Chapter 470
Episode 132: Annihilation, and Something Strange… (Part 4)
Whoooooosh…!
Like black ink dispersing in a clear water jar, the dark energy streaming out from Murakan began to stain the sky.
The speed was astonishingly fast. In an instant, the night grew so dark it seemed the moonlight had vanished entirely, leaving Murakan’s amber eyes flickering vividly against the gloom.
They looked exactly like the eyes of a grim reaper. To those gazing up at Murakan beneath the darkened sky, it was an unmistakable sight.
“If I say to wipe everything out, then from that moment on, use all the phrases numbered 100 and above in a fitting, coordinated way.”
“Phrases numbered 100 and above? Aren’t those all about death and destruction?”
“Exactly. Use those phrases appropriately, and if possible, really wipe them all out. Leave only about five insignificant figures per faction.”
“Hmph, kid. I think you’re mistaken. You don’t need to be told or assigned that — you’d do fine on your own. Honestly, your lines sound like the empty posturing of amateurs. Real pros like me scare with a bit more subtlety.”
“I know, but I said it for the sake of bluffing.”
“Bluffing?”
“You’re not as strong as you were at your peak, right? Until you fully regain your power, let’s put on a show and act tough. You know your reputation’s been skyrocketing since the Black King incident, right?”
“Tch, I don’t like it. But fine, I’ll follow your advice. Still, how did you even come up with those cringe-worthy lines like ‘I am Murakan, the worst nightmare a mortal can face,’ or ‘You will become the dead who can never dream again’?”
“Was that number 107? I don’t think it’s bad. Anyway, when killing enemies, use the flashiest, most grandiose techniques you can. Even if they’re inefficient, they have to look cool and majestic.”
“Alright, alright.”
This was the conversation they had while preparing the lines.
Though Murakan claimed he didn’t like it, deep down he was quietly pleased with how much his prestige had grown since the Black King incident.
Of course, compared to his prime, it was just a drop in the ocean—barely a speck on his claws. But whenever he felt that ignorant humans treated him like an ordinary dragon (which was rare), a sense of humiliation gnawed at him.
In other words, this was a chance to elevate that satisfaction to a whole new level.
“I am Murakan.”
Swirling vortices began to form across the pitch-black sky.
Hundreds of whirlpools appeared in an instant, and from the center of each, a massive, jet-black spike emerged.
These were the black spikes that, guided by Murakan’s will, would pierce the land below.
“The worst nightmare a mortal can face.”
His majestic yet eerie voice pressed heavily over the entire archipelago. It echoed through the veil of spiritual energy, causing the island’s beasts and insects to scramble for cover.
Birds took flight, heading away from the island, while wild animals and insects burrowed deep into their dens.
Having regained half of his power, Murakan seemed to sense every single movement of these tiny creatures.
The flapping and folding of wings as the birds took off, the scratching of wildcats’ paws as they disturbed the earth, the scurrying and flying of insects deeper into the forest.
Murakan hovered in the sky, feeling it all.
Savoring it.
These sensations were ones he had often enjoyed a thousand years ago, sometimes in place of music or erotic art. But until he regained half his strength, he had completely forgotten them.
So he waited quietly for a while.
Giving the small creatures enough time to escape. He even checked the locations of those who couldn’t flee, so he could try to avoid killing them during the massacre.
As vivid as the movements of the tiny creatures were, he could not ignore the fear radiating from the humans below.
“Just by unleashing my power, this kind of intimidation… No wonder the royal dragons feared me.”
“They said his heart was injured, but is this really his wounded strength? Has he fully recovered?”
“Scary, so scary, please save me!”
The royal family, the Ziphl, and Kinzel’s beastmen all thought this.
Their heartbeats and trembling felt like a haunting melody to Murakan.
“Yes, this is exactly how it feels. The power to kill and revive everything at my will!”
After a thousand years, the thrilling sensation made his tail stiffen and his chest tremble.
Though he wouldn’t be able to savor this feeling against the world’s top-tier warriors, for now, he was practically a god of this archipelago.
While all of Jin’s enemies were frozen in extreme tension, unable to utter a word—
Only one person, Sandra Ziphl, kept shouting curses.
“Midor Elner, you ungrateful bastard! I’m warning you—try activating the Mage Tower Lord’s staff without my permission, huh? I’ll personally slit your throat with a curved blade and make you the first sacrifice in Drakka Square.”
She showed no concern over her severed and sealed arm.
The wound had partially healed, with only ordinary healing magic applied to stop the bleeding—not the power of time.
