Chapter 429
Episode 124: The Elders in Peril (3)
A pitch-black forest so dense that not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate it—this place had long been rumored to be haunted by ghosts and demons.
“Mya!”
Jin was riding Shuri, dashing through the tangled, shadowy forest path. He was alone; no companions accompanied him.
The path was so convoluted and confusing that he thought a maze might have been easier to navigate. If it weren’t for Shuri, he might have regretted coming here by himself.
“Master, this nanny earnestly requests to accompany Murakan-nim,” a voice had said before he left.
“Sir, are you sure it’s safe? If you go alone and he harbors ill intentions, retreating won’t be easy.”
“Is there a particular reason you must go alone?”
Before departing, his comrades had all voiced their concerns in unison.
They didn’t fully trust the current lord of this land yet.
Bwooo, bwooo—
The deeper he ventured into the forest, the more the eerie, ominous wails echoed from all directions.
‘The “Ghost Song Fortress,” huh? The name fits perfectly.’
Though it was his first time visiting in person, as always, Shuri skillfully found the way without getting lost.
The fortress was massive and black as night.
That was the first impression that struck him when the fortress suddenly rose at the edge of the forest.
The thick fog hanging in the air couldn’t mask the strange, sinister aura radiating from the Ghost Song Fortress.
Just standing before it made the air feel suffocating with malevolent energy.
It was almost surreal to think that the formidable owner of this fortress was Rata Prochi—and that Jin had, in fact, defeated him.
He sent Shuri back with the red jewel and waited for the fortress gates to open.
After a while, the doors creaked open, but he couldn’t see who had unlatched the heavy iron gates.
He even wondered if a person had opened them at all.
It felt as if the wind or a ghost had slid the doors aside, revealing not a typical courtyard but another layer of darkness.
Stepping inside felt like plunging off a thousand-foot cliff.
Still, Jin didn’t tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword; he strode forward confidently.
The howling layers of ghostly wails and the chilling wind made it feel like passing through a nightmare.
Suddenly, a dark clearing appeared.
“Welcome, 12th Cavalry. You’ve endured much to come here.”
Rata Prochi’s familiar voice echoed.
Whether he had just come from battle or from torturing those imprisoned beneath the fortress, the scent of fresh, metallic blood clung to him.
“The smell of blood is strong.”
“Our work isn’t exactly pleasant. You’re getting used to it, aren’t you?”
“Just making conversation.”
As Jin approached, the torchlight gleamed off Rata’s face.
“I never expected you’d come alone.”
Rata was genuinely surprised that Jin had come to the Ghost Song Fortress by himself.
Not just Rata—every member of the Ghost Corps shared that sentiment.
Since Rata became the Ghost Commander, and even before when Smarion Prochi led the corps, no one had ever ventured here alone.
Whenever the leadership of Runcandel and Ziphl held secret meetings, they always brought enough fighters to ensure a certain level of combat readiness.
It was only natural.
Though they had maintained a sort of neutrality, the Ghost Corps wielded considerable influence.
Especially here, in their stronghold, they were among the most powerful neutral forces.
Even Bimant had recognized their autonomy, choosing not to attack the fortress despite it lying within their territory.
“The Ghost Corps took risks to fulfill my request, so I must show them this level of trust.”
At those words, Rata nodded, clearly impressed.
Jin felt a bit embarrassed by the reaction but kept it to himself.
“Impressive, as expected. Very well. Let’s draft the contract.”
Sending word to the elders, Rata had immediately requested Jin’s visit to the fortress.
The reason? To sign a contract for an alliance.
The paper Rata handed over was the simplest contract Jin had ever seen.
And its contents were unexpected.
(Rata Prochi and the Ghost Corps shall serve Jin Runcandel as their lord, a matter fully agreed upon by all remaining members of the Ghost Corps.)
This wasn’t a contract—it was more like an oath of loyalty.
“This isn’t a mere alliance. It’s a blood pact between lord and vassals.”
“…What is this?”
Jin had planned to form an alliance with the Ghost Corps first, then gradually build a stronger bond.
He had never anticipated this.
“Does this not sit well with you?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just a bit surprising.”
“I have long respected you since the Sword Emperor’s Castle, and now I fear you more than Runcandel himself. That’s why I killed the elders.”
When they met in the Garden of Swords, Rata had already decided to serve Jin as his lord.
He was convinced this was the only way for the Ghost Corps to survive in the ‘new era.’
