Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Doodle

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<  Chapter 175: Roots (5) >

The reason for Ragnar’s existence.

Was it true that they, who were always called the pinnacle of tyranny within the Empire, were actually obligated to protect the world?

Theo, to some extent, could understand those words.

After all, it had been Ragnar who stood against the demonic creatures of the Demonic Sea for over a thousand years.

‘Even if it feels more grandiose, in the end, it’s not much different from the duty Ragnar originally had.’

「Now that you’ve conquered the White Tower, let me inform you about the rewards you’ve earned.」

Snap!

Keratosuchus lightly snapped his fingers.

Immediately, a flurry of messages began appearing in front of Theo.

[You have been granted usage rights for the White Tower.]

[The White Tower is being updated.]

[Updating…….]

Boom!

Suddenly, the White Tower began to tremble violently.

It felt as if something was being added to the roof.

‘The building is changing.’

Theo widened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

Watching the White Tower expand sideways in real time was a novel experience, one beyond words.

[Stages within previously conquered relics have all been added to the White Tower.]

[The White Tower is now set as a new subdimensional domain. A network with the real world has been established, allowing materials from within to be summoned to the real world.]

“Summon?”

When Theo tilted his head in confusion, Keratosuchus nodded.

「Indeed. With the recent update, all relics are now paired with this White Tower as the central hub. Moving forward, they can share functions and create greater synergy.」

Theo looked down at his hands.

The ring on his finger, the earrings, and the sword slung over his back all trembled in unison.

Theo instinctively realized that the functions of these relics had been significantly enhanced.

「But the most remarkable part is this—you can now summon the guardians that once protected each relic.」

Theo quickly turned his attention back to the guardians.

Were they suddenly present here for that reason?

Could it be because of this?

Keek!

The Lesser Drake pounded the ground heavily, letting out a loud roar.

Flap! Flap!

The Griffin spread its wings wide and soared into the sky, displaying its valor.

「Since most of them are nothing but strong and brutish fools, if wisdom is ever required, feel free to call on me at any time.」

The Fairy Dragon, with each flap of its wings, scattered mysterious powder.

Rumble—

Somewhere unseen, the Desert Worm moved underground, causing the ground to tremble violently.

「Hmph.」

Magara, visibly displeased by the fact that it now had to follow Theo’s commands, turned its head away in defiance but appeared unable to escape the binding authority of his orders.

‘If it truly becomes possible to summon and command them outside… my combat strength will increase by at least several times.’

Beyond these guardians, Theo also had two more draconic beings offering their support—Umbra and Pontus, rulers of the sky and the sea.

With this, it was as though Theo had seized control of the land, sea, and air entirely.

「Furthermore, as the attendant, I shall ensure that these beings serve you properly while also conveying the will of the Pantheon.」

Keratosuchus bowed with respect.

「Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Keratosuchus, the attendant overseeing your domain, the White Tower.」

Theo nodded in acknowledgment and spoke.

“From now on, I’ll just call you Kerto. That works, right?”

「As you wish. Having passed the trials of the Ancient Dragon multiple times, you are the successor to its legacy. It is only natural for the dragons to follow you.」

“In that case, I’ll start with one simple request.”

「Command me.」

There was no hesitation in Theo’s demeanor as he issued the order. It was as though leadership was a role tailor-made for him.

“It seems we have an uninvited guest here.”

「Shall I expel them?」

“Bring them before me.”

「As you command.」

When Kerto raised its head again, the Lesser Drake and the Griffin were the first to move.

Keek!

Caw!

“Damn it!”

In an instant, a spatial rift opened, and Kishar emerged, his expression betraying his shock.

He had intended to assassinate Theo while he was distracted sorting through his rewards—how could his presence have been detected?

The truth was, even Theo hadn’t noticed Kishar’s stealth up until moments ago.

Between ascending the floors, achieving Nirvana, visiting the Pantheon, and verifying his rewards, Theo had been constantly preoccupied.

He had never imagined that an outsider, unworthy of the relic’s trials, would approach.

But the moment Theo obtained ownership of the White Tower, he sensed Kishar’s presence.

