Chapter 1003
Episode 246. Battle for the Great Desert of Mithra (13)
‘Sir Elona…’
Jin gritted his teeth as he recalled the image of her fallen in the Holy Water Crown.
She has killed countless people since meeting Kelliak and donning her holy water crown, and even if she ever regains her old spirit, that won’t be the case.
“…I refuse the contract.”
Shuri made a threatening sound to Masalun and entered the red prison. Marsal Lun shrugged her shoulders in surprise.
[I don’t understand… But you can’t force it, so Masalun will respect you. Instead, if you change your mind at any time, look for Masalun again. Then Masalun will go back to harass the enemy tribes.]
Marsal runes began to fly beyond her barrage. Jin stood still for a while and waited for Elona to get closer.
The riot was gradually subsiding.
Since Elona was approaching without hiding her unique expansive aura, the enemy tribes also wanted to watch the situation for now.
Thus, the battlefield gradually became quiet.
Eventually, when Elona’s figure began to appear beyond the red brain waves and thick sandstorm, Jin could even hear her footsteps.
Jerk, jerk, jerk.
Instead of Ziffle’s gray hair, his golden hair, which burned like the sun, shone clearly even in the darkness of the battlefield. The holy water pipe floating above her head made a small noise like metal rubbing.
“It’s been a while, Sir Elona.”
Jin met Elona and her eyes.
His characteristic infinitely clear and pure eyes were nowhere to be seen. Elona’s eyes seemed to be filled with intricately shining crystals like opals.
“Jean Runkandel.”
About ten steps away, Elona stopped her steps.
She was silent for a while. Jin recalled her changed appearance and her old self he knew, and as soon as Elona saw him, she felt an unknown emotion welling up.
But she wasn’t emotional enough to be greatly agitated.
“What brought you to the Great Desert?”
She “came to destroy the passageway between La Fra Rosa and Inse.”
“You are still honest.”
“Because there is no need to hide it.”
“Then I will be honest. My heart is complicated when I see you changed because of that thing called the holy water crown.”
Elona didn’t answer and waited for Jin’s next words.
“Looking back, you were a complicated being to me from the beginning. It was while searching for the tombs of Temar Runkandel, the first head of our family, that I came to know who you were in earnest. Some records describe you as a monster… slayer, while others seem to show you regretting the past.”
“What do you mean?”
“In the end, when you broke the long seal of the secret palace and came out of the world, my friend, like you now, was corrupted not by his own will, but by the mistakes and schemes of others. It’s a Beradin Ziple. And Kyeong-eun, I heard that she cared for that guy who strayed a lot.”
At those words, Elona once again recalled the voice of Veradin she had heard in Hell. The voice she used to shout not to forget.
She hadn’t yet put a question about him in the Tower of Stories.
“A thousand years ago, and even then. Our relationship was definitely enemies. However, when I was fighting Zito, the Lord Elona I saw in person did not match any records or information. I should just say that he looked like someone who needed some light.”
“…light?”
“For example, to be able to chase. Like a milestone to get away from unwanted and terrible things as much as possible. That’s probably why Lord cherished and loved Beradin.”
Fisik, Elona burst into laughter.
“If that is true, I was a very funny person back then. The nasty things you don’t want to do? If I really didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have done it. Rather than relying on abstract things like lights and milestones.”
“That’s right. But people aren’t that perfect either. There are times when life is tough for everyone.”
“Then you could have chosen your own death.”
“Sometimes that’s not possible. The red jade tomb right now in here is also cursed and can’t do that.”
Jin took out the red jade and showed it to me.
“I have no such curse.”
“It’s not magic or authority, but a certain fate can also be called a curse. Is the thing called the Seongsuwan the problem? You have become more intolerant than I remember.”
“It could be. The crown of holy water is a thing far from rationality and reason. It is only designed to listen to the commands of the first being recognized.”
“Are you aware of that and still wear that hideous coffin?”
“I don’t see any reason to take it off.”
“Anyone, of course…”
“I am not a man, Gene Runcandel. They seem to classify me as a human because of how I look. So it is useless to push human standards against me. You and I, the consciousness itself is different.”
“to? Aren’t you human?”
“Human… isn’t it?”
Belize and Linfa, who had been listening quietly, spoke.
Hearing their voices, Elona reminded her of her purpose for coming to the Great Desert.