“And within the Ghost Corps, I am virtually an absolute. My will is the will of all ghosts. The Ghost Corps will be your most important force.”
There are many leaders in the world, but few enjoy such unwavering loyalty from their followers.
Rata was exceptional—almost one with his subordinates.
Jin drew a dagger from his cloak.
He sliced his palm and pressed it onto the paper, leaving a bloodstain.
Rata did the same.
“I accept, Lord Rata.”
“Follow me, my lord.”
They entered the central hall of the inner fortress, where rows of Ghost Corps soldiers stood at attention.
Thousands of mercenaries clad in black armor held their positions without moving.
Rata stepped forward to the front of the formation, facing Jin and saluting with his sword.
The others raised their blades in unison.
This was the moment Jin became the new master of the Ghost Corps.
And the moment the Ghost Corps fully abandoned their neutrality for the first time.
“I will introduce you to the troops gradually.”
“Understood.”
Jin glanced again at the contract.
The phrase “fully agreed upon by all remaining members” caught his eye.
“Looking at the formation, it seems the corps hasn’t changed much in size. Were there many who opposed this blood pact?”
“Some who served my father opposed it—the elders, to be precise.”
“Neither you nor I have a good relationship with the elders. What happened to them?”
“They all left the Ghost Song Fortress.”
“Do they know any secrets or weaknesses about the corps?”
Rata flinched at the question.
“I didn’t expect you’d ask that. Yes, there are such things. And, embarrassingly, we haven’t dealt with them yet. We’re still tracking them down.”
“It’s been several days. They likely sought refuge with other factions.”
“I apologize for showing such weakness from the start.”
“Not at all. I’ll send people to find the fleeing elders. Tell me what weaknesses or secrets they might know.”
“There is a monster sealed deep beneath the fortress.”
“A monster?”
Jin raised an eyebrow, and Rata gave a wry smile before continuing.
“It’s a creature beyond our control. It’s been trapped underground for decades without food, yet it still lives. Each year, the seal that holds it weakens.”
“Sounds like something out of an old legend.”
“Surprising, but you don’t seem fazed.”
“I’ve faced sealed inner-dan beasts before.”
Jin had naturally assumed the creature sealed beneath the fortress was an inner-dan beast.
“How strong is it that even you and the Ghost Corps can’t handle it?”
“It’s impossible to gauge. Hard to explain… Would you like to see it for yourself?”
They descended a long, deep staircase into the underground.
The deeper they went, the heavier the oppressive, malevolent energy weighed on Jin’s body.
‘So this is the source of the dense evil aura permeating the entire fortress.’
It wasn’t just the fortress’s gloomy atmosphere causing the suffocating energy.
“We’ve arrived.”
At the lowest level stood a massive iron door, sealed with a crimson emblem.
Though it was a type of seal Jin had never seen before, he immediately sensed that humans had been used as components in its creation.
That explained its immense suppressive power.
“This…”
“Even previous Ghost Commanders didn’t know about this seal—it was passed down only among the elders. This one was made by the elders who didn’t flee, using themselves as the materials.”
Approaching the seal, Jin felt the oppressive aura pressing down on him.
“You say the seal weakens every year?”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Jin understood why Rata had been so eager to form a blood pact.
‘If the monster beyond that seal breaks free, the Ghost Corps won’t survive unless they abandon the fortress.’
Though the seal’s immediate failure was unlikely, and Rata’s proposal wasn’t solely for this reason, it was no small matter.
“I showed you this first because it’s the Ghost Corps’ greatest and only real problem. Embarrassingly, this seal threatens their very existence.”
Now that they were blood allies, this was a problem they needed to discuss and solve together.
Though revealing such a weakness right after forming the pact might seem unwise, Jin didn’t find Rata annoying or foolish for it.
From the very beginning, Rata had chosen not Runkandel, Ziphl, the royal family, or Kinzelo—but himself.
If Rata had aligned with Runkandel or Ziphl instead of the true Runkandel, resolving this seal would have likely been much easier.
“Indeed… just sensing the energy radiating from outside the seal gives me that impression. What kind of monster could possibly be trapped inside?” Jin asked.
Rata shook his head.
“It’s not a monster, my lord.”
“Not a monster?”
“What’s sealed within is the being who was once my father.”
Smarion Prochi.
The creature sealed in the lowest depths of the Gui Valley Fortress was none other than the previous Ghost Commander.