Chapter 152
-You always take care of others.Do you have no attachment to your own life?
Those had been Kim Jin-Myeong’s first words to Jae-Hyeok the day after the Troll Lord incident. At that time, Kim Jin-Myeong had visited him in the infirmary after learning of his saving Class A’s homeroom teacher, Park Joo-Bong, with a top-grade potion.
-It is true; seeing you live up to your aristocratic duies... I’m deeply moved. But I’m also worried... Jae-Hyeok, if you want to help more people, then you need to take care of yourself first.
Jae-Hyeok had never seen Kim Jin-Myeong with such a dark expression as then. He seemed worried that Jae-Hyeok might not live long.
He will probably be worried this time as well...
Jae-Hyeok coughed and climbed to his feet.
The tunnel had been narrower, deeper, and steeper than he’d expected. He’d protected himself with a layer of mana, but after ten minutes of tumbling and crashing against the rocky walls, Jae-Hyeok had reached the bottom with more than a few broken bones.
I’m glad that my internal organs are fine, at least.
He checked his physical condition and poured a potion on his wounds.
[No effect.]
[You are in a state of mana poisoning. There are 19 minutes and 13 seconds left until you recover.]
There are still 19 minutes... Jae-Hyeok sighed and changed tack. He cut the tree roots exposed in the tunnel to use as splints. Then he tore and tied his clothes to use as bandages.
He had been injured many times over his years of training, so he was good at first aid.
Jae-Hyeok tested his foot a few times before he started to walk.
It was slow, but he could move. His movements were accompanied by terrible pain, but nothing he couldn’t bear. Enduring pain was his greatest ability.
I have to hurry.
Stagger.
Jae-Hyeok’s forced movements revealed his concern and worry; Do-Jin had been kidnapped, confronted with the desecrated corpses of his parents, nearly killed, and kidnapped again...
It was worse than any nightmare.
Even Jae-Hyeok, who prided himself on having a strong mentality, would be overwhelmed after going through so much.
Do-Jin needed time to recover mentally. At the very least, he should’ve been given the chance to recover his parents’ corpses. But before he could do anything, he was kidnapped again.
Jae-Hyeok clenched his jaw. I invited this trouble.
The white tiger beastman had mentioned the dragon harpoon and seemed to be the leader of the other beastmen that had infiltrated Lion’s Castle. They all wanted something called the dragon harpoon from Elder Song. To get it, they had targeted Jang Yeon-Jun and Roh Jun-Yeop, and now even Do-Jin.
If I hadn’t... If he hadn’t involved Jang Yeon-Ju and Roh Jun-Yeop and asked them to retrieve Elder Song, the people around him wouldn’t have suffered.
I have to make this right.
-I found the mole’s dying words.The ones who helped Elder Song escape are your subordinates, right?Baek Do-Jin, the real power behind the Shooting Club.Tell me the whereabouts of the dragon harpoon.
Jae-Hyeok pondered over the white tiger’s words.
The mole had been the beastman who’d created an escape route during the assault on Lion’s Castle, only to be killed by the president of the Student Council.
This was likely to be one of the tunnels he’d left behind.
Judging by the depth of the tunnel, it is no wonder that the armed forces didn’t discover that mole’s tunnels.At least, not until Professor Wu Gyo-Hwan discovered it.
Before then, the mole beastman likely roamed freely beneath Lion’s castle, overhearing and recording bits of information around the school.
As the manager of the Shooting Club, Do-Jin had likely taken the fall as the mastermind when the mole beastman traced Jang Yeon-Ju and Roh Jun-Yeop’s identities and reported back to the white tiger.
Shit.
Jae-Hyeok’s steps became a bit faster. He used his green scabbard, the symbol of the Kang family, as a cane and dragged his broken left leg forward.
Even if he managed to catch up with the white tiger beastman, there was no guarantee that the situation would improve. From what he saw, the aura of the white tiger wasn’t ordinary.
He had a zero chance of winning a fight in his current state, but it was impossible to leave Do-Jin behind. He wanted to at least give Do-Jin the chance to retrieve his parents’ corpses.
“Gasp, gasp...”
His breathing gradually became ragged. It was a familiar state. Just this much was nothing to him.
The edges of his broken bones shifted and sliced him from within. That was fine; he could use a potion later.
Blood and sweat clouded his dim vision. But Jae-Hyeok wiped his eyes. No problem; he could fix that easily enough. Jae-Hyeok loosened his tie and tied it around his forehead with trembling hands.
In fact, not just his hands, Jae-Hyeok’s whole body was trembling from severe blood loss. Willpower alone kept Jae-Hyeok standing, as if his mind alone sustained his body.
It was also thanks to Jae-Hyeok’s mental strength that he didn’t flinch when he rounded the next turn in the tunnel.
“You sure are persistent.”
The white tiger beastman’s over-three-meter-tall frame loomed over Jae-Hyeok.
Jae-Hyeok only smiled, relieved to have caught up.
The ‘King’character boldly etched on the white tiger beastman’s forehead wriggled like a calligraphy brushstroke come alive. “Is this funny to you?” Jae-Hyeok’s smiling face had riled its temper. “So the so-called geniuses are like this. After overcoming so many low-stakes trials and repeatedly confirming your talent, you can no longer recognize a real crisis.”
Grrrr.
