Chapter 8. Thirst (3)

At Johann's response, Yurie blinked.

"…Cradle of Dragons? Why there?"

"Why, since you passed the test, it's only natural to enter, isn't it?"

"Wasn't that test or something just a formality?"

"Hehe, just? Just?"

"Yes, just."

"Are you crazy? To waste that precious Dragon Token on some trivial nonsense?"

Johann's tone turned sarcastic, and Yurie looked confused.

Yurie tilted her head and asked.

"About being your... "

"Test subject?"

"...Right. Don't I have to enter the Cradle to be your test subject? If I enter the Cradle, we won't be able to meet, right?"

"Ho? Not bad, you can think that far."

"...Who do you think I am?"

"Hehe, don't worry about it. I'll take care of that issue."

Johann, who had been grinning, wiped the smile off his face and continued.

"And you must enter the Cradle for the experiment as well."

"Why?"

"Because there's no better place to build your strength."

"...?"

Seeing Yurie's puzzled expression, Johann smiled again.

"Do you know why the smartest kids in the world are so eager to get into the Cradle?"

"Why?"

"Because there's no place where the strong can monopolize everything as much as there."

"...!"

"In the Cradle, dozens of rare elixirs, which are hard to come by even with money, are released each year. Not to mention, various treasures and secret martial techniques of the greats who dominated an era are also abundant."

"Wow."

"All of these can only be obtained by those who win in fair competition. But what if one person stands out in that competition?"

"That one person would sweep all the benefits the Cradle offers."

"Exactly, a perfect monopoly by the strong."

Yurie's face stiffened as she listened to Johann's words.

At the same time, a voice from her childhood echoed in her mind.

[The weak are trampled and eliminated, while the strong... dominate and evolve. That's... the era of the Sword Master.]

The words spoken with a smile by a dying knight.

The world Yurie had wandered through for years was not much different from the story of the dead knight.

'And the Cradle of Dragons is a symbol of the current era.'

In other words, the Cradle is a concentrated representation of the current era, where the strong monopolize everything.

That's why Yurie could understand what Johann was saying to some extent.

'It's indeed a good place to build strength, as the old man said.'

But that was only true under one condition.

Absolute strength.

For the Cradle to be a 'good place to build strength,' Yurie needed the power to win all competitions, as Johann had said.

In that regard, Yurie was confident.

"So, you're saying I should enter the Cradle and suck up all the benefits they offer without leaving a single drop? Sounds like a good plan."

Hearing Yurie's confident muttering, a glint appeared in Johann's eyes.

But at the same time, a clear sneer appeared on his lips.

"Hehe, you're really full of yourself."

"...?"

"One day."

"Huh?"

"If you enter the Cradle now, you'll be packing your bags and getting kicked out in a day. If you're lucky, you'll walk out with all your limbs intact, but most likely, you'll be carried out in a coffin."

"...What?"

"What are you surprised about? Do you think the Cradle is some place for neighborhood kids? It's a gathering of the best talents selected from around the world, who have received rigorous training since they were young."

"..."

"How long do you think your weak body, which hasn't even accumulated mana, let alone mastered martial techniques, will last among those geniuses?"

"Even with the curse... no, the Incarnation?"

"Even with that, it's a day. Without it, you wouldn't last a minute, let alone an hour."

It was a harsh evaluation.

Yurie's brows furrowed, and Johann chuckled.

"Why? Did I hurt your pride?"

"..."

"Using the Incarnation is indeed a great feat. But even the best sword in the hands of a villager is only good for chopping firewood. You've been relying on the power of the Incarnation to overpower your opponents, without properly using it."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"Until now, that approach has worked. Whether it's swordsmanship or martial techniques, you haven't felt the lack of them. That's why you haven't paid much attention to them."

It was true.

Regular swordsmanship required consistent training at a martial arts school.

As for martial techniques, even the lowest level required a fortune that ordinary people could only dream of, and even then, they could barely master them.

'But even if I had struggled to learn them, it wouldn't have been as good as using the Incarnation.'

For Yurie, who struggled to make ends meet every day, it wasn't a necessary choice.

Their gazes locked.

"You're quite off track right now."

