Ending Maker

Chapter 103 - EPISODE 103 – KARAVAL (3)

It’s finally here. And while translating this chapter, I finally realized that Violent Avalanche was male… which is something I should have figured out earlier given the clues. I feel like an idiot now, hahaha.

Terms used in this chapter:

Dark Ghost?– also known in Korean as ‘eudoksini.’ It is a ghost or demon that will swiftly grow in size and become powerful if they are continuously stared at, though it will shrink and eventually disappear if ignored.

The warriors of the Blade Song tribe who inherited the blood of the Hyjal Orcs were physically superior.

They were more like beasts than humans in terms of physical abilities such as strength, agility, and so on.

Sun Song was one of the best among the warriors of such a tribe.

Red Wind wouldn’t be able to last a few seconds if she fought him head-on in a battle of strength. Or rather, it was clearly at a level where her whole body would crumble because she couldn’t bear it.

‘I’ll be honest. If you got hit with just one blow, it would be difficult for you to win.’

Their weight difference alone was more than three times.

Their difference in muscle strength might as well be more than six times.

If she got hit, that was it.

If she suffered from a blow on her chest or stomach, she wouldn’t be able to properly breathe.

‘So you can’t get hit even once.’

It was an unreasonable demand.

But if she couldn’t do it, she had no chance of winning.

And one more added to this.

A word from Cordelia, who was silently watching Jude teaching her while next to him.

‘It’s okay, don’t think too hard about it. You just have to look carefully and avoid it. I’ve always done that.’

She said that with such a big smile that Red Wind couldn’t even refute her words.

“Uooo!”

His shout shook her eardrums.

Sun Song roughly kicked the ground and rushed at her in a terrifying speed.

Red Wind concentrated.

She even held her breath and looked at him.

She naturally recalled Jude’s words.

‘Well, this beast’s words aren’t wrong.’

‘Beast? Beeaast? Wurf-wurf! Wurf-wurf! Grrrrrr!”

No, not this one.

The next thing he said.

‘Look carefully and completely avoid it. It’s possible to do it. I will – no, we will make that possible to do.’

Time had stopped.

She could see the grains of sand rising in front of her.

She could also see the saliva coming out of Sun Song’s big mouth.

Having the blood of Winter Elves, Red Wind’s eyes were innately good in the first place. Jude’s magic scroll additionally helped her.

<Eye of Tiger>.

A spell that maximized the eye’s ability to discern shapes and details of everything it sees.

That wasn’t enough, so Jude trained her.

‘This is how Sun Song moves.’

“Kuooo!”

Sun Song swung his scimitar.

Red Wind had met Sun Song for the first time today, and it was also the first time she had seen him swing his scimitar with all his strength.

But it was familiar.

That attack.

The speed of Sun Song.

‘Look.’

Jude wasn’t just talking about momentary movements.

How the attack would continue.

What the scimitar’s trajectory was and how far would it reach.

Jude taught her.

Jude made her become familiar with it.

‘Look carefully and completely avoid it.’

Cordelia’s words.

And another of her words.

‘Then you’ll feel it. Not only through sight but you’ll feel it with your whole body at some point.’

She didn’t understand what Cordelia was talking about then.

She wondered what Cordelia meant about feeling the attack with one’s whole body.

She really liked Cordelia, but she thought that Cordelia wasn’t good at explaining.

But Cordelia wasn’t wrong.

Her unnie told her how to do it.

‘I can feel it.’

It wasn’t just the sight.

Her sense of hearing reacted.

Her sense of touch reacted.

She felt it beyond her five senses and perceived it through her sixth sense.

Sound, the vibration of the air, and the momentum of Sun Song’s force.

‘I think I understand.’

She understood what it meant to feel with one’s whole body.

And what she should do now.

‘There are two things.’

The scimitar gradually approached in the slow-moving time.

She recalled Cordelia’s words whispering to her again between Sun Song’s roar.

‘Once you feel it, there are two choices you can make.’

