Chapter 597
Episode 156: Purification of Chaos (Part 1)
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“To Brother Jin!”
“To Brother Jin!”
Just an hour ago, the Lords of the Underworld had been saying Jin was on the verge of collapse, but now they were throwing a lively drinking party, chugging down drink after drink without pause.
They were trying to cheer Jin up by exaggerating their enthusiasm, but Jin himself was so anxious and curious that he barely knew where the alcohol was going.
“Brother Jin.”
It was the first time since the banquet began that Ban spoke up.
“Phew, finally you’re talking to me, Brother Ban. And even giving me a chance to speak.”
Jin said, sounding a bit hurt, and Ban smiled.
It was like watching a cute younger brother—she was worried, but also glad to see the energy that had returned to Lafrarosa after a long time.
Just like all the other brothers.
Jin wasn’t truly upset either.
“I needed some time to sort out my thoughts. To figure out how to purify the brothers.”
The noisy chatter died down. The Lords of the Underworld all set down their cups and fixed their gaze on Jin and Ban.
Jin recalled what the brothers had said.
The Lords of the Underworld were basically immune to chaos, but the “Primordial Chaos” was an exception.
“It seems I’m not the first brother to be tainted by the Primordial Chaos. I don’t know exactly what that term means, but…”
“It refers to the chaos originating from the Witch. It’s now called Helluram, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes. The summoned Garmund brother once faced Joshua Runcandel. After leaving Lafrarosa last time, I found a clue that the prophet behind him might be Helluram. The record device we obtained by killing the demon in his villa belonged to Helluram.”
“First, tell us everything you’ve been through. After hearing it all, I’ll explain.”
“If I told everything, the night would be over.”
The brothers’ eyes sparkled.
They knew nothing of what Jin had experienced since leaving Lafrarosa last time.
Becoming the family’s standard-bearer, searching Temar’s tombs, acquiring the legacy left by the old Runcandel, meeting Valeria, uncovering the truth about the fairies, building up power, bringing down Joshua, confronting the King of Chaos, obtaining relics left by Lokia…
Less than two years had passed, but Jin’s experiences far exceeded anything the brothers had imagined.
Jin’s story only ended at noon the next day.
“Wow… It feels like I just heard a legend or a myth.”
“Yeah. Brother Satu and Brother Shaku were part of Jin’s story firsthand, right?”
“Even I, Garmund, was summoned once!”
“Damn, I’m jealous! I want to be chosen too!”
“Well… Nana, Brother Paltu, and Brother Shaku don’t remember any of it, so don’t be too envious…”
“Brother Satu, could you maybe tone down that proud look when you say that?”
Jin chuckled watching the reactions of the brothers, who were truly called legendary warriors.
“By the way, the demon Brother Satu said we encountered—the one called the Beast King Orgal, right?”
“Brother Linpa warned Brother Jin that he’s dangerous, so you’d think you’d remember him… but I’ve never heard that name before.”
“There weren’t many demons back then worth remembering.”
“Wasn’t the strongest one the guy who hung out with the Witch?”
“If so, then that must be the Beast King Orgal, brothers. The reason you don’t remember is because Ziphl manipulated history.”
“Hmph, I can’t believe beings who aren’t even gods are rewriting history. Not just writing it to suit the victors, but actually editing it like text…”
“From what Brother Jin says, those Ziphl’s combat abilities are weak, but their divine powers have already reached godly levels. They even have devices replicating the Origin Stone.”
“That makes the role of the record mage very important. The outside world now is in a state where even truths once clearly known can be altered at any time.”
The Lords of the Underworld knew exactly what the Origin Stone was.
It was the power of the gods who destroyed them.
But they knew little about Ziphl’s historical manipulations.
Their periods of activity didn’t overlap.
They had contact with Temar, who came as a successor a thousand years ago, and heard some stories about Ziphl.
But only in fragments, and Ban’s memory of Temar’s last moments was far from complete.
“Brothers, I forgot to mention something very important. Everyone, pay attention.”
The Lords of the Underworld all turned their heads in unison, like cats watching a moving toy.
“The component of the space-time device I mentioned last. I believe that item could be the key to freeing you all back into the outside world.”
Clink. Several Lords of the Underworld dropped their cups to the floor at those words. Some hiccupped in surprise, and even Ban’s eyes widened.
