Episode 496
Chapter 138: The White Night Tower Keeper (2)
“Rune Kandel and Kinzello have infiltrated the Second Magic Tower as well. Is that all?”
The white-haired old man responded calmly to the urgent reports crossing the teleportation gate.
He was Kelliak Ziphl, the greatest archmage of this era and the head of the world’s foremost family.
At the time the shipyard was attacked, he had been spending time on an uninhabited island in the western sea, where Veradin’s villa once stood.
During the ‘Western Sea Battle’ waged by Thalaris, Misha, Octavia, and the Phantom Corps, that island had been utterly pulverized and vanished. Yet now, the island, the villa, and all of Veradin’s belongings had been perfectly restored.
“Moreover, Miss Sandra has already dispatched all the troops from the Second Magic Tower. If you give the order, I will send Drakka’s mages there immediately.”
Shuffling pages… shuffling pages…
Kelliak flipped through his books silently for a while. Then, as if he’d found something intriguing, he summoned magic to underline a passage and smiled.
“Do not be so surprised by fate.”
The reporters felt their insides burning with anxiety as they waited for Kelliak to speak. Time was of the essence.
But Kelliak had anticipated from the start that external forces could strike not only the shipyard but also the Second Magic Tower.
He just wasn’t sure if it was necessary to prepare separately.
‘Hedo.’
Because the White Night Tower had that man.
‘This incident will also serve as a new test for him.’
Since Hedo became Kelliak’s man, Kelliak had wanted to test him continuously.
He wasn’t yet sure if Hedo would pledge his loyalty wholeheartedly.
“Send reinforcements only to the shipyard. Since the capabilities of the external forces have already been confirmed, further resource losses are pointless. Defend with all available strength.”
“Understood!”
The reporters bowed in unison and retreated into the darkness.
Kelliak recalled the moment he first met Hedo long ago, quietly gazing beyond the sea.
Ugh…!
Suddenly, Murakan clutched his head with both hands. A sharp headache struck him, bending his waist.
Jin and the Runkandels quickly surrounded Murakan, raising protective barriers. Though they had anticipated Hedo’s arrival, the tension after receiving the sword was incomparable to before the battle began.
Showing such a weakness in front of a transcendent warrior like Hedo was, needless to say, fatal.
Fortunately, Hedo did not exploit Murakan’s vulnerability.
Not because he couldn’t—he was actually somewhat intrigued by what Murakan had just said, though he didn’t show it.
‘This is the first time I’ve met someone who speaks as if they know Veil. Even Sir Shiron and the family head seemed completely unaware of this sword’s true nature.’
Veil.
On the blade of a special longsword Hedo had obtained by chance long ago, tiny letters were inscribed.
Whether it was the sword’s name, the blacksmith’s, or the wielder’s, he couldn’t say for sure.
In his youth, when he was searching for the sword’s true nature amidst the waves of martial arts, he had been curious.
But soon, Hedo concluded that knowing its identity wouldn’t matter much, so he assumed Veil was the sword’s name.
Hedo’s decision not to strike while Murakan’s stance faltered was simply to let him talk about Veil.
It was also a show of confidence.
Even with this much leeway, the outcome wouldn’t change. Kelliak’s reason for not sending reinforcements to the Second Magic Tower was the same. He knew Kelliak was here, so it was only natural.
“Murakan.”
Jin called softly, checking on Murakan’s condition. He looked deeply troubled and confused.
‘This is similar to when I first met Kinzello’s captain in old Oterium, the day he spoke of Temar. For some reason, Hedo’s sword is stirring up Murakan’s chaotic memories…!’
Unlike Jin, who understood that Murakan’s incomplete memories could cause such conflicts, the other Runkandels were clueless. They were simply bewildered that their family’s guardian spirit was suddenly panicking in this desperate situation.
“Ugh…!”
Murakan groaned again.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Each passing moment doubled the Runkandels’ sense of crisis.
If Murakan couldn’t fight properly, the Runkandels would likely be captured or wiped out.
Jin made a decision.
‘This has to work, just like back then. When I first met Kinzello’s captain and he spouted nonsense!’
Thwack! Crack!
Suddenly, the quiet battlefield was shattered by a fierce blow.
Jin had literally thrown a punch with all his might, striking the back of Murakan’s head as fast as possible.
Jin acted on experience, but the others, unaware of the situation, could only think he’d lost his mind.