“Looks like I’ve spent a lot of time on pointless conversation. Are you the Myungwang clan who said you got out of the aisle?”
“Wait, wait! Please clear up our curiosity before we fight. Elona Ziple, what are you if you are not a person?”
“Right… what is it?”
“Are you going to call me God? isn’t that You said you had free will and emotions before wearing the crown? Even now, it seems that those two elements are not completely absent.”
Elona took a moment to pick her words to answer.
But she couldn’t choose. She could not classify herself as any species. It could not be called a tree because it was no longer a tree, and it could not be called a human since it was not a human in the first place.
‘If I had to question it, it must be a biological weapon…’
Elona did not let her words out of her mouth and raised her magic power.
Then, before three seconds had passed, her entire battlefield vibrated and her mana began to boil. Dozens of huge cubes made of magical energy, like a mountain, were already rising.
The pressure alone was enough for the party to cover themselves with a protective film. The enemy air fortresses and fleets that were far away were all forming a protective shield with red brains.
‘I already felt it in Hell, but I’m sure I’m much stronger than before…’
Even before wearing the holy water crown, Elona was already a creation.
However, it was clear that the current Elona had more than that, just like Shiron who had overcome her demonic nature. As before the fall, in addition to the aftermath of the sealing, there were errors caused by not being perfectly synchronized with the crown of holy water.
“What, you can’t answer!”
“If you want to hear the right answer, just recognize it as a biological weapon.”
“under! Okay, even if it’s a bioweapon. I love my greatsword like a brother…and the Lynfa brothers too.”
“what?”
“Even a weapon, not a living body, can become someone’s family, that’s what I mean. And since you’re a bioweapon, of course it’s even more like that, right?”
“What nonsense…”
“Brother Jean’s friend, Beradin Ziple. He told us before he came here. You are a precious family, so please don’t treat me too painfully. Looking at it now, that kind of request was something we should have told Beradin to tell your family to take it easy. Ah, the guy named Betty I was talking about back then also said it was a bioweapon, right? Brother Linfa.”
“Right… it was.”
“Then what else does it matter? Elona Zipple. You’re just going to be rescued by Brother Jin and us one day. Live as you please until then. You will have to pay the price for the sins you have committed so far, but even then, a guy named Beradin will not let go of you.”
“I like… a corner… there is… Beradin. Once a brother, a brother… a family, a family… a friend, a friend.”
Suaaagh-!
Spears formed by magic were pouring from the cubes that floated behind Elona’s back. Jin, Belize, and Lynpa swung their swords in all directions and knocked out the falling spears.
“I wonder if Beradin Ziple will continue to think of me that way after I’ve killed all of you.”
At that point, Jin felt that Elona’s eyes were slightly shaken.
‘If anything has been stimulated in the conversation so far, it means that the brainwashing applied to Sir Elona is not perfect.’
The spears pouring from the cube were powerful enough, but their power was weaker than expected. In the first place, Elona had no intention of fighting Jin’s party in earnest.
Her purpose was to destroy the passage of Lapla Rosa, and for that, the answer was to ignore Jin and his party as much as possible.
In an instant, Elona rode her magic and passed her group and moved forward. Even so, the cubes continued to remain in place and attacked the three, so the party could not pursue them at the same speed as Elona.
The enemy tribes immediately read the atmosphere here and began to fire mainly at Jin and Tuwang. Thanks to this, Elona was able to distance herself more comfortably from the three of them.
But Jin also has no intention of stopping Elona.
“There are things in the world that force can never break, Lord Elona. Lapra Rosa is like that, and so is your true self that you have forgotten now.”
A low voice filled with the energy of the spear broke through the fire and reached Elona’s ears. Elona heard her voice and looked behind her for a moment.
Both the rational and the inner world were becoming complex. Lee Seong was confused because Jin did not come to guard the passage of La Fra Rosa, and inside he wanted to hear her words again and wanted to deny them.
However, Elona turned around and did not approach Jin’s group. Silently, she just began pouring her magical energy toward the aisle of La Fra Rosa.
Jin’s group left Elona’s cube and started moving outside the center of the Great Desert.
It was necessary to show the enemies that there was no need to defend Lapra Rosa. If you try to stop it somehow, the enemy will send more troops.
“…Let’s go back, brothers. Now, until I can throw the release device inside, I have no choice but to leave the rest to my half-brothers and the other brothers.”
