Chapter 460: Choice. The Great Hero? Or Magna Carta?
Chapter 460: Choice. The Great Hero? Or Magna Carta?
Magna Carta’s request was simpler than I’d expected.
First, I was to reverse the seal. Then, in the process, I was to alter the path to help a soul settle into the body. In short, it would handle the rest; I just needed to thaw the Great Hero’s body, which was frozen in the coffin, and then place its soul and the Great Hero’s soul inside, one after the other.
The souls in question were the small spheres floating before my eyes—two orbs, one black and one white. These were the souls of Magna Carta and the Great Hero.
Only after hearing this did I fully understand Magna Carta’s intentions.
First, it wanted to see the human world.
This would be entirely possible if it occupied the Great Hero’s body.
Second, it wanted revenge on the Great Hero.
Magna Carta had requested that I insert its soul into the Great Hero’s body first, followed by the Great Hero’s soul. This meant that although the body’s rightful owner was the Great Hero, Magna Carta, by entering first, would seize control of it.
So what would happen to the Great Hero, who entered second? It would become like a tenant who’d had their house stolen.
And third, it wanted to enter eternal rest.
When you thought about it, this entire process was essentially placing a dragon’s soul into a human body. This meant their wavelengths would not match.
Furthermore, considering Hangyul’s case, a body and soul tend to be drawn to matching wavelengths. In other words, even though the Great Hero’s soul would suddenly find itself a tenant in its own body, it wouldn’t just lie down and accept it. It would struggle with all its might to reclaim control.
Of course, Magna Carta wouldn’t remain idle either.
During this process—as the soul with the mismatched wavelength continuously resided within the body and the two fought for dominance—the Great Hero’s body would be unable to withstand the strain and begin to fracture. And once those fractures grew beyond control, only one path would remain.
Death. When the body dies, the soul ascends. This was the eternal rest Magna Carta spoke of. In a way, you could call it a battle for dominance—an extension of the Great War.
“One, one, two, three, five…”
Following Magna Carta’s instructions, I began to press the orbs in order from the left.
I stopped after pressing the fifth of the seven orbs five times. There were still two orbs I hadn’t touched, but Magna Carta had strictly warned me against it, so I left them alone.
Then, I slowly raised both hands. All that was left was to place my hands on the palm-shaped imprints on the coffin and inject my magic. As I felt the cold touch of the stone, I slowly looked around, taking in the towering steles and the magic circle that filled the hall.
To be honest, I didn’t know the exact significance of pressing the orbs. But since the Great Hero had supposedly prepared all the necessary conditions, all I had to do was play my part and reap the rewards.
Offering a sliver of gratitude to the Great Hero, who must be trembling in anger somewhere, I gathered my magic with all my might and poured it into the coffin.
The dull magic circle immediately began to change. Perhaps some mechanism had been activated when I pressed the orbs, because it reacted the instant I infused it with magic.
Fwoooosh!
The reaction was more violent than I’d expected. With the coffin I stood on as the epicenter, seven streams of green flame erupted and shot out in different directions.
The endlessly stretching green flames only stopped when they reached the steles erected at the edges of the magic circle. The seven steles, struck by the flames, were instantly dyed green.
Vvvvvmmmmmm!
The steles then began to emit a violent vibration and a brilliant, jade-colored light. For a moment, it looked as if a massive discharge of energy was about to occur, and then…
KRAKOOM!
An explosion loud enough to make my ears ring erupted.
I instinctively covered my ears. It was a good thing the ceiling was open; if the hall had been a sealed space, the aftershock would have been no joke.
What I saw after the explosion was the green flames, now even larger, returning from the steles.
Crackle! Sizzle!
The flames quickly reached the center and engulfed the coffin as if to swallow it whole. A massive green spark flared for a moment, and then the light spread out in a circle, causing the sigils carved into the floor to glow. Like molten metal being poured into a cast, the light began to expand in a circle from where I stood.
The coffin, as if in sync with this phenomenon, began to vibrate and rattle.
Before long, the entire magic circle was illuminated in green.
“Hah.”
I held my breath without realizing it. A sudden, searing heat flared up from the palms I had pressed against the coffin. No, it wasn’t just my hands. The entire coffin felt like it was being heated, and an inexplicable warmth was rising from the area around my feet.
Looking closely at the coffin, I soon noticed something peculiar.
