Episode 699
Chapter 178: Deepening Dilemmas (3)

“A true Creator, huh…”

Jin spoke quietly.

Everyone has probably pondered that question at least once: If a god created the world, then who created that god?

The answers tend to be similar—either there’s a god above that god, or the god came into existence on its own.

Orgal claimed that the true Creator was the Sun God, Kinzello.

Unlike the countless charlatans who had claimed to be the Sun God before, Orgal’s assertion carried undeniable credibility.

Jin had firsthand experience with the Sun God’s power. Valeria, who had suffered mortal wounds, was completely healed within a domain formed by the residual energy of the Sun God—what Ziphl called the Holy Ground.

And then there was Veil, the Sun’s creation. From the moment of his birth, he possessed immense power—divine combat abilities and even resistance to historical manipulation—all without any training or enlightenment.

“So, what do you think, Lord Jin? You just uncovered the greatest secret of the world. Doesn’t your heart race?”

Margiela asked brightly, but Jin just shrugged.

Even if the Sun God truly existed, it wasn’t exactly thrilling news for Jin.

If anything, it was just another headache. If they failed to bring down Kinzello in time, they’d have to face off against such a high-level being.

Of course, that was assuming the Sun God really existed and could be resurrected.

“Well, I’m not sure. Veil, what about you?”

“I’m not impressed either,” Veil replied indifferently.

Jin silently breathed a sigh of relief.

If Veil had harbored some longing for the mysterious Creator who made him, that would have been another source of anxiety.

But Veil’s only concern was Sarah Runkandel. Now that he had accepted the fact that she had died a thousand years ago, this world was nothing more than a vast empty field to him.

Except, as Jin had told him, the ones who killed Sarah were still alive. Veil’s last remaining purpose in life was to annihilate them.

[Veil, don’t you have any curiosity at all about the one who created you?]

“Are you deaf? Why do you keep asking the same thing? It’s annoying. I’m not interested, not curious.”

Veil’s sharp response left most of Kinzello’s lieutenants visibly taken aback, and Orgal looked somewhat saddened.

‘It’s Orgal, not Veil, who longs for the Sun God.’

Orgal was a demon lord, known as the Beast King among demons. Jin thought the combination of him and the Sun God was oddly mismatched.

[It’s a pity that the fragment of the Creator within you is no different from other orphans. You must have known from birth that you were a creation of the Sun God. cough…]

“Hey, Jin. I don’t like that guy. Can I punch him once? Feels like he’s treating me like a fool.”

“You shouldn’t hit someone who’s hurt. Besides, we’re allies now.”

Kinzello’s lieutenants were repeatedly disappointed by Veil’s behavior, which fell short of their expectations.

Jin understood their frustration to some extent—he had felt the same way when he first met Veil.

“Lord Veil, imagine the Sun God’s return and the world’s purification.”

Margiela spoke with the innocent zeal of a misguided fanatic, but Veil just scoffed.

“No thanks.”

“Even if the Sun God’s return meant you could meet the person you love most again?”

“You mean… meet Sarah again?”

“Exactly. The Sun God would never overlook the deep sorrow you carry. Since you are a fragment of the Sun God, that sorrow is also His. The only way to purify it is for Lady Sarah to return.”

At that moment, Jin finally understood more clearly why Kinzello and his followers had been obsessed with Ziphl and the Demon God Stone. And why they fixated on Bubar Gaston.

‘Gathering the fragments… piecing the Sun God back together—that’s probably Bubar’s disgusting task.’

That meant there could be more beings like Veil.

Jin suddenly realized that Kinzello’s faction wasn’t just a bunch of fools. Their cards were all dangerously powerful.

All their enemies were like that. Just thinking about Rosa was overwhelming, and now there was talk of demon lords and the Sun God—it made his head ache.

He glanced back at Veil. The mention of meeting Sarah again had stirred something within him.

Jin decided to watch quietly and see how he would react.

“Cut the crap. Even if the Sun God resurrected Sarah, she wouldn’t be the Sarah I knew. She’d just be another Sandra Ziphl. So don’t ever bring her up again. If it weren’t for the taboo, you’d already be dust scattered to the winds.”

“Oh…”

Jin let out a low whistle.

“That’s a good answer, Veil.”

Seeing Veil utterly unmoved by Kinzello’s mention of Sarah gave Jin an inexplicable sense of pride.

