Chapter 105: The Centennial Beasts Festival (5)
“…Damn it!”
Ronan, who had belatedly regained his composure, chased after the Doppelganger. The fierce night wind swept through the forest. Adeshan’s shout echoed from behind.
“Ro-Ronan!”
However, Ronan had no time to pay attention to her. The Doppelganger’s speed was unbelievably fast. The trail of blood dripping from it was the only trace of where it was headed.
The Doppelganger would suddenly vanish whenever Ronan seemed to get closer. Ronan leaped over huge tree roots, passed beneath the trees haphazardly, and startled the dozing birds, all while running. When the Doppelganger disappeared behind the trees again, Ronan cursed under his breath.
“It’s so damn fast…!”
As Ronan ran, following the trail of blood, leaped over a large oak tree. An unfamiliar structure appeared before his eyes. It was a wide, pointed tent, like something used in a circus, and the roof was so high that he had to tilt his head back to see the top.
“What’s this…?”
Ronan spotted the entrance to the tent, which was wide open like a shark’s gaping mouth. The trail of blood led inside. Ronan was about to enter when Adeshan suddenly burst out of the tall grass behind him.
“Sunbae.”
“Okay, found you…!”
Adeshan, who had been following Ronan, stopped in front of him. Her hair, tied up in the back, glistened in the moonlight, and her sweat-soaked nape was shining white in the moonlight. As she rested on her knees and caught her breath, she opened her mouth.
“Whew… Why are you so fast at running?”
“Sorry, I was in a hurry.”
“Haah… No, it’s possible… By the way, Ronan, about the Doppelganger’s appearance…”
Adeshan turned her head to look at Ronan. He was still gripping the hilt of his sword, gazing towards the entrance of the tent. After a moment of silence, Ronan nodded.
“Right. It was me.”
“You…”
“Let’s focus on capturing it, for now. We can talk about the rest later.”
Although his thoughts were in turmoil, Ronan didn’t have time for anything else at the moment. They both moved forward.
As they entered the tent, an indescribable, intense odor washed over them. It was a mixture of various animal scents, like a cocktail. The inside was well-organized and reminded them of upscale stables.
“Wow… They’ve gathered them all here.”
“They spent a lot of money.”
The tent was a structure that stretched out in a straight line like a huge cave. The well-appointed interior was reminiscent of a luxurious barn.
The tent’s high ceiling was adorned with hanging lanterns, casting a soft glow. Along the walls on both sides, various creatures were housed in individual enclosures.
Glowing mice, tree camels, desert slimes, and many other mythical creatures and monsters, some of which were rarely seen in everyday life, were peacefully asleep in their enclosures.
‘It’s better than our dorms.’
Ronan laughed when he saw the luxurious facilities. It was clear that Varen had designed this place himself. Some of the enclosures were so well-equipped that they comfortably accommodate people.
“Let’s keep going.”
“Hmm.”
He looked around, but there was no sign of the Doppleganger. Fortunately, the trail of blood was still visible, leading them further into the tent.
As they ventured deeper, rarer and more dangerous creatures were revealed. Ronan couldn’t help but be amazed when he saw a fairy inside a glass cage emitting a pinkish glow.
‘They even brought a fairy here. Amazing.’
If Balus from his previous life had seen this, he would have been ecstatic. As they reached the end of the tent, an enormous enclosure stood before them.
“This is…”
“Grrrr! Grrrr!”
Adeshan looked inside a change and took a step back, startled, a massive Manticore was snoring with its stomach turned over. Ronan chuckled.
“So he was staying here. Not a bad place.”
Judging by its appearance, it was clear that it was the Manticore had been subdued by Varen. Perhaps because the training was over, all the restraints attached to various parts of the body had been removed.
The poisonous stinger at the tip of its tail was covered in a purple liquid, a potent venom capable of killing even large monsters like wyverns.
Ronan wondered if it was safe to show such creatures to students. Adeshan, who was standing next to him, tugged at his sleeve.
“Ronan.”
“Yes?”
Adeshan’s eyes were fixed on a dead end in the distance. Ronan turned his head, spotting a familiar figure standing there. Long, dark fur covered the figure’s neck.
“Varen?”
It undoubtedly seemed like Varen from behind. Ronan raised his eyebrow, puzzled as to why Varen was here when he was supposed to go somewhere else, as instructed by the note.
He was just wondering if their paths had crossed by coincidence, when suddenly something caught his attention. He noticed the bloodstains seeping from Varen’s boots and evaporating like shadows.
A chilling shiver ran down Ronan’s spine. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“It’s not the professor.”
“…Yeah, it’s the Doppelganger.”
Adeshan muttered under her breath. Then, Varen’s body slumped to the side, and another figure appeared from where the Doppelganger had fallen, appearing to be over three average-sized adult men stacked on top of each other. This imposing individual had a thick red beard covering his neck.
He wore a bear mask on top of his head. As the belated realization struck him, the mysterious man raised his head, and his eyes met Ronan’s.
“Who are you?”
“…!”
Adeshan involuntarily shrank back as she realized that this was no ordinary person. The deep, resonant voice carried an overwhelming power.
A fiery energy radiated through his muscular arms, thicker than Ronan’s waist, and his massive fists were poised to strike like imminent volcanic eruptions. Of all the beings Ronan had encountered, this man had the most rugged and sinister Aura.
