章節 583: CHAPTER 741

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

The single black panther, who was engulfed in eternal flame, spread the flames to dozens of black panthers.

'The eternal flame doesn't move as I wish...!'

-[You reached the realm that Sarah desired, and you claim you can't control your flame? That can't be true, so hurry and attack me. Just a little scratch!]

The words Jin heard from Bale after discovering the eternal flame.

Naturally, the eternal flame is the fire that follows Jin's will.

If Jin desires to burn, even if he dies, it will continue to burn without extinguishing, and if he desires to fade away, it will immediately fade away.

However, the eternal flame was already deviating from that rule, starting from the first black panther.

It had formed a much larger fire than Jin had wished for.

The eternal flame was not completely disregarding Jin's will.

It just wasn't under perfect control as usual.

There were far more flames spreading haphazardly by attaching themselves to Jin's will than flames that extinguished by Jin's command.

'Did the evil god prepare this after elder brother Diphus suffered from eternal flame...?'

It was accurate.

The evil god was using the eternal flame "never extinguishing characteristic" in reverse.

The evil god did not know exactly how much Jin could perfectly control the eternal flame, but it was certain that it was not infinite.

Therefore, intentionally using chaos and the grudge Jin harbored as a catalyst to multiply flames and it seemed to be a way to pressure Jin, and that plan was perfectly hitting its mark.

The grudge Jin held against the evil god was so deep and immense that even Jin himself couldn't fathom it.

That grudge was making the eternal flame burn more fiercely.

Even now, the grudge continued to grow, making it impossible to stop the spread of the countless eternal flames.

Moreover, just now, the horrific annihilation of the young Rosa had further enraged Jin.

[Krgh!]

[Kihiing...!]

Every time the screams of the black panthers could be heard, chunks of the ground melted away.

As soon as the party reached the underground third floor, they found themselves isolated with the surroundings already melted away. They could also see a few panthers falling to the next floor one by one.

The panthers were burning by the eternal flame, melting the lower floors.

'If we keep falling like this, is the evil god at the very bottom?'

There was no choice.

Jin couldn't stop the rapidly increasing number of the fire, and they couldn't go back up. The party had no other option but to continue throwing themselves downward as they just did.

Jin briefly explained to his companions about the fact that the eternal flame was not under control and the reasons behind it.

"...I wasn't using the eternal flame. For now, it seems we can only hold onto each other and descend. I've been thoroughly defeated."

"Don't blame yourself. It was unavoidable. And in my opinion, even if you hadn't used the eternal flame, those panthers would have endlessly pressured us in some way. Perhaps the evil god prepared them to continue regenerating until you used the eternal flame." Hedo spoke.

[Truly, I have witnessed an extraordinary sword. If you were in my era, the protection of the holy kingdom would have been much easier. But, 12th flagbearer, something feels strange about the plot of the evil god.]

"What do you mean?"

[The evil god's chaos is not infinite. I know for sure since I was trapped within her. How much chaos do you think it would take to create just one black leopard? I don't know for certain, but it must require a considerable amount. And she's burning hundreds, thousands of them.]

Jin's control over the Eternal Flame was limited, just as the evil god's chaos was limited.

[That's why I suspect the evil god is using the Eternal Flame to not only trap us but also to test herself... to see if she can handle the ever-growing power of the Eternal Flame.]

"Why would the evil god go to such lengths...?"

At Octavia's question, Hedo shook his head.

"Considering the evil god's obsession with Jin, it seems likely, Spectre Captain. Perhaps it's not even a test for himself but simply a desire to observe Jin's sword."

"I... think the same way."

"Everyone, hold on tight. The ground is completely collapsing."

By that time, the entire underground third floor had completely melted away.

The black panthers were no longer visible, having already fallen to the lower floors.

Jin began to feel fear, slowly but intensely.

Of course, he was not afraid of fighting the evil god.

'What if this Eternal Flame continues to spread... and causes harm to our allies?'

The people currently with him were not a problem.

They were a small group, and each one was an exceptional martial artist.

But if the Eternal Flame continued to spread and started attacking friendly forces somewhere else, it would be an entirely different story.

'Bale said that not even Orgal could control the Eternal Flame as he wished. If the Eternal Flame starts striking our allies at this rate, the catastrophic damage would be unavoidable.'

That thought troubled Jin throughout the descent.

Even though he had expected such a possibility, it felt like a thorn was lodged in his throat.

It wasn't easy to shake off the feeling that the evil god was playing with them in the palm of its hand.

Certainly.

This battle was different from any other. After regression, Jin had defeated countless enemies and none had shaken him to this extent.

The descent didn't end quickly as it had just begun.

It seemed that the black panthers were melting the ground faster than the party was descending.

It was clear that they were continually moving downward.

