Chapter 151
Chapter 151. Collapse of the Sea Succession Church
Arurion Phantarey, who had ascended with the blessing of the World Tree, looked like a mythical hero.
“I will set right all the chaos of this sea and bring about a new order.”
It felt like an unstoppable tide.
What had gathered on this island were the ones who had undergone the ‘Rejection Phenomenon’ while serving under the fleets of various factions, in other words, under different princes.
Their affiliations differed, and so did those they supported. Some merely used the Island of Boundaries as a temporary stop, while others wished to settle there completely.
Some had been cast out by others, while others had come simply because they heard there was a safe island even for those affected by the Rejection Phenomenon.
But now, the sea elves who had gathered on the Island of Boundaries were supporting Arurion to become the King of the sea elves.
As a witness of the World Tree, Yul intended to support Arurion’s course.
Even if the people of the Island of Boundaries chose to follow Arurion and leave, it would not be a loss for Yul.
Normally, that would have been unacceptable, but through the series of events, he had begun to see part of a larger picture.
‘Once all the sea elves are unified, the Island of Boundaries will become a holy land.’
Even if a part of it disappeared for a time, it would return as something greater. The thought flashed through his mind like that of a farmer sowing seeds.
“I’ll lend my strength to the unification of the sea elves.”
“I accept your offer with gratitude, Yul.”
Arurion accepted the proposal without hesitation.
“Ah, before that, help me with one thing.”
“…?”
There was also one more favor he could ask.
“There should be some idiots heading north. I’ll crush them myself, so handle the aftermath.”
Yul could exert his power. If he overwhelmingly destroyed the fleet, he could achieve his desired goal.
However, after achieving the 'then die' part, a tedious and pedantic process would inevitably follow.
Informing each island of Yul’s existence, managing information and reputation regarding his island. What to do with the humans from the destroyed fleet? What to do after taking over the Sea Succession Church? How to secure the occupied territory? How to deal with interference from those who would intrude in the meantime, and so on.
If Arurion were present, all of that could be handled in one go. After hearing this explanation, Arurion immediately agreed.
“So be it.”
Before clashing with the other princes, Arurion also needed to wipe out some of the land-based forces that had been acting as supporters of the princes.
Yul’s proposal was not a bad one for him either.
Like cutting through tangled threads, they advanced into the sea.
The ships of the sea elves began to move. Arurion was like a guiding lamp leading moths.
As his Wing Vessel took the lead, other ships joined from behind. One ship, two ships, three ships…….
Those who had come to see him after hearing rumors of Arurion joined his fleet. Among them were even merchant ships from Aragon. Whatever their intentions were, Yul decided to leave them be.
Leaving them behind, Yul flew ahead and arrived at the Rainini Archipelago.
According to the intelligence of Sonam Rinpoche, the combat fleet of the Sea Succession Church should be sailing somewhere not far away. Given the timing, it should be around here.
It seemed that Sonam had gathered the archipelago’s ships, but if left as is, defeat was certain. The difference in strength was clear.
Yul plunged into the sea. Using the Sea-Sync Demon Eye, he began to gather the ocean currents.
The currents, which had been flowing freely, began to converge under Yul’s will.
He gathered chaotic, directionless forces and imposed a linear direction upon them. The waves, which had begun to rise gradually, swelled more and more until they piled up like a mountain.
A massive wave that suddenly appeared in the middle of the sea.
Yul rode the current of a wave hundreds of meters high. His target was the ships sailing before him.
Their gleaming fleet hurried to flee at the sight of this colossal natural disaster, but it was already too late. At the same time, they felt the sea suddenly sink beneath them, and they were confronted with an unprecedented force they had never experienced before.
“Th-the wave! The wave……!”
“It’s that monster! That monster must have caused this!”
“The God of Waves is real!”
Seawater crashed down upon those who panicked in disarray.
Before the force of a massive wave, no matter how sturdy a ship built by humans might be, it would be shattered into pieces.
Everything caught in that immense force twisted wildly. The wave swept over the deck, wrenching the hull, damaging the mast and rudder, and tearing the ship apart.
The very ships they had trusted became deadly weapons that turned against them.
Those swept up by the force helplessly surrendered themselves to the chaos of the current. If they were lucky, they escaped without hitting anything.
But the many unfortunate ones were struck somewhere, their necks snapping or spines breaking in the chaos.
Even if they survived, they would suffer severe hypothermia and die if not rescued within a limited time.
A single strike.
Just one strike. With a single blow of the wave, what had been called a fleet vanished.
Every captain was a mage. But even mages were merely human, and they could not stand against a catastrophe.
They were merely victims with slightly higher chances of survival.
Yul rose into the sky and looked down upon the devastation he had created.
The fleet was annihilated. Even the flagship, which had proudly carried a dragon-slaying cannon, was swept away by the wave and slammed beneath the surface.
He did not even get to see the dragon-slaying cannon. He turned his gaze.
From afar, the fleet of Sonam of the Rainini Archipelago was approaching, and a little further away, Arurion’s ships were also coming.
