Chapter 155

< 154. Sunset of the King (3) >

*

With a loud crash, the hull shattered. An extreme situation. In this moment of facing life-threatening danger head-on, Fernandez took a deeper step into the path of shedding.

The gale of the North Sea roared in his ears. The rough, icy wind that swirled around the hull like an explosion. And far away, the trembling wind of the distant ocean scattering snowflakes. At this moment, his sharpened hearing seemed to catch every sound of the sea.

Fernandez ran towards the ocean, stepping on the hull. Firmly and balanced, as if running on land. It was too fast to be called a fall. It was more like a charge.

-Thududududu!!

The sea was approaching at an incredible speed. The black surface of the North Sea rushed towards him every second. Yet, even in that moment, Fernandez was searching for him. The figure that had jumped into the sea was nowhere to be seen.

‘He wouldn’t have thrown himself in to commit suicide.’

If he was in his right mind, he would never do such a thing. His magic detection was dull. The protective spells surrounding the flagship were disrupting his senses. Because of that, he had to rely solely on sight and hearing to locate him.

-Whooosh…

He couldn’t fall any further. Giving up on finding him visually, Fernandez twisted his body to brake. The greatsword lodged into the hull, and a rough tearing sound came from his wrist.

It didn’t matter. As long as he wasn’t completely torn apart, there was still a chance to recover. Diemonica’s, and the divine-infused body of shedding still had enough regenerative power.

-Crackkkk!!

The greatsword, lodged like a drill into the hull, trembled violently. The impact, which would have shattered a normal steel sword dozens of times, traveled through the blade and struck his body. Despite the numbing pain, Fernandez scanned the ocean without a change in expression.

Finally, as the fall came to a stop, his eyes caught a small object. A piece of white silk. It was sinking, soaked in water, and too small to be easily noticed. Fernandez pulled the sword from the hull and used the recoil to throw himself forward.

“You can’t run anymore, Malerun!”

He swung the greatsword back and charged towards the piece of silk. If he had plunged straight into the water, there would have been too little time to dodge or pull any tricks. He was still here!

-Whoosh!

As the greatsword plunged towards the water’s surface, a faint whisper came from beneath the sea.

[Did you really think I had fled?]

-Crack.

With the sound, an ice spear flew out and struck the blade of the greatsword. A small gap appeared in the greatsword, which was imbued with immense force. Fernandez crushed the ice spear and turned his body towards the direction of the sound, preparing for the next strike.

[I am the lord of the thousand towers, the king who killed and devoured gods, the destroyer of Atailatl and the Sovereign, the bane of the dwarves.]

-Rumble…

The voice continued from beneath the seabed. Soon, ripples formed on the seabed, and a surge of rough magic began to flow.

‘Does he still have this much strength left?’

It was an overwhelming power for a mortal who had lost an arm and fallen into the icy depths of the sea. Fernandez hastily adjusted his stance and leaped onto a piece of the wreckage floating on the water.

[From the moment our people ruled the land, to now, when we dominate the oceans. I am the Eternal King, who has never once retreated.]

-Rumble!!

The ripples grew fiercer, and ice spears shot up, rushing towards Fernandez. He narrowed his eyes and swung his spear. Each strike was as heavy and powerful as a charge of elite cavalry, and the impact began to push the floating wreckage he was on further back.

[I am the one who gazes down upon all people, the devourer of their desires.]

-Slurp.

The ice spears emerging from the sea stopped. The magic was being drawn back to its source like a vortex. Only snowflakes scattered. Fernandez glared at the sea as large snowflakes fell from the sky.

‘He’s coming.’

-What is he preparing?

Throwing spears was nothing more than a stalling tactic. Whatever he was preparing, it wouldn’t be enough. He must know that this is nothing but a desperate struggle.

The spells on his flagship were being dismantled by his own people. Leia’s ships had already begun to dock. His kingdom was now at its end.

