Chapter 1073: Kundara (6)
“Have you heard the atmosphere outside the Fifth Tribulation has been strange lately?”
Olber quietly listened to the words mumbled by the customer who had visited his workshop.
Most of the customers who sought out his workshop were Long-lived Beings who had attained considerable status.
Thus, many of the rumors and information dropped by customers were useful.
“I heard the number of people playing Obaekro at the manors has suddenly increased significantly.”
“It’s more than that. The elders are practically spending all day, every day, just eating and playing Obaekro.”
Olber heard the slow clucking of tongues from customers browsing the artifacts displayed on the shelves.
“They say they’re lining up to hand over money to some young kid they’ve never seen before.”
“They’ve gone crazy with gambling. Getting such foolish notions at their age…”
“…”
A young kid they’d never seen before.
Olber, recalling the mortal who had come to buy armor a few days ago, glanced over.
“Excuse me, perhaps…”
The moment Olber opened his mouth to ask the customers about the outside news.
Slam!
The door burst open, and a young boy in a red robe stepped into the workshop.
The boy, with a sullen expression and his hands clasped behind his back, looked around the workshop.
But as soon as the customers saw the boy, they immediately bowed their heads.
“Greetings, Lord Angron of the Fire Salamanders.”
“To what do we owe the honor of your visit, a figure who rarely ventures outside…”
Angron, the leader of the Fire Salamander Clan, which boasts immense power in Outer Tribulation City, Kundara.
These salamanders, wreathed in flames, possess indispensable abilities in Kundara.
For the flames they breathe maintain Kundara’s atmospheric temperature at an optimal level, and mitigate the cold flowing in from the misty cosmos.
Moreover, Angron himself recently almost broke through the trial of the Eighth Tribulation, so the Fire Salamander Clan’s prestige is currently skyrocketing throughout the city.
Olber, having heard the rumors, also quietly bowed his head and showed his respects.
But Angron ignored the hesitant reactions of the customers and unhesitatingly pointed to the equipment located behind the display shelf.
“Bring that.”
“…That’s.”
Olber paused, looking at the item Angron pointed to.
It was the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor, which the young mortal who had visited the workshop a few days ago had intended to purchase.
Angron was pointing directly at it.
Olber carefully took out the armor and, after a moment’s hesitation, asked.
“Aren’t the Fire Salamander Clan members those who don’t even need to carry Ruyi Orbs?”
“Why so much talk? I need it, so bring it.”
Angron’s expression twisted.
“Did I say I’d take it for free? I said I’d pay the proper price for it!”
“…”
Olber hesitated, then said.
“Actually, there’s a customer who wishes to purchase this equipment…”
“What? It was already reserved? No wonder.”
Angron chuckled.
“I’ll pay double, so hand it over right now. I won’t say it twice.”
“…”
“It’s an item my Teacher desires. I won’t tolerate you selling it to anyone else, so don’t make a fuss.”
“…Teacher, you say?”
It was a very awkward honorific to come from the hot-headed, temperamental, and simple-minded Angron.
But Angron, as if delighted by Olber’s question, brightened and replied.
“Well, you see. I’ve been learning Obaekro at a nearby manor lately.”
“Oh, I see.”
Angron, who possesses enough skill to challenge the Eighth Tribulation’s trial, is seeking to learn from someone else?
Angron chattered away to Olber and the customers, as if his mouth had been itching to speak but he’d had no one to tell.
“I recently found a very capable Teacher, and thanks to their help, I was able to get right to the verge of passing the Eighth Tribulation’s trial.”
“…”
“They don’t just teach the game; they point me in the right direction, and it’s incredibly useful, you know?”
Could there truly be such an exceptional Teacher, capable of making Angron, the leader of the Fire Salamander Clan and a high-ranking Long-lived Being, act so humble?
And for that teaching to significantly aid in the Eighth Tribulation’s trial, no less.
Sensing that something extraordinary was afoot, the surrounding customers naturally focused on Angron’s words.
“The favor I’ve received from my Teacher is so immense that no matter how much sincerity I show, it feels insufficient.”
Angron, perhaps sensing this, spoke with a proud, boastful air.
“It’s been hard to repay them because they rarely desire anything, but it seems they want this armor. So, it’s only right that I bring it to them myself.”