She wasn’t just cursing Midor. To Jin, she spoke in an unexpectedly gentle voice.
“Because of that bastard, who’s not even worth feeding to wild dogs, our date was a bit problematic. But with a heart as handsome as your face, I’m sure you’ll forgive me, right?”
It was clear: it was best not to get involved with this woman.
That instinctive warning echoed loudly in Jin’s mind.
A strange kind of fear unlike anything he’d felt before crawled over his skin, chilling his back.
“By the way, where were we?”
“Uh, right. The Demon Stone.”
“Oh, yes. The Demon Stone. We had such a hard time making it without Kinzel…”
“Sandra! No, you crazy woman! Enough already…!”
Just as Midor’s desperate shout was about to be drowned out by Sandra’s next outburst, Murakan realized that all the small creatures had either fled or settled.
“You will become the dead who can never dream again.”
Finishing phrase number 107, Murakan’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he scanned the land, selecting where the spikes would fall.
From the swirling spiritual energy, a black, sharp rain began to pour.
Each vortex relentlessly spewed one massive spike surrounded by hundreds of smaller ones.
From afar, it looked like a sudden locust swarm had descended upon the archipelago.
What was even more terrifying was that these spikes fell silently. ‘Silence’ was one of the greatest attributes of shadow and spiritual energy.
“D-Defend!”
“Damn it, save Lady Sandra!”
“Ughhh!”
Despite the countless spikes raining down, all that could be heard were screams and the sounds of destruction.
Usually, when using magic or techniques on this scale, some collateral damage to allies was inevitable.
But not a single spike fell where the knights of Runcandel stood.
They fell just out of reach, as if an invisible umbrella shielded Runcandel’s forces.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward Jin and Murakan.
Especially toward Jin. More than Murakan, who was unleashing the spikes, Jin’s cold, indifferent expression as he watched his enemies die was far more chilling.
To the Runcandel soldiers, it felt like they had just glimpsed the true hierarchy.
“The youngest commands like that, and he doesn’t even flinch? Usually, the contract between a guardian dragon and its master is somewhat one-sided, but this… this is more like master and servant!”
Murakan’s spikes didn’t just pierce and penetrate—they literally shredded the enemies to pieces.
Could all the guardian knights and execution knights under his command even come close to matching Murakan?
He was certain they could not.
“My guardian knights aren’t even in the same league, and maybe not even my eldest brother’s forces…”
He suddenly thought.
Of course, that was a mistaken thought. No matter how much Murakan had regained half his power, Joshua had the Black Knight, the family’s top execution knights, and the strongest guardian knights.
If Murakan could take them all on alone, Jin would become head of the family tomorrow.
Vigo, overwhelmed by the sheer force and spectacle he hadn’t seen in ages, was intimidated and mistaken.
And that misconception would soon become a major rumor circulating in the Garden of Blades after his return.
Sandra was being torn apart.
“Ugh, ugh, think… ah, marry me…”
Amazingly, and as she had done all along, she kept regenerating her body while locking her gaze on Jin.
“Graaah!”
“Ugh!”
The elders who rushed to save her raised protective barriers but only managed to hear her dying screams. Though Midor had ordered them to rescue her, the elders’ strength was simply insufficient.
Midor knew this too.
Seeing a pureblood torn apart right before his eyes, he gave the order only because doing nothing could cause bigger problems later.
He also needed a pretext.
He would say that despite the many sacrifices made to save Sandra, she ultimately could not recover enough to lead the operation.
Therefore, he had no choice but to take full command himself.
“Seventh Mage Tower Lord, this should be enough. Now that the Mage Tower Lord is in command, both the family head and the council will understand…”
“If things continue like this, it’ll be total annihilation. Miss Sandra’s regeneration isn’t infinite. For her sake… we have no choice but to use that method!”
An elder spoke, eyes fixed on the spike piercing through the shield.
Midore bit her lip tightly, nodding as if resigned.
— Judging by the disappearance of the giant figure, it’s highly likely that the mercenary Amela has already been taken down by Murakan! Seventh Tower Lord, I understand your desire to avenge the former Tower Lord, but now is the time to retreat!
— Seventh Tower Lord!
— Hold your position!
That method.
It was precisely why Midore Elner had refused to back down from the disastrous alliance Murakan and Jin had stumbled into from the start.
“Hoo.”
Midore took a steadying breath, masking the ragged excitement that came with finally having a chance for revenge.
In fact, it was for the best. If Sandra had suggested retreating, they would have been trapped, powerless, with their enemy right before them.
“Understood.”
Midore pulled something from within her robes as she spoke.