Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 245

Edward’s Elemental Mana was famously versatile, belonging to the Wind Element among the elemental properties.

The Seong-ryong used the Divine Dragon Wind Manipulator to physically grasp the wind and steal elemental mana from Edward, but such madness was reserved for an extremely small number of individuals in this world.

With no way to reference others’ methods, Yeon-woo could only engage in combat within the practical limits of his own abilities, akin to a straight approach.

The good news was that the shadows Yeon-woo employed were also a highly versatile element, making it not too difficult to fend off this encounter.

In the end, what he needed to be wary of was experience. No matter how much of a genius one might be, experience cannot be caught up with in an instant.

Yeon-woo was the same. Before his regression, he had made a living by harnessing that experience, so he was well aware of its power.

However, today, he felt that there wouldn’t be too many opportunities to see the might of that experience.

He noticed an old man calmly fiddling with his axe across from him. This was a duel held under the auspices of the Gangneung Hunter Guild.

Naturally, it didn’t boast the facilities of an academy level. A barrier to prevent fatal injuries was prohibitively expensive to possess in such numbers.

Because of that, Yeon-woo had a certain level of confidence. It was absurd to think that he would miss those sorts of intentions.

‘Killing intent, killing intent.’

What he felt atop his abdomen was unmistakable killing intent. A gaze imbued with the desire to take a life.

The reason Yeon-woo could still function as a hunter, despite the penalty of lacking mana, was precisely because of that sharp instinct he felt from such killing intent, and he had no doubts about it.

He wouldn’t attempt to kill here. That man was composed. He would do everything he could not to tarnish his reputation, and this fight, merely distinguishing itself as a formal duel, would not turn deadly.

Thus, what Yeon-woo needed to do in this duel was simple.

“You wanna kill me, right? You wanna kill me, right? But you can’t, can you?”

Provocation. To get him so eager to kill that he might mistakenly use lethal techniques. If he couldn’t hold it together and unleashed a killing blow, Yeon-woo would seize that opportunity, but even if he didn’t, he would surely get angry and take action soon enough. All he had to do was dig a trap and wait.

What, will he withdraw his killing intent when it’s inconvenient? If a man draws his sword, he should slice something!

*

“Wow, you can’t hit me.”

Every time the axe narrowly missed or was blocked by the sword, that kid muttered in a tiny voice.

Given how perfectly sized it was, if there wasn’t an Aura Master in the outfield, Edward might have been the only one to hear that voice.

Edward’s grinding teeth could be heard, albeit faintly. Yeon-woo didn’t miss that chance. Smoothly retrieving his sword, he lunged again, adjusting his voice to sound as innocent as possible.

“Gosh, I heard implants are pretty expensive these days… Oh, but grandpa’s okay since he has dentures, right?”

Even though it was his own words, he wondered if that hit a bit too hard. Watching Edward’s expression, he noticed incredible poker face, but the tips of his ears were clearly flushed; he was definitely angry. Impressive… an ace in the provocations kept his wits intact even while being trolled. He had the makings of a streamer.

However, he could distinctly feel Edward’s grip growing rougher with every provocation. The trajectory of his swings took on a more sinister twist. If he accidentally miscalculated, it was a path that could result in injury.

“Not a chance, CUT!!”

With a smooth twist of the wrist, the great sword turned effortlessly. The axe aiming for his leg got caught in the sword’s spin, and Yeon-woo thrust his great sword straight in.

He aimed to only cut the edge of the clothing, but the blade’s tip was pushed aside by the wind.

“Are you getting serious now?”

“…Let’s see how long you can keep that mouth running.”

“Yep~, not shutting it down~.”

Was that statement the final nail in the coffin? Edward let out a furious howl directed at the giggling Yeon-woo.

“Do you think I’m joking!?”

“It’s not something to be so angry about, right? Just a friendly duel.”

Winds began to swirl around Edward’s body. Drawing up shadow mana, Yeon-woo smiled slyly. This might end up being quite easy.

The moment he thought that, an axe wrapped in wind came thrusting towards his temple.

No sound. He had used elemental mana to conceal his movements. If it had been a surprise attack before grabbing his sword, he would have been hit.

Thinking so, Yeon-woo shifted his sword below the axe blade to block it. He felt the familiar chill of a blade against his skin.

“Your skills are infuriatingly good.”

“Thankses.”

Most users of the wind element share a common trait: a free-spirited nature. Although it was a term that didn’t suit the stubborn old guild leader, their utilization of space truly lived up to the concept of freedom.

They used all dimensional axes, freely shifting direction. In front of them, the distinctions between head and leg direction lost their meaning.

Instead of pulling the axe tightly caught in his sword, Edward suddenly leaped. He avoided Yeon-woo while pulling his axe from the air, flipping himself mid-air to bring the axe down upon Yeon-woo’s head.

