Chapter 788
Sheenu, the Fire God.
The god that all Magicians, along with Solderet, desire the most.
And Kelliark Zipple, among all Fire attribute contractors, was the Magician who received the most love from Sheenu.
In the current era, Kelliark was the only person who had directly felt his presence and had conversed with him.
Now, that god stood before Jin and his companions.
Hooo...
When Sheenu took a deep breath, Jin's companions unconsciously swallowed.
The heat and thirst that could only be felt in the middle of a desert at noon pressed down on the group.
Just looking into Sheenu's eyes gave them a feeling as if their entire bodies were being incinerated.Unlike his companions, Jin wasn't avoiding Sheenu's gaze.
He didn't feel completely immune to the overwhelming pressure, but for some reason, he wasn't afraid at all.
[Jin Runcandel...]
"That's right. I am Jin Runcandel, Sheenu."
[I have heard of your achievements. You truly are an impressive and arrogant child.]
"Is that the extent of your evaluation? Quite disappointing. Tell me what brings you here."
From the start, Jin displayed a bold demeanor, completely ignoring Sheenu's mood.
His companions were surprised, looking at Jin.
No matter how formidable the opponent, if the leader remains confident, the rest will regain their confidence as well.
Jin's provocative attitude was actually helping to alleviate the demoralization in his companions' hearts.
One by one, his companions also began to face Sheenu directly.
For a while, Sheenu remained silent.
Meanwhile, Jin examined Sheenu more closely and realized that he emanated a similar scent to Pyre.
"It seems you had a good fight before coming here. You smell the same as the young dragon Pyre. The scent of blood and ash, the smell of war. I'm concerned if your domain, the Land of Fire, has been attacked."
[Ha, ha, impressive observation.]
"No matter how much you try to hide it with your divine majesty, it's useless. In my eyes, you look like a patient who has sustained significant injuries."
[I see clearly now. A moment ago, I eliminated the intruders who invaded my domain.]
"Who invaded your domain?"
[If you agree to help me, I will let you know.]
"Alright. I am curious to know what kind of help you desire that makes you feel so desperate and urgent. Why did you send Pyre anyway, when you knew you had to reveal your true self immediately?"
[It was a gesture of goodwill. If you had accepted Pyre's negotiation, I wouldn't have had to risk manifesting myself.]
"Tsk, a god who orders such actions from a young dragon while expecting goodwill. Now I understand why Zipple ended up like that."
Sheenu didn't show any signs of displeasure despite Jin's constant provocation. Instead, he smiled continuously, seemingly intrigued by Jin.
[Let me be direct. I want you to prevent the Priestess of the Sun from carrying out her plans, and moreover, to kill her.]
"Oh, quite refreshing. But that's something I should do even without you asking. I didn't think you came here to give me a task that I've been doing on my own. Are you trying to give me information about Sanna? It wouldn't be efficient for me to confront Sanna without knowing anything."
[Indeed, we are now on the same wavelength.]
"It remains to be seen if we can continue to communicate effectively. While it is my task to confront Sanna, if eliminating her would help you more than me, then I have to reconsider."
[There will be no disadvantageous conditions for you. I promise in the name of fire]
Whoosh!
Unexpectedly, a huge fire seal formed in the air.
It was on a completely different level from what Kelliark or Beradin had shown before, a seal formed by the true Fire God.
There was nothing special written on the seal, but Jin and his companions felt absolute confidence in it.
Confidence that Sheenu's words contained no falsehoods.
It was like when Rosa first read and believed the phrase of the prophecy.
Jin nodded.
"For humans to trust someone else, especially an enemy, they must make an effort beyond words. It seems much easier for a God."
[It is not an authority that any God possesses.]
"But I have a question. I heard from Pyre that Sanna approached Zipple, saying she would fix Kelliark. Did you really swallow those words and get stabbed in the back?"
[It wasn't Zipple or I who accepted Sanna, but Beradin. If I had been able to intervene at that time, the Priestess of the Sun wouldn't be in her current position.]
So Sanna took advantage of Sheenu's absence and quickly infiltrated Zipple's inner circle.
"It means that Beradin is being manipulated by Sanna."
[You are worried about your friend, aren't you? But he doesn't consider you a friend anymore.]
"It's because all of you ruined him. It's best not to say anything bad about Beradin, Sheenu. Otherwise, he might just tear you apart as you are."
For the first time, Sheenu showed signs of restraint at those words.
[You can't hurt me. On the other hand, I can turn this place to ashes in an instant.]
