Chapter 212: The Secret of Island 32 of the Blue Bird Archipelago (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 212: The Secret of Island 32 of the Blue Bird Archipelago (2)
If he hadn't visited Samil and Laprarosa, Jin might not have been able to react to the sudden ambush.
"There must have been a barrier. Damn it, a god’s tomb? If it weren't for your sword, that would’ve been dangerous," Murakan said quickly, swatting away a bolt of lightning.
This land held the tomb of Gram, the God of Thunder, who had been slain by the Pluto Tribe long ago. A barrier naturally protected the grave of a god, and Murakan had only avoided the surprise attack because Sigmund had shattered it.
Sigmund was the very sword forged by sealing Gram’s power.
"You have no idea how much we’ve wanted to see you...!" Kuzan shouted, his eyes flashing with madness.
Although they hadn't seen Jin’s face during their fight in the Delki Kingdom, the sight of Murakan's spirit energy was enough. They instantly recognized the intruder as the Contractor of Solderet—their sworn enemy, whom they longed to tear to shreds.
"Aargh, you bastard!" Beris shrieked, unable to contain her rage at the sight of her mother’s killer.
Just as I thought. They ended up under Joshua.
Since Taimun Marius had been Joshua’s subordinate, Jin had expected that her people, Kuzan and Beris, would eventually be absorbed into his faction.
He just never expected to run into them so suddenly on Island 32 of the Blue Bird Archipelago.
The encounter was a surprise to Jin and Murakan, and just as much of a shock for Kuzan and Beris. Even Joshua, who had sent them to this island with Julian, could not have anticipated this.
Had Joshua known that Jin had stolen the compass and what his objective was, he would never have sent his hounds to this island.
"Today, I will rip you to pieces to appease my mother’s grieving soul...!"
Boom!
Jin and Kuzan’s swords collided, the aura gathered on their blades exploding outward. The impact sounded less like a clash of steel and more like a cannonball detonating. Jin felt it instantly—Kuzan had grown stronger.
Body modification.
Kuzan was still an 8-star, but through the body modification techniques inherited from Taimun, he had surpassed his natural limits.
The mana radiating from Beris was also unusual. Though only an 8-star, she was circulating her mana so ferociously—using her own life force as collateral—that her power was nearly equivalent to a 9-star.
"Julian! Target the human first! The Guardian Dragon comes later!" Her voice was a shriek; Beris seemed to be barely clinging to her sanity.
"You don't look like you were expecting me. What are you two doing here?" Jin asked, meeting Kuzan’s eyes as their blades remained locked.
"That doesn't matter. You die today. Right here. Without fail."
"You're seething with rage the moment you see me, but shouldn't I be the one grinding my teeth? I almost died because of you two back in Delki. And by 'mother,' are you referring to Taimun Marius?"
"Don't you dare speak her name with your filthy mouth!"
There was no time for a proper reply.
Kuzan’s poison-soaked sword constantly blurred Jin's vision, while Beris provided magical support just as she had in Delki.
Beris and Kuzan. It was true they had grown stronger through body modification. But their progress was nothing compared to the growth Jin had achieved since their last encounter.
He could hold his own in the exchange without even fully unleashing Sigmund’s lightning.
Furthermore, now that he possessed Immunity to All Poisons, a mere graze from Kuzan’s blade was no longer a threat. With Murakan by his side, there was no way he could lose to them.
These two aren't the problem. If I fight carefully, I can choose to either subdue or kill them at my leisure.
Beris and Kuzan were completely unaware of all the cards Jin now held. The Pluto Sword, the Spirit Sword, Heaven Reversal, and Immunity to All Poisons—he had acquired all four of these powers after leaving Delki.
Because of this, it would be incredibly easy for Jin to create variables and turn the fight in his favor.
Julian, was it? That man is the real problem. A Contractor of Paitel, and wielding the Lightning Bow, no less...
Paitel was a god famous for bestowing weapons upon his contractors: the Lightning Sword, the Lightning Spear, and the Lightning Bow, all formed from the power of the storm.
Among them, the Lightning Bow 'Harmila' was a weapon granted only to a contractor who had perfectly satisfied Paitel. And that was the very bow Julian now held.
Crackle, zap!
Lightning arced in every direction. This wasn't Sigmund's power, but Harmila's. The bolts surged and subsided at Julian’s will, even before an arrow was nocked to the string.
Julian seemed to have decided to ignore Beris’s command and face Murakan instead. Murakan, in turn, recognized that Julian was a far more dangerous opponent than Kuzan and Beris.
"Ha! Now that I'm past my prime, every little whelp thinks they can challenge me. Kid! Hurry up and finish those two off. I’ll just rough this one up until you're done."
Jin versus Beris and Kuzan.
Murakan versus Julian.
The battle lines were quickly drawn.
On Jin’s side, aura and mana clashed frantically. On Murakan’s, spirit energy and lightning intertwined, creating a chaotic spectacle.
Amid the wind, rain, and raging gales, Island 32 of the Blue Bird Archipelago was rapidly transforming into a demonic realm.
"You know, I still don't understand why you're so angry with me. It's strange. You talk as if I'm the one who killed Taimun Marius."
"Shut up!"
