Swordmaster's Youngest Son Novel - Chapter 820
Chapter 820
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The Hidden Palace within the Hidden Palace.
Misha had a strong intuition that her mission had reached its limit.
“Damn it… Why suddenly?”
Swoosh!
Crack-!
The absolute seal of the hidden palace, which had lasted for a thousand years, was breaking.
The pillar of ice that imprisoned Elona shattered, causing vibrations throughout the Hidden Palace.
Misha stared at Elona, cursing under her breath.
As if paint had been spilled on an empty canvas.
Unexpectedly, Elona’s memories flooded Misha’s mind.
The memories that had been almost ‘forgotten’ for a thousand years were coming back, mixed together.
It was because Elona’s seal was breaking.
Elona’s Power of Existence was pushing back the manipulations of history imposed upon her.
The scene of that day, when Temar was pushed to the brink of death, came back vividly, especially sharp in Misha’s mind.
“Yes, because of you, Temar fell so low. Elona Zipple, are you here to finish what you started? To once again end this world?”
A black spear formed in Misha’s right hand.
Her body trembled.
Not only from the exhaustion of maintaining the seal but also from fear.
She was afraid.
Not only of the possibility of having to confront Elona at this moment but also of the threat she could pose to the world after being released.
‘There’s still hope. The seal seems to be restoring itself. Maybe all the safety mechanisms applied to the seal are working.’
As the seal broke, new pillars of ice were continuously forming, like stairs.
Sharp, giant columns pierced Elona’s body every moment.
However, most of them couldn’t inflict any significant damage on her.
Most of the pillars exploded before reaching her, unable to withstand the mana emanating from her, and even if they managed to touch her, they would dissipate like dust.
“The Master and the Hidden Palace swords must be aware of this situation. We might be able to seal Elona if the Hidden Palace swords buy time and the Hidden Palace Master uses a sealing spell…!”
Misha’s task was to infuse Shadow Energy into the partially destroyed seal.
Then, she transformed into her true form and released her Shadow Energy.
At that moment, Misha found herself looking into Elona’s eyes, which were now awake and staring intently at her.
With eyes that were bright, kind, and shining.
A person who could topple mountains with a wave of her hand and easily massacre thousands with a simple magic spell had incredibly clear and pure eyes focused on Misha.
A chill ran down Misha’s spine.
She barely averted her gaze as she unleashed her Shadow Energy.
The surroundings were already filled with black curtains, but Elona seemed unfazed, as if she didn’t feel any threat.
It was Misha who felt overwhelmed.
“You are… the Black Dragon of Runcandel…”
Elona’s voice sounded innocent; she was still bound by the Hidden Palace’s cold energy, unable to move her body.
However, the physical restrictions posed no problem for her.
Elona was capable of releasing tremendous mana without even moving a finger.
“Murakan…? Are you trying to stop me?”
[You must stay here, Elona Zipple. I will protect the seal.]
“Your voice is different. Of course, if you were Murakan, you wouldn’t be so weak. Your name is… Misha. You are Murakan’s sister.”
With each word Elona uttered, her surrounding mana intensified.
Misha was crushed under the pressure, shedding blood.
“Something woke me, called me. It was a very familiar presence… So, I think I should go there. It feels like a call from my clan.”
[I won’t allow it.]
“How do you plan to stop me?”
There was no sarcasm in her words.
Elona looked at Misha with pure curiosity.
It was the same expression and attitude that had driven countless strong individuals to despair a thousand years ago.
With that same face, Elona had annihilated self-proclaimed heroes.
“I’m not at my best because I’ve been sleeping for so long. My mind is as blank as a white cloth… my body feels heavy and uncomfortable, as if I’m covered in moss. How long has it actually been? A hundred years? Two hundred years?”
Misha didn’t answer but did her best to resist the pressure.
While the seal was restoring itself, she still couldn’t harm Elona.
“While examining the ancient mana remaining in this ice… it seems a much longer time has passed.”
[Arghhhh…!]
Boom!
An explosion erupted in Misha’s chest, and the Shadow Energy came out like blood.
She couldn’t properly control her energy due to the pressure exerted by Elona.
“I can’t control my power properly right now. So please, don’t resist and step aside, I beg you.”
Elona’s magic was no less than authority.
She had never cast a spell or formed a magic circle.
However, whenever Elona infused her mana, the surrounding space crumbled under its influence.
The pillars of ice, which had already reformed dozens of times, were now recovering noticeably slower, and the pristine white space seemed to vibrate with unease, as if it could tear apart at any moment.
[Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will seal you again… Aaahhh!]
