The King of He'an stood silently, a mountain of power and wisdom, yet weighed down by the passage of time. If it had been twenty years ago, he would have eagerly thrown his full support behind the Traveler's "Rune Path," investing all his strength and influence to implement the reforms. Back then, he had the absolute strength and political dominance would have allowed him to suppress opposition, gradually leading humanity into a new age.
But time had betrayed him. The man who once commanded the very pulse of the kingdom was now old, and he could feel the sands of his hourglass slipping through his fingers. The strength of his youth had faded, and his influence, though still formidable, was no longer absolute.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he cast a glance at the "Traveler". 'Why didn't you come twenty years earlier?' he thought bitterly.
Now, time was running out, and the stakes were too high. The human race was teetering on the edge of survival. He couldn't afford the bloodshed or chaos that would erupt from internal conflicts, especially not now. The mystic and Beyond-level beasts roamed the mainland, waiting for humanity to falter, and if they sensed weakness, they would swoop in for the kill. If humanity fractured now, it would be annihilated.
The King's thoughts were interrupted by the chilling cries of the two Ironclad Wyverns circling overhead. He tore his gaze from the "Traveler", staring up at the beasts with narrowed eyes.
Something about their presence in human territory was wrong, unsettling. His thoughts churned. 'What has driven these Mystic-level beasts here?'
But the King couldn't fly, so he had no way to deal with the two beasts. His mind raced, thinking about how to drive them away from human lands.
....
Meanwhile, Su Hao was also deep in thought, pondering how to escape both the King and the two fierce beasts. "Perhaps these two beasts are my tribulation in this [Calamity]. Even on their own, they'd be hard to handle. Now I've got the King to deal with too..."
He mulled over his options before speaking up, "King of He'an, why don't we set aside our differences for now and focus on taking down these two beasts first?"
The King glanced at the "Traveller", not answering directly but instead asking slowly, "Traveler, do you know what you're doing?"
Su Hao nodded and said, "I do. I studied runes, hoping everyone could benefit from them."
Since the King seemed willing to talk, Su Hao was happy to oblige. After all, he couldn't outrun him, nor could he outmatch him in combat. For now, words were his only weapon.
The King's sharp eyes lingered on him a moment longer, then softened slightly. "I agree with your vision," he admitted, though his tone was laced with caution. "But your methods… they're reckless. There's no need for haste. If you're patient, in fifty years, your Rune Path will undoubtedly be embraced by all of humanity."
Su Hao shook his head. "No! I don't have the time to wait fifty years. And frankly, I don't want to."
"The runes I've developed aren't meant to be tools for you to rule over humanity. I want runes to spread, giving everyone the chance to choose, the opportunity to learn. If I wait fifty years, as you said, the Rune Path will indeed be adopted by humanity, but only as a tool wielded by the aristocratic class."
The King sighed heavily, the weight of his age and wisdom reflected in his words, "You're wrong. Not everyone is suited to becoming a warrior, nor is everyone capable of wielding runes. What we can do i is to guide, to select those with talent, train capable warriors, and provide protection for the survival of humanity.
"You want every human to become a warrior—that's an unrealistic fantasy. You have to admit, people are born different."
Just then, the two fierce Wyverns swooped down, their razor-sharp claws gleaming with a cold light as they locked onto Su Hao.
The King snorted coldly, "Let's deal with these beasts first. We can settle our business afterward!"
Gripping his broken blade, he stared intently at the descending Ironclad Wyverns and shouted, "Aim for the muscles on their sides. Disable their ability to fly first."
"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Su Hao agreed, placing the "Eight Hundred" bomb aside. He infused his blade with various runes, then crouched slightly.
The first Wyvern descended upon him, its throat still raw and bloodied from an earlier wound. Its red eyes gleamed with vengeful fury as it lashed out, its massive claws aimed directly at Su Hao. At the same time, the second Wyvern veered toward the King, who stood unmoving, waiting for the right moment.
The Wyverns' were upon them in seconds, their razor-sharp claws whistling through the air, exuding an icy chill.
Su Hao barely sidestepped in time as one claw crashed down with an earth-shattering "Bang∼!".
Frost exploding from where it struck. His heart raced as he dodged, knowing full well that a single hit could freeze him solid.
