When Hell Got Cold (chp 6-epi)

Chapter 6
“What? What did you say?” I asked.
“You’ve heard it right.” Beethoven answered. “I won’t join you in your mission. The hell I care for recognition!”
“You’re thinking we’re doing all these thins just for recognition?” Max asked.
“Well, what other reasons do all of you have?” Beethoven boastfully answered.
Everyone becomes silent.
“I can see there are no other reasons for humans like us to do dangerous tasks but to gain recognition and power.” Beethoven elaborated. “We are born to be greedy. So what will humans do? To put their selves to a perilous situation and do some so-called heroic deeds to gain recognition.”
Job looks like he’s already angry.
“So you joined Azkaro just to gain recognition and power? What an idiot!” Job shouted.
“You’ve done all that great things just for acknowledgment?” Max shouted. “You’re nothing but an ingrate!”
Max suddenly hit Beethoven in the face. It’s not right! I must stop it before something worse happen.
I shielded Beethoven from Max.
“What are you doing, Andrea? That man’s an ingrate!” Max asked. “You must not protect him.”
“You can’t hurt him.” I looked at Beethoven ad continued. “Do you think we’re doing all these all for just a puny recognition?
“We’re not doing these things just to be famous. We are doing this to ensure that the next generation will have a better place to live in!”
“That’s what I’m talking about.” Beethoven answered. “You’re doing those heroic deeds you call for the next generation will look up to you. What do you call on that kind of thing? Fame!”
“See? Andrea? Now back off and I’ll teach that bastard!” Max shouted.
“You want to hit me again because you can’t accept the fact?” Beethoven stood up. “Now hit me again. It will only prove that you’re just thirsty for power that’s why you’re doing all these things. You can’t accept the fact? Then hit me again!”
Looks like Max will hit Beethoven again.
“Max! Will you please stop? You’re just proving that Beethoven’s right.” I said.
“Andrea, snap out of it! I’m going to teach that bastard!” Max shouted.
“Are you certain that he’s telling the truth?” I asked.
“Of course he’s certain! The words have already come out from Beethoven’s mouth.” Job suddenly cut in. “Why did you ask?”
“She asked because she’s using her head, not like the both of you. You two are being controlled by your emotions.” Cap said.
“What did you say?” Max asked.
“I said you two are not using your heads.” Cap said. “Think before you act. Did you ever think why Beethoven said that?”
“What do you mean?” Job asked.
“Cap is trying to say that there’s a reason why Beethoven said that.” I said.
“What are you saying?” Beethoven asked. “There are no other reasons. I said that to wake you up.”
“Is that the reason?” Cap asked. “Or the true reason for declining to our offer is your fear of seeing one of your loved ones die in battle ‘again’?”
“What are you saying? I’m not scared of that!” Beethoven answered. “I’ve fought many battles already, and most of my comrades died in front of me. So why will I have that kind of fear?”
“You are scared of seeing Constance die.” said I. “You don’t want to lose another loved one.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Beethoven said.
“You can’t fool me, Beethoven. I know that’s the reason.” Cap said.
“Yeah, that’s the reason. So what?” Beethoven answered.
“Then that means my father is nothing but a cowering chicken.” a familiar voice said.
Beethoven was astonished. “Constance? But I told you to go to Rainbow Planet!”
“I did.” Constance answered. “But the old man we saw in Horse Planet gave me another Return Charm when I saw him in Rainbow.”
Beethoven approached Constance.
“I’m not cowering, my daughter. I’m just thinking about your future.” Beethoven said.
“Thinking about my future?” Constance asked. “What you’re thinking about will be the one that will kill me!”
Beethoven slapped Constance.
“How can you say that to your father? Are you already at the right age to decide for your future?” Beethoven shouted.
“She’s not at the right age, yes, but she can think better, Beethoven.” Cap said.
“But war is not always the solution!” Beethoven shouted.
“Yes, war is not always the solution. But did you ever think of our enemy? Our enemy is a monster! They don’t accept treaties. They are thirsty for power!” I said.
“And besides, do you think Constance will have a better life when you refused to fight? She’d rather die than to be a slave forever!” Job shouted.
“That kind of planning is a work of the foolish.” A voice said.
We looked around to know who spoke. Then we saw a cloaked old man.
“A true strategist knows all possibilities and can never be affected by his ego.” the old man said. “A true strategist can sacrifice anyone, even a loved one, for the sake of the latter.”