As the descent lengthened, the sensation of the aura and mana interference became stronger for the party.

Since most of them had suffered injuries, the perception was even more heightened.

Eventually, Octavia lost consciousness first. Hedo and Alpen were noticeably short of breath, and even Bianca, who had suffered the least damage, occasionally took long sighs to catch her breath.

Meanwhile, the superhumans never let go of each other's hands.

Jin kept thinking.

How could he protect his companions?

Among the allies were most of the people he cherished more than anything else.

Perhaps the labyrinth of the evil god castle had already relocated the eternal flame to where his companions were.

Every time he imagined them being consumed by the eternal flame, a shiver ran down his spine.

As if someone was directly depicting that scene in his mind and injecting it into his thoughts, he couldn't stop envisioning it.

'Can I protect them all? Can we all return without casualties? We're already so helplessly trapped in the trap before even engaging in direct combat with the evil god.'

Bad thoughts tend to intensify over time.

The more difficult the situation, the more fearsome it becomes.

[12th Flagbearer... What are you doing?]

Suddenly, Alpen spoke up. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Sir Alpen, are you alright?"

[Hold my hand tighter. I don't have enough strength.]

Alpen's words provided Jin with an answer.

'I am not the only one who can protect them.'

We protect each other.

Jin had already realized this during the battle in his inner world. He had momentarily forgotten due to the urgency of the situation.

"I'm grateful that someone like you, Ancestor, is still here."

Once again, his mind cleared instantly.

With each moment his disoriented mind settled, Jin felt like he was taking a step away from the evil god's intentions.

'The allied forces have Valeria.'

She might use her record magic to detect the threat of eternal flame before anyone else.

Similarly, Veradin, who recently learned similar record magic, could do the same, and beings like Orgal and Bale could minimize the damage to the allies.

Dante could unleash his invisible sword style to restrain the approaching eternal flame, Cuiczntelle could exert its authority to buy some time, and Syris' Myriad Ice could seal the eternal flame.

Even if nothing could stop the eternal flame altogether.

In any case, the allies, and companions, would do their best to escape from the eternal flame.

Not just to survive, but to avoid hurting Jin. To prevent him from falling into the sorrow of killing them.

They would flee with that determination. It was a fight they could not win without trusting each other, without believing in themselves.

Even if it meant that from tomorrow onwards, they would be in an adversarial relationship where one side had to be destroyed, today he had to fight sincerely alongside them.

That was the part Jin lacked the most.

Until the decisive battle, Jin had clashed with them over the future war with the evil god.

Starting tomorrow, even if it became an enmity where one side had to perish, today they had to fight wholeheartedly together.

Gradually, Jin's expression, distorted by an inner pain he didn't even realize, returned to normal.

The descent had come to an end.

As Jin landed on the ground, creating a gust with his sword, the first thing that came into his sight was the hazy, engulfed land.

Black panthers were burning everywhere. They were far fewer in number than what Jin had seen on the underground 3rd floor.

It was unclear whether the rest had turned into ashes due to the eternal flame or if they had fallen into another space in the labyrinth.

The ground no longer melted away. It meant that the group had finally reached the central part of the Evil God's Castle, the lowest floor.

'...Is this the center of the lowest floor? The flames grow larger as we go in that direction.'

Jin looked towards where the eternal flame was expanding.

Hedo carried Octavia and the former patriarch, while Bianca carried Alpen.

As Jin started walking, the eternal flame split in two and formed a path.

The fires seemed to speak to him, indicating the direction.

Jin walked through his own flames.

No matter how far he walked, the flames grew fiercer, indicating the vast extent of the eternal flame.

Faint aura, mana, and the golden power could be sensed from afar.

His companions had fallen to the lowest floor a little earlier than Jin.

However, Jin didn't become impatient. It didn't seem like his companions had been killed by the eternal flame.

Nevertheless, he quickened his pace. The flames flickered wildly, clearing a path like a gust of wind, and soon Jin came face to face with the allied fleet surrounded by the eternal flame.

A colossal eternal flame was sweeping the allies like a tidal wave.

Amidst the flames, there was a palpable chaos, but as Jin approached, the chaos receded towards the opposite side of the blue wall of flames.

Jin instinctively knew that the evil god was there, behind the retreating chaos, within the barrier of flames.

Finally, when Jin unleashed his own flames, pushing back the eternal flame, his struggling companions came into view.

They had been fiercely resisting the eternal flame from within.

Seeing the flames open, some of them immediately assumed an attacking stance, thinking it was an intrusion of chaos, but upon confirming it was Jin, they let out a sigh of relief.

There were also those who collapsed, as if all their strength had drained out.

[Jin Runcandel, is it you?]

It was Orgal's voice.

He was barely maintaining a shattered shield, completely exhausted. He had no spare energy to look at Jin.

