Episode 296
Chapter 91: Power, and the Worship of Power (7)
As Jin controlled the flames, his eyes caught sight of Veradin’s staff.
Though it was clearly pointed at him, the staff seemed to radiate not just lethal intent but a strange sense of amusement.
Veradin was smiling—almost as if he was enjoying the situation immensely.
But Jin no longer felt bitter. After all, the one aiming the staff at him was only wearing Veradin’s appearance; he wasn’t the real Veradin.
What’s more, Jin was certain of one thing.
Ziphl wouldn’t leave Veradin in this state for long.
“If they just needed a combat puppet, there are plenty of others they could use besides Veradin. He’d be fine most of the time. The next head of the family can’t be some war-obsessed lunatic.”
A fleeting thought crossed Jin’s mind—that in his past life, Veradin must have been mentally manipulated just like this.
“Disgusting bastards.”
Glowing runes floated toward Kojek.
By now, every mage knew those runes marked the points where the Flame Orb would strike.
Everyone panicked and aimed their staffs at the runes.
A barrage of spells was unleashed to dispel them.
But the runes were too small and moved too swiftly to intercept. Even if hit, they remained unaffected, drifting through the magic like a breeze.
Within moments, dozens of runes clung to Kojek’s hull.
In response, Jin’s Flame Orb sent out the same number of fiery tendrils.
Like coiling serpents, chains of fire wrapped tightly around Kojek, constricting it. The mages could only watch in horror.
“Ugh—!”
Ksszzk…!
It looked as if multiple snakes were squeezing a single prey at once.
Tiny cracks appeared all over the hull in an instant, and the sudden shock made the mages scream.
It seemed inevitable that the chains of fire would crush Kojek completely.
The red dragons still alive threw themselves at the flames, desperate to break the fiery bonds.
But their strength was no match.
Dragons trying to bite through the fire were pierced through their bodies or had their necks severed by other fiery chains.
Jin’s gaze watching this was ice-cold.
“Turn the ship around!”
“It won’t move!”
No one present had ever imagined Kojek being restrained by the Twelve Knights of Runcandel.
All thirty phoenixes were unsummoned without exception, meaning every summoning mage had died.
A roar echoed.
Tess’s breath surged toward Kojek. Combined with Jin’s flames and Cheonghwa’s overwhelming pressure, the ship trembled as if on the verge of collapse.
The Paladins stared blankly, shifting their gaze between Jin and Kojek. Even the traitor Barton’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Is this… the power of the Twelve Knights?”
It was hard to believe, even seeing it firsthand.
Even Jin, who had reached the tenth star, couldn’t have neutralized Kojek like this—despite the ship not operating at full capacity.
“At this rate, Ziphl’s mages will be wiped out. I can’t even guarantee Veradin Ziphl’s survival.”
Guiding Ziphl to secure Ventica was no longer the priority.
To avoid disappointing Keliak Ziphl, the situation had to be brought under control.
“First, it seems Veradin Ziphl is about to make a move… I need to prepare a counter.”
Jin roared, intensifying the magical power and spiritual energy of the Flame Orb. At the same time, Veradin’s staff glowed red.
He was completing the incantation for the Annihilation Dark Flame Orb, Demon King Type 1.
Runes left by Riohl Ziphl slipped out from Veradin’s body.
They intertwined with Jin’s runes, summoning a new flame.
Like the final form, Type 1 took the shape of a massive Flame Orb.
This orb, made purely of magical energy, formed a shield before Kojek. Though smaller than Jin’s, it clearly contained more power.
A thin line of blood trickled from Veradin’s mouth. After repeatedly using spatial explosions and now wielding such a massive spell, his body was struggling to keep up.
“Magic power reflux symptoms… but he doesn’t seem to feel the pain.”
Despite coughing blood, Veradin kept pouring magic into the orb. His eyes, rolled back, gleamed wildly.
“Ha ha ha…!”
Veradin laughed as he gazed at the completed Annihilation Dark Flame Orb, Demon King Type 1.
It looked like two suns burning in the sky. He seemed utterly satisfied, unable to look away.
But unlike Jin’s final form, Veradin’s Type 1 was an offensive spell—it was falling toward the empty space where Jin hovered.
It appeared to move slowly.
But that was only because the orb was so enormous. In reality, it was moving incredibly fast.
Would Kojek break first under the final form’s power, or would Type 1’s flames strike Jin first…?
Everyone around was on edge.
Jin’s expression remained calm, while Veradin’s was flushed with excitement.
“I think I need to relearn how to use magic from scratch.”
Jin wasn’t speaking to Veradin.
He was talking to Ziphl.
The mental manipulation was surely done through magic.
From Jin’s perspective, it was extremely inefficient. Losing reason in battle was like closing your eyes.