‘It seems like the Doppelganger transformed after seeing this guy. Probably because Varen hates him… An Aura of this caliber… Damn it.’
Ronan let out a sigh. Even though he didn’t say a word, Ronan felt like he already knew his name. Why did his ominous predictions always come true? Regardless, he was grateful that other club members hadn’t encountered him first.
“Answer me. How did you get here? Or was it just by coincidence?”
“I was actually about to ask you just that, Arondale.”
The man named Arondale raised his eyebrow. He had been casually tilting his head but now placed his right foot on top of the transformed Doppelganger that had taken on Varen’s appearance.
“Do you know me?”
“Somewhat.”
Ronan nodded. It had occurred to him belatedly, but even in his past life, he had at least heard rumors about Kaliborro’s Three Giant Beasts.
The most prominent figures in the continent’s largest poaching organization. The brutal slaughterers whose acts had created a lake of animal blood. Ironically, he had even heard about them from Balus.
‘Balus used to sing their praises as if they were gods.’
During his time as a member of the punishment unit, Balus praised Kaliborro’s Three Giant Beasts as if they were gods. According to him, as long as these Three Giant Beasts existed, Kaliborro would live forever.
Among them, Arondale was mentioned quite frequently. Today, he would get a chance to confirm his strength firsthand. Ronan spoke up.
“I know your plan has failed, and by now, your underlings have all probably been defeated.”
“…What are you talking about? Do you even know who we are?”
“Well… Was it Kaliborro or something like that?”
Arondale’s face stiffened. Ronan slowly gripped the hilt of his sword, and the black blade of Lamancha emerged. He locked eyes with Arondale, and whispered.
“Sunbae, take the opportunity and run away. Go find Professor Navirose or Varen and bring them here.”
“You… What about you?”
Ronan didn’t reply. The silent understanding conveyed the message. Adeshan’s face hardened. After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded slightly. Arondale growled.
“Kid, unless you want to become food for wild dogs along with your family, you better talk. What do you know?”
“Why should I talk? Especially to a fucking poacher.”
Suddenly, Ronan scratched his ear with his pinky finger. Bulging veins appeared on Arondale’s temple. Ronan withdrew his finger and flicked the earwax toward Arondale.
“If you want information, take it out yourself.”
Ronan tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt. A crimson aura emanated from the blade of his sword. Adeshan, who had been slowly stepping backwards, turned and began to run. Meanwhile, Arondale nodded.
“Fine.”
Arondale suddenly put the mask he had been wearing on his head over his face. Ronan took a defensive stance, ready to counter-attack.
“What?”
“I can’t believe I’m getting into trouble with kids. No matter how much my reputation might’ve fallen…”
However, instead of attacking Ronan, Arondale reached for his belt. With a swift motion, he pulled out a cylindrical device, and a white gas erupted from its round buckle. Ronan cursed as he covered his mouth.
“Fuck, what is this…”
Ronan instinctively covered his mouth, but the gas was already inhaled. A sudden drowsiness overwhelmed him. Ronan finally realized why all the animals in the area were sound asleep; the poachers had used a sleeping gas.
“You dirty bastard…!”
‘If I lose consciousness right now, it’ll be all over.’
Ronan bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to stay awake, while spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. He turned to Adeshan and yelled.
“Damn it, cover your mouth!”
However, Adeshan had already vanished into the dissipating smoke. Ronan, struggling to stay awake, cursed under his breath. Before long, as the smoke dissipated, the sight of her lying on the ground became visible. Ronan clenched his teeth in frustration.
“Fuck, Adeshan.”
“Where are you looking?”
Whoosh!
With a loud crash, Arondale charged forward. His speed was beyond belief, and in a flash, the distance between them had closed to about fifteen paces. As the gap narrowed in an instant, Ronan twisted his lips.
‘He’s fast.’
It felt like a siege wall charging at him. Ronan prepared to confront Arondale head-on, knowing that if they clashed carelessly, both would likely end up dead.
As the distance between Arondale and Ronan shrank to around fifteen paces, Ronan aimed his strike. He lashed out with a wide swing of his blade, sending a crescent-shaped strike toward Arondale.
Swoosh!
“It’s a sword strike. Pointless tricks.”
Arondale did not stop or avoid even when he saw the sword strike coming right at him. He had faced numerous swordsmen in his life, and he could count the number of people who managed to hurt him on one hand.
He was confident that such a meager attack would not even manage to scratch him. Right then, the red sword energy collided with Arondale. His face suddenly distorted.
“Kugh?!”
Slash!
The sword energy passed through, grazing Arondele’s shoulder, causing excruciating pain as blood welled up.
The unexpected shock disrupted his charge, and he collided forcefully with the metal cage imprisoning the Manticore. The iron bars, which were thicker than most trees, were bent like taffy sticks.
“Fuck, what is this…?”
The sword energy was incredibly sharp. If he had been hit in the neck or head, he would have died instantly.
The man who had just been sent flying backward turned his head. Ronan’s face appeared before his eyes. The Lamancha held in his hand was emitting an eerie red light.
“Get lost!”
“What the…!”
Arondale frantically manifested his Aura. Whoosh! A burst of crimson energy erupted from his core.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Simultaneously, dozens of slashes crossed Arondale’s entire body.
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