Ownership wasn’t just the right to “possess” the White Tower. It was closer to a concept of “dominion.”

The White Tower was a representation of Theo’s mental world.

Having fully integrated his mental realm through the realization of Nirvana, it would have been absurd for him not to notice a foreign entity invading it.

Screeeech—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kishar unleashed a flurry of sword energy, blocking the approach of the Lesser Drake and Griffin.

‘No choice. If it’s come to this, I’ll just have to go all in!’

Among the five candidates, Kishar was known for wielding the most unique swordsmanship.

His steps were as light as those of a night cat, and the daggers he wielded left no trace, not even a shadow.

How fast must he be, for his hands to move so swiftly that they seemed to create a thousand illusions?

Papapapap!

Dozens of daggers floated in midair.

Each time Kishar pulled on the strings attached to the daggers, their trajectories shifted, targeting the weak points of the two draconic beings.

The Griffin grew furious as the nearly imperceptible daggers relentlessly exploited its blind spots, leaving it covered in wounds.

Meanwhile, the Lesser Drake paused momentarily as the strings wrapped around its legs, pondering how to stomp the daggers into submission.

‘Ha! Do you think this will go your way? Do you even know what kind of strings these are?’

These were Celestial Silk, threads derived from a rare silkworm species called Heavenly Silkworms, found in the distant Far East.

The silk was so durable that even most steel blades couldn’t sever it, and its elasticity made it a preferred material for armor in its region of origin.

But Kishar had repurposed it as a tool for handling his daggers. Combined with his extraordinary speed, it created an illusion of the world being filled with his blades.

“Be trapped here!”

Somehow, a dense web of threads had formed above, and it descended toward Theo’s head.

Magara grumbled something under its breath before exhaling sharply.

Whoosh!

A water cannon shot forth, shaking the net, but it still managed to hinder the movements of Theo and his draconic companions—

While Theo and his allies were distracted by the net above, a dagger slithered silently along the ground, shooting upward in a vertical strike.

Swish!

Like a serpent lunging for its prey.

The net had been nothing more than a diversion.

This was Kishar’s true attack.

‘It’s over!’

Kishar was confident of his success.

The Silent Death Dagger was about to bury itself in Theo’s nape, leaving no sound, no warning.

And yet—

‘He’s smiling?’

Kishar suddenly realized that throughout the battle, Theo had relied entirely on his draconic companions without making a single move himself.

At that moment, the Fairy Dragon abruptly dropped in front of Theo.

A translucent barrier formed.

Clang!

The Silent Death Dagger was effortlessly deflected.

“When did he…?”

“This is our first proper meeting, so I suppose it’s understandable you don’t know me very well yet, brother.”

Kishar had no way of knowing, but the Fairy Dragon had been using the spell to monitor everything approaching Theo.

Thus, no matter how stealthily the Silent Death Dagger moved, it was inevitably detected.

“I have a principle of never engaging in a fight I can’t win.”

「Freeze.」

Rather than simply countering the attack, Theo intended to turn it against Kishar and immobilize him.

The moment the Fairy Dragon uttered its incantation, the surrounding air became chillingly cold.

Fwoosh!

Crack—

Frost formed on Kishar’s skin.

By the time he realized the danger and tried to retreat, both his legs were already encased in ice.

Boom!

Taking advantage of this moment, the Desert Worm burst through the ground.

Screech!

The Desert Worm ignored the injuries caused by the web of Celestial Silk and swallowed Kishar whole.

Gulp—

「You know, eating recklessly can be harmful. Are you sure about this?」

The Desert Worm chewed for a while but eventually spat Kishar out at the Fairy Dragon’s suggestion.

Splurt!

“You…!”

Kishar, drenched in saliva, weakly lifted his head.

The Desert Worm’s saliva was laced with toxins, and the effects of the poison were already taking hold.

Not stopping there, the Fairy Dragon cast a binding spell, wrapping Kishar in magical restraints.

“I’ve heard that among successors, it’s not uncommon to take each other’s lives, but I didn’t expect you to attempt such a blatant assassination.”