There was a long crack just below what I assumed was the lid, and water was leaking out and trickling down from it.
Come to think of it, hadn’t they said the Great Hero’s body was frozen? The moment I recalled that, I knew what the water was. It was likely from the ice that had encased the Great Hero’s body, now melting from the flames of the magic circle.
Rumble, rumble! Rumble, rumble!
As if to confirm my thoughts, the coffin suddenly shook violently, and I felt my hands being knocked off the imprints they’d been stuck to.
So far, everything was happening just as Magna Carta had described. I quickly took a step back.
It was then, as I kept my eyes fixed forward, that I saw the coffin lid, which had been shaking back and forth, suddenly swing wide open.
A moment later.
Splash, splash!
I heard the sound of sloshing water. At the same time, someone began to rise slowly from inside the coffin. A limp body floated up into the air, as if being pulled by something unseen.
It was finally out. I could at last see the Great Hero.
She was still wearing the equipment she had used in life, so her body was covered by armor and other gear. But as the man had revealed she was a woman, the Great Hero’s face was that of a beautiful lady.
Her eyes were closed, but her long, slender eyebrows suggested her eyes would be beautiful as well. Below her pale nose were lips the color of ice, and her chin below them traced a slender line.
Her expression was generally emotionless, but her silvery hair, which cascaded like a waterfall, and the parts of her water-drenched skin that were visible were snow-white. Even the half-plate armor she wore emitted a faint silver light, creating an aura of holiness and sanctity so powerful it was difficult to approach.
In any case, she possessed a stunning beauty, but I decided to end my appraisal there. We were nearing the end, and it was time for me to act again.
After taking a moment to steady my breathing, I stared at the two spheres still floating in the air. A black sphere and a white sphere. I slowly raised my hand and pushed the black sphere toward the floating body. As if it had been waiting, the black sphere flowed into the Great Hero’s body.
And in that instant.
Fzzzzzzzzzzzt!
A blindingly large discharge of energy flashed before my eyes, and the noise from the steles grew even louder, filling the surroundings.
Simultaneously, the Great Hero’s body began to convulse violently as it was enveloped in a brilliant light. But it wasn’t over yet. Without a moment’s pause, another change began. Her silvery hair, which had been glowing with a soft light, gradually began to turn a deep, jet-black tinged with a faint red.
By the time her hair had completely turned black…
Crackle, crackle!
The violent sparks began to subside somewhat. Then, her delicate eyelids started to tremble.
After a short wait, her two eyes flew open, revealing black pupils that shone with a profound light. The moment those eyes turned to me, I knew Magna Carta had succeeded.
It had overcome what I considered the biggest hurdle—the settling of the soul. We were at least eighty percent of the way there.
Meeting its profound gaze, I spoke quietly.
“Shall we?”
There was no verbal reply. But the woman—no, Magna Carta—answered by blinking once.
I smiled faintly. Without a shred of hesitation, I pushed the remaining sphere into the body.
Then I immediately turned and started walking toward where my clan members were. A massive magical storm was about to erupt as the two souls clashed, so it was better to be as far away as possible.
My clan members, who must have had the sense to get away, had all retreated as far as they could from the magic circle. And every face I saw wore the same expression: mouths agape, staring blankly. As I approached, they all turned to me with questioning eyes.
“K-Kim Soohyun. What is going on…?”
As expected, Vivian, the queen of curiosity, was the first to speak, but I calmly shook my head. I couldn't explain the phenomenon in detail, and since Magna Carta and I had already gotten our story straight, I couldn't speak carelessly.
“Damn it! Tell me! I’m dying of curiosity!”
As her whining continued, I pointed forward.
KRAKOOM!
At that exact moment, as if on cue, another deafening roar that made my eardrums ring echoed through the hall.
I winced involuntarily before looking back, just in time to see the final scene of the release.
The Great Hero’s body spun in a circle as it rose into the air. Around it, countless streaks of black and white light clashed, drawing parabolas in the air.
At first, the two souls seemed to be fighting fiercely, but as time passed, the balance began to tip. The streaks of white light gradually faded, leaving only afterimages, while the black light steadily expanded its territory.
Eventually, the Great Hero’s body was completely consumed by the mass of black light. Despite the Great Hero being the original owner, Magna Carta, having occupied the body first, was victorious.
In other words, it was over.
Fwoooosh!