Was there still a card left to turn this situation around? How? By what means? Even if his past self returned in perfect condition, the only solution to overturn this situation would be mutual destruction.

-Of course, he wouldn’t do something so foolish.

Faijashi muttered. Then, that method was also unlikely. Fernandez’s thoughts were abruptly cut off at that moment.

-Rooooar.

An overwhelming presence began to rise from the source of the magic. Fernandez instinctively realized what it was. Pure divinity was surging from below, and the sea, as if it had a will of its own, was making way for the rising divinity!

-Crackkkkk!

[I am Malerun, the master of a thousand spells, the living dream, and I am your nightmare!]

Ice pillars began to rise, piercing through the sea. Like towers reaching towards the sky. Freezing the sea itself, higher and higher…

‘The Sea God!’

-Kian…!!

Divinity exploded, scattering in all directions. Snowflakes scattered in the wind, and the atmosphere cleared momentarily. Around Malerun’s flagship, dozens of ice pillars, each far surpassing the size and width of a ship, grew and surged like trees.

-Rumble!!

The sea churned like waves, then froze in that very shape. All the ships floating on the sea were crushed and shattered in the frozen ocean, and the elves aboard screamed as they fell onto the ice.

Fernandez stood on the frozen sea, glaring at the epicenter of magic and divinity. There, ice fragments and snowflakes swirled, forming a massive outline.

The humanoid outline slowly took shape. As its mouth opened, Malerun’s voice echoed.

[The Devourer of Divinity, the Great Ruler, the Slayer of Sovereigns! I have seized the power of twilight, and finally devoured the son of the ocean. I am Malerun! Bow before your king!]





Kneel down!

– Kwaaaaang!

As the Ice Giant opened its mouth and roared, numerous spells floated around its body. It was a familiar technique. Although it could no longer be called Malerun, it was using Malerun’s spells.

Fernandez loosened his body lightly while gripping his sword. He frowned slightly and scanned his surroundings. The elves were scattering in fear. He pulled out a horn trumpet from his sleeve.

[You, human. Inquisition Officer! Even your god is nothing but a well-prepared feast before me. I have become a true god, and through this, I will ascend to the heavenly Temple of the Gods, rule over them, and place the Material World under my feet. Forever!]

“I’ll add the charge of impersonating a god to your list of crimes. The sentence won’t change.”

Fernandez laughed as he brought the horn trumpet to his lips. Sparks flew from the giant’s eyes at his words.

[You arrogant mortal!]

“None of those who said that to me are still around to say it.”

Because they’re all dead. Fernandez chuckled and blew the horn trumpet. Soon, his voice echoed across all the elf ships and the elves gathered among the wreckage.

[All fleets, open fire!]

*

The elves of the Guimerin Dynasty are veteran sailors who have served for as long as two hundred years or as short as a few decades. This means they can flexibly handle any situation at sea, even those that are rare to encounter in a lifetime.

– Kwaaaaang!!

Even in the midst of panic, confusion, fear, and despair. It meant they could mechanically execute fleet battle techniques honed over a lifetime.

– Kwaaaang! Boom!

Except for the cannons buried in ice or shattered by the impact. All cannons aligned in an instant and fired almost simultaneously. Dozens of warships, fixed on the frozen sea, began pouring out artillery fire.

[You… vermin!]

As the giant waved its hand, a spell barrier formed, blocking the cannonballs. The cannonballs embedded themselves into the protective spells that formed a circle around the giant’s body, creating thick smoke. For a brief moment, its vision was obscured.

That time was enough. Fernandez quickly began to run. Around the giant’s body, stepping on the frozen sea. He observed the spells entangled around the giant’s body and simultaneously noted the positions of the cannons standing tall on the sea.

It was a reenactment of the siege of Malerun’s Flagship. The cannonballs, tipped with spell-breaking spikes, struck the giant’s protective spells. If it were just that, it would have been impossible to break through the layers of spells…

[Focus on the Queen’s Flagship! All ships in the east, west, and south, fire at will!]