“Is that so…”
“So hurry up and prepare it. I’ve explained this much, so you should understand by now, right?”
The boy’s eyes, fixed on the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor, blazed with overflowing eagerness.
“Forget the wrapping. I want to see the joy on their face the moment they see the item.”
“Understood.”
Olber, with a calm expression, took the dragon scale armor from the display, wiped it with a dry cloth, and said.
“However, the armor must be sized to fit the wearer, which is impossible if they don’t come in person.”
“What? Do you dare suggest my Teacher come all the way to this bustling street?”
Angron’s gaze instantly turned fierce.
“If that’s the case, then of course you must come yourself. I’ll pay triple the price, so close your shop and follow me.”
“…”
“I won’t say it a third time.”
“…Understood.”
Olber had actually expected that hot-headed fire salamander to react this way.
In fact, his giving such an answer was precisely so Olber himself could follow Angron and see this Teacher.
Olber, maintaining a troubled expression outwardly, skillfully gathered his equipment and left the workshop.
“Master…”
“Snook. Close the workshop door and don’t open it for anyone.”
Olber said, looking at his frightened employee with a stern expression.
“Even if that wizard comes looking, tell them I said not to open the door. Understand?”
“Yes, yes…!”
The human wizard who had visited his workshop a few days ago.
Although he had maintained a polite demeanor, Olber had a rough idea of how dangerous that man was.
He was a formidable spellcaster, skilled enough to find Kundara, hidden beyond its veil, in a mortal body.
Moreover, he had even gained the favor of the notoriously volatile and ill-tempered Alohan, acquiring a Ruyi Orb.
Would such a thing even be possible if his temperament wasn’t perfectly suited to the Water God Dragon King?
It wouldn’t be strange for him to change his attitude at any moment once he realized his desired item had been taken.
Clang!
Olber, having reduced the size of the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor and stored it in a steel case, and packed his adjustment tools, nodded.
“It’s ready. Let us go.”
“Good.”
The boy, Angron, who had been watching with a gruff expression, finally seemed to relax and grinned.
“We’re late, so let’s move quickly. Get on my back.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re not understanding me.”
As Olber paused, not comprehending his words, the boy frowned and channeled his mana.
Whoosh…!
Red scales rapidly sprouted across the boy’s cheeks, and a forked tongue shot out from his mouth.
The flames engulfing his entire body consumed the boy’s form, and the moment a magnificent pillar of fire surged upward.
Slippery, amphibian limbs burst forth from within the pillar of fire, transforming him into a gigantic salamander.
CRASH!!!
A colossal fire salamander, wreathed in flames like a crest along its back, glared down at Olber with a fierce expression.
[Get on.]
“A-Angron-nim!!”
A flustered Olber looked around at the astonished people near the workshop.
“This is inside the Fifth Tribulation. If you carelessly reveal your true form, you won’t be able to escape the wrath of the Elder Council…!!”
[Could those old ones from the Eighth Tribulation peer into what’s happening here with their dim eyes?]
“But-”
[Why are you talking so much all of a sudden?]
Whoosh!
The salamander shot out its tongue, snatched Olber’s ankle, and flung him upward.
The moment his body felt airborne, the sturdy old man’s body tumbled onto the salamander’s back.
Ignoring Olber, who was reeling with a stunned expression, Angron deeply bent his body on the spot.
[My Teacher is waiting, so shut up and follow.]
“S-surely not…”
[Since receiving their teaching, my entire body has been overflowing with energy. Let’s go!!]
Olber’s face hardened, instinctively realizing what would happen next from the explosive fiery aura erupting from the salamander’s body.
In the middle of Kundara’s bustling downtown, the salamander’s colossal body explosively leaped, soaring nearly dozens of meters into the air.
CRASHING BOOM!!!
With a powerful shockwave, the roof tiles of surrounding buildings were swept away.
Pavilions and tiled-roof houses swayed as if about to collapse, shaking violently, and the salamander, rotating its body in the air, exhaled a powerful burst of flames.
Above the misty Outer Tribulation City, Angron’s form accelerated, leaving a trail of rotating fire.
In an instant, it left the center of the bustling street and began moving towards the manor located on the outskirts.
CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE!!!
“…!!”
The salamander’s form, wreathed in flames, instantly broke the sound barrier and streaked across the sky.
A bizarre sight, like riding a blazing fighter jet through the misty sky.
Olber, barely clinging to Angron’s back amidst the whipping wind and mana storm, gritted his teeth.
He had said he almost passed the Eighth Tribulation, but had his spellcraft application ability also risen this much?
Olber could deeply understand why Angron was acting so confident, just from this one flight.
“Ugh…!!”
THUD!
The moment the colossal salamander crashed into the middle of an empty clearing, Olber’s body tumbled to the ground.
His hair and face were half-scorched, as if singed by the flame crest blazing on Angron’s back.
“Haa, haa…”
As Olber struggled to catch his breath, the salamander’s tongue wrapped around his waist and lifted him with a jerk.
[Hahahaha!!!]
Thump! Thump! Thump!!
The salamander, delightedly leaping and stomping its clumsy feet through the beautiful garden where peach trees grew, seemed as carefree as a child bringing a fun toy.
[Teacher!]
Angron, flicking his tongue, flung Olber, whom he had been holding, to the ground and shouted.
[Your disciple Angron has brought the item you desired, Teacher!!]
“Tch…”
Olber, the old man who had been unceremoniously tossed to the ground, let out a groan.
If he had known this, it would have been better for Olber to return to his true form and travel.
By foolishly insisting on a human form, the impact and pain seemed to have intensified.
The moment Olber, clutching his burning face and aching waist, painfully raised his gaze.
CRACK!
Olber’s breath caught in his throat from the gazes of all sorts of monsters looking down at him.
High-ranking Long-lived Beings, far surpassing ordinary humans, stood revealing their true forms on one side of the manor.
The Long-lived Beings, standing in an orderly line on either side of the simple pavilion built in the center of the manor, all looked down at Olber.
[He’s a child of the Heavenly Horn Clan.]
A crow, flapping its colossal, ink-black wings, spoke.
[I know he works as an artisan in this vicinity. What business does he have with the Teacher?]
[If that idiot Angron brought him, isn’t it obvious?]
Beside the crow, a gigantic toad, easily surpassing 5 meters, guffawed.
[He’s obviously planning to boil down a horn from the Heavenly Horn Clan and offer it to the Teacher. What was it, didn’t they say it was highly efficient for mana resonance?]
[Our Teacher is a sage superior to all of us combined.]
Behind the toad, an elegant-looking deer said, as if disdainful.
[Such a tonic would be utterly useless. It’s more likely he brought equipment crafted by this child.]
[Indeed, that Angron fellow wouldn’t think of any other method than kidnapping a perfectly good artisan.]
[They say if you’re stupid, your body suffers. That’s exactly the kind of action you’d expect from a Fire Salamander Clan mind.]
Salamanders. Toads, deer, and cranes.
High-ranking Long-lived Beings of colossal and mysterious appearance were gathered, conversing casually.
All the Long-lived Beings gathered here were noble figures whose faces were rarely seen even within the Fifth Tribulation.
The moment Olber’s body stiffened with a rigid expression, Angron proudly spoke from behind him.
[Talk all you want. It won’t change the fact that I’ve brought a gift for my Teacher!]
[Hmm, I’m not sure if the Teacher will be pleased with a gift prepared by you…]
The moment the toad puffed out its chin and turned its gaze towards Olber.
A low voice echoed from behind Olber.
“So you were here. I’ve been looking for you.”
“…Hmm?”
The grand pavilion stood in the middle of the manor, shaded by peach trees.
In front of the pavilion, Lennok looked down at Olber with a smiling face.
Lennok, dressed in a light shirt and adjusting his sleeves, descended the ramp.
“I had intended to purchase the equipment after the issue with my credentials was resolved, but your workshop was temporarily empty.”
“Ah, that is…”
He had never imagined that, of all times, this mortal wizard would also visit the workshop at this very moment.
And it seemed he had even followed him here, having completed the credential verification Olber himself had requested, intending to buy the dragon scale armor.
The problem was that Olber was now standing before high-ranking Long-lived Beings who held considerable status even in Kundara.
