Chapter 238
Episode 76: Broken and Burdened (3)
“E-Emergency! Help me… ugh!”
A mage standing by the outer wall was sliced clean in half while casting a protective barrier.
The blade that cut through him was made of spiritual energy suspended in the air.
Not one, not two, but over a hundred black blades moved through the void, obeying Murakan’s will.
With every dance of those blades, screams echoed. Some lost their breath, others were torn apart, and some were left maimed. Even the brave warriors of the White Wolf tribe stood frozen, unable to look away from the massacre unfolding before them.
[You cannot run.]
Murakan spoke softly as he watched a group of mages fleeing the outer wall.
No sooner had he said that than the black blades struck down their backs. Without even a final scream, several more mages died.
Those black blades tore through the shields of seven-star mages like paper. Murakan himself was the very embodiment of death.
Kraaaah…!
A roar.
Just hearing it chilled one to the bone, a sound so terrifying it felt like flesh melting and dripping away.
At Murakan’s roar, humans dropped to their knees, clutching their ears, while the warriors of the White Wolf and Red Tiger tribes instinctively raised their weapons.
But they didn’t raise them to fight back.
They lifted their arms purely out of instinct—to shield themselves however they could. Unlike the Red Tigers, the White Wolves at least dared to glare at Murakan with wide eyes, but their legs trembled like frightened puppies.
The King of the Skies.
That was what other dragons once called Murakan. And indeed, he was showing a presence worthy of that title.
If his goal had been mere “execution,” the battle would have been over already. He only stopped the destruction to save his subjects—not because he lacked the power to raze the fortress.
“Insane…”
Jin looked up at Murakan in disbelief.
Was this really the same fool black dragon who used to flip through erotic books and chase after strawberry pies?
“So that’s why he kept bragging about being in his prime. If this is just 40% of his power, once he’s fully restored… he’ll rival even Father or the other war dragons.”
Before arriving at Oterium, Jin had been a little worried. Even if Murakan had regained his strength, he wasn’t sure if the two of them could handle all the enemies alone.
But now, there was no need to worry. Even if the four nine-star mages were all at the main base, it seemed unlikely that Jin and Murakan would ever be in real danger.
“The real question is what condition the captured subjects are in.”
“It’s been about half a year since they started experimenting on the subjects in the fortress. Every month, over a hundred citizens and soldiers are taken to their base and turned into test subjects.”
“According to Bitura, at least 600 have been dragged here so far. Probably more. And very few of them are still alive.”
There had to be at least a few sane survivors. If they were all turned into living golems, they’d have to be killed to be brought back, making testimony impossible.
Jin started moving.
Wearing a black robe and activating Multa’s rune, he looked like an intruder at first glance. But the panicked mages running past didn’t stop him.
The fortress was collapsing under the sudden assault of the black dragon; everyone was just running for their lives.
Jin even grabbed one fleeing mage, threw him down, and pressed a knife to his throat.
“Where are the fortress citizens being held?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Without hesitation, Jin stabbed. He had no sympathy or mercy for the Kinzello mages.
He questioned and dispatched three mages this way, but none knew the location.
“Lower-level mages don’t know where they’re locked up.”
Gritting his teeth, Jin descended the crumbled outer wall and saw humans and beastmen emerging from the inner fortress gate.
He recognized two faces: Chukon Toldrer and Susan Lilista. Both were shouting orders, veins bulging in their necks.
“First-class mages, prepare the chain magic!”
“Anyone trying to escape dies by my hand! It’s impossible to lose the black dragon’s attention. Keep it distracted while I cast the barrier!”
“We have to hold out until Jo finishes preparations!”
Both Susan and Chukon were sweating profusely.
They must have felt the terror of Murakan’s overwhelming power even more keenly than the two hundred mages who had died at the outer wall.
“So Jo is here inside the fortress too.”
Whatever Jo was preparing, it didn’t seem like it would harm Murakan.
Jin pressed close to the shadows, avoiding their gaze, and began moving. As he entered a corridor, he ran into a group of Red Tiger warriors rushing out.
“One, two, five.”
Counting them, Jin unleashed the full force of the King of the Underworld’s energy he’d been holding back.
The Red Tigers lunged forward with weapons but immediately recoiled. Sigmund’s brain energy had already taken hold.
Crack!
Lightning struck down, causing the Red Tigers to convulse. They were already terrified by Murakan outside, and now with the King of the Underworld’s power added, they were helpless.
Jin burned four alive and cut off the arm of one to capture him. Then he asked the same question he’d asked the mages.
“Where is the underground prison? Jo is gathering the test subjects there… right now!”
“What? What are you saying?”
“You… you have test subjects with energy similar to yours…”
The King of the Underworld’s energy.
Jin’s ominous suspicion was confirmed.
Kinzello—they were restoring the King of the Underworld.
A surge of revulsion rose in Jin’s chest as he glared and grabbed the Red Tiger by the collar.
“P-please! Spare me! I’ve told you everything!”
“Lead the way. To the prison.”
“Y-yes!”
The Red Tiger foamed at the mouth and crawled on the floor. Jin looked around cautiously and followed.
