Chapter 804
Episode 199: The Majesty of the Thirteen Great Kings of the Myungwang Clan (Part 1)
Kwadadadadadad…!
Crimson lightning bolts rained down upon the main building of Kinjello’s Seventh Branch. They were the thunderous strikes left behind by the Akmyeong Clan warriors who had just completed their spatial leap.
Just like when the beastmen’s territory branch was destroyed, the moment the Akmyeong lightning struck, the battle should have been over. What followed was supposed to be a one-sided hunt.
But this time, the Akmyeong warriors couldn’t immediately claim their spoils.
A far larger, blue lightning storm roared across the entire Seventh Branch area. The Akmyeong warriors, about to enter the building, froze and turned their heads.
“Undolin’s kin, that power… it’s him!”
“Jin Runkandel! He’s here!”
As the Akmyeong warriors roared in unison, the nearby air distorted. The Kinjello beastmen close by clutched their ears, bleeding, and collapsed to the ground.
Their radiant core hearts glowed red. The very culprit who had slain their kin—the heir of the Cheongmyeong Clan, who must be torn apart—had appeared.
And unlike the day Simat’s group first emerged on the surface, over thirty of their kin stood together now, all led personally by the Great King Rakiman Hog.
It was time to exact the price of their kin’s blood.
“So many have gathered.”
Jin appeared in the courtyard before the Seventh Branch, surveying the Akmyeong warriors arrayed behind Rakiman. Vishkel had yet to arrive, delayed by Jin’s rapid movement.
Their eyes locked.
“So you’re the Great King of the Akmyeong, Rakiman Hog. You should have stayed underground quietly. Why come out and cause such a ruckus? I distinctly warned Simat that the Akmyeong would be better off hiding from now on.”
“We have lived without distinguishing surface from underground. We were only dormant, shackled by the great serpent’s numbers. Now that the rightful owner has returned, isn’t it only proper for you to step aside quietly?”
“Right, right. You’re not exactly the diplomatic type, are you, Rakiman? Simat seemed more grounded. Don’t you realize your opponent is far stronger than you?”
Sleeng…!
Jin drew Sigmund.
“To me, you’re nothing but a bizarre hybrid. Human and Cheongmyeong blood mixed… seeing it firsthand is even more grotesque than I imagined.”
Rakiman formed two massive swords of red lightning with his Aknoe. His aura was noticeably stronger than when he faced Bardray and Berakt—proof of the gains from hunting Kinjello.
“You keep calling me Cheongmyeong, but I am one of the Thirteen Great Kings of the glorious Myungwang Clan. You’ve never truly claimed the name ‘Myungwang.’ Today, you’ll learn why. I’ll show you the meaning of true disparity.”
Tsaak!
The blue lightning storm condensed and surged into Jin, shaking the ground. The foot soldiers involuntarily swallowed dry saliva at the sudden explosion of his energy.
Just looking at him felt suffocating. The air grew unbearably heavy in an instant, and those standing nearby felt as if their kin were drifting away.
“First, I’ll bring you down to my level. No Akmyeong should dare look down on a Myungwang… If you’re tall, you should at least kneel.”
Rakiman charged, swinging his twin swords, but a shield-like barrier of lightning blocked his path. The barrier shattered under the blades but quickly reformed, and his swords sliced through empty air, unable to reach their target.
Meanwhile, the Akmyeong foot soldiers behind him began kneeling one by one. They couldn’t withstand the pressure of Jin’s blue lightning. Only the Great Kings like Undolin tried to shield them, dispersing the lightning briefly—but it was only temporary.
Because then, the Myungwang Sovereign Sword technique began.
Myungwang Sword Technique No. 10
Myungwang Sovereign Sword – Open
The ultimate secret art symbolizing the pinnacle of the Myungwang.
Only the Myungwang themselves—or those of equal rank—can stand tall within that vast, blue tempest. Only they have the privilege to fight unbowed within the Sovereign Sword’s domain.
The Akmyeong foot soldiers did not meet that standard. Already, twenty-seven had fallen to their knees, bleeding from every orifice.
Unlike before, Jin’s Myungwang Sovereign Sword was no longer incomplete. Though still not perfect, it was a mature form that, had she lived in an earlier era, would have been worthy of the title of Sword Saint.
So it was no surprise that the Akmyeong foot soldiers either collapsed or lost consciousness immediately.
Even those called Great Kings within the Akmyeong couldn’t withstand its power.
“Guh…!”
Undolin and other second- and third-tier Great Kings sank to the ground, coughing up blood. The blood spilled by the Akmyeong vanished instantly, scattered by the lightning and evaporated.
[Myungwang Sovereign Sword. Consider it an honor to face this blade. Whenever you meet me from now on, act as you do now—kneel or prostrate yourselves.]