– Kwaaaaang!

The ability to detect the weaknesses in the spells, the gaps in the magic flowing through the circuits, the small intervals as spells cycled and replaced each other. Fernandez’s senses commanded this—

[North-northeast, ships 1, 4, and 12! Fire at will!]

– Kwaaaaang!

Without a single error, the skills of the elite soldiers performing their assigned tasks supported this.

[You… stop! I am your god! I am the last hope to revive our people!]

– Kwaaaaang!

The spell-breaking spikes, precisely aimed at the giant’s spells, began to strike its body. The spells peeled away layer by layer, like an onion being stripped.

The magic circuits burning on the giant’s body tangled under the impact, creating a fierce backlash that began to strike its soul. The Ice Giant’s body trembled, and fear seeped out of it.

Gods are conceptual beings. The god of the sea, the god of war, the god of the sun. They dominate their respective concepts and wield influence beyond form. This means that the moment one begins to lose their concept, their divinity becomes poison to them—

[Stop! I, I did it for our people!]

“Take that excuse to the people you devoured, your children, and your god.”

Fernandez whispered as he ran toward the giant, which now had no strength left and was only exuding fear. The sticky magic, tangled with fragments of madness, poured onto the frozen sea.

Having lost its concept, the giant’s divinity began to crumble. Into something less than form. Into the mere flesh of a mortal. The divinity it had built up began to evaporate and scatter.

A snowstorm raged again. Fernandez’s face and body were covered in sleet. He raised his greatsword and struck the giant’s leg, then climbed up and ran further.

[Move aside! I have a mission. I only, only for the people. Only for the safety of the people—]

“Temple of the Gods, grant me your blessing.”

– Sssss.

In the center of the giant’s face, the trembling body of Malerun became visible. Fernandez climbed up the giant’s shoulder and glared at him.

An old king who had spent a lifetime mastering magic, sacrificed all his ambitions and schemes to gain divinity, and lost his homeland and people. Malerun had no strength left to resist.

Malerun’s blazing white eyes moved aimlessly, searching for hope. Fernandez, now standing firmly on the giant’s cheekbone, looked down at Malerun’s face.

“The execution of the defendant’s sentence will now be carried out.”

[No! You have no right! I, I have a higher purpose!]

“The defendant no longer has the right to speak.”

[Pray, I will pray! Priest! I will pray—]

– Crunch!

Malerun’s head split in half, and sticky brain matter scattered in all directions. The impact of the greatsword caused spiderweb-like cracks to spread from the giant’s forehead to its chin.

Fernandez watched as Malerun’s body, now bursting with blood, scattered within the crumbling giant.

“There is no god left to hear the defendant’s prayers.”

A being who killed his own race’s god, stole its divinity, and enjoyed eternal life. An old spider who devoured the flesh and souls of his people to accumulate magic. Malerun would scatter into the sea below as frozen blood, leaving not even a trace.

Fernandez pulled his greatsword from the crumbling giant’s body and slung it over his back. The frozen sea shattered, revealing the dark water below. There were no other ships nearby to rescue him. Almost all ships, except for Malerun’s Flagship, were half-destroyed from the battle.

Tsk, Fernandez clicked his tongue. Without the blessing of immortality, his entire body was overheating from the excessive strain, tearing his muscles. With a dazed mind, he stared at the approaching water.

“Your Excellency!!!”

– Thud!

At that moment, Kirhas grabbed Fernandez’s body and threw herself onto a still-unmelted ice floe. Fernandez looked up at the clear, breaking dawn and coughed dryly.

Beside him, Kirhas stroked his hair and whispered.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Thank you.”

“For saving your life, right?”

“For everything.”

Let’s go back now. Just a few more things to settle. Fernandez, in Kirhas’s arms, gazed at the sky for a moment, then closed his eyes.