Chapter 563: The King of the Black Sea, Gliek (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 563: The King of the Black Sea, Gliek (7)
Three days.
It was utterly impossible for Cyron to arrive within that time. In truth, even ten days, let alone a month, would have been insufficient.
Cyron’s expedition had entered the territory of the Kings long ago, and they were the only ones in the world who knew the path. Even if the way were known, Mort’s dimensional travel was incapable of reaching the Kings' domain in such a short period.
‘Kinzelo… what on earth do they want?’
Kinzelo was the only faction that knew the true nature of the White Stone.
A sudden question surfaced in Rosa’s mind. What could they possibly hope to gain by pushing the world to the brink of destruction?
Surely, destruction itself couldn’t be the goal. It was only recently that Kinzelo had shed its stigma as a third-rate terrorist group and emerged as the world’s fourth great power. Even after their hidden potential was revealed, they had continued to recruit new members and expand their influence just as they had before.
From the lowest vagabonds to genuine powerhouses, people lured by their influence and strength were flocking to them in numbers that dwarfed their past efforts.
‘Their leadership is certain the world won't end because of this. But it’s highly unlikely they’re counting on Cyron. They must know he hasn't left the Black Sea.’
The King of the Black Sea could not be killed without the Energy of Creation.
If those gathered here knew this fact, then Kinzelo—who understood the true nature of the White Stone—could not possibly be ignorant of it.
‘Kinzelo must possess a way to stop Gliek… or something else entirely.’
If so, their objective was clear.
Runcandel and Zipple.
They wanted to see the two great families that ruled the world weakened, or perhaps even annihilated. If Kinzelo were to join this battle, they would undoubtedly wait until both families were on the verge of being wiped out.
‘Those bastards have us trapped.’
Assuming her deductions were correct, there was only one way to minimize how much they danced to Kinzelo’s tune: an immediate retreat.
As if on cue, she saw the Runcandel knights—all except the Black Knights and the first division of the Black Sword Council—attempting to escape after securing Jin’s companions.
‘But what happens after we retreat?’
Runcandel, Zipple, the Secret Palace, and Ron.
The moment even one of them withdrew, the battlefield’s formation would rapidly collapse. Kelliark would retreat. Talaris would stay due to the Secret Palace’s mission, and Ron would remain out of a desire for revenge, but both would inevitably fall.
It didn't take much imagination to foresee what would happen once a monster that the world’s strongest warriors and mages couldn't handle together was unleashed upon the world.
From that point on, the great powers would be unable to unite again, and Gliek would regain his full, original power without any interference. There was no telling how far the Black Sea-ification would spread.
There was no guarantee the Black Sea would stop at the Sword Emperor Castle’s territory and the Empire; it could easily swallow the lands of Runcandel and Zipple. Those currently fighting here had no way to halt the transformation.
A retreat was merely a stay of execution, and the price would be astronomical.
‘To think the fate of the family would hang in the balance at such an unexpected moment.’
Even if Jin hadn't come to the Sword Emperor Castle, they wouldn't have escaped Kinzelo’s trap. The moment it was confirmed that Zipple was obsessed with the White Stone, Runcandel would have had no choice but to come here.
In a manner of speaking, it had been checkmate from the start.
‘It’s actually fortunate that my youngest is on the battlefield. If he can manifest that special, massive power he showed at the end of the first battle, it could become a deciding variable.’
The Great Magic Sword—the power of a god manifested through the wills of Solderet and Klam.
Rosa had seen that power with her own eyes. Its pure destructive force was certainly inferior to Cyron’s sword, but the magic sword Jin had wielded possessed a dignity that defied fate. For a fleeting moment, its very status had felt equal to Creation itself.
‘But if my youngest could use that power again, he would have brought it out long ago.’
This was not a situation where he could afford to hold back.
Greeeeek! Ka-gang!
Having secured the Barmul Alliance, the Runcandel knights were breaking through the energy of chaos blocking their path.
Rosa’s eyes then fell on her other children, who were about to join them.
Myu and Anne.
The daughters she presumed had met the ‘Prophet.’ They maintained the same expressionless faces they had worn in the barracks before Runcandel joined the fray.
Just as Rosa was debating whether to ask if the Prophet had foreseen this situation, Myu and Anne approached her first and whispered softly.
“Acting Patriarch.”
“Speak.”
“Please reinstate the 2nd Flagbearer. If you do, the Prophet will lend her strength.”
Rosa’s eyes widened. No one else had heard Myu and Anne’s voices.
Pfft.
A smirk spread across Rosa’s face as she looked at her daughters.
“Indeed. You wouldn't be my daughters if you didn't disappoint me.”
Rosa’s gaze darkened as she looked down at Myu and Anne. They bowed their heads, but unlike before, their faces were not filled with fear or humiliation.
“Get lost. If even a single one of the 12th Flagbearer’s companions is dead by the time I return to the clan, you will be executed immediately.”
Rosa rejected their proposal flatly, as if it weren’t even worth considering. In fact, their blatant attempt to leverage the situation had cleared her mind.
