The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 445

267. How to Handle a Wolf

“Hmm.”

Cahill slowly opened his eyes.

Activating the Lycanthrope’s will within Farrell, a space of consciousness unfolded before his eyes, much like when he first opened Mael’s sealed box.

However, it was quite different from Mael’s space.

If the place where Mael was sealed was filled with coldness, this place, on the contrary, radiated heat like a blazing fire.

[Krrr……]

A low growl echoed.

As he focused his gaze, a red crack appeared in the darkness. The crack quickly began to split the floor and spread into dozens, hundreds, like a spiderweb.

“Mael.”

Cahill looked at the black, bulky monster before him and raised his arm. But despite his call, the eager blue snake did not appear.

“Arnrn?”

Not only that.

Arnrn, who had a soul contract with him, had also disappeared, and when he raised his other hand, the Ein Trigger [a symbol representing the Flame King’s power], had also vanished from the back of his hand.

“It’s definitely just the two of us.”

Cahill said quietly, looking at the crouching giant wolf before him.

“Unlike Mael, this one isn’t a Master Key capable of conversation? Hmm… then…”

He spoke to the wary Lycanthrope.

“I need to think about how to tame you.”

At that moment, the giant wolf widened its eyes, and sharp fangs gleamed in the darkness.

[Kuaaaaa!!!!]

The giant wolf with a huge mane leaped at Cahill. As it swung its forepaws, the inside of the crack exploded, and flames erupted.

The fragments were each almost as large as Cahill and fell on him at tremendous speed, as if firing cannonballs.

But Cahill did not avoid it, and he shattered the fragments by striking down with Falsetia’s sword.

Skang-!

Kuuung……!!

The fragments weren’t like rocks; they disappeared as if burning away the moment they touched the blade.

‘Unbelievable heat… It’s different from Lamin’s Flame.’

Cahill rubbed his burning cheeks with the back of his hand and looked at the Lycanthrope.

If the Flame King’s power was pure flame, the heat created by the Lycanthrope was like lava.

Each time its sharp claws cut through the air, molten flames with a sticky viscosity splattered on Cahill’s face.

The sight was reminiscent of hell.

Huuuung!!!

The floor shook as if an earthquake had occurred. It was incredibly fast, considering it came from a huge body, but it wasn’t at a level Cahill couldn’t keep up with.

“To tame a beast, you must first put a leash on it.”

[……!!]

Before he knew it, Cahill was dodging the Lycanthrope’s attacks, burrowing inside its guard, and standing on its shoulder.

Peok-!!

Cahill struck the Lycanthrope’s neck with the hilt of Falsetia’s sword with all his might.

[Kaaack……!!!]

It screamed as if in pain and collapsed.

But what he thought was unexpected was Cahill himself, who had attacked.

[Kuaaaang!!!]

Even though it was a blow struck with all his might with the intention of knocking it out, it bared its teeth as if angry and turned its head to bite him, rushing straight at him.

“Is its physical ability the strongest aspect?”

It was a toughness befitting a beast that was true to its instincts.

Kwang-!!!

Kwakwang—!!

Kwagagagagagaga—!!!

As the Lycanthrope opened its huge mouth, flames containing hot magma spewed out from within.

Cahill burst into a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded by the sight.

“This is no wolf, but a hellhound.”

Cahill dodged the Lycanthrope’s flames by bouncing diagonally.

Peok!

At that moment, as if waiting for it, the Lycanthrope charged straight at Cahill. With a dull sound, Cahill’s body bounced back, and sticky flames that wouldn’t go out clung to his clothes, making his body heavy.

Tuk-! Tuk-!!

As Cahill tried to shake off the flames that wrapped around his body, the Lycanthrope did not miss the gap and spat flames at Cahill once again.

Kugagagagaga!!!

It was a huge flame that seemed to be twice the size of Cahill. It was so big that it completely covered his vision, leaving no room to escape.

“Hup….”

Cahill calmly readjusted his sword. The eyes of Manhwan [Cahill’s unique perception ability] captured a point in the center of the fiercely swirling flames.

Skang-!!

At the same time as drawing his sword, Falsetia’s sword drew a circle as calmly as flowing water, vertically cutting the Lycanthrope’s flames.

Kugagak! Kwaaang!!

The flames were cut off and spread to both sides of Cahill. He ran in the opposite direction from where the flames came. Then, he thrust his sword into the darkness.

Pisyuk……!!

He could clearly feel the heavy flesh being pierced at the tip of the sword. Cahill smiled faintly at the sensation.

“It spits out flames and aims for the back. Too simple. Is it just a mere creature after all? That’s why you had no choice but to lose to Mael. Mael told me. A wolf cannot beat a snake.”

[Kuaaaaa……!!]

The Lycanthrope’s roar, which seemed to tear his eardrums, struck Cahill. But piercing through its cry, Cahill’s blade instead cut through the air and thrust into its gaping mouth.

Chwaaaak……!!

The sword pierced through the Lycanthrope’s huge palate, and as the sword protruded, he pulled the sword inward as it was, and with a seogeok! sound, the blade cut its jaw.

The tattered flesh and blood of its jaw dripped down. This time, it seemed unable to bear the pain, and it staggered as if its legs had lost strength.

