309
[That’s a shame.] Temar's eyes turned black with shadow force.
Sarah, too, had no choice but to make a decision as she saw it happen. She had to slash down her Orabeoni.
A blade cloaked in flames emerged from its scabbard with a swift motion.
Sarah's eyes were filled with resolute will. Now that she decided to slash him down, she wanted to send him off as painlessly as possible.
She would worry about the sorrow and anguish once this was done.
A blade shot out from the shadow force that swirled around Temar's back. Sarah and Padler swung their swords to block the incoming attack while a sword took form in Temar's hand.
It appeared to be Barisada but it was not real, it was a counterfeit created from shadow force.
Even Temar, who was wielding the sword, was not the same person the three remembered. He was nothing but a monster who could not even recognize his loved ones.
Blade waves filled with shadow force burst from Temar's dark blade.
Each of them held immense power, but compared to the 'real Temar,' these blades were feeble.
Huuung!
Murakan spread his wings, and Temar's intense energy that filled the tower came to a halt instantly as if a prey had frozen in the face of a giant predator.
This Murakan, who was dealing with the mad Temar, was the black dragon at the peak of his prime a thousand years ago.
People often said that Temar and Murakan were equal in terms of battle prowess, even when Temar was in perfect condition. Temar, who had lost his sanity, couldn't be a match for Murakan.
Moreover, Sarah and Padler were with him.
The mana of two attributes, flames and lightning, were merging with aura and forming sword energies of various colors. These sword energies extended as if they could cut through the entire tower.
Murakan used his shadow force to restrain Temar, while Sarah and Padler attacked him from both directions and put pressure on Temar.
Clang, clank, creak...!
Their energies clashed and collided as their swords met. They were in shock at the sight of Temar barely holding his ground and managed to block the swords of Sarah and Padler.
This could not be the power possessed by the giant known as Temar Runcandel.
[I'm sorry, Temar.]
Murakan gathered all of his released shadow force as if implying this would be over soon. The shadow force surged like waves from all directions, and enveloped Murakan.
At that very moment, the entire sky above the tower was filled with shadow force, and even the sky of the Black Sea in the distance fell under Murakan’s control.
Even the unique poison of the Black Sea that rained from the sky was swallowed and vanished in this shadow force.
It was the power fitting of the name the people once called Murakan, the King of the sky.
[Sarah, Padler, it's time to finish this.]
However, just as Murakan finished speaking, a dimensional portal made of steel opened right in front of Temar. And a blurry figure of a human came out of the portal.
His translucent body emitted a brilliant light.
Sarah and Padler stepped back cautiously at his sudden appearance and took defensive positions, and Murakan stopped his attack.
[Fate can be quite cruel at times... just like your god, don't you think? Murakan.]
[...You bastard, how do you know about this place, and how did you suddenly appear here?]
[There aren’t many things in the known world that I am unaware of, as long as they haven’t been erased or manipulated, you know?]
He and Murakan seemed to be on familiar terms. Sarah and Padler also appeared unfamiliar with him.
[Temar, I assume everyone here wants to save this pitiful fellow, right?]
He said, placing a hand on Temar's shoulder. Temar stood still and did not act hostile against him, although he was struggling under the weight of Murakan's shadow force and breathing heavily.
Sarah and Padler exchanged uncertain glances.
[What kind of bullshit is this?]
Murakan glared at him.
[Bullshit? I just want to be kind to the pitiful orphans, as one vastly troubled with overflowing fortune.]
[Cut the crap and leave before I kill you too.]
Murakan's killing intent was directed at him.
But Sarah and Padler interposed themselves between Murakan and the mysterious figure, and shook their heads.
Their eyes seemed to say, just once listen to what he has to say.
It appeared to be a plea, grounded in faith. They believed that perhaps he could offer them a way to turn Temar back to normal.
[Don't act so harshly. At least hear my proposal, my old friend. I have prepared a bright future for everyone.]
Shiiiiink! Hiss...
The grey sphere distorted once again.
It didn't seem to be returning to the previous scene. Just like the time in the first tomb, the sphere was breaking down after the change of scene.
However, Jin barely felt frustrated about the scene that abruptly cut short. His heart was still beating too fast from the shock of seeing 'him' at the end.
He was a person that Jin had met in person only once.
‘The leader of Kinzelo...!’
It was undoubtedly him. The translucent body, the lighting radiating from his body, his manner of speech, voice, and even the dimension portal made of steel, all matched exactly.
He also sounded like he knew Murakan back then too. It was as if he knew Murakan quite well.
However, unlike the day they met at the old Otterium, Murakan also acted as if he knew him also.
‘What on earth? If Murakan knew him, why did he pretend not to know him then?’
However, Jin had to correct his thoughts quickly. ‘No, it's not that Murakan pretended not to know him. Murakan genuinely doesn't know who he is now.’