If he were to sell the dragon scale armor to Lennok as initially promised, he wouldn’t escape the elders’ wrath.
But if he broke his promise and handed the armor over to Angron, there was no telling how this wizard, blessed by the Water God Dragon King, would react.
“I-I’m afraid…”
There was no time to ponder.
If more time passed, the elders might get angry not only at Olber but at this human as well.
The moment Olber quickly made up his mind and was about to explain the situation and ask for Lennok’s understanding.
THUMP!
The high-ranking Long-lived Beings standing on either side of Olber almost simultaneously turned and bowed their heads.
Some respectfully clasped their hands, while others clasped their massive forepaws in a gesture of respect.
[Teacher. Are you awake?!]
[Ayeba of the Illusion Deer greets you, Teacher.]
[Botahn, the Island Emperor, greets you, Teacher!]
“…?”
An exceedingly rare sight: high-ranking Long-lived Beings from across Outer Tribulation City bowing to a single person.
Olber’s complexion turned pale as he realized that their bows were directed towards Lennok, who stood behind him.
“Wait, surely the Teacher the elders spoke of is-”
“Didn’t I tell you that the issue with my credentials had been resolved?”
Lennok said with a smile.
“So, can I receive the item now?”
A pavilion stood in the Peach Blossom Spring, shaded by peach trees.
Around that pavilion, Long-lived Beings of various forms gathered, listening intently to the words of a single person.
Each had spread out their board game boards as if by agreement, quietly waiting for their turn.
[Teacher. I’ve recreated a problem I encountered during the Seventh Tribulation’s trial; may I ask for your review?]
“There’s an inexplicable move around move 308. Shouldn’t it have proceeded like this?”
[Teacher. I have a question about aligning the stacked formation vertically within the spell formation.]
“There are roughly three techniques for aligning a spell formation vertically. I’ll tell you all of them for now, and you can choose the method you prefer…”
[There’s an issue with the fifth directional control method for increasing mana efficiency in spell formation creation…]
“The issue with mana efficiency isn’t directional control; you need to pay attention to the symbolic arrangement. It’s actually quite reliant on intuition, so for now, let’s prioritize practicing to get a feel for it.”
A Simultaneous Game (多面棋), where a single master plays and guides multiple novices at once.
Moving between the boards, checking the flow of the games, placing stones, and discussing strategies.
“Lord Botahn. I distinctly recall telling you not to retract a move without permission.”
[M-my apologies, Teacher.]
High-ranking Long-lived Beings, whose pride touched the sky, stammered at a single word from Lennok, bowing repeatedly with embarrassed expressions.
A strange sight that even Olber, who had lived his entire life in Outer Tribulation City, found difficult to believe even after witnessing it firsthand.
Clank!
Olber placed a hammer against the scales of the dragon scale armor, which were interwoven as tightly as chains, and slowly tapped, as if driving a nail.
Each time Olber tapped the scales, the armor rapidly expanded, transforming into its full armored form.
Shwaaraarak!!
After unfurling all the scales that made up the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor, he began adjusting its size from the extremities of the body.
The moment Olber, after measuring the size with a tape measure on the shoulder and adjusting the gaps between the scales, raised his head.
“Is it finished?”
“…”
Lennok, who had finished his Simultaneous Game with the Long-lived Beings sitting below the pavilion, now stood before him.
Olber subtly nodded, avoiding Lennok’s gaze.
“The sizing has been completed to fit a human. With this, the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor is yours.”
“Thank you.”
Lennok received the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor and, skillfully tapping the scales, instantly adjusted the armor’s size.
A strange sight: he appeared even more adept at manipulating it than Olber himself, who had just finished adjusting the armor.
Clang!
Lennok instantly compressed the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor to a small size and, handing it back to Olber, said.
“I apologize, but I need to help with the remaining games a bit more. Would you mind taking this armor over there?”
“…You want me to take it?”
Olber, following Lennok’s gaze, looked at the piles of gifts on one side of the pavilion and fell silent.
Rare spiritual herbs and medicinal ingredients, difficult to find anywhere else in Kundara. Health-boosting tonics and high-grade artifacts.
Numerous pieces of equipment, crafted from the body parts of Long-lived Beings, were piled up throughout the pavilion.
Lennok calmly spoke, leaving a speechless Olber.