Cap was surprised. “Wait a second. I know who you are. You’re The Seer!”
“Yes. I am The Seer.” the old man said.
“But I thought you were caught by the Sheep King!” Job asked.
“I only spread out that gossip for the people not to recognize me.” The Seer looked at Cap. ”You’re a clever one. You recognized me that easy.”
“Actually I recognized you when you spoke.” Cap said. “I heard that voice already when I was young.”
“Very well, then.” Then The Seer looked at Beethoven. ”You’re the best strategist in Horse Planet, aren’t you? I thought you’re a man of pure wisdom. But what I saw here is the opposite.
“Do you think that when you refused to fight the evil Sheep King, he will never touch you and your family? Our foe is a monster! He will never listen to you!”
“What else can I do? Do you think fighting the army of the Sheep King will change everything?” Beethoven asked. “It already came out from you, The Seer. Our foe is a monster! If we’ll fight his army, we’ll just end up losing everything!”
“Better to die with honor than to live in disgrace!” The Seer shouted. “Do you want to live as a slave for the Sheep King? Do you want to live like you’re already dead?”
“We’re not longing for recognition.” I said. “We are doing all these things for our family and for ourselves as well. If we can ensure a good future for the next generation, we are willing to die.
“Though it’s our destiny to be defeated by monsters, we are ready to fight our fate. Though we know that we are fighting for nothing, we’ll still fight and die with honor. At least we tried to be against the odds.”
“We are not cowering chickens like you, Beethoven.” Max said. “Well, if you’ll not join us in our battle, I hope you’ll not regret this.”
Beethoven sat on a rock. I think he’s already thinking about it.
Constance approached Beethoven. “Father, please do this for me. Do this for the many children that are hoping that they’ll have a better future.”
The Seer looked at Beethoven. “Now these friends of yours and even your only daughter are asking for your help. You must also think about the people that are hoping that we can overcome this circumstance once and for all. I heard that before Azkaro held the fortress’ power, it is one of the sect groups that don’t have the power to defeat the veterans. But because of your careful planning and powerful strategies, your sect became the best. We know that we don’t have the power to defeat the Sheep King. But we can defeat him if we will be united.
“Now, Beethoven, make a decision: to join us in battle or to cower and to regret it for the rest of your life. Follow what your heart is saying. It is the only thing that cannot lie.”
Beethoven stood up.
“Now I realized that I’m not fighting just for recognition.” he said. “I fought because I followed what my heart is saying. I’ll return to the fortress. I’ll become a warrior of Azkaro again.”
Then he kneeled in front of Constance and embraced her.
“I want to apologize for being an idiot. I never thought about it. Sorry for being such a stupid father.”
Constance smiled and said, “It’s okay, father. You’ve already learned your lesson. At least I knew that my father is not a cowering chicken.”
“Enough of this. We have more things to do.” The Seer said.



Chapter 7
The Seer is walking around us. Looks like he’s measuring our hidden power.
“The power you have right now is not enough,” The Seer shouted. “especially you, Beethoven!”
“What are you saying, judicious one? Beethoven is one of the best warriors of Azkaro.” Andrea said.
“The Seer is saying that Beethoven doesn’t have enough power.” Cap elaborated. “He ‘was’ one of the best, yes, but we must consider that it was eight years ago. We must also consider that as time passes by, people are becoming stronger. That means if Beethoven stopped training since he left the fortress, he will be considered a weakling today.”
Cap is right. I am considered a weakling today. I stopped training since I left the fortress because I never thought that I would return to the fortress to be a warrior again. He has thought all of the possibilities.
“So, enlightened one, what can I do to regain my reputation as one of the greatest warriors of Azkaro?” I asked.
“That question must be answered by you and not by anyone else.” The Seer answered. “But I know a thing that might help you.”
“What is it, master? I’m ready for anything you will say.” I asked.
“You are very knowledgeable of legends, aren’t you? That might help you.” The Seer said.
“But… how can that help me?” I asked.
The Seer laughed. “I already told it to you. You’re the only one who can be able to answer that.”
Then he left with my comrades. He said they must hurry to the fortress to prepare everything. They will also try to talk to the leaders of other sect groups. But before they left, he said, “I’ll come back after three days. I’ll check if you already know what to do.”
After that, we went home.
Now what I must do is to think of the answer to that question. Perhaps, no, precisely, what I need is training. Then I’ll start training tomorrow.



