Chapter 303: Wings of Freedom (4)

Blizzard glared at the gargoyles flying overhead with his yellow eyes.

"Need some help? Now that I think about it, fighting airborne enemies might be a bit tough for you."

At Kai’s question, Blizzard shook his head. "No, I’m fine."

Blizzard steadied his breathing. It was a breath that placed his body in its most optimal state. Tension held at just the right level, not too stiff, yet not too relaxed. A body prepared to follow his every command the moment he willed it to move. With a single exhale, Blizzard had achieved that perfect readiness.

Gargoyles, huh?

His eyes locked onto the three flying enemies. For lizardmen, airborne enemies had always been a troublesome existence, and there was no exception for Blizzard.

But that’s not an excuse.

He didn’t want to be a burden to his master, and instead wanted to be of help to him. No matter the situation, no matter the opponent, he wanted to be someone who was always useful.

For that reason, Blizzard had set out on a journey. He had encountered countless enemies, fought them, and in the end, always found a way to bring them down.

This reminds me of the harpies in the Stone Edge Mountains.

Harpies had a similar resemblance to the birdfolk, but due to their lack of intelligence, they were classified as monsters.

Blizzard gripped both of his curved blades in a reverse grip. The sensations of the past resurfaced, the memories of battling dozens of harpies in the rocky mountains. It felt as if his very cells were reliving those moments, a familiar feeling taking over his body. At the same time, he stretched both arms far behind him.

"

Krrk?

"

"

Kaaak!

"

The moment the gargoyles became tense, wary of his unusual stance, Blizzard hurled both blades forward. The curved blades spun rapidly as they flew toward the gargoyles.

"

Kyaaaaagh!

"

Startled, the gargoyles flapped their wings frantically, dodging the attack.

"

Kirrrk, kirrk!

"

"

Kakakak!

"

Having effortlessly dodged the attack, the gargoyles sneered in mockery at Blizzard.

"

Oh

, he missed. We should run away..."

"Icarus. Always watch an attack until the very end," Kai smiled as he spoke.

And as it turned out, he was right. The very next moment, the twin blades curved mid-air, drawing a figure-eight pattern before returning.

"

Kyaaaak?!

"

"

Krrrk! Krrkk!

"

Their necks slashed by the sharp curved blades, two gargoyles plummeted straight down. Caught off guard by the completely unexpected attack angle, they suffered devastating critical damage.

Blizzard effortlessly caught the returning curved blades in midair, displaying astonishing precision, and slowly began to move forward. At first, his strides were light, like those of a marathon runner. Gradually, his speed increased until his legs moved with the explosive force of a sprinter. Then, he kicked off the ground and leaped toward one of the gargoyles.

"

Kyaaa... kkk...!

"

Blizzard lunged at one of the falling gargoyles, driving one of his curved blades straight into its mouth. The moment its scream was abruptly cut off, and its eyes widened in shock, the remaining blade easily sliced through its neck, putting an end to its life.

Using the gargoyle’s chest as a foothold, Blizzard propelled himself upward once more, leaping toward the next target.

"

Krrrghh!

"

Perhaps having witnessed the death of its comrade, the gargoyle instinctively spread its wings in an attempt to flee. However, Blizzard was already a step ahead. The gargoyle, its body sliced into an X-shape from the back, plummeted straight down.

"

Kiirrrk?!

"

Only one remained. Seeing both of its comrades fall, the last gargoyle turned and fled without a second thought.

"

Oh

, did he let one get away?"

As Kai scratched the side of his head, just about to intervene, the curved blade spun through the air like an axe, tearing straight through the gargoyle’s left wing instead of returning like a boomerang.

"

Kyaaaagh!

"

The creature desperately tried to flap its remaining wing, but it was a meaningless struggle.

"

Oh,

right. Remember this, too." Watching the gargoyle crash into the meadow, Kai offered another lesson. "Everything that falls has wings."

Thud!

A heavy impact echoed across the grasslands.

***

On their way back to the village through the forest after the hunt, Icarus’s eyes remained glued to Blizzard’s back, as if drawn to it like a magnet.

Noticing this, Kai whispered, "Blizzard’s back is gonna get holes if you keep staring like that. What’s up?"

"W-what...?" Caught off guard, Icarus lowered his voice and asked Kai, "Come to think of it, that human wasn’t here on the first day. Did he come with you, mister?"

"First of all, Blizzard isn’t human. And secondly, I’m not that old to be called mister. Call me that one more time, and it won’t be fun for you."

"Th-then what should I call you?"

"Call me hyung," Kai smiled.

Icarus suddenly stopped walking and stared at him. "How old are you? For reference, I’m twenty-three."

Just from seeing Gust, it was clear that the birdfolk were a long-lived race. However, he never imagined a kid like Icarus would be the same age as himself.

Judging by his maturity, he’s basically an elementary schooler.

Kai cleared his throat briefly before asking, "What month were you born in?"

"I was born in August."

"Yes!" Kai clenched his fists in victory, his expression lighting up. "I’m still your hyung. From now on, call me that."

"... Alright." Icarus reluctantly nodded before asking another question. "Then, if he isn’t human, what is he?"

"A lizardman."

"A lizardman? Are all of them as strong as he is?"

"Of course not. Blizzard is one of the stronger ones."

"As I thought. I figured that would be the case after watching him fight."

"Yes, indeed." Kai puffed out his chest like a proud father hearing someone praise his child. "I’ll show you Mimic later when there’s a chance. Desmond, though...

uh... yeah

. It’s better if you just don’t meet him."

