Chapter 214 – Omen of Crisis (3)
K0lf9NWhoosh-lhD
wAm6LbThe high-altitude wind brushed against my cheeks. My ears were ringing. And above all, it was cold. A cold so intense it seeped into my bones. But even so, the smile never left my face. Because.UcVV
c7xjOQI lowered my gaze. Through the scale-covered skin, I could see the landscape below. The clouds floating in the sky, and further down, the buildings piled up like Lego blocks.3pnZwhY
oVKRKQkIt was an overwhelming grandeur I had never felt before in my life. Very different from when I traveled by plane. No, incomparable. The impact of this primitive flight shook my entire being.ETvcCUI
Cyf5DTBesides, you can take planes on Earth. But a dragon? How many could say they’ve ridden a dragon? Even in this world, probably almost no one. After all, dragons were part of the demons.vqUmxj
oVjA demon carrying a human on its back? It was like seeing a mouse riding a cat.Cy9BnOk
be6cI lifted my gaze again. From the large horns to where I was sitting stretched the wide back. It was hard to believe this was the same Horn who drooled over any piece of meat.qpZS
tCVZHqAs I sighed in admiration, Horn turned her head toward me.yyMc
L6A0N1e– Sir Kang Geom-Ma.7vA
1ZPtG8She spoke in the language of demons. When she transformed into a dragon, her oral structure changed, and she couldn’t speak like a human.6usVX9
8mmy2VBut thanks to the “Blessing of Communication,” it wasn’t a problem for me. I answered her in demon language as well.0tcee3n
bEaEu“What’s up? Have we arrived?”3PR5
OVnkiFR– Not yet. But at this speed, I think we’ll get there in less than an hour.ufD
bAts“Wow… fast. It’s like flying from Korea to Hawaii in two hours. Even by plane, it takes eight and a half hours!”qfUw
vpRhThe muscles of her wings trembled slightly, as if she were shrugging.hHerakP
d7eFH– Comparing us to those chunks of scrap metal is insulting! We dragons fly using the magical energy of the environment, while those rusted pieces of iron…!myZGLQ
zAMnUbHorn began delivering a passionate lecture on the greatness of dragon flight. As I listened, I felt a strange déjà vu. Her way of speaking… her tone… was eerily similar to Choi Seol-ah.RK6d50
ks6‘…She’s definitely been contaminated from spending too much time with her.’1jozS
e6yqDI sighed, letting out a white puff of breath.bvoY
YmJEmSuddenly, I got curious and asked.BCrQ7s
lJR9“By the way, I’ve noticed your Korean has improved a lot. Do demons learn human languages quickly?”34a
AUU2C1– Not all of them. For a demon to speak human language, two conditions must be met.jsBz3
P7QLqOIn short, for a demon to speak Korean, they needed to have a mouth structure similar to a human’s and a high level of intelligence. Horn added that very few demons met both requirements.5GK5nb5
PVzjf‘If she meets both conditions, she must be a high-level demon…’E20Fa
ArPJ8But demons of that level rarely showed themselves. They hated leaving their own territory. Even scholars didn’t know exactly why. Horn didn’t know either; she said it was just their nature.1tXZg
Uv9RFortunately, that reserved nature greatly reduced the threats to humanity. But if those high-level demons started appearing, it meant something serious was happening.cAMjYkD
z83And if they came in large numbers, the problem was even more serious.dD41ORm
4tfA bad premonition crossed my mind.3Gzxk
2iWuSTX‘Something always happens whenever I go somewhere.’rGV6y
4WGnWe had already been traveling for half an hour when Horn murmured in a low voice.facrD
vXTE– Sir Kang Geom-Ma, for a while now, I’ve been sensing a strong demonic presence near the Gate of Gehenna.9cmwqy
iypyet“Well, it’s normal for demons to be near the Gate, right?”HxBC
JjwAgW– Yes… but this time it’s different. There are too many. And they don’t seem like ordinary demons. I don’t know exactly what race they are, but I’m sure there are a lot.GTM
JAsn44kI frowned and asked.x4g
ffG9“How many are we talking about?”zTU4l6p
qaDk3-Wait a moment.m7b
