Episode 867
Chapter 216: The First Golden Ark (3)
“…Even after facing death once, how can one be so stubborn? This is my fault. It should have been you sent to Paytel’s tomb, not those five.”
Sanna, the Sun Priestess, was filled with regret after confirming the fate of the priests who had gone to capture Paytel.
What she had seen through prayer was nothing short of foolishness. Especially disturbing was Istvad, who had made a reckless choice, even at the cost of his own and the other priests’ immortality.
“The five were enough to capture Paytel. Their failure was simply poor handling of unexpected variables.”
A priest standing beside her shook his head. Like Istvad’s group, he was a resurrected ancient warrior—a member of the Mingwang clan.
“But since our brothers also failed to capture Shinu before, we can’t mock them too harshly.”
“Shinu is incomparable to someone like Paytel. Even with Shinu, my judgment was flawed. If only I had sent Priest Luke to Shinu sooner, we wouldn’t have lost him.”
The priest named Luke had once been revered as a warrior of the Mingwang clan. As Shinu had told Jin in the past, some of the Sun God’s priests were indeed former Mingwang.
“You’ve been blaming yourself a lot lately. You seem anxious, Priestess.”
“That’s because the futures I’ve seen through prayer keep changing. The return of powerful figures like Baekgyeong to the mortal realm at this time was completely unexpected.”
“That’s because Siron keeps defying fate. His actions keep throwing the predicted futures off course.”
“Exactly. Paytel’s power shifting to the Jin Runkandel side is part of that chain reaction. How it will continue to unfold… I can’t say.”
Lately, Sanna had been feeling frustrated.
Her goal was the resurrection of the Sun God.
To achieve that, both the surface world and the underworld needed to suffer destruction—or at least catastrophic damage—at the right time.
The sooner, the better. But looking at the current state of the world, that seemed unlikely.
A fierce battle was inevitable. Moreover, Elona, who was expected to awaken and destroy everything, was surprisingly docile.
“With each new variable, the time when our priests can operate in the mortal realm is moving forward.”
“That’s true. Once the Jin Demon Realm’s transition is complete, it will be easier for Priest Luke and the others to manifest.”
That was a small comfort to Sanna. No matter how the war between the underworld and surface played out, she planned to use the priests to steer events in the Sun God’s favor.
The priests had enough power to do so.
“I wonder which faction we’ll face first: the Bamel Union, the Lutero Federation, Kinzelro, the Red-Eyed Tribe, or the Jin Demon Realm.”
“We’ll fight whoever gains the upper hand first. Though the answers from prayer are unclear now, I think the Jin Demon Realm is the most likely.”
“Perhaps, but I’m certain the Bamel Union will ultimately be the biggest obstacle to the Sun God’s wishes.”
“Because of Siron Runkandel?”
“No, because of Jin Runkandel. He became the Demon King of the Mingwang clan in human form and is the successor to the current warrior god. Plus, he wields the power of Solderet… If he completes his ascension through this war, all factions will look up to him—even us, the Sun God’s Church.”
“It’s surprising to hear Priest Luke speak so highly of him.”
“Of course, we must manage things carefully to prevent that. Until then, it’s best to focus on capturing Shinu and awakening the other brothers.”
“I agree. The sooner Jiple completes the Demon Stone, the sooner we can seize it.”
Just as Sanna answered, Luke suddenly flinched and looked at her.
“Oh? Priestess, did you feel that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone of our kind just awakened somewhere in the mortal realm. Their aura is subtly different from ours, so they’re not one of Jin Runkandel’s brothers.”
Luke smiled slyly and added,
“The Cheongmyeong clan… our ancestors, and among them, a warrior god.”
In the Middle World, the ancient city of Nilrot of the Cheongmyeong clan.
Amir Biment watched as Eltiot had just been freed from the maintenance device.
“Eltiot, do you recognize me?”
“You are… Airan. The one who saved me. The one who saved me and my brothers…”
A satisfied smile appeared on Airan’s lips.
Neither he nor the royal family had ever truly saved Eltiot or the Cheongmyeong clan. They simply lacked the power at the time. The royal family had only taken custody of the sealed bodies of Eltiot and the Cheongmyeong clan.
They had used the buried Cheongmyeong clan members as bargaining chips with the Red-Eyed Tribe, and for research and experiments on bio-golem mines.
For all those years, they had been planting suggestions in the sealed Eltiot’s mind—that they were the ones who saved the Cheongmyeong clan from near destruction by the Great Seal.
They also implied that the royal family’s enemies were the Cheongmyeong clan’s enemies.
“Yes. Unfortunately, we could only save a few of your brothers… but seeing you awake now brings me some relief.”
