Chapter 404

Unlike the Gaia Order, the Gulrak Order has a peculiar close association with ‘rituals.’

Because of this, the head priest or the matron of the dancers, who oversee the rituals, tend to be favored by Gulrak.

Even when Tartar displays its barbarity, the influence of this religion is so strong that it is recognized as a state.

In fact, the most favored dancer was a princess of Gulrak, which gives this religion a notable standing globally.

It’s no wonder that even Byzantium has gleaned know-how from Tartar’s believers to hold rituals. It’s essentially a state built on a single religion.

As Gulrak’s influence grows within Tartar, it’s only natural that the status of the dancers rises too.

Who are these dancers, you ask? They are enchanting women who seduce opponents with mesmerizing dances and flashy costumes.

Foreigners, and even Tartarians, sometimes deride them as ‘vulgar,’ questioning how they differ from prostitutes.

But in such instances, the dancer directly challenges the opponent to a duel. And how does that turn out, you wonder?

[They are beings with sharp fangs hidden beneath a sweet fragrance. That’s who they are.]

[Do you want to embrace them? Then defeat them. Just be ready to have your limbs broken in the process.]

[If monks exist in the Gaia Order, then dancers exist in the Gulrak Order.]

Most people have had unfortunate experiences. Many have underestimated dancers, only to find themselves battered and bruised.

Dancers are individuals who refine their bodies for the sake of rituals. They can’t help but possess incredible physical stamina.

The same goes for their martial skills. They are well aware of their own beauty, which means they diligently train in various martial arts.

In Tartar, strength is a virtue, and dancers embody a diverse array of virtues, including beauty.

Therefore, most dancers’ partners tend to be those with great strength or power. Remember, Hector’s wife was also a dancer.

Some suggest that Hector was influenced by his dancer wife to be favored by Gulrak.

This was a plausible hypothesis, and Hector didn’t deny it, so it became an accepted theory.

For various reasons, the dancers of Tartar can be defined as ‘roses of the desert that bear poison.’

-Zzeong!

The clear and serene noise echoed. It was a sound piercing right into my ears.

Luna frowned and pushed back urgently. As she did, Io also stepped back.

“Damn…”

Given a moment, Luna grimaced and wiped her forehead. Sweat dripped into her eyes, obstructing her vision.

Normally, it would be her eyebrows guarding against sweat, but her brows were soaked through. The heat and continuous fights made everything tough.

‘Moreover…’

Even after wiping her sweat, her eyes struggled to open. She had to squint, her eyes resembling a pained crinkle.

It wasn’t that her eyes hurt, nor was it Io throwing sand. But for some unclear reason, her eyes wouldn’t fully open.

Others might feel the same, but for Luna, her eyes were incredibly important. She had good eyesight after all.

So much so that she had been warned for relying too much on her vision. She preferred seeing to predict and block attacks.

That’s why Rod had her practice techniques to improve her predictive abilities, but she still felt quite lacking.

‘Why is this happening? Is some trick at play?’

Sweat was one thing, but her stinging eyes simply made no sense.

However, surrendering wasn’t an option. Her stamina was nearly depleted, so a prolonged battle was out of the question.

‘Not a single strike, but just one opportunity.’

Rod had told her. Instead of aiming for a single decisive blow, divide that intent to create a single chance.

To do so, counterattacks were critical, a lesson she intended to use.

With that, Luna gripped her sword tightly with both hands. Although she blinked due to the flowing sweat, it was still bearable.

Meanwhile, Io also slowly positioned herself. She extended her left palm forward and slightly pulled back.

‘Come on. Come on. Bring it on.’

Luna waited patiently. Yet she also didn’t forget to shift her legs, seeking her opportunity.

As she began to move bit by bit, Io mirrored her, but the direction was somewhat off.

Normally, they would circle around opposite, but Io wasn’t doing that. Instead, she followed Luna in a straight line.

Such a move had happened before, oddly enough, she also was just following while they exchanged blows.

‘Why is she doing that?’

With narrowed eyes, Luna watched Io, puzzled by her inexplicable movements.

What was she aiming for, keeping a straight line instead of circling?

Not just Luna, but other Tartarians also displayed similar behavior. Rather than circling, they moved in such a way.

-Sparkle!

But before she could ponder much further, the sharp rays of sunlight struck her blue eyes.

The sun, no longer at its zenith, cast light at a peculiar angle. Only then did Luna realize.

‘The sunlight…!’

It was the sunlight. She had been moving like this to avoid facing the sun.

The warriors of Tartar were thoroughly utilizing their home-ground advantage.

In a rush, she tried to turn her back on the sun, circling around as she moved.

“You caught on quickly.”

But Io wouldn’t allow Luna to turn away from the sun. She murmured calmly, advancing swiftly.

Then, a fierce right fist came flying. It aimed directly at Luna’s abdomen.

“I knew it!”

“?!”

That punch missed her abdomen. Instead of flesh, only empty air remained where her body should have been.

Additionally, Io heard Luna’s voice piercing through like a spear beside her ear. A triumphant cheer.

-Shiiing!

Luna’s sword lunged towards Io’s shoulder. If it landed, severe injury was certain.