No one stopped him. Most of the fortress’s forces had rushed out as Murakan’s attack began.
“We’re here! I was in charge of them. There can’t be many left.”
The corridor leading to the underground prison was covered in footprints—human footprints, hundreds moving at once.
Cold Jo had led them away.
The prison entrance was open.
With a swift motion, Jin slit the Red Tiger’s throat and rushed inside to investigate. He planned to follow the footprints afterward.
Inside, the place looked more like a mage’s laboratory than a prison. Glass bottles filled with various liquids and scattered books littered the floor. Open iron cages were everywhere.
It was even larger than the central hall.
Just as Jin was about to conclude that Jo had taken everyone, a woman’s voice called out.
“Are you the one sent by the Fortress King? The one with the black dragon outside?”
Her eyes trembled with fear, but there was a resolute will in them—the kind only those who have accepted death possess.
“I’m the one asking the questions. Tell me what happened to the citizens. Did Cold Jo take them all?”
Wearing a pristine white lab coat, she looked like she had been conducting experiments on the citizens here until just moments ago.
Jin raised his blade to threaten her, but she raised her hands in surrender.
“I’m a saint of the Dawn Carriage Society. My name is Mertual Silla, a first-class priest directly under the Fortress King. Three years ago, I infiltrated the Dark Magic Society under His Majesty’s orders, and now I serve as a researcher here. Since becoming a researcher, security has been so tight I haven’t been able to contact the homeland.”
“Why should I believe you?”
She opened a pendant to reveal an emblem.
The dormant volcano—the symbol of the fortress kingdom.
Jin glanced back and forth between the emblem and the woman.
“I have many questions for you too, but there’s no time. An explosion magic has been triggered in the experimental wing. Look at the floor.”
A fresh white magic circle was forming on the floor—a type of warning spell set by the Dark Magic Society’s mages for emergencies like this.
“In five minutes, the experimental wing will vanish without a trace. We have to save the remaining citizens.”
“Where are they?”
“There’s a secret underground passage only the researchers know about. Of the 823 citizens captured as test subjects, 813 have been turned into combat-type living golems and followed Jo.”
“What?”
“When the experimental wing shuts down, the magic infusion devices will disappear. Then even the remaining ten can’t be saved.”
Creak.
Mertual opened a door in the floor, revealing a hidden space.
Inside the secret passage known only to the researchers, ten humans sat dazed, drooling.
They were citizens of the fortress kingdom.
“We have to save them. We can’t return empty-handed. This might be our last chance. If we can’t bring these survivors back…”
According to Mertual, these ten were the only ones capable of giving testimony.
“Can I trust her?”
Maybe she was just trying to survive.
As Jin hesitated for three seconds, a familiar noise suddenly came from outside.
Rumble, roar…!
Though distant, Jin immediately recognized it.
It was the sound of brain energy surging—a sound distinct from natural thunder or lightning.
The source of the noise was the bio-golems restored by Jo, modeled after the Mingwang clan.
“Jo has started moving the bio-golems. No matter how powerful the black dragon outside is, it won’t hold out for long. You might not know this, but Jo’s been…”
“Modeled the bio-golems after the Mingwang clan?”
“How else? Could it be that the homeland managed to get that information?”
“Damn it. Fine. Mertual Sila, I’m counting on you. No matter what happens, those ten witnesses have to survive. Is there any way?”
“We just need to move the mana infusion device through the secret passage.”
“This one?”
Jin pointed to a steel cylinder connected to a transparent tube.
Mertual nodded.
She was indeed a spy for the Holy Kingdom. When the sudden attack destroyed the lab, and the only remaining witnesses faced death, she was left helpless, pacing anxiously.
There was no way she could move that heavy device through the passage. Even the strength of a five-star warrior wouldn’t be enough to carry it.
With a flash!
Jin lifted the device and carried it through the passage in one swift motion.
“You should come inside and wait a moment. Now, all we can do is pray to Ayula that the black dragon inside doesn’t get harmed. I’ll be injecting all my mana into the citizens now. As soon as I’m done, you take them and escape.”
“No. I have to check outside for a bit. You’re responsible for keeping the citizens alive.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to escape quietly while Jo doesn’t know you’re here? The black dragon can fly, so you’ll have plenty of chances to flee later.”
“How am I supposed to escape with ten people without a dragon?”
“The Dark Magic Council can provide tamed beasts for you.”
Mertual knew full well how shameless it was to ask Jin to flee, putting Murakan’s safety at risk. But for her, this was the last chance to send witnesses to the Holy Kingdom, so she had no choice.
“The Holy Kingdom is important, but that guy comes first for me. I can’t just help the kingdom while ignoring the risk to Murakan.”
“…Understood. I was rude.”
“I get it. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“May Ayula’s gaze watch over you and the black dragon.”
Click!
Jin closed the secret passage behind him and turned away.
No one understood the power of the Mingwang clan better than him. If those 813 bio-golems were even a rough restoration of the Mingwang clan’s strength, then no matter how strong Murakan was, it was in serious danger.
As soon as he stepped outside, what caught his eyes was thousands of streaks of lightning tearing across the sky.