Chapter 183: The Thing That Emerged Into the World (5)
Baker wondered how strong Ketal was and where the limits of his power lay. Ketal was powerful—so much so that he could defeat formidable opponents with nothing but his physical body, without resorting to even a single shred of Myst.
On this continent, it was a truth, a longstanding axiom, that one without Myst could never overcome those who wielded it. Yet Ketal was a being who shattered that truth, overturning the very foundation of what was considered possible.
If that was the case, then where exactly did his limits lie? Baker gulped hard, feeling a weight in his throat as he turned the question over in his mind.
“The monster we fought was strong,” Baker said.
Whitie was, without question, a force to be reckoned with. As someone who had faced many powerful individuals at the Mage Tower, Baker could say with confidence that Whitie could be counted among the highest level of Transcendents.
But Ketal hadn’t simply beaten Whitie—he had utterly overwhelmed it. It had been a one-sided show of power so overwhelming that Baker and Aquaz had almost felt pity for the creature. Watching Ketal toy with a being at the very top of the Transcendent ranks, it was hard to fathom what level his strength actually reached.
“The ancient emperor once said it—he claimed that there was a being in the White Snowfield even more dangerous than the monsters themselves. That being was the Ashen-haired Barbarian,” Baker continued, his voice trembling slightly.
Some researchers had dismissed this as nothing more than the emperor’s delirium. No matter how strong a mere barbarian might be, it was simply unreasonable to believe a single man could defeat the giant serpent said to connect heaven and earth. There were many who argued the emperor, driven to madness by the White Snowfield’s horrors, had simply imagined it all—and this explanation had become the mainstream, a plausible consensus among scholars.
However, now, standing before them, was the Ashen Barbarian himself. Both Baker and Aquaz found themselves waiting in silence, unable to hide their curiosity, eager to hear Ketal’s own answer.
Ketal let out a small sigh, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Well, as you’ve guessed, I’m not weak.”
Baker pressed on, his curiosity not yet satisfied. “How do you compare to the monsters of legend?”
Ketal’s brow furrowed as he remembered those times. “They’re a nuisance, really. Big, strong, and every time we clashed, everything nearby got reduced to ruins. I never really wanted to fight them if I could avoid it.”