Chapter 8
Today is the start of my training. Actually the training I’m having is the most popular kind of training here in Pa Chun Universe: the hunt-training. Actually Constance and I are doing this everyday. But we get less experience because the ones who have the most valuable items are the weaker ones. The valuable items taken from weak monsters are being bought by bulk. People here are busy training in more powerful monsters. They don’t have the time hunting those weak monsters. That’s why our business is a success.
Maybe I must visit Nan Ta. I hope he knows a place where I can train myself here in Halla.
As I’m walking, I was thinking about what The Seer has said: the one about legends. Does he pertain to the Legend Sword? But I already got mine. Legends…
As usual, when Nan Ta sees me, he’ll greet me warmly. I ran towards him.
“What do you need, old friend?” he asked.
“I want to talk to you about something ‘important’.” I answered.
Nan Ta expressed a serious face. “Then let’s go to my house.”
Whenever I say that to him, he already knows what I’m talking about. We always go to his house and talk about things.
We are now here at his house. It is always clean because he’s working from sunup to sundown.
We sat and then he asked, “How can I help you, Beethoven?”
“I just want to tell you that the rumors you heard about the Sheep King is not just a rumor.” I answered.
Nan Ta looks surprised. “What do you mean?”
“The ley lines have been opened from Sheep Planet to Halla!”
Looks like he’s quivering. “Then that means gradually the army of Sheep King is going out of the dimension crack and may attack us at any time?” Nan Ta was shocked. “Oh no…”
“We’re doomed if we don’t do anything.”
“So what are your plans?” Nan Ta asked.
“I already returned to Azkaro as a warrior. But I have another problem.”
“I never thought of you having a great problem. Aren’t you one of the greatest warriors of Azkaro? You’re also the master strategist of your sect.”
“Yes, I ‘was’ one of the greatest, I think. But that was eight years ago. Now I’m having problem because the enemy is a lot more powerful than us. Even Horse King will have a trouble fighting them.”
“Then that means they’re very powerful. Now what can I do for you?”
“I just want to ask you I you know some place here in Halla where I can practice martial arts again?”
Nan Ta stood up then went to a window. “I know one place, but it’s too dangerous.”
I stood up. “I’m ready for any danger. I want to protect Halla! I want to protect my family!”
Then he smiled. “I can see that you’re really eager to do what you’ve said. Then I’ll tell it to you. But don’t blame me if you will be hurt.”
I laughed. “Do you think I can do that? I don’t blame anyone if I’m the one who’s at fault. And besides, I’m more powerful than those monsters on that place you’re talking about!”
Nan Ta looked outside and pointed the path to the Tomb of Sword.
“You must go to the Tomb of Sword at the eighth level: if you can go further, then much better. But I must warn you. The monster Ta Goo is living there! If you feel that you’re in trouble, go back immediately without hesitation.”
“Okay, I understand. I’ll remember those words you’ve said.”
“But I can remember that one of my customers said that Ta Goo is a rich monster. The monster has great wealth that he’s hiding in his lair.”
I laughed again. “Then Ta Goo is going down! I’ll get his riches and make them mine! Then those riches will be used in improving my sect members’ arsenals”
“I wish for your success, Beethoven. Now go and make your bud proud!”
Then I left. But wait! I can hear Nan Ta shouting something.
“Beethoven! Come back! You forgot something!” he’s shouting.
So I came back. I’m wondering what I forgot in his house. I haven’t brought anything when I went to his house.
“Beethoven, I forgot to give you something.” Nan Ta said.
This kid is so forgetful.
“Then ‘you’ are the one who forgot something, not me.” I answered.
“Whatever! Let’s go inside.” he answered.
I wonder what he’s going to give me. Another weapon? A new set of armors? But he knows that wearing a more powerful armor requires more experience, or else you will be burned to ashes.
He’s opening an old wooden box. Then from the box, he got three tomes. I wonder what those tomes are.
“Beethoven, these tomes contains the secret martial arts the champions have used to defeat the powerful devil kings that tried to invade Halla.” Nan Ta explained. “A friend gave this to me because he’s already retiring and settle down with his family. Lucky you because he also uses the power of wind. But these secret martial arts require a lot of energy, so you must practice using it too to have better control of your energy level. Even Lord Kelly obtained these kinds of tomes.”
I never heard about these tomes before. But I have read in old books that the champions have written some texts about their discoveries.
