Chapter 564: King of the Black Sea, Gliek (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 564: King of the Black Sea, Gliek (8)
“Secure Jin Runcandel! He must not be consumed by Chaos!”
Shortly after Gliek awakened, Kelliark had shouted those words, his voice raw with desperation.
In that moment, Jin came to a realization.
Even with the Demon God Stone as a means of resurrection, Kelliark showed unprecedented panic the moment Gliek woke up.
That could only mean one thing.
Other forms of death might be reversible, but if Jin lost his life to Gliek, it would cause a fatal setback to the completion of the Demon God Stone.
Therefore, what Kelliark fears most is my death—or any other mishap—at the hands of Gliek.
Furthermore, there was something he sensed from Gliek’s malice.
The monster wasn't merely trying to kill him. Just as it had swallowed Dante, Gliek was attempting to absorb Jin as well.
“If I am taken by Gliek, Zipple will never be able to complete the Demon God Stone.”
Jin drove the point home.
Kelliark did not deny it. He himself had provided Jin with the clue—a blatant mistake.
“As I see it, you would never carry out that threat even if I refused your proposal. Or rather, you cannot.”
“Is that so?”
“You’re far too human, and you carry too much on your shoulders. How many people have risked their lives to save you? And what of the actions you took to save Hairan? It’s impossible for you to throw away your life just to block my plans. It’s an obvious bluff.”
This time, Kelliark cut off Jin’s response and continued, shifting his gaze toward Rosa.
“But your mother is a different story.”
Rosa had been listening to their conversation in silence.
“The moment I refuse your proposal, your mother will not hesitate for a single second to shove you into Gliek’s maw. Is that not right, Rosa Runcandel?”
Rosa flashed a cold smile.
Accurate and correct.
That was how Rosa evaluated Jin’s judgment. If Jin had said anything else, she would have made the same proposal to Kelliark herself.
She would have told him that the moment he tried anything foolish, Jin’s life would be forfeit.
And just as Kelliark said, it was no mere bluff or gamble; it was a genuine threat.
She, too, had read Kelliark’s weakness in his desperate shout that Jin “must not be consumed” by Chaos, and she had already anticipated his next moves. That was why she had yet to fully unleash her power.
“You know me well, Kelliark Zipple. So, if you wish to keep hoping for the completion of the Demon God Stone, you had best not try any cheap tricks.”
Jin’s proposal was another reason Rosa had immediately rejected Myu and Anne’s suggestions. She still held the means to use Jin as a hostage to keep Kelliark on a leash.
“Having a weakness is a tiresome thing.”
“We’ve lived like that for a thousand years. No need to feel too bitter about it,” Kelliark said with a shrug.
“I accept the proposal. A temporary alliance it is.”
“12th Flagbearer, what kind of negotiations do you intend to conduct with Kinzelo?”
At the front, Ron, Talaris, and their knights and mages were attacking Gliek. Talaris had not yet been able to properly begin the Secret Palace’s Absolute Sealing Ritual.
Jin met Rosa’s eyes.
“Based on the circumstances, they likely knew the true nature of the White Stone from the start and possess a means to restrain Gliek—whether it be the power of Creation or something else. And it seems what they want is for everyone gathered here to suffer irreparable damage while fighting each other and Gliek.”
Jin pointed behind them, in the direction where the Runcandel knights had escaped with the Barmul Alliance.
“I’m going to tell them to step up and deal with Gliek now. If those bastards don’t join this battle, we will immediately abandon this place and head straight for their headquarters.”
If Kinzelo did not agree to deal with Gliek, they would strike Kinzelo’s main base, even if it meant abandoning the world’s last line of defense. That was what Jin was saying.
Is he telling them to choose between coming here to fight together or all dying together? A bold move.
Kinzelo desired the weakening of the other powers, not the destruction of the world.
Whether they possessed the power of Creation or some other method to stop the King of the Black Sea, they likely weren't strong enough to win a war against everyone currently fighting Gliek.
The strongest Kinzelo forces Jin had confirmed so far were the Leader and Zephyrin. However, the Leader was not whole, and Zephyrin, whose power was linked to his, was also unable to exert her full strength.
Of course, even excluding them, there was the ship Gruneil, Verakt, the beastmen warriors, the bio-golems known as Masterpieces, and the demons who had recently appeared in the Sota Desert. Among them were individuals who displayed martial prowess on the level of a 1st-Class Superhuman, like Bianca Caligo.
