Chapter 59
HEL SCANS
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Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle.
Only the strong survive, and the survivor consumes everything.
Mercy only grants scraps to the weak.
Therefore, strength is synonymous with justice.
It is right for all members of the tribe to aspire to this goal.
In the land of the dragons, such values were often praised.
Survival or extinction.
Predator or prey.
In this harsh and raw land, the Frost Dragon Tribe always stood in the position of predators.
And among them, Cuculli adapted particularly well to this logic of power.
Among the thirty or so children of Chief Dorempa, she was the only one who received his recognition.
As the next chief, the one scheduled for the “baptism” was also her.
“While you may be born weak, dying as a weakling is unacceptable.”
“So, fight. Keep charging even if your limbs are broken. Every fight has lessons and values to offer!”
Under such teachings, even before growing horns, Cuculli fought, and fought, and fought again.
Of course, she didn’t always win.
Cuculli’s fierce fighting spirit had no discrimination, and there were those stronger than her among them.
However, she survived and faced the strong of North Hale at least once.
‘It was around the time the northern region started getting a bit boring.’
For her, thirsty for new challenges, Rosenstark’s presence was a sufficient reason to decide on an imperial expedition.
Fight the strong and gain knowledge.
Most of her life flowed in such a manner, and Cuculli greatly enjoyed it.
To her, Leciel catching her eye was an inevitable occurrence.
“Wow, I really wish a professor would show up. Pretend to be drunk, challenge me once. How strong are you really? I’ve been itching since the interview.”
“It probably won’t be much of a challenge.”
“What about you then?”
“You seem to enjoy hearing the same answer.”
It was from the first moment they met.
That overwhelming talent was incredibly tempting.
But above all, what strongly provoked Cuculli was the look in Leciel’s eyes as she looked at the warrior.
There was a burning determination.
In the deep recesses of those seemingly indifferent, submerged pupils, Cuculli discovered intense emotions emanating heat.
The moment she found the powerful emotions within those sinking eyes, Cuculli felt the flames transferring onto her.
She was pleased.
Pleased that she could meet such a friend before receiving the “baptism.”
“Are you ready, Leciel?”
*Click.*
Cuculli’s strong hand gripped the hilt of the sword.
The sensation of each finger melding into the hilt, preparing for precise and powerful swordplay, everything was ready.
However, Leciel didn’t draw her sword.
She merely gazed at her with eyes flickering like flames.
Cuculli chuckled.
“Do you still think it’s not worth doing?”
“I guess you really didn’t want to hear that?”
“That’s just nonsense.”
“Well, if that’s all, you’ll lose to me.”
… In response, Leciel didn’t say anything more and finally grasped her sword.
At that moment, the other three members of Team 2 unconsciously stepped back into corners, gripping the handles of their swords.
It felt like sharp blades were wrapping around the entire space, a sensation of pain cutting into the air.
Cuculli laughed brightly.
Her body lowered gradually, like a cat preparing for the hunt.
“I won’t use magic because it’s unfair.”
“No. Use everything you can. Do everything you can.”
Leciel pounded the ground.
“If you don’t want to die…”
With a loud bang, a powerful shockwave spread in all directions.
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Early stages of the dungeon.
It started when they entered the trap area.
Leciel found herself in a very rational dilemma, considering the option of leaving her team members behind.
Team 2.
The warrior deliberately assigned the most lagging members to her team.
From Leciel’s perspective, it was a bursting disaster.
They fell into a blatantly visible trap, engaging in a battle that could have been avoided with hasty judgement.
Leciel had thought about just abandoning her team and leaving.
However, the words the warrior spoke in the previous class stopped him in his tracks.
“Do you think your operation just now showed an understanding of your teammates?”
Leciel knew too.
She had no understanding of her teammates.
She had no desire to understand them.
Despite attending classes together multiple times, their names and faces were all blurry.
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The words exchanged were all insipid and not worth responding to.
But Leciel found herself actively trying to save the teammates screaming in agony, a self-discovery amid the chaos.
‘Really annoying….’
All because of the shining video recording device embedded in the wall, which felt like the warrior’s eyes.
If she had left the team and acted independently, the warrior would have surely been disappointed.
He would have looked at her with cloudy eyes, filled with disappointment, just like her grandmother.
Just recalling that scene filled Leciel with determination.
So, with great effort, she progressed through the dungeon, dragging the trio of burdensome companions along.
However, due to her lack of familiarity with party play, it took quite some time just to reach the midpoint.
“You’re really amazing.”
“Thanks, I owe my life to you.”
“Wow, if it weren’t for Leciel, we would have been in big trouble. We would have been wiped out.”
Well, it didn’t feel that bad.
It seemed like she showed the kind of behaviour the warrior desired.
Until she saw the idiot waiting for her amid the dark corridors, she felt that way.
‘It’s already too late… .’
Clang!
Dodging the flying sword, she bit her lips tightly.
Reluctantly, she admitted that it didn’t seem like it would end quickly.
The sound of the blade hitting the ground echoed.
Shifting the shape shifter into the most familiar form, a longsword, she thought,
‘I need to finish this as quickly as possible.’