The blade drew near.

It felt like it would reach her anytime soon.

Red Wind saw Sun Song.

His face that was yelling a battle roar was terrifying as if proving that he had the blood of Hyjal Orcs.

His canine teeth protruding from his mouth reminded her of a beast than a person.

And his eyes.

His bloodshot eyes that stared at Red Wind.

A person’s face was reflected in his eyes.

It was Red Wind’s own face.

But the face reminded Red Wind of Cordelia.

The beauty who enchanted even those of the same sex, spoke as her canine teeth shined.

‘Either you step back or move forward.’

She usually stepped back.

It was normal to step back.

But that just meant running away.

There were times when she had to move forward.

‘The criteria for judging it…hehe, you’ll know it yourself when that moment comes.’

‘You’re talking as if there’s something, but you’re not actually thinking about it. ‘Coz you’re a beast.’

‘Do you want to die?’

She remembered unnecessary things, but it wasn’t bad.

A smile spread over Red Wind’s face. She was surprised when she widely smiled, but she took a step forward.

Shaaak-!

The scimitar cut the air.

Above the head of Red Wind who evaded the attack by bending her waist backwards.

The scimitar cut off a few strands of her pure white hair and scattered it. Sun Song was unable to control the power of his swing and continued moving forward while Red Wind disappeared from his sight.

T/N: Okay, it seems that the author made a mistake here. When Red Wind was first introduced, she was described as having azure hair that was reminiscent of the clear blue sky. But the paragraph above said that she had pure-white hair. I double-checked the Korean words used in the earlier chapters and here, and it really referred to her hair. Perhaps it was a typo by the author and the azure color being referred was her eyes and not the hair.

It was just a second.

A mere moment.

“Huu.”

Red Wind exhaled. She straightened her back and saw Sun Song’s clearly exposed back. Instead of looking at the face of Sun Song who hastily turned his head to find her, she swung her sword. The slash stirred up the wind.

Slaaash-!

Her sword only slashed the air.

But she had intended it.

The Phoenix rose and followed the sword’s trajectory as it charged and attacked.

Stretching out like a sword, the Phoenix struck Sun Song whose giant body was then greatly hurled backwards.

Boom!

There was a blast.

No one heard of the small and light footsteps that echoed together with the blast.

Thump.

After rotating once, Red Wind fixed her position and held her breath.

She felt Sun Song again with her whole body.

She sensed him flying away, rolling on the floor, and groaning in pain.

“Haa.”

She let out her breath.

And Red Wind thought.

‘This…is this the world you live in?’

She was wrong.

The world of Cordelia was more special.

Jude had met geniuses of all kinds, but even he had to admit that the world seen by a combat genius, who could only be described as a beast, was impossible for the current Red Wind to reach.

But it was enough for now. If she could feel and read Sun Song’s movements, then it was enough.

Bang!

Red Wind kicked the ground this time. She rushed towards Sun Song.

It was a splendid fight.

Red Wind quickly moved amidst the flames.

But like a seasoned warrior, Sun Song did not let himself be swept away from the battle.

He knew.

Just one hit.

That he could win with just one hit.

So he endured it.

As he endured the pain, she wildly swung her sword again and again. Red Wind refused to give up as she danced with her sword like willow leaves fluttering in the wind.

Slash! Slash!

Red Wind’s attacks poured out in succession.

Sun song received Red Wind’s attacks with his body and shot a series of attacks towards her.

Baaaang!

Flames sprung out.

Since both sides used fire, the fight looked flashy and splendid.

Different flames came together and clashed.

“As planned.”

Jude said as he watched.

Cordelia nodded her head.

Because Jude had memorized all of Sun Song’s combat patterns, Red Wind was able to ‘feel’ Sun Song.

Although it was the result of receiving help from different kinds of magic, what she felt was the real deal.

“Red Wind will win.”

Jude agreed with Cordelia’s conviction.

