章節 175: Chapter 334
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I will definitely come back...
Those words became meaningless the moment Jin stepped out of the subspace.
He forgot everything he had shared with the living Luet Damiro Yul.
Her appearance, the clothes she was wearing, her red hair, her voice, and everything else.
He even forgot the fact that two days had already passed within the subspace. This was because it was told by living Luet.
Outside, the beach remained the same, with mysterious and lonely purple stars twinkling. Jin stared at the stars for a moment, lost in thought.
'Entering the third tomb... I feel like I met someone. Or did I just confirm the appearance of the old Storm castle?'
Jin felt a strange sense of emptiness.
'And I didn't even fight any battles, so what's with this nausea? Or did I participate in such a massive battle that my memories and body are affected?'
It seemed unlikely, but a feeling of nausea rose up from within, as if he had pushed his body to its limits. A chilling sensation, as if insects were crawling all over his body, spread, and he broke out in cold sweat.
Phew.
Taking deep breaths, Jin recalled the events he experienced within the subspace.
'The subspace seemed to be a recreation of the old Storm castle, and as always, I checked the recording device.'
However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't recall how he checked the recording device.
It felt like someone handed it to him, or perhaps he found it by opening a small box, or maybe it just started working automatically when he entered the tomb.
'Mr. Neru said there was definitely someone inside. So he asked me to convey his thanks for the hardships of the past thousand years.'
Who were they? Were they not inside?
While doubts gnawed at him, the faces of the ancient Runcandels that he "confirmed with the recording device" came to mind.
Temar, Head Butler Luet Damiro Yul, the ten great knights, the butlers and scribes who were recording the history of the forgotten fairy tribe...
Among them, strangely enough.
When he thought of Luet Damiro Yul, a member of the fairy tribe, a strange feeling of tightness arose in one side of his chest. Despite never having seen her even once, a longing and bittersweet emotion arose within Jin.
Jin only remembered Luet from the records.
"Ah!"
While thinking about the ancient Runcandel in the recording device, Jin remembered the problem he had forgotten.
'The small beastmen, I must quickly go to rescue them!'
A faint smell of burning reached Jin's nostrils. It was definitely an odor he couldn't detect when he first entered this beautiful realm of the Felinoids.
It wasn't the smell of fire used for cooking or warming one's body. Swiftly, Jin turned his head and held his breath.
The forest behind the beach was on fire.
Except for Jin, no humans had ever entered this mystical beach, and now it was being engulfed in flames.
Anxiety filled his heart. Come to think of it, even after exiting the subspace, he hadn't seen the Felinoids named Neru.
"Mr. Neru!"
As he shouted and was about to run, Jin caught a glimpse of Neru in the distance.
"Mr. Neru, are you alright?"
[Ugh... Jin, Runcandel.]
Neru was gasping for breath, his body covered in sweat. Neru had no visible injuries.
"Did you get attacked already?"
[...Shortly after you entered Temar's tomb, this place was exposed.]
It hadn't been more than five hours since Jin entered the tomb.
The secret hideout had started getting attacked, and the Felinoids, including Neru, were desperately defending themselves, using all their powers at their disposal.
Under normal circumstances, they should have sensed the danger and escaped when it was exposed. In fact, the Felinoids had been sensing intense danger for three hours before the enemy invasion started.
But the Felinoids couldn't escape.
If they fled, not only would Temar's tomb be exposed, but also their promise with the Solderet for a thousand years would be in jeopardy. Especially when Jin was inside, if Temar's tomb collapsed under attack, Jin would be forever trapped inside.
The Felinoids had used most of the sacred relics bestowed upon them by the ancient Cat God to fend off the attacks.
To buy time, they had erected barriers with relics that had been safeguarded for thousands of years.
Neru didn't inform Jin of that fact. Neru believed that even if Jin knew, it would only create a sense of helplessness.
"Who the hell are they?" Jin asked in a low voice.
[The Zipfel.]