In the world, Hiyashin’s swordsmanship was often described as, ‘Suitable for any situation.’
For over three centuries, the Hiyashin family had produced countless swordsmen, and Leciel, inheriting that legacy, incorporated all the insights and techniques of the previous swordsmen into her own sword.
She had mastered almost all types of swordsmanship, from longswords to curved swords and short swords.
This mastery allowed her to handle any type of attack and penetrate any type of defense.
The Shape Shifter, designed to freely display this versatile swordsmanship, emitted a metallic sound as the blade rippled, changing its shape and mass.
“Wow, amazing…!”
With her mouth agape, Leciel sharply shouted at her teammates who were watching the spectacle.
“I’ll join you all later, so continue on your own! I’m warning you, don’t get fooled again…!”
“Wow, you have a lot of free time!”
Clang!
Failing in her surprise attack, Cuculli flipped through the air and rushed towards the ground again.
Her wall of black hair fluttered, and mana gathered in her right arm, the one wielding the sword.
Sweeaak!
An explosive sword strike shot towards Leciel’s throat.
The force beneath her footsteps was so powerful that it caused the ground under her boots to sink.
Swirling sounds echoed as Cuculli’s beloved weapon, her sword, transformed into a whip-like form.
The flexible whip had a versatile range, and its unpredictable movements made it challenging to anticipate its trajectory.
Moreover, the whip, a weapon capable of reaching the speed of sound, allowed for unexpected manoeuvres far surpassing ordinary humans.
Moreover, the person wielding it now surpassed human capabilities in terms of balance, muscle strength, reaction speed, concentration, and joint range of motion.
This was why there was no peer who could withstand Cuculli for more than a few moves.
However…
“Sloppy.”
Leciel’s straightforward sword strike pierced through the myriad variations.
Swish!
The shadows of the countless changing forms that filled the arena disappeared in an instant.
Leciel had no intention of prolonging the fight.
She aimed to quickly subdue the opponent and be the first to place the bomb artifact on the dungeon pedestal.
Zing!
“Iko!”
Meanwhile, Cuculli gradually realized that defeating Leciel with swordsmanship alone was impossible.
The grip, capable of smashing even rocks, was too intimidating.
“Wow, this is a real monster.”
Cuculli hesitated as she prepared to attack again.
Splurt!
Cuculli, who had dodged a stabbing attack from the corner, used her extremely flexible waist and sharp senses to return to her original position.
The close-quarters battle was turning in Leciel’s favour with each move.
“Haha, alright, let’s see!”
Szzz-!
But she had magic.
Powerful magic surged in Cuculli’s outstretched left hand.
Leciel had no choice but to grit her teeth.
‘She said she wouldn’t use it.’
The way the Frost Dragons wielded magic differed entirely from humans.
While their magic consumption was tremendous, they didn’t require incantations, spell formulas, or magic circles.
Swoosh-!
A thick ice wall suddenly appeared in the air, blocking Leciel’s path.
It was a distance where there was no time to stop.
With increased velocity, her body collided with the ice wall.
However, Cuculli had no expectation that the ice wall could stop Leciel.
She soared over it effortlessly.
Swhirrr-!
Without losing much momentum, Leciel emerged on the other side of the ice wall.
Her forehead was slightly furrowed, and her speed remained almost unaffected.
Immediately, dozens of sword energy rained down.
Anticipating the attack, Cuculli leaped, dodging in advance.
Ssac-!
Even so, the sole of her shoe was cut.
“Argh! Does this even make sense?”
Her toes peeked out through the torn shoe as the wind chilled her feet.
Yet, she didn’t give up.
Despite Leciel’s seemingly flawless swordsmanship, there must be weaknesses.
She felt a subtle gap a few days ago, and now was the time to exploit it.
Kwaang-!
Cuculli slammed the ground and leaped, her exceptional physical abilities combined with magical output making it more akin to gliding through the air.
Soaring to the ceiling, her hand extended towards Leciel.
“…?”
Leciel’s expression, initially focused on timing her descent, stiffened for the first time.
Swoosh-!
Swoosh-!
Szzz-!
Intense magic surged.
Ice sculptures, forming adult upper bodies, emerged in the air, combining with a resounding noise.
In a short time, a massive shadow loomed over the arena, a small icy mountain bathed in a bluish glow.
“Hehehe….”
At the top of the structure, Cuculli’s horns gleamed a deep blue, indicating that over 90% of her magic potential was in play.
“Hurry up! Let’s finish this quickly!”
“Hmm….”
Watching the scene, Leciel clicked her tongue.
Even though she was facing Cuculli, who wasn’t even the hero, the fact that she had to consider using “Simgeum” bothered her.
‘How much time has passed?’
While other teams were likely progressing through the dungeon, relying solely on the trio of fools she had sent seemed unreliable.
‘I should finish in first place.’
Feeling frustrated and rushed, everything seemed to be in chaos.
“Ah.”
Leciel, for the first time in a long while, felt her sword tremble.
In that moment of confusion and frustration, a colossal iceberg surged towards her.
HEL SCANS
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