Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 178

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 178
I was startled, but I hid it and feigned composure.
‘How did she recognize the Dragon Duke so quickly?’
No, wait. Given the Orca Family Matriarch’s age, she must have had the opportunity to see the previous Dragon Duke.
After all, Dragon Dukes are born with similar faces each generation, even if not identical.
This was a disaster.
As if exposing my Father’s condition wasn’t enough, Atlant, who could have been useful, was already captured and rendered combat-ineffective.
And now Ekion had been discovered too….
I glanced subtly at Levai.
I firmly believed he would catch my signal.
As expected, Levai’s stern face showed no hesitation as he grasped Whale’s hand and retreated backward.
That’s right—I couldn’t let her discover what Whale truly was in this situation.
As Levai withdrew, cradling Lili in one arm while holding Whale’s hand with the other.
I drew the Orca Family Matriarch’s attention away from Levai.
“That’s right, Matriarch. This is the Dragon Duke.”
“….”
“I brought him here.”
She clearly hadn’t expected such a straightforward admission.
Fury blazed across the Orca Family Matriarch’s face.
“…So you said you’d turn the land-dwellers upside down, and instead you’ve brought us a bomb.”
Why was she reacting so intensely?
In truth, there was no real reason for such anger. The enemies of aquatic beastkin were land-dwelling beastkin.
Not the Dragon Duke.
“I understand your shock at the Dragon Duke being here, but I don’t understand why you’re so angry about it.”
Yet I played innocent, even though I understood her reasons.
It wasn’t difficult to understand.
She was a tyrant, obsessed with controlling her family to that degree.
She was furious that such an audacious situation had occurred without her knowledge.
Even as I answered the Matriarch calmly, I grew increasingly anxious watching my captured Father.
‘I don’t have time to waste.’
“Please listen to my explanation.”
Attempting conversation wasn’t the best approach. But I had no choice.
“The Dragon Duke came here for a reason….”
“You don’t know.”
The Orca Family Matriarch cut me off sharply.
“You don’t know why dragons are forbidden from ever leaving the City of Dragons for their entire lives. Do you understand what you’ve brought here?”
“….”
“It will become the spark of war.”
Her forceful words carried a killing intent.
“Every Matriarch of Aquasiadel throughout the generations knows well what obsession the Imperial Palace holds toward dragons.”
“….”
“Your foolish judgment will drag unnecessary war upon this land.”
“That’s strange to hear. Surely you, who enjoy fighting, should be pleased instead?”
The Orca Family Matriarch let out a short laugh.
“I have no hobby of enjoying fights I didn’t start myself. How disagreeable.”
The water power the Orca Family Matriarch wielded was nearly black, like the night sea.
“I’ll wrap that up myself and throw it back where it came from. Don’t think about wandering outside for a while.”
I listened to her words quietly, then let out a soft chuckle.
“Why? Did I seem like quite a useful successor to you?”
“What?”
“I’m grateful for the surprisingly lenient punishment. But I can’t accept it that way.”
I grabbed whatever was nearby and hurled it.
The vase I threw shattered into pieces and exploded before it could even reach the Orca Family Matriarch.
The fragments grazed her cheek, leaving a small cut.
“This kind of sleight of hand….”
My fist was suddenly caught in the Orca Family Matriarch’s grip. Her grip strength was formidable, but bearable.
I felt my own cheek throb faintly from the vase fragments and smiled broadly.
“Your reaction speed is slower than expected for such a sleight of hand, Matriarch.”
“….”
“Is it age?”
Crash!
A massive hammer of water power came crashing down where I had been standing.
‘If only I could use water power.’
Suspended in mid-air, I grabbed the spider-web-like water threads that had ensnared Atlant and Father.
A stinging, burning pain shot through my hands.
‘Ugh.’
I tore through them roughly and managed to partially free Atlant, but my feet were caught by the Orca Family Matriarch’s water threads.
I easily tore through that as well and descended to the floor.
“…Your combat ability is even better than adults fighting each other.”
“I had a good teacher.”
“But your struggle ends here.”
Black water pooled across the floor. How crude of the old woman.
‘She’s trying to make this room her domain.’
Now there was no way to know where the water threads would emerge from.
The Orca Family Matriarch’s water didn’t seem to be that color before—was it that color because of her anger?
Or was that her true power?
Either way, it didn’t matter.
I pulled my legs back slightly. All that remained was combat.
“If I take the Dragon Duke back to the City of Dragons anyway, I’ll die. I made an oath to the sea.”
