Episode 866
Chapter 216. The First Golden Vessel (2)

[Introduce me to that friend of yours as well. Now that I think about it, ever since you joined the alliance, I don’t recall having a proper conversation with your Phoenix. Surely, it must be a great immortal.]

“Understood, Ameris.”

I headed to the underground training hall beneath the Tikan Palace to summon Tess. This was the very place where I first called her forth back when the palace was still a grand mansion.

“A sudden memory just popped up—getting beaten up by Alisa. After losing 109 times, I finally summoned Tess during the last duel and won.”

Murakan and Quikantel recalled the day they first saw Tess, summoned by Jin. They were so shocked that during the celebration party for Jin, they even dropped their forks.

Whoosh!

Blue flames spread throughout the training hall as the summoning circle formed. When Tess appeared, Quikantel bowed deeply.

“I pay my respects to the master of the Flame Realm.”

As usual, Murakan stiffened his neck, stood with one leg crossed, and ended up getting pecked by Tess’s beak.

“Ah, how long are you going to keep picking on me like this? But I am Murakan, you know! Still, this treatment every time is—ugh! That hurts! And stop cursing, seriously!”

[As always… Jin, your guardian dragons often seem to lack intelligence. Maybe they were born too strong and never had the chance to develop much thought.]

“If it were Murakan, he’d probably be the same even if he were born weak.”

[Hmm, that’s true. Your eldest sister was strong from birth too, and while she’s a bit oblivious, she’s not quite like Murakan.]

As Ameris approached, Tess, who had been pecking at Murakan, turned her head.

[Glad to meet you, Tess. Just by looking at you, it’s clear you’re a very ancient immortal. I am Ameris, entrusted with the duty of guarding the boundary after the Sun God’s passing.]

Murakan expected Tess to fly into a fiery rage. Among the gods he knew, none could speak so casually to Tess and get away with it.

Quikantel, knowing Tess’s temperament, tensed up slightly, but surprisingly, Tess nodded in a friendly manner.

“What!? Glad to meet me!? Hey, Tess, this guy is way weaker than me! And he’s even using honorifics? That’s not like him!”

[Murakan, be quiet when adults are talking.]

Since Tess was speaking in a spiritual language, Jin couldn’t hear her, but he could roughly sense the tone of their conversation.

[Ah… Now that I think about it, Jin can’t hear these spiritual talks. Tess, have you never spoken directly with Jin before? Has it always been this idiot or Quikantel acting as some kind of interpreter?]

Tess nodded again.

[No matter how strict the Law of Separation is, it’s impossible for an immortal of your caliber not to have even a casual chat with their contractor. Recently, Valeria helped me recover some of my memories, restoring a few minor powers, so I can assist you now.]

Ameris began whispering something in an unintelligible language, like casting a spell.

When the incantation ended, for the first time, Jin could hear Tess’s voice.

“Oh… quite remarkable, Ameris. The ability to convert spiritual language into mortal sound like this is impressive.”

Jin was startled and stared at Tess. Murakan and Quikantel shared the same reaction.

“Tess is actually talking…!?”

[This is the first time we’re communicating directly, Jin. Thanks to Ameris, you’re having a rare experience.]

“We’ve always been together since my days as a trainee, but having a conversation like this feels kind of awkward.”

[Such a cute thing to say.]

“No, even the little one talks casually, so why can’t I?”

[Honestly, Murakan is hopeless. No matter how many times he gets hit, he never learns. Is it because he’s not from the Flame Realm? Maybe he should come over and die once to realize, ‘Ah, I was crazy to mess around like this.’ What’s the point of being Murakan? Jin is my precious contractor, and you’re just my subordinate.]

Smack! Tess clenched her wing like a fist and punched Murakan. As Murakan always said, “Stop cursing,” Tess’s language was quite rough.

Though it shattered the image Jin had expected, he was glad he could now talk with Tess going forward.

[Hmm, that troublemaker caused a bit of a scene, Ameris. Not a pretty sight.]

[I’m fine. Actually, it’s refreshing.]

[You must have many worries these days, Ameris. Zito broke the order of separation and is rampaging on the surface… He should just stay buried underground, but he keeps craving the surface.]

[If all the immortals with the greatest power after the Sun God’s passing were like you, this wouldn’t have happened. That’s why Jin summoned you in the first place. The Flame Realm, does your domain also exist underground?]