“But you must be careful.” Nan Ta elaborated. “Losing one of these tomes means doom for you. After you have read this tome, the tome will be in flames. Then you must meditate. Be careful though, because if you can’t concentrate in the secrets written in the tome, your meditation fails. I suggest that you do your meditation where there are nothing to see, to hear or anything that can disturb you.”
“Don’t worry, Nan Ta, I’ll be able to read all of these tomes and meditate successfully.” I said.
“I hope so, because if you failed, you must hunt for the items required in creating another one, and it takes time. For you not to fail, I suggest you don’t open another tome after you’ve read the last one and meditated. Instead, rest and read the other one the next day.” Nan Ta said.
“Okay, old friend, I’ll owe you one. Don’t worry I will be able to repay your kindness later on.” I said.
Nan Ta smiled and said, “That’s okay. Just promise me that your sect and the others will do your best to stop Sheep King’s evil plans. Please remember that everyone here in Halla are counting on you.”



Chapter 9
So what I’m going to do now? Let’s see…
Nan Ta gave me these tomes. He said I must not push myself in meditating. I must do it one at a time, or else I’m doomed.
These tomes have numbers in its cover… four, five and six. Maybe I must follow its order from the smallest number to the largest.
While I still have enough energy, I’ll start reading the one with the number four. So where am I going to read it?
Nan Ta said I must meditate in a place where no one can disturb me for it to be a success. But the question is where?
A place where no one can disturb me… I know one place! There are some areas in Rainbow Planet that people doesn’t visit. But it’s very risky to try. No matter… I’ll try it anyway.
Good thing I’m always equipped with Return Charms. I’ll go straight to Rainbow Planet.
I’m here at the portal already. Will I continue this? Not sure… but I’ll try it anyway.
The trip to Rainbow Planet is very fast I’m already here. Where am I going to meditate here in Rainbow?
I walked around Rainbow to look for a perfect spot. I can still remember when my daughter and I go here and relax. Hunting is the name of the game. Here in Rainbow, we are the masters of the Caims. We are always the hunters of their eggs. I even sometimes pity them because we have to kill them just to get the eggs.
We are the scare of the Celestial Tree. We are the ones who batter the poor tree. We always hit it so the fruits will fall. It is forbidden to go up the tree so we really need to hit it.
When it’s already noon, we will rest anywhere that has a tree. Then we’ll eat our pack lunch. It’s so much fun.
These memories… o hope it will last in my mind. At the battle, there’s a possibility that I’ll die. I must do something to prevent it.
Then a voice from my mind said, “Will I run away from battle? No, it’s a work of a coward.
“Well, I can tell The Seer that I can’t do it and then Constance and I will hide anywhere.”
Then another voice said, “But Nan Ta told me that everybody is counting on us. Leaving them in the middle of the battle makes me a traitor.”
Another voice said, “Leaving them during battle doesn’t mean that you’re a traitor. You just want to save yourself. If they are wise enough, they’ll leave as well.”
These voices… they’re destroying my concentration. I must stop thinking about it immediately.
Because of these voices, I started to ask myself: what’s the reason why I’m doing all these? I’m just busying myself in improving my power. I might have made a lot of fortune if I’ll just sell items in Horse.
What is the reason I’m doing all these? Will somebody answer me? Why am I wasting my time here?
Now I remember why. I’m doing all these things for the glory of our sect, for Constance, for the people of Halla, for myself. Escaping is not the solution. Even we escape in battle, it’s not and will never be the solution. Maybe we escaped the first, but what about the next time I’ll see the enemy? It’s sure death for my daughter and me. Not only death is waiting for us, but the curses of the ones who died as well. It’s really unbearable.
Now I must be calm. I already saw a good spot for meditation. This place is a perfect spot.
I dropped all my things on the ground. I make sure that nothing will produce any sound. I also checked every part of the area if there is anyone or anything hiding that may disturb me.
I sat on the ground. I opened the tome number four to read it. It contains rituals that open your hidden skills. But the contents are very complicated.
The tomes are not that thick and the sizes of the characters are large, so I can finish it immediately. I’ll absorb every single word the tome contains.
At last I’ve finished reading the tome. The tome turned to ashes afterwards. Now is the time to meditate. I must not be disturbed by anything.
Concentrate, Beethoven. You must finish this meditation successfully.
