Chapter 193
Episode 62: The Compass Seizure Operation (5)
Kozek’s absence meant that Kinzel and Ziphl would have to fight cautiously.
How many warriors and mages had gathered here? Their power was formidable—lined with 7- and 8-star fighters, even a 9-star grand mage among them.
If they fought with full force, this tiny island would vanish from the map in an instant.
But it wouldn’t just be the island disappearing. The aura and magic left behind by the warriors and mages would mix, triggering explosions, whirlpools, tsunamis—disasters of every kind.
How many humans could possibly survive such chaos? Even a grand mage couldn’t breathe underwater, and no matter how strong a warrior was, swimming against such a vortex was impossible.
And even if someone managed to escape—say, by riding a dragon—the island’s devastation would spell disaster for everyone. Rune Kandel and Biment couldn’t possibly miss such a massive battle.
Ziphl and Kinzel had to keep their alliance and the compass a secret. Especially if the compass were to break or get lost during the fight, Kinzel’s losses would be catastrophic.
Jin and his comrades couldn’t afford to reveal their identities either. The moment that happened, they’d lose Tikhan—their sanctuary—and nowhere in the world would be safe for them.
“I thought their threat to kill us all was just bluster to buy time, but it was to confirm Kozek wasn’t on the island…!?”
Kal felt as if he’d been struck hard in the back of the head.
“Now that I think about it, that black helmet Kozek wears—that’s the very thing the White Night mages from Colon mentioned. Talaris said he protected his daughter from Kozek, who wore that black helmet. Damn it, why did I only remember now?”
Midor Elner and his other brothers had told the same story. The one who killed Myuron Ziphl was also a man wearing a black helmet.
Regret was useless now.
Even knowing this beforehand wouldn’t change Jin’s abilities.
Why did Kozek come to Colon back then? Could he have known about the sacred relic? What was his connection to the Lady of the Secret Bow? Could it be that it wasn’t her but Kozek who half-destroyed Colon?
What grudge did he hold against Ziphl? How did he know all of Ziphl’s secrets—the sacred relic, the compass—so thoroughly?
As these questions swirled in Kal’s mind, lightning crackled.
Electricity enveloped Sigmund. The Thunder King’s Sword unleashed a controlled lightning strike. Jin planned to fight with measured intensity.
“I’ll have to fight, then escape at the right moment.”
The best outcome would be to kill Chukon, Kal, and all the henchmen outside the first floor and the gambling hall.
But that was impossible. With their remaining strength, breaking through Chukon’s ultimate defense magic was unlikely, and since they had to be cautious, they couldn’t go all out.
So what outcome should they aim for when this fight ended?
Before even raising his sword, Kal had his answer.
“The best move is to incapacitate Kal and have Kinzel’s side take him hostage. If I were Chukon, I wouldn’t leave Kal alive after he falls and I escape.”
Ziphl and Kinzel seemed reluctant to engage in all-out war. Though it wasn’t obvious on the surface, Jin saw that Kinzel was part of a powerful faction.
Yet here, Kinzel hadn’t gotten the compass back as promised and had only suffered heavy losses.
So at least taking Kal hostage to demand something from Ziphl would be Kinzel’s best bet. There was no reason not to.
Naturally, the deepening grudge between Kinzel and Ziphl worked in Jin’s favor.
“This is interesting. Chukon, you’ll soon realize what I mean. And unless you’re a fool, you’ll have no choice but to follow.”
Flash!
Lightning began to strike again. At the same time, Chukon slammed his staff down, forming a massive protective barrier. Kinzel’s remaining henchmen gathered inside.
But the lightning ignored the shield, pouring down solely on Kal and his men.
“Ugh! Don’t underestimate me, bastard!”
“You sure change your insults often. Is it a habit?”
Ziphl’s surviving bodyguards numbered five—veterans among veterans. They seemed to have adapted somewhat to the Thunder King’s lightning, handling it better than before.
They used their magic shields, predicted where the lightning would strike, dodged, and some even counterattacked with sword energy.
Chukon and his men stayed inside the barrier, watching cautiously.
“Sir Chukon! Are you just going to stand there?”
Kal shouted, but Chukon shook his head. Their alliance was over, and just now Kal had tried to stab him in the back. That was the expression on his face.
Clang! Crack!
Sword energy from Kal’s knights struck Sigmund. Ziphl’s mages, including Kal, were too busy maintaining the shield to counterattack.
They feared that casting spells recklessly might expose an opening for Chukon to strike. Except for Kal, the others were barely holding off the lightning.
“Sir Kal! Retreat! I’ll hold them off!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Aren’t those scum still on the first floor? The elite mages there haven’t come up yet. Sir Chukon, you must fight with us!”
Chukon didn’t answer.
Instead of mocking Kal, he focused on analyzing Jin’s true power.