The issue lay with Murakan's memories.
It was not too hard to deduce.
Suddenly, Jin recalled a conversation he had in Oterium near the end of his reserve flagbearer days.
-[It was me who stopped Temar from killing you when you went berserk. Murakan. Don't you remember me?]
-You bastard, how dare you nonchalantly flaunt someone's name? You seem to be quite an old demon, but there's no way Temar would've associated with the likes of you. And what's with the berserk thing, by the way? You must have picked up some news, huh? The one who lost control that day was...'
-[Do you want to insist it was Temar and not you? Not recognizing me is one thing, but remembering the fight that day as Temar's fault. I wouldn't even begin to fathom how unjustly the late fellow would feel if he ever found out.]
-Say Temar's name one more time. I'll kill you on the spot and send all of the scums called the Kinzelo or whatever to hell.
-[That's an impossible feat even for you in your prime. Furthermore, I can't help but be curious. Is there really an issue with your memory? Do you truly believe it was Temar who went on a rampage and not you?]
-Are you provoking me into hastening your death?
-[Or did you manipulate your memories in a way more convenient to yourself?]
-Shut up...
A conversation between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan.
After hearing that conversation, Jin had occasionally wondered what exactly had happened between Murakan and Temar a thousand years ago.
And if there really was a past between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan, what could it have been?
Jin’s mind was in turmoil.
‘The scene ended abruptly, but given the circumstances, it's likely that Temar didn't die in that tower.’
This thought was based on the reactions of Sarah and Padler when the leader of Kinzelo appeared, but there was another reason.
In the scene, Temar didn't possess the power to pierce and destroy Murakan's heart, even if Sarah and Padler were not there. He was in a severely weakened state, to the point where Murakan could have easily defeated him.
Such a Temar wouldn't have been able to put Murakan, at the peak of his prime, to sleep for a thousand years.
Although he only glimpsed it briefly, Jin immediately recognized how monstrous the shadow force displayed by Murakan in the scene was.
‘Contrary to what the leader of Kinzelo said, it was Temar who went berserk instead of Murakan after looking at the situation in the scene. But what happened next is unclear. The scene was cut off, so there's no way to verify it properly.’
It was frustrating.
If the recording device hadn't been damaged, perhaps he could have observed what happened afterward.
It was no different from the time with Sylderay. Every time the perspective shifted, he had to infer the missing past, and it left his mind in chaos.
‘Would Ms. Misha know? There must be a way to restore this recording device... Wait. Recording device, recording device, record…’
Suddenly, several words and a name came to Jin's mind.
Record magic.
Hister's record magic, and the teacher from his past life, Valeria Hister.
She was probably still wandering the world, trying to restore the old and lost magic spells of the Hister clan.
‘Why did I only remember my teacher’s name now? If it’s her, she might know something about the recording device left by Solderet!’
Record magic was a unique and distinctive magic of Hister. Although he saw Plutonians and Solderet use similar devices, they didn't compare to what Hister possessed.
Record magic was a major reason why the Hister clan was completely obliterated by Zipfel. To the Zipfels who sought to manipulate history as they wished, nothing was more threatening than Hister's record magic.
But how?
How could he find his former teacher, Valeria Hister?
That was the problem. He had wanted to meet her desperately a few times after his return, but for various complex reasons, he had been waiting for the right moment.
One of those complex reasons was the justification.
Now that he had become a flagbearer, it wouldn't be too difficult to issue a search warrant to locate Valeria. He could even ask the Seven-colored Peacock as well.
Jin knew all the hiding places Valeria used and the places she frequented, along with the various aliases she used.
However, although he could abruptly seek her out to hold a reunion of his own, Valeria would only see him as a stranger. It would even complicate things if he sought her out with unknown reasons.
Although they had a deep connection in their previous lives, in this life, they were complete strangers.
‘Ms. Misha once mentioned that my teacher’s alias is Arya Aulhart, so I could use that as a reason to meet her. However, my presence might introduce a significant variable into her life.’
-If you are the child chosen by the Shadow, then Arya is the child chosen by history. If you ever meet that child, please give her encouragement. In a greater scope of things, she can be considered an ally to you.
At that time, Misha had been cautious when talking about his mentor. She seemed to be careful about revealing too much.
‘Now that my identity has been revealed, approaching her carelessly could make my teacher a target of my enemies. I need to think carefully. First, I should meet Ms. Misha and discreetly ask for her opinion.
Jin’s influence wasn't strong enough yet to provide sufficient protection for Valeria. Therefore, Jin wanted to be extra cautious when it came to meeting her.
Jin came outside as the subspace continued to crumble at a rapid pace, and he could see his companions standing on the giant clam. After that, he noticed two things: Sarah's broken sword and the new shadow force marble.
