So she released a force that headed in the same direction as Jude .

Booom!

Dark Ghost was pushed away . He fell into the hole he himself had dug .

“Get in!”

Cordelia shut her eyes and used the last of her powers . Jude’s black cross completely pushed down Dark Ghost . And Gentle Snow Breeze’s power pushed Dark Ghost into the deepest part of the hole .

Cordelia’s plan was simple .

Detonate before it self-destructed .

Under the ground .

Inside the hole it dug!

“Art is-!”

She couldn’t continue her words . She had a headache from using too much of her power . Her legs were trembling, and her breathing became rugged .

But Cordelia did not fall down . Jude ran as he roughly breathed before he held Cordelia on the waist . And continued the words on her behalf .

“An explosion . ”

Jude poured a potion into Cordelia’s mouth .

Cordelia suddenly hugged Jude’s body and used .

“Ugggghhh…”

Both of them let out painful groans at the same time . But Cordelia’s mana was restored because of this, and Cordelia promptly cast a new spell using the mana she just got .

“ . ”

A witch’s spell that she could control .

Cordelia leant her head in Jude’s arms as she moved her fingers . She fired the spell by pulling her index finger as if she was using a real gun to shoot .

Shwaaaa!

The dark blade flew like a bullet into the dug hole . It reached the point where Gentle Snow Breeze and Dark Ghost’s powers collided .

The power that Dark Ghost suppressed .

The dark blade stimulated it .

It lit the fuse .

“Bang . ”

Cordelia said while Jude hugged her . The moment he turned his back to protect her, a tremendous explosion started from the ground .

Baaaaaaaaaang-!

The ground shook .

It shook like an earthquake .

All who were standing ended up falling down, regardless of warriors or monsters .

A tremor of that magnitude .

An explosion that shook the earth .

But it was deep underground .

A purple pillar shot up from the hole, but that was it . The aftermath of the explosion never reached the ground .

Ruuuuumble-

Aftershocks .

The second tremors .

But it was small . It quickly subsided .

“Ack . ”

Jude gasped .

To protect Cordelia from the possible aftermath, he lied her down on his chest, so he felt her weight .

“Haa . ”

Cordelia fell on top of Jude’s chest as she let out a sigh of relief . Her cold sweat trickled down before she said with a bright smile .

“We lived . ”

Jude also smiled at her short words . As the ring of light appeared around them, he hugged Cordelia once again .