The giant wolf’s body was about to fall backward, but Cahill did not easily let it lie down.

Tuk-

Cahill grabbed the Lycanthrope’s tattered jaw. The Lycanthrope’s body, which was about to fall, lurched forward at the terrible pain that made his mind flash.

Kwang!!

Cahill stepped on the head of the Lycanthrope, who had fallen unsightly in front of him, and looked down and said.

“Am I strong? Or are you weak? Is one given the qualification to challenge God with just this much? The corrupted ones I cut down in Farrell seem better than you.”

[Krrr……]

Cahill raised his sword and slung it over his shoulder.

The Lycanthrope had power strong enough to easily surpass a dragon, but to Cahill, who had two dragon hearts, its power was somewhat lacking.

[……Don’t compare me to that damn snake.]

It was then.

“Hmm?”

Cahill’s eyes gleamed with interest as he heard the Lycanthrope speaking to him in a clear voice.

Udeuk……! Udeudeuk……!!

The spine of the Lycanthrope, which had been standing on all fours, twisted severely, and the sound of muscles moving was heard.

[Krrr……]

With a low growl, its black fur gradually turned hard like scales, and the fur rose sharply like thorns.

In an instant, it retreated as if flying backward like a bullet, and slowly began to stand on two feet like a human, raising its spine upward.

Chwareureuk-!!

Sharp golden scales sprouted from its wrists, and the scales intertwined and protruded into sharp crescent-shaped blades up to its elbows.

The Lycanthrope, who was originally a huge figure, had decreased in size, but was still nearly twice the size of Cahill.

“Is that your true form? When Hwarin became beastly, it wasn’t simply because she was human that she walked on two legs. Well, that’s what a Lycanthrope should look like. Until a little while ago, it was worse than a wolf in the field.”

[Krrr……]

But even if it stood on two feet like a human, all that flowed from its mouth was still a growl.

Cahill, who remembered the appearance of it clearly speaking to him a little while ago, shrugged his shoulders lightly as if he couldn’t do anything about it.

Puhuu……!!

The breath coming out of the Lycanthrope’s nostrils emitted hot heat.

One step.

Cahill watched its movements.

Two steps.

Then he looked at its eyes.

Three steps.

Paat-!!

Without knowing who moved first, Cahill and the Lycanthrope instinctively threw their bodies at the same time.

Kagagagagak—!!

Kagang-!!!

The moment the blade protruding from the back of the Lycanthrope’s arm collided with Cahill’s Falsetia’s sword, a loud roar erupted.

‘It wasn’t cut?’

Cahill frowned slightly as he looked at the scales that had blocked his attack.

Buung-!!

But without giving him time to worry, the Lycanthrope leaped off the floor and swung its right arm once again.

[Kuaaaaa!!]

Moving quickly around Cahill in a zigzag pattern in the air at tremendous speed, its sharp scales bounced off sparks each time they collided with Cahill’s sword.

Peong!!!

As it roared and slashed its arms towards Cahill’s neck as if crossing them, a gust of wind pressure as if the air was exploding occurred. Cahill retreated, retrieving his sword from the Lycanthrope’s attack, which began to pour down like crazy.

“Look at this?”

Cahill felt sweat forming on the hand holding the sword. The Lycanthrope did not give him time to regain his posture.

Its body leaped up and waved its arms over his head, falling on Cahill with a terrifying roar like a guillotine blade.

“Keup……!!”

Knowing that he couldn’t avoid it, Cahill hurriedly took out the Ice Claws and blocked the Lycanthrope’s attack with two swords.

Kwajeuk—!!!

At that moment, Cahill felt the ice on the blade of the Ice Claws, which had been blocked by an attack with heavy weight, crack and the ice forming the blade fall like powder.

Cahill hurriedly threw the Ice Claws he was holding onto the floor without hesitation, shaking off the scales.

The Ice Claws were an excellent weapon, but they were made in the Magic Era. It seemed definitely difficult to face a monster from the Mythological Era. If he blocked its attack one more time, the sword would surely break.

If you don’t attack, you’ll be hit.

It felt like it had been a long time since Cahill had felt this sharp feeling. It was a different kind of tension than when he faced Yula or faced the Platinum Dragon.

Like…….

It was a feeling of competing in the extreme as a person against a person or swordsmanship against swordsmanship. Of course, there was no way to call the attack of the Lycanthrope, which was just a beast, swordsmanship.

“You. You’re quite interesting.”

But rather, within the wolf’s attack, which contained the breath of the wild, Cahill was able to recall another extreme that he had never felt before.

‘Unpredictable because it is not bound by form (式) [referring to rigid martial arts forms].’

Looking at the Lycanthrope’s movements, Cahill realized a realm that he had not felt even from the many Sword Masters and any corrupted ones he had met so far.

‘Like a raging wave because it does not rank the law (法) [referring to established rules or principles].’

Cahill smiled faintly.

“Definitely a Master Key.”

Jeueang—!!

Cahill drew Lakna.

As his magic power was injected into the handle, the blade made of magic power, unlike the Ice Claws, shone in the darkness.

“You, in a different sense from Mael, have helped me to pioneer a path. So…”

Kwaaang—!!!

“Now, eat dirt.”

At that moment, Cahill sprinted as if flying and slammed the Lycanthrope’s head to the floor.