Episode 1094
Chapter 256. Morganiel (3)
Fssssss…!
Morganiel’s body began to disintegrate, breaking apart into particles. Soon, all that remained under Siron’s gaze was a handful of dust.
The expedition to subdue the Five Kings of the Black Sea.
After decades of longing—both for Runkandel and for Siron—this was the moment it finally came to an end. The nearby expedition members, including Kan, trembled and wept as they confirmed Morganiel’s death.
Even the stalwart Black Knights of the vanguard couldn’t hold back their tears; the journey had been unbearably painful. Luna, supporting the approaching expedition members, felt her eyes grow warm with tears.
But Siron looked down at the dust that had once been Morganiel with an indifferent gaze. The joy he had felt when he was certain he could cut her down vanished like a lie.
Is this really the end?
That thought refused to leave Siron’s mind. From the very day the Black Sea expedition began, he had never imagined Morganiel would meet such a hollow fate.
“…Even if this isn’t the end, there’s nothing we can do for now.”
“Father?”
“The Black Sea expedition ends here.”
Siron ruffled Luna’s hair and checked on the expedition members. It was a miracle they had all survived.
“Little one.”
“Yes, Father.”
“No, you scolded me for calling you ‘Father,’ but you call the youngest that?”
“The mission is over now, isn’t it, Luna?”
“That’s true.”
It was well known that Siron had shed his demonic aura, but seeing him doting on Luna like this felt strange to Jin—though in a good way.
“Does the fleet you brought include medical facilities?”
“We have facilities on par with a royal kingdom. We’ll bring the expedition members aboard immediately.”
“Excellent. Ban, did you bring the liquor?”
“Of course. And glasses too. Unlike someone who used to shove dirty pauldrons in my face.”
“You’re more narrow-minded than you look.”
There was no time to waste.
Even though they had defeated Morganiel, it wasn’t a time to simply drink and celebrate. Still, Jin didn’t stop his brothers from carrying bottles of jewel liquor as they disembarked. Siron’s words were not mere sentimentality.
“We’ll have to wait a while for the Black Sea’s changes anyway, so let’s share a light drink and unwind. Sit down, Luna, Jin. There’s much to discuss.”
The Black Sea’s changes.
True to his words, as Jin and Luna took their seats, the scenery around them began to shift.
Suddenly, trees shot up all around. Not the Black Sea’s usual poisonous thornbushes, but bright yellow trees, like autumn ginkgo leaves.
“The life force suppressed by the Five Kings of the Black Sea is now erupting. Nothing to be surprised about.”
“Wow…”
“Too beautiful to say there’s nothing to be surprised about, Siron. It’s like an entire hidden world is blooming all at once.”
From somewhere came the sound of flowing water, and the air, which had been thick moments before, became indescribably fresh.
Among the trees, now already ten steps tall, unknown small insects sang pleasant melodies, and the land was soaked with blue and red flowers and grasses.
All these changes happened before Siron even raised his first glass. Even as they sipped the jewel liquor, the transformation stretched far toward the horizon.
“Is this really the Black Sea…? I’ve lived three thousand years, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“The entire Black Sea isn’t changing like this, Murakan.”
“Is that so? Well, Siron, this is uncomfortable. The kid talks casually to me, so you should do the same.”
“Agreed. Pour me a drink.”
“Right away.”
From the fleet, the allied members watching could see the Black Sea’s transformation more clearly. The bright yellow trees that had sprouted seemed to form a path leading somewhere.
“While we were tracking and confronting Morganiel,” Siron began, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I was aware that something massive was happening outside. The power felt even greater than the day the Lord of the Underworld awoke. And there were not one, but two.”
The leaders of the Demon Army, Keliak Ziphl and Malugia. Siron recognized their power the moment they appeared in the mortal realm.
“That power belongs to the solar gods’ selves, Keliak Ziphl and Malugia, Father.”
“Another world’s Keliak Ziphl?”
“Have you known about the multiverse for some time?”
“No, I only inferred it recently from what Morganiel said. Also, the Keliak Ziphl you and I know could never become like that.”
The multiverse—Siron had vaguely grasped the truth from some of Morganiel’s words.
