Episode 936
Chapter 232: Awakening (4)
The Demon Horse Fortress of the Jinma Realm.
“The flames of hatred have finally ignited.”
Kelliak Ziphl set down his teacup and spoke.
This should have been a moment for a smile. Paelito had used the soul orb filled with the fire of hatred, just as planned.
Now, Paelito would begin his transformation into a fiend, and in the process, he would consume and merge with Jito’s body.
Up to this point, everything was unfolding exactly as Kelliak had intended. He could eliminate Paelito in one fell swoop and weaken Jito at the same time.
The problem was that an unexpected variable had also emerged—one far beyond his predictions.
“As expected, Lord Kelliak, your plan is proceeding smoothly. But… you seem somewhat disappointed. Am I right?”
Kimallos Ziphl spoke. He was the head of the Ziphl family in his forties, a man who had recently gained a new body thanks to Kelliak.
Beside Kimallos sat other resurrected mages and Kidard Hall, all watching Kelliak closely.
“It seems I haven’t fully regained my senses since awakening, Lord Kimallos. Didn’t you notice?”
“Notice what…?”
“The true Runkandel has ascended to Changseong.”
The eyes of those listening widened. Kidard Hall trembled with barely suppressed rage. The fact that Jin had reached Changseong meant his revenge was now forever out of reach.
“Hah, the young head of the Sword Clan has become Changseong!?”
“Yes. So this isn’t a moment for celebration… if anything, the situation has worsened. I’m beginning to think it would have been better not to use Paelito at all, and instead force a decisive battle with Jito before Jin reached Changseong.”
For Kelliak, Jin’s ascension was a deeply unsettling development. Even before becoming Changseong, Jin had always been a wildcard.
“So, the only hope we have now is that he suffers irreparable damage while fighting the fiend Paelito or Jito…”
Kelliak rose from his seat. The others followed suit, their eyes fixed on him.
“I will meet with the Ganesto family members. It seems we must rearrange the board.”
Ziphl, Drakka.
Elona had also sensed Jin’s transformation.
“Lord, the young head of the Sword Clan has become Changseong.”
Upon hearing this, Veradin felt joy before worry could take hold. Jin’s ascension meant he would not die in this battle.
Veradin concealed his feelings and met Elona’s gaze. She was finely attuned to the subtle changes within him.
“Also, as I predicted, a vast and dark power has awakened. Had Jin not reached Changseong, the Holy Kingdom would have been destroyed by now. Then, other regions of Inse would have been targeted. I would have had to abandon the cursed head of the family to stop it… We would have suffered a devastating blow.”
Like a prophetic dream often experienced by Azmil’s contractors, Elona saw all these possibilities as if they had already happened.
If that had been the case, Veradin would have fallen into the abyss and become a monster. And it would have been her duty to kill him to stop it.
“…I would have been plunged into terrible sorrow. Driven mad by the pain of killing my own head of family, I might have become a monster who crushed and destroyed everything in sight, just like before.”
All that misfortune had been erased by a single person’s reaching Changseong.
Elona silently breathed a sigh of relief and praised Jin. His transcendent fate had wiped away another despair that would have befallen Ziphl and the world.
“So, Elona, you believe that this dark power will be defeated by Jin Runkandel, now that he is Changseong?”
“Yes, Lord. Though this dark force is overwhelmingly strong—even I find it burdensome—it is incomplete. It needs time to fully form, whereas Jin is already at his peak.”
Veradin smiled without realizing it—a mixture of emptiness, worry, and a strange sense of relief.
“I’ll need time to catch up to him… or can I even catch up at all?”
“Don’t be so hasty, Lord. From my experience, power is merely a tool. No matter how strong you are, if you don’t know how to use it, it’s worse than having nothing.”
“But I don’t think Jin Runkandel is ignorant of that. I’ve never seen anyone more aware of what they truly want.”
“Changseong always comes with demonic power, which might not be suitable for you right now. For now, focus on shaking off the curse.”
“This strange feeling… whether it’s defeat or something else… it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.”
“Do you dislike it?”
Elona asked, and Veradin thought for a long moment before shaking his head.
“Not entirely.”
He didn’t voice the part about feeling strangely nostalgic. He faintly recalled his boyhood days, competing in friendly rivalry with Jin and Dante.
