Chapter 81

In the underground prison of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

Evelyn was using a concealment technique as she moved through the corridor, where the guards were busily coming and going.

‘They said the enemy would make a move to cut off loose ends… Could that really be true?’

Evelyn had been waiting here for four hours with no definite outcome.

She was there under Theo’s orders, but to be honest, she was still unsure if this was the right move.

It wasn’t just anywhere, after all—it was the underground prison of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry.

Could the spies really be bold enough to launch an assault on such a heavily guarded place?

But Evelyn figured there was nothing to lose by setting a trap. Even if nothing happened, it wouldn’t be much of a loss, so she decided to wait.

‘Thanks to that, I’ve discovered a new way to use the Wind God technique.’

The Wind God was a secret art that encompassed all kinds of body techniques.

By using the wind to erase her presence and scent… it became possible to completely erase her existence from the world.

It was all thanks to the method Theo had taught her.

‘There’s no need to question my lord’s insight in seeing through the core of secret techniques. All I need to do is continue improving myself, so I can rise even higher. So that when the time comes, I can be the sword in his hand.’

Just as Evelyn was thinking this—

Whoosh—

A faint, cool breeze blew in from outside.

It was a breeze that one should never be able to feel in the underground prison.

‘They’re coming.’

In the darkness, Evelyn’s eyes gleamed coldly.

* * *

‘The Three-Second Abyss… That’s what it was called, right?’

Theo swallowed dryly as he gazed at the darkness surrounding him.

Or at least, he thought he swallowed.

The Glass Realm was a space where the caster’s thoughts and emotions were manifested into the outside world.

Hilda’s Glass Realm was infamous enough to earn her the nickname ‘Demon Abyss,’ and it was her signature technique.

With this technique, she could trap her opponent in a ‘Hell’ within just three seconds.

Once someone was caught in it, all their senses would be erased, making it feel like they were trapped in an eternal loop.

The absence of senses meant the person couldn’t even properly recognize what was happening.

Without any external stimuli, one’s consciousness would be left to repeat imagined scenarios over and over.

And those scenarios would quickly spiral into fear and dread, turning into delusions that would eventually devour one’s consciousness.

Hilda had said:

If he wanted to escape this place, he had to become her disciple.

If he agreed, she would even give him her sword and Garuda’s Heart.

Of course, Theo had no intention of being drawn into Hilda’s schemes so easily.

[‘Skill: Hatchling Synchronization’ has activated, and a mental barrier is protecting your consciousness.]

[The severed senses return, allowing you to assess your body’s functions.]

‘It works as expected.’

As the darkness receded and his hands came into view, Theo let out a sigh of relief.

During the Third Blossoming Ceremony, after overcoming Kyle’s Heart Sword, Theo had acquired a strong mental barrier that could easily deflect most mental attacks.

Thanks to that, he hadn’t resisted much when Hilda hinted at activating her Glass Realm.

‘From the moment I came to Ghost Castle, I didn’t expect any goodwill from Hilda.’

Given that she had once solidified the foundations of the previous generation’s Ragnar, it wasn’t surprising if she harbored all sorts of malicious intentions.

So just in case, Theo had prepared several backup plans… and they had worked perfectly.

The first was Hatchling Synchronization.

And the second—

“, summon Balmung.”

The Dragon Slayer Sword.

Flash!

Light flickered at Theo’s fingertips, and soon, Balmung materialized before him.

Perhaps due to the sword’s legendary power, his fingers tingled as if pricked by needles.

‘No matter how powerful the Three-Second Abyss is, it’s ultimately a space derived from Ragnar’s secret art. Its laws are formed by the power of the dragon. If that’s the case…’

Theo gritted his teeth and poured all the magic from his Dragon’s Heart and his dantian into Balmung.

At the same time, he activated Hatchling Synchronization, trying to awaken some of the sword’s latent will.

‘The Dragon Slayer Sword, Balmung, should be particularly effective against it.’

[You stimulate the will of the ‘Dragon Slayer Sword: Balmung.’ Your qualifications are insufficient to fully awaken the will.]

[The will cannot be fully awakened.]

[To awaken the will, specific conditions must be met.]

.

[The enormous amount of magic enhances the skill’s effect.]

[A portion of the latent will is forcibly awakened and reveals itself momentarily.]

[Effect: Dragon Slayer Strike]

Ziiiiing!

Balmung trembled wildly as beams of light appeared along its blade.

Though the power it emitted seemed weak given the amount of magic he had poured into it, it was enough for Theo.

Screeech!

Theo swung Balmung downward with all his might.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of something shattering in the empty darkness, as if something unseen had been caught and was breaking apart.

It was the sound of chains snapping.

Rattatatat—

Crack!

As the chains broke, a fissure formed somewhere in the space.

Theo seized the opportunity, pouring all his remaining will into that gap.

* * *

“……What did you do?”

Hilda frowned as she glanced at Theo, who was trapped inside the pitch-black sphere.

She had assumed that after being locked up for a day or so, he’d become a bit more compliant.

But not long after he was imprisoned, strange phenomena began to occur.

The chains of the abyss, which had tightly bound the black sphere, were starting to break, and a crack had formed at the top of the sphere.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Though the crack was minor compared to the full power of the Three-Second Abyss, the problem was the very fact that such a crack had appeared!

At that moment—

Whoooosh!

“No way…!?”

Hilda’s eyes widened as she noticed a heatwave rising from the crack.

She quickly realized what it was.

‘Mental will? A mere trainee swordsman can already wield mental will? How did he unlock the Brain Gate?’