If Jin had been a little slower, if he had regained his composure a little later...

The vortex of eternal flame that had trapped his companions would have killed them all like ants in a fist.

"Yes, it's the 12th flagbearer, Jin Runcandel. I will join you again from now on."

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]

評論 0條評論

投票

章節 584: CHAPTER 742

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

As Jin stepped into the barrier of flames, the eternal flame that had been closing in on his allies came to a halt.

The colossal storm that had engulfed the entire fleet seemed frozen in time, motionless.

The allies looked at the solid wall of flames and then at Jin with wide eyes.

In this era, the blue flames symbolized Jin Runcandel.

Therefore, the allies had been thinking that Jin must have encountered some problem since the eternal flame had been attacking them all this time.

They could only assume that Jin had already been captured or absorbed by the evil god, or that he had become a puppet of the evil god and was now attacking them.

It was natural for the storm of eternal flame to be directed at the evil god and not the allies, considering the circumstances.

But thoughts and feelings were different.

The temporary alliance believed and trusted without considering the situation.

Even if Jin had encountered a problem, they believed that he would ultimately resolve this situation.

That belief was now becoming a reality.

"The 12th flagbearer...!"

"The 12th flagbearer has arrived!"

Even the exhausted and fallen people mustered their remaining strength and shouted in joy.

Hedo and Bianca carried the injured companions from Jin's side.

Among them, Octavia showed signs of regeneration, receiving the energy of the Demon's God's Orb before the healers could even reach her.

[...Father!?]

And Tasha, who had been pushing back the eternal flame on the surface, unknowingly cried out and ran towards Alpen.

[Tasha... You also didn't yield to the evil god. Recover a bit and hold your position. I'll go back to fight soon.]

[Yes, Father!]

The medical team of the Holy Kingdom took care of Alpen.

Jin changed his sword and moved forward. The pale blade of Sigmund shimmered with a blue light in the darkness.

While the eternal flame had completely halted its progress, the chaos mixed within it were converging like a swarm of insects in one place.

On the opposite side of Jin was where the evil god was. The obscured evil god, hidden behind the eternal flame and chaos, seemed to reveal its dark and colossal form.

"Jin."

Valeria approached Jin's side. From her bosom, she took out a small red sphere shaped like a ruby and handed it to Jin.

"I finished the checkups when we were separated. I was concerned that the Evil god's Castle might disrupt its functionality, being a kind of subspace, but luckily it can still operate normally here."

Jin nodded as he received the sphere and Valeria said, "However, I couldn't confirm the stability issue. I can only hope that the spatial characteristics of this place won't cause any unexpected side effects. So if you feel that there might be a problem during its usage, come find me immediately."

Jin nodded.

"You've worked hard, Valeria. It was probably thanks to your efforts that our allies weren't affected by the eternal flame."

Just like Jin's side, the allies who were separated from him would have suffered immeasurable damage if it weren't for Valeria's record magic. They also experienced sudden falls and spatial teleportations multiple times, but fortunately, they avoided permanent damage.

Valeria's face looked pale. She had unleashed her record magic, even at the risk of her mana organs being destroyed, in order to save the temporary alliance. Luckily, she managed to avoid any permanent damage.

If it were the Valeria from before, or rather, the Valeria before she met Jin, she would never have risked her own life to save the temporary alliance. Especially if Zipfel were included in that alliance, it would have been even more unlikely.

But now, she had companions.

There were people she wanted to protect, even at the cost of her own life. People who gradually changed her life, who had been focused solely on duty as a Hister, and revenge.

"Thank you," Jin said, reading her inner thoughts. Valeria didn't mind that he could see into her heart.

"Don't get hurt," Valeria added.

"You too."

The allies were organizing their formation. The fleet had only about 60% of its original strength remaining, but the battleships, including Kozec and Grenil, were all unharmed.

"I will clear the path. Prepare for battle!"

Jin's thunderous voice echoed, and the once-stagnant eternal flame began to surge again.

But this time, instead of closing in on the allies, it moved towards the direction of the evil god hidden behind the chaos.

The fact that such a colossal flame moved solely based on one person's will was something none of them had ever witnessed before, not even those who had directly experienced Kelliark's power.

'Could it be true that he can control all these flames?'

'Perhaps even the evil god, despite its nature, cannot withstand all this fire. Considering the nature of the eternal flame power possessed by the 12th flagbearer... that would be impossible...!'

The onlookers were in awe.

Originally, Jin couldn't fully control an eternal flame of this size. It was impossible even to form an eternal flame on the scale that could envelop the fleet.

It had grown abnormally colossal due to the grudge and evil god's chaos.

But just as the evil god had forcibly multiplied eternal flames using Jin's grudge, now Jin's will to protect his companions, his determination to fight alongside them until the end, was moving the eternal flame.

