Chapter 1022
Episode 247: The Liberation War of Laprarosa (10)
‘Is that… the Kree?’
Jin, Murakan, and the Meiwang clan all looked up into the sky.
The Kree was originally a crimson airborne fortress, a symbol of the Red-Eyed tribe, but now it looked as if it were riddled with tumors—its hull stained and corrupted by chaotic energy.
That made it all the more terrifying. It resembled the massive ship “Ram” once operated by the Tyrant during the Dark God War.
‘It must be even greater than Ram,’ they thought.
A deep, ominous rumble echoed.
From the Kree’s core, a massive wave of hostile brain energy—never before seen in the Great Desert—was spreading.
Even without seeing the power source directly, anyone could tell: like a sun, an infinite force vibrated deep within the mountain-like hull.
The very pulsation of that energy cracked the earth and warped the sky. A single airborne fortress now held a dreadful power capable of erasing entire continents in an instant.
“Brothers, stay alert! We cannot let our final battle be defiled like this!” Simat’s desperate cry went unanswered.
Those who survived were already consumed by the chaotic energy. They were no longer his loyal kin but mere fodder for chaos.
The dying Great War Kings were no different. Their torn flesh and broken bones had been restored by the chaotic energy, and they clung to the airborne fortresses like parasites.
[Agghhh!]
[Grrr…!]
Bakarun fused onto the center of Pibil, while Rakiman and Bekios merged onto the upper parts of Vesl and Rital. It was as if someone had torn them apart and stuffed their pieces into the damaged sections of the fortress.
Simat felt a wave of nausea at the grotesque sight.
More than Jin’s martial power or the inevitable doom ahead, it was the fact that his people had become chaotic flesh that plunged Simat into despair. Only the hollow, chaos-tainted eyes of his kin remained.
“Rokia Ganesto… What the hell are you doing?”
[Wouldn’t it have been better if you’d done your job properly, Simat? Then neither of us would be so tired.]
A massive red spear suddenly rose above the Kree. Behind the hood, Rokia’s face appeared within the spear’s glow.
[But since I managed to produce a decent result even now, I suppose I deserve some praise. Good work. Now rest easy. You can let go of the lifeline I’m forcibly holding with the power of creation, or if you prefer…]
A main cannon protruded from the Kree’s center. It fired at Simat with such speed that even he momentarily lost track.
The blast was a radiant wave of mixed chaotic and brain energy. Unlike other airborne fortresses, this was an attack that couldn’t be simply parried.
“Ugh!”
Even a body made of brain energy couldn’t avoid the impact. Simat convulsed, buried under the barrage.
The chaotic energy within the blast gnawed at him like a swarm of insects.
[I could end your miserable life for you. Consider it a kindness—a final mercy for a dog that at least barked well.]
This was no ordinary wound from sword clashes between warriors. The cannon of the chaos-infused Kree crushed his last shred of pride.
With every bit of chaotic energy that entered his body, he heard the screams of his people.
The ancient rulers who once reigned supreme, the unstoppable Great Seal, the misery of being used by insignificant humans, and now, after reclaiming his warrior spirit, facing destruction once more.
All their despair and frustration clawed at Simat’s soul—shards of shattered dreams cutting deep.
“Let my people… just die, Rokia Ganesto. If you don’t want to regret it.”
[Oh, how frightening. You want your people to simply meet death? Ha, how easily those words come from your mouth. You’ve been using your subordinates like disposable tools all along. Even the Undying Army, those who should have been allowed to rest naturally, you squeezed to the last drop.]
As Rokia spoke, the barrage subsided.
Where Simat had stood was now a bottomless crater. Blackened desert sands were being sucked in like water into the swirling void.
Simat hovered in the center, barely holding on, his body skeletal and radiating hostile brain waves. The chaos clinging to him like leeches continued to gnaw away.
“I told you to just let them die.”
[And didn’t I also tell my descendants that the Red-Eyed tribe has no qualms about trampling the weak, nor fear being crushed by the strong? So, Simat, this is just how things are now. Someone stronger than you, not Jin, has appeared and is using your subordinates as they please.]
Swoosh!
Tetalon unleashed a red sword energy toward the Kree, but it was blocked by the protective shield formed by the four airborne fortresses.
