Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 242

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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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“…A tidal wave?”

Doubt and anticipation flickered across Witira’s face. Here, where the Fire Barrier created by the Dragon existed, she was going to create a tidal wave?
But she couldn’t get an answer from Kale Heniatus, who wasn’t even looking at her.

“Merry!”

At Kale Heniatus’s sharp command, Merry’s eyes within her black robes turned toward him. And his order reached her ears.

“Hold on!”

Merry understood immediately. But she showed a different action first. Her hesitant lips parted as she spoke carefully.

“Young master, wouldn’t it be safer if Choi Han came down and stayed by your side?”

It was the first time Merry had spoken differently from Kale Heniatus’s orders. Her eyes remained fixed on Kale Heniatus, Rak, and Raon without wavering.

“Are you worried we’ll get hurt?”

Merry couldn’t answer anything to Kale Heniatus’s cold gaze.
She didn’t want Raon, who had shown me the night sky and the Dark Forest, Rak, the kind younger brother, and the kindest young master Kale Heniatus to get hurt.
A blunt voice reached her ears.

“That won’t happen.”

Merry saw Kale Heniatus’s cold but resolute gaze.

“I have no intention of getting hurt.”

He meant it.
Wasn’t he struggling like this precisely to avoid getting hurt, to avoid pain? No one in this world wants to get hurt.
The feeling of coughing blood from the recoil of using one’s vitality was starkly different from the pain of being struck by someone.

He had no intention of getting hurt because of that madman’s strength.

A smile played at the corners of Kale Heniatus’s lips.

“And that bastard isn’t exactly in perfect condition right now, is he? You know what I mean, Merry?”
“Yes.”

Merry’s gaze turned toward the Dragon Hybrid.
During the battle in the Caro Kingdom last time, Merry had seen the Dragon Hybrid through the empty eye sockets of the Wyvern Skull.

The lightning that had pierced through the Dragon Hybrid’s body.
It was an attack Raon had unleashed.
The Dragon Hybrid had fled, but he was certainly wounded.

“Raon’s power isn’t weak. He definitely left a mark on him.”

Raon had said he left a mark on that Dragon Hybrid.
A wound left by the Black Dragon.
And until yesterday, Raon hadn’t pestered me to go find that Dragon Hybrid. That meant the wound Raon had inflicted still remained.

Whether faint or deep.
That Dragon Hybrid hadn’t healed yet.
The enemy was incomplete.

That fact mattered.

“I will hold the line.”

Merry immediately moved the Wyvern Skull. The first to react to that movement was Choi Han. The Wyvern, which had been flying toward Kale Heniatus, stopped. A cluster of black light flickered in the Wyvern’s empty eye sockets.
Kiiieee—
And its head turned precisely toward the Dragon Hybrid.

Clang.
Choi Han drew his sword. He was quite perceptive.
The Kale Heniatus he knew didn’t demand sacrifice. Moreover, he didn’t waste anyone’s strength.

He was weaker than the Dragon Hybrid.
Kale Heniatus knew that.

“We meet again. Still foolish enough to draw your blade before me, I see.”

Even as Choi Han saw the Dragon Hybrid Mage’s scorn—or perhaps amusement—he understood what he had to do.

It held.
Buying time.

Even without Kale Heniatus speaking, Choi Han grasped his meaning. And if that meaning was correct.

“Merry, let’s go.”

Merry would move.

And the wyvern moved.
The Dragon Hybrid had come at the Bear Tribe ruler’s request, but the sight before him drew laughter unbidden. He expanded the spheres of light rotating around him.
Simultaneously, he watched the wyvern ascending toward him along a pillar of flame. A black-boned wyvern clad in armor of white bone.
To Choi Han, who rode upon it, the Dragon Hybrid asked with sincerity.

“Why do you step forward when you know it cannot be done?”

The Dragon Hybrid could hear the answer to that question in black aura. Choi Han’s black aura left his blade.

Shhhhwooosh.
The jagged black aura soared skyward like lightning, flew like a serpent climbing the Fire Barrier.
Boom, boom, boom!
Darkness that did not vanish even as it struck the pillar of flame, rising ever upward. At last, that black aura and the spheres of light collided.