It’s so clear… seems like I’m in another place. I feel like I’m flying in the sky. It’s so clear…
It’s already a very long time. Is it finished? But I don’t feel any difference. Will I open my eyes already? No! I must not. Beethoven, just concentrate.
Concentration is the secret… I must concentrate to the contents of the tome. Concentrate…
Hey, what is this? I can feel a powerful whirlwind inside my body. Is this the power the tome contains? Maybe it’s already finished.
Now what is this? When I stood up, a blinding light surrounded me. Wicked! I think my meditation is a success.
Now is the time I’ll try my newly discovered power.
The tome says that I must do some hand and arm seals before I can make a whirlwind.
So let’s see… I’ll do the hand and arm seals. While doing the seals, I must concentrate an ample amount of inner energy to my hands. So here it is.
Hand and arm seals, then concentrate energy, finally release!
What the heck?! Wicked! A powerful whirlwind was released from my hands. Indeed it’s more powerful than my air balls. I must rush to Nan Ta to tell him that I succeeded.
I ran to the portal then ran to Nan Ta’s shop. I’m so happy that I succeeded in my first one.
“What’s up, old friend?” Nan Ta asked.
“I succeeded in my first meditation. I gained a new skill!” I said.
“Oh really? Show me what does the tome contains”
Okay, here I am again. Do the same thing, Beethoven. I faced a tree a few meters away from us. Do the hand and arm seals, then concentrate energy to the hands, finally release the energy.
When I released the whirlwind, Nan Ta almost flew away!
Nan Ta was surprised. “That whirlwind is so powerful I almost flew away. But what is this? Nothing happened to the tree?”
“Uh, I don’t know.” I said and then left.
Man! What happened? Is it just a harmless gust? I’m so disappointed.
I walked around the village while thinking what went wrong. Shin Soo is on her store. I’ll visit her for a while.
“Oh, it’s you. What do you need, Beethoven?” she asked.
“Nothing. I just felt like visiting your store.” I answered.
I must be leaving already, but suddenly Shin Soo called me.
“I know you have a problem. You know I’m already like a mother to you so tell me what bothers you.”
“I just don’t know why I can’t use my newly acquired power that good. Nan Ta told me that it must be powerful, but what I made is just a harmful gust!” I answered.
“Oh, that’s the problem. You know, sometimes you can’t just judge a thing without adequate observation.” she said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It’s like what the proverb would say, ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’.” she said. “Though looks very weak, think of other things that it can do. There’s no such thing as useless. Everything has its worth, only others are yet to be discovered.”
I always listen to Shin Soo. She always shares her wisdom to others. There’s no situation that Shin Soo’s advices never helped me.
“I’m so happy that I had a mentor like you. I’ll treasure your wisdom, promise.” I said.
Shin Soo smiled. “I’m counting on you, Beethoven. I wish you and your comrades stop Sheep King’s evil plans.”
“Wait here for a while. I’ll just get something inside.” Then she entered her hut. What will she give me?
“I’ll give you this.” Shin Soo said while she’s giving me a sack full of little purple sacks.
“What is this, Shin Soo?” I asked.
“Those things inside the large sack can replenish your inner energy. You must not overuse it because overusing it will be very wasteful.” she said.
“Oh, I see. Is it like the blue ones?”
“Yes, but that’s more powerful. Use it wisely.”
“Beethoven!” a familiar voice shouted.
I looked around and I saw Nan Ta running towards us. Why is he in the rush?
“Beethoven, follow me! You must see this.” he said while catching his breath.
We ran to his shop and I was astounded of what I saw. The tree that I hit with my power was cut in many slices.
“What’s the meaning of this?” I asked.
“I have looked for you to show you this.” Nan Ta said.
“Don’t tell me my power made this? Impossible! I saw there’s nothing happened.”
“There’s no difference when you look at it. But when I touched it, the tree suddenly fell down. One fragment even hit me in the head!” Nan Ta said.
So my power’s not useless then. Shin Soo’s right. You can only judge a thing after enough observation.



Chapter 10
I can say that I really gained enough experience and power to even the sheep’s power.
I succeeded in obtaining the two tomes’ power. I already visited the eighth level of the Tomb of Sword and defeated Ta Goo. With my newly acquired powers, I easily wiped out Ta Goo’s face. And guess what? I have collected all of Ta Goo’s riches!
Let me tell you something about the power of the two tomes. The fifth contains the ability to amplify the power of my magic. You can feel the difference in power. I almost flew away when I used my whirlwind together with the buffs. Powerful wind surrounds me when I use it.