CWoRC4HHorn released her magic to expand her perception. Her scales bristled all at once. With her sharpened senses, she gave her answer.Lnqltw2
SHs– Approximately a hundred.26HC
yR8YGd“Shit!”dEteIP
sAKFWxkHorn opened her eyes wide in surprise.A9S6n
4Nkjl-What does that mean? I’ve heard it a lot, but no one tells me what it means. Even Choi Seol-ah just said it was something ugly.Um8jbu
pcBI2What an irony, coming from someone who used to be a villainess.OAvl4P
XwGTaWaHorn looked at me with eyes full of curiosity, like a child eager to learn. There was no point hiding it. She would hear that word more than once at the academy anyway.wqYj45T
rHmYiSo I said.kSvOIBm
Y5pOos“It’s a typical Korean expression. Normally it’s used when something bad happens… but it can also be used when something very good happens.”B2rmng
2FgDK– Ah, I see…!jICVnw
GRZ0VA pair of horns moved up and down in my field of vision. It was Horn nodding.zHKcsc
502“Let’s leave this conversation for later. Horn, can you go faster from here?”Dq5gi
aYJ– I can, but if I do, Sir Kang Geom-Ma might be affected. The freezing wind could tear your skin…ij6VVp
94SEVo0Horn answered with concern. I appreciated her worry, but honestly, my skin getting torn or damaged wasn’t a problem for me. After all, I could activate the “Blessing of Regeneration.”BvFx
iq7ZTo reassure her, I answered confidently.WpIe
2IRwjP“It’s fine, fly at your maximum speed. I’m sure you wanted to stretch your wings after so long without flying anyway.”TPn
OX8– Don’t blame me if you regret it later.w9DRLOs
EveNH“Regret? That’s for the weak—”MVY
2EmEFlap!hm4tz79
qsPWith a majestic flap, a whirlwind rose around us. My voice didn’t even reach her ears. The speed surpassed sound.XPKvU
SKdpoG***U3t
2hv“Hoh. Lower your sword, human. We have only come to talk, or more precisely, to negotiate.”vyKKMx6
KAqAn old dark elf, apparently their leader, was the one who spoke. At those words, Director Sung’s eyelids trembled. He felt a chilling terror.v5Lt
P4GFNDNot only were they completely surrounded by dark elves, but one of them also spoke the human language. The double shock left Director Sung momentarily panicked. The other heroes weren’t much better; they all paled. Except for one — the Swordmaster.CwjBA
JTSCmtU“Well, worthy of a descendant of Aaron Nibelung. You do not disgrace your ancestors.”tPZK
M26Yp9TThe old elf gave a twisted smile, somewhere between admiration and sarcasm. The Swordmaster responded in a cold voice.MH4C
1iTsomw“And you come to negotiate by creating this threatening atmosphere? It’s obvious you only learned half of our language, bastard.”NQIbyRG
0WO1kyU“Hahaha. My apologies.”LmImiv5
UuSBThe old man made a signal, and the dark elves lowered their weapons. Half of them carried bows, and the other half, wands made of ancient wood.jorkK
fusutgrThe tension in the air decreased slightly. The old man took a deep breath and continued.bDt6
TfyeoW“Shall we begin talking? We could retreat, of course, but it would be useless, wouldn’t it?”ZzZin
9ysWUThe dark elves specialized in long-range attacks. Even if they hid, their advantage would remain.eDQ
5FXmAware of that, the Swordmaster did not object. He merely pressed his lower lip lightly.mwgP3a
f5ww2m9The old man spoke again, as if coaxing a child.6kpYzJ
b8u“I understand your feelings well. But if you just shut yourself off, we’ll get nowhere. How about you first listen to our proposal?”43u
NioEReluctantly, the Swordmaster sheathed his sword. Then, he whispered to Director Sung.dbmoQvh
becPPN“Discreetly alert the Association.”hUt
MBEIV“…Yes, understood.”DNJMcM
OP6rDirector Sung, suppressing the tremble of his prosthetic hand, took out his phone. The old man seemed to notice the maneuver but did not intervene. He watched with the serenity of someone who knew he held the advantage.WtVBOfG
xOkReturning to the matter, the Swordmaster spoke bluntly.KgqSaL
dbGn8H“A negotiation is only valid when both parties are on equal terms.ypu
0pzaQ5D“Certainly. That’s why we’ve brought a small gift before negotiating.”Q3sBk1E