Because Jude’s calculations agreed with the words of Cordelia who perceived results while skipping the process with an intuition that was close to foresight.

Red Wind would win.

It would take some time, but it would eventually lead to her victory.

So Jude averted his gaze.

While everyone gathered here were focusing on the fight between Red Wind and Sun Song, he took a step back and thought.

‘An unfounded apprehension?’

Several chieftains gathered in Karaval.

The Eastern Alliance would be established regardless of who won the Karaval.

So if they moved, now was the perfect moment.

If someone wanted to interfere, it should have been now.

However, the Angry Bull tribe did not come.

Perhaps they hadn’t completed their military expedition in the west yet.

Maybe they were trying to avoid a situation where it would become dangerous if they moved the troops they left behind in their home base.

It was a possibility.

But would they just let go of this opportunity and watch?

Jude thought about the land of Gentle Snow Breeze where the Karaval was held.

It was an open plain on all sides, so they would know early on if someone wanted to invade it.

‘It’s impossible with a few troops.’

It was ridiculous to count the number of warriors gathered here.

There were also several powerful chieftains, so even if they dispatched elite troops, they would still need a dozen units.

‘If that’s the case, they would have been sighted.’

Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze was here now.

She had retained her powers unlike Violent Avalanche. But even then, she did not detect any movement of troops when she looked around.

No enemy was coming.

The west had given up hindering the establishment of an eastern alliance.

So everyone was focused on the Karaval only.

Everyone who had gathered here focused their attention on the battle between Red Wind and Sun Song.

Jude had been doing that until now.

That was why he doubted it once more.

He wondered if there was anything he missed.

Perhaps there was something he did not think of.

‘Sky.’

It was still clear and blue.

Sunset would arrive soon, but the sky was still blue now.

‘West.’

Jude turned his head and looked west.

There was still nothing visible. Only the plain with white snow was seen.

‘Am I worrying for nothing then?’

Though that would be the best scenario.

Jude bitterly smiled and tried to watch Red Wind’s fight again.

But someone pulled on Jude’s arm before that.

“Jude.”

Cordelia.

He understood it the moment their eyes met.

He understood from Cordelia’s frowning expression and her twisting her body about as if she wanted to answer the call of nature.

A foreboding.

Cordelia couldn’t really explain what that ominous thing was, but she certainly felt something.

So Jude focused.

He tried to find something he missed.

And Cordelia pulled Jude’s arm again.

“Tremor.”

She said with widely opened eyes and pointed to her feet by gesturing with her chin. Therefore, Jude also figured it out.

The moment he heard Cordelia’s words, he concentrated and managed to notice it.

He could feel the vibration.

Very small tremors.

It was hard to feel unless one was as sensitive as Cordelia.

It grew bigger. It was getting closer.

“Under.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at their feet at the same time. They raised their heads and simultaneously shouted.

“Watch out!”

“It’s coming from underground!”

The invasion from outside finally happened.

As if an earthquake had occurred, the tremors instantly became violent and the ground cracked!

Booom!

Massive spikes shot up from the ground.

Whether it was their aim or just an accidental coincidence, it came from under Red Wind and Sun Song’s feet.

Baaang-!

Red Wind simultaneously saw both Sun Song and the soaring spikes as the spikes shot up like a blade.

Her instincts told her that the spike would soon pierce Sun Song’s body.

So Red Wind moved.

Her instincts that preceded her thoughts was what made her move.

Because Sun Song was not an enemy.

Because he was their eastern ally who would join forces with them against the west!

Pooook!

Red Wind hit Sun Song. She threw her whole body and pushed him away.

And blood.

A piercing scream.

“Red Wind!”

Shwaaak!

A large spike grazed Red Wind’s slender waist. Red Wind fell down on top of Sun Song as she groaned and crouched her body. Red blood spurted from her torn waist.

“Run away!”

Cordelia’s cry was heard.

The ground was broken, and a huge monster shot up. Strange creatures that seemed to be a mix of humans and monsters came out one after another from the hole leading underground. Sun Song hurriedly lifted and carried Red Wind on the spur of the moment.