Yeon-woo managed to remain unfazed and faced it calmly. Shadows surged from beneath him, crashing like waves and pushed Edward back.

“Damn…!!”

Clicking his tongue, Edward released the currents of air that had been wrapping around him, shredding the shadows apart.

How is it that this pathetic durability is so hard to manage? Well, it doesn’t seem to be working.

“Why do you possess such power? I can’t fathom it. And you too. If you have that strength, shouldn’t it be surrendered to a stronger one!?”

“Who am I supposed to surrender it to? Shar wished to form a contract with me. You don’t know what a contract is, do you? It requires an agreement between the parties involved, you know?”

“Of course, but…! Ugh!”

There was no reason to listen to a response. Yeon-woo rushed in like lightning, cutting across in a diagonal line. The old man, who had been about to say something, hurriedly raised his axe to block the strike. Didn’t he bite his tongue?

“Why do people spout monologues in the middle of a fight? Is this like a European grand war, where you could win even after having English tea during the fight?”

“What do you know about war, you little brat…!!”

“Yep, I know nothing~.”

Clang!! Taken off guard by the ambush, Edward was desperate to block Yeon-woo’s sword.

Naturally, Yeon-woo had no intention of giving him a chance to adjust his stance. Despite both being in a duel, he had a low probability of winning.

Of course, he didn’t intend to lose gracefully. Especially since he had heard what Lucrecia said the other day.

Even if one could call it a sense of superiority, Edward was ultimately an ordinary person. Although he was a hero from a past era, the number of dragon contract holders greatly outnumbered him.

So, it was necessary to defeat an old coot. If you were to ask why, the answer was simple: because one day, he would need to defeat the Demon King.

The battle against the Demon King wouldn’t be something that could be easily described as simply a bad matchup. It would be a fight with a high likelihood of someone dying, and frankly, it was the kind of battle that made you feel like the one wanting to fight was a fool.

If someone willing to jump into such a fight couldn’t even claim victory due to slightly worse conditions, it wasn’t worth discussing. They would be better off quitting before their death was inevitable.

‘That can’t happen.’

Hadn’t he promised to show a better world to Shar and Nea? In Yeon-woo’s eyes, a better world meant a place where they could live without the threat of the Demon King.

Whether this was a purpose befitting a hero was up for debate. Most of the heroes he knew, including Noel, were individuals who had devoted themselves to saving the world.

Being a hero who lives merely for a select few felt somewhat paradoxical, but then again, why not? Isn’t it okay if there’s at least one such hero in the world?

Taking a deep breath. If he could bring forth everything he had learned from Yuri until now, he would surely win. After knocking him down, should he show any opening, Edward would surely unleash some killing techniques in a moment of rage.

“Hoop.”

The trajectory of his sword splits. The path for swinging his sword diverges into dozens. There exists no single correct trajectory. Every trajectory is a correct answer and simultaneously a wrong one.

The only factors that elevate the chosen path to the correct answer are one’s self-cultivation and training.

What was etched in his eyes were the myriad cuts of swords. The extent to which he could internalize them ultimately depended on the intensity of his focus in this very moment.

Yeon-woo’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a golden light. It wasn’t because he used the Dragon’s Eye. Rather, his pure desire to win urged his mana to move on its own.

The Dragon’s Eye read the opponent’s movements. It transcended even the changes in muscle fibers and ventured close to predicting the future, elevating Yeon-woo’s instinct and perception.

“What is this…!?”

Edward frowned in surprise. He had never felt surpassed until now, as the distance that had seemed unbridgeable began to crumble from within.

The paths of the sword stretched infinitely. There was no way to read which one to choose.

Even he, who never lost to Irachlios, found it absurd that such a pinnacle would be surpassed by a measly rookie. No way. Does that mean this kid is greater than Irachlios?

‘Or could it be that I-?’

No way, no way. Was his performance really rusted merely due to aging? Absolutely not.

As if to refute the old man’s desperate cry, successive strikes erupted from Yeon-woo’s fingertips. They flowed smoothly, so gently that they couldn’t be read, like bubbles dancing joyfully. Beautiful, much like the moon reflected on a lake, they made one want to reach out without thinking.

When he regained his senses amid that vast scenery, Edward realized he was defeated.

“Pant, ha… Thank you for your hard work, senior.”

The victor panted roughly. The loser could do nothing but watch in silence. The exhausted Yeon-woo turned sharply around.

Seeing such a familiar sight, something simmered deep within Edward’s chest.

By the time he sensed it, the axe had already left his fingertips.

A woman in a blindfold caught the axe flying toward Yeon-woo with one hand, her lips curling into a smile.

“Hey, old man. You were actually trying to kill him, right? Huh?”

With a voice, expression, and demeanor reminiscent of a trickster, Edward trembled involuntarily.

(To be continued in the next installment)