Chapter 136
NBYLucian’s relaxed attitude made something boil inside Ainar.ger
XmfMlt“It’s not over yet!”DLu
bi1Ainar yanked the axe back to recover it and adjusted his stance.RClj
LTXNYIf the previous attack had prioritized speed, this one would put everything into power.4460
Px3jOf course, that left many gaps in his defense, but Lucian remained still, as if daring him to try.txRmv
4ucM“Hup!”c3upl
5bkAEWhooom!aLH35
QRkwmmQThe moment the muscles in his arms swelled as if they were about to burst, Ainar’s axe came down toward Lucian’s head.5Hf
JhhbrFKHe struck with such force that the sound of the air tearing could be heard among the spectators.P3FTAZL
Mg12However, Lucian didn’t even think of blocking with his hand like before; he simply tilted his head slightly.WLSX
p9EZuhOClang!MmL
vy9OybE“Ugh!”WictIo5
XKGThe rebound force that traveled from the handle to his arms made Ainar stifle a groan.NSK6z
GjDHe had struck a human body, but it felt as if he’d hit a block of steel.MxtE
UuIhAThe pain made him furrow his brow, though a slight smile formed on his lips.BEAGzF
1cNU7E‘Even so, with this, he shouldn’t come out unscathed.’wZDZg
1mYXSuch a strong rebound meant the attack had been powerful.5N5mB
jCsOAs strong as Lucian was, Ainar thought, he wouldn’t be able to take that blow lightly. With that thought, he looked up—and his eyes widened.Gm7M
OxdmFLLucian had the axe blade resting on the back of his neck, with an indifferent expression.fZIcGA
RkBa“Is that all?”m6T
S9s“What the hell…?!”nTG
4JdkHRUAinar was speechless. The nape of the neck, unlike the skull-protected head, was a much more vulnerable and easy-to-cut area.m8N
T7R6pAnd yet, he had taken an axe blow there without showing a single wound, not even a hint of pain.LhY
WKGDJX“If you’re finished, it’s my turn now.”ishX
kyyWhoosh!PlPMvz7
uyfwcL6As if he wouldn’t allow a third chance, mana burst from Lucian’s body.nxi7p
cBE1f0xAt the same time, a wave of heat never before felt in the tundra slammed into Ainar. He managed to withstand it without being pushed back by the scorching wind—but that was the end of it.buwWc
TDvHe couldn’t block Lucian’s sword that followed right after.HBCg
WA1Clang!YHaO3
9ae“…!”MU7vv
NGVIfoStruck by something heavy, Ainar was sent flying through the air. Then, something else hit him square in the forehead and he crashed to the ground.OBwN
st4wLbTIt all happened so fast that no one could make out what had happened inside the blazing gust.fvwGu
zHk6932Thud.lVLRs
3Ir“W-what?”END05L
HfzPEl“What happened?”E4ZC38
phvMWhen the wind died down and they saw Ainar lying on the ground, the members of the tribe looked at each other in shock.H4jI
XqVThey had closed their eyes from the blast, heard a single crash, and when they opened them, everything was over.dbdJNp
fypSLucian scanned the confused faces of the tribe members and, sheathing his sword, said:kqI
ihZJ3oV“Next.”71uVpi
H0gJNl***Yfg
9jeIIvar felt the strength drain from his legs.2D05
4tbuF3It was the same scene as in the first trial, but the despair was far greater.OYtMVe
orYxt2‘How am I supposed to defeat someone against whom even weapons don’t work?’cXpk7
bhNvAThe warrior he had seen in the first trial—the one who had reached the pinnacle in a woman’s body—at least still had human skin.16NnbH
584DudThough she hadn’t suffered a single wound, if a blade had made contact, surely flesh would have torn and blood would have flowed.zVhdqti
0KuSeBut Lucian was different. Not only did weapons fail against him, they couldn’t even deliver impact.kMbKhz
Q5s“Father, it’s not time to despair yet.”XOgxUHQ
nw6Z8dmBrunda’s whisper reached Ivar, who was staggering.6nqY35l
x0lTi9OTurning his head, he saw Brunda smiling, eyes still full of determination.dQD
533E“No matter what authority that man has obtained, it’s still power that comes from the dragon, just like ours. If the source is the same, there has to be a way to end him.”N7Dd