“As I said, I can’t control my power properly, Misha. After a thousand years, have you forgotten who I am?”
Misha looked around her, fighting against the pain, and for a few seconds, she lost consciousness.
The first thing that caught her eye was the significantly enlarged form of the seal.
It seemed to have been endowed with even greater power, but in reality, it was the opposite.
The enlarged ice pillar indicated a weakening of its binding strength.
If it continued to grow, it would explode and disappear completely.
And she saw the distorted space.
The Hidden Palace swords were gathering within those spaces.
“Misha-nim!”
“The seal…!”
Led by Ryu and Hiten, the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace entered the seal area.
As soon as they confirmed the situation, they immediately executed their special techniques.
“Release the Seven Divine Relics, proceed with the Great Seal!”
Seven divine relics were objects created by the divine power of Full Ice.
They were specifically made to prepare for moments like this.
The seven swordsmen surrounded Elona’s ice pillar, and each displayed their own unique techniques.
Crystal-like stones rose into the air and, in an instant, formed the Great Seal.
“Oh… now I remember. The second Hidden Palace Master… Snow Witch used this method to seal me.”
However, now neither the Snow Witch nor Full Ice were present here.
Even if they were, they couldn’t stop me like they did back then.
As Elona continued her words, she absorbed her mana once more.
The mana formed giant whirlpools throughout the space, generating terrible gravitational forces.
Unfortunately, one of the swordsmen, who had been standing next to one of the whirlpools, had his arm torn off and fell to his knees.
Thanks to the protective shield of the Divine Artifact he possessed, he was saved.
“Ruil!”
“Don’t try to save me, maintain the seal!”
As Misha and the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace struggled, Elona delved into her memories of the Great Seal they had established.
She thought about stopping the Snow toad’s space-jumping ability.
The Snow Witch might be dead, but another Hidden Palace Master is likely to arrive soon.
Suddenly, like Mort’s dimensional gate, white discs formed everywhere.
Although Misha and the Hidden Palace members couldn’t understand, each of those discs was being used to obstruct teleportation.
Not only the snow garden but also teleportation in an area of approximately 50 km around the Hidden Palace had been restricted.
As a result, while Elona was concentrating on controlling dimensional travel, it seemed that the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace’s Great Seal was effectively suppressing her.
However, Elona was simply contemplating.
‘How can I leave without killing them?’
Even though the Hidden Palace was her arch-enemy, and even though Misha had once supported Runcandel along with Murakan.
For some reason, Elona didn’t want to kill them.
Perhaps it was because she had just awakened and wanted to conserve her strength until she fully recovered.
Besides, there was a high possibility that someone who could be called a ‘formidable enemy’ was waiting for her.
Maybe the voice that woke her was hoping she would confront them.
‘Again, the days of fighting on the battlefield must be awaiting me. Or… something different… a better life awaits me too.’
Elona felt her mind becoming increasingly dizzy.
It wasn’t because she had used too much power.
Even in her current state, far from her peak, she could have killed everyone present in a dozen seconds and left.
However, the mere thought of having to kill someone saddened her heart.
Crack-!
The last ice pillar was shattering.
The Seven Divine Artifacts of the Hidden Palace couldn’t withstand the overload and were losing power one by one.
The reason was that the central core, which was supposed to be Full Ice, hadn’t reached this location.
As Elona cleared her complex thoughts, the thousand-year seal came to an end.
‘I am Elona, Elona Zipple. A person who fights for the clan. That’s the only life I’ve been given. The confusion must have been because I’m so far from my clan now.’
Floating in the air, Elona moved her staff slightly as if she were touching the ground.
Ping, waves of mana spread through the air.
With that simple action, Misha slumped forward and lost consciousness once more, and the Hidden Palace swordsmen cried out as they fell to the ground.
As soon as her staff struck the air, the entire space condensed with mana.
Misha and the Seven Swords of the Hidden Palace couldn’t withstand the pressure.
“Now, I don’t see a good reason to kill them all. But if we meet again on the battlefield, I won’t be able to forgive them like I did today.”
Looking down at the fallen individuals, Elona spoke.
Since the Seven Divine Artifacts had also fallen to the ground, there was nothing else that could restrict her.
Or more precisely, there was nothing that could restrict her from the moment she opened her eyes.
“…So, when that time comes, run with all your might. If possible, run to a place where I can’t chase you.”
Elona walked through the air and touched the subspace walls.
As her staff made contact, the walls opened in a circle, revealing the Hidden Palace’s sea.
With each step Elona took through the air, the sea below turned over, forming waves.