The Secret Palace
“The Secret Palace...... If that's what you want, I can send you up near the North Sea on Sea Wave Island.”
“B-Brother.”
Pausa Gwahl looked at Piz in surprise at his words.
“That's a generous offer.”
“Sea Wave Island is just a ship I built. I can make another if it breaks, but I've only got one life. It's not just me—the entire Leviathan Guild owes you a debt.”
“Then I'll leave the debt as is.”
“Hm?”
“Riding Sea Wave Island to the North Sea would be convenient, sure...... But I can get there without it. I'll call in the debt when I truly need Leviathan's power someday.”
“Haha. Good. Whenever you're ready, give me a chance to repay it.”
Piz handed Adel the neatly folded map.
“Well then.”
“Wait. A debt's a debt, but I still want to show my gratitude.”
“I think you've already done plenty. You interpreted the map and gave me gold.”
“Interpreting the map was child's play—my little brother did it—and the gold is just an advance for future map commissions.”
“Then......?”
“This is just a personal thank-you. Don't refuse. It's probably something you need far more than I do.”
With that, Piz pulled a keyring from the box. The box looked crude but was sturdy, fitted with various mechanisms—clearly dwarven craftsmanship.
“No way...... Brother.”
Pausa Gwahl's eyes widened; he knew what those keys were for.
“Follow me.”
Piz beckoned to Adel.
Whiiirrr—!!!
Whoosh—!!
“This......”
Adel stared blankly at the massive cloth fluttering before him.
“It's called a Hovering Cloth. We got it hunting living armors in an S-rank dungeon on the eastern hills.”
Piz yanked the floating cloth down as he spoke.
“Exactly what it sounds like—a cloth that levitates. Nothing too special. But a size like this? Even the royal families of the central nine kingdoms rarely see one.”
“Impressive.”
“You can wear it as a cloak, or unfurl it and it'll carry two people on its own power. Inject mana, and it gets faster and tougher.”
Adel had seen this cloth a few times in his past life. The most famous user was Cheonghae's shaman, the Thunder Emperor Iban, who'd tailored it into a cloak.
'If there are two geniuses on the continent, no one would argue against Ju-wan Regian of the Ivory Tower and Iban of Cheonghae.'
He was a battle shaman who'd shattered the notion that shamans were weak in close combat and belonged in the rear, charging the front lines cloaked in the Hovering Cloth.
'He'd kill for this. Bigger size means better performance.'
“You sure it's okay to give this to me?”
Adel draped the unexpected gift lightly over his shoulders.
“Of course. The North Sea's a long way off. You've got important things ahead. I figure you'll put it to better use than an old man like me.”
“Thank you.”
Just wearing it made Adel's feet lift slightly off the ground before settling—his body felt lighter.
“But be careful. It's a great relic, but not invincible. Weak to heat, so no deserts. And unstable mana zones are tricky—like around the Magic Association.”
“Got it. By the way, since when did Leviathan become an adventurers' guild? S-rank dungeons are tough even for top raid teams......”
“Haha, I didn't conquer it myself. It was an ancestor of mine.”
“Impressive. Gnome warriors aren't exactly common.”
“Hardly. My ancestor just tagged along to map the eastern hills dungeon. Someone else cleared it.”
“Makes sense. I misspoke. That was ages ago if it was an ancestor. I'd love to get help from a raider that skilled.”
“Over four hundred years now. But I reckon you've got skills to match. You breezed through the Forbidden Zone.”
“You're too kind.”
“No joke. The one who cleared those eastern hills? A desert tribesman.”
“......Pardon?”
“The Shadow King. Ulan Tribe's founding king, Alkan Temir.”
“You mean the Ghost Command?”
“That's him.”
Adel nodded at his words.
'From sealing ancient ones to conquering S-rank dungeons...... I thought my past achievements were the peak, but hearing about him always shocks me.'
He, contractor of an ancient god and slayer of countless others, must seem monstrous to ordinary folk. But the Ghost Command had sealed two ancient gods without divine power.
'What kind of man was he?'
For the first time, Adel felt genuine curiosity about another person.
Haien, Lugal Shazan, and the Eight Armies—even the Hidden Blade's master or the Secret Palace Lord—didn't feel like insurmountable walls anymore. Some he'd even clashed with in his past life.
If he had to pick foes, it'd be dragons. Extraterrestrials like Heavenly Dragons were still a handful.
'And excluding upper demons, the four great heavenly tribes.'
Demons had become unexpected allies, but the heavenly tribes would cross paths when he unified the continent.
'Heavenly tribes aren't prey just because they wield divine power. Time to prepare Heaven Kill.'
With that thought, Adel nodded and accepted Piz's gift.
“Use it well.”
“I will.”
After bidding farewell, Adel left Leviathan and hurried on. He had several stops before leaving the kingdom.
