Chapter 214
Episode 69: The Secret of Island No. 32 in the Azure Bird Archipelago (Part 4)

This sensation was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

It was as if, back on Colon, when Talaris unleashed a barrage of massive sword energies against Kozek—each time Sigmund extended, a sharp radiance flashed forth.

The sword energy, saturated with lightning power, tore through the air. The compressed air burst with a heavy, shattering sound, followed by layers of shockwaves rippling outward.

‘Heaven truly favors me.’

Had Sigmund not awakened from Gram’s lingering consciousness, I would have been in serious trouble.

Of course, even without relying on Sigmund’s power, I might have managed to hold out for ten minutes. But beyond that, I couldn’t prepare for the possibility that Murakan’s spirit release might prevent Julian’s avatar state from breaking.

And after subduing Julian, there was no guarantee that no other enemies would appear—this was Joshua’s territory, after all.

[Ugh…!]

Julian, who had been screaming wildly, locked eyes with me again. His face was twisted in a scowl, clearly ashamed that he had just been gripped by ‘fear.’

[Get rid of him!]

Without hesitation, Feitel swung Harmila like a sword, and the sword energies surrounding me were swept away all at once.

“Come down. Stop floating around.”

Seizing the opportunity, I leapt toward Julian. When facing an archer, closing the distance was always essential.

Kwang!

Julian hastily braced Harmila with both hands to block my strike. But the shockwave sent his body plummeting at a right angle, and I was pushed slightly higher by the recoil.

Crackle!

I gathered the lightning energy I had spent while airborne. The shattered lightning scattered around me converged on Sigmund, tracing a luminous path.

That path transformed into a bolt of lightning, striking down upon Julian, who had crashed to the ground.

(Die!)

Sigmund trembled at the voice of the lingering consciousness. It seemed to revel in trampling over its younger brother, Feitel.

(Die, die! Hahaha, die!)

I was preparing a follow-up strike as soon as the lightning ended, so I didn’t hear the mad ramblings of the lingering consciousness.

Swoosh…!

The moment I touched the ground, I swung Sigmund. Julian, just getting to his feet, barely managed to defend himself in a clumsy stance.

He was pushed sideways, almost falling, kicking up a spray of stones and mud. For a moment, my vision was obscured by the mud.

And just as the mud cleared from my eyes, a lightning bolt from Harmila aimed straight at my face.

The bolt grazed my cheek, striking something nearby with a deafening boom. I countered by striking Julian’s torso with Sigmund.

[Gah!]

Thanks to the lingering consciousness’s power, I had the clear advantage in strength. Julian bounced around like a ball every time he blocked my sword strikes.

Though he mostly succeeded in defending, if he weren’t in his avatar form, his bones would have shattered from the impact.

On the surface, I seemed to be completely dominating. In reality, Julian’s true power as an avatar was higher.

Feitel was a god unaccustomed to fighting strong opponents.

He had always punished lesser creatures from the sky with lightning, so his combat skills were somewhat unrefined. For Feitel, the effortless mastery displayed by the ‘Descendant of the Martial God Ban’ was nothing short of shocking.

In other words, Julian had completely fallen into my rhythm.

Because of this, Kuzan, who was fleeing with Beris on his back, couldn’t help but be mistaken.

‘He’s truly a monster… Is this really the same guy I met in Delki?’

Kuzan didn’t know that Sigmund was amplifying my martial prowess. To his eyes, I appeared as a superhuman surpassing the famed ‘Runkandel Riders.’

‘If what Jin Runkandel says is true… what am I and Beris supposed to do?’

Lightning continued to rain down across the island like a hellish storm. Kuzan had to survive—he needed to uncover the truth behind Taimun’s death.

[How dare a worm like you insult me!]

Julian’s eyes blazed as he drew his bowstring, no longer intending to be swung around.

I tried to press him so he couldn’t pull the string, but…

Suddenly, I couldn’t rush forward because the ground beneath me exploded with lightning energy. Julian had covered the entire area with lightning to trap me.

Then, lightning bolts poured down from the storm. The area around Julian was bathed in a deep blue glow—each bolt was an arrow from Harmila.

[I’ll make you pay…!]

As soon as the arrows were ready, a rapid volley began. Each bolt carried enough power to obliterate the island, and they rained down on me.

Four-Sword Martial Technique: Corrosion.

I instinctively spread my swords. Before the first lightning bolt could strike, Sigmund’s blade plunged into the ground.

This was on a whole different level from when I faced Vanessa. The lightning energy sank simultaneously, crushing Harmila’s lightning bolts. Instead of ravaging me, the bolts crashed into the earth.

At the same time, circles formed on the lightning-corroded ground.

‘At this level, even Lady Vanessa wouldn’t have been able to fend them off.’

These were circles that summoned lightning.

The massive thunderstorm Julian had summoned paled in comparison to the apocalyptic roar pouring from the sky.

Earsplitting noise.

Blindingly intense light, and a heavy vibration that shook my knees.