The white tiger beastman bared its fangs and growled, causing even the ground under Jae-Hyeok’s feet to vibrate.
[The innate majesty of a king terrifies you.]
So it also has King’s Roar, Jae-Hyeok realized.
“This is why geniuses are always so short-lived.” The white tiger beastman lightly swung its front paw, condensing mana into the form of tiger claws that flew through the air with such force that the tunnel trembled from the pressure.
Jae-Hyeok didn’t move even as the claws neared his face. However, he hadn’t lost his composure. As someone who also possessed King’s Roar, Jae-Hyeok had a certain level of resistance to the white tiger beastman’s intimidation. Moreover, the status-condition resistances that Noble Chivalry granted him helped greatly.
[You, who possess the qualifications of a king, don’t easily bow to other kings.]
[You have resisted King’s Roar.]
The status condition resistances granted by Noble Chivalry were also very helpful.
Jae-Hyeok tilted his head. His right ear was half cut off, while below his left eye, there was a deep wound that exposed the bone.
Jae-Hyeok didn’t flinch.
Hair flying, eyes blazing—he drew his sword.
The white tiger sneered, “Even now, you don’t doubt your abilities. Arrogant to the end.” The white tiger raised its paw and blocked Jae-Hyeok’s counterattack, catching Iyarugt between its claws. The sword rang as if it had clashed with something indestructible.
The white tiger wondered, “For what purpose did you chase me here? To save the kid? Your loyalty is admirable, but also foolish. Do you not know what you are up against? It’s ridiculous that you believe you can do anything to me in your current state.”
There was a cracking sound. The white tiger beastman naturally assumed it was the sound of the boy’s red sword breaking, but then it felt a sharp pain in its finger and lowered its blue eyes, only to witness the moment its claws completely shattered.
“What?”
The white tiger beastman’s fur bristled as it recaptured the boy’s sword in its paw. Blood dripped from its paw, but the white tiger ignored it, eyes filled with desire.
“A legendary sword! How did a kid like you get such a great thing... Wait?” The white tiger beastman narrowed its eyes as it stared closer at Jae-Hyeok’s face. “This face and that sword-drawing technique just now... I thought you were extraordinary. So you’re the Yaksha’s son? Is this a treasure of the Kang family?”
“......”
Jae-Hyeok didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The moment he tried to say something, his breathing faltered, and he felt like he was going to pass out.
Nevertheless, Jae-Hyeok’s eyes remained sharp, so the white tiger misunderstood his silence.
“It’s useless to keep it a secret. No matter what, I, Krellon, will take this.”
The muscles in Krellon’s arms swelled as it gripped Iyarugt’s blade hard. Jae-Hyeok was quickly overwhelmed and Iyarugt was ripped from his hands.
“It’s your honor to gift this to the king of the White Tiger Tribe.”
Krellon smiled. It was convinced that the power of this beautiful red sword would be of great help when hunting the dragon that burned its hometown.
“If you want it... I will give it to you.” Jae-Hyeok said.
He didn’t appear fazed at all by his family’s treasure being robbed.
“Instead, release Do-Jin. Cough, cough! In the first place, the one who knows the whereabouts of the dragon harpoon... is me... not him.”
“Hmm.”
Krellon didn’t dismiss Jae-Hyeok’s words. After all, there was a rumor that Elder Song was originally from the Kang family. It replied, “That sounds nice and all. However, a deal only works when two parties have an equal relationship. You don’t deserve to demand anything from me.”
Krellon took a step aside to reveal Do-Jin.
Krellon had forcefully dragged him through the tunnel, so Do-Jin’s condition was no better than Jae-Hyeok’s. His eyes were closed, and there was blood foam around his mouth. He looked like he had some internal injuries.
Krellon continued, “I don’t mean that I am going to reject your offer. But I can’t let this kid go so easily; after all, you play tricks once you’ve gotten what you want, so I’ll be holding onto him until the dragoon harpoon is in my hands. Also... ” Krellon raised Iyarugt and pointed it at Do-Jin’s shoulder. “To show I’m serious, I’ll take one of his arms first.”
Krellon didn’t wait for a reply and swung the sword down with all his strength. However, Jae-Hyeok was already in motion. Jae-Hyeok’s splintered leg bone gained a dozen new fractures as he exploded and stabbed Alus’ Dagger at Krellon.
Krellon snorted. “Sure enough, the Yaksha’s son can’t go obediently.”
Krellon altered the path of Iyagurt midswing, now striking toward Jae-Hyeok.
However, like a wilting flower, the red color faded from Iyarugt, and it transformed into a gloomy black hwando. The hwando might be the symbol of the Kang family, but it was still just an ordinary weapon. In contrast, Jae-Hyeok’s Grand Justice Alus's Dagger was epic grade.
The moment the two weapons clashed, the hwando shattered.
Had Krellon infused its aura into the sword, then even the difference in rarity wouldn’t have been enough to shatter the normal hwando. But Krellon was careless.
“Huh?”
The dagger slipped into Krellon’s chest, dying his white fur red. It was only a small wound, but it was a devastating blow to Krellon; a dying human boy had actually wounded it, the great king of the white tigers?
Meanwhile, the toll of Jae-Hyeok’s injuries caught up to him and he fell to his knees. As his consciousness faded, he heard a faint voice.
[Noble Chivalry responds to your great deeds.]
[A fifth Code of Chivalry has been established.]