It wasn’t because the Kree was weakened by the barrage. Even while fighting Jin, Tetalon had pierced the Meiwang’s sword several times, leaving faint wounds.
The reason Tetalon couldn’t reach the Kree now was because his spirit wavered. The realization that he could no longer fight while preserving his last pride, that all this was his own fault, clouded his blade.
-You’re nothing but a foolish leader who drove yourself and your people into the jaws of death and chaos. If you can at least die properly, consider yourself lucky.
Just as Jin had said earlier, the one who turned his people into chaotic flesh was not Rokia, but himself.
If only he hadn’t embraced chaos.
If only he hadn’t used the orb Rokia gave him—or better yet, hadn’t accepted it at all—would the outcome have been different? Could they have fought and died as true Red-Eyed warriors, not infected monsters?
Regret flooded him relentlessly, even in the blink of an eye. His legs faltered, caught by chaos.
“Jin Runkandel.”
Suddenly, Simat called out to Jin without looking back.
“Now I understand why the Elder Cheongpung entrusted you. Our fight… ends here. I admit defeat. You are a better warrior than I, and as a leader, you are incomparably superior.”
Crack, creak, screech… The chaos clinging to Simat began to melt away. Though his emaciated body wouldn’t return, his true flesh had long since turned to ash. He had been able to fight without a body for some time.
“It may seem pathetic, but I want to use my last moments for my people. From now on, I will turn my back on you and fight. I will cut down that witch’s follower and our greatest pride—the airborne fortress. Even if you stab me in the back, I will accept it.”
Jin said nothing.
There was no reason to stop him. For the next twelve hours, no matter what happened, they had to protect Laprarosa.
[You don’t really think that’s enough to atone, do you, Simat? You’re shining those eyes in vain.]
“No sin I’ve committed against my people can ever be forgiven. So listen, my kin. I will let you die. I will bear all this pain and chaos in your stead. Even if I cannot find rest, you will.”
The chaos tormenting Simat’s soul faded.
The despair and resentment of his people hadn’t vanished entirely. In fact, their bitter voices grew clearer and louder with every passing second.
It was a pain that could never be overcome.
But even buried in darkness, he had to move and fight. Even blind, he had to find a way. A path for his people to find peace.
Rokia watched Simat’s inner turmoil with a smile.
[How amusing. After living such a bloodstained, terrible life, you still cling to the hope of rest. All from just one awakening, one desperate fight. Isn’t that right, descendant?]
Rokia easily blocked Simat’s approach like swatting a fly. Every time the Kree’s main cannon unleashed brain energy, Simat was slammed deep underground with the chaos.
The relentless barrage left him unable to escape the crater, even as his sword blazed red once more.
For the first time, Rokia’s gleaming eyes behind the hood met Jin’s.
And Jin felt it—at that moment, the Lingling hidden deep within his radiant heart screamed.
“You’re trying hard to sever the bond with my half-brother, Rokia Ganesto. Don’t you dare call me your descendant with that filthy mouth.”
[How disappointing. Without me, you wouldn’t even exist. Before Temar had children, how many times did I save his life? Murakan, you never told him that, did you?]
[Rokia. You bastard… You’re not the man I once knew. Even if you crossed the line a thousand years ago, it was always for Temar and the family. But what have you gained by betraying us? What’s your real goal?]
[You ask the obvious. My goal has always been one thing. I’ve said it many times—I want a just world. That’s why I was drawn to Temar. At least for a time, he seemed like someone who could truly change the world… unlike that brat standing next to you, who can’t even compare.]
Murakan let out a bitter laugh.
[So you became the witch’s dog in the name of changing the world?]
[Witches don’t keep dogs. Jeokokmyo had one once, but even she let it go. She’s fundamentally very different from me. I just know how to use the poison that bastard unleashed on the world.]
[And the kid and Temar. I’ve been through both of them, Lokia. I was the guardian dragon for both. There’s no way you know the kid better than I do. The kid isn’t like Temar. He’s… stronger.]
For Murakan, it was the first time he truly acknowledged Jin as superior to Temar. And that was a strange feeling for him—placing someone else above Temar.
[Well, I suppose our descendants will only find out when they face a decisive moment. When they have to choose just one precious thing.]