There were likely more undisclosed forces, but they were certainly not at a level that could withstand a joint attack from Runcandel and Zipple right now. If they were, the hegemony of the world would have fallen into Kinzelo’s hands long ago.
Rosa was very satisfied with Jin’s plan.
Using his own life as collateral to force an irresistible proposal on Kelliark, then threatening to destroy Kinzelo if they didn’t step up, even at the cost of the family and the world—it all aligned perfectly with her own thoughts.
“Things seem to be settled, then.”
Rosa’s sword became dyed in radiance. Her energy began to erupt like an active volcano, forming another vortex on the battlefield.
Gwoooooo…! Kelliark’s Hrotti also began to emit energy, letting out a somber resonance.
Even though Rosa had held the line alone to protect her knights and Kelliark had been fighting for a long time, neither showed any signs of exhaustion.
If Gliek were not the King of the Black Sea but merely a monster with the same level of power—if killing him did not require the rank of Creation—they would never have needed to negotiate with Kinzelo by holding the world hostage.
Now, only one thing remained: help Talaris perform the Secret Palace’s Absolute Sealing Ritual and decide who would go to negotiate with Kinzelo.
However, even after the ritual was complete, Rosa, Kelliark, Ron, and Talaris could not leave the battlefield. Talaris had to maintain the seal, and the others had to stay to prepare for any contingencies. Even if the seal was successful, there was no guarantee Gliek would stop all activity, and the three-day window Talaris mentioned was not a certainty.
Jin couldn't go either. While he always managed to secure favorable results against Kinzelo, sending him to their main base now would be no different than handing over their greatest weakness.
The only reason Runcandel and Zipple could temporarily unite was Jin’s life. If Kinzelo were to capture him, Zipple would start negotiating with them instead of Runcandel. If that happened, Runcandel would be finished.
“Sir Stam!”
Stam broke away from the front line and stood before Rosa.
“Give your command.”
Rosa briefly explained the conclusion she, Jin, and Kelliark had reached.
“Inform the Palace Master of the situation. You shall go personally to conduct the negotiations with Kinzelo.”
“Understood.”
“Octavia!”
This time, Octavia approached Kelliark.
“Negotiate with Kinzelo alongside Runcandel’s Black Knight Captain.”
“Understood, Patriarch.”
Thus, it was decided that Stam and Octavia would go to Kinzelo’s main branch.
Stam then relayed the plan to Talaris. She showed a look of displeasure, as a plan to negotiate with Kinzelo could be seen as a deviation from the Secret Palace’s mission to “protect the world from anomalies.”
If Kinzelo refused the negotiation and the forces of Runcandel and Zipple truly turned toward their main base instead of Gliek, the destruction of the world was a foregone conclusion. In that case, Talaris would have to fight Gliek alone, or perhaps with Ron.
However, Talaris had no choice but to agree. Since Cyron could not come, there was no other way.
…I might have to consider completely undoing the seal on Elona Zipple.
If Kinzelo refused the negotiation and things took an irreversible turn, Talaris would have to release Elona’s seal. Her power, according to the records, certainly reached the level of Creation, so she would be more than enough to oppose Gliek.
The problem was what would happen when she returned to the world.
—The Secret Palace has been hiding this woman from Zipple for a thousand years.
—You mean if they find her, she could become active again?
—It’s a future I don’t want to imagine. If a monster like this is added to a Zipple that is already running rampant, balance will no longer exist.
This was the conversation Talaris had shared with Jin when she first informed him of the Secret Palace’s mission.
As she had said then, Elona would side with Zipple even if she stopped Gliek… and it was impossible to know if that would be a better outcome than Gliek consuming the world.
One way or another, the moment Kinzelo rejects the proposal, there’s no good answer. Being the Palace Master is a thankless job.
Whiiiiiii—!
A cold wind began to spread across the battlefield.
“I shall begin the Absolute Sealing Ritual!” Talaris shouted as she retreated to the rear to take her position. Ten Thousand Ice floated before her.
Simultaneously, Rosa and Kelliark threw themselves toward Gliek, while Stam and Octavia stood on either side of Talaris to deploy protective shields.
Jin stepped into the center and watched the backs of the giants fighting.
Despite Ron’s ashen sword energy lashing out like a storm, Kelliark’s magic, and Rosa’s decisive techniques, Gliek only faltered slightly.
And he was smiling.
As if he knew their entire plan.