Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 229: Through the Sea, to the City of Dragons (2)

The divided galleon was slowly sinking, its movement elegant like a butterfly unfolding its wings. The desperate cries of the people on board echoed across the sea.

“The ship, the ship!”

“Aahhh! Save us!”

Some people who had narrowly escaped the killing blow jumped into the sea. Those who escaped through the cut section of the ship looked like rats fleeing before an earthquake. Shullifen, who was watching the sinking ship, let out a disappointed sigh.

“It’s weaker than I thought.”

“This bastard…”

Ronan chuckled. His strength had improved to an unimaginable level, and his sword, which had flown away with the wind, was returning to its original form.

‘Is this what they mean by a genius?’

Ronan had thought he had gotten somewhat careless because he was chatting with his sister, but it was a perfect misunderstanding. No matter what anyone said, this kid was the greatest sword in the continent and the Raising Star of the Empire.

At this point, if the two went at it with everything, it’d be impossible to guarantee victory. Shullifen, who was staring at the ship, spoke up.

“Are they still coming? I thought they would stop after one blow.”

“Huh?”

Ronan shifted his gaze. The remaining two ships were rapidly approaching. The survivors were shouting for help, but there was no sign of them stopping.

It seemed that dealing with their group was more urgent than saving their own people. Suddenly, a flash of light burst from the front of the two galleons. Whew! The sound of a whistle, which they had heard earlier, echoed continuously.

“Ah, you want to go all out?”

Ronan whistled. This time, it was clear. Exactly twenty artillery shells were flying towards them, cutting through the wind.

Earlier, they had been caught off guard, but this time, there was no way but to block them. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, and a red crescent moon swept across horizontally, deflecting the artillery shells. Boom! A wall of flames and smoke appeared between the two galleons and Ronan, causing a commotion.

“Shit, what was that…?!”

The wall soon dispersed in the sea breeze, revealing the two galleons, which had drawn closer.

There was no time to reload. Shullifen, who had taken a stance, swiftly swung his sword. The wind-blade, which had returned, struck the two galleons once more. Boom! The upper decks of the ships, which had been cut diagonally, slid into the sea.

“That was easier than I thought.”

Ronan put away his sword. He had expected a bit more, but this was beyond ridiculous. Just then, several dark objects erupted from the sinking galleon like fireworks.

“Hmm?”

Ronan narrowed his eyes, sensing something. They didn’t seem to be artillery shells, but it was hard to discern their true nature because of the glare.

The objects, which were drawing near in a parabolic arc, finally came into view. The two young men furrowed their brows.

“…People?”

“It seems so.”

Heavily armed soldiers were raining down like meteors. It was an unprecedented format of airborne troops.

Each of them seemed to be quite heavy, and if they collided, it would be difficult to avoid damage. The soldiers, who had locked eyes with Ronan’s group, let out a fierce cry.

“You bastards! I’ll kill you all!!”

“In the name of Drahavier!”

Their voices were loud and fierce, suggesting that they were quite enraged. Well, it was understandable, given that their ships had been sunk before they could even do anything.

Suddenly, Ronan noticed a tattoo on the forehead of a bald man. The symbol, which resembled a dragon, he had undoubtedly seen at Aurora Skar.

These people could transform into monsters. Ronan let out a faint sigh.

“Get ready. They seem quite sturdy.”

There were around twenty of them. It wasn’t so many that they couldn’t kill them all, but if they let them collide with the ship in their current state, this rickety old ship would be destroyed.

It was troublesome, but they had no choice. If they could somehow restore the mast, they might be able to prevent Intargand from collapsing due to high blood pressure. If they cut them all into pieces and distribute the weight, they might be able to withstand it.

“The key is to take them all down at once.”

“As long as we can get rid of the big ones, it’ll be okay. The ship might get a bit dirty, but there’s no other way.”

“I understand.”

Shullifen nodded, understanding the plan. The sword body that turned into wind began to swirl. The condensed wind-blade was ready to strike.

