[Legend of Lineage] Episode 18: The Sea of Despair and the Three Keys (Chapter 6)
Chapter 6: Reunion and Trials, the Premonition of Wings Soaring the Skies
Episode 18: The Sea of Despair and the Three Keys
[Summary of Previous Episodes]
Altorius and his party returned to Windamia on an ancient ship and were entrusted with the truth of the world by the sage Galette. With the first crest in hand and advice from their former nemesis Silva, the party enters the "Astral Pillar," which is shrouded in pitch-black fog.
It was the "hometown" where Zeke lost his father as a child, and the land of his destiny as a "Watcher of Solas" that he had abandoned. Breaking away from his regrets for his father and his own sense of helplessness, Zeke stands up for his companions.
[Character and Terminology Guide]
If you are a first-time reader or wish to review the overview, please see the [Introduction] below.
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1. The Frenzied Sea and the Guidance of the Star-Inheritor
What awaited the party after they turned their helm south, leaving the Astral Pillar behind, was the "Sea of Despair," a place not even marked on the nautical charts.
Thunderclouds covering the sky completely blocked out the sunlight, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night. High waves, rising like mountains, relentlessly pounded the deck of the ancient ship, and the hull groaned as if in its death throes. The needle of the compass spun wildly, having lost its function as an instrument.
Only the "Star Compass," which Elise gripped until her fingers turned white, captured the shadow of the wandering "Moving Island," an unknown coordinate lurking beyond the rough seas.
"...Grandpa, is there really an island ahead!? The compass is broken, so don't tell me it's leading us somewhere strange!"
Elise desperately braced the deck as it threatened to flood, maintaining the barrier protecting the ship by releasing magical power from her fingertips. The needle of the compass, while trembling slightly, persistently tracked the coordinates moving at a furious speed across the ocean.
"If you have time to complain, cast a stronger magic barrier! The needle is pointing right into the middle of these rough seas. We have no choice but to believe and push forward!"
Zeke used all the muscles in his body to hold down the thrashing helm, while Altorius drew his sword of light at the bow, staring intently ahead.
At that moment, the sea surface burst as if it had exploded, and several massive, pitch-black tentacles erupted. The absolute guardian of this sea, the deep-sea beast "Kraken Void," had revealed its form to drag the intruders down to the bottom of the ocean.
"There's no mistake, the island is ahead!"
As Altorius shouted powerfully, the three of them turned their gazes toward the Kraken Void in unison. As the giant body attacked, each of them was more certain than ever, and without a doubt, of their own role.
"Artorius, turn to the right!"
"Leave the ship to me!"
Amidst the hellish storm, the three of them trusted each other completely, displaying a level of soul-deep coordination they had never achieved before.
Artorius's silver flash severed the incoming tentacles with a single stroke, and he was bathed in seawater that felt like blood splatter. Zeke maneuvered the ship, weaving through the gaps in the waves and securing their course while enduring intense G-forces. Then, Elise concentrated all the magical power overflowing from her ring into a single point, striking the sea beast between the eyes with a massive lightning bolt that harnessed the stormy weather to her advantage.
The trajectory of the three, who displayed perfect harmony amidst the raging waves. It was nothing less than proof that they had overcome the greatest trial imposed by the third crest.
And the very moment the sea beast foamed at the mouth and sank to the seabed with a roar, a fantastic, greenery-covered "moving island" appeared through the mist as a land of salvation.
2. The Phantom Moving Island, the Green Radiance of the Ancient Altar
The interior of the "moving island" they had finally landed on was wrapped in silence, as if the raging storm of the outer sea had been a lie.
There was not a trace of human activity there; instead, a space where time seemed frozen stretched out, filled with massive stone pillars adorned with exquisite magical carvings and lush, vibrant, glowing plants never seen before. From the depths of the island, a low-frequency sound, similar to the heartbeat of the earth, echoed faintly. It told the story that this island itself was a "living legacy" equipped with an autonomous navigation system, built by ancient people thousands of years ago.
The center of the island. When they reached the ancient circular altar that opened up as if to look toward the heavens, the pressure of the air changed dramatically.
"…I found it. The final, third crest… our true wings."
