Chapter 28: Advancement, Initiation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: Advancement, Initiation (1)
Opening Bradamante had been a success, but that was as far as the good news went.
As every shadow in the vicinity was sucked into him, Jin experienced the agonizing sensation of his entire body being torn apart.
Screams tore from his throat against his will, and his limbs contorted in response to the unbearable pain. Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was a dizzying, pitch-black void. He felt as though he might die right then and there.
It was a state where losing consciousness would have been a mercy.
Jin realized this was the "Spirit Energy Overload" Murakan had warned him about.
After his first attempt to open the sword, Murakan had flown into a rage before explaining it in a low, serious voice.
—If those with insufficient spirit energy try to awaken the sword recklessly, they pay the price. Nine out of ten people who experience Spirit Energy Overload simply die.
It wasn't that Jin had opened Bradamante without considering the risk.
He simply had no other choice.
The sudden mission handed down to the Beginner Training Class, the appearance of Kinzelo and the White Wolf Tribe…
While Mesa’s kidnapping might not have been part of the original plan, Jin believed that Cyron had foreseen this "unexpected situation" to some extent.
This mission was never meant for the beginner class; it was clearly designed to evaluate him.
‘If I had used the pendant to escape this crisis, Father would have given me the worst possible evaluation.’
Cyron Runcandel, Jin’s father, was an extremely cold-blooded man.
For now, he showed interest because he knew Jin was connected to Solderet and was displaying exceptional talent. However, if Jin showed even a single moment of weakness, Cyron would ruthlessly withdraw all that interest.
To some extent, Jin actually wanted that. As long as Cyron’s gaze remained fixed on him, his freedom to act and train his magic would be restricted. It wasn't as if he felt any deep attachment to the family, either.
But that time shouldn't be now. Jin still had much to gain from the Runcandels.
"Aaaaaagh!"
His back arched violently as another scream escaped him. Every time a new shadow was absorbed, he felt he would rather die.
If hell had a punishment, it surely felt like this.
Jin was experiencing the searing pain of being burned alive and a cold so intense it felt like his organs were freezing solid, all at the same time.
‘If I lose consciousness, it’s over. I have to keep my wits about me…!’
He had never felt such pain, even in his previous life. Not even when his magic teacher had blasted him with lightning for hours to help him "understand" the element had it been this bad.
He had no way of knowing how much time was passing. It felt like only a few minutes had passed since the pain began, yet it also felt like hours.
Simply enduring wasn't enough. Jin knew he had to do something to overcome this.
And what he had to do was simple.
‘Spirit Energy Release.’
Managing to force himself into a seated position, Jin began to slowly gather the spirit energy raging within his body into a single point.
Dark red blood trickled between his trembling lips, and his eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. With every ragged, gasping breath, he teetered on the boundary between life and death.
However, with a Spirit Energy Release that had only just reached 3-star, he couldn't control energy this fierce. As he began the release, Jin coughed up a thick clump of black blood and collapsed forward.
‘Again… again. Stay calm.’
Dizziness washed over him, and he began to hear things.
The voices were tied to memories of his previous life. The shame of the Runcandels. Someone like you should never have been born into our family. The taunts continued relentlessly.
But such words had no effect on the current Jin. Ignoring the hallucinations, he focused even harder on the spirit energy within him.
The hot energy as hot energy; the cold energy as cold energy.
Like sorting pebbles by color, he began to divide the energies of the same nature to the left and right sides of his body. It was an act driven purely by instinct.
The sharp pain that had been ravaging his brain slowly began to subside.
His rolled-back eyes regained their focus. Sensing he was about to successfully control the Spirit Energy Overload, Jin looked around.
The shadows that had been absorbed into him seemed to have returned to their original places. However, unlike when Murakan had demonstrated it at Storm Castle, the objects around him weren't riddled with cracks.
As the pain diminished, it became easier to concentrate. Before long, Jin had perfectly partitioned the remaining spirit energy in his body.
The world outside regained its color. The flames had been extinguished by the spirit energy, and the scent of ash drifted from the scorched forest.
"Whew."
As Jin took a steadying breath, the organized energies ceased their rampage.
The spirit energy was no longer causing him pain.
‘Did I get through it? The pain vanished so suddenly it’s almost unsettling.’
He stood up and stretched, finding that his body felt no different than usual. However, the spirit energy now filling him was so abundant that it felt as if it might leak out if he just stood still.
‘Regardless, I’m fit to move. I need to take Mesa and head back.’
Mesa was still collapsed at the entrance of the Kinzelo building. This meant that not much time had actually passed.
Just as he was about to hoist her over his shoulder, Jin whipped around toward the interior of the building.
