Chapter 929
Episode 231: Resolve (Part 2)
“Huuuu…”
Veradin took a deep breath and looked down. He stood at the very center of the protective barrier he had erected over all of Drakka.
Around the shield, ashes swirled like a thick sandstorm—the charred remains of demons burned to death by Veradin’s magic.
Though every mage from the Ziphl clan’s main house had joined the defense, in truth, Veradin had almost single-handedly annihilated the invading demons.
The Ziphl leadership and top-tier mages, including Satrin, only dealt with the occasional demon that managed to breach the barrier.
Thanks to this, despite the large-scale dimensional rift that had opened, not a single citizen of Drakka was harmed. There were no injuries or deaths among the general populace.
Yet Veradin showed no sign of satisfaction. On the contrary, his furrowed brow trembled with barely contained anger.
“Thank you for your hard work, Master.”
Satrin climbed onto the barrier and stood beside Veradin, watching him carefully for a moment.
“Master, are you alright?”
“How are things in the Buckle District and the other invaded regions?”
“We’re still confirming details, but no area was defended as perfectly as Drakka. As initially reported, the Kingdom of Pellin suffered damage tantamount to near annihilation. In the Buckle District, it’s estimated that over fifty thousand civilians were affected, along with about a hundred federal mages. And the rest…”
Satrin continued her report, and with each update, Veradin’s expression darkened further.
“Keliak’s aura is unbearably repugnant.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I was certain I had completely erased his shadow…”
Erased his shadow.
Veradin had long believed that his Ziphl was far stronger than Keliak’s—that his magic and governance surpassed Keliak’s by a wide margin.
But now, reading the lingering aura left behind by the demons who had escaped through the rift—undoubtedly Keliak’s minions—his confidence wavered.
‘Keliak’s Ziphl has grown stronger. He may even be the first Ascendant mage since Riol Ziphl.’
What if it had been Keliak, not him, who had raised the barrier?
That thought gnawed at Veradin’s mind. No matter how he considered it, he was certain that the current Keliak would have defended not only Drakka but also the surrounding key districts without a single casualty.
Of course, if Elona had been deployed to the battlefield, Veradin might have achieved even better results.
But without her power, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he still hadn’t surpassed Keliak.
‘Shinu… that disgusting god never gave up on Keliak. They must have fused completely.’
A fiery rage swelled in his chest.
Veradin was now suffering from the “Simma”—a mental affliction. He regretted not having completely severed Keliak’s lifeline at the Tower of Stories that day.
“Ugh…!”
Suddenly, Veradin clutched his head. This was a symptom that sometimes occurred during the worst phases of mental manipulation side effects.
‘Mana reflux… a sign of an impending rampage!’
Satrin panicked, trying to think of a countermeasure, when a small Ziphl ship descended rapidly. It had come hastily from the Tower of Stories, Ziphl’s first magic tower.
“Master!”
Elona called out as she descended through the barrier.
Veradin didn’t even register her voice, reflexively extending his Hroti with eyes wild with madness.
But Elona carefully extinguished the mana clinging to his Hroti with one hand and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Hah… hah…”
Moments later, enveloped in Elona’s magic, Veradin exhaled ragged breaths and regained his composure. His entire body was drenched in sweat.
“You’re alright, Master. Didn’t I say I would protect you?”
“Lady Elona… you’ve seen me at my worst.”
“Not at all. It’s probably due to Keliak’s lingering magic. I sensed a terrible aura coming from Drakka and rushed here.”
Elona had been quietly seated at the Tower of Stories when she precisely detected Keliak’s magic spreading far away in Drakka. Satrin flinched anew, pondering what it truly meant to ascend.
Elona then gathered the foreign, unnaturally crimson flame clinging to Veradin’s body and drew it into the air.
Only after that left his body could Veradin breathe a little easier.
“This is an ancient curse used by those who wield fire.”
“A curse…?”
“The Cursed Flame. It’s a curse once taught to me by the avatar Shinu. It amplifies the Simma, turning the target into a beast filled with murderous intent.”
Elona clenched her fist and extinguished the cursed flame.
“It’s especially effective against Ascendants or those on the path to Ascension. I haven’t experienced it myself, but everyone who passes through that stage is exposed to the Simma, so no matter how sharp their senses, they can’t distinguish it from a curse.”
Thus, the Cursed Flame is the most dangerous curse for those undergoing the Simma.
However, it comes with many restrictions and a limited number of uses.