It wasn't completely unexpected. It could be Joshua's Runcandel, Zipfel, or Kinzelo. Jin had anticipated one of the three.
But he couldn't consider it fortunate.
[Listen well, Jin Runcandel. From now on, run without resting towards the other side of the beach. Until you meet a Felinoids named Lulu. Then Lulu will guide you to a safe place.]
"Are you telling me to run away alone?"
[That's the best option.]
"What will happen to you, Mr. Neru, the Felinoids, and the small beastmen? If I escape, will you be able to flee?"
Neru couldn't answer.
"I'd rather buy you time, so that the Felinoids can escape with the small beastmen."
[Just like Black knights, Zipfel has an elite group of mages called the Spectres corp. There were five of them who attacked us. I know you're strong, but against them, you can't afford to buy time.]
Spectres corp.
As soon as he heard the name, Jin's face hardened.
During his time as a reserve flagbearer, Jin had experienced the formidable skills of the Spectres corp.
'They sent that secret elite unit, the Spectres corp, to capture the Felinoids and the small beastmen and attack my business, are you serious?'
According to Neru, the reason Zipfel was targeting the small beastmen was because of Jin's cosmetics business.
It was a passage that he couldn't comprehend, yet at the same time, it made him think that Zipfel had individuals with a good head on their shoulders.
'Someone who saw how my cosmetics business would elevate the influence of the Runcandel among the public. Or…'
They discovered the existence of Temar's third tomb in this place.
Either way, the horrifying fact remained that the Spectres had arrived.
[Furthermore, our barrier has reached its limit. Two days have already passed since you entered the tomb.]
"What, two days?"
Jin's eyes widened.
He never thought that so much time had passed.
He couldn't properly recall what had happened inside the third tomb, and his mind became confused once again at the realization that two days had gone by.
[Yes, one hour from now. We can't endure any longer than that. So please, run away quickly.]
Crack!
Jin clenched his teeth.
"I can't do that."
[If it's because of the guilt that the small beastmen might die because of you, we will try our best to keep them alive. They are still within the barrier, so they are safe for at least one hour.]
"I need you to tell me their location."
[We have several entrances to our secret space besides the cave. They are currently breaking through the barriers at each entrance, but we don't know the exact direction. However, what's certain is that all the entrances in the cave are connected, so eventually, they will gather there.]
Jin could instinctively understand.
Neru and the Felinoids tribesmen had a plan to protect the small beastmen by sacrificing themselves.
That was correct.
In fact, the Felinoids had used their last remaining sacred relic to evacuate the small beastmen, and they had prepared themselves to die in this place.
While Jin was inside the tomb, it would be impossible to accomplish that. Even the slightest opening in the barrier made of sacred relics would increase the likelihood of enemies entering the cave through this place.
The small beastmen in the cave were aware that they were under attack. They trembled in fear within the confines of the activated barrier, fearing suffocation.
"Is it possible to save them all?"
[To be honest, I can't guarantee that we can save everyone.]
From the start, it was a remarkable feat to have held out against the Spectres for two days and to be able to save some of the small beastmen.
However, Jin couldn't retreat unless he had the certainty that everyone would survive even if he ran away.
In this moment, he wasn't becoming stronger by using someone as a shield to escape.
Of course, he couldn't rely solely on a sense of righteousness or naive justice. He had no intention of meeting his death so easily.
"I have experience in buying time against a larger number of the Spectres."
[If something happens to you, then my thousand-year-old promise will be for nothing.]
"I'm not saying that I will fight simply because I don't want the small beastmen to die. If I engage in battle with them, someone from my clan or Kinzelo will definitely come."
[How would the Runcandel and Kinzelo know that you are fighting?]
"There is only one magic swordsman in the world who utilizes shadow force and thunderbolts. And I am the Runcandel's flagbearer, and the Kingdom of Zhan is the domain of the Huphester. Moreover, the land of the beastmen is within the territory of Kinzelo, so they have more than enough justification to participate."
