Chapter 699: Deepening Concerns (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 699: Deepening Concerns (3)
“The true creator…” Jin muttered.
Everyone must have had such a thought at least once. If a god created the world, then who created that god?
The answers were usually similar: either another god existed above that one, or the first god simply came into being on its own.
Orgal was claiming the answer was the Sun God, ‘Kinzelo.’
Unlike the countless frauds who had claimed to be the Sun God before, Orgal’s assertion carried undeniable weight.
Jin had experienced the power of the Sun God firsthand. A mortally wounded Valeria had been perfectly healed by the residual energy of the Sun God in a place the Zipple Clan called their Holy Land.
And then there was Vail, who was said to be a creation of the sun. From the moment of his birth, he possessed immense authority, divine combat prowess, and even a resistance to history manipulation—all without a single day of training or enlightenment.
“How is it, Sir Jin? You’ve just learned the greatest secret of the world. Isn't your heart racing?”
At Margiella’s question, Jin simply shrugged.
Even if the Sun God truly existed, it wasn’t pleasant news for him. On the contrary, it felt like just one more headache to deal with. If he couldn't take down Kinzelo in time, he would eventually have to face a high-dimensional being of that caliber.
Of course, that was only if the Sun God was real and capable of resurrection.
“I don’t know. What about you, Vail?”
“I’m not that impressed either,” Vail replied.
Jin breathed a quiet sigh of relief at Vail’s indifferent response. If Vail had developed a longing for the mysterious creator who made him, it would have introduced yet another element of instability.
Vail’s only interest was Sarah Runcandel. Now that he had been forced to face the fact that she had died in battle a thousand years ago, this world was nothing more than a vast, empty expanse to him.
However, within that empty expanse, the people who had killed Sarah were still alive, just as Jin had told him. The last remaining meaning in Vail’s life was to exterminate them.
[Vail, are you truly not curious about the being that created you?]
“Are you deaf? Why are you asking the same thing again? It’s annoying. I’m not impressed, and I’m not curious.”
Most of the Kinzelo executives looked flustered by Vail’s aggressive retort, while Orgal seemed somewhat saddened.
It’s Orgal, not Vail, who feels a longing for the Sun God, Jin thought.
Orgal was a demon—the Demon King known as the Beast Demon King. The combination of him and a Sun God struck Jin as incredibly mismatched.
[To think a fragment of the creator is no different from any other orphan. It is a pity. You should have been aware that you were a creation of the Sun God from the moment you were born. Cough…]
“Hey, Jin. I don’t like that guy. Can I hit him just once? I think he’s treating me like an idiot.”
“You shouldn’t hit a sick person. Besides, we’re allies for now.”
The Kinzelo executives grew more and more disappointed by the behavior of the Vail they had anticipated so much.
In a way, Jin understood their disappointment. He had felt something similar when he first met Vail.
“Sir Vail, imagine the world being purified when the Sun God returns,” Margiella said, her voice bright with the fervor of a misguided fanatic.
Vail snorted. “No, thanks.”
“Even if, in the world where He returns, you could meet the person you love most again?”
“Meet… Sarah again?”
“Of course. The Sun God would never overlook the deep sorrow you carry, Sir Vail. Since you are ultimately a piece of the Sun God, your sorrow is His as well. The only way to purify that sorrow would be for Sir Sarah to return.”
At that moment, Jin began to understand more clearly why Kinzelo had been so obsessed with Zipple and the Demon God Stones. He also saw the reason behind their obsession with Bubar Gaston.
Sculpting… It’ll be that disgusting Bubar’s job to gather and reassemble the fragments of the Sun God.
If so, that meant beings like Vail might not be unique.
Once again, Jin realized that Kinzelo hadn’t just been a pack of fools all this time. The cards these madmen held were all excessively dangerous.
All his enemies were like this. Just thinking about Rosa was overwhelming enough, but with Demon Kings and Sun Gods constantly popping up, his head began to throb.
He glanced at Vail again. The talk of meeting Sarah had shaken him slightly. Jin decided to stay quiet and see how he would react.
“Cut the bullshit,” Vail said, his voice cold. “Even if this Sun God of yours resurrects Sarah, that won’t be the Sarah I knew. It’ll just be another Sandra Zipple. So don’t you ever bring up Sarah’s name again. If it weren’t for this Restriction, you lot would have already been turned to dust and scattered across the world.”
“Oh…” Jin let out a small sound of admiration. “Good answer, Vail.”
Seeing Vail remain completely unswayed even when Kinzelo dangled Sarah in front of him made Jin feel strangely proud.