309
[That’s a shame.] Temar's eyes turned black with shadow force.
Sarah, too, had no choice but to make a decision as she saw it happen. She had to slash down her Orabeoni.
A blade cloaked in flames emerged from its scabbard with a swift motion.
Sarah's eyes were filled with resolute will. Now that she decided to slash him down, she wanted to send him off as painlessly as possible.
She would worry about the sorrow and anguish once this was done.
A blade shot out from the shadow force that swirled around Temar's back. Sarah and Padler swung their swords to block the incoming attack while a sword took form in Temar's hand.
It appeared to be Barisada but it was not real, it was a counterfeit created from shadow force.
Even Temar, who was wielding the sword, was not the same person the three remembered. He was nothing but a monster who could not even recognize his loved ones.
Blade waves filled with shadow force burst from Temar's dark blade.
Each of them held immense power, but compared to the 'real Temar,' these blades were feeble.
Huuung!
Murakan spread his wings, and Temar's intense energy that filled the tower came to a halt instantly as if a prey had frozen in the face of a giant predator.
This Murakan, who was dealing with the mad Temar, was the black dragon at the peak of his prime a thousand years ago.
People often said that Temar and Murakan were equal in terms of battle prowess, even when Temar was in perfect condition. Temar, who had lost his sanity, couldn't be a match for Murakan.
Moreover, Sarah and Padler were with him.
The mana of two attributes, flames and lightning, were merging with aura and forming sword energies of various colors. These sword energies extended as if they could cut through the entire tower.
Murakan used his shadow force to restrain Temar, while Sarah and Padler attacked him from both directions and put pressure on Temar.
Clang, clank, creak...!
Their energies clashed and collided as their swords met. They were in shock at the sight of Temar barely holding his ground and managed to block the swords of Sarah and Padler.
This could not be the power possessed by the giant known as Temar Runcandel.
[I'm sorry, Temar.]
Murakan gathered all of his released shadow force as if implying this would be over soon. The shadow force surged like waves from all directions, and enveloped Murakan.
At that very moment, the entire sky above the tower was filled with shadow force, and even the sky of the Black Sea in the distance fell under Murakan’s control.
Even the unique poison of the Black Sea that rained from the sky was swallowed and vanished in this shadow force.
It was the power fitting of the name the people once called Murakan, the King of the sky.
[Sarah, Padler, it's time to finish this.]
However, just as Murakan finished speaking, a dimensional portal made of steel opened right in front of Temar. And a blurry figure of a human came out of the portal.
His translucent body emitted a brilliant light.
Sarah and Padler stepped back cautiously at his sudden appearance and took defensive positions, and Murakan stopped his attack.
[Fate can be quite cruel at times... just like your god, don't you think? Murakan.]
[...You bastard, how do you know about this place, and how did you suddenly appear here?]
[There aren’t many things in the known world that I am unaware of, as long as they haven’t been erased or manipulated, you know?]
He and Murakan seemed to be on familiar terms. Sarah and Padler also appeared unfamiliar with him.
[Temar, I assume everyone here wants to save this pitiful fellow, right?]
He said, placing a hand on Temar's shoulder. Temar stood still and did not act hostile against him, although he was struggling under the weight of Murakan's shadow force and breathing heavily.
Sarah and Padler exchanged uncertain glances.
[What kind of bullshit is this?]
Murakan glared at him.
[Bullshit? I just want to be kind to the pitiful orphans, as one vastly troubled with overflowing fortune.]
[Cut the crap and leave before I kill you too.]
Murakan's killing intent was directed at him.
But Sarah and Padler interposed themselves between Murakan and the mysterious figure, and shook their heads.
Their eyes seemed to say, just once listen to what he has to say.
It appeared to be a plea, grounded in faith. They believed that perhaps he could offer them a way to turn Temar back to normal.
[Don't act so harshly. At least hear my proposal, my old friend. I have prepared a bright future for everyone.]
Shiiiiink! Hiss...
The grey sphere distorted once again.
It didn't seem to be returning to the previous scene. Just like the time in the first tomb, the sphere was breaking down after the change of scene.
However, Jin barely felt frustrated about the scene that abruptly cut short. His heart was still beating too fast from the shock of seeing 'him' at the end.
He was a person that Jin had met in person only once.
‘The leader of Kinzelo...!’
It was undoubtedly him. The translucent body, the lighting radiating from his body, his manner of speech, voice, and even the dimension portal made of steel, all matched exactly.
He also sounded like he knew Murakan back then too. It was as if he knew Murakan quite well.
However, unlike the day they met at the old Otterium, Murakan also acted as if he knew him also.
‘What on earth? If Murakan knew him, why did he pretend not to know him then?’
However, Jin had to correct his thoughts quickly. ‘No, it's not that Murakan pretended not to know him. Murakan genuinely doesn't know who he is now.’
