Chapter 436: Final Warning
(40 days before the fight, Leo’s POV)
*SHING*
*SHING*
*Skiddd*
The sharp clash of steel echoed through the training chamber as Leo sparred with Dumpy for the first time in what felt like ages.
The Ancient Swamp Frog, having finally broken free from the three prisons Charles had ordered him to escape before he could reunite with Leo, was visibly agitated, his eyes brimming with tears from their long separation.
However, even so, he threw himself into the spar with full intensity, determined to help prepare his Lord Father for the upcoming battle with Veyr in forty days, as he refused to hold anything back.
Like Veyr, Dumpy too was a Transcendent Tier warrior, making him a reliable benchmark for the kind of pressure Leo could expect in the real fight.
However, while both Dumpy and Veyr were Transcendent Tier warriors, their fighting styles were sure to be extremely different.
With erratic, inhumane movements, the ability to expand and contract without warning, and dangerously acidic poison spit, Dumpy created a chaotic and unpredictable battle rhythm, which was impossible to replicate for any human, and hence not what Leo could expect while facing Veyr.
However, it was invaluable practice regardless.
"RIBBIT," Dumpy croaked, as he came at Leo again with his full strength, twin blades singing through the air as his body bulged and shrank in rapid succession.
’Not today,’ Leo thought, as he darted to the side with [StormFlash Traverse], but Dumpy’s reach was wild and elastic.
The frog extended one arm like a whip and brought his blade crashing toward Leo’s exposed flank.
*CLANG!*
A burst of armor shimmered around Leo’s forearm just in time.
The Indestructible Necklace responded instantly, conjuring a curved armor plate over Leo’s forearm just as the blade closed in.
"As expected of Lord Father, his defence is truly impenetrable," Dumpy praised, as although the strike landed cleanly, the armor rendered it harmless.
However, despite praising Leo, Dumpy didn’t pause.
He expanded again, using his swollen mass to displace air and force Leo back, before instantly shrinking as he spat a line of green acid toward his legs.
Leo responded without thought. The necklace activated again, and liquid metal flowed over his boots and ankles like a second skin, hardening just as the acid struck the floor and splashed upward.
*HISSS*
The tile in front of him hissed and cracked, however, his own feet remained untouched thanks to the armor.
"You’re really going for blood today," Leo muttered, flicking sweat off his brow as he shifted into battle stance once again.
"RIBBIT," Dumpy let out a high-pitched war cry and spun forward, alternating strikes between his swords with blistering speed.
The left blade came for Leo’s ribs, as Leo used the necklace once more, forming a gleaming forearm guard that absorbed the blow with a harsh metallic clang, while simultaneously blocking the attack coming from the right with his dagger.
*SHINGG–*
*Push*
Pushing Dumpy back with raw strength that was enhanced with the power of emotions, Leo took the opportunity to strike Dumpy’s exposed chest with his boot, kicking the frog squarely in his torso.
*BAM*
Dumpy staggered back a couple steps, as Leo used the opportunity to activate [Blade Switch], vanishing in a blur of mirage-like movement before reappearing behind Dumpy.
*Slash*
Leo struck his pet at the gap beneath its shoulder, but although the blade landed, it failed to produce any significant damage, as the steel melted after coming in contact with Dumpy’s highly corrosive skin, managing only to leave a shallow cut.
"The fuck?" Leo muttered in disbelief, as Dumpy turned and pushed him back with a series of sword strikes, as from that point onwards, Leo failed to land a single blow on Dumpy for the next forty minutes of their spar.
Dumpy’s movements were unnatural and wild as he fought at a level far beyond what most would expect from a simple beast.
’Not bad... this beast is a good protector for the boy,’ Charles thought, as he sat in the far corner of the room, watching the spar unfold with great interest.
His eyes followed the flow of combat carefully, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of both combatants.
While he felt very impressed with how well Leo was holding his own against a higher-tiered opponent, he felt equally impressed with Dumpy’s ingenuity in battle.
Just like his master, Dumpy’s natural battle IQ was very high. And although he too had some glaring flaws in his defensive posture and raw attacking strength, what he lacked in brute power, he made up for in speed and adaptability, as the beast was undoubtedly a nightmare to face one on one.
"Together, these two can become unstoppable someday," Charles muttered to himself, as he could not help but shiver at the thought of watching them tear apart a battlefield full of enemies alone.
—---------
(Meanwhile, Raymond)
Raymond arrived at the Command Ship, floating just beyond the perimeter of planet Juxta, from where he planned to spy on the Cult territories ahead. But before he could settle into position, a crippling pressure crashed down onto his spine, sudden and overwhelming.
It felt as if the very air around him had thickened, like invisible bands of force coiling tightly around his body.
His breath caught in his throat.
His knees bent slightly, and for a moment, his vision blurred.
The sensation wasn’t physical, but spiritual in nature, dense with authority and warning.
"How have you been... Uncle?" Raymond muttered through gritted teeth, the words forced out against the oppressive weight pressing into his back.
He couldn’t see Soron, but he felt him—felt those eyes looking down on him from somewhere far below.
It wasn’t a sight in the traditional sense. It was something deeper. A spiritual gaze that pierced the Command Ship from the surface of planet Ixtal, reaching out to him like a cold whisper against his soul.
Soron’s attention was fixed and absolute. Raymond felt as though the god’s will had singled him out completely, freezing him in place like prey under the stare of a predator, as despite being a Monarch himself, Raymond could not so much as twitch a muscle on his fingers.
The warning from Soron was clear : Do not proceed. Do not dare spy on Cult territories or try to enter Cult controlled space, or the consequences shall be grave.
*Gasp*
Gasping for air, Raymond steadied himself and clenched his fists. His body trembled slightly from the soul pressure that Soron exuded, but he still refused to lower his head.
"I can’t go back empty-handed. My father has tasked me to kill the Dragon, and I can’t return with nothing," he said, each word laced with desperation and resolve.
Soron gave no reply. There was no sound. No voice. Just a lingering sense of amusement, faint and distant, like the curl of a smirk that was felt rather than seen.
The ancient god had no need to speak. His message had already been delivered in full.
As long as Raymond remained at the edge, his presence would be tolerated. But the moment he tried to peer into the Cult territory, to scan or overstep, Soron would act to eliminate him.
This was Raymond’s only warning. The next time he peered into Cult land, he would face the consequences.