If Jin were to engage in combat with the Spectres near the cave, there was no reason for the Runcandel and Kinzelo to sit idly by.
Jin planned to orchestrate a battle with the Spectres as grandly as possible, in order to provoke the participation of both forces.
'The key is whether I can hold out against the five members of the Spectres corp until reinforcements arrive from my clan and Kinzelo. And I must do so while protecting the small beastmen.'
But as long as he could hold out, he could save everyone. No matter how powerful Zipfel might be, they couldn't afford to cause a commotion within the territories of other major powers.
'If the knights of my clan come, it would undermine the purpose of disguising Bellop. It would be seen as a proper accident during my prohibition, and the disciplinary case that the chief of the guardians of civilians is trying to suppress would resurface.'
But that was still better than having all the small beastmen die. If luck was on his side, it could be a problem that could be overlooked.
[But if the Runcandel and Kinzelo don't come to the battlefield?]
"I will find a way to escape and survive. The thousand years that so many people sacrificed for me will not be in vain."
[What is your reason for being so loyal to the small beastmen?]
"Peng once said something like that. Among the small beastmen, regardless of the reason or race, it is a principle to show hospitality to those who have gained the favor of the Felinoids."
[That's just something the small beastmen created among themselves…]
"But even before I met Mr. Neru, I was always welcomed by the small beastmen. I even owed them my life. That's the reason why I am loyal to them. I cannot bear to see my newly started business fail."
Neru looked up at Jin.
"And as I mentioned earlier, the Kingdom of Zhan is the land of the Runcandel. That means it is my land, and running away from here would imply that I am not qualified to be a flagbearer of the Runcandel."
章節 176: Chapter 335
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Neru closed his eyes as if in deep contemplation.
And it wasn't that he didn't care about saving the small beastmen; on the contrary, he wanted to save them even more than Jin. That's why Neru and the Felinoids tribe had resolved to face death.
As if making a decision, Neru met Jin's gaze.
[...Alright. But you must keep your promise. If it seems like you're going to die, you must escape.]
Jin nodded and took out the ruby.
[Mya!]
Shuri approached with a cheerful cry and rubbed her face against Jin's cheek. In response, Neru's eyes widened.
[Oh my goodness, it's Witch Helluram's cat!]
"I see you recognize her."
[I read in the newspapers of the human world that you travel on a Ruby Cat, but I never imagined it would be Shuri...!]
[Mya, mya-mya-mya, mya!]
Although the meaning was unclear, Shuri also seemed to recognize Neru. They even rubbed their noses together as if they were quite familiar with each other.
Meow, mya, mya, meow...
For a while, they communicated in their own incomprehensible language, which Jin couldn't understand. But simply their cute appearance made the dire situation seem less grim.
While conversing with Shuri, Neru's expression changed incessantly.
When he heard the story of Shuri being abandoned and cursed with immortality by Witch Helluram, his expression darkened. And when he heard about Shuri being left alone in the Black Sea Forest for a thousand years, tears welled up in his eyes.
And he smiled when he heard that she met Jin and left the forest.
It wasn't just Neru's expression that changed. Shuri also had large watery pupils that sparkled and made purring sounds as if feeling delighted.
Neru, having finished the conversation, turned to Jin with a much lighter expression.
[Shuri also endured a terrible thousand years... Jin Runcandel, perhaps even Shuri meeting you was part of Solderet's plan. For moments like these.]
[Mya!]
The reason for Neru's lighter expression was none other than that.
In his opinion, as long as Shuri was present, Jin could escape from the pursuers at any time.
[You didn't need to worry about helping the small beastmen. I'd love to have a longer conversation with Shuri, but for now, it's better to go see them.]
Jin climbed onto Shuri's back.
"Mr. Neru, will you stay here?"
[I have to maintain the barrier, so I can't leave this spot. As I mentioned earlier, head towards the beach over there, find Lulu, and ask her to guide you to a safe place, preferably a cave.]
"Understood."
