Chapter 472
Episode 132: Annihilation, and Something Strange… (6)
“Ah…”
“What… is happening?”
Myuron and Midor felt a strange sensation, as if something was draining out from within their bodies.
Their souls—or perhaps their very essence—were slipping away.
It was utterly surreal.
In just a single breath, their ship was utterly destroyed. “Destroyed” didn’t even begin to cover it—it was reduced to dust. What kind of vessel could be pulverized like that?
It was a mass-produced ship modeled after the Kojek, Zipl’s ultimate weapon of mass destruction, known as the “Power to Annihilate the World.”
Though mass-produced, even Kojek’s original developers had confirmed that these copies reached nearly 50% of the original’s maximum performance. They weren’t something you could just churn out easily.
In other words, this was a ship that should never have been shattered so easily. The Kojek 2 Myuron was built to dominate the world.
Crack, crack, thud…!
Now, that mighty ship was nothing more than rain falling from the sky.
Earlier, it had been a rain of black spikes; now, it was a downpour of shattered fragments from the colossal vessel. Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of pieces scattered wildly, darkening the air like a swarm of insects.
If Myuron and his crew had been fully prepared from the start, activating their shields the moment they appeared, it wouldn’t have ended in such a tragic defeat.
“My… my ship…! My Kojek 2 Myuron!”
It was shattered to pieces.
Myuron’s eyes, once vibrant, were now bloodshot and glazed with a sickly blue tint.
Was it just the ship that was broken?
No.
Among the falling debris were not only ship materials but also human flesh and bones.
The hundreds of mages aboard the ship had been completely wiped out.
And today was supposed to be the debut of Kojek 2 Myuron and its mages after their resurrection. Their first opponents were none other than Jin and Murakan—the very ones who had killed Myuron before.
There could have been no better stage for a debut, yet the outcome was so utterly devastating!
“What’s this? Crying? Is that bastard actually crying?”
Murakan raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes.
Though the distance and the falling debris obscured the view, it seemed as if tears glistened in Myuron’s eyes.
“Hyung! Myuron hyung!”
Midor’s urgent voice cracked as he called out to Myuron.
The already shattered dignity and atmosphere only became more pitiful, but this was no time for embarrassment.
“Hyung, you have to hold onto your sanity, Myuron hyung!”
“Ah…”
“Hey, before you lose your mind completely, show me something. Especially you! You died and came back to life—shouldn’t you at least provide some entertainment for Murakan here?”
Murakan snorted, clearly unimpressed by his brother’s stunned state.
But the knights of Viguo and Runkandel were making the same mistake again—they didn’t know that Kojek 2 Myuron’s performance was actually inferior to the original.
That was understandable. Kojek 2 Myuron and the cube that summoned it had only just been revealed to the world.
“Destroy Kojek with a single breath?”
“Kojek?”
“No, that ship was even larger than Kojek. The only person I can think of capable of breaking Kojek like that… is my father.”
The members of Bimant shared the same thought as Runkandel.
Even by their standards, destroying a ship on the level of Kojek with a single breath was impossible—unless you were Sir Runkandel, the world’s only Dragon Knight.
Rumors about Murakan’s power were growing more and more absurd.
“Hah, that guy… I don’t remember him being such a crybaby back in the day. Don’t you think so, kid?”
Jin didn’t answer. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Myuron, Midor, and the cube in his hand.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t answer—it was that he was speechless, just like Murakan and all the other factions.
But unlike the others, it wasn’t because of Murakan’s power.
They had all forgotten some crucial facts while staring at the shocking sight of a ship destroyed in a single breath.
First, the resurrection.
Myuron’s revival didn’t seem to involve the Tears of Numerus.
His resurrection was likely due to the power of a new Demon Stone, much like Sandra’s regenerative ability. No wonder it had been so frustrating that they couldn’t retrieve Myuron’s corpse during the support operation at Colon.
Myuron had been resurrected after the creation of this new Demon Stone.
When his body was first recovered by Zipl, Luna had already destroyed Zipl’s first Demon Stone—the very one Andrei Zipl possessed.
Zipl must have promised you immortality and ultimate power, or something similar. And you must have witnessed undeniable proof of that with your own eyes.
It was probably the Demon Stone. I’ve seen the dead come back to life and gain incredible power from that strange artifact. It’s a mysterious power anyone would be tempted by.
But Barton, did you know? I’ve also seen a Demon Stone shattered by Runkandel’s sword. Even my father knew of its existence. So don’t dream of anything. The death you face today is absolute. No resurrection, no immortality—none of that nonsense will happen.
Those words, spoken to Barton Vichena during the Black Knight assassination mission, suddenly came to mind.
In truth, resurrection itself wasn’t so surprising. During his trainee days, Jin had witnessed Andrei’s Demon Stone revive Buretta.
What truly astonished Jin was not the resurrection, but the existence of the cube.