"Oh, you mean the wyvern and the vampire lord you mentioned before, right?"

"You’ve got a pretty good memory for a bird."

Icarus shook his head. "

Yeah, yeah.

Whatever you say."

He still didn’t fully believe that Kai could summon such powerful beings, and he had no idea that Blizzard himself was one of Kai’s summons.

"Master, we’ve arrived."

Reaching the village, Kai patted Icarus on the back. "You did well today."

"

Sigh

. After seeing something that amazing, the village feels way too small."

"That doesn’t mean you should wander off alone, got it? You could get attacked by gargoyles again."

At the mention of earlier, Icarus shuddered. "

Ugh

... I hate those things. I can still feel where they hit me."

"If it’s bothering you that much, why don’t you go see Gust later?”

"Why the chieftain?"

"What do you mean why? Who else do you think can teach you the birdfolk way of fighting?"

"

Oh!

" Icarus seemed to realize at Kai’s words and bowed deeply. "You’re right, hyung. I should go see him this evening. Thanks!"

"No need to thank me.

Oh!

And I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?" Icarus tilted his head in curiosity.

Kai then said in a persuasive voice, "The incredible sights you witnessed today, you’re not planning to keep them all to yourself, are you?"

"Even if I told anyone... no one would believe me."

"Not even if you show them this?"

Kai pulled out one of the gargoyle’s wicked wings and lightly waved it in the air.

Icarus’s eyes sparkled.

I-if I have that... I can finally brag to those guys who always make fun of me!

"Well? Do you want it?"

"P-please give it to me!"

"But you have to promise me, tell your friends exactly what you saw today, without leaving out a single detail."

"I swear! Just give me the chance!"

"Alright. Then this wing is yours now."

"Thank you, hyung!"

With the gargoyle’s wing in hand, Icarus flew off toward the lake.

Then Blizzard approached and asked, "Master, what now?"

"We wait."

"For what?"

At Blizzard’s question, Kai clasped his hands behind his back and looked out over the water with a gentle smile.

"We wait for the word to spread."

What Kai was waiting for was the spread of rumors.

***

Icarus immediately flew toward the clearing where his friends gathered. It was a playground carved out of trees by the elders, where the birdfolk children, with nothing else to do, spent most of their days.

"

Oh?

It’s Icarus."

"You’ve been missing lately, and now you just show up out of nowhere?"

Honestly speaking, Icarus wasn’t exactly popular. After all, someone who constantly called both himself and his people cowards wasn’t likely to have many friends.

Landing in the clearing, Icarus looked at his friends, who were idly wasting time as usual.

"Icarus, what’s up? You seem weirdly happy today."

When one of them spoke up, Icarus chuckled and laid out the gargoyle’s wing before them. "Do you guys know what this is?"

"

Huh?

What’s that?"

"A wing?"

"Whose wing is it?"

"

Hmm

... Why doesn’t it have feathers?"

The gargoyle's wings closely resembled those of a bat, and unlike the wings of the birdfolk, they weren’t covered in feathers.

Seeing his friends' curiosity, Icarus began telling the events he had experienced that day.

"No way. That’s ridiculous."

"You’ve always had an overactive imagination, but now you’re straight-up seeing things?"

"

Yeah

. The elders always said leaving the forest means death."

As his friends kept dismissing him, Icarus shook the gargoyle’s wing. "Then what do you think this is? This is the wing of a monster called a gargoyle."

"Monster...?"

"

Yeah.

You’ve all heard the chieftain and the elders tell old stories, right? About the terrifying creatures called monsters that exist in the world."

"But those are just made-up lies."

"They weren’t lies."

Icarus passionately argued his case to his doubtful friends, and with that, a new wind began to stir in the once-peaceful birdfolk village.

***

Sea Serpent Harley was the absolute ruler of the Black Sea. Though it was an artificial creation, a monster born from the Church of Muldine, its true nature had never faded.

When the Church of Muldine created Harley, they based it on an eastern continent dragon but tried their best to replicate a western dragon. As a result, Harley not only possessed immense power like a western dragon but also inherited their greed.

Just as all dragons had their own lairs, Harley had one as well. An archipelago consisting of 120 islands. Harley had named it the Black Archipelago, and as with any dragon’s lair, it had something crucial, a guardian.

A guardian was a warden that protected the lair when its master was away. Of course, the Black Archipelago had its own warden.

"Harley, I have something to report."

—What... is it...?

Standing at a towering seven meters, the warden’s body was made of pure darkness, giving him an unbreakable appearance. The four pairs of neatly folded wings on his back also indicated his ability to fly. Kazrun, King of the Gargoyles, was the guardian of the Black Archipelago.

"The three gargoyles we sent to the thirty-sixth island, also known as the Cage, have gone silent."

—

Hm...?

Why... did you send... gargoyles there...?

"A presence was detected leaving the Cage. We dispatched them to investigate."

—Interesting... Now that you mention it...

Harley’s massive, closed eyes slowly opened. It recalled the arrogant human who had dared to come and sought itself the day before.

That kid fell near the Cage as well...

The thought occurred to Harley that it could very well be that human who had left the forest.

—No... need... for much concern... Just eliminate anything... that dares to leave the Cage.

"As you command, Harley."

In the next moment, Harley erased all thoughts of the trapped birdfolk and the human that went into the Cage. After all, no matter how many worms gathered, they could never become a dragon.