"Stop! Dukoko! Please, stop!"
"Shut up! Dagugu can't use his strength because he's hungry!"
Crunch…
Crunch…
The monster's maw devoured dozens of moles. It was a grotesque sight.
"Groar… Groar…"
Dagugu had now grown so large that Seol and his group could no longer ignore it.
Crack…
Crack…
The ground started cracking."Damn… Hey, mole. We're on top of ice here…"
BOOM—!
Seol, Bron, Dukoko, and Dagugu plummeted down the canyon, repeatedly crashing through layers of ice as they fell.
Crack!
"Agh!"
Crack!
"Ugh…"
Crack!
Crack!
"Fall on top of that fat monster!"
"Good idea!"
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
Whoosh…
BOOM—!
They fell to the deepest part of the Tomb of Breath.
Bron and the Night Crow absorbed the shock of the fall by landing on Dagugu's massive belly, then flipped backward and retreated.
Whoosh…
Tss…
"Damn it! Dagugu, hurry and eat them up!"
"Groar… Groar…"
Bron glanced at Dukoko and stopped. As the ice began shattering, his surroundings became visible.
They were at where the frozen Frostmaw lay.
They looked as if they were in the middle of a battle. Their vivid faces were striking, all staring in the same direction.
And in that direction, there was nothing.
Finding this odd, Seol and Jamad asked.
"What were they looking at?"
"At me…"
"…"
"I was standing there."
While Bron and the Night Crow distanced themselves to observe the situation, Dagugu continued devouring the moles.
"Come here! You bastards! This is the only way to win!"
"Go away!"
"Kiik!"
The moles' nature was on full display.
Bron fumbled in his pockets and pulled something out. It was the blue crystal Madria had given him before coming here.
Crack—!
Whoosh…
"Arise, warriors. I… Have returned…"
"…"
Even with Madria's magic, there was no response.
"Bron."
"Yes…"
"It failed."
"It seems so…"
Burp…
Dagugu burped and looked in their direction. After devouring most of the moles, he seemed full and no longer paid attention to the remaining ones.
"Kik… Kiik!"
"Dagugu is scary…"
Dukoko seemed to understand the situation and mocked Bron.
"Kikiki! What were you expecting? Huh? Troll? Hihihi… Aren't you a fool?"
"Yes, I was a fool… I thought they would all return."
"A lot of time has passed already! Irizard has become a far greater being! I'm a loyal servant of Irizard! I'll throw you all into Dagugu's jaws…"
Bron wasn't listening to Dukoko's rant. After all, the air and the cold of the place had brought him back to the fight that had taken place a long time ago. ŖÀꞐ𝔬ʙЕ𝐒
- Stop! What are you trying to do, Bron?! Stop! We still…
- There's no other way… Most of my Shamanic Spells have been taken over. If this goes on, Irizard will take over all of us.
- Then we'll die! I'm not afraid to die!
- That's right. Death isn't scary, but… everything will end. We will become her puppets. Our minds will be stripped away.
- What are you planning…?
- To defeat Irizard, we need our power. Someday, someone from our tribe will come to awaken us. Until then… stay asleep, warriors.
- Are you certain…?
- Trust the Frostmaw. The Frostmaw will never lose.
- No. I don't believe in such things.
The last words of the Frostmaw's Warrior Chief, Skola, echoed in Bron's fading consciousness.
- I'll trust in your judgment, as always.
BOOM—!
The Night Crow was sent flying like a kite with its string cut.
Paf—!
Tss…
While sliding, the Night Crow caught its stance, but its elbow ached from having deflected the attack.
"Bron, there will be another way."
"Yes…"
As Bron looked into Skola's glaring eyes, a strange energy began radiating from him.
Splash…
The roar of rushing water suddenly filled the canyon.
"Bron…?"
"Kikiki! You’re a failure! A failure! Just surrender your neck! Dukoko will receive praise!"
Splash…
Splash…
Something that sounded like ocean waves echoed through the space.
'This…'
- It's dangerous, Seol.
It was Bron's doing. An overwhelming power, like a mighty waterfall, was converging upon him.
Although there was sound, the scenery remained unchanged.
"H-how strange… What is that sound…?"
"Strange, huh? Hey, does everyone know how to swim?"
"Swim?"
Bron stretched out both arms horizontally with his palms facing upward.
[Bron used Exceptional Skill: Waterfall Shamanic Spell: Flood.]
[You summon a deluge of water that engulfs the area.]
[You can use all Waterfall Shamanic Spells underwater.]
SPLASH—!
A torrent of water began pouring out around Bron.
"Kiik! Kiik!"
"W-water!"
"H-help me! I hate water!"
"I'm scared of water!"
The moles were helplessly swept away by the flood. Dukoko and Dagugu were no exception.
Since they were in the deepest part of the Tomb of Breath, there was no way for the water to drain. The water quickly rose near Dukoko's face.
"Kiik!"
The moles on the outer edges managed to escape. However, the huge Dagugu and Dukoko sitting on top of it were unable to get away.
Dukoko quickly racked his brain, searching for a way out of this crisis.
In the distance, he spotted the Night Crow, who had climbed onto a floating piece of ice.
Seol and Jamad had adapted quickly to the flood.