“Attack!”

“Help Sun Song!”

“Red Wind!”

Voices burst out simultaneously.

The warriors who gathered for Karaval drew their own swords.

It wasn’t just them. Even Gentle Snow Breeze angrily yelled and widely spread out her wings.

And it was at that moment.

“Aaaah!”

The monster that broke the ground stood up as it roared.

It was like a giant mole that was around 5 meters tall. There were several horns on its head, and it had glowing red eyes. A purple aura entangled its body as if it was cursed.

“O-oh my goodness! Dark Ghost!”

Violent Avalanche screamed and Gentle Snow Breeze widely opened her eyes.

Dark Ghost.

It was the first time Jude and Cordelia had heard of that name. But they realized it based on the two wild gods’ reactions.

The monster in front of them was a corrupted wild god.

No, it wasn’t even properly corrupted.

From the perspective of the Devil’s Eye, Dark Ghost was not completely corrupted and was just a failure that went crazy.

“Aaaah!”

Dark Ghost let out a tormenting scream.

The eastern warriors were tormented by the cry that contained the power of a wild god, and the increasing dozens of monsters penetrated into that gap.

‘Failures!’

They were one of the attempts to mass-produce demonic humans by combining humans and monsters.

If it had succeeded, it would become a low-ranking demonic human who possessed the power of monsters and a human’s intelligence, but if it had failed, it just became a monster.

“Kiaaaa!”

The deformed monsters moved towards the warriors.

And Ga?l pulled out his sword. Having secured Adelia’s safety, he condensed his Qi energy and diffused it as he roared like a lion.

“Go!”

At his tremendous roar filled with Qi, the curse in Dark Ghost’ scream was canceled at that moment.

The warriors came to their senses and Ga?l quickly moved on the ground.

“Save Red Wind!”

Ga?l unhesitatingly charged into the middle of the enemy’s group. Adelia also raised her hands and cast magic in succession, and a fight broke out between the monsters and the warriors who barely came to their senses.

“Dark Ghost!”

“Brother Dark Ghost!”

Violent Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze cried out, and Gentle Snow Breeze even tried to run towards Dark Ghost.

“No! He’s not the Dark Ghost we used to know!”

Violent Avalanche grabbed Gentle Snow Breeze’s feet to stop her.

He tried to overcome the current situation by calming down Gentle Snow Breeze who burst into tears upon seeing Dark Ghost’s changed appearance.

“Damn it! What the heck happened!”

Violent Avalanches had lost most of his powers, but not Gentle Snow Breeze. So he wondered on how they tricked the senses of Gentle Snow Breeze. Even if the ground was that deep, she would have noticed if they had approached near her.

Was there something that could hide their powers?

And the corruption.

The wild god was corrupted together with the dragon vein and sanctuary.

The fact that Violent Avalanche himself could have been like that gave him goosebumps. He felt like his heart was being torn at the fact that Dark Ghost had been corrupted.

And it was at that moment.

A voice rang in the minds of Jude and Cordelia.

It made Jude and Cordelia stop at once from helping Ga?l who was trying to save Red Wind.

[Ki…kill! Please…kill me!]

It was Dark Ghost’s cry.

Jude and Cordelia could hear his pained screams because they were recognized as guardians of the wild lands by the Golden Dragon King.

[N-no. I-I don’t want to. Hurt everyone- Violent Avalanche- Gentle Snow…Breeze. N-no. Please kill…me…]

Dark Ghost’s scream grew louder, and the power of the curse also became stronger again.

Gentle Snow Breeze radiated her power to cancel the curse but that was all. She couldn’t do any more than that.

“Jude!”

Violent Avalanche shouted.

Because he too heard Dark Ghost’s cry.

And he also knew.

The reason why Dark Ghost told them to kill him wasn’t just because of the pain!

“Bomb.”

Cordelia said with a pained look.

