Chapter 215: Ill-fated Relationship (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 215: Ill-fated Relationship (1)
The brilliant blue energy that had dyed the island moments ago now seemed like a distant lie.
Not only the lightning, but also the fires it had sparked, the howling gales, the pouring rain—everything that constituted the island was being swallowed by darkness.
“Khahahaha!”
Murakan spread his arms and laughed like a man possessed, his eyes filled with pure ecstasy. His booming laughter, shockingly, triggered tremors across the entire island and violently churned the surrounding sea.
I’d heard stories about his prime until I was sick of them… but this is only half his power?
Jin swallowed hard, his admiration turning to awe.
Even though his own spiritual energy had been added and Murakan had only gathered power for ten minutes, the dragon standing before him was no longer the fool he had lived with.
The overwhelming pressure was enough to inspire reverence. The epithet “Great,” which Murakan so often used to describe himself, suddenly seemed perfectly fitting.
Murakan’s body dissolved into black particles.
Then, the spiritual energy surging from all directions coalesced where he had stood, molding the true form of the Black Dragon.
[It’s nothing compared to the old days, but it far exceeds what I expected. Most satisfying!]
Flap…
Spreading his wings, Murakan looked down at Julian.
Though his draconic features made his expression difficult to read, he seemed to be sneering.
[I’ll be the one to play with you now, avatar of Paitel.]
[A mere creation of Solderet has a foul mouth. Is that what you learned from your god?]
As Julian spoke, he tried to summon lightning again.
Or rather, he attempted to. But for some reason, the lightning only manifested as small blue sparks within the oppressive darkness before flickering out.
[What…?!]
Suppressing his bewilderment, he tried again, but the result was the same. Julian’s divine authority was failing to manifest.
Murakan waited patiently.
He waited long enough for Julian to make several more attempts, long enough for him to fall into true despair. Though Julian’s face turned beet red as he tried to exercise his authority dozens of times, the island remained shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
It wasn't just Julian who had lost his power.
Sigmund, too, had fallen silent. The residual will of Gram was also being suppressed by the Spirit Energy Release.
[This cannot be… this cannot be…]
When Jin had mentioned the Fighting God Ban and summoned Tess, what Julian had felt was a “fear of the past.” He had merely flinched at old memories, not at any real, present threat.
But Murakan, having completed his Spirit Energy Release, was different.
Julian had never even heard of a mere creation that could fundamentally seal the authority of a god.
[Try not to lose your dignity. If a “god” trembles like that just because his authority is blocked, how embarrassing will that be for your opponent?] Murakan said, lowering his long neck toward Julian.
Faced with the dragon’s immense head, Julian stumbled backward and fell on his backside. He didn’t stop there; panicking, he turned and began to crawl away on all fours.
Despite being an avatar, it was a pathetic display, utterly unbecoming of a god.
Watching him, Murakan calmly extended one of his front claws.
[Did you say you wouldn’t die even if your body was torn to pieces? Then what about the countless gods who have been slain until now? Answer me, avatar.]
[G-get away! Stay back, I said!]
[You still haven’t come to your senses. This is no time for such vulgarities…]
Swish!
His front claw, as massive as a great tree, moved with the speed of light, drawing a single line across Julian’s body. The strike was so quiet and swift it was hard to believe it came from a dragon’s paw.
[Aaaargh! Argh!]
Julian, his upper and lower body now severed, let out a piercing scream. Unimpressed, Murakan swung his claws a few more times, hacking his body into pieces.
After a few seconds, the screaming stopped.
A few more seconds passed, and Julian’s remains scattered into particles before reconstructing his physical form.
[Huff, huff!]
Julian frantically felt his own body, then looked up at Murakan in terror.
[D-don’t do this. Even if I have descended as an avatar, I am still a god. I promise in the name of the Storm, if you let me withdraw…]
Murakan shook his head, cutting him off.
[The name of the Storm holds no value. The Thunder, perhaps, but not the Storm. And I’m sure I told you to maintain your dignity. Though it seems much too late for that.]
[No value? What do you mean? I have even dined with your god!]
[A god screaming at the top of his lungs that he is a god… this is a first in my long life. Know your shame, and endure it.]
[Noooooo!]
Murakan’s claws carved through Julian’s body once more.
From then on, it was a merciless repetition of slaughter and resurrection. Murakan literally sliced Julian apart without pause, and Julian couldn't even begin to mount a counterattack.
[S-stop… stop.]
Even Jin, who was watching from the side, felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't begin to imagine the despair of being endlessly torn apart, helpless within the suffocating darkness.
[How tedious.]
It was a long time later when Murakan finally spoke, his tone dry.
Julian no longer screamed. Like a piece of processed meat, he simply lay still each time he was resurrected.
“Murakan, is it almost over?”
[Almost.]
“Will he die?”
[He won’t. Instead, when he reaches a state of self-oblivion from the infinitely repeating pain, the avatar state will be forcibly released. Paitel’s consciousness will depart, and the human named Julian will become an ordinary contractor again.]
