Chapter 179
Episode 59: The Legacy of the Spirit Sword (2)
Beyond the dimensional gate lay a city.
As Tantel stepped through the portal and gestured, Jin followed closely behind. Strangely, the moment they crossed the threshold, the soft desert sand beneath their feet gave way to a solid, firm ground.
Splash.
Tantel opened the canteen at his waist and offered it to Jin. Without hesitation, Jin took it and gulped down the contents—but nearly spat it all out.
It wasn’t water inside—it was liquor.
Not just any liquor, but a potent spirit unlike anything Jin had ever tasted, even in his previous life. It felt less like swallowing a liquid and more like swallowing a chunk of fire. When Jin shot Tantel a sharp glare, Tantel burst out laughing.
“Ha! In our tongue, it’s called Laprarosa. Humans call it the Black Light.”
“Is that the name of this awful drink?”
“No, it’s the name of this magnificent city. But humans have always been clueless about good liquor. This is a jewel spirit—made by refining diamonds in our own way.”
“Just give me some water.”
Laprarosa. The Black Light.
What Jin was looking at was a city built during the peak of the Pluto race’s civilization.
Laprarosa was said to have been constructed over five thousand years ago, yet it boasted a level of sophistication that was hard to believe for its age.
And it was extravagant.
“A golden road, huh? No wonder so many adventurers crossed the great desert in search of gold.”
Jin pressed the new canteen to his nose—it was definitely water this time—and took a long drink. Looking around, the streets were paved entirely with gleaming gold, and the buildings rising above were adorned with what looked like jewels.
Mostly on the doors. Each door was embedded with a gem similar to the one on Tantel’s chest.
“Tantel, what’s that gem on your chest? Every door has the same one.”
“It’s a heart.”
Tantel’s brief answer carried a trace of sorrow. Jin didn’t press further and followed him down the golden street.
What use was a city built of gold and jewels?
Only Jin and Tantel walked the main road. No matter how dazzling it shone, Laprarosa was already a dead city.
Or perhaps a city frozen in time.
The once-glorious Pluto race had been destroyed. Only a handful survived, quietly hiding within the dimension created by Solderet.
The gems embedded in every door were hearts that had burned brightly when their owners were alive.
After two hours of walking, the golden street ended. More gold was laid on the paths they hadn’t taken.
Beyond the golden road, the ground was flat stone. On either side stretched endless colossal statues honoring the warriors of the Pluto race.
“This is the path to the Hall of War Gods. Like I said before, Jin Runkandel, be careful what you say in front of the brothers in the Hall. Got it?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Well, not all the brothers there have earned the titles of War God or War King.”
“How many Plutos are left?”
“Seventy-seven, including the War Gods and the twelve War Kings. They’ve all been waiting for you in this frozen time.”
“You sounded like you’d fail me if I slipped up earlier.”
“Even if you have to wait longer, if you don’t meet the conditions, you won’t be taught.”
The Pluto race didn’t seem to be the most straightforward people.
Jin shrugged, thinking that over.
“The Hall of War Gods…”
True to its name, it was a hall dedicated to the gods of battle—an arrogantly fitting title. Still, Jin felt a strong curiosity about the War Gods and the twelve War Kings.
From afar, the energy radiating from the Hall, just coming into view, was intense.
“Not quite on par with Temar’s aura, but it still sends chills down my spine.”
Before crossing the great desert, Jin might not have even noticed that eerie feeling. Having overcome three mirages already, he had achieved quite a feat.
The Hall of War Gods was the largest building Jin had ever seen.
Its outer walls, made of steel and stone, bore no lavish decorations, but the massive iron gates, like fortress doors, were studded with countless Pluto hearts.
When Tantel placed his palm on the gate, it began to open on its own.
Creakkkk…
“Oh!”
“Oooooh!”
That wasn’t Jin’s voice.
The exclamations came from a group of Plutos who had been anxiously pressed against the gate, waiting for it to open.
“Finally, our disciple has arrived!”
“Wow, he’s cute!”
“It’s been a thousand years since Temar, a whole millennium!”
Tantel rubbed his forehead, embarrassed. Even the Plutos blushed like humans when shy.
“Crazy… no need to blush like that.”
The Plutos’ eyes sparkled as they looked at Jin. Towering over two meters tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, they were an imposing sight.
“Brothers, how many times have I told you not to behave like this…?”
Despite Tantel’s words, the Plutos paid no mind and bombarded Jin with questions.
“How old are you?”
“How do you feel about coming to Laprarosa?”
“Have you eaten? What’s your favorite food?”
Their deep, booming voices chatting away made Jin wonder if these were really the ancient conquerors of the continent.
“Hopefully none of these chatterboxes are War Gods or War Kings. Well, there are talkative people everywhere.”
Before Jin could decide how to answer, a woman suddenly lifted him off the ground. Jin tried to push her away but was no match for her strength.
“What kind of power…!”
