Chapter 81 : Chapter 81

Chapter 81 : Support (4)

---

The flood was more severe than I had thought.

This phenomenon must have started well over 300 years ago.

If I had resolved the Turoko Kingdom’s issue while playing as Adjak, it wouldn’t have come to this.

“There were signs even hundreds of years ago,” Ryung explained quietly.

The disaster in Turoko’s imperial castle was simple and clear.

In the courtyard of the castle, there was a fountain operated by a magical device.

As with all fountains, water naturally poured out from it.

But even after the magical device’s lifespan ended, water continued to flow from the fountain.

At the time, the Turoko imperial family found the phenomenon mystical from the start.

A fountain that never stopped.

The king of that era cherished it as a landmark.

Even as more and more water began to flow over time, it was preserved because the kings of previous generations had valued it.

It was still manageable.

They expanded the drainage system and scooped out water when it overflowed, keeping the fountain as a landmark.

But a few months ago, things took a turn for the worse.

The landmark became a monstrosity, and Turoko was called a “cursed kingdom” even by its own people.

The imperial bloodline could no longer stay in the castle.

They relocated and proclaimed to the people that they would resolve the issue.

They reassured the people that they would soon return to a life of abundance as before.

But the situation only worsened.

Gush, gush, gush, gush.

The sound of rushing water drowned out even Ryung’s voice.

He grabbed my shoulder, raised his voice, and shouted,“I’m not even hoping for a complete solution. If you can find even a small clue, you’ll receive a great reward!”

…

As I listened to Ryung, I gazed at the catastrophe caused by the Tune’s phenomenon.

Fallen trees floated here and there in the muddy water, amidst the ruins filled with filth.

“Hey! That guy’s exhausted. Switch out quick!”

“Yes, sir…”

Imperial guards, soldiers, and solvers who came on requests.

Men who looked capable were drenched in rags, scooping out water.

“We have to solve this. If we don’t… Turoko will fall,” Ryung said.

As I remained silent, I could feel the faint hope on Ryung’s face turning into disappointment.

I didn’t know how a Hamudalun pilgrim became a loyal servant of Turoko.

But his request to me must have been made in desperation, grasping at straws.

Of course, I had no intention of being swept away like straw.

“…I’ll give it a try.”

“Do you have a method?”

“There’s something I want to test. Could I be left alone here?”

“You want to clear out everyone scooping water?”

“Yes, please do that.”

“…The place will flood in no time.”

“If things don’t work out, I’ll call for help immediately.”

“Alright.”

Ryung stared at me for a moment, then shouted to the others,

“Everyone, take a break! Clear out of the courtyard quickly!”

Though exhausted, the people were faster than anyone when it came to escaping.

They splashed through the water, fleeing the courtyard.

“Good luck, then.”

Finally, Ryung left as well.

The fountain was in the shape of a statue of a child holding a jug.

It was designed so water would pour from the jug, but unable to withstand the pressure, the marble jug had shattered.

Gush, gush, gush, gush, gush, gush.

With everyone gone, the sound of water seemed even louder.

The water, which had been ankle-deep, soon rose to my calves.

It seemed the men’s efforts to scoop out water hadn’t been entirely futile.

Water can extinguish fire, but fire struggles against water.

No clear solution came to mind.

Only a simple idea surfaced.

‘What if I evaporated all the water here?’

First, I placed my hand in front of the jug pouring water.

But the water only splashed everywhere, with no notable effect.

The pressure made my hand tingle.

I drew out [Intangible Armor] and enveloped the jug with it.

The rushing water quickly inflated the [Intangible Armor] like a balloon.

It would reach its limit eventually, but it would hold for now.

I unfolded [Flame of the Spirit] in my grip.

A blue flame flickered above my hand.

I began to increase the flame’s size.

Then, I plunged my burning hand into the water that had risen to my knees.

Sizzle.

The flame went out the moment it touched the water.

I pulled my hand from the water and reignited the flame, making it larger.

Even as the growing flame overflowed from my palm and extinguished upon touching the water, I didn’t stop.

I channeled mana, condensed it with aura, heightened my will, and envisioned a blazing form.

Fueled by my intent, the flame began to grow larger.

Sizzle.

The flame, which had been snuffed out helplessly upon touching water, started to resist.

As [Intangible Armor] held back the water and swelled, the blue flame covered the water’s surface.

Heat filled the courtyard.

Steam clouded my vision, obscuring my surroundings.

But I could smile.

The water, which had been rising past my shins, was subtly lowering.

The water level was starting to decrease.

I drew more mana, increasing the flame’s size.

The blue flame that started in my hands now blazed as tall as me.

…And then [Intangible Armor] signaled it had reached its limit.

The balloon, already swollen far beyond the statue, could burst at any moment.

My mind grew chaotic.

