Ch.113Dragon King of the Four Seas

The reincarnator used the revived corpses effectively. The bodies of former knights wielded swords and shields, preventing Theo and Flora from advancing further.

CLANG-!

It was clearly an effective attack. The knights’ bodies blocking the two were visibly creaking. However, they did not retreat. As if unable to feel pain, they silently raised their swords again with cold, lifeless faces.

“This is…”

“The passage is too narrow to move forward…”

As their voices trailed off, a faint wind blew between them. Then Sae-erin’s voice burst forth.

“Flora! Theo!”

There was no time to look back. There had been no pre-arranged plan. Yet Theo and Flora moved according to Sae-erin’s intention. Their swords rotated slightly, sweeping away the knights’ weapons blocking their path.

In that brief moment of vulnerability, Sae-erin’s form rushed through like the wind. In her pulled-back hand, a massive storm was brewing.

Ice Dragon-Heart

Wind Strike

A storm that could grind everything in its path to dust. Its single-burst nature was a problem afterward, but she had reliable friends guarding her sides. Sae-erin thrust her hand forward without hesitation.

WHOOSH-!

The moment her small hand struck the air, an enormous storm erupted. The corpse of a knight in solid armor tried to resist, planting its feet firmly. But it could only stand for a brief moment. The freezing cold that followed froze everything in its path.

“Huff…”

She had unleashed a powerful strike. Her heart pounded fiercely, heating the blood throughout her body. Her muscles, rapidly expanding and contracting in that brief moment, seemed to scream in protest.

As Sae-erin took deep breaths to manage the recoil, white steam billowed from her entire body. It was a phenomenon caused by the Ice Dragon-Heart energy cooling her heated body.

Theo and Flora stepped forward as if to protect Sae-erin. Unlike her, the two were still in perfect condition, meaning they could handle the approaching knights.

Sae-erin’s gaze moved past the two rushing ahead. At the end of the wide corridor, she caught sight of the reincarnator moving away with numerous knights.

He didn’t even look back. He merely hastened his steps as if he had something important to collect. Was this why he had brought the knights’ corpses along—to use them like this?

“Are you alright…? For such steam to come from a person’s body…”

“I’m fine. Just take care of Tina.”

Sae-erin answered the concerned Alberich and took a step forward. By the time she recovered her breath, the reincarnator had disappeared. Only two knights remained at the end of the corridor, positioned to block their path again.

“Tina. Is there any shortcut?”

“Um… I don’t think there was one.”

That meant they had to defeat the approaching knights to clear the path. Just as Sae-erin tightened her grip on her sword while catching her breath—

FLASH-!

RUMBLE-!

The sound followed belatedly. A tremendous roar seemed to shake the entire mausoleum. Sae-erin shifted her gaze to find the source.

The first thing she saw was Theo standing wrapped in lightning. The electricity surrounding his body made his hair stand on end, giving him an extremely threatening appearance. Even Sae-erin couldn’t approach carelessly.

Just standing there, he had an enormous impact on his surroundings. Even Flora had to step back with a frown.

The knight blocking their path was rolling on the ground, charred black. Blue lightning flashed above. Two knights had fallen to Theo’s attack.

Looking down at the scene, Theo spoke.

“I can’t maintain this for long. I’ll clear the path, so the rest…”

His voice trembled unstably, as if even his words carried lightning. The surprise at seeing this technique for the first time was short-lived. Sae-erin nodded along with Flora.

“Then…”

Crackle-

Thunder Body.

The ultimate technique learned last by Thunder Sect practitioners. It spreads mana throughout the body, transforming it to have lightning-like properties. A technique that simultaneously accelerates both body and thought. The physical toll was enormous.

‘I can’t hold out for long.’

He could maintain this state for barely 10 seconds. Theo swung his sword while kicking off the ground. The moment he thought about moving in a certain direction, he was already there.

The two knight corpses positioned by the reincarnator reacted belatedly, trying to maximize the use of the narrow space. But it was too late. Theo’s attack had already cut through the knights’ bodies.

