Chapter 138. The Condition for the Fifth Evolution

– I am the strongest Dragon Sword in history.

When no one refuted his confident declaration, the old man pointlessly scratched his head.

“Tsk. Awkward. Alright, let’s go down. Ah, before that……”

“……??”

“You, Muno Drasen. Though it was an abbreviated version, since we’ve agreed to count it as an initiation ceremony, I should also bestow some teachings.”

At the voice that came out while everyone’s eyes were focused, Muno couldn’t help but scowl.

“What did you say you were going to do?”

“Teachings……”

“Whatever it is, let’s deal with the Hydra first.”

He thought that the so-called teachings might be something like another high-altitude drop, so he cut him off and forcibly changed the subject.

At his blatant refusal, the old man also frowned slightly.

“Insolent brat. Don’t worry. I’ll finish it with a few short words.”

“Yes?”

“If you were a guy who had finished his third evolution as the rumors say, I would have had a lot to say. It seems you’ve somehow overcome the wall of the mind.”

The wall of the mind?

Just as he was wondering if he was talking about his own path.

“For the fifth evolution, you just need to overcome the wall of the body.”

“The wall…… of the body?”

“Yes. Usually, it’s much easier than the wall of the mind, so many people overcome it without even realizing it, but a guy like you with a trait that’s not just complex but downright bizarre can unexpectedly get stuck there.”

“What does that……?”

Honestly, it didn’t resonate with him.

He didn’t know how the man could mention his trait after seeing him for such a short time, but no matter how bizarre the Demon Devourer was, could it be more so than Victon?

‘Putting Rauel aside, I saw a guy who had completely abandoned his human form evolve to 5-Star right before my eyes.’

However, the Duke’s thoughts seemed to be different.

“Training one’s body to its limits to match the purpose of one’s trait. That is the prerequisite for achieving the fifth evolution.”

“……Yes?”

It was getting harder and harder to understand.

“On the premise that one has potential, a Corporeal Arts user who has awakened their 1st trait can easily reach that condition just by training to match its power and speed. Even for a complex 2nd trait, it would only take a little more time. That’s why many don’t even know the term ‘wall of the body’. But! The story is completely different for 3rd traits, where various concepts are often mixed, and the person themselves often doesn’t know their own potential. In that sense, I’ll ask you.”

The gaze of the Dragon Sword Duke as he looked at him while saying those words held a certain conviction.

“For what purpose was that bizarre trait of yours manifested? Can you train your body to the extreme to match it?”

He didn’t know when the man had seen him to be talking about his bizarre trait, but the problem was that it was true.

And the Dragon Sword Duke was giving advice that was appropriate for it.

Although it was a very vague statement.

‘The purpose of the Demon Devourer? Body training that suits it?’

He wondered if it was enough to just become strong enough to beat up demons, but for some reason, he felt that wasn’t it.

He was confused.

Did it show on his face?

“……Still, it seems you’ve felt something. It’s rewarding to teach. If you get stuck later, come find me again.”

The Duke, who had chuckled, soon stood at the edge of the cliff and gestured.

“Now, let’s go. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of creature it is.”

And he threw his body off the cliff just like that.

Pabak.

When he followed and jumped down, he saw the Duke, somehow, changing his trajectory as if riding the wind mid-fall and entering the cave.

‘I didn’t even feel any movement of mana?’

While having his doubts, he moved his chains and drove them into the cliff again.

The two Red Iron Knights jumped into the cave before him, kicking off the rock wall much more easily than he did.

When he belatedly jumped into the cave.

“Puhuhuhu. I’m already tingling. My blood is boiling for the first time in a while.”

He saw the Red Iron Knights momentarily take a step back at the sight of the Dragon Sword Duke’s back, which was emitting killing intent.

The Red Iron Knights, who never took a single step back in a fight, acted like rookies whenever they saw the Duke.

Thinking that they must have had it really rough in their younger days, Muno passed them and approached the Duke.

At that, the Duke looked back at him and chuckled.

“……As expected, you’re a useful little brat.”

As he felt a surge of anger at the words that seemed to look down on him.

Without realizing it, the anger he had been suppressing was expressed through his tongue.

“Your Excellency should also be a useful old geezer.”

Heok!

He himself was surprised after spitting out the words and flinched.

He met the Duke’s brutal gaze.

‘This damned tongue of mine.’

The Red Iron Knights who were following quickly blocked his way.

“Your Excellency! Sir Muno is the future of the kingdom……!”

“In the heat of youthful passion, one can make mistakes……!”

Thanks to the urgent voices pouring out at the same time, he could clearly recognize what a big mistake he had made.

But the old man, who was staring blankly at him from between them, burst into hearty laughter.

“Puhahahaha! I knew I saw you right. Good, kid. Muno Drasen. I like you. Stick close to my side.”

He spat out words he hadn’t expected.

“……Y-yes?”

“Stick by my side instead of dying while confronting a legendary monster for no reason. Or you can just run away.”

Is this old man taking me for a coward?

“That won’t happen.”

“Right. I like your spirit, but……. Hmm?”

The moment the old man, who was walking with a chuckle, slightly frowned.

A familiar voice was heard from the other side.

“Sir Muno! The others too…… Oh!?”

Rauel, who had been watching the sleeping monster, rushed out and then stopped short upon seeing the Duke.

Just from that subtle change in her expression, he could feel that she was greatly surprised to see the Duke.

“Oho. There’s another useful one here. Her skin color is unique, but……. useful.”

At those words, Rauel asked with her eyes.

‘Who?’

“His Excellency, Duke Kyle Dragon. Come here, Rauel.”