The issue lay with Murakan's memories.
It was not too hard to deduce.
Suddenly, Jin recalled a conversation he had in Oterium near the end of his reserve flagbearer days.
-[It was me who stopped Temar from killing you when you went berserk. Murakan. Don't you remember me?]
-You bastard, how dare you nonchalantly flaunt someone's name? You seem to be quite an old demon, but there's no way Temar would've associated with the likes of you. And what's with the berserk thing, by the way? You must have picked up some news, huh? The one who lost control that day was...'
-[Do you want to insist it was Temar and not you? Not recognizing me is one thing, but remembering the fight that day as Temar's fault. I wouldn't even begin to fathom how unjustly the late fellow would feel if he ever found out.]
-Say Temar's name one more time. I'll kill you on the spot and send all of the scums called the Kinzelo or whatever to hell.
-[That's an impossible feat even for you in your prime. Furthermore, I can't help but be curious. Is there really an issue with your memory? Do you truly believe it was Temar who went on a rampage and not you?]
-Are you provoking me into hastening your death?
-[Or did you manipulate your memories in a way more convenient to yourself?]
-Shut up...
A conversation between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan.
After hearing that conversation, Jin had occasionally wondered what exactly had happened between Murakan and Temar a thousand years ago.
And if there really was a past between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan, what could it have been?
Jin’s mind was in turmoil.
‘The scene ended abruptly, but given the circumstances, it's likely that Temar didn't die in that tower.’
This thought was based on the reactions of Sarah and Padler when the leader of Kinzelo appeared, but there was another reason.
In the scene, Temar didn't possess the power to pierce and destroy Murakan's heart, even if Sarah and Padler were not there. He was in a severely weakened state, to the point where Murakan could have easily defeated him.
Such a Temar wouldn't have been able to put Murakan, at the peak of his prime, to sleep for a thousand years.
Although he only glimpsed it briefly, Jin immediately recognized how monstrous the shadow force displayed by Murakan in the scene was.
‘Contrary to what the leader of Kinzelo said, it was Temar who went berserk instead of Murakan after looking at the situation in the scene. But what happened next is unclear. The scene was cut off, so there's no way to verify it properly.’
It was frustrating.
If the recording device hadn't been damaged, perhaps he could have observed what happened afterward.
It was no different from the time with Sylderay. Every time the perspective shifted, he had to infer the missing past, and it left his mind in chaos.
‘Would Ms. Misha know? There must be a way to restore this recording device... Wait. Recording device, recording device, record…’
Suddenly, several words and a name came to Jin's mind.
Record magic.
Hister's record magic, and the teacher from his past life, Valeria Hister.
She was probably still wandering the world, trying to restore the old and lost magic spells of the Hister clan.
‘Why did I only remember my teacher’s name now? If it’s her, she might know something about the recording device left by Solderet!’
Record magic was a unique and distinctive magic of Hister. Although he saw Plutonians and Solderet use similar devices, they didn't compare to what Hister possessed.
Record magic was a major reason why the Hister clan was completely obliterated by Zipfel. To the Zipfels who sought to manipulate history as they wished, nothing was more threatening than Hister's record magic.
But how?
How could he find his former teacher, Valeria Hister?
That was the problem. He had wanted to meet her desperately a few times after his return, but for various complex reasons, he had been waiting for the right moment.
One of those complex reasons was the justification.
Now that he had become a flagbearer, it wouldn't be too difficult to issue a search warrant to locate Valeria. He could even ask the Seven-colored Peacock as well.
Jin knew all the hiding places Valeria used and the places she frequented, along with the various aliases she used.
However, although he could abruptly seek her out to hold a reunion of his own, Valeria would only see him as a stranger. It would even complicate things if he sought her out with unknown reasons.
Although they had a deep connection in their previous lives, in this life, they were complete strangers.
‘Ms. Misha once mentioned that my teacher’s alias is Arya Aulhart, so I could use that as a reason to meet her. However, my presence might introduce a significant variable into her life.’
-If you are the child chosen by the Shadow, then Arya is the child chosen by history. If you ever meet that child, please give her encouragement. In a greater scope of things, she can be considered an ally to you.
At that time, Misha had been cautious when talking about his mentor. She seemed to be careful about revealing too much.
‘Now that my identity has been revealed, approaching her carelessly could make my teacher a target of my enemies. I need to think carefully. First, I should meet Ms. Misha and discreetly ask for her opinion.
Jin’s influence wasn't strong enough yet to provide sufficient protection for Valeria. Therefore, Jin wanted to be extra cautious when it came to meeting her.
Jin came outside as the subspace continued to crumble at a rapid pace, and he could see his companions standing on the giant clam. After that, he noticed two things: Sarah's broken sword and the new shadow force marble.