“…Why do I smell more of those red bastards who deserve to be torn apart than my own brothers? And the stench of those pathetic demons too.”
At those words, Airan smiled inwardly once more.
What pleased him most was that Eltiot, though amnesiac, still possessed the terrifying power he had back then—much like Elona or Jiple.
“More time has passed than you can imagine, Eltiot. And now is an era dominated by the Red-Eyed Tribe and demons. Rise, and let us meet your brothers. I will explain everything slowly.”
Eltiot, still dazed, took Airan’s outstretched hand.
December 30, 1803.
Runkandel had spent the days since dealing with the transition cracks and focusing all efforts on completing the Golden Ark.
“Tonight is the night.”
The completion of Ayula’s descent ritual, the Bamel Union’s acquisition of the first Golden Ark—news of all this was expected tonight.
‘And the start of the Demon Realm’s transition as well.’
Currently, about fifty cracks had formed in Huepester.
Even the efforts of gifted individuals capable of closing the cracks—including Jin, Luna, and Runtia—were stretched thin. Fortunately, all cracks in critical areas like Siatello had been sealed.
“Your Majesty, has the evacuation of all crack zones been completed perfectly?”
“Yes, Prince Jin. Not only people but also their livestock and pets have all been relocated. Not a single person was left behind. Lady Valeria personally confirmed this with her record magic.”
According to Namyeong and Chilsaekjo’s reports, the Lutero Federation still had several times more transition cracks than the Bamel Union.
“That’s a relief.”
“As long as the remaining cracks in Jiple don’t become a communication channel with the Jin Demon Realm, we should be able to maintain an advantage in the war.”
If Jiple failed to prevent an alliance with the Jin Demon Realm, it would be the worst-case scenario.
They were already fighting the Red-Eyed Tribe across the federation. If the Jin Demon Realm joined in, even Jiple would be helpless.
‘If Jiple and the Jin Demon Realm do ally, Sanna will surely be at the center.’
Jin recalled the priests of the Sun God’s Church who had given Shinu such a hard time.
‘Shinu was an ancestor of the Mingwang clan… and some of them, believed to be warrior gods, became priests of the Sun God’s Church. To push a god like Shinu that far, Istvad’s group alone wouldn’t be enough. The inclusion of the Mingwang clan is no lie.’
It annoyed him that the former Mingwang priests of the Sun God’s Church might appear in the world before his brothers trapped in Lafrarosa.
‘If the Sun God’s Church priest, presumed to be an ancient warrior god, teams up with Elona and Jiple, the Demon Realm will find their combined power and Sanna’s abilities, plus the Demon Stone, a serious threat. If they form a temporary alliance, the situation could flip instantly. We’d be at a disadvantage.’
In that sense, securing Paytel this time was a stroke of luck. Without him, the first Golden Ark wouldn’t have been completed even after the day passed.
“It’s about time to head to the Holy Kingdom. Murakan and I will go.”
Though there were far more cracks outside the Holy Kingdom, as the leader of the Bamel Union, Jin needed to witness Ayula’s manifestation firsthand and encourage the kingdom’s people.
“Go safely, Prince. If any problems arise with the cracks, we’ll contact you immediately.”
Jin and Murakan mounted their red owls and flew toward the Holy Kingdom.
As everyone expected, the upheaval began that very night.
{[Your Majesty, demons and structures from the Jin Demon Realm have begun to be summoned through the cracks in Huepester.]}
At 10 p.m., Luet sent a message to Tikan. The riders and knights of Runkandel were already dispatched to each crack.
“I will inform Prince Jin immediately and send superhumans within Tikan.”
{[Please send Tikan’s superhumans to the Empire, not Huepester. A new crack has suddenly appeared near the Empire’s former capital, and demons are being summoned there.]}
The Empire had also evacuated all civilians from the crack zones. But the sudden appearance of a new crack was problematic.
{[Soon, the Palace Lord will send Motes there—]}
Before Luet could finish, a new message arrived from the Empire.
Not from Hailan’s Second Castle in Dante, but from the ‘Golden Ark’ itself.
{Kwahaha! Don’t worry too much about the Empire!}
“Dr. Kwau…?”
Feytel and I have just arrived at Hiran Second Star, piloting the Golden Ship. All systems have been checked and the ship is in perfect condition. We’ve already turned over a thousand demons that came through the rift to dust with a single broadside. So when the minor lord arrives, tell him to head somewhere other than the capital. The capital will be defended by the Sword Emperor and us!
Most of the demons escaping the rift near the imperial capital never even got a glimpse of the human world they’d been so curious about before meeting their end.