Chapter 113: Respective Reinforcements (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113: Respective Reinforcements (3)
Myuron’s body, which had died standing upright, had been moved aside. The natives, however, could not afford to hide; the ritual to retrieve the mirror was underway. To them, recovering their sacred object was more important than their own lives. There was no other choice.
Jin and Murakan couldn’t hide either. They had to protect the natives from the impending raid.
“…It seems the Tower Master activated the runes because of them. It’s not just the natives down there.”
“The Tower Master might have already been defeated. We should approach with caution, Vice Tower Master.”
“We must also consider the possibility that their companions are holding the Tower Master hostage.”
Jin wore the Rune of Mul-ta, and Murakan’s face was covered by a mask. To any observer, they looked exactly like the culprits who had killed Myuron.
A thick, murderous intent swirled in the eyes of Midore Elner, the Vice Tower Master of the 7th Magic Tower, as he gazed down at Jin’s group.
“If the Tower Master—no, if my brother Myuron has died at their hands… I will make them suffer a pain worse than death…”
Grind. Midore gnashed his teeth.
Jin was too far away to hear their conversation, but he could feel a sharp hostility piercing him to the core.
Six dragons and about thirty mages. Damn it. I expected this, but seeing them in person is a stark reminder of Myuron’s status as a Tower Master.
It was a force more than capable of taking on a small nation.
And that entire force had come for thirty-odd natives with no combat ability, an internally injured Jin, and a single Black Dragon long past his prime.
“Phew, those bastards arrived before our backup did. I hope they didn’t fail,” Murakan muttered, a hint of tension showing on his face as he looked up at the dragons and mages.
“O Klam…”
“O Klam.”
In contrast, the natives were softly whispering the name of the god they served. Standing in a circle, they didn’t spare a single glance for the Zipple mages as they proceeded with their ritual. With superhuman willpower, they suppressed their fear, closing their eyes and focusing entirely on the ceremony.
The natives chanted their scriptures, written in the now-extinct Old Colon language.
Though they faced a desperate crisis, a divine and mysterious aura flowed from them as they performed the rite.
“Tsk, religion really comes in handy at times like these. You can just lean on a god. On that note, why don’t you and I start a Cult of Solderet? The Shadow Brothers. Sounds like a decent name.”
“Since you’re still cracking jokes, I take it you think we have a chance?”
“No, we’re screwed. Forget the natives; I can’t even guarantee you and I will get out of this. You don’t happen to have another one of Orgal’s Pendants, do you?”
“Do you really think I would…?”
“Then make a choice, kid. Fast. Are we abandoning the natives to make a run for it, or are we fighting these guys and dying a glorious death? Even the first option doesn’t have a high chance of success.”
He wasn’t joking.
The moment he confirmed the enemy’s strength, Murakan had made his judgment. In their current state, there was no way they could win.
Damn it, if I were in my prime, this would be nothing. Temar, you bastard. The heart you stabbed a thousand years ago is still aching.
Jin hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
“I can’t abandon the natives and run. Let’s try to stall for more time.”
“What? And how exactly do you plan on stalling? The second they start raining down magic, it’s over.”
“But they haven’t done that yet. Think about it. They can’t afford to strike recklessly. They don’t know for sure if Myuron is alive or dead, and they might even think we’re holding him hostage.”
Just as Jin suspected, Midore and the mages of the 7th Magic Tower were not yet certain of Myuron’s fate.
If they were sure Myuron was dead, they would have attacked immediately. The fact that they haven’t means they’re still considering all possibilities.
Therefore, Jin judged that the mages wouldn’t immediately turn the area into a wasteland with high-level magic. Above all, even if they assumed Myuron was dead, they had another problem: recovering the body.
Flutter…!
The six Zipple dragons carrying the mages began to descend.
“Do you recognize any of those dragons? They’re all fire dragons.”
“I don’t. They’re all youngsters who started active duty after I went to sleep. And those aren’t just fire dragons; they’re Red Dragons, a subspecies. They must be subordinates of the Fire Dragon Kadun.”
The dragons of the 7th Magic Tower were not the contracted guardians of the mages but subordinates of Kadun. This meant that none of the mages who had come to Colon were God’s Contractees.
However, mages didn’t need a contract with a god to be strong.
Jin was reminded of that fact as he watched Midore begin to approach alone.
He’s strong… on par with Myuron, or maybe even stronger.
Midore was still concealing his mana, but Jin’s intuition as a magic user told him so.
Furthermore, he has the absolute trust of the other mages. He’s closing the distance on a martial artist without hesitation, and no one is stopping him.
Step, step…
With his back to the natives, Jin met Midore’s gaze.
“I am Midore Elner, Vice Tower Master of Zipple’s 7th Magic Tower. Where is my brother?”
It was a name Jin had never heard in his previous life.
“Who knows?”
When Jin gave a nonchalant answer, Midore shook his head.
“I do not know why you targeted my brother. Knowing his personality, he must have earned your resentment somewhere… Or are you dogs of the Runcandels?”
