Chapter 1016
Episode 247: The Lafrarosa Liberation War (4)
Sshhhhhh…!
It felt as if a tidal wave was pouring out from the rift. A deep blue energy, darker than any psychic force, surged over the spot where Simat stood.
Because it had crossed dimensions, Ban’s full destructive power wasn’t entirely unleashed. Still, it was too much to simply rely on the protective shield of the Red Brain Wave and block it.
Simat gritted her teeth and fixed her gaze on the rift.
Even though she had never seen Ban in person, her murderous expression seemed to be right in front of her.
And yet, a certainty settled in her mind.
“…The power is weaker than last time. It’s not refined to the extreme, just a wild, furious sword energy soaked in rage. Maybe, as Lokia Ganesto said, the chaos is affecting the being called Lingling.”
No sooner had she thought this than the sword energy pouring from the rift suddenly darkened into a murky black.
[Kraaaah!]
A dark, mournful scream—typical of chaotic lifeforms—echoed out. Jin and the Two Kings swallowed hard at the sound.
‘Lingling…!’
It was Lingling’s cry. Despite the distance between dimensions, it sounded as if she was wailing right in the middle of the battlefield.
The pain in that scream was palpable. Though it sounded so close, Jin found himself unable to read Lingling’s inner thoughts as he usually did.
Chaos was driving Lingling into a frenzy. So, just like on that deserted island in the past, communicating with her or attempting to merge their powers was impossible.
Kzjrrk!
Jin yanked the blade embedded in the very center of Rital’s upper hull. The armor cracked and crumbled like dry bark, and through the gap, Murakan’s dark tendrils seeped in.
Simat quickly made a decision. Rather than recklessly using the Red Sky Divine Sword on Lafrarosa again, it was better to first prevent the airborne fortress from being destroyed.
The crimson light of the Red Sky Divine Sword began to pour down on Rital. At the same time, Pibil and Vesel slammed their main cannons into Rital’s upper deck. Jin still hadn’t left the top of Rital.
If he just dodged, the attacks from the Red Eye Tribe would hit Rital directly. But Jin didn’t believe the Red Eye Tribe would be foolish enough to act so carelessly.
As expected, the Red Sky Divine Sword and the main cannons quickly changed course the moment Jin dodged, pursuing him relentlessly.
Moreover, the sword energy Simat fired again sliced through the dark tendrils infecting Rital, tearing them away. Rital rapidly stabilized and regained its position.
‘No wonder it’s called the strongest ancient war machine.’
Countless powerful warriors had knelt or perished before the Red Eye Tribe for this very reason. The airborne fortress alone was nearly unbeatable, and now they had a warrior like Simat defending it.
And the Red Eye Tribe’s strongest airborne fortress hadn’t even appeared yet—only the one in the Great Desert had been seen.
‘At this rate, they’ll eventually unleash that “Kuri” fortress too. Before that happens, I have to get my brothers out of Inse…!’
For Lafrarosa, for the Balmur Alliance, and for the world.
This was not a task Jin could accomplish alone. The most reliable keys right now were Quaul’s device and Lingling.
[Kraaaah!]
Lingling’s screams continued to echo.
And with every cry of hers, the sword energy pouring from the rift grew more chaotic and erratic. It meant Lingling’s influence was weakening Ban’s control.
Jin parried Simat’s sword and thought about what he could do for Lingling.
‘Maybe…’
Like Lingling, perhaps letting himself be consumed by chaos was an option.
‘If I let chaos consume me, I might be able to communicate with her. She’s probably lost in the chaos right now.’
It was a dangerous gamble. In the past, when Jin was consumed by the “Primordial Chaos,” he lost all his power and fought a desperate battle with Lingling.
But now was different.
Jin had ascended to Creation and understood chaos much better. He thought he might be able to harness that power even while being consumed.
And soon, that thought became certainty.
‘If I hesitate now and something happens to Lingling, there won’t be a next time. The gateway to Lafrarosa will close forever.’
Even if it didn’t close, Lingling’s rampage would inevitably cause Ban fatal damage.
Irreparable injuries, or death.
Worst of all, if Ban went berserk too, she might turn her sword against her own brothers. If Lingling’s frenzy wasn’t stopped, any of these could happen.
The brothers could endure.
Jin had believed that until now, and it was true. Ban and the Dark King Tribe wouldn’t simply die from external attacks.
But Lingling was different. The Lingling they had seen was not a strong being—small, immature, and fragile.
In other words, a child. There was no way such a child could withstand being consumed by chaos alone.
“Murakan, I won’t be able to focus on fighting for a while. So protect me by holding off Simat.”
[Kid, what are you talking about all of a sudden?]