For a moment, these forces completely dominated Island No. 32. Each thunderclap struck the ground, causing earthquakes—some hitting Julian directly on the crown of his head.

His screams were drowned out by the explosions, and his disheveled form was hidden by the blinding light. Julian trembled, trapped within the storm.

This might be the chance to deliver the final blow.

I took a breath and prepared to follow up.

‘Will my body hold up?’

Though Sigmund greatly enhanced my martial prowess, I doubted I could execute the Corrosion technique perfectly.

Still, the ten minutes I promised Murakan were nearly up, so I decided it was time to make my move.

Sigmund unleashed lightning again.

But unlike before, it seemed a bit strained. Just as Julian had limits using Feitel’s power, I too had boundaries with Gram’s strength.

Three-Sword Martial Technique: Corruption—the chosen blade to finish the enemy.

As soon as enough lightning gathered in the blade, I charged at Julian. He couldn’t see me through the storm, nor hear my approach.

Only his insight warned him that danger was near.

Through the thunderstorm, Harmila was aimed—astonishingly, directly at the path I was running along. The storm above was breaking apart, funneling into Harmila.

The bowstring was pushed back by the massive lightning bolt, no longer just an arrow.

Just as the Corruption’s spike emerged from the falling storm, Julian thought to himself:

You got too cocky just because I took a hit, worm.

Julian released the string.

The two lightning energies collided.

The lightning bolt from Harmila shattered the Corruption’s spike with ease.

As the spike’s lightning was mercilessly broken, the bolt shot toward my head at lightning speed.

I killed the worm!

It was a pity I couldn’t inflict more pain, but I could make up for it by killing his guardian dragon. Just as a thin smile began to form on my lips in triumph—

Julian screamed again, overwhelmed by unbearable fear.

[Ahhh! Tes, Tes!]

Flare…!

Flames—strangely blue flames—blazed where my head should have been. The sole blue phoenix, Tes’s fire, was engulfing Julian.

‘What a cowardly god.’

I decided to summon Tes the moment I saw him tremble in fear upon hearing the name ‘Martial God Ban’ for the first time.

A god who fears Ban would surely fear Tes as well. In the realm of flames where Tes’s true form resides, even a mere breath can annihilate gods.

Of course, it didn’t matter if Julian didn’t know Tes well. While his vision was obscured by lightning, I dropped Sigmund and aimed for his flank—a move I decided on right after unleashing Corruption.

Though the display was overwhelming, the difference in power was something I’d sensed all along. Knowing that, there was no reason to insist on a head-on fight.

[You cunning bastard…!]

To me, that was the highest praise.

Even if I wasn’t using a tenth of my true power, a god is a god. Naturally, I had to be cunning.

Even if I possessed ‘greater power,’ I would still choose to be cunning.

Screech.

Amid the thunderous noise, Julian heard the cold scrape of blade against scabbard.

It was Bradamante sliding free.

Dark spirit energy enveloped Bradamante’s radiance—softly, swiftly. I stepped forward and thrust Bradamante into Julian’s side.

Thud…!

I felt the blade pierce through his body clearly.

That exact sensation of bone and flesh being pierced. Despite descending through his avatar, Feytel was ultimately nothing more than a human body.

[Gah!]

Julian coughed up blood and reflexively pulled back.

His eyes, clouded with anxiety, trembled. Then Tess’s azure flame engulfed Julian’s body, and crushed under the overwhelming pressure, he collapsed to the ground.

Strangely enough.

At that moment, Jin felt a chill run down his spine. Even though he had just broken his opponent, an inexplicable wave of unease surged through him, like a dam breaking.

Blinking once, he spotted the source of his anxiety.

Harmila’s brainstem had twisted into a serpent, coiling tightly around Julian. No more blood flowed from the fatal wound, and yet Julian was smiling.

[Fine, I admit it. You’re quite the formidable pest. But… I am a god. Even if my body is shattered to pieces, it means I do not die. A mere mortal could never understand that truth…]

The gloomy voice sent a shiver down Jin’s spine, raising goosebumps.

If he couldn’t kill someone who couldn’t die, Jin had no chance of winning.

[Why, are you disappointed? Keep coming at me…]

“Ah! That bastard sure loves to yap, doesn’t he?”

Murakan, having just released his spiritual energy, approached Jin and Julian.

Then, casually pulling Jin back, he spat on the ground.

[…What did you say?]

“Looks like you’ve never been hit by spiritual energy before. From now on, I’m going to give you an experience you won’t forget.”

[I’ve heard Solderet cares for his dragons, but this is excessive. Consider this a request to kill you first.]

“Such arrogance. I heard your brother had some dignity even before he died. Heh heh, heheheh.”

[Why are you laughing?]

“Imagine if, by inhabiting an avatar, you could use more than half the power of your original body. Wouldn’t that make you laugh?”

That’s exactly how I feel right now.

As Murakan continued speaking, all the shadows on the island—except for Jin—began to gather around him.

At the same time, Julian’s brain energy, which had blanketed the entire island, was being swallowed by darkness, like a candle flame snuffed out.