“Sir Vail, as expected! You seem to have a misunderstanding. What I meant was…”
“That’s enough useless talk,” Jin cut in. “Giving you a chance to tempt Vail was my own way of showing consideration, since I’ll admit I’ve been dismissive of your hospitality. I’ve also heard a bit about Zito. But since you failed, stop clinging to Vail. Just show me Orgal recovering.”
[Cough!]
“Look at him. He’s still coughing like he’s about to collapse. How do you expect to fight Rosa when you’re this frail? Orgal, I saw Rosa briefly when I released Vail’s seal. She seems to be growing stronger faster than you anticipated.”
—Everyone seems worried about when Rosa will make her move, so let me tell you one thing. It will take at least a year before she moves personally. Until then, the world will not end.
During the first meeting of their temporary alliance, Orgal had spoken as if there was almost no chance of Rosa becoming active within a year.
“Only about three months have passed since you said it would take at least a year. But the Rosa I encountered at Vail’s sealing site… she was far stronger than when she attacked the Garden of Swords. Orgal, did you not sense anything?”
[I did not. But if what you say is true, the day of the final battle may be upon us sooner.]
“Yeah. The time we already lacked has become even tighter. That’s why I brought Vail here, even though I knew it would benefit Kinzelo. I didn't come here to quench your thirst for the Sun God.”
Orgal nodded.
[For my recovery, Vail’s power must be unleashed.]
At Jin’s signal, a halo formed above Vail’s head and wings appeared on his back as a torrent of golden energy surged forth.
Instantly, Orgal’s body, which had been as faint as smoke, began to solidify at a rapid pace. He was like parched earth absorbing a sweet rain.
Vail was clearly displeased that his energy was being siphoned, but he remained still.
“Jin, that thing is stealing my power. Can I block it?”
“If it’s causing permanent damage, then block it for now.”
“It’s not… It’s a negligible amount.”
It was only negligible from Vail’s perspective. By human standards, the Sun God’s energy he possessed was nearly infinite.
Watching Orgal’s body become clearer, Jin was reminded of Murakan.
It feels similar to when Murakan recovers by absorbing my spiritual energy. Though this seems much more effective…
The way Orgal absorbed Vail’s energy looked remarkably similar to how Murakan had tried to inhale Jin’s spiritual energy the moment he awoke in Storm Castle.
If that was the case, it meant Orgal was a being fashioned from the Sun God, just as guardian dragons received power from their own gods.
[Huuuu…]
When Orgal took a long, deep breath, he was no longer a ghost-like form. His facial features were now distinct, and his once-faint body had turned a solid gray.
Though faint patches remained here and there, if he covered those, he looked like any other ordinary demon. It seemed, however, that further recovery through Vail’s energy was impossible.
“Finally, the coughing has stopped. You look more like other demons now.”
[It has been quite some time since I’ve felt this sensation…]
“But I suppose recovery through Vail has reached its limit? You’ll need the Zipple’s Holy Land to recover completely.”
Jin easily guessed that the Sun God’s authority lingering in the Zipple’s Holy Land was of a much higher purity than what Vail possessed.
“Congratulations, Master,” Zephyrin said, kneeling on one knee before Orgal.
Jin didn't sense a specific change in energy from the recovered Orgal, but he recognized through Zephyrin that his power had become immense. Zephyrin was now radiating a powerful energy that was incomparable to before.
If Zephyrin had possessed this much power when they first met at the Black King Mountain Fortress, Jin’s story would have ended right there.
Zephyrin was a being who received power from Orgal. Until now, she had been forced to strain herself just to draw out his residual power. But now, even though her own energy was greater than ever, it didn't seem to take any toll on Orgal at all.
“You finally look a bit more reliable, Orgal. I was worried what would happen if you stayed sickly until the day of the final battle. But surely your condition won't worsen again if you use more than a certain amount of power, like back at the Caldran Snowy Plains?”
[Do not worry. As long as I do not face death, I can now maintain at least this state at all times.]
That was a good answer if he only thought about the final battle with Rosa, but it was a terrifying prospect when imagining a future fight against Kinzelo.
[However, like the Evil God, I will need an adaptation phase. A few days should suffice.]
“A few days is a relief. Don't overdo it just because you’re in a good mood from regaining your strength. I’m only saying this because I’m still uneasy after seeing you look so frail for so long.”
Orgal looked at Jin and smirked.
[I have only regained about ten percent of my authority. I am not so joyful that I would lose my mind and run wild.]
“Ten percent is this much, huh…”
[Did I not say during our meeting? If I had been whole from the start, things would never have turned out this way.]
While Jin was feeling slightly troubled by the fact that Orgal’s words didn't sound like a hollow boast at all, Vail suddenly turned his head and tossed a question at him.
“He doesn’t look like a patient anymore. Can I hit him now?!”
Jin let out a short, sudden laugh.