-[Now I understand, Siron Runkandel. You here are special. The reason my brothers and I meet this fate is because this world is unique.]
-[You never united us anywhere. What is it that keeps you fighting?]
-[I chose to die by your hand now only to not violate that truth. I hope victory lies before you, my old friend.]
Words Morganiel spoke during the pursuit and in her final moments.
Siron kept turning over her last will in his mind. If she hadn’t chosen to die, it meant she could still be alive at this point.
Jin spent some time explaining the truth of the multiverse and the recent terrible events in detail to Siron.
“…So that’s how it is. Then Morganiel’s last will means she accepted death because I am needed in this world. Like a witch, she must have become aware of the multiverse from some branching point onward.”
If Keliak Ziphl dealt with this world and Malugia, the ‘fair death’ Morganiel spoke of would vanish from all dimensions.
Keliak Ziphl would become an immortal being at that moment. Anyone who resisted him would be wiped from every dimension.
“Hmm, if that’s the case, Morganiel decided to side with this world, didn’t she?”
“That could be one way to see it, Murakan.”
“Then why didn’t she just form an alliance and fight alongside us like Orgal? Why die from a sword wound and cause all this fuss? We need a hand badly. And if she died on purpose, that means she was even stronger than that.”
“Murakan, that’s quite a fresh perspective.”
“Siron, am I wrong?”
“No, you’re right. But I think Morganiel’s death was part of a plan left by Solderet.”
“…A plan?”
“Morganiel wants us to reach that pocket dimension.”
Siron set down his glass and pointed ahead.
Even as the Black Sea continued to change in vivid colors, the yellow trees forming a path caught his eye anew.
It was a clear path, visible even from where they sat.
“Little one.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I’m certain that at the end of that path lies the pocket dimension created by Lokia Ganesto. The one we’ve faced before. He was not merely a fragment of the Origin Stone.”
“Not a fragment of the Origin Stone… meaning Morganiel existed before the Origin Stone was destroyed?”
“Exactly. Gliek, Kial, Su, Nirgand—I thought the Black Sea kings were born simultaneously, but Morganiel was not. She’s more like a massive primordial will. Wandering the world for ages, then inhabiting the Origin Stone the moment it was born.”
“Like the solar gods, existing from the beginning?”
“That I cannot say, Ban. But since Morganiel guarded the plan left by Solderet, there must be some connection. That’s why she opened the path now. What do you think is inside?”
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
“Whatever it is, we came to the Black Sea because we can no longer avoid opening it.”
“Yes, Father. There was no other hope.”
“Let’s hope Solderet has not betrayed us.”
Just as Siron finished speaking, Focal descended from the flagship Sara.
[Siron Runkandel.]
“Ah, my apologies for the late greeting, Lord Focal.”
[What I saw today was one of the most beautiful sights since the creation of this world. I wish to express my gratitude, but first, I must show this to you and Jin.]
Focal held a small box resembling a coffin.
Inside was Temar’s left arm. When opened, it glowed with a fierce purple light.
The Barisada hanging at Siron’s waist vibrated in response to the light.
[From my insight, Temar’s body and the Barisada are essential conditions to enter Solderet’s plan. But there is a problem. As you can see, Temar’s left arm is cursed.]
A curse left by Airan Biment, the Melka tribe, when they took Temar’s body.
[With this curse, Temar’s body cannot serve as the authentication tool to enter the pocket dimension.]
“Fortunately, this is a problem I can solve.”
Ameris had come down with Focal.
“I’m glad you followed me. I had a feeling we’d need some ancient knowledge soon.”
Currently, only Lokia Ganesto and Ameris could reverse the Melka tribe’s curse.
“Lord Ameris, how long will it take to lift the curse?”
“At the very least, five days.”
“Would it take the same amount of time if we returned to Tikan to work on it?”
“Yes. Since Focal and Silkia can’t easily open the dimensional gate from the Black Sea to the mortal realm, we’ll have to wait for now.”
Just as the environment of the Black Sea had suddenly changed, Pocal and Silkia also needed several adjustments to open the dimensional gate back to Inse. Although Morganiel was dead, his influence hadn’t completely vanished.
“I understand.”