Jin knew the Plutos were strong from stories and from fighting alongside Tantel, but this was different. When he’d sparred with Tantel, it hadn’t been like this. Jin struggled to break free, but she handled him like a child.
Laughing heartily, the woman gave Jin a piggyback ride. This time, Jin couldn’t help but blush like Tantel.
“Your face is filthy black. You need a bath! Pellos, I hope you’ve prepared the bathwater?”
“Of course, Seventh War King brother!”
She was Beliz, the seventh War King of the Pluto Hall of War Gods.
“Let me go!”
Jin sighed, realizing resistance was pointless.
Besides, everyone seemed genuinely welcoming. There was no need to spoil the mood by making a fuss.
From now on, Jin was to inherit the ‘Spirit Sword’ from them. He had come to learn, not to fight.
“Excellent! Hahaha! Who’s going to bathe him? Let’s decide by rock-paper-scissors! The last one standing gets the honor of bathing our historic second disciple!”
“Rock, paper!”
“Scissors!”
“Again, again…!”
They all seemed possessed by madness. Tantel looked resigned, his face blank.
It was understandable—they were meeting a new human for the first time in a thousand years, and one destined to inherit the Spirit Sword. Hard to blame them…
“No, this isn’t right. Really isn’t.”
If he stayed quiet, one of these burly Plutos would end up bathing him. Jin had hated being bathed even as a toddler by Gilly.
“I’ll bathe myself!”
The room fell silent instantly.
All eyes turned to Jin, still perched on Beliz’s back.
“No, that’s not allowed.”
“Why not?”
“You have to meet the War God brothers with a clean body.”
“There’s bathwater, right? I can wash up with that.”
“No, it’s not enough. You have to be spotless—even the last grain of sand in your ears must be gone.”
“That’s right. Humans are a bit dirty. Wearing filthy clothes, eating with grimy hands, and eating spoiled food without complaint.”
In the Plutos’ memories, most humans were like that. Their history had stopped five thousand years ago, and back then, humans were far from clean.
“I’m not like that.”
Jin said, though he found it ridiculous.
He even had to explain how well he washed himself, and the Plutos listened skeptically, snorting quietly.
“…You know how to wash better than I thought.”
“What should we do, Seventh War King brother? He’s refusing pretty stubbornly.”
“Hmm!”
Beliz tapped Jin’s ankle with her finger, debating whether to let him bathe alone.
“Fine. Bathe by yourself first. If you don’t meet our standards afterward, you’ll accept help without complaint. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Jin spent three hours washing himself in the bathhouse on one side of the Hall. He bathed obsessively, worried they might find fault, but he felt refreshed.
It was his first bath since entering the desert, after all. The bathhouse even had fruit and traditional Pluto sweets for a light snack.
On the way back, Jin noticed that despite its name, the Hall of War Gods also served as a kind of plaza. Most Plutos who hadn’t come to greet them at the gate were gathered on the first floor, reading or chatting.
“Passed.”
Tantel handed Jin a traditional Pluto garment. It was a robe tailored for future inheritors.
“You wash well. I burned the clothes you came in.”
“I never thought I’d be praised for washing well here. Your people are surprisingly lively. I thought you’d be battle-crazed demons.”
“We’re human too. After a thousand years frozen since Temar, everyone’s a bit excited.”
As Jin tried to tie his bradamante sword belt around his waist, Tantel shook his head.
“You’re not supposed to carry weapons when meeting the Spirit Warriors. Is that it?”
“That’s quite an exaggeration. Do you really think wearing a sword would threaten the Spirit Warrior brothers?”
“Then why?”
“Because you won’t be using that sword here for the time being. From what I saw earlier, it looks like the brother sword of Barisada that Temar used. When you learn the Spirit Sword technique, you have to use a different sword.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the sword will assist your spiritual energy. If you rely on it, you won’t be able to train properly. You’ll stop by your room first, then go to meet the Spirit Warriors. Leave the sword in your room.”
Jin’s room was simple—just a bed and a small bookshelf. Unlike the outer city, the Spirit Warrior Hall had no trace of luxury whatsoever.
“When you enter the main hall, the Seven Spirit Kings you saw earlier will be there too. But the atmosphere will be completely different, so don’t get flustered. Just answer their questions clearly. Like I said before, don’t say anything unnecessary.”
“When do I start learning the Spirit Sword technique?”
“That’s up to the Spirit Warriors to decide. The test you passed was just the minimum requirement. The moment they judge you’re not ready, you might have to turn back the way you came.”
Jin’s eyes snapped open at the thunderous news.
“From start to finish, this is all so unreasonable.”
“If you want to master a martial art that’s ridiculously strong, you have to accept that. If we had faced the gods wielding the Spirit Sword, things would have turned out very differently.”
The closer they got to the Spirit Warrior Hall, the more Tantal’s heart brightened. It seemed the energy of the Spirit Warriors, the rulers of fate, was affecting him somehow.