The sixth one is my most powerful magic yet. Four spheres containing concentrated powers of the wind is surrounding me. If I’ll make a powerful blow to an enemy, the spheres will be released. This really kicks butt.
Remember The Seer’s promise of returning after three days? He did. He checked my power level, and he was impressed. After that, I trained under him. He’s very strict I can say. If you look at Constance’s face when she watches me training, you’ll laugh terribly! She almost cries when she sees me training.
It’s already a week and a half since I knew about the invasion. I already have gained a lot of knowledge about the whole Halla Planet. Want to know why I need to know the whole place? Because the whole planet will be the battlefield, that’s for sure.
There’s a rumor that a man is calling upon those legends, good and evil alike. Lord Kelly tried to convince the champions to join us in battle, but all have declined. They don’t want to be involved again in the battle, they say. But when that man has called them, rumor has it that these champions have no more second thoughts and joined this mysterious man. What are the things this man has? Lord Kelly and the rest of Azkaro including me are hoping that this man will not fight against us. If this man together with the champions will be against us, we are in great peril.
There are a lot of sect groups have joined us in battle. But of course, there are some who preferred to be silent and wait for the result.
I together with Lord Kelly and the rest of the sect lords have prepared the strategy that will be used in the battle. We have assumed which way will Sheep King will go while trying to enter the village.
Now is the time we will get further instructions from The Seer.
“I’m so impressed in your performance.” The Seer said. “I think all of you are ready for the battle. But…”
“But what, enlightened one?” I asked.
“Beethoven, you have improved a lot.” The Seer explained. “You’ve perfected your use of energy and the ability to amplify your power up to six times. But it’s still not enough.”
“What?”
“You still don’t know what I want you to know. But because you’ve worked so hard, I’ll give you a hint where to know about it.”
“Where can I find that power, enlightened one?” I asked.
“Ask the Halla elder. He surely knows what I’m talking about.” he answered.
What the heck! My power is still not enough. But at least The Seer gave me a hint.
I’m already here at the place where the elder is.
“Good day, my son. What can I do for you?” the elder asked.
“I just want to ask you if you know something that I lack?” I asked.
“Hmm… let’s see. Have you already got your Dragon Sword?” he asked.
“What? Dragon Sword?”
“Yes, noble warrior. I can sense that you still don’t have a Dragon Sword.” he said.
“How can I obtain one, master?” I asked.
“I can see you already have a Dragon Wristband and a Master Sword. What else? You need a set of Dragon Stones, a set of jades, a Skywater, an amethyst and a pure Green Jadeite.
“Your Master Sword will be imbued with a Dragon Soul. You need to have the wristband to hold the soul’s power. The amethyst will serve as your key to the room where the soul rests. You need the set of stones, jades and a Green Jadeite to unleash the soul and imbue it to the sword.”
“But where am I going to find that room?” I asked.
“The room is at the ninety-ninth level of the Tomb of Sword.” he answered.
“What?! Are you serious? To the ninety-ninth level? Aren’t you mistaken?” I asked.
“Do not fear, my son.” he said. “There’s an easy way to go there. You must go to the Hwang Chun rock and find the part where you can see a flicker of light. There you must jump to go to the ninety-ninth level.”
“Thanks, master! I go there right away!”
I must rush to the Hwang Chun rock to get the sword. Now I remember the legend! I heard it to my father before. The Dragon Sword is a coveted weapon by all warriors because it can be upgraded to more powerful arms. But as time passes by, the sword became just as common as a Master Sword.
I got the required items from the house. Constance is still sleeping. She slept late yesterday. I didn’t wake her up just to say that I’m leaving.
I flew as fast as I can to reach Hwang Chun rock at the shortest time possible.
I’m already at the Cloud Gorge. I can see the dimension break. It’s getting worse. I need to make haste. It might be finished by this day. Andrea might have done a wrong supposition in trying to know how long the opening will be finished. I don’t have a luxury of time.
I stood I front of the huge rock. But before I jumped off, a man caught my attention.
“What are you doing here, warrior?” the man asked.
“I’m going to get my sword imbued with the Dragon Soul.” I answered.
“I see. For what reason?”
“I need to gain every power I can have to defeat the army of Sheep King.”
“Do you think you have any chance of defeating the Devil Sheep King? You’re dreaming, boy.” he laughed.