Within the black curtains, the chaos burst out like a volcanic eruption, but the flames of eternal flame burned even fiercer.

The chaos and eternal flame collided, causing continuous explosions without respite.

Eventually, the sight of the chaos being pushed back began to unfold.

A hole was pierced. As the eternal flame fiercely plunged into that gap, the curtain was torn apart at a rapid speed.

Aaaa..!

The sound of the evil god's scream echoed along with a shockwave.

The shockwave was powerful enough to push even the eternal flame surrounding the curtains.

Jin flinched momentarily and stopped in his tracks.

Behind him, the protective shields of his allies shattered, and fragments scattered.

Over 80% of the shield that covered the entire fleet had been shattered by a single scream of agony from the evil god.

The allies felt a chill down their spines as they realized the severity of the situation and quickly deployed new shields.

With every scream from the evil god, the shields shattered.

In an instant, most of the power sources of the battleships became scorching hot, as if they were about to explode, and the mages attached to the power sources worked tirelessly.

They continued to replace the fallen companions without even having a moment to tend to them. The moment the power sources lost their mana, the entire battleship would suffer fatal damage.

The dragons and knights on ground faced a similar situation. It meant that the evil god had the power to kill them all with just its screams.

On the other hand, it also meant that the eternal flame was definitely dealing significant blows to the evil god.

That's why the allies were desperately hoping for the eternal flame to finish off the evil god, for this relentless battle to come to an end, and for them to see beyond the torn curtains the sight of the evil god disintegrating without a trace, consumed by agony.

However, the evil god wouldn't end like that.

Jin endured the shockwaves and continued to move forward.

He was convinced that to end the fight, he had to stab his sword into the evil god's neck.

Paaaah...!

After about ten seconds, the barrier of chaos finally tore apart completely. Like a door opening, the barrier split into two, and within it, the eternal flame surged like a tidal wave.

Finally, Jin could face the hidden entity known as the Evil god.

'This... is the evil god?'

The evil god had a completely different appearance from Jin's memories.

It wasn't the form it had as a human, nor the demonic form it took on after being tainted by chaos. It resembled a massive ghost, hovering in the air.

The lower half of its body was composed of black smoke made of chaos, instead of legs, while its upper body had a human-like shape.

It wielded hundreds of arms, each holding a different kind of sword found in this world, and its eye sockets, where eyes should have been, were hollow and empty.

"That... is it the King of Black Sea, Glyek!?"

"That appearance resembles the King of Black Sea...!"

The allies were terrified.

Their faces turned pale as they recalled the nightmare of that day.

It felt as if the monster that could have brought about the destruction of the entire world had reappeared under the name of the evil god.

The evil god resisted the eternal flame that enveloped its colossal body. Even though its entire body was engulfed in flames, the evil god no longer screamed.

[I'm curious.]

The evil god's hollow gaze fell upon Jin.

[Is the fire you possess truly unquenchable? Is it something that can't be stopped by anything?]

Jin's pupils dilated.

The eternal flame surrounding the evil god was gradually diminishing.

[Unfortunately, that is not the case. It is a wonderful sword but it is not enough to kill your mother.]

Jin stared at the evil god.

[However, you should be praised. You killed the ghosts of the mausoleum, witnessed the complete loss of my last trace of humanity, and burned everything that bore my name as a knight... In the end, you have come to confront me.]

"It wasn't just ghosts that were present. You failed to subdue three of our ancestors who were there. Moreover, such ancestors probably still remain. Don't you understand yet? Evil god, your power is not absolute.]

Fwizzz...!

Jin's illuminating heart filled with lightning energy.

As Rosa felt that power, her lips curled into a sinister smile.

With a grotesque shape, it was a smile unrecognizable to anyone.

[Youngest one, now it's time for you to die here... It's your turn to become the myth of this black land that I will govern in the future.]

"I won't be the one to die, it'll be you. And you will be remembered as a nightmare in the world."

I will send you to where young Rosa Runcandel is waiting.

With those words, Jin crushed the red sphere he had clenched in his fist.

Suddenly, the energy gathering in his illuminating heart surged and began to tremble as if on the verge of explosion.

From the moment the sphere shattered, Jin could sense the presence of a being who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.

He could become that existence.

Plutonian tribe's battle god, Vahn. The Battle god fusion was unfolding, connecting Jin and her inner self.

(... Brother Jin? What's happening? Suddenly, your thoughts are reaching me. Is this another coincidence like before?)

'It's not a coincidence, sister battle god. I'm sorry for borrowing your power without warning. But I thought the connection would be with Lingling first, luckily it was you who connected first.'

Vahn instantly understood the situation as she read Jin's inner thoughts, and responded.

(Hahaha, I've been anticipating this day. Brother Jin, let us fight together.)

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]

評論 0條評論

投票