Dark Ghost was a bomb.

The Devil’s Eye plan was to wipe out the eastern chieftains by causing a huge explosion in the middle of the place where the Karaval was held.

‘Expendables.’

They were failures after all.

Using them like this was an effective tactic.

Even if it failed, it would at least cause damage.

It was a good way to dispose of a defective product.

“Son of a b*tch!”

Cordelia angrily cursed. She was furious at the actions of the Devil’s Eye.

Jude deeply inhaled. He watched Ga?l escape with Red Wind and Sun Song before he focused on Dark Ghost’s voice.

[Run…away!]

Dark Ghost should have originally blown himself up as soon as he broke and shot up from the ground.

Causing a disturbance without exploding was due to a part of Dark Ghost’s remaining will because he had not been completely corrupted.

But he didn’t last that long.

He didn’t have that much time.

“Kiaaaaaa!”

Dark Ghost let out a curse-filled scream again.

At that moment, Gentle Snow Breeze burst into tears.

Because she realized it.

Dark Ghost’s will had died down.

None of it was left. What was in front of them was just a monster that had gone crazy.

“We don’t have time! Run away, everyone!”

Violent Avalanche repeatedly stamped his feet and shouted. Now that the will of Dark Ghost had disappeared, the monster in front of them was a bomb that they were unsure on when and how it would explode.

But it was impossible.

The battle between the warriors and monsters had already began. If they turned around to run away in the middle of this, they would only be killed.

“Huu…huu…”

Jude took a deep breath again. He searched for a solution.

What do I do? What must I do?

It was also impossible to run away because of the monsters.

But if they leave it like this, everyone would be swept away by Dark Ghost’s self-destruction.

‘I have to find a way.’

Something different, something else other than just running away from the range of explosion.

“Jude!”

Jude’s eyes widened in surprise. Cordelia was right in front of him. She shouted as her blue eyes sparkled.

“Let’s burst it!”

“What?”

“Let’s explode it before it self-destructs!”

What is she talking about?

Is there a difference between an explosion and self-destruction?

Wouldn’t we die even if we kill it anyway?

“No! Not that!”

Cordelia exclaimed as if she was frustrated.

She couldn’t explain it properly, so she conveyed it through her eyes, and Jude eventually figured it out. He unwittingly said.

“You’re a genius.”

“Of course!”

Cordelia smiled. Jude impulsively hugged Cordelia tightly, and she struggled.

“Hey! Hey?!”

“Let’s go.”

Jude immediately released Cordelia. Resisting the urge to kiss her on the cheek, he advanced towards Dark Ghost.

“Let’s goooo!”

Cordelia transformed into a witch and chased after Jude.

Adelia shouted from behind, but she didn’t listen. She had to reach Jude as soon as possible.

“Unnie! Open the way for me!”

At Cordelia’s cry, Adelia let out a curse.

Adelia suddenly clenched her fists and gathered them in front of her chest before she swung them widely to the side.

“<Fire Wall!>”

And double casting.

Mana was released from Adelia’s small body like an explosion, and an outrageous feat took place.

Booooooooooooooom!

Two walls of fire spread out along with a roar. The fire of nearly 3 meters tall rose and made a path, and all of the monsters caught in between it were burned. Not one of them dared to approach Jude and Cordelia.

“Wow!”

“Unnie is the best!”

Jude and Cordelia ran in the path surrounded by flames.

The monsters tried to attack, but it was impossible.

“<Grease!>”

The magic attack wasn’t wasted. As the monsters slipped because of the grease, the fallen monsters hit the walls of fire.

Kwaaaa!

Even when the flames were burning, Jude and Cordelia did not stop. They trampled on those who did not touch the fire walls or did not slip luckily as the two ran towards Dark Ghost.

“Keuaaaaa!”

Dark Ghost screamed.

Ga?l had ran ahead first as he carried Red Wind in his arms and tried to run away from the explosion range. On the other hand, Sun Song slightly offset Dark Ghost’s scream with his battle roar.