“We already have, or probably have, the greatest genius engineer in history and a record mage who can restore the space-time device’s records as our comrades. And through their abilities, I will free you all. I swear it.”
Before Jin came to Lafrarosa as the successor of the Spirit Sword, the Lords of the Underworld had never dared hope for a day when they could escape this dead world.
That’s why when Jin first trained, they consciously avoided talking about the outside world.
Talking about a land they could never return to would only make their punishment heavier.
But some of the Lords of the Underworld kept dreaming of the outside.
One of them was the warrior Ban, who even gave Jin a blood transfusion for that reason—believing that through Jin, the brothers could be saved.
Now, it wasn’t just Ban, but everyone who believed.
Because right now, Jin had declared he would make it happen.
“The outside world… just hearing it sounds wonderful.”
“Ha ha ha! Is the era of the Lords of the Underworld coming again?”
“Brother Jin’s enemies are our enemies! The moment we’re freed, they will face ruin!”
“The problem is…”
Jin rolled up his sleeve, revealing the black mark of chaos on his wrist.
The excited faces of the Lords of the Underworld suddenly darkened with worry.
“This.”
“The Primordial Chaos. Damn, I forgot…”
“You scared me like that and then forgot?”
“If something happens to Brother Jin, the space-time device and everything else will be meaningless.”
“Even if I fail, the others will continue working to free you all, but it’s better if I’m around. After all, I’m the only one who can enter Lafrarosa directly.”
Jin met Ban’s eyes.
“Brother Ban, unlike the others who say I’ll definitely die or go mad, you seem to think purification is possible.”
Ban nodded.
“Brothers, fortunately, the chaos infecting Brother Jin isn’t purely from the Witch alone. Though it’s similar in form, according to Brother Jin, it’s mixed with fragments of the Origin Stone—the power of the gods—so it’s not a complete Primordial Chaos.”
“Oh? So it’s only partially Primordial Chaos?”
“Right. That’s a power that shouldn’t exist in the world. If any remained, it would be in very small amounts.”
“Then the chance of Brother Jin going mad or losing his intelligence and becoming a monster during purification is lower. Though, if unlucky, he might turn into a bug.”
“Or change gender, or become hermaphroditic.”
Just hearing that was horrifying. Jin finally understood why the brothers talked about what state or form he might take.
‘So there are types of demonic transformation other than becoming a monster.’
Chaos born from the gods’ mistake—the Origin Stone—destroys the victim’s self and turns them into a monster.
But Helluram’s “Primordial Chaos” was a strange power that completely twisted the victim’s essence.
Whether it turned them into a monster or a lesser creature was unknown until the result appeared.
And the chaos infecting Jin was, as Ban put it, a mixture of the gods’ and Helluram’s chaos.
“The white stone that sealed the fragment of the Origin Stone. Before it belonged to the Hailan family, it was probably held by the Witch. That’s when the Primordial Chaos the Witch possessed entered Glic.”
If the chaos infecting Jin had been solely Glic’s, Ban wouldn’t have worried.
Though Jin was human, he had the warrior’s blood and the warrior’s spirit.
If he kept training those, Jin could eventually become immune to all chaos except the Primordial Chaos, just like the other brothers.
‘Then what about Mother, Keliak, and the others infected with chaos back then…!’
Just as Jin was about to think that, Ban continued.
“Brother Jin, I think you’re the only one infected with the Primordial Chaos alongside Glic in that battle. If an ordinary human without warrior’s blood like you had been infected, the results would have already shown.”
Even the Lords of the Underworld couldn’t resist Helluram’s chaos.
“That’s somewhat reassuring, but I don’t understand why only I was exposed to the Witch’s chaos.”
“Because the Witch hated Solderet. Solderet completely sealed the Primordial Chaos the Witch had. Brother Jin was infected by the Primordial Chaos the Witch left before being sealed. The fact you safely arrived at Lafrarosa means the Witch’s chaos tainting you is much weaker than our memories.”
Jin had never imagined this. He had only recognized it as Glic’s chaos.
“…Anyway, there is definitely a way to purify it. We should get started as soon as possible.”
“We’ll need some time to prepare. In the meantime, let the other brothers verify the achievements you’ve made out there, Jin.”