He was certainly quick-witted. As Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword, the crimson color of the sun began to rise along the blade. He was about to take action. The bodies of the soldiers, who had been falling from the sky, froze in mid-air.

“Huh?”

Ronan and Shullifen were taken aback. It was as if the flying insects had been caught in a spider’s web. A wave of shock rippled through the area.

“M-My body won’t move…!”

“You cowardly bastards, what kind of trick is this?”

Judging from the reaction, it didn’t seem like it was their intention. Ronan suddenly noticed a shadow hovering above his head and turned around.

“The mast?”

The broken mast had been restored to its original state, standing tall and proud. The eerie, chilling ice was holding together the shattered part, connecting it seamlessly.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“This is…!”

Ronan’s eyes widened. Although it was damaged, the mast had regained its functionality. The voice of a frightened boy came from below.

“Heeik! D-Don’t scream!”

The soldiers’ shouts made Aselle’s shoulders flinch. His left hand was stretched towards the sky. Shullifen’s eyes were wide open in shock, and Ronan let out a laugh of amazement.

“As expected, I chose the right one.”

“Ro-Ronan! I’ve got them!”

Aselle shouted. Despite his slender build, he possessed a formidable physical strength. Moreover, it didn’t seem like he was struggling at all, which made Ronan think that he might even be the strongest among the three. Ronan praised him in a tone of admiration.

“Well done. Aselle, keep holding them.”

“Umm…? Like this…?”

Aselle was about to say something, but Ronan and Shullifen swiftly exchanged glances and swung their swords simultaneously.

Red and blue sword energies shot towards the soldiers, who were frozen in mid-air. The sword energies cut through their bodies without hesitation. Swoosh! Blood and internal organs splattered everywhere. The young men’s heads were showered with the gruesome sight. Thud! Aselle made eye contact with a head, which had fallen at his feet, and let out a scream.

“Heeik! Kyaaaah! Aaahh!”

“Aselle, don’t spill it, just hold it straight.”

“Wait, just a minute! Ahhh! There’s an eyeball in my back, nuh, nuh!”

Aselle struggled while maintaining his grip on the soldiers. The one-sided massacre continued. The Green Fang warriors, who had received the imprint, were unable to even let out a proper cry before they died, let alone transform.

“Such cowardice… Keuk!”

“Save… uhh…!”

“Lord Drahavier…ahhh!”

The hot blood splattered everywhere. The acrid smell of iron and blood filled the air. The sticky, bloody mess covered the deck, mast, and hull, making the ship even more deserving of its name, ‘The Red Gale’. The sound of severed body parts hitting the deck was like a loud drumbeat.

It was just as Ronan had expected. By cutting them down and reducing their volume, the impact on the ship’s hull was significantly decreased. Of course, it wasn’t completely damage-free, but Intargand would surely forgive this extent of damage. The blood-stained sail could be washed clean.

The intestine-like thing that had escaped from the body was fluttering like a ribbon on the mast. Within a few seconds, all the attackers except one were killed. The lone old man, who was suspended in mid-air, struggled and cried out.

“Wait, just a minute! Please, spare my life!”

“Should we?”

Ronan nodded, and at the same time, the crimson sword energy that was about to burst forth subsided. Shullifen, who was about to unleash a storm of swords, spoke up.

“Are you trying to extract information?”

“That’s right. Aselle, can you please?”

“Huuuh, uh, okay…”

Ronan told Aselle to release the old man. Aselle, who was still feeling queasy, released the magic that was binding him. Thud! The old man fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

“Uuuuh… uuuh… what are you people…?”

“You don’t have to know. Old man, if you want to live out the rest of your life peacefully, it’d be better to tell us everything you know. Why did you attack us, and what’s the deal with Drahavier…?”

“Gahh!”

Ronan stepped on the old man’s back and said. Although he was an old man with wrinkles, Ronan had no mercy or manners to show to a person who tried to take his life. The old man, who was struggling like a fish out of water, barely managed to lift his head.