“And after that?”
[That’s for you to decide. You can kill the unconscious Julian, or you can take him prisoner. Since you won’t be sending him back to your brother, it has to be one of the two.]
“Naturally, I’m taking him prisoner. Not just Julian, but Kuzan and Beris as well.”
Jin didn’t think the three of them would know all of their master’s core secrets. However, if they spat out even one meaningful detail, it would be a victory.
[I’m not sure if those two, Kuzan and Beris, are still alive. They looked like they were struggling just to dodge Julian’s lightning earlier.]
Shink!
Murakan slashed Julian one last time.
His body reconstructed as before, but the blue light that had been shining in Julian’s eyes was now fading.
It was a sign that the avatar state was about to break.
[I should drive in the final nail.]
In contrast to Julian, Murakan’s eyes began to glow with black light.
The spiritual energy spread across the island was absorbed into his eyes, which had instantly turned into black pearls. The faint remnants of Paitel’s authority lingering within that energy were absorbed along with it.
The island began to regain its original light.
First, the sky cleared, revealing the moonlight, the gloom of dawn, and the dark clouds. Then, the forests, trees, and rocks regained their color, and the tomb of Gram, the God of Thunder, reappeared.
Among the objects on the ground, excluding Gram’s tomb, there were no “shadows” left. They had all been completely consumed during the Spirit Energy Release.
As Murakan transformed back into a human, shadows began to stretch across the desolate earth once more.
“Whew. It’s been a long time since I’ve used my power properly like that.”
Crack, snap… rustle…
Cracks appeared in the nearby trees and stones. Soon, they crumbled into sand and scattered on the wind. Beneath them lay Julian’s body, collapsed as if dead.
The avatar state had been completely released.
“That guy won’t wake up for at least a week. If it’s severe, it could be up to six months.”
Jin walked past Gram’s tomb to check on Julian, but Sigmund offered no reaction.
“He’s alive and well, just like you said. Let’s check if Kuzan and Beris are alive, too…”
Thud!
Suddenly, Murakan collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
“Murakan!”
As Jin rushed toward him, Murakan waved him off.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Damn it, my body just can’t keep up.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Of course. It’s a relief this happened after the avatar was released; otherwise, it would’ve been a headache. Fighting a god always feels so unfair. The efficiency is just terrible. Well, it’s not like they can use their full power, either.”
“You worked hard.”
“You too. Anyway, we really pulled it off thanks to that compass.”
Jin reached out a hand to help him up.
Murakan tried to take the hand and stand a few times, but he seemed completely exhausted and lacked the strength.
“Argh! I can’t get up. I think I need to rest. Bring Shuri out; I need to use her as a pillow for an hour.”
“Just keep sleeping. Once I find Kuzan and Beris, I’ll take care of things and carry you back on Shuri.”
Whirrr. Jin summoned Shuri from the Red Jade.
[Mya!]
Unfortunately, as soon as Shuri appeared, she seemed more interested in playing with Murakan, rolling him around with her paws. Then, seeing that he looked truly exhausted, she began to lick his face.
Murakan passed out almost immediately.
Jin watched them for a moment before moving to find Kuzan and Beris.
By the way, Joshua… that bastard made Kuzan and Beris believe I was the one who killed Taimun. It’s such an obvious lie, it was bound to be exposed. He must have intended to use them in a way that they would never cross paths with me.
It was an accurate assessment. Joshua had likely intended to turn Kuzan and Beris into his loyal dogs, using them only for tasks where they wouldn't have to face Jin directly. The moment they met Jin, there was a high chance they would learn the truth and start questioning their master.
Because Jin had come to the Blue Bird Archipelago, however, that plan had gone up in smoke.
Furthermore, not only was Julian—one of his secret assets—exposed, but he was also on the verge of being captured. Jin’s trip to the Blue Bird Archipelago was proving to be a disaster for Joshua in more ways than one.
“Kuzan! Beris!”
Jin shouted their names. Even though all the cover on the island, like rocks and trees, had been swept away by the spiritual energy, they were nowhere to be seen.
Do I have to search all the way to the nearby cliffs?
Just as Jin was deciding which direction to search first—
Kyaaaaaa…!
Suddenly, a familiar, distant screech echoed from where Murakan lay.
It was Shuri’s cry.
“Shuri?”
A bad feeling coiled in his gut.
Just a moment ago, Shuri had been innocently licking Murakan.
A sharp surge of anxiety tightened his chest. Jin broke into a full sprint, racing back toward his companions.
And when he arrived…
“Ha…”
Jin was met by a person he had never expected to see.
Dark black hair, sharp eyes, and a robe embroidered with a “Black Sword.” Shuri was glaring at the man with her fur standing on end, while the man himself simply nodded as if intrigued.
Then, he shifted his gaze to the newly arrived Jin.
“What brings you here, little brother?”
The eldest son of Runcandel. The 2nd Flagbearer. The man publicly known as the next Patriarch.
The one who had placed the curse on Jin.
It was Joshua Runcandel.