Murakan, hit so hard on the back of the head, stood motionless like an ancient tree. He seemed frozen, a statue.
His head, however, was tilted slightly in the direction of Jin’s punch.
“What the hell, kid?”
Dipus managed to steady his trembling voice.
For a moment, he wondered if Murakan had died.
Of course, that was impossible, but Murakan’s stillness was so complete it was almost as if he had.
The awkward tilt of his neck… and taking a full-strength blow from Jin while defenseless was extremely dangerous.
“Ugh… damn, that hurts.”
Fortunately for the Runkandels, after what felt like an eternity, Murakan finally spoke in an annoyed tone.
“Are you awake now?”
“Looks like my… uh, chronic illness? Yeah, it flared up for a moment. Kid, no matter what, you can’t just go around hitting me like that.”
Crack! Crack!
Murakan turned his head, cracking his neck as he continued.
“People are watching, you know! Don’t lose face! Hey? Hey…”
Murakan’s bold words faltered as he staggered, losing his balance.
Though his mind had returned, Jin had overlooked one thing: when he used the same shock therapy in old Oterium, he was exhausted, but now he was in full strength—much stronger than before.
‘Damn, kid, control your strength! My head’s ringing and the world’s spinning. But what the hell is that sword? It definitely has some close connection to me. Trying to remember makes my head want to explode.’
Though maddeningly curious, he had to focus on the fight now—to save the contractor.
‘That guy with the physique doesn’t seem like a liar or a cheat. He definitely said no reinforcements would come.’
Then.
It was time to give it everything.
“Kid.”
“Yes?”
“I’m transforming into my true form. If that guy’s a worthless liar and reinforcements do come, escape without me. Got it?”
Jin nodded heavily.
He had no real intention of abandoning Murakan, but for now, it was better to agree. Whether reinforcements arrived or not, if Murakan didn’t fight at full strength, there was no hope.
“…There are parts I don’t quite understand, but I’ll accept that you needed time to prepare. Should we wait any longer?”
Hedo, who had been hoping Murakan would talk about his sword, concluded there was no need for more patience.
“Hmph, you’re definitely the best I’ve seen in this era. But I am Murakan. Though a thousand years and your family’s long schemes have dulled my dignity, Murakan is still Murakan.”
Whoooosh…!
Murakan’s shadow grew enormous.
Soon, dissolving into black smoke, he transformed into his true form—a black dragon, dark wings fluttering ominously.
Kaaar!
With a sharp, gloomy roar, Hedo adjusted his glasses with a composed gesture.
“I look forward to this.”
The suddenly unfurled black veil stained the ceiling dark.
Within it, swirling vortices of spiritual energy spun fiercely, resembling the eyes of giants—all fixed on Hedo.
Blue flames flickered on Bradamante, who was wrapped in the energy, and brilliant auras flared from the swords of Joshua, Dipus, and Jane.
The Phantom Corps also raised their magic, and Hedo took a deep breath.
The aura of the superhumans began to amplify, causing the air to ripple as if it might tear, and the entire tower vibrated with an uneasy, unsettling tremor.
The tension before the clash.
The first to break that fragile moment was Hedo.
“Hmph!”
With a controlled shout, Hedo’s longsword Veil surged through the chaotic mix of spiritual energy, aura, and magic.
It was a simple thrust.
But a perfect one.
The sword’s path sliced diagonally through the tangled energies’ center.
The target was Murakan.
With his massive dragon body, Murakan could not dodge such speed and distance.
The only viable response was to counter with similar or greater force, or at least avoid a fatal blow.
That was usually the only choice a dragon had.
But at that moment, Murakan once again dissolved into a swirl of black smoke, evading Hedo’s sword strike.
At the same time, he counterattacked with dozens of spiraling spiritual energies.
“Ugh!”
He wasn’t completely unharmed. Hedo’s mastery—the way his swordsmanship swept through the particles of Murakan’s dispersed form—still managed to land some blows.
This time, Hedo didn’t just take the attack with his body; he used footwork to dodge. After all, it wasn’t only Murakan’s piercing strikes coming his way, but also the venomous blows from the Runcandel warriors.
Because Murakan had evaded Hedo’s thrust, the unparalleled sword energy, unblocked by any planned defense or resistance, crashed down upon the phantoms lurking behind the Runcandel ranks.
For those phantoms, it was maddening—frustration and helplessness boiling over to the point of insanity.