“…So I was just barely spared from falling victim to that curse. Thank you, Lady Elona.”
“I’m just relieved I wasn’t too late. But Master, you must rest with me for several days. It won’t be safe until I’ve tracked down and eliminated all remnants of the curse.”
“Several days? That won’t do. I can’t afford to delay going to the Holy Kingdom myself—ugh!”
With a sudden cough, Veradin spat out a mouthful of black blood.
‘Keliak… that old bastard really landed a solid hit.’
It was as if he stood on Keliak’s massive palm, a maddening wave of disgust surging through him. Keliak was probably smiling somewhere deep in the Demon Realm right now.
“If you go alone to the Holy Kingdom in your current state, Master, you will surely die. Even your old comrades, who are fully prepared to face Paelito, won’t be able to hold out.”
“Huu… you’re well-informed about the battlefield situation in the Holy Kingdom, aren’t you?”
“It’s dire. The map is changing in real time, and Paelito’s demonic energy is steadily intensifying. At this rate, it might soon engulf the entire Holy Kingdom.”
“Then the forces of Inse fighting there…”
“The Tower predicts their inevitable defeat. But the Tower’s calculations are still unstable, and lately, most predictions related to the Demon Realm have been wrong. The assault on Grosh Castle and this Drakka invasion were both miscalculations.”
Elona met Veradin’s gaze.
His eyes, which had nearly succumbed to the Simma moments ago, were no longer cold as usual. They were filled with suppressed rage and madness.
And faintly, there seemed to be something else—worry and anxiety.
No, it was definitely there. Veradin himself might not realize it, but Elona could see it clearly. She had once been like him, struggling through the world with those same eyes. It was like looking into a mirror reflecting her past self.
‘Master, what are you worried about? Your mind, clouded by the Simma, is dredging up something buried deep inside you. Perhaps it’s fear of Keliak’s Ziphl… or concern for Jin Runkandel and Dante Hyland. The terror of losing your friends…?’
Elona couldn’t pinpoint exactly what flickered in Veradin’s wavering eyes. But one thing was clear: he was deeply afraid.
‘Whatever it is, someday I will help Master find what he’s forgotten. Just as he once gave me new meaning when I was lost and lonely, just as he cherished a monster like me.’
As she resolved this, a faint memory brushed through Elona’s mind.
Someone had once embraced her when she was like Veradin is now.
“Lady Elona, what do you think? Do you agree with the Tower’s calculations?”
“To be honest, when Paelito awakened, I didn’t think anyone but me, Runkandel’s Master… and two other unknown entities could stop that demon.”
“Have you changed your mind?”
“…I’m sorry, Master. I don’t know.”
“That’s alright. Please don’t apologize.”
“But if I had to say, I feel as if something huge is about to awaken again in the Holy Kingdom. Like when the energy of Siron Runkandel was sensed near the Black Sea just before Baekgyeong returned to Runkandel.”
Veradin and Satrin’s eyes widened.
“If that’s true, then Jin Runkandel might ascend during battle, like the previous Sword Emperor…?”
“That’s a future even Az Miljo can’t predict. Ascension is unpredictable and can twist any fate. But the energy I sensed was very dark.”
“Dark, huh.”
Veradin briefly imagined Jin ascending.
That moment couldn’t be dark. It was too far from the path Jin Runkandel had shown so far.
“Then perhaps it’s not Jin, but the body of Zito, kept by the Holy Kingdom, that will manifest. If so, it would certainly be as dark as you say, Lady Elona.”
Veradin answered in a somewhat drained voice.
“Paelito Belgassium might unlock another power. One thing’s certain: whatever awakens in the Holy Kingdom right now, neither Gaju nor I will be able to witness it firsthand. Whether the Balmel Alliance is wiped out or they manage to defend the kingdom, we can only respond once the battle is over.”
Veradin nodded heavily. With Elona speaking so plainly, there was no need to drag her cursed body all the way to the Holy Kingdom.
From Ziphl’s perspective, the best outcome was for the Balmel Alliance and the top forces of the Demon Realm to annihilate each other within the kingdom.
Still, that outcome didn’t sit well with him.
‘Is the curse making me sentimental? For some reason, I find myself hoping that Rune Kandel and Dante Hiran don’t die.’
Shaking off the thought, Veradin quickly took Elona’s hand.
“Let’s head back to the main estate for now, Lady Elona. I’ve been so caught up in this chaotic battlefield that I’ve kept you here far too long.”