ocean-life Chapter 232: Opening the Box (3)
Chapter 232: Opening the Box (3)
Chapter 232: Opening the Box (3)
Clang!
Karyl struck the ground with his sword as if trying to break ice. However, he only managed to scatter black smoke and water in all directions, the glass-like transparent floor showing no signs of shattering.
Is this hiding the clue to finding the Queen of Tides that Ramine mentioned?
Paradoxically, the floor seemed infinitely transparent, yet opaque at the same time. It was incredibly strange, but Karyl was certain something was beneath the floor. However, when he tried to focus his magic to get a better look, he could no longer see anything.
The opacity increased with the intensity of his magic, and using Infinity Circle only made whatever was beneath the floor completely obscured.
It must react to magic.
Karyl struck the floor several more times, but since his Arcane Blade was also condensed magic, the floor became even harder each time it made contact with the blade.
“Hmm...”
Realizing he was at a dead end, Karyl sighed and grabbed the nape of his doppelgänger lying on the floor, pulling him up.
“Tell me. What’s in there? Is it your true form? What are you?”
It wasn’t pleasant to see his own face so battered, but Karyl didn't hesitate to yank the doppelgänger’s head.
[We are... desire.]
At that moment, a voice, not from the doppelgänger but echoing from afar, reached Karyl.
“...”
Karyl looked around, but there was no one and nothing to be seen.
Ssss...
Then, dark smoke flowed from the doppelgänger’s body, merging with the smoke lingering on the floor. Quickly, Karyl kicked the doppelgänger away and distanced himself from the black smoke.
The doppelgänger’s body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, its joints twisting as it collapsed to the ground.
[I am the Fifteenth.]
The doppelgänger’s skin began to melt away like a discarded husk. Karyl watched the transformation in silence.
“Damn it.”
Even though he was witnessing his own form melt away, he growled as he saw the doppelgänger’s true identity, “So that’s what you really are!”
The human form had vanished, revealing a coiled blue serpent that flicked its sharp tongue at Karyl. The creature towered over him, its form reminiscent of a sea serpent.
[I am the eternal guardian of this place.]
The Fifteenth...?
Karyl recalled what Allen had said.
The fifteen Bladers.
Two of them never change... Is this thing one of them? Or a weapon used by one of the guardians?
Karyl cautiously observed the serpent, unable to determine its true nature.
[Only one can be the fifteenth, and many have competed for this position. There were wolves, jackals, bears, and horses, but they all became victims of my fangs.]
“...”
Hiss... Hiss...!
The blue serpent opened its jaws, revealing long, sharp fangs.
[I am the poison created by the gods.]
[Heh... You? You think you can kill a god? That’s laughable. A mere human?]
“That’s not something you should say when you’re at my feet.”
With that, Karyl pressed his foot firmly on Mael’s head.
“You still don’t get it? I’m not here to get your permission.”
[Surely you don’t think this situation arose because I couldn’t kill you. You boast over me, but...]
“I’ve heard that the Bladers of the Mythical Era were destined to be godslayers, but I reckon they were too soft. After all, they left someone like you, who clearly talks too much, unchecked.”
Mael, annoyed at Karyl’s interruption, frowned slightly. Seeing a snake’s face distort in irritation was indeed a peculiar sight.
[...What?]
“Do you know who you’re up against? Know your place. Fighting gods is an issue for later. If you try to defy me, you’ll die long before you can manage it.”
The snake had no reply.
“Let’s be honest. If you were so formidable, you wouldn’t be sealed in a box that someone with mere 6th Class mana could open. Ramine and Duaat’s seals were far more challenging.”
The same was true for their battle. Karyl couldn’t help but feel that the duel with the doppelgänger had been far easier than his previous ones. Considering the time it had taken to break the seal, the outcome was anticlimactic almost to an absurd degree.
“The seal of this box was just a mechanism. You’re the one who can open and close the gate to this space, right?”
[Heh... Heh.]
The snake’s tongue quiver, and Karyl nodded in satisfaction at his own deduction.
“You never intended to fight me. You already knew my strength and my goal.”
Tap.
“And you wanted the same thing.”
Karyl dismounted the snake and shot it a cold glare.
“And now you think you can negotiate with me? A mere snake? You should be begging and groveling instead.”
[...What?]
Mael was bewildered.
“Like I said, know your place.”
Seeing the snake’s expression, Karyl nodded and tapped the ground with his Freezing Talon.
“The only reason I didn’t kill you is because I have many questions. You see, when it comes to the Oracle War, the Spirit Kings are all tight-lipped.”
[...]
“Where you were born, how you were made, what a Blader truly is... You need to tell me everything.”
The snake’s eyes wavered at his words.
Rumble...
Karyl drove his sword into the ground with all his strength, causing it to shake.
“You want it too, don’t you? Yula’s end, which I will bring about. Can your fangs, trapped in this box, even reach a god? If you want to rebel against a god, you’d better pick the right side.”
Mael was taken aback. He had fought countless wars since the Mythical Era, seen countless humans—victorious and vanquished—but none had ever spoken to him this way.
“I don't know why you fought against the gods. You have to tell me. I don’t have the time to dig into the past of those who refuse to speak. One thing is certain: if you bow down to me, I will at least give you another chance for revenge.”
Karyl lowered his head closer to Mael and whispered, “You think I’d be scared of a snake? After all, the heart I devoured was that of a dragon.”