RUMBLE-!

Thunder echoed with each large movement. It felt like entering a different dimension. In fact, it wasn’t different. Right now, Theo stood in a different timeline from others.

The surrounding background blurred. Simultaneously, golden threads appeared flickering at the edge of Theo’s vision. But it was only for a moment.

They all disappeared the instant Theo’s sword bisected the two knights.

‘That’s 4 seconds already…’

He could already feel the intense pain. Theo frowned at the approaching headache and kicked off the ground again.

CRACKLE-!

A blue flash dashed forward.

“When did he get so strong?”

Flora muttered blankly as she watched Theo’s overwhelming power. She felt intimidated by her friends’ growth after meeting them again after several months. Flora had taken pride in her noble family background, but in front of these two friends, it was just an empty facade.

‘I need to work harder…’

There was no sense of inferiority, only competitive spirit. Flora knew how to manage her emotions well.

“Impressive…”

He had become a sufficiently strong man, though not as strong as herself. After everything was over, perhaps she should introduce him to her younger sibling. Since Theo also seemed to have feelings for her, it wouldn’t be bad.

Of course, not right now. Sae-erin pushed aside the thoughts surfacing in her mind and started running.

“I was uncertain before, but now I’m sure. That fellow is definitely someone I’ve met in the past.”

It was Alberich speaking as they ran together. Another blue flash and thunder erupted. Flora and Sae-erin turned to look at Alberich.

“You mean you knew each other in a past life?”

“That’s right. He was called the Four Dragon King… though now he’s only handling humans. In my dimension, he controlled an enormous dragon…”

Alberich’s expression twisted as if recalling the past. At that moment, they reached the end of the seemingly endless corridor. A massive door stood firmly locked, and Theo was sitting slumped on top of the charred corpses of knights.

“You’re late. They’ve already gone inside.”

Theo said weakly with an awkward smile. His hands and feet were trembling violently, as if he had used up all his energy. He looked like he could collapse at any moment. Was he trying to appear calm in front of his friends?

Sae-erin grabbed Theo’s shoulder and threw him backward. Theo floated away with a weak “Whoa-” but didn’t roll on the ground. The wind flowing from Sae-erin’s body gently wrapped around him.

“Wait there.”

“Ah, okay…”

Sae-erin looked up at the large door after stepping over the knights’ corpses. The faint mana presence felt at the entrance of the royal mausoleum could also be sensed from this door.

Sae-erin turned around and said:

“Tina. Please.”

“Yes!”

Tina enthusiastically pulled on Alberich’s arm, indicating they should approach the door.

The two approached the door and held out their rings. Immediately, the firmly closed door began to open slowly. At that moment, a silent light shot through the opening gap.

Flora reacted first. The artifact responding to her will, Night’s Veil, absorbed the mana and spread a dark curtain. It positioned itself in the gap of the door, in front of Alberich and Tina.

BANG-!

When Night’s Veil and the silent light collided, a violent explosion erupted. Sae-erin, reacting belatedly, pulled Alberich backward. More light arrows flew through the widening door gap.

Seven light arrows formed a constellation in different directions. It was like drawing a faint constellation. She drew her sword, recognizing the approaching attack. Her breath stopped just before.

The small girl’s hand drew an extreme quick-sword technique. All seven directional attacks were neutralized in an instant.

CLANG-!

The sound followed belatedly. Immediately after, Sae-erin hurled herself through the narrow gap.

WHOOSH-!

As she passed through the thick door, a vast space opened up. This was where the ancestors of the Solis family were enshrined. In the center of this sacred place.

A dirt-covered knight stood holding a star-bright longbow.

The knight’s and Sae-erin’s gazes met.

“What a strange connection… why is it you at every crucial moment…”

Sae-erin didn’t speak. She answered by swinging her Ice Dragon Sword. As the cold slash wrapped in wind flew forward, the star-bright bow’s string was pulled back.

SWOOSH-!