For Hilda, who had no knowledge of Theo’s secrets, this was a completely unexpected mistake.

And the purpose of that mental will, or perhaps willpower, was simple.

A distress signal.

It was sending a call for help to someone.

Before Hilda could intervene, the ceiling suddenly collapsed, and the black sphere exploded along with it.

BOOOOM—

Rumble, crash!

Dust and debris filled the air, the table laden with all kinds of delicacies was completely smashed, and a shockwave sent dust swirling everywhere.

In the midst of all the chaos, a figure emerged—dressed in black with silver hair and wearing a mask.

Step, step!

“Robert!”

“It’s been a while, Grand Elder.”

The Black Dragon gave a slight nod of greeting, his expression irritated as he glanced towards the back.

Theo was there, gasping for breath, his face exhausted.

He had expended all his magic and stamina at once to break the Three-Second Abyss, leaving him completely drained.

“Haa… haa…! Luckily, my distress signal… haa… seems to have reached you… just in time…”

“How did you know I was outside?”

The Black Dragon’s eyes gleamed sharply from behind the mask.

In fact, he had secretly been tailing Theo all this time.

His disguise and concealment techniques were so perfect that he could even deceive Kyle, so there was no way Theo could have detected him.

If information had leaked from somewhere…

He had to track down that source immediately.

“The Black Lark… that’s you, isn’t it, Black Dragon…?”

“Answer the question. How did you know I was there?”

The Black Dragon’s killing intent felt as if it was about to graze Theo’s neck.

Hoo—

Theo took a deep breath and straightened his posture.

His eyes glimmered with determination.

“Didn’t you give me the hint in the first place, Black Dragon?”

“I gave you a hint?”

“Yes. I never had any significant connection with you or Black Snow to begin with. Yet, during the nomination ceremony, you made me an extraordinary offer. You even said I was a good fit for Black Snow. Doesn’t that mean you’ve been observing me for a long time?”

“You’re not telling me that’s the only reason you’re so sure I’ve been tailing you, are you?”

“There was also the reaction of the Patriarch.”

“Hmm?”

“The Patriarch seemed to know my every move. It wasn’t just as though he had spies watching me from Winterer; it was as if he had eyes right beside me.”

“Hah!”

“And since you already knew I was a chosen one… considering the importance of that information, I figured that you, Black Dragon, would have kept a close watch on me yourself. Most importantly—”

A faint smile appeared in Theo’s eyes.

“Didn’t you personally put your name on the recommendation letter for my promotion exam? I’d be a fool not to realize it by now.”

“…Hah! Looks like you’ve figured everything out.”

The Black Dragon muttered as if defeated, but somehow, his eyes behind the mask seemed to be smiling.

“Your talent in swordsmanship is remarkable, but your ability to connect fragmented pieces of information and grasp the full picture shows insight and judgment perfectly suited for Black Snow. As expected, you’re someone we must take in.”

“You flatter me.”

“Excessive modesty is just another form of deceit.”

The Black Dragon gave Theo an approving look before turning away.

Today, his suspicions were confirmed.

Theo wasn’t someone who could be limited to the White Armored Dragon Cavalry or the Plum Blossom Palace.

Even though the fact that he was a regressor was a concern,

‘That’s something I can watch more closely. Now I understand why the Patriarch wanted to keep such a close eye on this kid.’

All of Theo’s other strengths far outweighed that single flaw.

“Can you leave on your own?”

The Black Dragon asked while keeping an eye on Hilda.

Theo smiled.

“I’m already grateful for the help you’ve given me. If I couldn’t manage this much on my own, how could I ever hope to claim Ragnar’s throne?”

“Your words are flashy. Fine, show me what you’ve got.”

In that instant, Hilda unleashed her magic power.

“You dare say whatever you please in front of me—!”

Rumble!

The overwhelming pressure swept across the surroundings.

[‘Skill: Lesser Drake’s Fear’ has been activated, partially dissipating the intimidation.]

Just like during the third Blossoming Ceremony, Theo used the dragon-slaying aura to regain his freedom of movement.

‘Everything I’ve learned from Father is coming in handy.’

Internally marveling at Kyle’s insight, he shouted.

“Umbra!”

In an instant, shadows wriggled as Umbra appeared, carrying Theo and soaring powerfully into the sky.

Keaaak!

“Where do you think you’re going…!”

Hilda tried to stop Theo from escaping, but she had to fend off the interference of the Black Dragon.

Clang!

Boom—

As sword auras clashed, fragments shattered and crashed to the ground, collapsing what remained of the dining hall.

“Grand Elder, wouldn’t it be wise to withdraw for now? Failing to capture a mere child would only bring disgrace to your name, wouldn’t it?”

The eyes behind the mask gleamed politely but sharply.

As if prepared to strike at any moment.

That wounded Hilda’s pride deeply.

Crack!

Her tightly clenched teeth revealed a flare of madness.

“How dare you!”

“How dare I? Did you say that?”

Clang!

The Black Dragon shoved Hilda far back, then raised his left hand toward the mask.

“Strange. Even the head of the House wouldn’t dare speak to me that way.”

Click—

With a chilling voice, the Black Dragon straightened his slightly askew mask.

In that moment,

Whoooosh!

The aura around the Black Dragon completely changed.

The black energy took on a distinct shape.

It was as if a masked monster had emerged from the darkness.

“Let’s see if you’re truly worthy of saying such things, old specter of Ragnar.”

Rumble!

Flash, flash—

As the two titanic forces collided, their powerful auras clashed, causing natural disasters to erupt and ravage Ghost Castle.