Where Elise pointed with trembling fingers. From the chalk-white pedestal sitting in the center of the altar, a star-shaped crest emitting a dazzling emerald green light slowly floated up, as if released from gravity.
The plate, engraved with intricate geometric patterns, hovered silently in the air, scattering faint green light particles into its surroundings.
It was a sanctuary-like tranquility, the exact opposite of the life-or-death struggle they had endured to get here. Artorius and Zeke watched Elise's back as she approached the altar with gazes filled with trust and affection.
Elise slowly approached the altar. Then, she suddenly stopped moving in front of the crest.
"Do you possess the qualifications?"
A gentle light ignited within Elise.
(…Qualifications? That has nothing to do with it.)
The smile of her grandfather Gallet, the sunset in Windamere, Artorius, Zeke. The scenes of her life up to now floated through her mind.
"What will you resonate?"
(To live happily with the people I cherish. That is all.)
"Is that all?"
(Yes. That is why I will not lose.)
The crest shone brightly for an instant, and then a gust of wind blew around the three of them. Then, the crest slowly descended into Elise's hands. When Elise touched the crest, it responded with a soft warmth and settled into her palm as if being absorbed. With this, having crossed three hundred years of time, all the "keys" were now in the party's possession.
3. Three Crests, the Crystal of the Trajectory
In Elise's palm, the three crests they had obtained after crossing the threshold of death began to glow with increasing resonance.
The blue-glowing "Crest of Light" obtained at the ancient temple of the Sigil Sanctum. The deep purple "Crest of Shadow" obtained at the summit of the Astral Pillar. And the emerald "Crest of Resonance" that held the spark of life, obtained on this moving island. Each pulsed with a different magical rhythm and emitted a different radiance.
"So... this is all of them. That cloying smell of blood at the Astral Pillar, the terror in this sea where I thought I would die... everything was for this moment."
Elise gazed at the three crests one by one with affection and nodded firmly, as if to convince herself. Zeke exhaled deeply as if a long-standing burden had been lifted, and Artorius superimposed his lost memories—the pride of the Prince of Exaltia—onto their pure light.
"Yes. But these are still just keys to open the gate. We need to take these three crests to the center of the world, to the 'Zenith Spire,' where the legends of that flying ship remain."
At Artorius's words, Zeke also responded, regaining his sharp, watchful gaze.
"Yeah. These keys we risked our lives to snatch. If we take them to the altar there, this ship will become the 'Legendary Airship,' right?"
Like an invisible magnetic force binding them together, the three crests symbolized the very trajectory of the adventure the party had written with their blood and sweat.
4. Departure for the Zenith Spire, into the Story of the Sky
Having left the island, the party returned to the ancient ship once more. On the heavy wooden table in the cabin, the three carefully guarded crests were lined up, their lights interfering with one another. They began to resonate with the Zenith Spire, the tower of heavenly trials that soared at the center of the world, waiting quietly, yet intensely, for the moment of 'liberation'.
"Come on, let's go! Our destination is the center of the world. That 'Zenith Spire' that pierces the clouds and reaches the heavens!"
With Elise's dignified command, the ancient ship began to accelerate, kicking up the waves once more. The star compass pointed without hesitation toward the immovable giant tower enthroned in the center of the inner sea. Surrounded by nations such as the military state of Meridius, the Holy City of Solas, and the royal capital of Exaltia—which had been eroded by an evil god—it was an absolute place that had rejected human intrusion for hundreds of years as a divine realm.
"Once we offer the crests at that tower and obtain the wings of truth... no matter where that so-called evil god is hiding, I'll find them from the sky and strike them down to the depths of hell!"
"Indeed. We shall bestow 'Legendary Wings' upon this ship. And with our own hands, we will restore the balance of this distorted world."
The ancient ship kicked up powerful, pure white spray and steered without hesitation toward the center of the world.
Behind them, the 'moving island' that had finished its role dissolved into the deep fog. The three of them no longer looked at the sea surface, but straight toward the summit of the Zenith Spire, which pierced the distant sea of clouds and penetrated the heavens.
Now that the three keys were gathered, their fate had finally crossed the sea and begun to head toward the 'sky'.
▶Read Episode 19 "(Interlude): The Myth Spun Over Three Hundred Years, Zenith Spire"
▶Click here for the prologue
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