"I know, my soul has grown too large..."

"No, that's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

"You have the power to kill an opponent in one strike, but not to protect yourself. If you can wipe out all your enemies in one place, it wouldn't matter. But what if you can't?"

"..."

"What if you collapse and faint like today... and one of the enemies is still alive?"

Yurie clenched her fists.

Johann spoke coldly.

"The ones who enter the Cradle are like vicious leeches. To them, you, who used the Incarnation once and then collapsed, would be easy prey."

Things Yurie had never thought about before, or rather, things she had unconsciously avoided thinking about, came out of Johann's mouth.

Yurie's face stiffened.

'Am I... prey?'

It was a story she had never deeply considered before.

Since awakening the Incarnation, she had always been the predator.

A brawler who strutted around with a bit of power in a certain area.

A mercenary warrior who made a living with a sword after mastering martial techniques.

Even a knight with an unofficial title.

She had met and experienced many people while wandering the world, but she had never thought of them as threats.

Moreover, she had recently even taken down the notorious Black Sword Demon.

'Am I prey?'

The word 'prey' scratched Yurie's pride, and a sarcastic voice burst out in defiance.

"This Gunter, who passed the Cradle test this time, doesn't seem that impressive, does he?"

"That Gunter, who seems like nothing special, could probably kill you with just a finger, given that you can't use the Incarnation."

"Why are you excluding the Incarnation? It's also my ability. If I use it well..."

"The more you use it, the more it will eat away at your life force. Do you plan to keep using it in the Cradle?"

"..."

"If that's your plan, you should bring a coffin with you when you enter the Cradle. If you use the Incarnation every time something happens, your life will be cut short before you even complete the five years in the Cradle."

Yurie bit her lip.

But she couldn't think of a rebuttal.

Because what Johann said was entirely true.

As if reading Yurie's thoughts, Johann's mocking voice continued.

"Like you said, Gunter is indeed a rookie. A baby leech, perhaps?"

"..."

"And that baby leech... grows by eating prey like you. Hehe."

Johann, emphasizing his point by repeating what he had said earlier, observed Yurie with a smile.

'I need to break this guy's spirit for the future.'

Yurie was like a wild animal with strong caution.

If provoked, she would bare her fangs and growl, and if she felt threatened, she would bite the neck without hesitation.

Moreover, her pride was so strong that she often ignored attempts to heal her wounds.

So, how do you tame such a wild beast?

By building intimacy and bonds and approaching slowly?

While that could be one way, Johann wasn't the type to spend time building lukewarm feelings with Yurie.

'To tame a wild beast, you need to break its pride and make it show its belly.'

Impressing upon it the overwhelming difference in strength and making it follow you.

That was Johann's preferred method.

Johann smiled.

"But don't worry! There's still plenty of time before the Cradle's new intake for this batch!"

"..."

"If you keep training under me, you might be able to become a King of Leeches in the Cradle. Only then can you be considered a true person!"

Johann chuckled, waiting for Yurie to take the bait.

'After scratching you this much, it's time for you to react, right?'

And sure enough.

A spark of anger ignited in Yurie's eyes, which had been silently listening.

"Old man."

Her golden eyes, filled with a fierce light, stared at Johann.

"...How strong is the old man?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not interested in being a King of Leeches. If I'm going to get stronger..."

Yurie paused for a moment.

The corners of her mouth turned up as she looked at Johann.

"I need to be at least stronger than the old man."

"Ho?"

"Only then can I punch that unlucky face of yours."

Seeing Yurie's defiant and challenging expression, a glint appeared in Johann's eyes.

'So, you're asking.'

If so, he needed to reel her in quickly.

Johann smiled.

"Curious? How strong am I?"

Swish.

Without waiting for Yurie's answer, Johann disappeared.

He reappeared behind Yurie.

"?!?"

"Then I'll show you."

Yurie, startled, and Johann, with a deep smile.

In an instant, Johann grabbed the back of Yurie's neck and dashed out of the cave.

Yurie, terrified, shouted.

"Hey, old man?! What are you doing?"

But Johann's movements were faster than Yurie's cries.

By the time her voice echoed, they were already thrown out of the cave.

"?!?"