The moment I thought that, a blinding flash of light filled my vision.
I gently closed my eyes against the overwhelming radiance that filled the entire hall.
It occurred to me that I’d been closing my eyes an unusual amount during this expedition. I made a firm resolution to ask Ko Yeonju to brew me some herbal tea that’s good for the eyes when we returned to the Mercenary House.
How much time had passed since then?
It didn’t seem like long. As I opened my eyes, feeling a stinging sensation in them, I could see a mass of black light slowly descending to the floor through my blurry vision.
Once my sight fully recovered, my eyes shot wide open.
The mass of light, which had now reached the floor, was releasing its light in streams from the top down, as if untying a knotted thread.
Soon, when all the light had flowed down…
A woman’s figure was finally revealed in the center, still radiating a bright, though somewhat diminished, light.
Jet-black hair flowed down over white armor. And jet-black eyes stared at me.
At last, Magna Carta had succeeded in its resurrection, borrowing the body of the Great Hero.
Magna Carta gently closed its eyes. It tilted its head back slightly and smiled softly, as if savoring the joy of liberation after thousands of years. I could hear my clan members murmuring in the sudden commotion, but I said nothing and simply watched Magna Carta.
By the time the light and noise had clearly subsided…
Magna Carta calmly opened its eyes and began to close the distance between us, one step at a time. It staggered and walked with difficulty, but considering how long the body had been frozen, its steps were surprisingly natural. It seemed the green flames that had enveloped the body earlier had served to restore it to a normal state.
Magna Carta came to a halt about two meters away from me. I could hear the sound of someone swallowing hard.
“Kim Soohyun. Could you please explain what’s happening now?”
Was it because of the phenomena that had just occurred, or the extraordinary aura flowing from the woman before us?
Even the ever-composed Heo Junyoung’s voice was tense this time.
There was no reason not to. I nodded once and gestured with my head toward Magna Carta. Receiving my signal, Magna Carta smiled gently.
It happened in that instant.
Shing, clang!
Whoosh!
A clear ringing of a sword being drawn sounded, and Magna Carta’s form lunged at me. In its hand was a weapon that looked like a holy sword.
Perhaps because its body was still in an imperfect state, the attack wasn’t particularly powerful. But if I stood still, there was no doubt my neck would be pierced.
And yet, despite that, I didn’t move. Magna Carta’s attack contained no killing intent. Besides, a white light had been seeping from my chest for some time now, so there was really no need for me to move.
Thud!
Two seconds later, I heard the sound of flesh being softly pierced. It wasn’t from my body, but from Magna Carta’s.
Glancing down, I saw the black sword had stopped, leaving only a paper-thin gap. The tip of the sword was trembling, as if it was straining to pierce my neck, but it was blocked by something and could not advance.
I calmly patted my chest. With this, I could confirm that the Mark of Contract, which held Magna Carta’s oath, had activated properly.
When I looked up again, I saw Magna Carta standing stock-still right in front of me. And surrounding its body, four or five weapons were glinting coldly.
Heo Junyoung’s characteristic longsword was pressed diagonally against its neck, while Nam Daeun’s Seol-ah and Cha Sorim’s Arcus spear were aimed at its legs. I felt a cool sensation on my own neck, which meant Seon Yuun likely had an arrow nocked over my shoulder.
That wasn’t all. Yoojung, who had somehow moved to the side, was deeply stabbing Magna Carta in the flank, her red eyes flashing.
“Cough!”
Magna Carta let out a harsh cough.
After confirming that the light seeping from my chest was fading, I spoke quietly.
“Why? There was no need to confirm it like this.”
“Cough! It was… to… huff… to offer you more certain proof of my trust. By the way… you have some fine subordinates, don’t you? I didn’t think they’d actually stab me. Cough, cough!”
As we conversed calmly, the clan members turned to look at me with questioning eyes. As they began to withdraw their weapons one by one, Magna Carta rubbed its side and took a few steps back.
A moment later, after catching its breath, Magna Carta spoke in a beautiful, clear voice.
“With this, I have proven that my words are true. Now, will you give me a chance to clear up the misunderstanding with your comrades?”
“Be my guest.”
By now, the quicker-witted clan members would have figured out the situation. But despite that, their sharp glares remained.
Realizing, perhaps, that its method of proving the truth had been flawed, Magna Carta shrugged and sheathed its sword.
