"I’m sorry, Kalula. He’s not my type."
Elena raised her head to look at Kalula, who was hovering above her with the pair of wings extending from her back.
Kalula did not answer. Her eyes remained fixed on Van, who was crouching beside Beluga, who had now taken on a human form as the smoke gradually thinned.
Ryu, who was trying to stand on trembling legs after being swept away by the water tornado mixed with Bartaz’s lightning and his own flames, was the one who answered Elena’s remark.
"Princess... I don’t think this is the right time."
Elena shrugged while flicking back her long white hair.
"I still won..."
Bartaz snorted as he struggled to stand. Bong also got back up, flapping his elephant ears after being swept away by the tornado, while Cheetah looked slightly traumatized after being unable to breathe underwater.
The six of them stared at Van, who was noisily talking with Beluga in their own language while pointing at them.
Van let out a sigh and pointed at Bong.
"Hey... you handle the elephant, the bull, and the dragon. I’ll take care of the rest."
Beluga clicked his tongue and cracked his neck.
"No... I’ll handle the cat and that naïve elf. The rest are yours."
Van slowly pushed himself to his feet by holding onto Beluga’s beach shirt. His gray jacket was now torn to shreds, while both of his legs were muddy and itchy.
"Hey, aren’t summoned creatures supposed to obey their master’s orders?"
Beluga leaned close and whispered into Van’s ear with a voice that wasn’t quiet at all.
"For this request, I’ll give you a discount..."
Van burst into laughter. He then stepped forward with his dirty feet, while Beluga walked beside him carrying his oversized water gun.
A loud shout suddenly echoed from the night sky.
Van and Beluga looked up. They saw thousands of creatures from various races cheering—not for them, but for the leaders they were about to face.
"Crush them, Commander Bartaz!!!"
"Rip that thief apart!!!"
"Kick his ass!!!"
Van and Beluga chuckled. Then another round of cheers made them turn their heads at the same time.
It came from the survivors still floating inside the invisible UFO. This time, the cheers were for them, causing Van and Beluga to wave back.
"Uncle Van!!! Don’t lose!!!"
"My Lord!!! We’re praying for you!!!"
"Wipe those monsters off the face of the earth!!!"
Van and Beluga turned their attention back to the six figures standing before them.
Van whispered to Beluga while glancing at Elena.
"I’ve got a plan for that elf woman... back me up when I do something cool."
Roots decorated with corpse flowers began rising behind Elena after she noticed Van’s gaze. Meanwhile, Bartaz, Bong, Ryu, and Cheetah started moving toward Van and Beluga.
Kalula followed behind them.
Everything was reflected in Beluga’s diamond sunglasses.
"Whose definition of ’cool’ are we using? Yours or mine?"
Van chuckled as he started running, with Beluga following close behind.
"Mine, of course!"
Beluga aimed his water gun at the approaching enemies while the roots began spreading throughout the battlefield.
He pulled the trigger.
No stream of water came out.
Only a shower of tiny water droplets scattered toward those charging at them.
Meanwhile, Bong, Bartaz, Cheetah, and Ryu, who had all prepared themselves for Beluga’s attack, were hit by nothing more than a light splash.
They were confused for a few seconds, but eventually paid it no further attention.
Beluga smiled faintly.
The droplets soaking their bodies suddenly began to swell.
In an instant, the water expanded and completely enveloped them, immediately bringing all of their movements to a halt.
Van aimed both of his palms, which had formed ice cannons, at those trapped inside Beluga’s water prison.
A blast of icy particles struck them instantly for several seconds, freezing them solid. At the same time, Kalula dived down from the sky and intercepted Van just seconds after he had frozen them.
Van clashed with Kalula, who transformed both of her hands into dragon claws.
Meanwhile, Beluga kept a slight distance and aimed his water gun at Kalula, who continued exchanging blows with Van. He fired a dozen water projectiles, but they were blocked by several of Elena’s roots and Kalula’s tough scales.
Kalula pressed Van with her claws, which were powerful enough to shatter both of his ice cannons. She slashed across Van’s already wounded chest, tearing his gray jacket even further.
Kalula stared at every corner of Van’s face as he grimaced in pain. Burns, bloodstains, and strands of his long golden hair that had fallen out surrounded him while Elena’s roots encircled them, releasing yellow corpse flower smoke.
’He’s no longer affected by Elena’s corpse flowers...’