‘The special power called Thunder Qi was confusing, but his aura is below 8 stars, or just at the threshold. Still, his actual combat ability seems far beyond 8-star knights.’
If Kal drained just a bit of Jin’s power, there was no reason he couldn’t subdue him.
On the other hand, Chukon thought Kal’s chances of defeating Jin were slim.
‘Still, he could inflict serious injuries. I worry he might activate the Mage Tower Lord’s staff before I can stop him.’
The Mage Tower Lord’s staff bore rune inscriptions. If activated, reinforcements from the Four Towers would arrive immediately, and Rune Kandel and Biment would catch wind of it.
That would be a huge risk for both Kinzel and Ziphl, but if cornered, Kal would surely prioritize his own survival.
‘Annoying as it is, maybe it’s time to help Kal and take down this uninvited guest first…’
Just as Chukon thought this, the lightning suddenly stopped.
The knights seized the moment and charged Jin, while Kal began casting offensive magic for the first time.
Jin unfolded another Thunder King’s Sword.
“Thunder King’s Suppression.”
Sigmund pulled back the swords of the five knights rushing him.
They had barely begun to adapt to the Thunder King’s lightning less than a minute ago, and now another unknown sword technique had started.
“Ugh!”
Two knights, caught off guard by Sigmund’s sudden pull, lost their heads. The other three instinctively backed away, and Jin took the opening to throw himself at Kal.
“Die!”
Kal shouted, thrusting his staff forward. Countless ice blades were about to pour out.
Gaaah!
Screech!
Sigmund sliced off the tip of the staff. Still, the ice blades rained down as planned, and Jin didn’t dodge.
He trusted the runes of Multa and his Black Light Armor to protect him. His clothes were shredded, and his arms were covered in cuts and slashes, but luckily no shards pierced his bones.
Drip, drip…!
Blood and flesh fell from Jin’s blood-soaked arms and shoulders.
Without his peerless armor, he would have suffered fatal wounds.
“Are you panicking? You don’t look like a Mage Tower Lord.”
Crack! Jin crushed the broken staff fragments beneath his foot, shattering the rune inscriptions. Kal’s face turned pale.
Losing the staff didn’t prevent him from using magic, but it meant his last safety net was gone.
“Don’t be too disheartened. If you’d activated the runes, you’d have put yourselves in a tough spot too.”
Those words chilled not only Kal but even the watching Chukon.
It wasn’t Jin’s swordsmanship or bold gambit that unnerved them—it was the feeling that their intentions had been read. Especially for Chukon, goosebumps ran down his neck.
It was as if Jin could see right through him. The moment he sensed the Mage Tower Lord’s staff, Jin had cut it down.
Jin brushed the ice blades off his arms and looked at Chukon, as if to say, “Don’t you get it yet?”
‘The wounds are deeper than expected. Time to finish Kal and get out of here.’
Though not fatal, Jin’s arms were shredded, making it impossible to wield a sword properly.
Kal hadn’t expected his staff to be cut, but his initial offensive spell, “Ice Shard Sword,” was a bluff. The real magic he’d prepared was something else.
Flare!
Blue flames ignited in Kal’s eyes.
Ziphl’s secret magic—the Azure Flame’s Magic Eye. Just watching it scorched opponents with unquenchable blue fire.
It was the very spell Myuron Ziphl had used in Colon.
Struggle in the flames that burn your entire body!
Karl Zipple wanted to toy with Jin using those words. He longed to see the torment on Jin’s face as the blue flames burned him, watching his fighting spirit slowly fade away.
But the triumphant smile that curled on Karl’s lips froze before even a second had passed.
Gyaaah!
The master of the flame element, the true ruler of the blue fire—Tess had been summoned.
“Te-Tess…!” Chukon’s mouth fell open. Between his strange brain sword and his insight, he still hadn’t expected Tess. He knew Jin was a magic swordsman, but since he hadn’t used any magic since the flash cannon, Chukon had assumed his magical skills were only “decent.”
Even though Jin’s aura was flickering and his arms were soaked in blood, the spiritual energy and magical power in his weapon remained razor-sharp.
“Hah.”
The moment Karl let out a bitter sigh, the blue flames clinging to Jin’s body vanished.
No one in Colon—neither Baekya nor Midor Elner, who had fought Jin—knew that Jin’s phoenix was Tess. The only witness who had seen Tess, Myuron Zipple, had died before they arrived.
“What the hell… what exactly are you…?” Karl’s voice was hollow. Though he still had enough magical power to fight, his will had broken.
That meant defeat was inevitable. No matter what he did, Karl could not beat Jin. No matter how great his magic was, no matter how high his magical power.
“Well, I don’t see why you need to know what I am. But I do have another story to tell.”
Jin’s gaze shifted behind Karl—to where Chukon stood.
“You’d better watch your back, Karl.”
Swoosh!
A beam of magical energy shot from Chukon, piercing Karl’s shoulder.