Just as Jin was about to set off with Shuri, Neru affectionately grabbed Shuri's leg. Jin and Shuri both turned to look at Neru.
[Thank you, Jin Runcandel.]
Neru intended to express his gratitude.
"You're welcome."
Thanks to riding on Shuri, Jin quickly found Lulu.
Lulu looked exactly like Neru, making it difficult to distinguish between the twins upon closer inspection. Neru, Lulu, and Miru, the triplets formed the core of the Felinoids tribe's barrier.
[What, Shuri!? How long has it been, no, how are you even alive...?]
Lulu was also visibly pleased to see Shuri, just like Neru.
However, Jin thought they couldn't have a long conversation, so he explained the situation and expressed his intention to go to the cave. Lulu briefly greeted Shuri and guided Jin back to the Felinoids tribe's cave.
[Once you get to the cave, we'll only be able to maintain the barrier for about 10 minutes at best. Considering the travel time, be careful because the Spectres will immediately come rushing into the cave once the barrier is broken.]
***
During the two days of continuous attacks from the Spectres, there was not a single safe place left in the cave.
Every time the barriers took a hit, the cave would shake or the interior would tremble.
The rocks coated with gold were all shattered, and the tools of the Watertail tribe were completely destroyed.
The small beastmen huddled together under an improvised net hung from the ceiling, trembling in fear.
Thus, the small beastmen could only look at Jin, who had returned, as their savior.
"Jin Runcandel!"
"Jin is here!"
"Wow, he's here. Jin."
Peng, Song, and Darkflame all shouted at the same time. The gaze of the small beastmen fell on Jin in unison.
Fortunately, amidst the misfortune, no one among the small beastmen was seriously injured. Thanks to the net installed by the Felinoids tribe, even the falling rocks didn't cause any harm.
"Is everyone alright?"
"What on earth happened? The earthquakes started soon after you followed the Felinoids tribe... The cave is blocked!"
The cave was blocked not because of the attack but because of the barrier.
"Zipfel's mages are attacking the Felinoids tribe's barrier. The barrier will be breached in 10 minutes. Everyone needs to escape. Gather only what is absolutely necessary as quickly as possible!"
Jin briefly explained the imminent danger.
Why the mages of Zipfel were attacking this place, and how the Felinoids tribe was defending against them.
Naturally, he also conveyed the fact that the cause of the attack was himself, but the small beastmen didn't hold him accountable at all.
"It's okay, Jin. We...we can handle it. And run away..."
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Don't open your mouth until it is safe! Get ready to run! See? Everyone, there must be someone who realized that our cosmetics business was going to explode? Soon enough, Zipfel, Vermont, and Kinzelo will come after us!"
Peng clenched his fist and spoke.
"That's right."
"We made a contract with you at such a ridiculous rate precisely for times like this. Seeing that you didn't run away alone, it proves that it was a good contract."
Peng deliberately spoke as if it was no big deal.
He didn't want the other small beastmen to become more anxious. Peng had a strong intuition that the situation was grave.
"When the barrier collapses, Zipfel's mages will either enter the cave directly or come close by. I'll buy you some time, so all of you need to escape."
There were a total of about 150 small beastmen inside the cave.
Jin wanted to save them all.
Thinking about how to make that possible was futile. The reasons behind the Spectres' attack, their intentions, and everything else were still unknown.
He needed to know what the enemy wanted in order to respond properly.
'It's more likely that their goal is to ruin my business rather than sniffing around Temar's Tomb. Moreover, I was a wanted criminal of the Lutero Magic Federation until last year. From Zipfel's perspective, it must have been intolerable for someone like me to boldly advertise cosmetics in their territory."
It wasn't just a matter of being intolerable. Since the start of the advertising campaign, most of Zipfel's elders had been consumed by anger and couldn't sleep at night.
That was why Zipfel dispatched the elite secret mage division, the Spectre Corps.
Recently, Zipfel's elders had developed unfavorable feelings towards Runcandel.