Kalula swallowed.
’Just how many abilities does he actually have?’
The roar of black lightning echoed as the ice shattered.
Bartaz and Bong immediately rushed in to support Kalula, who was already being backed up by Elena’s roots, while Ryu and Cheetah were held back by Beluga’s relentless attacks.
Beluga burst into loud laughter. He shouted at them even though they could not understand his language.
"Hey!! You handsome elf and that cat over there!! You’ll be fighting me—"
Beluga’s words were cut off as Ryu fired a dozen blue arrows toward him.
Beluga grinned broadly and fired several water projectiles to intercept Ryu’s arrows.
Meanwhile, Cheetah sprinted forward at incredible speed while licking the blades mounted along the backs of his hands.
Beluga stomped the ground once.
The earth trembled slightly as a massive surge of water erupted, forming a wave that instantly swallowed the approaching Cheetah.
The water continued spreading between them until it became a gigantic lake that moved freely, with Beluga standing at its center.
The moving lake prevented anyone on land from approaching him. Laughing loudly, Beluga fired his water gun toward the sky, where Ryu answered with another volley of arrows.
Meanwhile, Cheetah sank into Beluga’s private lake, which never stopped moving.
He desperately tried to swim to the surface, but the shifting waters kept dragging him back down until rage completely consumed him.
His eyes turned crimson, while his face gradually turned blue.
The survival instincts of a wild beast began taking over.
He moved his legs—the same legs that allowed him to run at incredible speed—but this time he kicked through the water even faster.
Little by little, he reached the surface directly behind Beluga, who was still exchanging attacks with Ryu.
He greedily gasped for the air he had longed for after spending several minutes underwater.
His body continued rising as his legs never stopped running.
Eventually, he stood atop the surface of the water, his feet moving without pause.
His speed finally allowed him to run across Beluga’s lake—the very place that had moments ago been his worst nightmare.
Filled with fury, he charged straight toward Beluga’s back.
Beluga felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Hearing the rapid footsteps racing across his lake, he immediately turned around.
But before he could clearly see what was behind him, Cheetah’s blade pierced straight through Beluga’s chest.
The enormous diamond necklace slipped from Beluga’s neck and fell into the lake below.
No scream of pain followed.
No blood sprayed into the air.
There was only Cheetah’s sword... dripping with water.
Beluga’s diamond sunglasses slid down on their own, revealing eyes filled with even greater fury than Cheetah’s after being trapped underwater for several minutes.
The scream that should have followed from being impaled was replaced by a furious roar.
Beluga roared as his body transformed into water and continued expanding until it was as vast as the lake he had created.
His voice grew deeper as his enormous body reached the sky where Ryu was flying with his winged shoes.
"You damned cat!! How dare you touch my jewelry!!!"
Cheetah, who had just managed to run across the water, immediately sank once again, struggling to move inside Beluga’s body, which had become a raging water giant.
Ryu, high in the sky, was not spared from Beluga’s wrath.
Every swing from Beluga sent forth winds that felt like a storm carrying heavy rain. Every roar summoned black clouds and lightning at the edge of the night, turning the battlefield into a disaster.
The violent wind struck Van, who gritted his teeth as he looked toward the sky.
He sensed Beluga’s rampage but did not turn around, because what he saw above was Bong’s backside rapidly descending toward him.
Van jumped backward on his bare feet.
Bong crashed into the spot where Van had been standing like a missile striking its target.
Van glanced toward Beluga for a few seconds, watching him rampage as a gigantic water giant.
’That crazy whale... how is he supposed to help me now—’
Van’s silent complaint was cut short when he saw the ground before him ripple like seawater rushing toward a sandy shore.
The earth rolled in waves as Bong pressed against it, lifting it as though rolling out a giant carpet.
Caught off guard, Van paid the price.
The rising earth slammed straight into him, sending him flying several meters away as pain exploded throughout his body.
Van struggled to open his eyes, only to be greeted by Bartaz’s black lightning, entirely different from the storm born from Beluga’s fury.
Bartaz kicked Van squarely in the back, stopping his momentum from the previous impact.
Van’s breath caught in his throat.
His bones creaked painfully until his gray eyes nearly turned white.
Kalula descended from the sky in a flash.
With one clean slash, she severed Van’s left arm so perfectly that he felt no pain at all.
Heavy footsteps thundered across the battlefield.