Io’s eyes reflected the scene like a mirror. And Io’s reaction to it was…

-Sneer

An ominous smile began to form.

******

-Waaah!

The roar of the crowd surged through the corridor. Well, it didn’t matter too much whether it passed through the corridor or not.

Because I was watching the entire situation from the corridor’s end. The guide said it was fine as far as that point goes.

‘I’ve lost in this contest of mental fortitude.’

It was one thing to evade the follow-up blow. Given my exhaustion and the sun’s intensity, I held my own quite well.

But exhaustion of stamina inevitably leads to a depletion of mental fortitude. I had seen one move ahead, but not two.

It seemed Io predicted Luna’s counter and immediately launched a counterattack of her own. She bent her body completely, evading the sword’s path entirely.

In that position, she sprang back up and delivered a kick right to Luna’s chin, a move that seemed ripped from a fighting game.

‘…If I think about it, this world is like a game… right? Who knows?’

Anyway, Luna put up a good fight. Taking on three opponents was no small feat; she performed beyond mere defense.

The Tartarians likely admired her strength as well. Here, power was synonymous with virtue.

“Next contestant, please enter.”

Hearing the guide, I gathered my weapon. Naturally, it was the one-handed hammer I purchased yesterday.

Though the handle was a bit shorter than I’d like, it didn’t hinder my ability to swing it.

Moreover, I probably won’t need to use the hammer today. If I do, it’ll be for the next round.

-What? Isn’t that a local?

-Her skin is brown, right?

-I heard she was tanned. Originally, she was pale, they say.

-That student defeated the Queen Sand Scorpion? I’m curious how skilled she is.

As I stepped in, the crowd buzzed with whispers rather than cheers. I seemed to have become a rising celebrity in Tartar already.

But really, they were more concerned about my skin color. I didn’t overly mind.

“Um… excuse me.”

“?”

“Are either of your parents Tartarian?”

That line sounded vaguely familiar. I pointed to myself, responding to the dancer’s question.

She nodded. Her appearance was a feminine version of the golden sun and she had a remarkably polite demeanor.

Along with her clothing, she was quite beautiful. From what I saw earlier, she seemed to handle lightning, albeit slightly.

‘Gulrak certainly has a taste for dancers.’

I could wordlessly affirm that, especially if it included Kara. She wouldn’t dare deny it.

‘She is truly outstanding.’

That was a compliment imbued with sincerity, not sarcasm. My eyes delighted in her appearance.

The dancer had no qualms about revealing her body, which made it a win-win for both of us. But first, I needed to respond.

“No, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know… but just moments ago, you spoke our language?”

“I taught myself.”

“Hmm… I see how that could be. Anyway…”

The dancer gradually assumed her stance. Despite her delicate figure, she held a surprising firmness.

She then looked at me with sharp eyes, quietly speaking.

“You are Sivar, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. Then…”

-Pazik!

Is she coming in strong from the start? Lightning surged from the dancer’s hand.

An intimidating aura began to exude from her. It wasn’t as if she held a grudge against me, so why was she acting like this?

“I will defeat you without fail.”

“Why’s that?”

“The Emperor stated that whoever defeats you will have their wishes granted. My brother rudely expressed his wish to have the princess.”

Brother, huh? Is she referring to that golden-sun fellow still bothering me?

While I averted my gaze, the golden-sun’s sister boldly declared.

“But I am different. I will become the queen.”

“…Who?”

Taken aback, I let out an odd response. The queen is the king’s consort.

Thus, this dancer implied she aimed to marry Hector. For Hector, it would be a remarriage.

‘Was there always this character?’

I rummaged through my memory but couldn’t recall. Perhaps Hector’s death had something to do with it.

“The dancers of Tartar long for the seed of strong men. King Hector is the strongest in Tartar.”

“….”

“It hasn’t been an easy opportunity until now. Today, I will assuredly defeat you to make Tartar even stronger.”

She kept throwing statements that Chaos would approve of, and they were even quite persuasive.

If she were to bear the seed of someone stronger than me, their child would likely be powerful, which would naturally elevate Tartar’s strength.

As I pondered her words quietly, I finally spoke up with a hint of hesitation.

“…Are all dancers like that?”

“Of course. That’s why dancers are strong.”

“Then… does Kara feel the same way?”

I almost asked that but shook my head in denial.

I feared that asking wouldn’t end well, sensing I should tread carefully.

What mattered right now wasn’t that. I slowly readied my stance.

Even as I prepared, it was merely a slight angle adjustment of my body.

“Well then, I’ll proceed.”

“Come at me.”

-Pazik!

As she finished those words, the dancer dashed toward me like an arrow. Her fist shimmered slightly with lightning.

Compared to Hector and Kara, it was nowhere near as potent. Yet in this world, lightning is among the most formidable abilities.

Should a normal person get hit properly, they’d likely be out in a single blow.

-Kwaaang!

But not me. How many lightning blows have I taken so far?

I’ve even survived one that Gulrak dropped upon me—‘Divine Punishment.’

“What… what…?!”

The dancer’s eyes widened in shock. Understandably so, her punch connected right to my abdomen.

Yet, I remained standing straight, which must have startled her. Perhaps her own hand would hurt more.

“Ouch.”

I stated flatly.

“It hurts.”

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