BpLK“Have you found a method?”30P8x
zRXC“It’s better to show than to explain poorly.”xBNxuH
p8py4With those words, Brunda stepped toward Lucian without hesitation.gHHA
uN49RrSeeing him unshaken despite the overwhelming gap, Ivar clicked his tongue.EJc
YAwKsYHe had thought Brunda was just a reckless brute who never thought of the consequences, but hadn’t expected such firm resolve.PsppH2v
g75‘Maybe I was wrong.’armZb8R
WaJMjnHe had always believed Ainar was the true successor—someone who combined wisdom and courage.1eJV
EcpV9But now, seeing him again, Brunda seemed to fit even better as the next chieftain.w29gN
4SFwUnder his father’s expectant gaze, Brunda drew his weapon without hesitation—a greatsword.io6j
3xN“I will be the second opponent.”JGM
ntOtYdP“Hmm.”XVG1t
xJqNLucian scanned Brunda’s face. Despite having seen his power several times, there wasn’t a trace of despair in his eyes.gvd
BN2qoPut kindly, it was confidence. Put bluntly, he didn’t understand the situation.OS03nY
uzeqIP‘This one won’t do.’YCbna
wIpoEven if he spared him, he’d be the type to believe he could one day take Lucian down and would wait for a chance to stab him in the back.L4q
emPrlx5Better to end him now than let him live by mistake, like Ainar.ld3
Dm7ouxUnaware that Lucian had already decided his fate, Brunda smiled smugly.Zmdqh
0BT“I admit, you surprised me. I never imagined someone could use the dragon’s power that way. The authority of our great ancestors has no limits.”lq1SKKZ
XRT70“…”Vv68yU
DsUcU“But if the origin is the same, then it can be neutralized with the same power. Like this!”3kZML
8gUdy4FWooooongc7aCkZ
P5PnE48“Blessing of the Dragon!”wNdV2LG
vf0TqqE“Since when…?”CtEYx
0EsQClxSeeing the magic enveloping Brunda’s greatsword, the tribe members cried out in surprise.SUK8
Dz7gHdMaterializing magic and applying it to a weapon wasn’t something just anyone could do—it required considerable skill, regardless of the dragon heart.Tkq5II
kITaLvAIn other words, Brunda’s level was truly high.YkQ3gwI
xPkcHowever, Lucian only let out a mocking laugh.jHT
70Twh46“It’s clumsy. Don’t you think it’s time to stop pretending you’re strong when you’re not? Just maintaining that form must be exhausting.”xEj
qeAyoEuLucian’s cold assessment made Brunda’s face twist.xlhyx6H
qPhxzJAs Lucian said, the magic around his sword wasn’t the result of full understanding.0XWr4A
u2bHAIt was simply the dragon’s power, recently acquired, forcibly channeled into the weapon while compensating for the energy constantly leaking out.M29dSc
2HgPXK8It was like trying to fill a cracked pot by pouring water nonstop.yqeG
7Ufg“With a cheap imitation like that, you won’t last long. Why not stop before you collapse?”5S4esh
U7g“No. To face you, this temporary imitation is enough.”TW3KVxs
8AOZPerhaps because he was forcing the power, sweat dotted Brunda’s forehead.AIX6y
SqcbIHis stamina was dropping with each second, yet he kept speaking.3HE
sYueeV“You’re using the dragon’s power to harden your body, right? But tell me—what happens when dragon power collides with dragon power?”gQX
oQn“Oh.”5o3
RG4WxvLucian let out a soft exclamation. If equal forces clashed, even something like dragon scales could be neutralized.j7d4B
ergDRAinar had focused entirely on physical reinforcement, so it hadn’t mattered. But a direct collision of pure magic—that was a different story.0Ggqqu
DJdPZQ“Now you get it? Even if it’s an imitation, if this power touches your body, you too—”PNF
6q8dxGUWhoosh.mjJl3e5
Xmdam8kBrunda launched herself at Lucian before finishing her sentence.cTamiE7
aYppqYHer speed was explosive; clearly, she had feigned carelessness to prepare a surprise attack.yMPlnba
6eTrJS‘So that’s why she wasted magic while talking.’WnFZA
pvDRLucian watched her with a faint smile. If he didn’t know what would happen when two dragon powers clashed, he couldn’t rely on defense alone.ARKf