It was a blatant lie, but what did it matter? I could always make good on it later.
“…So you intend to challenge me to the very end.”
“What words could I possibly offer to a Matriarch who refuses to hear any explanation?”
I clenched my fists and assumed a combat stance. Then I lowered my voice.
“Tus, keep Ekion from stepping in no matter what.”
Ekion couldn’t afford to get involved here.
“I’ll leave the moment an opening presents itself.”
Besides, I had no intention of prolonging this fight with the Orca Family Matriarch.
The instant I thought this, a massive torrent of water came hurtling down from the ceiling toward me.
I deflected it cleanly.
‘What? This is more manageable than before?’
There’s no way the Matriarch’s power, having expanded into the domain of water itself, would be this weak….
That was the moment I thought it.
‘The floor!’
Massive water erupted from beneath me. I managed to block it, but the impact was far more devastating than expected.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
It was a pain I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Well, after becoming a regressor and growing rapidly through Father’s training, I’d hardly ever taken a beating.
I found myself sprawled on the water-soaked ground, feeling the weight pressing down on my back. The Orca Family Matriarch’s power.
“Impressive. Truly impressive.”
“…Cough, cough. If I’m so impressive, shouldn’t you treat me better?”
“It’s true that I covet you. But that attitude of yours needs correcting.”
Damn old woman! Why don’t you fix your own attitude instead.
“….”
I overcame the crushing force and rose to my feet. I shattered the incoming water stream with my fist.
“Tsk, your body is certainly perfected.”
The Orca Family Matriarch clicked her tongue.
‘A pure contest of strength won’t work against her right now.’
I wish I’d awakened the power of water, but now I need to be clever.
Good, if I just widen the gap a little more and trigger Ekion’s power….
That was when it happened.
A chill ran down my spine. No, it was a familiar chill.
If I turned my head, I would feel the same dread I’d experienced in the moment the third cycle’s world was destroyed.
Blue and golden light wavered in Ekion’s eyes.
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
“Calypso, I’m sorry….”
“Ekion!”
As expected.
It was a sign of a rampage.
Having witnessed it in the third cycle, I could feel it all too well.
If I couldn’t calm this down right now, I might witness that horrific scene I’d seen before all over again.
“Heh, you think a mere hatchling dragon could possibly stand against me?”
The Orca Family Matriarch’s water streams split into dozens of tendrils, hurtling toward Ekion.
Ekion was caught and grimaced.
‘Damn it, don’t provoke the child!’
The blue, golden, and black energies swirling around Ekion intensified further.
-Calypso! The Dragon Duke is in danger like this! No! He’s going berserk!
Tus, now in the form of a baby snake, flew to my shoulder and spoke.
“How much longer!”
-10, 10 seconds!
I struck away the water streams blocking my path and cried out with frustration.
‘This is worse than a time bomb! Why is it so tight on time!’
But there was no time to argue. The land I would possess—the land where I now had precious people—I couldn’t let it become like the third cycle.
Above all, I wanted Ekion’s life this time to be happy, untainted by anyone’s ruin.
“Ekion!”
The moment I finally reached him, I felt something strange—his sharp power softened before me.
“Damn it, who’s going berserk on their own! Absolutely not!”
No one could die or lose control without my permission.
-Calypso, the berserk state has already begun!
“What am I supposed to do?!”
-A rift in time will open.
I gripped Ekion’s collar as I heard Tus’s voice.
-It’s not berserk, you need to change it to using power! You, Calypso!
“Me?”
Ekion’s eyes had lost focus, no longer seeing me.
Why did that infuriate me so?
He always looked at me so blindly.
-Calypso! You’ll be caught in time. Dragon Duke, think only of Calypso! In the rift of time, you must meet Calypso!
I couldn’t understand a word of it. I simply did what I could.
“Ekion! Come to your senses!”
I just pressed my lips against his without hesitation. I’m not sure if this counts as a kiss, but I did as instructed.
At that same moment, I felt hands gripping my shoulders.
When I turned around, I saw the Orca Family Matriarch with her formal attire torn away.
And behind her, a massive black hole-like opening.
Looking at it made my skin crawl.
“Calypso.”
I quickly turned my head.
Ekion was finally looking at me. But why…
His eyes were chillingly cold.
“That’s a rift in time.”
His explanatory voice sounded unfamiliar.
Ekion seemed to glance at the Matriarch. The Dragon Duke smiled beautifully at the world and whispered to me.
“Shall I dispose of that for you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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