‘If the Prophet is merely spinning lies to revive Joshua, there’s no point in accepting. If she truly has a way to stop the King of the Black Sea, then the family won't perish anyway. That woman exists only for the realization of her prophecies.’
Myu and Anne bowed and withdrew.
‘The 8th and 9th Flagbearers of Runcandel? Are they in any position to be speaking to Rosa Runcandel right now?’ Kelliark thought, watching them from a distance.
‘The Prophet. It seems Joshua has fallen, and the 8th and 9th Flagbearers have become her messengers.’
He was following almost the same line of reasoning as Rosa regarding Kinzelo’s goals and how to overcome this crisis. Kelliark’s conclusion was also the same: retreating was pointless.
‘Though the Demon God Stone has become more stable than before due to Ron’s transcendence, it cannot harm the King of the Black Sea while incomplete. Even if we buy time for Kadun and Hedo to join the fight, and even if we sacrifice Veradin, the chances are slim.’
If Jin were to be absorbed by Gliek here, the Demon God Stone could never be completed. Because of this, Kelliark was more anxious than anyone else on the battlefield.
The battlefield was chaos itself. Even as they strategized, Gliek’s attacks relentlessly hammered the humans. The Black Sea-ification accelerated, and Gliek showed no sign of faltering even after being slashed hundreds of times by Ron’s sword.
Jin, along with Murakan, was guarding the rear as the knights escaped with the Barmul Alliance.
Kelliark’s gaze landed on him. In an instant, a path to Zipple’s ultimate victory flashed through his mind.
‘I must secure Jin Runcandel and leave this battlefield.’
Jin was clearly exhausted. Subduing an exhausted Jin would not be difficult for Kelliark. If he captured Jin, escaped, and completed the Demon God Stone, he could eliminate the King of the Black Sea later.
Not only that, but Runcandel would suffer near-total destruction, Ron and the Palace Master would die, and Kinzelo’s plans would be thwarted. In contrast, no matter how much damage Zipple took, it would be a small price to pay—as long as the Demon God Stone was completed.
Perhaps Gliek’s awakening was the greatest opportunity Zipple had ever been given.
However, it was impossible for Kelliark to subdue and capture Jin right now. Runcandel, Talaris, and Ron Hairan were all watching him with sharp eyes. If Kelliark made a move on Jin, they wouldn't just stand by.
‘I will help suppress Gliek for now. But when Ron is finished and Rosa and Talaris are exhausted, I will subdue Jin Runcandel. It won’t be a simple task, however.’
Even in this desperate situation, Jin would surely see through his plan; he wasn’t the type to be taken by surprise. Not to mention Rosa and Talaris—even Ron, who had become a vengeful ghost, would easily predict such a move.
‘Does Rosa Runcandel have something else she’s relying on? She seemed to reject the 8th and 9th Flagbearers' proposal. Then it’s Jin Runcandel’s turn to make me an offer.’
The Runcandel knights finally broke through.
“Good luck!”
“May fortune be with you!”
The knights had succeeded, escaping with the members of the Barmul Alliance.
As soon as they left, the escape route was sealed again. The wall of chaos trapping the remaining fighters grew thicker by the second.
Ron and Talaris fought with no thought for the future, driven by revenge and duty. Kelliark and Rosa fought while calculating the survival and interests of their respective families.
Jin’s dilemma lay between them.
His top priority—his companions—had escaped the battlefield. Now, all that remained was for himself, his family, Ron, and Talaris to survive.
Jin had not yet given up on Ron—or more accurately, on ‘Hairan.’ Even though Gliek had claimed to have swallowed Dante’s last consciousness, and even though Ron had unleashed the Overlord Sword once more.
The moment he gave up on Hairan, the entire reason he had come to this battlefield would vanish. He intended to hold onto that hope until the very end.
‘Father can’t come.’
Jin had seen Rosa grit her teeth the moment she heard Talaris’s answer of three days.
‘And in this situation, if I were Kelliark… I would try to capture me and escape at all costs. That is the only logical choice for Zipple.’
But even though he anticipated the plan, he couldn't think of a way to stop it. In the current stalemate, where everyone held a knife to everyone else’s throat, Kelliark was in the most advantageous position.
Thus, Jin had no choice but to take a gamble. First, he had to ensure Kelliark didn’t act on any other intentions.
“Lord Kelliark.”
Jin approached Kelliark and met his eyes.
“You know as well as I do that the Energy of Creation is required to land a decisive blow on the King of the Black Sea. My father cannot arrive within three days, and you… you likely want to capture me and leave this battlefield when the opportunity arises.”
“What are you trying to say, Jin Runcandel?”
“Three days. For the time Lady Talaris can seal that thing, let us negotiate with Kinzelo. To do that, I need you to do your utmost to help Lady Talaris manifest the seal.”
Kelliark narrowed his eyes.
Just as he was about to respond, Jin added his final words.
“If you refuse my proposal, I will throw myself onto Gliek's blade this instant and die without a fight.”