"Who’s there?"
He had sensed a presence. Someone was walking down the hallway toward the entrance. However, unlike the members he had fought earlier, this person didn't seem trained. They made no effort to be cautious, their footsteps and heavy breathing clearly audible.
"P-Please, spare me!"
As Jin tore the door open, he saw a young man with his arms raised in terror. He had a refined appearance, as if he had never known hardship, which made Jin tilt his head in confusion.
"And who are you? Kinzelo?"
"No! Absolutely not! I am Sember Bill. Of the Bill family from the Akin Kingdom—"
"Ah, so it was you," Jin said with a smirk. "I almost missed you. Good to see you."
Sember Bill. He was the heir to the Bill merchant family of the Akin Kingdom. He was the son of the tycoon the Beginner Training Class cadets had been searching for.
"Y-You are…"
"Jin Runcandel. I was searching for you under your father’s commission."
"Runcandel! Oh, thank the heavens!"
As soon as Sember heard Jin’s name, his eyes welled up with tears.
"I, Sember Bill, will never forget the grace you have shown by saving my life, Lord Jin. Thank you so much!"
Hearing that innocent gratitude made Jin feel a slight twinge of guilt.
Ever since the Kinzelo attack began, he had completely forgotten about Sember’s existence.
"It’s a paid job, so don't worry about 'grace.' Now, stop crying and let’s go."
"Uuuugh… sniff."
Thus, Jin carried Mesa on his back and left the ashen forest with Sember in tow. Sember only regained his composure once they were a good distance away from the woods.
"By the way, Sember. How did you end up getting kidnapped by those guys? We thought you were just missing."
"That is…"
"If it’s hard to talk about, you don't have to."
"No. Actually, it was because of my lover. But I don't know if you’ll believe me, Lord Jin."
"Why wouldn't I? A lovers' elopement?"
"…No. I followed my lover, who died two years ago, all the way to the southern border."
Jin, who had been nodding subconsciously, came to a halt.
"You followed a lover who was already dead? What does that mean?"
Did the trauma of the kidnapping break his mind? Jin wondered as he studied Sember’s eyes. They didn't look like the eyes of someone who had lost their sanity.
"I also wondered if I was seeing things. But it was definitely her. She had the exact same face. Even the two moles on her wrist. She handed me a note telling me to come here. And that’s how this happened."
Sember glanced at Jin’s reaction.
"Haha, as I thought, you don't believe me. I’m at a loss as to how I’ll explain this to my family when I return."
"No, keep talking. Was the woman who gave you the note really your lover?"
"I’m telling you, it was. There’s no way I wouldn't recognize her. Her face, her voice, even the way she looked at me. Everything was exactly the same."
At that point, a name flashed through Jin’s mind.
‘Bubar Gaston. It must have been the work of that shapeshifter.’
Shapeshifting crimes.
A notorious type of crime that had caused a stir across the world in his previous life. Among the cases later announced by the Viment Empire’s Special Task Force, many involved kidnappings.
And there would be only one reason to kidnap the son of a tycoon.
‘They probably intended to demand a ransom. Is there some kind of relationship between Bubar and Kinzelo?’
He couldn't know for sure right now. Jin decided it was about time he paid Bubar a visit. He had first crossed paths with the man at age ten when he left Storm Castle, but he hadn't had an opportunity since, as he was still growing.
‘The sculpting workshop he runs is in the capital of the Kurano Duchy. I should find an opportunity while I’m in the Intermediate Training Class.’
Thinking about Bubar gave him a strange sense of unease. If the man was directly involved with Kinzelo or the radical followers of Zipple, poking around recklessly could lead to a backlash.
‘I need to meet him in person to see what kind of guy he is. It wouldn't hurt to find out information that wasn't revealed in the news from my past life.’
Having finished his story, Sember gave an awkward laugh.
"Thank you for listening seriously, Lord Jin. To be honest, my heart felt heavy thinking that no one would believe me when I got back."
"I’m glad I could help, then."
After traveling for another two hours, Jin took a signal flare from his robe and fired it into the sky.
"Support from the main house should have arrived by now, so let’s just wait here."
"Oh, Lord Jin. Did you call the Guardian Knights of Runcandel just for me?"
Sember looked deeply moved, as if he were ready to hand over several more gold crowns as a bonus. Jin couldn't bring himself to say it was actually for Mesa, so he just gave an awkward nod.
After all, all’s well that ends well.
"Lord Jin. I will never forget our meeting today. If you ever need my help, please do not hesitate to ask."
While it seemed unlikely that a Runcandel would ever need to borrow the strength of a mere merchant family, Jin replied that he would and shook Sember’s outstretched hand.