“Oooooh!”

Dark Ghost went mad and swung both of its hands.

Its force was so terrifying as it tore the air with his blade-like nails.

But Jude and Cordelia did not stop. Rather, they sped up and shouted.

“I am anvil!”

“I am hammer!”

Their coordination was over. Jude soared using a golden whirlwind while Cordelia stretched out both of her hands forward and began using a telekinetic power. She poured out all her power to block Dark Ghost’s movement.

“Aaaaaah!”

She didn’t just bind him. She applied force towards a certain direction. At the same time, she opened her eyes wide and activated the <Evil Eye>.

“Kaaaak!”

Dark Ghost let out a gasp and was paralyzed. Tears of blood flowed down from Cordelia’s eyes.

“Juuuude!”

“Cordelia!”

Jude pulled his fist in the air. As he cried out Cordelia’s name, he struck his fist on the head of Dark Ghost who couldn’t move.

“Black Dragon Cross Strike!”

He shouted out loud.

A pitch-black cross appeared from Jude’s fist as it shot and struck Dark Ghost’s body. It pushed Dark Ghost into a certain direction.

“Oooooooh!”

Jude added his Qi energy into his cry. He fully mobilized all his inner Qi in his lower abdomen, while Cordelia asked for help. Violent Avalanche caught on their plan and shouted to Gentle Snow Breeze afterwards.

“Help them! You have to push Dark Ghost into the hole!”

Gentle Snow Breeze did not immediately understand what he was talking about. But she understood that she had to help Jude. So she released a force that headed in the same direction as Jude.

Booom!

Dark Ghost was pushed away. He fell into the hole he himself had dug.

“Get in!”

Cordelia shut her eyes and used the last of her powers. Jude’s black cross completely pushed down Dark Ghost. And Gentle Snow Breeze’s power pushed Dark Ghost into the deepest part of the hole.

Cordelia’s plan was simple.

Detonate before it self-destructed.

Under the ground.

Inside the hole it dug!

“Art is-!”

She couldn’t continue her words. She had a headache from using too much of her power. Her legs were trembling, and her breathing became rugged.

But Cordelia did not fall down. Jude ran as he roughly breathed before he held Cordelia on the waist. And continued the words on her behalf.

“An explosion.”

Jude poured a potion into Cordelia’s mouth.

Cordelia suddenly hugged Jude’s body and used <Mana Drain>.

“Ugggghhh…”

Both of them let out painful groans at the same time. But Cordelia’s mana was restored because of this, and Cordelia promptly cast a new spell using the mana she just got.

“<Dark Blade>.”

A witch’s spell that she could control.

Cordelia leant her head in Jude’s arms as she moved her fingers. She fired the spell by pulling her index finger as if she was using a real gun to shoot.

Shwaaaa!

The dark blade flew like a bullet into the dug hole. It reached the point where Gentle Snow Breeze and Dark Ghost’s powers collided.

The power that Dark Ghost suppressed.

The dark blade stimulated it.

It lit the fuse.

“Bang.”

Cordelia said while Jude hugged her. The moment he turned his back to protect her, a tremendous explosion started from the ground.

Baaaaaaaaaang-!

The ground shook.

It shook like an earthquake.

All who were standing ended up falling down, regardless of warriors or monsters.

A tremor of that magnitude.

An explosion that shook the earth.

But it was deep underground.

A purple pillar shot up from the hole, but that was it. The aftermath of the explosion never reached the ground.

Ruuuuumble-

Aftershocks.

The second tremors.

But it was small. It quickly subsided.

“Ack.”

Jude gasped.

To protect Cordelia from the possible aftermath, he lied her down on his chest, so he felt her weight.

“Haa.”

Cordelia fell on top of Jude’s chest as she let out a sigh of relief. Her cold sweat trickled down before she said with a bright smile.

“We lived.”

Jude also smiled at her short words. As the ring of light appeared around them, he hugged Cordelia once again.