N3fZq9TThe old man continued, with his withered lips.W7ouG7
NLBta“Soon, the Fourth Corps Commander, Fermush, will break through the Gate and appear here.”II26
iAG— ”””…!”””J3W3Z
RE0All the Association employees and heroes were stunned. The old man smiled in satisfaction.i4cKGH
KhqQ“I am sure that you, descendant of the Founding Hero, know I am not lying. You will also understand the gravity of the situation. A Corps Commander crossing the Gate by himself…”V2YB
sB408MONo explanation was needed. The true power of a Corps Commander was incomparable to his summoned version. It was literally the difference between heaven and earth.O6C
5Y1The old man continued.bUEY
snga4aA“I’ll be direct. The dark elves wish to join humanity in the coming battle.”AOZ41fD
Ryb“…What kind of stupidity are you spouting?”tOQN0K
raMg9iFThe Swordmaster muttered, astonished.SMru1b
dMhyfg4“Elves and humans are quite alike, aren’t they? Not just physically. See how well we’re communicating now. We could coexist.”vS7hZ
bCph“……”upqJ
WiOui“I know that some of us died at the hands of humans a few days ago, but we can overlook that. What do you say?”E4jXT5k
8VXK5I“How generous. Suspiciously generous. And what do you want in return?”N7tbc
Idox“We don’t ask for much. Just a small territory to live in, and food.”1ngLPG
RrvWUpon hearing that, Director Sung’s face lit up. They were reasonable conditions. But the Swordmaster was not fooled.TVzVM
DBG3gHe slowly drew his sword.SHbqCHK
31bOLSwoosh.npeNh0
ZBdf“S-Swordmaster! Why?! It’s a good offer!”SEdaP9
qNBYNwc“Do you know what the primary diet of dark elves is?”H0CiJY
vSuMv3OThe question cut through the air. And within seconds, Director Sung understood.rilfyC
2qGWc‘Ah.’o3Ajm
n9GpThe answer struck his mind like lightning. He muttered.ChacMPT
2VQlQ1J“H-humans…”NIjVib
c3nZ1ckHe shifted his gaze forward. The old elf was smiling malevolently. Behind him, hundreds of red eyes glowed in the shadows.uwb
2jdEThey were the eyes of predators staring at their prey.1FHg
0qbfM“Unfortunately, the negotiations have failed.”AypMv
kKDvOThe old man clicked his tongue and stood up.Jy4
1LB08“Now that we know you won’t accept, there’s no choice but to join the Corps Commanders. And, to prevent this information from leaking, we will eliminate all witnesses.”GVNk
OoN“How very typical of you, pointy-ears.”dEmQ
1s1jQThe Swordmaster generated a wave of aura. The old man smirked.f5gW
ot3Q“I’ll keep your ears as a trophy.”ARIk
Q9bI5“And I’ll cut off your damned head.”9Qjd
2iREULThe Swordmaster stepped forward.uEo
LZ7fxsWhoooosh.k0ZcAkX
D8oO5cThe wind shifted direction. Darkness covered the forest. Everyone looked up. A massive object eclipsed the sun. Without time to identify it, that shadow fell toward the ground.uaHNgN
4jlPCTcBoom!bDNb
082SbPaThe impact created a trench in the ground. A cloud of gray dust covered the area around the Gate.ASIU
k4mwVClomp.uKf
b2SFrom the crack, a dark silhouette walked out. The Swordmaster, stunned, muttered.hb7hG
GfAJ“How are you here…?”gs0X9
wWZd7Kang Geom-Ma turned slightly, his hair tousled.vQjN
1LC“Did I interrupt something?”K7NEq
YiXYBUStill confused, the Swordmaster shook his head.tR0o
pHQ“No. You arrived just in time.”aX9ynR
RhxqHe replied while staring at him. Kang Geom-Ma gave a small smile.jrXfZ
ZS4lNO9“Good to hear.”7Kb6
Uq2hWith a subtle flick of his wrist, he activated his blessing.0ZJ3
QecdXa9++++++++++++++++++++++2RUxHD
to0y《May the Blessing of the God be with you.》IcWFj
acO3++++++++++++++++++++++KFZA
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaGood timing Kang geom 👍
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaYupp you did
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaGood nickname 👌
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaBoom 💥
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaOp swordmaster
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaFast and furious.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaHe have a habit of cracking jokes in serious situations.