Not only did they make Jin, a wanted criminal of the Lutero Magic Federation, their flagbearer, but they also dared to advertise cosmetics in Zipfel's territory.
Therefore, the assault on the cave was a justified action.
'If I play my cards right, I might even be able to take advantage of this situation. If I can rescue only the small beastmen... I might be able to use my clan as a shield for my business in the future.'
Crack! Crack!
Amidst the small beastmen busily gathering their belongings, an unexpected noise of something tearing and exploding occurred.
It was the sound of the invisible barrier of the Felinoids tribe being breached.
After the sound of the rupture, cracks appeared in the air out of nowhere. From those cracks, a powerful flow of mana could be felt.
It was the mana of the Spectre Corps.
"Hey, Jin! Our partner! After you save us, you must definitely escape too!"
Swoosh!
Jin drew his Sigmund.
"Why worry about me? When the barrier collapses, run straight to the entrance. Judging by the flow of mana, it seems like the enemies enter into the cave immediately after breaking the barrier. Now, go. Run to the entrance. Once you're out of the cave, request protection from the Runcandel through the Zhan Kingdom. Mention that it's an order from the 12th flagbearer."
When the barrier breaks, the sealed entrance of the cave will open.
"Got it. You promise to come back alive, alright? And don't even think that we'll blame you if we suffer because of you. It's not entirely untrue, but we already decided to accept this level of danger when we decided to work with you in the first place."
"Jin, don't get hurt, thank you!"
"It's not 'thank you,' it's 'thank you very much!' Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let's go, you Watertails! We're just going to be a hindrance to our partner."
"Excuse me."
"It's not 'excuse me,' it's 'I'm sorry'... Never mind, let's go, let's go!"
The Golden snow tribe nudged the Watertails forward.
Jin couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Despite having every right to resent him, seeing the small beastmen not blaming Jin made him think that it was a good decision to come to save them.
As the small beastmen ran away, they looked back at Jin several times.
Even though they were completely ignorant of mana, they could still feel it.
They felt the tremendous power flowing into the cave as the barrier broke.
'The mana felt beyond the barrier... I expected it, but there's no chance of winning in a direct confrontation.'
Three members of the Spectre Corps.
They were no less formidable than three Black Knights. It wasn't an easy task even for Luna to confront the three Black Knights all at once.
For Jin at this moment, it was obviously impossible.
However, Jin decided that there might be a chance.
Beyond just buying time, there might be a chance to inflict significant damage on the Spectre corp or even kill them.
'They don't know I'm here.'
No matter how formidable the Spectre Corps was, they couldn't predict that Jin was inside the cave.
Of course, the Spectre Corps could respond perfectly to unexpected variables.
If the enemy was "strong" in the common sense, they could handle anything.
Swoosh...!
Shadow force extended from Jin's body, rapidly spreading throughout the cave and enveloping it like a curtain. The shadow force expanded so quickly that it filled the cave, concealing Jin completely.
It was the shadow force release, spread out to erase his presence. Jin, covered in shadow force, looked like a shadow among the various shadows spread on the cave walls.
Jin remembered the day when he terrorized the Moonlit tavern in Mamit when he was in the Intermediate class.
The attack Jin was about to attempt now was the same as back then. Concealing his presence and energy completely with the shadow force and unleashing it at an unexpected moment.
Back then, he had spent hours gathering shadow force while sitting in an inn room, but now, this amount of time was more than enough.
Especially in such a confined space like this.
Creak, rustle...!
The barrier began to crumble completely.
Whoosh!
And within the shadow force curtain, a small spark ignited.
That spark was the reason Jin erased his own presence.
Even if they were members of the Spectre Corps, they couldn't perceive the mana of that small spark beyond the barrier and the shadow force curtain.
That spark was the ignition point of Runcandel's Magic Sword: Secret move.
'I'll finish them off in a single strike as soon as they arrive. Even the Spectres won't come out unscathed if they are hit by a surprise attack.'
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