Kaboom!

Light and darkness intertwined.
But the darkness soon crumbled like dust and dissipated.
The black aura scattered like grains of desert sand. Through the haze, the platinum-haired Dragon Hybrid saw the wyvern slashing its talons toward him.

“Hmph.”

Crash!

The sphere of light and the wyvern’s talons collided.
Crackle. White bone shattered and dispersed into the air. Yet the black talons beneath the white bone armor remained intact.

Screech, screech.
At the grotesque sound, the Dragon Hybrid turned his head.

“Aaaaahhh! Dragon! My, my wings!”

Black threads flowing from the wyvern began snatching away the wings of a nearby Bear Tribe member.
The Bear Tribe member’s body tilted, and two fellow tribesmen caught him.
Steel and magical stones clattered to the ground.

Clack, clack.
White bone fragments became new armor concealing the black claws beneath.

“Hahaha—”

The Dragon Hybrid burst into laughter. Simultaneously, his hand swept to the left.

Boom!
A brief but tremendous explosion. The aura surrounding Choi Han’s blade dissipated helplessly.
The Dragon Hybrid’s eyes and Choi Han’s gaze collided. In that instant, the Dragon Hybrid could see Choi Han looking back at him with a twisted smile.

A smile that could appear contemptible. Or perhaps a sneer. Choi Han’s voice brushed past the Dragon Hybrid’s ear.

“You call yourself a Dragon? Aren’t you a dragon? But you’re also human, aren’t you?”

Whoooosh—
The spheres of light circling around the Dragon Hybrid vanished in an instant. Between his pallid features, his eyes began emitting an eerie luminescence.

“…I spared you because it was entertaining, and now you speak nonsense.”

The Dragon Hybrid’s robe began to flutter.

“Do you wish to die?”

The question delivered with such composure held no emotion. Yet the fury burning in the Dragon Hybrid’s eyes was unmistakably palpable.

Choi Han maintained his twisted smile.
Indeed, the word “human” was a keyword that ignited the Dragon Hybrid’s wrath.
Choi Han’s hobby was not to touch someone’s wounds. But whether it was a hobby or not was something to settle once I remained alive.
He recalled the question the Dragon Hybrid had posed.

‘Why do you step forward when you know it cannot be done?’

Why are you stepping in?
There are many forms of combat.

When I was at my weakest, I had to become cunning and despicable before those who threatened my very existence in order to survive.
The difference now was that my actions were no longer for myself alone. That was why I had every intention of wielding this depravity to its fullest.

My voice, tinged with mockery, directed itself toward the Dragon Hybrid.

“I don’t want to die. I’m just having a conversation between humans.”
“…You foolish, insignificant human-”

Crackle, snap.
Wind surged forth.
At the center of that wind, dozens of spheres of light materialized simultaneously, enveloping the Dragon Hybrid.

“I’ll reduce you to dust.”

The spheres of light began hurtling toward a single target.
Light was unleashed upon Choi Han.
At the same moment, the wyvern’s wings moved with blinding speed.

“Merry, now.”

Now.
The time to endure had only just begun.
I pressed myself tightly against the skeletal wyvern’s back, hunching my body while continuously unleashing black aura toward the spheres of light.

Escape.
It was what I had done in the Dark Forest for over decades, for a time immeasurable. A smile played at my lips as I engaged in the one thing I did best.

Witira, the humpback whale humanoid watching the spectacle, furrowed her brow. The spheres of light—she could sense the Dragon Hybrid’s power.

“…It’s approaching an Ancient Dragon’s level. How did the Dragon Hybrid— It must be at least a second advancement.”

Witira, who had lived for over 250 years, knew something of the Dragon Hybrid’s existence. That was why when she heard the Dragon Hybrid had appeared, she expected something twisted about them.
Yet the light from this Dragon Hybrid was utterly pure.

“Witira, we must go.”

She nodded at Orca Arch’s rare display of seriousness.
Orca Arch, the Whale Tribe’s greatest warrior. He sensed the Dragon Hybrid’s power just as keenly as Witira did. Yet even as he urged her to go, she remained motionless.
Instead, her gaze fixed upon a single person.

Kale Heniatus.

