Chapter 95: The Sea Dragon Rises

Ruler of the Western Sea, Regarda Ovierre.

Originally, the title ‘Ruler’ was not given to just anyone.

Just as Jijoncheonma was called the Lord of Flames within Ventair, this epithet is reserved for the strongest in their respective fields.

Jijoncheonma’s trait was also the Lord of Flames, and all his related skills were flame-based.

So naturally, one might expect Regarda, the Ruler of the Western Sea, to wield water-related skills—but that is only half the truth.

Regarda Ovierre, the guardian protecting Arilleia, possessed summoning skills.

Glistening scales shimmering from deep navy to pale sky blue.

Two horns sprouting from an inverted triangular head.

Predator eyes glowing with light.

A supreme divine beast—the Sea Dragon.

Summoning and commanding this creature was Regarda’s skill.

Amidst heavy rain and fierce winds, lightning flashing and thunder roaring in the middle of the sea,

the area around the Sea Dragon rising from the deep ocean with splashes remained perfectly calm.

Though not quite legendary as one who controls the currents, changes the weather, and rules the sea, the Sea Dragon was a divine beast with similar powers.

On top of the Sea Dragon’s head, Regarda stood without a trace of wobble.

His blue eyes, resembling those of the dragon, gazed toward the sky.

Hio Pavlenko, mounted on the Phantom Steed, looked down from above.

And Regarda’s voice, stern and resolute, was directed at him.

“Turn back.”

A warning that none shall proceed beyond this point.

In response, Hio rummaged through his pocket and pulled out the Whispering Stone, stretching it out toward Regarda.

“This is because a friend named Freya asked me to help.”

Freya, seemingly an important figure within Arilleia.

Hio clarified that he had a definite purpose for coming.

Upon hearing this, Regarda nodded as if to acknowledge.

“So you are one who refuses to turn back.”

From Regarda’s perspective, unless accompanied by an Arilleian, or even if accompanied, no outsiders were allowed to enter.

Who called you, what purpose you have—it mattered not to Regarda.

The only concern was whether one accepted his warning and turned away, or not.

And in his judgment, the man above ignored his warning.

Such cases happened occasionally.

Those who stubbornly tried to enter Arilleia, ignoring Regarda’s warning, or those who recklessly sought Regarda himself as their target.

Their common flaw was overconfidence in their own strength, ignorance of the sea’s terror.

Regardless of reason or purpose, more than two warnings were meaningless to them.

Regarda governed their wills.

He conveyed his will.

Simultaneously, lightning began to gather in the Sea Dragon’s eyes.

“I knew this wouldn’t work…”

Confirming this, Hio deactivated his shield magic and licked his lips.

Regarda had always been like this in the game.

He was merely a blockade. Without much dialogue, he simply stopped intrusions.

Even mentioning Freya’s name was of no consequence as Regarda gave his final words to Hio:

“Never cross here again.”

At the same moment, a tremendous flash erupted from the Sea Dragon’s horns and mouth, spewing lightning.

KWA-KWANG!

In the blink of an eye, the electric breath covered the space where Hio stood.

Anyone with weak nerves wouldn’t have made it this far.

The slightest unpreparedness would have turned them to ash with that single attack.

This was the power of the Sea Dragon—the breath of lightning that could not be blocked or dodged knowingly.

The arrogant pups who had come with conceited attitudes fled without looking back after one such breath.

Even those who boasted some strength barely managed to withstand or block it.

That was the limit for most.

But this time was different.

“…What is this?”

The sight that soon appeared far exceeded Regarda’s expectations.

He had neither blocked nor evaded the lightning.

He simply absorbed it.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this, Regarda.”

In the space the lightning breath passed through, the man stood completely unharmed.

No, he didn’t just look unharmed—he seemed transformed.

Massive energy surged from his entire body.

It was lightning itself.

His eyes glowed white.

He was lightning.

Standing alone against the sky, his body surrounded by bolts, dark clouds gathering behind him.

He was the very lord who commanded lightning.

The Thunder Emperor.

“Interesting.”

A faint but unmistakable expression of interest appeared on Regarda’s previously impassive face.

A tiny amusement found after an unfathomably long time.

‘Did the Sea Dragon sense Regarda’s change?’ It let out a low cry.

The surrounding sea stirred together with it.

“Interesting indeed.”

A smile spread across Hio’s lips.

There was a way to enter Arilleia without fighting Regarda—it meant there was no need for a fight.

‘But could he advance that way?’

He still wasn’t strong enough, not by far, considering the countless, unfathomably powerful enemies ahead.

The road ahead was too long.

So Hio moved his hand.

Underneath the stormy sea, directly beneath the heavy clouds, he called lightning.

The clouds above thickened even further.

KURUNG— The heavy thunder echoed through the sky.

“But nothing changes.”

Regarda raised the spear in his hand.

At the tip of his spear, the symbol of martial power, strong energy, began to quietly rise.

The bright yellow energy took the shape of a dragon.

His spear aimed at Hio above the sky.

***

At the same moment, the Sea Dragon reared its head and roared.

The entire sea surged and lunged toward the sky.

“Nothing must change.”

Hio moved simultaneously. His hand pointed downward as blinding light poured from every cloud.

A dazzling baptism of lightning against the sea—miraculous.

Hundreds, thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of lightning bolts passed beyond Hio.

“Show me what you’ve been hiding, Regarda.”

The sea surged as the sky seemed to collapse.