Bong charged forward.
He slammed Van with his right shoulder, launching him far away toward the edge of the untouched forest beyond the battlefield.
Elena’s roots chased after Van through the stormy night sky.
Corpse flowers bloomed endlessly upon them, continuously releasing yellow smoke around him.
Van’s body trembled violently.
Blood burst from his mouth as he looked upward at the sky covered by roots and corpse flowers spewing yellow smoke.
He then glanced toward the forest not far to his left.
Slowly, Van forced himself back onto his feet.
He looked toward Kalula, Bartaz, and Bong as they advanced on him once again without giving him a moment to recover.
But his restored gray eyes also shifted toward Elena, who stood far behind them.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
’Good grief... they’re making my plan easier.’
Van slowly stood despite having lost his left arm.
He tore off his tattered gray jacket that was no longer wearable, then began flying toward the forest in the opposite direction from Bartaz, Bong, Kalula, and Elena.
The three of them, who had been closing in on Van, were slightly surprised, but they immediately continued chasing him at full speed.
Van remained pursued by Elena’s roots, which prevented him from using his invisible space.
One of his eyebrows rose as the forest ahead became increasingly real before his eyes.
He deliberately slowed his flight just enough for Kalula, flying with her wings, to nearly catch up to him. Bartaz, sprinting with black lightning crackling around him, was directly behind Van’s back, while Bong remained higher than the others after leaping into the air to pursue him.
Van tried to steady his breathing despite the wounds covering his body, now fully exposed after he had taken off his jacket.
His gray eyes reflected a single tree that grew larger and larger as he flew toward it.
Kalula clearly saw that Van had no intention of turning away despite the tree standing directly in his path.
So did Bartaz and Bong.
They assumed Van had finally reached his limit and was beginning to lose his senses.
Kalula drifted slightly to the side, preparing to grab Van from behind.
But Van suddenly spun his body around, making Kalula freeze in surprise.
He flipped his body just like a swimmer pushing off at the end of a pool.
The only difference was that Van planted both of his bare feet against the tree.
Bartaz gritted his teeth and unleashed a slash toward Van.
But Van ducked, allowing a few strands of his long golden hair to become Bartaz’s only prize before he shot away.
Bong tried to stop him with the palm of his hand, but Van slipped past with a smile that perfectly captured the satisfaction of having deceived all three of them.
Now, reflected within Van’s dimming gray eyes, there was only Elena, standing frozen in place.
His smile widened.
His lips trembled as the wind rushed past him while he flew straight toward her.
"Beluga!!!"
Van’s shout echoed through the battlefield as he charged toward Elena.
It was a shout that received no reply, even though Beluga had been rampaging moments earlier.
But Van paid it no attention.
He continued flying toward Elena because this was his chance to turn the situation around.
What he did not know was that Ryu was still soaked and shivering.
The ground beneath him was muddy and eerily quiet, despite the storm Beluga’s rampage had created moments ago.
Ryu coughed as his reddened eyes tracked Van flying toward Elena.
He slowly drew his bow despite his ragged breathing.
His lips, trembling from the cold, gradually produced a steady voice.
"Night wind, hear my whisper... gather the night’s storm into my fingers."
The wind slowly gathered around Ryu.
His trembling body gradually calmed, and strangely, warmth spread through him.
His bow followed Van’s movement as Van drew closer and closer to Elena.
"Become a bow of wind, arrows born from heaven’s breath!"
The surrounding wind condensed into a bow of air as Ryu pulled back the string.
His breathing became heavier once more, radiating warmth.
"Fly!! Pierce through the darkness—"
Ryu’s beautiful chant was abruptly interrupted as a splash of water struck his body.
His eyebrows rose in surprise.
He did not even have time to turn toward the source of the water.
The splash instantly expanded into a prison of water, trapping Ryu and ruining his attack.
The one who had fired the splash smiled while lying face-down on the ground.
Beluga let out a weak chuckle.
Without even looking toward Van, he aimed his water gun at Elena.
’Where’s the cool moment?! I don’t see it, you liar!!’
Beluga pulled the trigger.
Millions of tiny water droplets shot toward Elena.
At that same moment, rapid footsteps rushed straight toward Beluga.
It was Cheetah, attempting to stop him.
But he was too late.
The countless droplets flew across the battlefield and clung to Elena’s roots, which she had woven into a giant cage that continuously released yellow smoke.