‘I shall create a tidal wave for you.’

A tidal wave.
This human claimed he would conjure a tsunami as massive as the pillar of flame towering before them.

Witira could not believe such words. Yet as events unfolded before her eyes, she found herself forced to believe.

I shall create a tidal wave for you.
The moment those words left Kale’s lips, Rosalind’s expression transformed. She continued extracting mana stones, her voice rising as she commanded the Mage Battalion members.

“Deploy all water-attribute magic circles! Large-scale formations! Focus the magic on water supply!”

Water supply.
From those words, Witira understood that Rosalind harbored absolute faith in Kale’s promise.

“Sister.”

It was when her younger brother Paseton approached, urging Witira to move quickly.

“Paseton—wait!”

Her body froze in place.
Thump.
Her heart pounded.

Without realizing it, she closed her eyes.
Then she felt her heartbeat intensify. Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heart raced faster and faster. In the darkness behind her closed eyes, a vision materialized.

Water.
A colossal barrier of water.

In the Canyon of Death, where not even a shallow stream existed beneath the deep cliffs, where only pillars of flame pierced the heavens—here, in this place—

I felt the immense power of water.

It was not merely water.
The reason the Whale Tribe loved the Sea.

Though it might appear capricious, the raging waves and undulating waters had never revealed their true nature even to the long-lived Whale Tribe.
Yet one thing remained constant: the Sea was powerful and dominated all things.

That dominating force.
The Whale Tribe could only live in harmony with the Sea. The next Whale King recalled a single word.

Dominating water.

The moment that word surfaced, Witira’s eyes opened.
Simultaneously, she turned her head.
The power of dominating water pierced sharply across every inch of her skin.

“…Witira. Wow, this—”

Witira raised her hand to silence Archie. Instead, her feet carried her toward one direction. At the same time, another figure walked toward the cliff. A tall boy followed behind that person, clutching a blanket.

A place slightly distant from the pillar of fire.
A cliff edge not yet crumbled.
A person walking slowly toward that place.

Kale Heniatus—the blue jewel hanging from his neck began to emit an increasingly brilliant blue light.
Simultaneously, Kale Heniatus extended both hands forward.

—Are you planning to sacrifice yourself?
—I think I need to consume one more?

The voices of Jjangdol and the Glutton Goddess echoed in my mind. Rosalind’s voice pierced through my ears.

“Young Master! The Ancient Dragon Erhaben won’t accept it. So I left a message!”

Damn it.
Despite the curse that escaped my lips, a smile played across my face. Rosalind understood the meaning behind that smile.

“Activate all the magic circles!”

Her scream—a cry of anguish—echoed across the Military Camp.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Mana stones embedded themselves at the center of the massive magic circle. The mages struggled to comprehend Rosalind’s command. Water supply magic, of all things?
Was she trying to extinguish the Fire Barrier?

Countless questions flooded their minds, yet they obeyed their commander. Simultaneously, she spread both arms wide. Once more, a blood vessel ruptured in Rosalind’s eyes.

Eyes flushed crimson with strain. Yet the supreme-grade mana stones enveloping her body refused to let her stop.
Uuuuuoooong—
She heard a colossal wave of sound.

This was not her own power.
Something different from mana.
Yet still, a force of nature.

Ancient power.

Thump. Thump. Thump.
Kale felt my heart pounding with unprecedented urgency. Yet I ignored it.

My vessel was incomplete. Instead, we complemented each other—my heart’s vitality and regenerative power held the collision at bay.

I chose the path that grew slightly more perilous.
It was not as though I would be injured or killed. I simply had to walk the tightrope. It was the same as my past life, so I felt no fear.

“Young Master!”

Rosalind’s voice reached me.

“It is complete!”

It was done.
The moment her voice echoed across the Cliff.

Shhhhwoooosh—

The sound of water wrapped around the ears of all living things.

“…Ah—

The Mage’s gaze, which had been reaching toward the massive magical formation, fixed on a single point.

Splash—
A crisp sound of water.
A sound that might have seemed peaceful.

But the sight unfolding before the Mage’s eyes left him breathless.

It surged upward.

As tall as a pillar of flame.
As tall as the Fire Barrier.