Yurie's hiding place was on a cliff 20 meters high.

Naturally, the breathtaking view below made her face pale.

But her expression of shock didn't last long.

"...Huh?"

Yurie's eyes widened.

She couldn't help it.

"Walk on...?"

Johann, who had grabbed the back of her neck, was...

"...air?"

walking on the sky.

As if stepping down a staircase, he calmly walked through the air.

Finally, when his feet touched the ground, Johann threw the stunned Yurie.

Even as she fell, Yurie quickly regained her composure and looked at Johann.

Johann, facing Yurie, spoke.

"You want to hit me? Then watch closely. You need to be at least this strong to even get close to my face."

Saying that, Johann turned his body towards the cliff.

At the same time, a misty something began to rise from his feet.

'...What is this?'

White smoke? Fog?

No, it was neither.

What appeared under Johann's feet was none other than a 'cloud.'

A white cloud, like those floating in the sky, appeared as if supporting Johann.

And Yurie realized that it wasn't just a simple cloud.

Because she had something similar, though it looked different.

'Is this the old man's Incarnation?'

While Yurie's Incarnation looked like a fearsome monster, Johann's was a white, fluffy cloud.

As Yurie stared blankly at the cloud-shaped Incarnation.

Swish.

Johann slowly drew his sword and held it diagonally.

A stream of energy rose from the cloud, traveling up his calf, thigh, body, and arm, gathering at his sword.

A white cloud, like a snake, coiled around the sword and wriggled.

Rumble.

The cloud, nesting on the sword, vibrated strongly, as if eager to be released.

Roar!

Johann, with a light swing, shook off the cloud, which was about to burst out.

Swish.

From bottom to top, a diagonal slash, as if cutting through the cliff.

It was a seemingly insignificant, light swing, but the result was far from light.

The white energy, extending with fierce momentum, suddenly expanded to several meters and, upon reaching the cliff, transformed.

Rumble.

A dragon's head with deer antlers.

A snake's body and four pairs of legs.

It resembled the divine dragon (龍) spoken of by the descendants of ancient Eastern cultures.

Roar!

The cloud dragon (雲龍) opened its mouth wide and roared.

Boom!

It struck the cliff directly.

And.

Boom!

With a massive sound, the cloud dragon disappeared, and the cliff vanished along with it.

Not just the cliff, but the mountain behind it was also obliterated.

As the mountain that had been blocking the sunset disappeared, a vivid red sun was revealed beyond it.

Yurie's eyes, which had been shaking, followed the gaping hole.

'This is... really...'

A single strike.

The cliff and the mountain vanished with that seemingly insignificant swing.

'...Is this the work of a single human?'

At that thought, Yurie realized something.

Until now, she had been using the Incarnation incorrectly.

She hadn't even tapped into a thousandth, no, a ten-thousandth of its power.

'I wasn't handling the Incarnation. I was just being dragged along by its power.'

Yurie looked at Johann's back.

The back that had seemed small now appeared overwhelmingly large.

'Is this... the power of a master?'

She had heard about the fame of the masters until her ears hurt.

But she had never truly felt it.

The greatness of the strength they had built.

'Oh my... '

At the young age of fifteen.

And having never experienced defeat in her life.

The arrogance of youth had a crack in it.

Johann.

Yurie regretted.

'I was a frog in a well.'

As she fully realized the reality, the contempt and arrogance that had enveloped Yurie shattered.

In their place, a spark of desire ignited.

'That is true strength.'

The world created by Sword Master Luke Ryder.

The absolute power possessed by those who ruled in it.

"Ah..."

Yurie's eyes became hazy.

Her mind was filled with only one thing.

'I want it. That strength...'

The strength shown by Johann Redner.

The desire for that strength.

Only that filled Yurie's mind.

'No, I want a strength greater than that!'

At the age of seven, Yurie, who had never experienced defeat, harbored a strength and hatred inappropriate for her age.

At the age of eight, upon realizing her limited lifespan, she replaced her hatred for the world with a will to live.

At the age of fifteen, as she gradually grew tired of a purposeless and anxious life...

'My throat... is dry.'

For the first time, Yurie felt a burning thirst for a pure desire.