Chapter 873
Episode 218: The Cycle of Stronger Foes (Part 2)
The Hupester Alliance called it the Sea of Swords, while the Lutero Magical Federation referred to it as the Sea of Magic.
Right in the middle of that vast expanse lay the strongholds of the Jinma Realm. What had once been considered neutral waters had effectively been taken over by the Jinma forces.
“Your Highness, isn’t it too dangerous for just the two of you to go alone?” Kashimir voiced his concern.
Luna, standing beside him, shook her head firmly. “It’s not dangerous, Your Majesty. Even if the Jinma suddenly unleash their full power, the youngest and Murakan can handle a swift retreat without issue.”
“That’s right. The Golden Fleet is on standby nearby anyway, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Besides, if too many of us go, it’ll look bad. Mimul, you stay in the command center and keep receiving reports.”
“Murakan, even so, Kashimir is the king of a nation—and might soon become emperor of the empire. Is it really okay to keep calling him ‘Mimul’ like that?”
Ameris sided with Kashimir, prompting a bright smile from him.
“It’s a term of endearment, so let’s not fuss over it, Ameris. Let’s go, kid!”
“Everyone, the mission begins now. Your Majesty, if anything unusual happens during your assignments, contact me immediately.”
Jin pulled a palm-sized iron plate from inside his coat pocket. It was the long-awaited portable communication device finally perfected by Qaul.
All the key superhumans in the alliance, including Jin, had been issued one, and by the end of the week, every regional commander would be equipped.
“Understood, Your Highness. Travel safely.”
The group in the conference room dispersed quickly.
This time, Jin didn’t use the Red Owl. Since there were many mission areas, the Red Owl had to be shared among other comrades.
[Hahaha, nothing beats a dragon flying in to surprise the enemy.]
“I was worried you might embarrass yourself puking in front of the demons.”
[Ha, hold tight. I’m going full speed.]
“It’s been a while since you’ve ridden for such a long distance.”
With a powerful flap of his wings, Murakan tore through the clouds, creating a massive hole and shockwave. He moved faster than even the wind dragons, slicing through the sky in an instant.
At this speed, it would take about three hours to reach the Jinma stronghold.
Ordinary dragons or flying ships would need at least six hours. That meant the moment the barrier was breached, the enemy could strike Tikan at any time.
But even if they slipped through the barrier, Tikan was always guarded by Barmel’s top-tier superhumans and defensive systems.
‘They’ve set up nearby, but it’s not too overwhelming.’
The fruits of all the preparations since his days as a reserve rider were finally shining through.
The war hadn’t even truly begun, yet Jin felt an unshakable confidence that they wouldn’t lose.
‘The Akmyung tribe and the Jinma Realm—the underground forces are making their move. But in the end, my greatest enemy remains Ziphl, the clan and the alliance.’
The cold wind cleared his mind sharply.
Two hours into the flight, Jin received the first communication from Kashimir.
{Your Highness, can you hear me?}
“Loud and clear.”
{Reports just came in from the 1st and 3rd Riders. The major rift in southern Delki has been eliminated, but seven smaller rifts remain. They’ve decided it’s more efficient to wait for the smaller rifts to finish transferring before launching a purge.}
“That makes sense. The sisters’ secret techniques have limited uses, so it’s better not to waste them on minor rifts. Civilian evacuations should already be complete. How are the other mission areas?”
{The major rifts near the Kingdom of Shucheron are being handled smoothly by Lord Tuben and Lord Heijin. The 7th, 10th, and 11th Riders are struggling a bit, but no major issues elsewhere so far.}
“Understood.”
Another hour passed.
Jin and Murakan spotted the Jinma stronghold in the distance.
[Wow… Look at this place. It’s almost the size of a small country. Bigger than the former imperial capital.]
As Murakan said, the Jinma stronghold summoned at sea was large enough to be called a ‘nation’ in its own right.
The alliance had destroyed dozens of transferred fortresses and defeated tens of thousands of troops and many general-level demons in multiple battles.
But considering the full scale of the Jinma Realm, it was just a scratch. The central stronghold they were looking at was only a fraction of what had been summoned.
A violet magical energy flowed like a barrier throughout the stronghold. For those untrained, this magic was as deadly as poison. Combatants below 6-star rank couldn’t even enter.
“To fight effectively while exposed to this magic, you’d need at least 7-star rank. To be completely unaffected and perform at full strength, 9-star or higher.”
[When the full-scale battle comes, we’ll only send the absolute elite anyway. That won’t be a problem. The magic might be even thicker then, but by that time, we’ll have mass-produced Golden Fleets. We’ll just bombard from extreme long range.]
“You actually think strategically, Murakan.”