“What on earth is that cube?”
It didn’t seem to be a Demon Stone. Midor wouldn’t be carrying such an important artifact at a moment like this. It looked completely different from the one Andrei had.
“Maybe it’s an upgraded version with a different shape, but it doesn’t have that creepy aura. And Murakan isn’t reacting to it much either.”
Demon Stones instinctively terrified dragons. Even though Murakan showed some immunity during his fight with Andrei, Quikantel became almost incapacitated upon seeing one.
So the answer was simple.
“A new technology, a new weapon of war.”
The cube’s operating principle was unknown, but its purpose was clear.
Summoning.
“It’s a kind of teleportation gate. Far smaller than current gates, yet with even greater capabilities. It might be beyond my imagination and speculation.”
No existing teleportation gate could transport such a large number of people at once, let alone a massive flying warship.
Thump, thump!
Suddenly, Jin’s heart pounded wildly.
Before him was a symbol of the world’s greatest technology—never leaked before—belonging to Runkandel’s greatest rival.
“Maybe that’s why Joshua and the other top riders went somewhere other than the Gaipa Archipelago. It could be related to this technology.”
If they could get their hands on it, it would be an even greater prize than Amela, their tentative ally.
“Keep it up. Ugh, I hate this. Just die already, you’re so annoying.”
Whoooosh!
Murakan was gathering his breath again, ready to kill Myuron, Midor, and the remaining survivors.
“Stop, Murakan!”
“Koff, cough!”
Murakan suddenly clamped his throat shut, coughing violently.
“Why all of a sudden?”
Jin’s eyes gleamed as he rushed toward Midor.
“Damn it!”
Bang! Boom!
Midor screamed and unleashed a spatial explosion, blocking Jin’s advance.
But the spatial explosion couldn’t pierce Multa’s runes or his spiritual armor. The Jin Midor had faced at Colon and the Jin before him were completely different beings.
Midor had also trained relentlessly to grow stronger for revenge, but their potential and resolve were worlds apart.
It was an insurmountable gap.
“I never forgot how much trouble you gave me at Colon, Midor Elner.”
Swish!
Bradamante slashed.
Even warriors who had reached the ninth star couldn’t react so swiftly. Midor, a mage, only flinched.
He had been defending against Murakan’s attacks for so long that his magic was depleted. His shields could no longer hold, and he lacked the strength to counterattack.
His trusted brother was in a panic, muttering to himself even as his mortal enemy bypassed him to strike at his younger brother. He was completely unhinged.
Sssshh—! A fountain of blood erupted.
Midor’s right arm was severed, and his chest was sliced open, blood spurting everywhere. Amid the crimson droplets, the cube emitted a gloomy blue glow.
Magic with the attribute of ice enveloped the cube.
“There must be a security device to prevent leaks.”
As expected, there was. Just as Bimant’s mages had self-destructed to leave no trace, the cube was about to explode the moment it sensed danger.
Hmm!
Bradamante planted her sword in the ground and wrapped her hands around the cube, sealing it with ice magic.
The explosion was inevitable, but she held it close to her chest, trying to contain it as much as possible before it detonated.
A deafening roar erupted between his hands and across his chest. Despite the blessed strong body and the spiritual armor, the explosion was so intense it felt as if his fingers and sternum were shattering.
When he finally opened his grip, the cube was a complete wreck—smashed to pieces—but most of its components remained intact.
“If it’s damaged this much, it’s still analyzable. Any top-tier researcher in the world could handle this.”
A satisfied smile crept onto his face.
Meanwhile, Midor’s hair stood on end, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he shouted, “Myuron, you idiot! And you still call yourself a G-PL? How could you disappoint me like this? All those years I lived, coughing up blood for revenge… it was all for nothing!”
With a sharp click, Midor pointed his staff at Jin.
It was the staff of the Tower Master, glowing with runes that summoned the main force.
“You wanted to kill me? Fine, Jin Runkandel. Do it. But know this—my revenge won’t end today.”
Midor was convinced Jin had made a mistake.
In his desperation to get a sample of the cube, he hadn’t accounted for the Tower Master’s staff.
But the reason Midor could activate the staff was because Jin had deliberately left his left arm intact.
“Between regeneration and resurrection, it seems death has become quite trivial for a G-PL. But Midor Elner, don’t you think you’ve made a foolish move?”
Jin strode forward, closing the distance between them.
“Even if there were more broken cubes, calling the main force with that staff is just too slow. By the time they arrive, I’ll be home, soaking in a warm bath and having dinner.”
“If it weren’t for Talaris that day, you would’ve—!”
“If you ever show up in front of me again, I’ll take it as proof that G-PLs can resurrect without a corpse. So let’s make sure that never happens, Midor Elner.”
Swish!
Jin’s blade sliced through Midor’s neck as he spoke.