Just like them, Dukoko attempted to use a Shamanic Spell to create an ice raft.
Pss…
"Huh? What…"
Psst…
He couldn't cast his Shamanic Spell.
Bron smirked.
Upon seeing his grin, Dukoko realized that all of this was Bron's doing.
Swoosh…
Grab—!
As Bron clenched his hand, arrows formed within the water.
They were all shot straight into Dagugu's body.
Pif!
Pif!
Soon, the water around them turned red.
"Kiik!"
"Dagugu! Stop struggling! If you keep this up…"
"Kii! Kii!"
"Let me go! You, don't tell me…"
Crunch…
Dagugu placed Dukoko in his mouth and chewed him up. Was this his final act of gluttony?
[Vile Dukoko has been defeated.]
A message appeared before Seol, who was on the floating ice.
Growl…
And not long after, another message popped up.
[Gluttonous Dagugu has been defeated.]
* * *
Swoosh…
The Night Crow moved the ice it was floating on closer to Bron, who was lying on the water, staring upward quietly.
Swoosh…
The water continued rising even though the moles had all been submerged already, and using any more power now would be excessive.
"Bron, stop."
"Ah, that's right."
Swoosh…
The tense Shamanic Spell's power started to decrease. Now, only the gentle ripple of water could be heard.
They looked at the scene in silence for a moment.
"Did I look pathetic?"
"Far more than I expected."
"Haha! As I thought! However, I couldn't help but feel angry."
"Angry of what?"
"Angry at myself. I failed so spectacularly, didn't I? I used a Forbidden Shamanic Spell, saying I was preparing for the future."
"The chances of success were low in the first place."
"What a harsh assessment…"
The Night Crow looked into Bron's struggling eyes.
"However, it was the only way and was worth trying."
"How do you know that…?"
"Because they all have that same look on their faces."
"…"
Seol and Jamad had observed the frozen faces of the soldiers.
They all stared at one place. Their faces showed a glimpse of hope, and the intensity of their gazes still lingered in the air.
"They said they believed in me… but I couldn't repay their trust."
"If every belief was to be rewarded, the world might have been a more bearable place."
"Hahaha… Right? I guess it's a common thing."
"Let's go back, Bron. We need to prepare for what's next."
Swish.
Bron climbed onto the floating ice and said.
"Yes. I'm not planning to break down here."
"Do you have another plan?"
"Of course! Although that plan has even shakier grounds than this one."
"If it's less solid than this one, doesn't that make it useless?"
"Hahaha! Now that you mention it, you might be right… Listen, after this…"
Blub…
Suddenly, bubbles rose from the lake below.
Bron and the Night Crow stopped their conversation.
"What a bunch of disgusting creatures… To think they haven't died yet."
"Moles seem to dislike water."
"Haha… Well, most of them can't swim, after all."
Blub…
Then, a second set of bubbles appeared.
Now, neither of them thought these bubbles were the moles' last breaths.
"Bron…"
"Ah… Yes…"
They peeked down the water.
Crack…
Crack…
Frost started forming from the depths of the lake's bottom, creating steps. No, on closer look—they were footsteps.
Someone was walking up through the water.
"It's freezing…"
"…"
Swoosh…
Finally, a towering figure emerged from the water.
"Oof… Oof…"
He walked out of the water. Ice formed beneath his feet with each step, so he never sank.
Crack…
Crack…
In one of his hands was the corpse of a drowned mole.
Crunch…
He used his tusks to tear into the mole's flesh.
Crunch…
Crunch…
He met Bron's gaze.
"Hey, there's a dumbstruck kid here."
Swoosh…
Another figure emerged from the water. However, this one was dressed impeccably. For some strange reason, there wasn't a single drop of water in his clothes.
"Is this true?"
"We could ask this guy here. I don't like the look in his eyes. Maybe I could kill him first and ask questions later."
"Skola, you fool! He won't be able to answer if you kill him. We must kill him after hearing his answer."
"Ah, that's right."
BOOM…
BOOM…
Skola approached Bron. He spread his rough hand, stretched it, and squished his face.
"Eyebrows, eyes, and nose shaped like this…"
"…"
"Yes. Hey, have you seen an old man who looks like you? His beard would have been pretty impressive."
Bron pretended to think.
"Hmm… Unfortunately, I haven't."
"Is that so… How strange… Then, let me ask again."
Skola leaned in. His face was just inches from Bron's.
"Are you Bron?"
At that moment…
Crack…
Crack…
The lake began freezing, and the sound of ruptures echoed as elite soldiers of the Frostmaw began rising from the ice.
Bron answered.
"Yes. I've crossed death and come back."
"How unbelievable… I thought it was the end…"
"Skola, it's war."
"The opponent?"
"Irizard."
"Hasn’t she died of old age by now?"
"There's no way."
The war heroes of the Frostmaw who had once stood against Irizard had woken up from their long slumber.
"Well, that's good news…"
Skola turned around and shouted.
"IT'S WAR!"
"YEAAAH!"
[Warrior Chief Skola has joined the Faction: Frostmaw.]
[Great Shaman Tamur has joined the Faction: Frostmaw.]
[Great Warrior Tiomet has joined the Faction: Frostmaw.]
[Great Warrior Agnaga has joined the Faction: Frostmaw.]
…
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