What’s the point of turning Veradin into a berserker with such unstable mind control? He just recklessly charges forward, oblivious to the reflux tearing his body apart.
Whoosh…!
The dark spiritual energy that had blackened the sky began to dissipate.
Jin’s body, once blackened, returned to its original color.
Countless particles of spiritual energy scattered, all drawn into Jin’s Flame Orb, which gradually darkened.
It took three seconds for the orb to absorb all the spiritual energy that had filled the sky.
Though Veradin’s Type 1 was still some distance from Jin, the final form was ready to explode.
“Bastards.”
Suddenly, a pure white light flared at the center of the orb, now transformed into a black sun.
A thin, blade-like streak of light cut through it.
Moments later, the explosion began—and shockwaves caused an earthquake on the ground.
The tremors were from the blast’s shockwave high above.
The earth cracked from the sheer force. Bodies of red dragons and mages were tossed about with rocks, while the sky displayed an even more shocking sight.
Clouds tore apart as if a giant hand was ripping them to shreds. The layered shockwaves distorted the entire sky.
Kojek rocked helplessly like a buoy.
Never in its history had Kojek looked so pitiful.
The final weapon of Ziphl was being helplessly overwhelmed by the Twelve Knights of Runcandel.
The explosion shattered the side cannons. The protective shield covering Kojek shattered like broken glass, failing completely.
Even the chains of fire binding Kojek remained intact. It seemed possible to completely destroy the ship.
Victory was within reach.
But Dipus couldn’t relax.
“Youngest…!”
Dipus roared.
Veradin’s Type 1 was still falling, aiming to strike Jin.
Jin knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. The final form of the Annihilation Dark Flame Orb, like the Reign of the Underworld Sword, was a heavy burden for him.
Huff, huff…!
As Jin struggled to breathe, Veradin’s orb drew closer.
“Dodge! Now!”
Dipus knew Veradin’s magic was of the same kind as Jin’s. Taking it head-on would leave even him badly injured.
But the shockwave prevented him from helping.
The Paladins barely managed to plant their swords in the ground to steady themselves, and Barton pretended to protect the wounded but didn’t aid Jin.
For Barton, Jin’s death was the best outcome. Once Kojek retreated, he could kill Dipus and the remaining Paladins, then return to the Garden of Swords.
“That traitor…!”
Dipus gritted his teeth, fully aware of Barton’s intentions.
Before reaching Ventica, Dipus had considered killing Jin if the chance arose. But not now.
Jin was still indispensable to Runcandel.
“Dodge!”
The shout made Jin lift his head—not toward Dipus, but to see Veradin’s orb looming just ahead.
He truly had no strength to evade.
“In the Holy Kingdom, they tried to protect me by unleashing this magic.”
“Enough. Jin, Dante, you two go ahead. I’ll hold them off.”
“Fine, we’ll retreat first, Veradin.”
“Jin! If only we run away, what about Veradin’s honor?”
“Dante, you lost gloriously trying to stop me.”
That day, Veradin had tried to unleash Type 1 but was beaten by Jin and suffered magic reflux.
If Jin hadn’t stopped him, Veradin would have become the Ziphl who killed his own followers for Runcandel, right before everyone’s eyes.
The Annihilation Dark Flame Orb, Demon King Type 1, was a spell Veradin had been prepared to use with that resolve.
But with his mind manipulated, he couldn’t properly execute it.
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, Veradin’s body bent forward as if about to collapse.
Mana backlash.
Though he couldn’t twist his jaw like last time, Jin had been certain from the moment Veradin unleashed the first form.
There was no way Veradin could fully manifest the first form now.
Even if he managed to, he wouldn’t be able to sustain it long enough to reach Jin.
Just two spans.
With only two spans left before reaching Jin, the flame orb rapidly dimmed.
“Graaah…!”
Veradin collapsed, screaming. Not only was he coughing up blood, but his entire body convulsed violently as every capillary burst.
In the blink of an eye, the once massive flame orb shrank to the size of an egg.
The uncontrolled mana scattered futilely into the air.
Fushit, pong, pong…
The flame orb that barely touched Jin emitted the same faint popping sounds as it had in Samil, drawing everyone’s attention.
Jin quietly reached out and grasped the flames.
For a few seconds, he stared at the soot left on his palm.
Diphus couldn’t help but gape at the sight.
‘No way… Did he actually calculate that Veradin Ziphl’s magic would inevitably fail because of the mana backlash?!’
High above, Jin’s flame orb was still smashing through Kozek, though its power had waned considerably, causing the hull to slowly rotate.
“…Fourth squad, pursue them. They’ll try to escape.”
Jin wiped the soot from his palm and spoke.
“Understood! Sir Barton, let’s move!”
Diphus grabbed Barton’s shoulder and shouted.