[No. If my land were in the underworld, Zito wouldn’t be able to run wild like this… Oh!]

Suddenly, Tess flinched and showed a pleased expression.

[As expected of a guardian of the world’s separation. Even with an interpreter, it was impossible to accurately convey information about my domain to the mortal realm.]

[Since I oversee the order, I can make some adjustments. When I had nine heads, I could modify much more. I didn’t because it wasn’t necessary and was dangerous.]

Jin realized anew that Ameris was a particularly high-ranking immortal. Even Tess, who could slaughter mid-tier gods with a few breaths, couldn’t break free from the order of separation on her own.

[Then, where is your domain, the Flame Realm?]

[It exists at the highest point of the sky.]

“Was that the place we visited before, the highest point of the sky? I just thought it was another dimension or a pocket space.”

[The edge of the sky…? Ah, no way. Are you the immortal who governs reincarnation?]

At those words, Tess flinched and nodded.

This was information mortals shouldn’t know. But since only Jin, Murakan, and Quikantel were in the training hall, and the world was in chaos, it was deemed acceptable.

[Yes. My mission after the Sun God’s passing was to protect the cycle of reincarnation, granting me immortality and eternal life. That’s why I possess such great power.]

This too was information Tess couldn’t normally reveal to mortals. Jin listened reverently to the world’s greatest secrets.

[I once heard from Solderet and the witch that such an immortal exists. They said there’s a sky no one can ascend beyond, filled with fire. That was you… carrying a burden as heavy as mine.]

Tess and Zito.

They were beings who governed the order called reincarnation or rebirth, and hell, respectively. When all life dies, it goes to either Tess’s domain or Zito’s.

Ameris explained this while looking at Jin.

“So Tess and Zito stand as perfect opposites.”

[Exactly, Jin. I may have spoken lightly of him, but that was when I fought him in my own territory with my full power. If Zito regains all his strength and invades the surface, you and your comrades won’t be able to handle it.]

“Then can Tess not influence the mortal realm as much as Zito?”

[That’s something to consider in the future. Since Zito used methods that defy order, there might be a way for me too. But it’s impossible for both of us to regain full power.]

[Even if Zito regains only part of his old strength, it’s a big problem. As you can see, I’ve lost many powers, Tess. If you could help our alliance, it would be an immense boon.]

[I’ll do my best to find a way. The first thing that comes to mind is manifesting through Jin’s body like I did in the old Oterium… but if I do that, Jin will die.]

[Dying while protecting the world is noble, but none of us want that ending. Also, even if you manifest through Jin, your true self wouldn’t stand a chance against Zito, who has come to the surface.]

[Probably. I hate to admit it, but in essence, he’s not that different from me. And there’s one more thing… Jin, you recently met Shinu, right?]

I nodded.

“Yes, I did.”

[My fire is opposed to his. But since it’s essentially the same fire, I wonder if I could use him to manifest.]

“Through Shinu’s power…”

—Now, tell me what Shinu and Keliak want from me.

—Yes, Lord Jin. They wish for you to heal Lord Keliak.

I recalled the conversation I had with the young fire dragon Pai on the day Shinu manifested.

Back then, Shinu told me about the Sun God’s religion and their goals.

“Even though I refused to heal Keliak, Shinu gave me information because it was necessary for him that I stop the Sun God’s cult.”

That meant a deal might be possible, depending on how Shinu viewed the Jinma realm and Zito.

It wasn’t something I could confirm immediately. Shinu and Keliak’s whereabouts remained unknown.

“For now, Tess, I’ll gather information on Shinu while preparing for war with the Jinma realm. Since Shinu tried to make a deal with me, communication might go smoothly.”

Of course, the best outcome wouldn’t be a mere deal, but to ‘subdue’ Shinu—forcing him into a position where he has no choice but to follow Jin’s will.

That might have been impossible back when Keliak was the head of Ziphl, but now, it was entirely within reach.

[So you’re saying there’s at least a slight chance that you might manifest yourself?]

[Exactly, Ameris. Since I began contracting with humans not as the overseer of reincarnation, but as a single immortal phoenix, Jin has been the most satisfactory partner I’ve ever had. I have no intention of letting him die at Zito’s hands.]

Tes locked eyes with Jin.

[Don’t worry. Keep moving forward, Jin. I will continue to protect you.]