Chapter Twenty-Six: Sword Sect (Swordfish)

"I will guard the exit; you go and help them."

"Very well."

Krah smiled and agreed repeatedly. It turned out her sister hadn't truly abandoned her; it was just that Krah’s descent into madness had left her with no other choice.

Pinnoh gazed at the backs of the five departing figures, though her focus remained on Yelin and Seria. Her heart was filled with endless confusion.

"Strange. The only one who should understand how to repair the magic circle is Seria, whose elven power is already exhausted..."

Marl's Great Magic Circle was not something just anyone could master, nor could it be learned casually. The magic circle that sustained the Sea of Skies and gave birth to the Grand Flores was incredibly profound.

One must remember that even the ambitious Second Apostle, Hilder, could only command the fortune teller Iris to use prophecies to induce the De Los Empire to cause artificial damage.

*Woo~*

A low, whimpering wind echoed through these eerie Dark Thunder Ruins, lingering and incessant, chilling to the bone.

The surroundings were nothing but broken walls and ruins. On the collapsed masonry, traces of that great fire from years ago were still faintly visible. The light in the entire space was dim, like the onset of dusk, and all the vegetation and trees took on a deep, sickly green hue.

"Pinnoh’s flames are burning just twenty meters away. Not only can we not feel a hint of heat, but even the light from the flames has been swallowed up by more than half..."

Siya couldn't help but look back. What kind of energy was hidden in here to produce such an astonishing effect?

It was only twenty meters away, yet it felt like two hundred!

Moreover, the most terrifying thing was that it was cold underfoot—very cold!

This was not the Frost Dark Forest, nor the Eternal Snow Mountain, nor was it the dead of winter, yet a piercing coldness penetrated their shoes, making their soles feel frozen and icy.

"A concentrated source of evil. It must be underground..."

Yelin stomped his feet. A layer of cotton socks and stylish sneakers could do nothing to stop this chill; when the feet are cold, the whole body feels cold.

Turning a corner, his expression shifted to one of shock. Instinctively, he reached out to cover Seria’s eyes. Siya and Krah were also stunned, and even Tana, who usually maintained a calm and composed demeanor, changed color slightly.

Zombies. A dozen or so zombies with mangled, incomplete bodies were wandering through this abandoned street. Their dry, brown muscle tissue had long since lost its moisture, and their joints were devoid of muscle, leaving the bones exposed. Yet, they moved freely, seemingly unaffected.

Beneath their feet, just a few meters ahead, shattered human remains were scattered everywhere—twisted and grotesque.

The deep, gloomy street, accompanied by the eerie, cold wind and the bones covering the ground, seemed to lead to the abyss of hell.

Thinking back on Pinnoh’s words, the identity of these remains before their deaths was all too easy to guess.

"I feel a profound sense of sorrow."

Seria did not get angry that her eyes were covered, nor did she move his hands away. She understood that Yelin must have seen something he didn't want her to witness—something that might bring her sadness and grief.

The sudden arrival of intruders quickly drew the attention of the zombies. They were like a lump of honey dropped into an anthill, radiating a sweet, tempting aura.

"Siya, don't hold back. The dead deserve to rest!"

"I understand!"

*Mountain Crashing Whirlwind Slash!*

Siya took a large stride, wielding the Hidden Dragon Greatsword, which manifested the lightning-imbued Stonebringer. Her sword aura surged, increasing the length of the greatsword several times over, carving a brilliant streak of light through the dark ruins...

Although they were the remains of elves summoned by the magic circle, they clearly possessed no intelligence. The clustered zombies were easily sliced in two and then shattered by the residual elemental energy of the Magic Sword Mastery.

Wielding the Hidden Dragon Greatsword, Siya looked like a goddess descended to earth, her heroic and spirited demeanor utterly captivating.

Although Kiri was a black-hearted boss, one had to admit that equipment reinforcement significantly boosted combat power.

Of course, that debt with Kiri would still have to be settled eventually...

"Hey, Yelin, what do you think I should call myself when I become an Awakened?"

"Uncle Linus said that Sword Mastery was derived from a Sword God, but since it has already combined with the power of Transference to form a new ability, it no longer fits the title of Sword God or Sword Saint. I want a new name."

Awakened individuals all possessed special titles, the most famous of which was the title of "Sword Saint," represented by Aganzo.

Because she possessed special energy, she was fully qualified to pioneer a school of thought different from the Sword Saints, and she wanted a title that sounded impressive.

The more impressive, the better. That way, not only would she feel good, but she could also happen to annoy the Empire.

"Hm, how about Sword Sect?" Yelin replied casually.

"Sword Sect? A good name! Someone who is respected, admired by others, and capable of founding a school is called a Master (Zong). Although I can't teach students for now, this name is just enough to make the Empire panic, thinking I'm expanding my influence!"

Siya patted his shoulder with satisfaction. Although his strength wasn't particularly high, he certainly had a knack for naming things. Not bad, not bad.

Yelin coughed dryly, pretending to be serious, and frowned. "Actually, I thought 'Chubby Sect' sounded better..."

"You shameless, hooligan! Don't you know what my figure looks like? Have you no shame?"

Siya wished she could hack him to pieces with her sword. He had feasted his eyes enough, and now he had the audacity to call her fat? That was just asking for a beating.

"Seria, you need to prepare yourself mentally."

After the playful bickering, and seeing that Siya had successfully lightened the mood, Yelin slowly took his hands away, no longer blocking Seria's eyes.

Seria had come to find that sense of familiarity; sooner or later, she would have to face this bloody reality. There was no escaping or avoiding it.

"I sense a deep sorrow from this."

Seria crouched down and picked up a skull, rubbing it carefully in her hands despite the filth. Her eyes revealed a sadness she didn't quite understand.

She wanted to cry, but with her current memories, she didn't know why she should.

"We don't have time to let you reminisce. We must go and repair the magic circle immediately; that cold, chilling sensation seems to have intensified."

Tana gazed toward the end of the road. What kind of thing could make even her, a dragon, feel a chill? It was strange.

The zombies and the occasional goblin that had wandered in along the way were all destroyed by Siya and Krah, but the mood of the group grew increasingly oppressive. A sense of despair kept welling up in their hearts.

"Don't space out; we're here."

He patted Siya on her two plump spots and shook Krah’s shoulder, taking out several World Toys and distributing them to the two of them.

"Did I... space out just now?"

Siya slowly consumed a World Toy, filled with disbelief. She had actually lost focus in such a dangerous place?

"Yes, this place gradually erodes the human mind. You need to use a World Toy to clear the abnormal status every so often. I didn't give you one earlier because I wanted to test if your spirit was resilient enough."

"Shameless! What did you just pat?"

Of the five-person team, only Tana the Dragon and Seria, who was the weakest, remained unaffected.

The zombies they had encountered along the way had no malicious intent toward Seria; it was as if she were a transparent person, and they ignored her entirely.

Ahead, seemingly at the end of these ruins, a strange magic circle glowed amidst several towering trees, guarded by a multitude of zombies.

If the ice-blue zombie, "Grave Robber King Bone Prison," in the center was within the realm of reason, then the tall, imposing figure beside Bone Prison was completely unexpected.

"Beast King Utara! Damn it! I should have thought of it sooner. If Bone Prison can resurrect the deceased elves, then the former Beast King Utara being here shouldn't be so hard to understand."