TMC4290So what to do?ZKsNnOm
6dLfB7kThe answer was simple.KMFSX
U5VzDWhip.fEv6LU
TQS6NWj“Huh?”0pxfb
e5sdvu9With a whistle, Lucian vanished from Brunda’s sight. Attacking empty air, Brunda tried to turn in surprise—but before she could, her vision tilted downward.oBBS
K4Dye2u“Why—?”GWG4b
m9USlash.RjD
l7TUSlnBrunda’s head hit the ground. Her body followed shortly after.ormcbs
0sz9M4Lucian, who had decapitated Brunda with a single motion, clicked his tongue.egkf
BgFK“The idea was good. But only the idea.”KWXN
jeumNo matter how effective an attack might be, if it didn’t land, it meant nothing.TrnnhRJ
eeLBrunda, who had only absorbed a sliver of the dragon’s power, couldn’t compare to Lucian, who had absorbed over half.IGJkwU
fc8MSIf she had waited for Lucian to take the hit head-on, like with Ainar, she might have had a chance.EN3c1
OBtLTMGBut surrounding herself openly with magic and charging in was meaningless.KVh
4FO‘She forced the power, so she couldn’t manifest it instantly and looked for an opening—but with this difference in level, it meant nothing.’g8kZ
otW7cLucian turned away from Brunda’s corpse and addressed Ivar.0mQ9gK
C9NJYP“Step up. Third one.”Os0Tr3x
MLz“…”y6I
Auk6adAt that informal tone, stripped of all courtesy, Ivar walked forward in silence.txVYCze
YlwSome might call it calm, but Lucian knew it was despair and resignation.OpyHIJg
59p37pMIt was the expression of someone who, with no escape, had accepted death.cAmC
HWfpkvStaring at his son’s neck, Ivar spoke in a trembling voice.rsC5Q
FqbIK“Don’t be proud of taking the chieftain’s seat from me. One day, you’ll fall like we did.”uAC
gJqJK4F“Do you really think that?”RaiXnCZ
cNz“You’re young. You still don’t understand how the world works.”jBG
lT2“I asked what you think.”oXG9k
cBXV“…”Ocqht
P3c5JT“Do you think I’ll fall? Can you really see that future so clearly?”Gp3k
zF9At Lucian’s cold smile, Ivar clenched his teeth.ano
LHhnm2He had cursed out of anger, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t imagine a future where Lucian failed.SXZqZ
qhWKThat realization shattered him even more.V3AJM
6ux6“Damn bastard.”uopS
5kmhvgLucian smiled silently.bQJp
DiRzUrQTo the victor, the insults of the defeated were almost the highest praise.NaIpXa
OtSpWR***4YR5yl
cwosZClack, thud.yfHHkk
K01gILucian shook the blood from his sword once, then sheathed it.NA2kG5
6S5SAt the same time, the second headless body hit the ground.oHo
KcXWith the heads of father and son lined up, Lucian turned to the members of the tribe and declared.YNNcaD
pRIGKH“From this moment on, I am your king.”3uck
9Ft“…”jh3b4
gYbm“…”IPHEH
wf0S5zCThe tribe fell silent. No one cheered his proclamation. No one mourned the old chief’s death.Heu
O85rMThe reason was simple—the battle Lucian had shown was far beyond any common sense.ckiuT6
zf3r7eIt wasn’t like the warrior woman who had reached the pinnacle, nor like a legendary hero fighting bravely.KawrcY
lDYLucian had received all attacks as if watching the flailing of insects, and then crushed them with power, as if annoyed.o3xiyMN
H87mgOIt didn’t seem like a battle between warriors—it was the scene of a god descending to earth to punish the arrogant.nPxT
3YXdPBaThat’s why the looks they gave Lucian weren’t those of admiration toward a great warrior—but reverence toward a deity.PPXob
WP9I“K-king.”E3j01
G105lk“King…!”Ozr
7SxrSKAn elder, tense to his limit, fell to his knees. The others followed immediately.SM3sEZ
qw0IdHe had seen this scene several times now, but the atmosphere was completely different.gt3e818
w4DBBefore, there had been hope in the new king; now, it was pure fear of angering a god.cY4
ZX3xHLucian sensed that fear and gave a bitter smile.a9Blr
CQpu‘I was aiming for this effect but maybe I overdid it?’u3IpTv2
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!