“I’m going to accept the chaos. I have to save Lingling.”
[What!?]
“Please.”
Murakan glanced between Jin and the battlefield in disbelief, then nodded.
It was a look Jin hadn’t seen in a long time—full of resolve, determination, and madness. There was no stopping him now, and history showed that in moments like this, Jin always pulled off the best outcome.
[Well, it’s the guardian dragon’s job anyway. Fine, don’t worry and do what you have to. But don’t mess up my time with the strawberry pie when you get back.]
“What are you babbling about in the middle of a fight, Jin Runkandel, Black Dragon? You think you can relax just because you’ve dealt some damage to Rital?”
Simat closed the distance, slicing away the dark tendrils.
At that moment, Jin suddenly reached out to a handful of darkness before him—the chaotic energy still spreading across the battlefield.
“It’s not that, it’s just the crying that’s annoying.”
“What? No, what the…!”
Simat’s eyes widened.
Jin struck his chest with the hand clutching the chaos—right where his glowing heart shone. Even Simat was momentarily stunned, about to shout what he thought was a suicide attempt.
Simat knew well how those consumed by chaos changed. So from his perspective, Jin’s sudden action looked like he was trying to kill himself.
“Are you afraid of chaos, Simat?”
Jin smiled faintly as he looked at her. With every passing second, his glowing heart darkened.
“…Now that I see it, you seem more afraid than I am. You’re gambling everything to calm that chaotic creature called Lingling.”
“You have sharp insight. Well then, I’ll be back. Have a good time with Murakan.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Instead of that, I’d appreciate it if you called it decisiveness.”
Swish! Simat’s sword flew toward Jin’s neck. Jin’s reflexes had already slowed, and he couldn’t quite read the blade’s trajectory.
But Murakan swung his tail, twisting the blade’s path. The red sword energy passed through the air just to the right of Jin’s head.
[Are you deaf? I said have a good time with me.]
“You think you can face me alone without Jin Runkandel…?”
As Simat spoke, Jin felt his consciousness begin to blur. The voice right in front of him sounded like a distant echo.
Though he said he’d “be back,” it was only in the inner world. Jin was still on the battlefield.
Simat’s sword and the airborne fortress’s bombardment rained down relentlessly. To Jin, all those attacks now looked like a blur of crushed light.
There was nowhere to hide in the Great Desert from the Red Eye Tribe’s gaze. No matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t outrun the fortress’s mobility or suppress its firepower. This was the best he could do.
‘Hmm…!’
His vision blurred faster and faster. As the barrier between reality and the inner world crumbled, Jin realized something unexpected.
‘I don’t feel any discomfort at all.’
He had expected terrible pain from being consumed by chaos. But instead, he felt a comforting warmth, like soaking in hot water.
Something warm glowed in the center of his chest. Looking down, he saw it was his glowing heart.
Though stained black by chaos in reality, in his inner world, his glowing heart shone softly like a golden orb.
Seeing this, Jin instinctively knew: the power he gained from Creation was protecting him.
‘I expected some of this, but I never thought it would feel this comfortable.’
How long this would last, he didn’t know. Outside, Murakan and his brothers were still fighting fiercely. He had to finish quickly and return.
Before him stretched a shimmering white desert—the familiar sight he had encountered several times traveling through his inner world.
Jin began walking toward it naturally.
‘Lingling, where are you?’
No answer came, but from afar, he heard the sound of a child sobbing. Lingling’s cries.
As he moved toward the sound, he saw black, chaos-tainted areas. In the center stood Lingling, frozen like a statue, collapsed.
Chaos swirled nearby.
‘Should I cut through?’
There was no need. The chaotic vortex faded and purified into golden light as Jin approached Lingling, as if the chaos itself recognized an inevitable presence.
Hwaaaah…!
As the murky haze of chaos began to clear, Lingling gasped for breath and slowly lifted her head.
“Jin…! Is that really you!?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Now that you’re here—huff huff—wait, that’s not it. I mean, with you here, suddenly it feels easier to breathe. What happened? The clan must have been struggling because of me.”
Just as expected, the clan was still enduring the aftermath of Lingling’s rampage.
“Can you check on the clan’s condition right now?”
“Yeah, it seems to be getting better. Their murderous aura is fading. But… where exactly are we? This isn’t Laprarosa, and it doesn’t feel like Inse either.”
“This is my inner world. I deliberately let chaos consume me so I could find you. Now, let’s get out of here. The clan’s stabilized, and since you were already drawn out of Laprarosa by the chaos… looks like we can fight together now.”
Jin closed his eyes and focused once more on the sounds of reality. As the thunderous roar of the battlefield grew clearer, he opened his eyes to see the vast desert stained red before him.