Predicting that they would handle the aftermath, Yul launched himself forward and crossed the Archipelago Ocean.
Whoooosh!
The sea wind rushed past him.
Having spent time here with the sea elves, who were skilled navigators, the map of the Archipelago Ocean was already in his mind.
He flew past all the archipelagos. His destination was ‘Labnap Alik,’ the stronghold of the Sea Succession Church.
It was a vast island where at least 500,000 people lived, and the heart of the Sea Succession Church.
From this place, the Sea Succession Church had prospered and, through the power of faith, conquered the surrounding islands.
And it had achieved remarkable growth, yet at the same time, that growth had led to its corruption.
Now a breeding ground of decay, the island still appeared exceedingly beautiful on the surface.
Marble buildings stood in rows, and the outer perimeter of each island was encircled by spires with six horns.
Mages had imbued those spires with magic to prevent impure things from approaching from the outside. Countless fleets existed to defend this island, and numerous armies were stationed on it as well.
But now, it was time to erase all of that.
Something he had resolved from the beginning. Any resistance against Yul would be destroyed with overwhelming force.
First, the nearby fleet was wiped out by the power of the waves.
Then, the defensive barrier formed by the six-horned spires.
‘UV Thermal Gun, maximum output.’
He poured in a horrifying amount of magic power and unleashed it at full output. An overwhelming blast of magic was fired, flattening even terrain that had once been filled with jagged rocks.
In an instant, the defensive barrier of Labnap Alik, built over generations by countless mages pouring their secret techniques and ultimate arts into it, was shattered.
It was a long history. It had been a defensive barrier formed from the aspiration of the first Sea Master who founded the Sea Succession Church and sought to protect this island from external enemies, carried on and reinforced by successive Sea Masters.
And now, a six-eyed creature tore it apart in an instant and stepped inside.
Panicked human soldiers came into view. Some quickly mounted massive bolts onto giant ballistae and fired at Yul.
The strike, executed swiftly from assessment to action by trained soldiers, was easily blocked by Yul.
It hung in midair near him, caught in a telekinetic field.
Looking down coldly, Yul turned the direction of the massive bolt 180 degrees with telekinesis.
Then he fired it back at a speed even faster than when it had come.
The ballista was struck by its own bolt and exploded, its fragments sweeping through the surrounding soldiers and turning the area into a scene of hell.
Ignoring some defensive forces and annihilating others, Yul soon arrived at the highest point of Labnap Alik, the mountain at the center of the island.
The cliff, made of pure white marble, had been refined over long years by countless stonemasons into a natural fortress capable of repelling external enemies, and had been turned into a beautiful palace where sea monks debated and where the Sea Master resided.
Humans called it Rafna Satra, the palace of the sacred peak.
But the steep cliffs meant to repel invaders, and the walls built to block enemies, were useless against one who could fly.
In a single move, he arrived at the very summit of Rafna Satra, the residence, the sea monks called Sailak.
Here, numerous elite troops had gathered, guarding their leader, the Sea Master.
Those called Guardians stood ready, holding crescent-shaped double-edged spears like a bent moon, pointing them at Yul.
“M-monster……!”
“W-where did this monster come from!?”
The Sea Master and the Right Guardian, the two leaders, were gathered here. According to intelligence, the Left Guardian had been leading the fleet, so after Yul’s first attack, his fate was unknown.
Killing them alone was not enough. If they were merely killed, they would simply be reborn.
While Arurion was reorganizing his fleet, Yul had once met Kaiman.
Yul took out the magic signal converter he had received from Kaiman back then.
The black rhombus-shaped device, when attached to the body, converted magic signals into human language. It was surprisingly expensive—150,000 karma.
With this, there was no need for Polymorph. He equipped it and spoke to them.
-Can you hear me?
“Th-the monster is speaking…….”
“W-what is this…….”
At that moment, the fattest man, the Sea Master, waddled forward.
“What are you! Why are you attacking our Labnap Alik!?”
-You don’t even know the identity of the enemy you’re fighting?
“So you’re the monster that attacked the Rainini Archipelago!”
-You seem confident. Surely you’re not relying on that ring on your hand?
The ring on the Sea Master’s right hand was a shining magic artifact. As if caught, the Sea Master flinched, and Yul first dealt with the brave Guardians around him.
The Guardians, pushed back by the telekinetic field, were flung into the air and tested with their own bodies just how solid the walls were.
Most proved they were less durable than the walls, as evidenced by the red fluid spilling from their bodies.
“H-hiiiik!?”
The terrified Right Guardian tried to flee. There was no need for him, so Yul struck down from above. Unable to overcome gravity, he flattened like a falling tomato.
Seeing the Right Guardian die instantly, the Sea Master trembled, unable even to think of using his ring.
“Th-this is impossible. This is a dream. It can’t be reality.”
-It’s not a dream.
“It’s a dream! I said it’s a dream! Ehe, ehehehe!”
Witnessing the unrealistic sight, he seemed to have chosen to go mad.