“My name is Helena Lu Ayens.”
Then, slowly lowering her hands, she smiled gently and continued.
“I was the Last Star of Alcatraz, the woman called the Great Hero.”
*
The Last Star of Alcatraz, the Great Hero Helena Lu Ayens.
The reason she didn’t reveal her true identity was due to a special request from Magna Carta. It wanted to pose as the Great Hero for as long as it lived, and since it didn’t make much difference to me, I allowed it. After all, being the Great Hero would make it easier to adapt to clan life than being Magna Carta. (Thus, I also decided to call her by the Great Hero’s name from now on.)
To help a little, I framed the Great Hero’s resurrection as my choice. I fabricated a story about how I had gently persuaded the Great Hero, who knew her sins and sought to repent, to be resurrected.
After hearing the story, the clan members finally looked at Helena Lu Ayens with slightly softer gazes. There were still some who looked displeased, but not to the point of vehemently opposing their Clan Lord’s decision.
Honestly, when you thought about it, neither Vivian nor Sasha had started on good terms with us either. Besides, with an oath made through the Mark of Contract, what was there to worry about?
When I explained that the earlier attack was merely a procedure to confirm the contract, the clan members generally nodded in acceptance.
And, as expected, my clan members were Users of the Hall Plain. The moment I finished the story with the Stele of Wishes, they all began to look at each other with expectant eyes.
“Then it’s your turn to keep your promise.”
“Of course. Did you happen to touch the sixth and seventh orbs earlier?”
“Not at all.”
“Then we’re fine. It won’t take long to activate, so please give your comrades a brief explanation in the meantime.”
Her body now seemed to have recovered considerably. After speaking, Helena turned and began to walk away with brisk strides. The clan members immediately surrounded me, their eyes sparkling. It was a silent pressure, urging me to explain quickly…
“Um… Oppa.”
Just then, a cautious voice called out. I turned to see Hanbyul tilting her head.
“What is it?”
“A promise… What do you mean?”
I inwardly cursed. I had spun a tale about me resurrecting her of my own accord, but the word “promise” carried the nuance of a mutual deal.
I tried to act nonchalant and spoke in a casual voice.
“Ah, I persuaded her. To be honest, I lied a little about the souls’ reactions. She was so overwhelmed with guilt at first… Anyway, I told her she could meet them once through the Sword of Oaths and that it would be better to apologize in person. That seemed to pique her interest. So, in exchange for my help, I asked her to activate the Stele of Wishes.”
Even as I said it, I felt it was a lie full of holes. I considered just telling the truth, since it would come out eventually, but I thought it best to let it slide for now. After all, I had made a promise to Magna Carta—no, to Helena.
But Hanbyul still looked unconvinced and furrowed her brow slightly.
“…Really? But something feels strange to me. Her actions and attitude… she doesn’t seem like someone who feels guilty at all.”
“Kim Hanbyul, that’s enough. I don’t think that’s what’s important right now.”
Heo Junyoung stepped forward and cut Hanbyul off. I smiled bitterly. It seemed my acting skills had gotten rusty lately. Heo Junyoung was likely the first to have noticed.
Hanbyul shot Heo Junyoung a cold look but said no more.
I let out a short sigh, thinking I needed to be more careful with my words from now on. And Magna Carta… damn it.
I briefly explained about the Stele of Wishes, just as Helena Lu Ayens had told me: that each User is granted only one chance, and that if personal greed is the primary motivation, the wish may not be granted.
“That’s a bit ambiguous…”
“Personal greed? There’s no way to know that.”
Upon hearing the explanation, the clan members all looked troubled.
To be honest, I felt the same way, so I had nothing more to add. Most wishes stemmed from personal greed, after all. If that was restricted, were there any wishes one could even make?
It was then.
Grumble, grumble!
As everyone was deep in thought about their wishes, the sound of something moving hit my ears.
I quickly turned toward the center and saw that one of the steles had moved to the middle of the magic circle. The remaining six steles now formed a hexagram around it.
The moment Helena moved her arm, a deep, powerful sound of flowing magic echoed, and a green light began to spread in a circle from the very center of the middle stele.
And then.
The green light that colored the entire face of the stele began to shimmer serenely, like ripples spreading across water. It looked just like the portal that leads to the Summoning Room.
And I knew instinctively.
The Stele of Wishes had been activated.