“Knew you'd come here.”
“You too, Lugal.”
“Of course. Figured a cocky brat like you would value a mere blacksmith over the king.”
Welcoming Adel at Crul's forge after leaving Leviathan was none other than the Storm King, Lugal Shazan.
“If I didn't wait, you wouldn't bother coming—or you'd leave without a word.”
“Even with the balrog handled, the kingdom borders are crawling with berserk beasts. Can the king really slack off like this?”
“That's why I'm king. Otherwise, I'd still be leading mercenaries. Heh.”
“Wasted effort. Heard from Leviathan—you sent me money? With your Rundle gauntlets, you don't need my help for the phoenix egg anyway.”
“Call it a retainer. Plenty of commissions ahead.”
“Tch...... You love pointless gestures. They say you didn't even use the trap I made you?”
“Yeah. Guess I'm stronger than I thought.”
“One life, though.”
Thud.
Crul tossed something to Adel casually. A bow glowing with red light.
“Can't forge a sword better than Wind Sword with what I've got now...... So I borrowed decent stuff from Lugal here.”
Twing—!!
Adel lightly drew the string. The heavy pull felt perfect in his grip.
“Nice.”
“No fancy features. Just made it extremely durable. Should hold divine power too.”
“That's perfect.”
Crul downplayed it, but it was worthy of a Red Dragonkin master smith. Few relics could withstand divine power.
“Holding divine power makes it divine-grade. Got a name?”
“Not grand enough for one. For relic forging, your tribe's Ancestral Tomb smiths are the best.”
“Still, name it. Can't disrespect a Red Dragonkin meister's work.”
“Hmph...... Fine. Call it Kyeol. You've forged many bonds here.”
“Kyeol...... Perfect. Got it.”
As Crul said, Adel's biggest gains in Zen Kingdom were bonds: Crul the Red Dragonkin, Lugal Shazan, Piz Gwahl of Leviathan.
“If you say so, I gotta visit the Ancestral Tomb smiths next time. Looking forward to it.”
“Haha, even for you, that's tough. Only tribal kings go there.”
“Might happen sooner than you think.”
“Haha. Sure. If you do, remember: Impressing the Ancestral Tomb smith ain't easy.”
“You know him?”
“Of course. Stubborn as hell—watch out.”
“Noted.”
“Bring strong liquor first. Not good stuff—the strongest rotgut.”
Crul couldn't know Adel might reach the tomb, but he seemed to assume he would—as Ulan's future lord.
“Thanks.”
Adel handed Lugal the balrog-control whistle.
“Where to next?”
“Gold Death Gorge before the North Sea.”
“For the phoenix egg?”
“Yeah. Ancient tree's heat will help against North Sea winds.”
“You're Garon's contractor already. Flame god laughs at that cold.”
“Not going to the Secret Palace alone. Needs a hunting party.”
“True. Secret Palace Lord's unpredictable—solo's risky.”
“Yeah. And drop by Hul-hyung's too. He's probably in a bind right now.”
“Hm?”
Adel just smiled enigmatically instead of answering.
“Gold Death Gorge...... Take this. Heard surviving Red Dragonkin have a base there. Might help; won't be ignored at least.”
Crul gave Adel a small ring—the seal of a top Red Dragonkin meister.
“You sure?”
“My skill doesn't vanish without it.”
Adel nodded.
Kraka-ka-ka......!!!
A cliff with red molten waterfalls cascading down.
Adel had flown nonstop for days on the Hovering Cloth. As blue plains turned to red canyons, he knew Gold Death Gorge was near.
'Been a while.'
Piz's map sped things up, but over a week's flight wore on the mind, if not the body.
“Stop.”
Shwaaak—!!
Adel tugged the cloth's edge; it spiraled down slowly.
That was close.
Shwaaak......!!
Black smoke formed a wolf's shape. Kalderet eyed the red waterfall ahead.
[Insane heatwave. Fitting for a millennial volcano. The lava still flows, unquenched since my time.]
Astonishingly, the red waterfall was molten lava. Gold Death Gorge was terrain forged from its cooled flows.
“Can't use this from here on.”
Even with God's Blessing, standing near was grueling. Adel wrapped the cloth around his neck like a cloak.
[Meeting your brother first?]
“No. Red Dragonkin survivors before that. If memory serves, they can help with Hul-hyung's current troubles.”
[Hmm. How to find them?]
“No need to search. I'll make them come to me.”
Fwoosh—!!!
Adel focused divine power; Garon's flames enveloped him.
“Fire with fire. No matter how hot the millennial volcano, it can't match a god's blaze.”
The eye-searing heat instantly became a soothing bath.
“Halt!!”
A voice from the cliff above. Harsh, like scraping metal—not human.
[Indeed.]