Chapter 59

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.

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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