“If you kill me here… you won’t be left in peace…”

Kishar glared at Theo with bloodshot eyes.

“Are you begging for your life?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m telling you the path to your survival.”

Having failed the assassination attempt, Kishar was now focused solely on staying alive.

‘Even if I lose here, I must expose his true nature to the outside. I must inform my master!’

Kishar had followed Theo all the way up the White Tower and could tell that Theo was no ordinary Ragnar.

There was a possibility he was connected to another world.

Perhaps he was merely wearing the guise of a Ragnar but wasn’t one at all.

‘Before the Blossoming Ceremony, he had kept a low profile, but suddenly, he changed. If he’s connected to that place filled with gray buildings…!’

If this deduction was correct, Theo had no right to challenge the succession in the first place.

Determined, Kishar was ready to reveal part of his carefully hidden identity to achieve his goal.

A Step Backward for a Step Forward

“I’ve kept this hidden because of the struggle for the throne, but the power backing me isn’t something you can ignore. If you kill me here, your life will become endlessly difficult. But if you spare me, your path forward will be much easier. Let’s join forces.”

Kishar was certain Theo wouldn’t be able to reject his proposal.

From what he had heard from Lezé, Theo was someone who knew how to strike a deal.

While there were rumors about individuals like Julius, the Lord of Plum Blossom Palace, the Black Dragon, and the Upsurging Dragon showing interest in Theo, none of them had officially backed him.

No, on the contrary, Theo couldn’t completely disregard his eldest brother, Kinkarnon, either. For someone in Theo’s position, Kishar’s proposal should have sounded enticing enough to solidify his standing…

“Are you perhaps about to reveal that you’re the hidden disciple of the Conquering Dragon?”

Kishar’s expression froze, completely caught off guard, as Theo revealed the card he had been carefully hiding before he even had a chance to play it.

“You… how… how do you know that…?”

“An alliance with the Conquering Dragon… I must admit, it’s a tempting proposition.”

The Conquering Dragon.

Among the Nine Dragons, it was said to be one of the strongest alongside the Demonic Dragon and the Illusory Dragon.

Its domineering nature was so infamous that, aside from Kyle, the Conquering Dragon never interacted with others.

Much like the Upsurging Dragon, he moved alone, yet its solitary presence was akin to an entire army.

It wasn’t without reason that it earned the nickname One-Man Army.

‘But even such a Conquering Dragon has a keen interest in the throne. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not without its own power base.’

Unlike the other Nine Dragons, the Conquering Dragon didn’t directly govern its forces. Instead, groups like the faction following Kishar formed its sphere of influence.

“The problem, dear brother, is that there’s one critical thing you seem to have overlooked.”

“…What?”

“Surely, you don’t think you’re the only one who can reach the Conquering Dragon, do you?”

“What nonsense…!”

Kishar shouted angrily, demanding what Theo meant. But as he processed the implications, his eyes widened in realization.

“Yes, the Conquering Dragon hasn’t taken only you as a disciple.”

“…!”

At that moment, Kishar recalled Ansio.

Despite being his beloved fraternal twin sister, Ansio had always been a child whose true thoughts remained inscrutable.

“Looks like you didn’t know about that.”

“T-that, that can’t be!”

“Apologies, but I’m not kind enough to spare someone who tried to take my life. I have no desire to be betrayed again.”

Kishar wanted to shout, “Wait!” but his voice wouldn’t come out.

“And how could I let you live when you know so many of my secrets?”

The truth about the White Tower.

The fact that Theo could command draconic beings.

All these were secrets that had to remain hidden for now.

Slash!

Kishar couldn’t even protest.

From behind, Kerto struck his neck with a hand blade.

Puhhh!

Klang—

Kishar’s head, frozen in a shocked expression, rolled across the floor.

Thud!

As the headless body collapsed, Theo looked at it and thought to himself:

‘This is just the beginning.’

He had just eliminated one of the Five Candidates, who once seemed an impossible challenge.

This was sure to become a catalyst.

A spark that would ignite the full-scale battle for the throne...