### Chapter 339
The Guardian of the Great Sea, Zaratan.
The ten-star erosion creature, Zaratan, met his end engulfed by the white flames that even evaporated parts of the ocean.
Deep in the ocean, Kraush lifted his slightly weary head.
He might be using the Annihilation Flame Dragon now, but unlike before, he wouldn’t drop like a rock at the first opportunity.
Still feeling fatigued, he pressed his fingers to his eyes momentarily.
At that moment, Kraush felt something coiling around his ankle.
Looking down, he spotted shadows wrapping around him.
Without a second thought, Kraush averted his gaze.
Just ahead...
Glide was walking toward him.
In his hand, he held the egg of the sea dragon, having taken down Zaratan and dismantled him.
Kraush stared blankly at Glide.
Why? Because in his other hand, a formless black shadow was gathering, twisting ominously.
That looked like a bomb made of shadows.
If it exploded right there, it would obliterate everything in the vicinity.
Kraush was dumbfounded at the sight and let out a laugh.
“Now that the job’s done, you planning to kill me or what?”
“You can spin any excuse you want. The fact remains that you’re trash handling the powers of world erosion.”
Kraush let out a short sigh as he stared at the extreme world erosion hater, Glide.
“You know best that the Empress herself made me the bait for Ixion.”
Ixion was now a declared enemy of the world.
And Kraush was being used as bait by the Empire, Hardenhartz, and several groups to catch Ixion.
Killing Kraush here would send all those plans crashing down.
Knowing this full well, they still wanted to kill him?
“You seem to be missing something. Allow me to enlighten you.”
Glide abruptly stopped in front of Kraush.
“My brother, Glyze Hardenhartz, had infused the powers of world erosion into shadows.”
This was genuinely a revelation even for Kraush.
Glyze Hardenhartz, the firstborn of the Hardenhartz family.
According to the tale, he was slain by the world erosionist.
As a result, his mother, the Empress, transformed into a fierce hater of world erosionists, ultimately aiming to eradicate them.
But that story was far from the truth.
“The reason our Hardenhartz could no longer contract with the gods was tied to that.”
The skill “Umbra.”
This skill now belonged to Zodiac Cloria, who was graduating from Rahern Academy this year.
Originally, Umbra was a skill used by the Hardenhartz family.
Thus, Hardenhartz’s mystics were all related to shadows.
However, Hardenhartz could no longer inherit such skills.
The reason? Their firstborn, Glyze Hardenhartz.
“My brother was blinded by the power of world erosion.”
The power of world erosion was incredibly alluring.
Kraush understood this better than anyone because he handled it directly.
Violent and destructive power.
If one could wield the powers of world erosion, they’d easily break through any limitations placed upon them.
That’s why those who felt their limits often fell into the ranks of world eroders.
“My mother was remarkable.”
The Empress, Glyssis Hardenhartz.
During her prime, her feats were so incredible that they left many speechless.
Immortal Swordsmen were indeed such.
To belong among the top four in the world, one would need the world’s greatest talents and tremendous effort.
Hence, countless individuals envied their talent, sometimes burying their peers and heirs beneath it.
Glyze Hardenhartz was buried beneath such talent from his mother.
No matter how hard Glyze tried, he could never surpass his mother, Glyssis.
The Immortal Swordsmen represented an insurmountable wall.
As a result, Glyze began to be consumed by his mother’s reputation.
Many had placed their hopes in him, but those hopes quickly turned into disappointment.
That’s when someone whispered in his ear.
“If you can’t reach it, why not find another power to attain it?”
The voice belonged to no other than the world eroder.
Seeking to consume the great house called Hardenhartz through Glyze, the world eroder showed Glyze a new power called world erosion.
However, this was a gross underestimation of Glyze.
Glyze accepted the world erosion as per the world eroder’s wishes.
In that process, he realized in the worst possible way his greatest talent.
The ability to merge the skills of Umbra and the powers of world erosion.
Whenever any kind of power was contained, there should be a limit.
The essence of curses is the power of world erosion.
Thus, mastering curses equates to mastering the powers of world erosion—that’s nothing new.
Kraush, as a cursed one, absorbed countless curses, nullified them, and wielded them as his own.
It was the only thing he could do to protect the world.
Kraush is a born outlier.
And this outlier remained true even in his cursed days.
If there was something he could do, he’d crawl on the ground to get it done.
He absorbed numerous curses, negated them, and twisted them to use as his own.
This is something even a world eroder couldn’t accomplish.
“I can confidently say that I handle the powers of world erosion better than anyone else in this world.”
Kraush was sure he could handle the powers of world erosion.
That’s why he had grasped this power and managed it until now.
And it wouldn’t change in the future, either.
To protect this rotten world, Kraush would resort to any means necessary.
“You trust what you will, I trust myself, and that’s why I will keep using this power.”
So don’t annoy me and block my path.
Kraush warned Glide.
“......”
Glide fell silent, quietly gazing at Kraush.
He wore an expression as if deep in thought.
Kraush had a firm heart.
In fact, he was still wielding the powers of world erosion, saving countless people, and being referred to as a hero.
This was something Glide was well aware of.
How could it be any other way? His mother Glyssis acknowledged it personally.
“Looks like a hell of a stubborn kid, huh?”
In that remark was Glyssis’s recognition of Kraush.
Seeing Kraush treading the same path as her son.
Though Kraush only handled the Aura in front of Glyssis.
This meant a lot for Glide, who witnessed Kraush in person.
“......Could my brother have walked a path like yours?”
Glide asked quietly.
“Not a clue.”
And that was something even Kraush couldn’t answer.
A person could change with just a small event, after all.
Kraush learned this through his reincarnation.
Crack!
At that moment, the shadow prison set up by Glide started shaking violently.
Something was attacking from the outside.
Glide glanced past the shadow prison.
Beyond the densely packed shadows, a massive eye appeared.
That eye belonged to a dragon.
“The sea dragon.”
The lord of the great sea, the sea dragon.
He had come personally to punish Kraush and Glide for killing his guardian.
Thud—
In that moment, Kraush caught what was thrown at him.
It was the egg of the sea dragon.
“Go ahead first.”
Glide turned his body, keeping hold of the shadows.
“I’ll at least see whether my brother can walk a different path than this erroneous choice.”
With those words, Glide vanished.
Was he planning to confront the sea dragon?
Kraush, aware of his situation, realized Glide was stepping up.
Kraush didn’t stop him.
After all, Glide was chosen as a candidate for the Ten Great Lords.
He’d surely know how to stall for time and escape.
Kraush gripped the sea dragon’s egg.
Simultaneously, he turned and opened his mouth.
“Ebelasque, Crimson Garden.”
Calling out the two, Kraush’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Zodiac Cloria, find that guy right now.”
What he heard from Glide.
The fact that the skill “Umbra” could contain the powers of world erosion.
If Abella knew of this...
She would surely be gunning for the skill Umbra!