Swordmaster's Youngest Son

Chapter 429

Chapter 429

C429 - Elderly In Crisis (3)

A dark forest where it seemed not even a ray of sunlight could penetrate.

Rumors circulated that this forest was haunted by ghosts and evil spirits.

[Nyaah!]

Jin rode on Shuri and traversed the intricate and dimly lit path of the forest.

He had no other companions with him.

The complexity of the path made him think that a maze might have been a better option.

If it weren't for Shuri, he might have regretted coming here alone.

"Young Master, please take Murakan-nim with you."

"Are you sure about this, Sir? If you go alone and he has ill intentions, securing an escape route won't be easy."

"Is there a reason you have to go alone?"

Before departing, all of Jeremiah's companions had expressed their concerns.

It was because they still didn't fully trust the owner of these lands.

As the forest grew denser, the unsettling and ominous sound heard from all directions became more intense.

Phantom Fortress, huh?

The name suits this place incredibly well.'

It was the first time he saw it in person, but as always, Shuri navigated skillfully without getting lost, and they arrived without incidents.

It's huge and completely black.

That was Jin's immediate impression when he saw the castle-shaped fortress suddenly rise at the edge of the forest.

Not even the thick fog covering the area could hide the strange demonic energy emanating from the Phantom Fortress.

It was difficult to even breathe when standing in front of the castle due to that dreadful aura.

Once again, Jin marveled at having defeated the lord of that enormous castle, Lata Proch.

He sent Shuri back to the ruby and waited for a while by the castle gates.

After a while, the gates creaked open, but he couldn't see who had unlocked the massive iron doors.

He wondered if someone had opened them.

It felt like the wind or a specter had passed through it without more, and what immediately appeared to his sight was not the ordinary interior of a castle but darkness.

Advancing towards it didn't seem different from jumping off a cliff.

However, Jin advanced without putting more strength into his grip on the sword hilt at his waist.

Screech, one felt like traversing a nightmare landscape due to the eerie and chilling sounds of the wind.

Moments later, a dark clearing appeared.

"Twelfth Flagbearer, you've endured much to come here."

Jin heard the familiar voice of Lata Proch.

Jin wondered if Lata had just finished a battle or if he had come to interrogate those imprisoned under the Phantom Fortress.

Lata had a scent of fresh and acrid blood.

"The smell of blood seems to linger here."

"Our job is not exactly pleasant. Aren't you used to it already?"

"I just wanted to mention it."Điscover new chapters at novelhall.com

As they approached, Jin glimpsed Lata's face illuminated by the torch he held.

"You didn't seriously come alone, did you?"

Lata was genuinely surprised that Jin had come alone to the Phantom Fortress.

It wasn't just Lata; all members of the Phantom Mercenary Corps shared the same sentiment.

At least, since Lata became the Leader of the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps, or even before when Smarion Proch led the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps, no one had ever come alone to the Phantom Fortress.

Whenever the leaders of Runcandel and Zipple held secret meetings, they always brought a group capable of presenting a meaningful battle.

It was natural.

The Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps had maintained their neutrality to a certain extent...

But it was a faction with significant influence.

"It's been several days already, so it's very likely they've sought refuge in other factions for protection."

"I apologize for showing such lax attitude from the beginning."

"No need to apologize. Just in case, I'll also hire someone to search for the elders who fled. Please inform me of any secrets or vulnerabilities of the Phantom Fortress that they may know."

"It's the monster sealed deep in the basement of the Phantom Fortress."

"...Monster?"

Jin expressed his doubt, and Lata continued explaining with a bitter smile.

"We can't deal with that monster right now. It's been locked in the basement for decades. It can't eat anything, yet it's still alive. And the seal that keeps it at bay weakens every year."

"Sounds like a monster straight out of a legend."

"It might be a sudden revelation, but you don't seem particularly surprised."

"I've encountered a demon-core creature sealed before."

Naturally, Jin assumed that what was sealed in the depths of the Phantom Fortress was a demon-core creature.

"How powerful is it that not even members of the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps can handle it?"

"It's immeasurable. It's hard to explain... Do you want to go see it for yourself?"

Jin followed Lata downstairs and headed to the basement.

The further they went, the more Jin felt a dreadful, unsettling, and malevolent aura.

"Is this the source of the dense, eerie aura that permeates the entire Phantom Fortress?"

It wasn't just the ghostly aura that spread a suffocating feeling throughout the castle.

"We've arrived."

Reaching the lowest level, they encountered a massive iron door with a red seal engraved on it.

It was a type of seal Jin had never seen before, but he could sense that humans had been used as materials for this seal.

It was a seal with immense containment power.

"This is..."

"I heard it's a seal that was only passed down to the elders, and even the previous leaders of the Phantom Legion didn't know about it. This seal was created by other elders, excluding those who fled, using themselves as materials."

As Jin approached the seal, he felt the weight of the eerie aura pressing strongly on his entire body.

"Are you saying this seal weakens every year?"

"Yes."

Jin now understood why Lata had proposed the blood alliance so quickly.

'If the monster hidden behind this seal is released, the Phantom mercenaries won't be able to survive unless they abandon the castle.'

Of course, the probability of the seal breaking immediately was low, and Lata hadn't proposed the blood alliance solely for that reason.

However, it was undoubtedly an important matter.

"I showed you this place first because this is currently the biggest and only problem the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps is facing. It's shameful, but you could even say that this seal threatens the existence of the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps."

Now that they were bound by a blood alliance, they needed to discuss and resolve this problem together.

Although it was an action that revealed vulnerability right after forming the blood alliance, Jin didn't find Lata resentful or laughable.

After all...

Lata had chosen him over figures like Runcandel, Zipple, the Imperial Family, or Kinzelo.

If Lata had allied with Runcandel or Zipple, it probably would have been easier to solve this seal and other problems.

"Indeed... I can feel it just from the eerie aura leaking from the seal. So, what kind of demon creature is sealed inside?"

In response to Jin's question, Lata shook his head.

"No, it's not a demon creature."

"Not a demon creature?"

"The entity sealed inside is my father."

Smarion Proch.

The monster sealed in the depths of the Phantom Fortress was none other than the former Leader of the Phantom Legion Mercenary Corps.

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