She never realized her roots had already become soaked.
She only hurried to seal every opening, trying to completely block Van from reaching her.
Just as darkness enveloped Elena within the nearly completed cage of roots, the sound of cracking echoed around her.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The cracking was immediately followed by an explosion from her own roots as Beluga’s water droplets rapidly expanded into a prison of water, shattering the roots that had been trying to shield her from Van.
Elena’s ability to breathe was instantly stolen away.
Water flooded into her mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
Then the water began growing colder.
Every droplet crystallized in an instant.
Within the next few seconds, the prison of water surrounding Elena froze completely under the power flowing from Van’s outstretched palm.
Van laughed out loud as he flew into the night sky filled with dark clouds, raising his right hand—the only one he had left.
Meanwhile, Bong, Kalula, and Bartaz could only stare up at him from below after failing to stop him. They remained frozen for a few moments before an explosion slammed into Bong, sending him toward the planet’s core far below.
Van struck Bong first with his invisible space, instantly shaping it to forcefully drive Bong into the ground.
He then created dozens of gigantic drumsticks that immediately pounded the earth as if beating a drum with the same repeating rhythm.
Kalula and Bartaz, who stood within the area being struck, became easy targets.
Van burst into laughter, his attacks focusing only on Bartaz and Kalula, the only two still capable of moving.
The identical rhythm shaking the earth caused thousands of beings of various races aboard the flying ship to fall silent.
They stared in disbelief as their commanders were being played like drums, while cheers erupted from the human survivors inside the invisible UFO, shouting Van’s name.
Beluga’s laughter also echoed as he sat on top of Cheetah’s unconscious body.
Having lost his greatest piece of jewelry, he tried to comfort himself with the sound of the drumming, even though it actually sounded terrible.
"Hey!! You’ll be able to speak their language soon!!"
Beluga’s shout was answered by something far more terrifying. A dragon’s roar echoed between the beats of Van’s drums.
Kalula transformed completely into a dragon, spreading her wings while trying to ignore Van’s invisible space that continued striking her.
She opened her mouth wide as crimson energy gathered within it before being unleashed toward Van.
A hissing sound rang out, followed by an explosion as the crimson energy crashed against Van’s invisible space.
Van created a turtle shell-shaped shield.
He gritted his teeth as the shield trembled and was continuously pushed back by the force of Kalula’s attack.
He then created an invisible hand behind Kalula without her noticing.
The hand instantly grabbed her tail and slammed her violently into the ground, causing the battlefield to be engulfed in smoke once again.
Van let out a breath.
His body, exposed to the cold night wind, began sweating heavily, and every ounce of pain throughout his body gathered together, forcing him to land on the ground while coughing up blood.
At the same time, the sound of footsteps came from his right.
Bartaz appeared, his body covered in blood and one of his horns broken. He struggled to remain standing even as his legs trembled.
The dragon’s roar echoed once more from ahead of Van.
A single dragon claw tore through the smoke, revealing Kalula’s face filled with fury.
Another explosion sounded from a crater not far away.
A gray hand reached up, grabbing the ground before pulling its owner back up.
Bong climbed out of the dark hole of unknown depth, his eyes completely white as he forced himself to stand and approach Van, who wore an awkward smile with blood filling his mouth.
Then, amidst the silence, a shout caused Van’s awkward smile to spread into a wide grin.
"It’s finished!! The payment is your tongue!!"
Van lowered his head, his eyes closing.
Fresh blood flowed from his mouth once again, soaking the ground beneath him.
’The payment is my tongue? How am I supposed to speak if I don’t have a tongue?’’
Hot steam began rising from Van’s body, causing Bartaz, Kalula, and Bong to freeze for a moment.
Van then opened his eyes and looked at Kalula.
The wounds carved across his entire body slowly closed.
His severed left arm gradually grew back.
His body, which had been on the verge of collapsing, stood upright once more, revealing his defined abdominal muscles now that he wore nothing but a pair of shorts.
The burns covering his face healed into smooth skin once again, while his golden hair regrew into long, silky strands.
"So... do you want to continue or not?"
Bartaz snorted before collapsing after witnessing Van’s regeneration.
Bong also fell, the darkness fading from his eyes as they returned to normal.
Meanwhile, Kalula simply stared at Van in silence with her dragon face wearing a blank expression.