He didn't waste a moment, his body a blur of motion as he lunged toward the Wyvern's underwing.
«Wind Slash»
"Sssshk∼!"
Su Hao's blade pierced through the Wyvern's hard shell, cutting into its muscles, but it quickly became lodged.
"So tough!" Su Hao gritted his teeth, retreating instantly as the Wyvern's other claw swung wildly at him. He dove forward, rolling beneath the creature's massive belly to escape. Blood spurted from the wound, but before it could even hit the ground, it crystallized into frozen droplets, sealing the gash.
"Roar∼!!"
The Wyvern bellowed in pain, its fury echoed in the sky as it thrashed, trying to take flight. But with one of its wings now crippled, it faltered, crashing back to the earth in a flurry of snow and ice.
Across the battlefield, the King had delivered his own precise strike, cleaving through the second Wyvern's side. Both beasts were now grounded, but instead of retreating, they became even more ferocious. Their roars filled the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Both of them had managed to ground the flying beasts with a single strike.
But this victory brought them no joy.
Because both Mystic-level beasts were now in a fit of rage!
"Roar∼!!"
The Ironclad Wyverns let out deafening roars, inhaling deeply, their chests glowing with an eerie blue light.
"Whooosh∼—"
Two torrents of blue flames shot out, barreling toward them.
"Danger!" Su Hao had sensed something was wrong the moment the Wyverns inhaled. He bolted away, barely dodging the oncoming flame.
Everything the flames touched froze in an instant, turning solid before shattering into countless fragments.
Su Hao's heart pounded as he glanced back, his skin crawling with the fear of being engulfed by the freezing inferno.
"Absolutely can't get hit by that," he muttered under his breath.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the King faring just as desperately, dodging the flames with deft movements. Despite his legendary status, even the King seemed unwilling to take the full brunt of the Wyverns' breath.
Su Hao briefly considered tripping the King up and using the distraction to escape.
But he quickly banished the idea. Right now, he was struggling to handle one Wyvern. Without the King, he wouldn't survive the combined assault of both Wyverns.
'What to do?" Su Hao muttered, his mind racing. And then, inspiration struck. 'Maybe... maybe I should use the 'Eight Hundred' bomb and blow up everything—the Wyverns, the King... maybe even myself if it comes to that.'
The moment the thought solidified, he acted.
"King of He'an!" he yelled across the chaos. "I've got a plan to kill these two beasts, but I'll need your help."
The King's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
Su Hao replied, "Lure both Wyverns to the same spot. I'll finish them off."
"Alright!" The King didn't waste words. He immediately began circling, leading the Wyverns chasing him in loops.
Meanwhile, Su Hao took the opportunity to retrieve his "Eight Hundred" bomb, dodging the Wyvern's attacks while channeling his blood Qi into the bomb.
He was aiming to resolve everything in one blow...
Soon, Su Hao had poured most of his blood Qi into the bomb. Once ready, he shouted, "King of He'an, now! Bring the Wyverns toward me!"
The King narrowed his eyes and turned, sprinting toward Su Hao with the Wyvern's blue flames right on his heels. The beast followed close behind, chasing after the King in Su Hao's direction.
Su Hao also began running toward the King, simultaneously activating the delay mechanism on the "Eight Hundred" bomb.
He silently counted in his head.
"Ten!"
The two closed in.
"Nine!"
Su Hao shouted, "Get the two beasts close to each other. We'll cross paths to guide them!"
"Five!"
Su Hao's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the energy of the bomb vibrating, ready to unleash destruction. His palms were slick with sweat, but his grip on the bomb was steady.
"Three!"
The Wyverns, too massive and enraged to change course, crashed into each other.
"Two!"
"Now's the time!" Su Hao roared inwardly. With all his strength, he hurled the "Eight Hundred" bomb.
"Whoosh∼!"
The bomb flew through the air like a meteor towards...
...the space between the two Wyverns and the King!
According to Su Hao's calculations, the bomb would explode right between them, within the blast radius, just enough to encompass both Wyverns and the King. Though they'd only be on the outskirts of the explosion, the theoretical damage would be more than enough.
As for himself, the shockwave would hit hard, but it wouldn't kill him.
It was a perfect plan.
"This round, I win!"