A colossal wall of water rose skyward.

The Mages sensed no mana in that power. Ancient power. The moment that phrase crossed their minds, their gazes dropped downward. To the single figure creating the ever-expanding barrier.

Commander Kale Heniatus.
A desperate cry reached the Mages as they beheld him.

“Activate the formation!”

It was Rosalind.

Hummmmm—

The mana stones circling her body began to glow with azure light.
Rosalind understood the water’s power that maintained equilibrium within Kale’s body. They had all heard about it when they visited the Ancient Dragon Erhaben’s Lair.

And she also knew that this water power was something that consumed him. She had learned that when he extinguished the pillar of flame in the Jungle.

Another trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, but when she recalled the path Kale had chosen, Rosalind could not stop.

Pitter. Patter.
Soon rain began to fall—only upon the water barrier, with no warning beforehand. Rain that fell solely upon the water barrier.
Rain that Rosalind had created.
That rain fell downward, drenching Kale’s body.

“Ugh.”

Black blood dripped from the corner of Kale Heniatus’s mouth.

-You don’t need to consume it just yet.

The Glutton Goddess’s voice echoed.
I hadn’t expended all the water I commanded.
I had deliberately reserved a portion of the remaining third.

‘I cannot afford to die.’

The water barrier matched the Fire Barrier in height, but fell short in length.
My limit.

Whoooosh—

Yet increasingly heavy rain began to pour down from above. The magical formations had activated.

Sizzzzle—

The water barrier erected beside the Fire Barrier where the Dragon Hybrid stood. The water transformed into steam, gradually devouring the flames.

Once that water consumed all the fire, the water barrier would vanish. No matter how much rain fell, the barrier would ultimately disappear.
Now it was a race against time.

But I had no intention of squandering those precious moments. My mouth opened.

“Ascend.”

Whoooosh—
A colossal water whip surged upward along the water barrier. Simultaneously, a figure rushed past me and scaled the barrier.

“I won’t miss this opportunity.”

Witira’s voice.
I lifted my head.
I could see two figures climbing vertically up the water barrier without hesitation.

Witira and Archie.
The two Whale Tribe members ascended toward the sky, their racing hearts barely contained as water began to envelop their bodies with increasing intensity.

The Whale Tribe’s berserk transformation.

Kale Heniatus witnessed it for the first time.

Witira and Archie.
Their physiques remained unchanged.
But their hands and feet became translucent. Then water began to envelop those transparent limbs, shimmering like the surface of the sea catching sunlight.

The Whale Tribe, commanding the water that wrapped around them.
The two Whale Tribe members, clad in what appeared to be translucent armor, could now see a figure atop the water barrier.

“Ha! This is my first time seeing a berserk Whale Tribe member.”

A Dragon Hybrid with platinum hair and a pallid face.
The being hovering in the air above the Fire Barrier could see the Whale Tribe members standing at an equal level to me.

But the Whale Tribe did not answer the Dragon Hybrid’s words. From Rosalind’s desperate actions, they realized that the power of water Kale wielded was not a force that could be used without any recoil.

This power of water surely carried a recoil greater than the silver shield.

The two Whale Tribe members could see a figure approaching them.

Caw, caw.

A single raven drew near.

Whoooosh—
Hisssss—

A space where the sound of rain and steam mingled.
White smoke began to engulf the canyon, consuming the space.

-Are you trying to sacrifice yourself this time?

Kale closed his eyes at the voice echoing in his mind, then opened them. The battlefield came into view.
This damned world.

His mouth opened.

“Fight.”

The command transmitted through the raven.
Ferocious beings clad in armor of water began to move. Like crossing the sea, the whales traversed space itself.

Kwaaaaaang!

With a tremendous roar, the battle between the Whale Tribe and the Dragon Hybrids commenced.
The wolf boy Rak did not watch that battle, his gaze fixed on a single point. He could see Kale Heniatus’s back, made to appear even smaller by the rain-soaked clothes clinging to it.
Without realizing it, Rak held Raon deeper in his embrace.

Yet the eyes of that back’s owner—Kale Heniatus, who had issued the command—did not miss the battlefield. That gaze remained perfectly composed.

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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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