“I have no reason to answer you. How did you know we attacked Myuron and find us?”
When Jin feigned ignorance, Midore, surprisingly, did not hide the existence of the runes.
“There are rune characters. When my brother is in danger and activates them, the crystal balls of the 7th Magic Tower turn blood-red.”
“So that’s how it works. I’ll have to be careful when fighting Zipple Tower Masters from now on.”
The reason Midore spoke so freely about the Tower Masters' classified runes was simple: he had no intention of letting Jin’s group leave alive.
“I won’t tell you to take off your mask or surrender your weapons. But since I have answered your question honestly, I would like you to tell me one thing. Is my brother… alive?”
As Midore spoke, a deep sorrow was visible in his eyes alongside his murderous intent.
When Jin didn’t answer for a long moment, Midore spoke once more.
“Answer me. I am pleading with you as his family. Surely you have a family as well. If you tell me the truth… I, Midore Elner, swear on my honor as the Vice Tower Master of the 7th Magic Tower. Even if I kill you, I will not touch your family.”
As Midore continued his desperate plea, a bitter smile touched Jin’s lips.
“Yes, it is a sad and painful thing when family is hurt or killed. But, Zipple mage, look over there.”
Jin pointed to his left.
“What do you think those are? They are graves. The graves of the natives your precious brother killed for fun. And look behind me. There are nearly thirty people standing there who have lost their families, just like you.”
“Do not dare equate the lives of those insignificant insects with my brother’s!” Midore screamed, his face contorting in fury. “You’re not trying to say those insects and my brother are the same! If it wasn’t out of resentment, don’t tell me you attacked my brother just to save those things!”
“I did.”
“My brother is no longer in this land… is he?”
Jin nodded slowly.
“Myuron is dead.”
“Kh… hhh… ugh.”
Midore suddenly burst into tears.
As thick tears streamed down his face, Jin and Murakan felt the air grow rapidly heavy.
Midore had begun to release his mana.
“I will honor my brother’s soul with your screams and blood. And you will be forced to watch as the insects you tried to protect are brutally trampled. Mages of the 7th Magic Tower, listen! Capture them all alive. I will not tolerate any kills.”
The moment Midore finished speaking—
Bang!
Huh?
A small explosion detonated right beside Jin’s head.
Eeeeeeeee—!
A sharp, piercing ring flooded his ears as the explosion ruptured his eardrums. Jin knew exactly what this magic was, which Midore had cast without any warning.
Space Explosion? That’s something only a Contractor of Shinu can perform—and only a mage who has received his perfect grace…
And there was only one such person in history.
Kelliark Zipple.
Before his regression, while walking the path of a mage, Jin had often heard stories of how Kelliark Zipple could conjure explosions in mid-air with nothing more than his will. They said that when he unleashed a Space Explosion, he looked like a god of judgment himself.
Why is this man using it?
There was no time to think.
He said they were family. Is he Kelliark’s illegitimate son? Even so, can the Authority of Shinu be shared?
Then, a second explosion erupted.
This time it was to the right of his head, and Jin failed to dodge it again. It would have been difficult even at his peak; riddled with internal injuries as he was, even reacting was a struggle.
Eeee— Another layer of ringing overlapped in his ears.
The helmet formed by the Rune of Mul-ta could block the strike of a 7-star knight almost perfectly, but it offered no protection against sound. Midore had instantly realized that the helmet was a masterpiece and had chosen the most effective method to suppress him.
If only he had enough mana to summon Tess. He could have created a domain of absolute blue flames that Space Explosions could not penetrate. The fire of the Master of the Fire Realm was not affected by the fire of Shinu.
But summoning Tess was out of the question due to his mana backflow.
Turning his head, he saw Murakan barely dodging the attacks of the other mages. The natives remained untouched, thanks to Midore’s order to capture them alive. Since they weren’t trying to flee, the mages had no reason to disobey.
“Were you suffering from internal injuries after fighting my brother? You put on a good act while talking to me. I’ll give you credit for that. It’s a small comfort to know my brother didn’t fall because he was careless… I will keep my promise.”
Jin couldn’t even hear Midore’s voice properly over the chaotic ringing in his ears.
To make matters worse, as he threw himself around to avoid the Space Explosions, his mana backflow flared up again. Dark red blood poured from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
The kid’s going to die at this rate! This damn brat, how did he think he could stall for time against these lunatics…!
Murakan had no choice but to make a decision.
I’ll transform into my true form… and somehow get the kid out of here. Damn it, looks like this is goodbye.
His life flashed before his eyes like scenes from a revolving lantern. Strangely, the last six years he had spent as Jin’s guardian dragon came to mind more vividly than the decades he had spent with Temar. A bitter smile formed on his face.
Just then—
Vwoom!
Out of nowhere, a pure white dimensional gate opened in the middle of the ruins.
Emerging from it was a creature of overwhelming size.
A pure white toad.
And riding atop it were a silver-haired woman and a young girl.
“Hmm, it seems I’m not too late.”
It was Palace Master Talaris Endorma.