“Ah, ah. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time! But I……”

“That’s enough. I know what you’re going to say, but this isn’t the situation for introductions, so stand behind.”

“Uh, uh yes, but Sir Muno……”

As she approached his side and tried to add a word, Muno also shook his head.

“I know. It seems to be waking up, right? That thing?”

“Yes? Yes, how did you……?”

“It’s probably because of that man.”

Kyle Dragon, smiling as he slowly exuded killing intent.

He still couldn’t get used to the brutal smile that appeared on his wrinkled face.

And more than anything, he couldn’t understand that even stronger presence.

‘White beard, white hair, even wrinkles on his face. He’s clearly old.’

– Magicians age faster and have shorter lifespans than their age, priests and Corporeal Arts users are similar to ordinary people, and only Spirit Masters live long and retain their youth beyond their set lifespan.

The common sense of the continent.

But looking at the Duke in light of that, he felt a sense of disparity.

‘A body that has condensed such absurd power ages like an ordinary person?’

A question about the essence of Corporeal Arts, which he had never thought about before, arose.

Why do the owners of bodies that have evolved beyond human limits age similarly to ordinary people?

But there were also exceptions.

‘I think I heard that Corporeal Arts users whose traits are related to lifespan live for a very long time.’

Since the first evolution is usually met in dramatic situations, it was hard to find owners of traits that extended lifespan in reality.

There were even grim rumors that among those who had manifested such traits, some were torn to death by those who coveted the secret of immortality.

The random thought that suddenly popped up also led to a strange intuition for a moment.

“Could it be related……”

The words the Duke had just said as teachings.

– Training one’s body to its limits to match the purpose of one’s trait. That is the prerequisite for achieving the fifth evolution.

For some reason, the thought he just had about Corporeal Arts and lifespan seemed to be related to it.

‘What could it be.’

Just as a corner of his mind was just getting itchy without a clear answer coming out.

“Focus. The creature has woken up.”

With the Duke’s cool words, he felt the air around him change.

The underground plaza, seen with a suddenly brightened vision.

The green scales and the nine heads of the awakened monster, illuminated by the sporadically hung torches.

The monster’s red eyes were all glaring fiercely at the group, or more precisely, at the Duke.

Even though the vicious gleam, more ferocious than any beast’s, was bearing down on him without a sound, the Duke’s smile was spreading even wider.

“Puhahaha. Good, good. But what is that? A human head?”

There was only one head looking elsewhere.

[You bastard! Because of you!!!!]

The human head, emitting intense killing intent, had its red eyes fixed on Muno.

And.

– Krrrrrrrr.

– Krrrrr.

– Krk.

The other heads were only glaring at the Duke, making the characteristic cries of beasts.

As the sound echoed throughout the plaza, an even more intense demonic energy began to emanate from the monster’s body.

And only then did the Duke frown.

“What’s this? It’s different from what I heard.”

“Yes?”

“I’m saying it doesn’t seem to have reason. Except for that human head.”

The reason was very different from what he had thought.

“No, then……”

Are you saying it’s normal for a monster of that appearance to have reason?

He wanted to say that, but.

[It’s all your fault!!]

The human head with the red eyes of a beast shouted and unleashed a huge bolt of fire from its head.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwa.

“Duck……!”

The moment he reflexively stood in front of Rauel, his vision turned white, and an incredibly hot and intense light bore down on him.

Chwareureureuk.

Even as he instinctively wrapped his chains all around him and tried his best to absorb the demonic energy.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

He couldn’t help but be pushed back helplessly by the strong impact.

“Kyaak!”

With the sound of Rauel’s scream behind him, his body was pushed backward.

Paaaaaang.

He even felt a sudden floating sensation.

And following the feeling of falling, he felt a hot energy, and when he came to his senses, he saw a river of flames passing over his head.

‘Damn it……!’

In a single blow, he had been pushed beyond the cave entrance and thrown completely outside the cliff.

He wondered what had happened to the others, but all he could see right now was Rauel, who was falling with him.

“Mu. No. Sir!”

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have received that big of an impact either.

Chwareureureuk.

“Go up first!”

“Yes?!”

He wrapped his chains around her outstretched hand and threw her towards the cave entrance.

Paaaaaang!

And he extended another chain and drove it into the cliff.

Kwadeudeudeuk.

Kukukukukung.

Only then was he barely able to stop his body in mid-air.

And at that moment.

– Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

He saw the top of the cliff completely explode.

“No!!!!”

The sight of Rauel, whom he had thrown, being swept away by the explosion appeared as if in slow motion.

And the next moment, giant green scales and heads were revealed through the dust cloud.

[Mo, move as I wish. You ignorant monster! This damn thing!]

– Kyaoooooooooooo!!

Kuuuuuung.

The nine-headed monster that had somehow broken the cliff and was now screaming on top of it. Among them, one head in the shape of a human face stood out.

From all around it, dark red demonic energy poured down like a waterfall.

It wasn’t even proper magic; just by being grazed by the demonic energy it was emitting, he could see the cliff turn black and the grass and trees wither.

In front of it were two red knights, stepping on the collapsing cliff, avoiding the monster’s demonic energy and its body, and swinging their swords.

Not far from there, he saw Rauel landing with a look of dismay.

As he let out a sigh of relief seeing that.

– Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang!

Once again, the ground beneath the monster’s feet exploded, and a golden radiance shot up.

At the same time.

– Come! Castaria!!!

A thunderous voice shook the surroundings.

– Kkieeeeeeeeeee!

From high in the sky, a brown Wyvern flew towards that golden light.

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