“You are undoubtedly strong.”
Inse, the Banished Space.
A woman looked down upon the land below. The battlefield was littered with the corpses of dragons felled in endless combat, and among them stood a man drenched in their blood.
Lucy Runkandel and Joshua Ganesto.
Neither showed any sign of fatigue. Lucy, however, was unable to fight directly, while Joshua had been facing her dragons alone.
“Perhaps it’s because you awakened the blood of Ganesto… That power does not suit you. No matter how strong, it can never truly be yours.”
“You’ve been spouting nonsense for some time now. How many more of your dragons must I kill before you show your true form? After seeing the deaths of so many who call you mother, will you continue hiding like this, Lucy Runkandel?”
As Joshua said, Lucy was not truly present in this space. The translucent figure floating in the sky was a projection, not her true body.
“Because you relentlessly pursued me, I had no choice but to leave this place temporarily. I couldn’t protect my children from suffering. But now that I’m out in Inse, I realize one thing.”
“What have you realized?”
“Your youngest sibling—the distant descendant of me and the Runkandel of that era—has finally set foot on the land where Temar has reached.”
“…What?”
Joshua’s eyes sharpened.
He had been completely unaware of Jin’s ascension to Changseong.
“Even if this weren’t the Banished Space, you wouldn’t have sensed it. So that power is not truly yours.”
Joshua shook his head coldly.
“You’re mistaken. Whether this power is truly mine is irrelevant. This power belongs to the entire Ganesto family. The only thing that matters is that every dragon left here today will meet their end. If you’re afraid, keep running, Lucy Runkandel. Run until not a single dragon remains to protect you.”
At that moment, a light flickered in Lucy’s eyes.
Wherever her glowing gaze fell, the fallen dragons rose again. Their shadows swiftly engulfed Joshua.
“If you truly want to kill my dragons, go tell Lokia. Without her coming in person, it’s impossible. Tell her I’m not afraid of some corrupted descendant who awakened the blood of Ganesto.”
The Black Sea.
Suddenly, Siron stopped walking. The expedition members halted as well, watching his expression.
“Hoo…”
Siron smiled as if recalling something amusing.
Ozdok and the others no longer blinked in surprise at Siron’s smile. Since overcoming the demonic power, he had often shown a laughing face, even while navigating this dark land.
[Sir, shall I prepare a meal? Or perhaps an Ozdok-style massage to melt away your aches? Or maybe a fun magic show? Just say the word.]
“I thought the eldest would reach it first, but once again, that one surprises me.”
[Excuse me, Sir? What do you mean?]
“A great event has occurred in the family.”
[An event?]
“Lord, surely you don’t mean… the young head has become Changseong?”
“Yes. I always thought it would happen someday, but I never imagined my eldest sister would be surpassed.”
The expedition members blinked in astonishment.
Like Siron, they couldn’t quite grasp the birth of a new Changseong. Only a Changseong could radiate such an aura.
More than that, it was hard to believe that one family now possessed two Changseong in a single era.
And judging by Siron’s words, it wouldn’t stop at two. He was confident Luna would reach Changseong as well.
If that happened, the Runkandel family would have three Changseong knights.
That was a power no force in history had ever held. Even the prime of the Meongwang clan, led by Ban, had only one Changseong.
[Oh my, Sir! Congratulations! Changseong! Does this mean the day when Runkandel rules the world draws even closer? Ha, this Ozdok can barely hold back tears just thinking about it.]
“Khahaha.”
[Khahahaha!]
“Hahaha!”
[Kyahahaha!]
“Hmm.”
Click. As Siron’s smile suddenly faded, Ozdok tensed up sharply and swallowed hard.
“A time when the rise of the Changsung has become commonplace.”
“Y-Yes, Elder?”
“That’s because now, more than ever, someone must accomplish what no one else—no faction—has managed before. Myself, my children, and Runkandel.”
Truth be told, it was a joyous moment.
His youngest son, now grown, was finally ascending to Changsung, ready to protect their family. Nothing could bring greater happiness.
But that joy was shadowed by worry. The trials his son would face would be no different from those he himself endured.
Perhaps even heavier.
“Ozdok.”
“Yes, Elder!”
“I must send a letter to the family. Prepare it. This will likely be my last chance to reach out before I wipe out all the kings of the Black Sea.”