“What are you saying? We can defeat the Sheep King!” I shouted.
“Warriors today are so weak. It’s impossible for you to defeat him.
“People of this generation are weaklings, I must say. They don’t have any discipline. They don’t use their powers wisely. People today are very happy killing their own kind only to show everyone that they are fearsome.”
“Don’t include me to those insecure freaks. I’m different from them!” I said.
He laughed. “You think you’re different from them? Well, let’s say that you’re different from them. But always remember the proverb ‘a little wound can make the whole body collapse’. That means, even you are different from them, those who are not like you will pull you down because you’re a team.”
This man is right. But I can’t let evil plunder the land.
“I don’t have the luxury of time to argue with you. I must leave now.” I said and then I jumped off the cliff.
It’s sure dark here. The elder is right. It’s the fastest access to the ninety-ninth level.
Wow! It’s sure fast. I’m already here at the last level of the Tomb of Sword. I must rush to the sword room.
I entered the throne room using my amethyst as a key. It’s sure has many monsters guarding the room.
Yes! At last I have the Dragon Sword! I must return to the village immediately to show it to all.



Chapter 11
What’s happening here in the village? Everybody is panicking. I must report to Lord Kelly immediately.
The heck with this man! He’s here again?!
“You still don’t realize what I’m saying, huh?” he said.
“I have nothing to realize, now get lost!” I said.
“You know why these people are panicking? Because the Sheep King has already arrived.”
I was surprised. Is this true?
“Are you certain? The Sheep King has arrived?” I asked.
“Of course I’m certain. You can look at the Desert Field to see your comrades being wiped out by the enemy.” he said.
I must help Lord Kelly and the others. They need my help. They might get killed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“I’m going to help my comrades. Snap out of it if you can’t help.” I answered.
“Why don’t you just leave them there and be killed?”
“Are you crazy? They’re my comrades!” I shouted.
“Why don’t you just save yourself and your family? Let them be killed. They don’t deserve to live.”
“I’m not like you who doesn’t value other people’s lives. I must leave now.” I said.
When I tried to fly away, he pulled one of my legs and hit me with a barrage of rocks. I think this man has the blessing of the earth element.
“Leave them behind. They don’t have the right to live. I’m already giving you a chance to live. Leave now at once!” he shouted.
“I don’t care on what you say. I believe that every being, even evil ones, has the right to live. Every being has the fire of goodness inside their heart. They just need to realize that they have it and make it blaze. I’ll help them no matter what!” I shouted.
He still doesn’t release my leg. He still tries to release another wave of powerful earth. I know that I’m a lot faster in doing hand and arm seals, so I used my most powerful force: the one that the tome number six contains.
It’s not that powerful to him, but it made him lose his grip. I was able to escape.
Oh, no! It’s too late. Some of our members and even some of our allies have already fallen. I observed how Sheep King is battling. He can call landmines to surround him and to kill everyone that are close to the mines. These landmines should be the reason why many warriors have fallen.
“Beethoven! You’re late!” Max said.
Andrea is crying. “Beethoven! We have bad news. Lord Kelly has fallen!”
“What? Where is he?” I asked.
“We brought him to Shin Soo. But we must finish this battle first before anything else.” Cap said.
We attacked Sheep King. We did everything we can to finish him, but it’s not enough.
We have applied all strategies. But it’s no use. What’s wrong with our planning?
Many of us have fallen as the battle is still going. Those who have fallen include Andrea and Ashley. The only seniors that are still on the battlefield are Ricky, Job, Max, Cap and I. Can we able to finish this battle even if some seniors of Azkaro have already fallen?
We are losing hope as time passes by. Some of our allies have arrived to help us in the battle. But still we can’t defeat the Sheep King. What shall we do?
I think it’s already the end of my existence. The Sheep King has caught me.
I feel that my bones are breaking. He’s stepping on me and then kicked me. What else can I do? I can’t move.
“Weaklings!” he shouted. “You think you can defeat me?”
He’s already positioning his huge mace to my face. When he drops it in front of me, I’ll be smashed to pieces. I only hope that those who can survive the Sheep King’s wrath will be able to give me a decent burial.
“Now, see your comrade here die in front of you!” he shouted.
But wait! I can’t let him win. I must fight until my last breath!
I’ll use the last drop of my energy to defeat him. I’ll use my whirlwind. It’s the only magic that I can do in this condition.