"Hahaha, do you think I'm afraid of those words? It's true that you have the power, considering the seal, but the situation may not allow you to make that decision. So stop making your nasty brags. It makes me curious about something I had asked my father in my childhood. It was about whether humans can win against gods in a fight, that kind of topic."
Surprisingly, Sheenu immediately took a step back, shrugging.
[I spoke without need. I apologize.]
The more they conversed, the more Jin felt that Sheenu's situation was worse than he had anticipated.
"We won't have pleasant encounters like this twice. I hope you approach the conversation with a clear stance."
“Warning to the gods! Young master Jin is so cool...! Uhh, uhh!"
Quikantel covered Enya's mouth, and Sheenu briefly turned his head towards Enya before fixing his gaze on Jin.
[Beradin and Sanna are in a relationship where they use each other. Perhaps Beradin was hoping that you would find the Tower of Stories and gather information about Sanna.]
"If Beradin is using Sanna, then his main goal is probably to keep you under control. And he may also want to make progress regarding the living magical sword golems and the Holy Land. And what can Sanna gain through Beradin and his Zipple?"
In response, Sheenu provided a somewhat unexpected answer.
[Jin Runcandel, do you know where the demon world is?]
"The demon world?"
[Yes, the land inhabited by those known as demons. It is known by humans as a land that exists in a different dimension. It is not entirely inaccurate.]
"What does Sanna have to do with the demon world?"
[There is a deep connection. The altar of the Sun God remains in the deepest part of that world. It is the most powerful means to resurrect the Sun God.]
Jin's eyes widened.
"Continue."
[Sanna is currently searching for the demon world. To reach the altar of the Sun God, she must find the entrance to the demon world. That's why she needs the power of Zipple.]
"Where is the entrance to the demon world?"
[I don't know. But one thing is for sure.]
Sheenu pointed downwards with his index finger.
[The underground. Somewhere beneath this world, there is a gate that leads to the demon world. However, even if it exists on the same plane, it is a domain that cannot be reached by conventional means, so it is almost like a different dimension.]
"Orgal probably knows the location."
[Yes, but knowing the location doesn't mean anyone can open that gate. Only a special being blessed by the demon god can open it and bring demons outside. Zipple suspects that the person who fulfills that role in Kinzelo is Bishkel Ivlianos.]
-Bishkel Ivlianos! I've been curious about why the leader of Kinzelo has a special fondness for you. Can I witness your skills today? I hope observing your power will be worth this dishonor.
-Demon... Could it be that you opened the gate? So this is your skill, Bishkel Ivlianos!
Octavia's words when she saw Bishkel along with Ainas during the Desert of Sota incident.
At that time, Jin hadn't heard those words, but since that day, Zipple had been suspecting Bishkel as the individual capable of opening the gate to the demon world.
However, unfortunately, Bishkel didn't possess such abilities, and neither Sheenu nor Zipple were aware of that fact.
"Bishkel Ivlianos. Somehow, it seems more likely that his younger sister, Margiella, has a higher probability."
[Regardless, it is certain that Orgal possesses the entity with the ability to open the gate to the demon world.]
"Wait, then, isn't Orgal currently the one who is closest to the altar of the Sun God?"
Then Sheenu smiled.
[He is currently unaware of the fact that the altar of the Sun God exists beneath the demon world.]
That was because Sheenu, with the "Fire of Extinction", had erased Orgal's memories of the time he knew about the altar.
Sheenu hadn't informed Jin of that fact.
[So, from now on, you must be careful what you say when you meet Orgal. If he becomes aware of the existence of the altar, the resurrection of the Sun God will be accelerated... and that is something neither you nor I desire.]
"There are many perplexing aspects to this. Currently, for the Sun Worshippers to find the altar as fast as possible, it would be best if Sanna and Orgal joined forces."
[The process and goals of resurrecting the Sun God are different for each side, so how can they join? The factions within the Sun Worshippers are more wary of each other's faith being realized than anything else. They would join forces with non-believers rather than other religious sects. If the Sun God resurrects, the way of this world will change depending on which sect succeeds. Of course, none of the outcomes would be favorable for you or me.]
"They are a bunch of lunatics, fighting among themselves. Anyway, Sanna is searching for the entrance to the demon world through Zipple... Is she planning to use Zipple to negotiate with Orgal?"
[There is a higher possibility that Sanna is simply trying to find it using Zipple's power. Jin Runcandel, let's say there is a forest. And within that forest, there is something you need to find and destroy. What do you think would be the fastest and easiest way?]
"To raze the entire forest."
[That is the correct answer.]
With firm eyes, Sheenu added an observation.
[Sanna will do whatever it takes, even if it means destroying this world completely, to find the gate to the demon world.]