“The elders of Kundara are all quite generous.”
“…”
“Since I started this work, I’ve received so many gifts that I plan to set aside a day to sort them out.”
“I wondered how a mortal could possibly enter Outer Tribulation City alone; it seems there was a reason after all.”
Olber mumbled, watching the Long-lived Beings absorbed in their games throughout the manor.
“For those fastidious elders to show you such devotion…”
“They’re not just playing Obaekro for a moment’s amusement.”
Lennok replied.
“Since it helps them pass the Tribulation’s trial, I merely provide guidance.”
“…”
Several days had passed since Lennok unintentionally helped Angron solve the Eighth Tribulation’s trial by joining his game.
After receiving Lennok’s advice and finding his direction, Angron rashly challenged the Eighth Tribulation’s trial again and almost passed it alone.
With many high-ranking Long-lived Beings coming upon hearing the news, the entire manor of the Fifth Tribulation had transformed into Lennok’s academy.
In just a few days, nearly ten Long-lived Beings had started to refine their own styles based on Lennok’s advice, so Olber’s awkwardness was not surprising.
“It seems that merely that wouldn’t explain why the elders are clinging to you so desperately.”
Olber shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Isn’t it because there’s something more to you than just playing Obaekro well that they’re so devoted?”
“You’re not wrong, but…”
Lennok himself didn’t fully understand what it meant to pass the Tribulation’s trial through Obaekro.
In fact, after consulting with the Long-lived Beings he was teaching, it turned out that Obaekro was not directly used to pass the Tribulation’s trial.
Rather, Obaekro was the only means by which the Tribulation’s trial they experienced could be materialized into a spellcraft-related form.
This was possible because the board game founded by Jindun was the clearest means to project one’s spellcraft aptitude and disposition.
As a result, Lennok was able to take on the role of a Teacher, instructing Long-lived Beings in Obaekro through it.
‘Was this what Jutiya meant when she said it was better not to know?’
While Lennok was lost in thought, Olber, having finished adjusting the armor, rose from his seat.
“At any rate, I’m glad things worked out well for you. It seems the situation is settled, so I’ll take my leave now.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Lennok smiled and nodded.
“I plan to visit your workshop again soon to purchase equipment, so please take care until then.”
“For a spellcaster like you to still need equipment I’ve made, that’s an honor.”
Olber nodded with a bitter smile.
“While you have the elders’ favor, is there anything impossible? I’ll be waiting at the workshop.”
Olber left the manor, and Lennok turned his gaze towards a Long-lived Being calling him from afar.
The moment he turned back to the Long-lived Beings, who sat quietly like children waiting for their turn before the board game boards.
“…”
Lennok stopped in his tracks, realizing that in the spot where Olber had stood, a pure white snake had now coiled itself.
Even though the scene reflected in his eyes had changed, Lennok almost failed to sense any incongruity in its appearance.
It was an Art of Displacement, capable only by a being completely unlike humans, one that deceived and melted perception itself, blurring any sense of incongruity.
“Hmm.”
The pure white snake flicked its tongue, looking at Lennok.
“I heard you’d be stirring up interesting things wherever you went, and indeed, those words weren’t wrong.”
“…”
“I never imagined you’d be teaching Obaekro to Long-lived Beings in this city. Your talent is one thing, but your ideas are truly astonishing.”
The snake, wearing a strange smile, spoke to Lennok in a soft voice.
“You possess a talent and judgment unconstrained by the limits of time and species, so I can understand why Olivera follows you.”
“So you didn’t come here to learn Obaekro from me.”
Lennok’s smiling expression turned cold the moment he heard the familiar name.
“Are you an acquaintance of Olivera’s?”
One of the few acquaintances Olivera had mentioned knowing in Kundara.
Had one of the Long-lived Beings who could help her with information gathering come to find Lennok?
“That child said you possess an exceptionally remarkable aptitude for playing Obaekro.”
The snake said leisurely.
“And, if you possess such a talent, there are ways I can help.”
“…”
“I heard you’re looking for a way to enter the Ninth Tribulation.”
The snake’s pupils, fixed on Lennok, gleamed meaningfully.
“For even a fleeting moment, would you like to become an Ascendant yourself?”