“I’ll not let evil prevail! Now take this!” I shouted while throwing the last whirlwind that I can make.
I’ve managed to make him move backward.
“Now is the time, brothers! Attack him!” I shouted.
My comrades have tried to attack him. But before they managed to do so, they failed.
“Ha! Is that all you’ve got?” he laughed.
Oh no… he’s approaching me again! What am I going to do?
“Now see this pathetic human be smashed to pieces!” the Sheep King shouted.
Hey… what is this? Constance?
“I won’t let you kill my father, you monster!” she said while shielding me from Sheep King.
“Aw… how sweet: a daughter protecting her ‘useless’ father. Then I’m going to break your bones and smash your body together with your father!” he shouted.
Sheep King is already casting his mace. This is already my end.
While the Sheep King is casting his mace, Constance kneeled down in front of me and embraced me, whispering, “Father, I’ll die with you.”
“Are you crazy?” I replied. “There are a lot of beautiful things waiting for you. Escape while you can!”
“Let me join you in your agony for the last time, father.” she said. “I’ll live and die with you.”
Sheep King is already gathering enough strength to smash our bodies to pieces. I hope I’ve done enough good deeds to go to heaven.
“…!”
I never felt intense pain. Maybe the Sheep King’s smash killed me before I even felt it.
Am I already in heaven? Even in the afterlife I’m with my daughter. I hope I’m already in heaven.
Hey wait a second. Who’s this guy in front of us? Is he the one called god? No! He’s not god, he’s the man I saw lately! I’m not dead yet!
“You’re so funny, Beethoven.” the man said. “The daughter is the one who’s shielding her father.”
“Yeah, right. So what?” I said.
Then Cap shouted. “Beethoven! Are you okay? The Smith has saved you!”
What? This man who’s persuading me not to join the battle is The Smith?
“Beethoven, I’m so impressed you’re not like the other warriors who runs away from their comrades in battle.” The Smith said. “Though you’re already in great peril, you still fought the enemy until the last drop of your strength. Now you must rest. Let the champions finish the battle.”
Hey… don’t tell me he’s the one who calls upon those champions of good and evil.
The Smith laughed. “I know what you’re thinking, Beethoven. You think I’m the one who called upon the champions of good and evil. Yes, you’re correct. I never let them to join you so I can test your sect’s unity. And I have proven that you are united. No one ran away from battle.”
“Are you finished? Now, you little human, die!” the Sheep King shouted.
The Sheep King tried to throw his mace to The Smith. But he evaded it and he used a different kind of power. I think it’s the one called the Power of Eight Kings.
“You think you’re strong enough? Then you’ll regret you tried to fight me!” the Sheep King shouted.
“Enough of this nonsense! We’ll kill you before you know it!” one champion said.
“I’ll cut your wool then dice your body!” the other champion said.
The Smith’s group has the control of the battle. I think they will win.
Then positioned in one place, did some hand seals and threw a powerful wave of energy. They threw two kinds of elemental magic while a huge monster is summoned behind them. I think it’s he one called the Oversoul.
With their powers combined, the Sheep King was wounded gravely and died. All people are rejoicing for another victory.

Epilogue: The Aftermath
The humans have won over the enemy again. They have proven their valor and strength in battle. But most important of all, they have proven their unity.
I think it’s the Heavens who have planned all these. Those who are intending to escape or to join the forces of Sheep King are the ones who were killed. Those who are looking for safety only found death.
It is a test of courage. It is a test of friendship. It is a test of unity.
The damages that were made by Sheep King’s forces will eventually be repaired and the sad memories that are left will heal eventually.
But for those who are involved in the battle, including Beethoven and his daughter Constance, who are almost killed by the enemy, will remember that day as a bad dream. They have learned something from the battle, and whatever that is, it’s only them who know.
Lord Kelly was very happy in the result of the battle. And because of that, he made Beethoven as his personal adviser. He made Max, Cap, Job, Ashley and Andrea leaders of the warriors together with Ricky.
After the war, Beethoven has finally learned to forgive himself from the death of his wife. He learned that the death of his wife is not the end of the world. Instead, he must focus on Constance’s future.
The Seer and The Smith have returned to their work. The Seer has been awarded by the sect groups for his effort in uniting all sect groups for the battle, while The Smith has been awarded by the people of Halla for calling upon all champions and to defeat the common enemy.
All are hoping for a better future. I hope this experience will be a lesson to all.