One part commanded [Intangible Armor] to hold, while another fueled [Flame of the Spirit].

My eyes felt like they were swelling.

‘Keep going, don’t stop.’

I reassured myself that I was only managing two Tunes and aura simultaneously.

I refused to think of it as a “limit.”

I kept heating my mind.

Drip.

Blood trickled from my nose.

But I didn’t stop.

The blood vaporized instantly as it fell into the flame.

Only then, in my focus, did I notice something I hadn’t before.

The heat filling the place.

And the water that had filled the courtyard had completely evaporated.

The courtyard, once filled with water, was now awash with blue flames.

At that moment, [Intangible Armor] broke.

Whoosh──!

As [Intangible Armor] released, the water trapped in the air poured out.

Droplets fell fiercely, like a sudden downpour.

But I didn’t panic and intensified [Flame of the Spirit] further.

With [Intangible Armor] gone, I could gather my scattered focus.

The emboldened [Flame of the Spirit] grew, evaporating the water.

The water gushing from the fountain evaporated as soon as it poured out.

Water, which held absolute dominance over fire, was instead consumed by it.

With a faint smile, I looked at the child statue gazing at the jug, and the already broken jug, both melting in the blue flames.

Hiss…

Soon, a deflating sound came from the fountain, and no more water gushed out.

I staggered toward the fountain.

Crunch.

The statue, which had spewed water for so long, collapsed. It was shattered and melted, indistinguishable as a child or a jug.

But in the midst of the flames, a single droplet floated in the air, glowing with a radiant light.

I reached out and grasped it.

[Trait Transformation]

It was the moment I obtained a new Tune.

* * *

“It’s nice to rest even for a moment… But, Ryung, are you sure this is okay?”

“This isn’t the time to be picky about hot or cold water. We have to try something. Things aren’t looking good, so we might need to scoop water again soon. For now, loosen up your stiff bodies!”

“If we’re not careful, the castle might collapse.”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

Ryung didn’t fully trust Polarin either.

But there were no other options.

The solvers who had flocked here had given up and left.

He could only hope that someone recognized by Narima, a treasure of the desert, wasn’t just another nobody.

‘If only he were truly a noble…’

Ryung was just as exhausted.

He kept scooping water and during breaks, patrolled Turoko.

He was called a pilgrim, but Ryung had been a wandering assassin until the previous king of Turoko took him in.

Having sworn loyalty to the king, Ryung remained in Turoko even after the king’s passing, repaying that debt.

But how long could he endure on loyalty alone?

Ryung leaned against the outer castle wall.

Water kept pouring from cracks in the wall.

The sturdy wall, which had stood for ages, had finally cracked under the relentless flood.

Perhaps the entire castle would collapse soon.

“Ryung…”

“Be quiet. Didn’t I tell you to rest for a bit?”

“No, it’s not that. The water… it’s decreasing.”

“What?”

“The amount of water leaking out has noticeably decreased. Maybe…”

Startled, Ryung looked at the wall he was leaning against.

As his subordinate said, the water pouring out was visibly less than before.

“I’ll check it out.”

He didn’t know what was happening.

It would be great if the situation was resolved, but he couldn’t be sure.

Ryung stood and headed toward the courtyard.

‘If he asked to be left alone because there was something he didn’t want seen, or because his focus couldn’t be broken…’

Ryung didn’t want to disturb Polarin.

So he activated his tribal trait.

His [Assimilation], honed to the extreme, went beyond blending his colors with the surroundings—it erased his very presence.

Ryung held his breath and observed the courtyard.

‘Fire?’

A large fire blazed in Polarin’s hands.

It wasn’t an ordinary flame.

It shimmered in blue.

But the heat was immense, almost unbelievable that Polarin wasn’t burning in its midst.

The water vaporized at a frightening speed.

Thick mist rose around Polarin, who was conjuring the blue flame.

Soon, water stopped gushing from the fountain.

Polarin staggered toward the fountain and reached for a stone floating in the air.

Then, the blue flame in Polarin’s hands suddenly flared larger.

Various colors enveloped the flame—red, blue, purple.

A spectrum of colors burst and mingled within it.

The flame’s color changed.

The radiant, multicolored light merged in an instant and began burning black.

Standing in the black flames, Polarin suddenly turned his gaze toward Ryung.

‘Can he see me…? No, that’s impossible.’

Ryung’s position, granted by the Hamudalun, was that of a map pilgrim.

A pilgrim who oversaw other pilgrims.

It wasn’t a title easily earned.

Only those who could maintain the tribal trait [Assimilation] at its highest level could claim it.

Though his skill was impressive for his age, Ryung estimated himself to be around the 5th

Rank.

At that rank, no one should be able to detect him.

But soon, Ryung admitted it. It wasn’t a mistake.

Polarin had pinpointed his location exactly.

Their eyes met.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.