KWA-AAANG!

The world flipped upside down.

When he stayed at the Imperial Palace, Hio once asked Vitalianus,

‘What is will?’

He knew he couldn’t control will, so he sought advice.

“Will… you ask a difficult thing, magician.”

He said that and then fell silent.

As if deep in thought, carefully choosing his words.

After a long silence, the answer from the Sword Saint—the peak of martial artists, a superhuman above all—came.

“I don’t know either.”

He smiled and answered so simply.

Hio began to suspect he was just unwilling to explain, but the Sword Saint added, “I cannot predict what consequences reckless advice might bring. Understand that.”

He said will was something one must realize and create by oneself.

A process and result of pouring one’s own life into it.

Therefore, no one could lightly advise another on it.

“Magician, it won’t take you very long, but those who control will must always be cautious.”

And with a final warning,

“All of them are utterly unpredictable.”

‘Have you ever seen the sea underfoot, surging as if to swallow you whole?’

Not just that, but shifting its form freely and endlessly rising?

That was pure terror itself.

To be hated by the sea—that was what it meant.

A fight against infinity itself.

The violently churning sea suddenly formed into a giant hand and lunged to seize Hio.

KWAANG!

He slipped free from that grasp with the power of the Thunder Emperor, but the sea was waiting for him.

Hundreds, thousands of spears made of water.

“…Zzzt.”

Swiftly changing direction, he soared high into the sky, followed by blinding radiance.

But the tidal waves struck from all sides as if waiting for him.

To fight the Ruler of the Sea on the ocean—that was how reckless it was.

Such thoughts briefly crossed his mind, but there was no regret.

He only resolved to do his best.

Because he had to advance.

The foes ahead would be even more formidable.

He could not underestimate the tidal waves pouring from all directions as mere water.

Didn’t he clearly feel the power within them?

「Skill – ‘Azure Flame (靑炎)’ activated.」

So he summoned blue flames to face the endless tidal waves.

At the same time, his gaze turned to Regarda standing atop the Sea Dragon.

KWA-AAANG!

Lightning, stacked to the limit, crashed down onto his head.

The lightning tore through the air, its force briefly revealing the depths of the ocean.

“Damn fast.”

But Regarda was no longer there—it was futile.

Equally fast as he wielded the Thunder Emperor skill, Regarda infused will into the sea and manipulated it freely.

From the Sea Dragon came gusts and sudden rain alongside bursts of lightning breath, some sharp as blades.

‘Was he weak in close combat?’

Look at the bright yellow energy flowing around his spear.

Only one word came to mind.

“What kind of monster is this…”

Invincible.

Invincible on the sea.

The very reason no one could set foot on Arilleia, surrounded entirely by sea.

Living proof.

But he could not just stand by.

This battle had come about because of Hio’s own choices.

He hadn’t remained idle either.

After his fight with Ataolf, he realized that having many top-tier skills alone did not make one stronger.

All of this was before mastering how to control will.

One of the methods he had devised was skill synthesis.

He planned to select only the best aspects of the ultimate skills Thunder Emperor and Azure Flame.

Of course, it wasn’t a real synthesis through the point shop; he created a new technique by using the two skills simultaneously himself.

「Skill – ‘Azure Flame’ activated.」

First, he summoned Azure Flame and compressed all that flame as much as possible.

This was inspired by Ataolf compressing black mist.

And the Mana Perception Prodigy Trait allowed him to realize this immediately.

Behind the compressed Azure Flame came lightning.

Though it appeared as a thin bolt, it was actually hundreds of overlapping forces.

A spear focused on a single point, piercing everything it touched.

The power of compressed Azure Flame destroyed obstacles, and the small lightning following it pierced through.

He held that lightning like a spear shaft.

The full power of the Lightning Lord coursing through his body made it possible.

Looking down, Regarda also looked up at Hio.

“Not bad.”

He calmed the sea and gripped his spear tightly.

With a faint smile still on his face, he slightly bent his knees.

He intended to counter directly with the combined creation of Azure Flame and Thunder Emperor.

For Hio, this was a good opportunity.

Had Regarda pressed him with full force, he wouldn’t have had the chance to try this technique.

But Regarda had not done so.

He even waited as if anticipating Hio’s move.

In fact, simply holding lightning in his hand and compressing Azure Flame was a great leap forward—a sign his skill handling and mastery had significantly improved.

The battle with Regarda was already a major success for him.

Now all that remained was to see how effective it would be.

He raised the arm holding the lightning high.

The lightning flashed in his hand, and the Azure Flame hanging at its tip was compressed to its limit, ready to explode.

If his concentration wavered even slightly, the two very different skills would run wild separately.

“…”

Regarda lowered his stance further and gripped his spear with both hands.

The dragon-shaped energy resembling him endlessly poured from the spear’s blade, forming shape.

Regarda’s spear, infused with will, and the spear of lightning wrapped in flames.

In the tense moment when either could burst at any time,

KURUNG—

Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky.

The two spear tips had already touched.

KWAAAANG!

The shock starting from that small point reverberated across the vast sea.

It reached the island and shook the land itself.

The light spreading from that spot engulfed Arilleia.

KWA-AANG!

The shockwave was felt by all the island’s residents.

Even from the port city Lugo, the flashes were visible.

“Hey, stab—ugh, ughaaah!”

“W-What?! Spare me…!”

A ship hiding quietly at some distance capsized and was flung about.