[It’s no longer a world where being strong alone is enough. It was the same a thousand years ago… Back then, even at my peak, I couldn’t protect my comrades. Enough of that painful story. Looks like the welcoming ceremony is about to start.]
The welcoming ceremony meant the activation of all the magical traps and defensive devices installed in the stronghold.
As Murakan approached, the magic in the area shifted like a living creature, forming a massive magic circle.
It was a dark magic unlike anything Jin had seen before.
But it wasn’t hard to guess its purpose.
“Usually, curses take a long time to cast and have complex rituals like this.”
[And you’re immune.]
As Murakan said that, the magic condensed in the circle transformed into hundreds of thin tentacles that surged toward Jin.
They could have dodged, but Jin and Murakan deliberately took the curse head-on. The tentacles tried to pierce Jin but suddenly withered like a wilting flower.
The magic circle immediately shifted into a new form—this time an offensive spell. Jin didn’t even need to draw his sword; Murakan’s breath of energy nullified every attack.
The defensive magic continued relentlessly, but it couldn’t pressure the two who were near the peak of their power.
Just as Jin was about to draw his sword in irritation, the massive magic obscuring their view vanished all at once, revealing the true form of the stronghold.
‘Jito and the Jinma Realm sure have distinct tastes.’
The stronghold looked like any ordinary city.
But every building was wrapped in thorny vines, and though Jin and Murakan hovered high above, they could hear the constant, horrifying screams rising from below.
Those were the cries of souls trapped in hell, unable to move on to reincarnation. Focusing carefully, Jin saw spirits hanging from streets and squares throughout the stronghold. They resembled ancient heroes resurrected by the evil god, but their forms glowed translucent blue.
The demons summoned in the stronghold spent their days torturing human souls like this.
Of course, these souls had once been living humans, so Jin felt a pang of sympathy.
But according to Ameris and Tess, those condemned to hell had all committed grave sins in life.
Tess had even warned Jin not to pity them. Only those guilty of unimaginable atrocities ended up in hell.
The sheer number of such villains was suffocating.
[Kid, looks like the boss is about to show up.]
The vanished magic had concentrated into a dimensional gate at the very center of the stronghold’s sky. A demon stepped out, walking calmly through the portal.
“Greetings, Sir Jin Runkandel. I am Sakiel Groshae.”
[We don’t need some nobody like you. Bring out that Paelito Belgassium or whatever his name is.]
Murakan’s taunt was met with a slow shake of Sakiel’s head.
“I didn’t expect you two to visit the Jinma Realm so suddenly. We weren’t prepared for a proper welcoming ceremony. We’re quite busy cleaning up the inland areas right now…”
[We’ll handle our own business. Bring out your strongest. Let’s settle this now.]
Murakan meant every word.
Jin, having come all this way, was willing to test swords with the so-called greatest swordsman of the Jinma Realm. Even if they didn’t decide the outcome, it was important to gauge their strength.
“That won’t be possible. I hold the heavy position of Chief Secretary of the Jinma Realm. I hope you’ll be satisfied meeting me. But I suggest you two leave quickly, while you still can. If you value your comrades.”
No sooner had Sakiel spoken than Jin’s communication device vibrated.
{Your Highness Jin, the 7th, 10th, and 11th Riders have requested support. After suppressing the demons from the rifts, a new major rift suddenly opened on the battlefield, releasing even stronger demons and troops…!}
Sakiel had been monitoring every battle at the cracks firsthand until Jin and Murakan arrived.
Originally, the cracks formed by the Demon Realm within the inland were only the “first wave.” The Demon Realm planned that once the Union’s superhumans scattered to suppress them, a second wave of cracks would open, pressuring the dispersed heroes even further.
“Ah, so these dimensional cracks formed inland this time were designed so that when you defeat one, an even stronger one appears. Clever…” Jin sighed, shaking his head.
Sakiel smiled faintly in response.
“There are still many prepared cracks waiting. Don’t waste your precious time here—better to turn back now. After all, we’ll be seeing plenty more of each other in the future.”
Jin returned the smile with a smirk.
“Oh? Is that so?”
Just as Sakiel was about to reply, Jin raised his comm device.
“Luna, Runtia, do you copy?”
Before Jin and Murakan even reached the Demon Realm’s stronghold, the two had already eliminated the great crack and swept up all the remaining smaller ones.
And just moments ago, under Sakiel’s orders, they had even wiped out the newly opened great crack with a single strike.
Sakiel watched the live feed on his crystal orb, confirming it with his own eyes.
‘…What? The new crack we just sent out was destroyed in a single blow?’
“This is Unit 1. Yes, we copy, Commander. We will coordinate with the Sub-Commander and move to Delki immediately.”
Jin nodded and glanced at Sakiel.
“Well, what do you know, Sakiel? Seems like whenever someone falls, an even stronger one shows up on our side too.”