"Kuzan, I don't understand why you're so agitated. When we met in Delki, you were remarkably level-headed, unlike that madwoman over there."
He hadn't just been 'level-headed.'
In Delki, Kuzan had been one of the calmest and most insightful opponents Jin had ever faced—perhaps even to this day.
He hadn't faltered when Tess lunged at Beris, nor when his decisive strike was blocked by the Rune of Mul-ta. He had even subverted Jin’s expectations completely by continuing the fight instead of saving Beris when she—someone clearly precious to him—was in mortal danger.
The only time Kuzan had faltered in that battle was for a single second, right after Jin revealed his spirit energy.
Even then, it was Kuzan Marius who had managed to counterattack with his poison blade, driving Jin to the brink of death. If Prince Laika of Delki hadn't arrived, Jin would have died that day.
Beris, in contrast, had been unable to control her rage for the entire fight, displaying a lack of skill that made her 8-star mana seem like a waste.
Now, in Jin’s eyes, Kuzan was no different from the Beris of that day. Though he had clearly grown stronger, he lacked any intimidating presence. He was just a weak man consumed by rage.
"Ah, or is this an act? Are you trying to frame me as Taimun’s killer in front of Beris?"
"What kind of bullshit is that...!"
"The ones who killed Taimun weren't me. It was five assassins disguised as Runcandel Enforcement Knights. And their daggers were coated in your poison."
For a moment, Kuzan’s eyes wavered.
A man who was once so cold-blooded is shaken this easily? The moment Taimun’s death is mentioned…
A strange sense of dissonance nagged at Jin.
"I naturally assumed Joshua used your poison to dispose of Taimun. But seeing your reaction, I'm starting to wonder."
"Sh-shut up..."
"Kuzan, don't listen to him! He’s obviously just spouting lies because he doesn't want to die at our hands...!"
Zap!
For the first time, deep blue lightning surged through Sigmund, which until now had only been wreathed in aura.
Pluto Sword Basic Form: Lightning.
Lightning had been arcing across the battlefield for a while now. Naturally, it was all from Julian. Because of this, neither Kuzan nor Beris immediately realized the blue glow engulfing Sigmund was Jin’s own lightning.
"Gah!"
The Basic Form: Lightning rained down on Beris, who was standing some distance away. The first bolt cracked her shield; the second tore through it completely. By the time the third bolt struck, Beris was covered in burns and collapsed, unconscious.
Jin had given her no time to repair her shield. The three bolts struck almost simultaneously.
It was an unavoidable mistake. She had no idea Jin could use the Pluto Sword.
"Beris!"
"She’s not dead. I just needed to put your noisy friend to sleep for a bit. I could have killed her at any time—I barely held back. After all, I have a debt to settle with you two as well, don't I? But I left her alive because I decided it was more important to have a conversation with you."
Kuzan didn't answer. He only glared at Jin.
"Kuzan, do you really believe I killed Taimun?"
"If not you, then who?"
"Joshua Runcandel. The man who was Taimun Marius’s master. From where I'm standing, he had far more reason to kill Taimun than I ever did."
"What are you talking about...?"
"Unfortunately, Joshua is my eldest brother. He used Taimun to recruit Kidad Hall and tried to place a curse on me, but he failed. I met you two in Delki while I was investigating his scheme."
Kuzan’s eyes widened.
"Don't tell me… you're Jin Runcandel…?"
"As soon as I confirmed Taimun was involved in my curse, I went to her villa with my eldest sister. And I saw her end with my own two eyes. The miserable death of a hound abandoned by its master."
A brief silence followed. Tears of blood began to flow from Kuzan’s eyes, which had turned crimson in an instant.
"If you see me as Taimun’s enemy, it’s only because you were deceived by Joshua. Am I wrong?"
"…The evidence? Can you prove it?"
His voice was calm, but an unspeakable rage coiled within it. Despite Kuzan’s martial skill, even Jin felt a chill run down his spine.
"The fact that you didn't know my name until just now is the evidence. Joshua knows I'm a magic swordsman, and he knows I'm the Contractor of Solderet. If he had nothing to hide, he would have told you."
"That alone is not enough."
"You won't believe me. In that case, I have no intention of explaining further. It seems you just want to pin the blame on me no matter what, all out of guilt for failing to protect Taimun."
Kuzan’s sword trembled.
"Or is it that you lack the confidence to fight Joshua, the real culprit who killed Taimun? Are you just planning to satisfy your conscience by dying at my hands, pretending you've fulfilled your duty to her?"
Rumble—!
As soon as Jin finished speaking, thunder crashed from the heavens. The bolt, massive enough to rival the energy of a Fighting God, struck Julian directly instead of Murakan.
Jin reflexively glanced in that direction.
Julian was convulsing, enveloped in the residual energy of the thunderbolt. Then, for some unknown reason, his body began to slowly float into the air.
"…Kid. We have a bit of a problem."
"What?"
"It seems the energy of Gram, the God of Thunder, has provoked Paitel."
"What are you talking about?"
"It looks like that guy just became an Avatar of Paitel."
Rumble! Rumble—! Crackle!
When Julian opened his eyes again, it was as if a pair of eyes had opened in the pitch-black night sky itself. The entire heavens were being consumed by lightning.