“Lord Veil, you misunderstand. What I meant was…”

“Enough nonsense. I gave you the chance to tempt Veil out of my own consideration. I admit I’ve somewhat ignored your goodwill. I’ve heard a bit about Zito too. But since you failed, don’t pester Veil anymore. Show me Orgal recovering instead.”

[cough!]

“See? He’s still coughing like he’s about to collapse. How does he expect to fight Rosa looking so weak? Orgal, when I unsealed Veil, I caught a glimpse of Rosa. She’s getting stronger faster than you expected.”

—“Everyone seems worried about when Rosa will make her move, so here’s something to know: It will take at least another year before she acts directly. Until then, the world won’t end.”

At the first temporary alliance meeting, Orgal had said Rosa was unlikely to act within a year.

“It’s only been about three months since that meeting where you said she’d need at least a year. But the Rosa I saw at Veil’s seal was even stronger than when she attacked the Sword Garden. Orgal, didn’t you notice anything?”

[No. But if what you say is true, the day of reckoning might come sooner.]

“Exactly. Time’s already tight, and now it’s even tighter. That’s why I brought Veil here, even though I knew it would benefit Kinzello. Not to satisfy your thirst for the Sun God.”

Orgal nodded.

[Veil’s power must be unlocked for my recovery.]

Jin gave a subtle nod, and a golden halo appeared above Veil’s head, wings forming on his back as golden energy radiated out.

Orgal’s ghostly form, made of smoky haze, began to solidify rapidly—like parched earth soaking up rain.

Veil was clearly displeased that his energy was being drained but remained silent.

“Jin, he’s stealing my power. Can’t we block it?”

“If it causes permanent damage, try blocking it.”

“It’s not that… it’s just a slight drain.”

From Veil’s perspective, it was slight. But the Sun God’s energy he possessed was practically infinite by human standards.

Watching Orgal’s body become more distinct, Jin thought of Murakan.

‘It’s just like when Murakan absorbs my energy to heal. Though this seems even more effective…’

When Murakan awoke in the Storm Castle, he tried to suck Jin’s energy, much like Orgal was now absorbing Veil’s.

That meant Orgal was a being born from the Sun God’s power—like how guardian dragons draw strength from their deity.

[huuu…]

Orgal took a deep breath. He was no longer a ghostly figure.

His facial features were clear, and his once hazy body had turned a solid gray.

Though some faint patches remained, he now looked much like an ordinary demon.

But it seemed he couldn’t recover any further using Veil’s energy alone.

“Finally, the coughing stopped. And now you look more like the other demons.”

[It’s been a long time since I felt this…]

“But it seems this recovery through Veil has its limits. To fully heal, you’ll need Ziphl’s Holy Ground.”

Jin easily guessed that the Sun God’s power remaining in Ziphl’s Holy Ground was far purer than what Veil possessed.

“Congratulations, my lord.”

Zephyrin knelt before Orgal.

Jin didn’t sense any special change in Orgal’s energy, but through Zephyrin, he could tell Orgal’s power had grown immensely.

Zephyrin radiated a strength far beyond before.

If Zephyrin had possessed this much power when Jin first met him at the Black King’s Mountain, Jin’s story would have ended right there.

Zephyrin drew power from Orgal. Until now, Orgal had been forced to strain himself to supply Zephyrin, but now, even with Zephyrin’s energy at its peak, Orgal showed no signs of strain.

“Finally, I can trust you a bit, Orgal. I was worried you’d keep falling ill until the day of the final battle. But you’re not going to weaken again like in the Caldren Snowfields, right?”

[Don’t worry. Unless I die, I can maintain this state indefinitely now.]

It was a comforting answer when thinking about the battle with Rosa—but terrifying when imagining future fights against Kinzello.

[But I suppose even a cursed god like me needs some time to adjust. A few days should be enough.]

“A few days sounds reasonable. Don’t push yourself just because you’re feeling good after regaining your strength. You’ve been so weak for so long, I’m only saying this because I’m worried.”

Orgal gave Jin a sly smile.

[I’ve only recovered about ten percent of my power, so I’m not exactly thrilled enough to go crazy.]

“Ten percent is already this strong…”

[Didn’t I say during the summit? If I had been whole from the start, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.]

Orgal’s words didn’t sound like empty boasting at all, which made the situation a bit unsettling.

Veil suddenly turned to Jin and asked,

[That guy doesn’t seem like a patient anymore. Is it okay to hit him now!?]

Jin chuckled softly.