“I’ll tell you everything…! Just please, get your foot off me. I can’t breathe.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you… really, thank you.”

Ronan lifted his foot. The old man, who was watching him, slowly got up. The imprint on his neck was clearly visible. It was a pretty unusual place to have an imprint.

Since time was of the essence, it would be good to gather information and go. Dydican had said that the boss, Drahavier, was going back and forth between Adren and the outside world.

He might know something, given his position of receiving the imprint. It wouldn’t be wise to play tricks, considering his life was on the line. The old man, who was stroking his neck, opened his mouth.

“As promised, I’ll tell you everything. M-My words are…”

“What are they?”

“My words are… die!!”

Suddenly, the old man stretched out his arms and rushed towards Ronan. His body began to transform, his muscles bulging as he took on a monstrous form. The difference in physique was so vast that it seemed like he was trying to crush Ronan with his body.

“What the hell.”

Ronan was taken aback by the sudden attack. He couldn’t understand why the old man was acting like this. Wasn’t he supposed to surrender when faced with an overwhelming difference in power?

Ronan easily dodged the attack and swung his sword. A red line appeared on the old man’s left arm and left thigh. As he confirmed the missed attack, he turned his body around. Swoosh! The old man’s left arm and leg flew into the air.

“Huh, huhuueok!!”

“You’ve really gone beyond your happy retirement. Why do you do such useless things?”

The old man, now with only one leg, spat out blood and fell over. Ronan stepped on the back of his neck again. This time, the resistance was much stronger. The old man, who was bleeding profusely, twisted his body and screamed in desperation.

“Get out of the way! I have to kill or capture you all!”

“I think that will be difficult.”

“Obediently be captured! I’m doing this for your sake! If not, then…”

The old man was about to say something, but suddenly, the imprint on his neck began to glow. A look of despair settled on his wrinkled face. He grasped his own neck with both hands.

“Bu, already…! Gueoruk…!”

The old man suddenly stopped talking and let out a strange, suffocating sound. The imprint on his neck was emitting a green glow. The flickering interval was getting faster, and it didn’t feel good at all.

“If you don’t want to talk, then just die!”

Ronan instinctively sensed the threat and threw the old man overboard. The body flew through the air like a shell, and just as it was about to hit the water, a green and purple mist burst out from his face.

“Guueoruk! Guueek!”

The most desperate cry echoed through the air. The gas that was pouring out from his nose, mouth, and eye sockets was a terrifying color that sent chills down the spine.

“Aaaah! Wh-what’s going on?!”

“This…”

Aselle and Shullifen raised their eyebrows. The old man’s teeth were melting away, and his eyeballs were shrinking like grapes, sinking into his eye sockets.

The old man’s body eventually withered away like a dead flower. Ronan quickly realized the situation and shouted.

“Shit, it’s poison! Everyone, cover your mouth and nose!”

“Ugh!”

He grabbed Shullifen by the scruff of the neck and ran down to the mast where Aselle was. If they got poisoned, it would be a huge problem. They had to get out of range before the ship took damage.

The poisonous cloud didn’t disperse even in the wind, and it reached high into the sky. Suddenly, a dreadful sense of unease crept up Ronan’s neck.

‘Wait… it’s not dispersing?’

It wasn’t just a simple suicide attack. The open sea, the old man’s attitude before the imprint was activated, and the mist rising high into the sky were all screaming with vibrant colors, as if trying to show something to someone. Ronan soon realized the meaning and spoke up.

“Aselle, let’s get out of here.”

“Heeek! Uh, okay?”

“We don’t have time. Use your telekinesis or whatever.”

Ronan grabbed Aselle’s shoulders. Aselle, who was still in shock, followed his instructions. An invisible force was pushing the ship’s stern, and in the distance, a massive shadow rose above the forest of the Pashanti Islands.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m