A thunderous voice, as if hundreds of Myungwang spoke in unison, echoed across the battlefield. Despite the roaring lightning all around, the Akmyeong heard the low voice clearly. It was piercing, vivid, as if tearing through their ears and entering their minds.
Only Rakiman Hog among the Akmyeong still stood firm, slowly closing the distance to Jin.
‘Without the special ability “Beast Slayer,” he wouldn’t have overwhelmed Berakt and Bardray like that. But still, as a Great King, he’s no pushover. Even without full strength, he’s this formidable.’
Kraaaaah!
Each roar from Rakiman caused red spots to appear within the Myungwang Sovereign Sword’s domain. He was carving out his own space, resisting the blue lightning’s oppression.
He hadn’t fully recovered yet. The Aknoe in Rakiman’s core heart was only about half its prime strength.
Yet, despite knowing this, Rakiman didn’t spout arrogant nonsense.
Jin clearly recognized that even at his peak, he was no opponent for her one-on-one.
“Simat’s kin surviving is a miracle, Jin Runkandel!”
[Back then, I kept you alive to ask questions. But not today. If you have anything to show, now’s the time. Summon reinforcements with your Great King’s power, or transform into your fortress form.]
“The great serpent has informed us.”
[Or will you, like Simat, use your kin as catalysts to escape with a return spell?]
“Ugh!”
Rakiman struck Sigmund aside and rolled on the ground. Jin, who had been in his sight, suddenly vanished and attacked.
He regained his footing and raised his twin swords. Jin was still nowhere to be seen, and Rakiman’s skin crawled as he heightened his senses.
He couldn’t predict where Jin’s blade would strike next. The Myungwang Sovereign Sword’s lightning veiled her like a mist.
Had he been at full strength, he might have countered by transforming into his fortress form, offsetting the lightning somewhat.
But even that would only prolong the fight. Alone, Rakiman could never defeat Jin.
Moreover, Rakiman instinctively understood that the Myungwang Sovereign Sword was a secret art composed of multiple stages. This was only the beginning; if she advanced further, he wouldn’t last.
‘Myungwang Sovereign Sword, huh? It reminds me of the Cheongmyeong Sword Saints of old. There must be more stages, but she’s holding back to conserve stamina.’
As expected, the Myungwang Sovereign Sword still taxed Jin heavily. There was no reason to unleash its full power against an opponent she could already overwhelm.
Jin was also conserving strength, anticipating any tricks Rakiman might have.
‘No sign of a return spell like Simat’s yet. She’s deliberately binding the other Akmyeong with the Sovereign Sword to prevent that. So Rakiman’s trump cards are probably fortress form or summoning.’
If it’s fortress form, Jin can gauge and counter it. If summoning, she can open more stages of the Sovereign Sword and wipe them out. She could even use Runkandel’s magic sword, reserved to demonstrate the Myungwang’s true rank.
But considering how many Kinjello members the Akmyeong had hunted, the number of summons couldn’t be large. No other Great Kings besides Rakiman seemed to have awakened.
Therefore, this was a fight Jin could never lose. The Akmyeong’s recovery wasn’t yet enough to match her in pure strength.
As Jin pressed Rakiman relentlessly, she noticed his bracelets glowing red.
She checked the fallen Akmyeong but saw no signs of their core hearts burning like when Simat used the return spell.
‘He’s using a pocket dimension storage. Summoning, then.’
Naturally, Jin expected more Akmyeong to be summoned.
But the next moment, the energy pouring from Rakiman’s bracelets tore a massive hole in the sky—an opening large enough for something far bigger than a person to pass through.
Jin’s eyes widened as she saw what emerged.
‘…A fleet!?’
At a glance, over fifty Akmyeong ships had taken position within the enormous dimensional gate Rakiman had opened.
“The strength of Jeokmyeong comes from power and knowledge. From what I’ve heard, most of the airships on the surface are barely worth scrap by Jeokmyeong’s standards.”
Jin halted the sword he was about to swing at Rakiman and aimed it at the fleet instead. Rakiman, expressionless, issued a command through his bracelet.
“Precision strike on the entire fleet. Target: Jin Runkandel.”
{Jeokmyeong!}
Immediately, the fleet’s bombardment began. Hundreds of crimson beams twisted and curved like snakes, each one unerringly aimed at Jin without a single miss.
Yet Jin smiled wryly, as if he had no intention of dodging, and swung his sword.
Before anyone could react, the third battle mech of Runkandel, Meteor Shower, reinforced with thunder energy, was already intercepting the fleet’s barrage.
[Rakiman, I expected you’d just summon more of your kin at best. I’ll admit, this is impressive.]
For Rakiman, the most shocking thing was seeing Jin take the fleet’s bombardment as if it were nothing at all.