21. The Great Battle of Marvelem
Starting November 2023, The Korea Daily is excited to publish the fantasy novel series “Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years” on our website. This new captivating series follows a trio of young adventurers on their quest to uncover the mysteries of ancient civilizations, including the Maya and Inca. In an exciting development, Netflix is currently adapting the novel’s storyline into a film.
The ‘Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years’ is the latest novel authored by Jeeyoon Ha, who created the “Pangaea series.” Ha’s debut novel, “The Pangaea: Finding Xibalba,” was selected by the Korea Creative Content Agency in 2022 as part of their initiative to support the global export of fantasy literature.
Readers can eagerly anticipate the online publication of two installments each month, with new chapters appearing bi-weekly, offering a regular escape into this magical realm. *Mark Oh translated the Korean novel into English.
The battle of that day unfolded like this.
In the epic confrontation known as the Great Battle of Marvelem, the odds were heavily stacked against Marvelem, who faced the combined might of six tribal wizards. These wizards, aligned with their respective magical unions, were a force to be reckoned with. They underestimated Marvelem, swayed by rumors that painted him as a practitioner of trivial, childish magic. However, Marvelem harbored arcane secrets beyond their wildest imaginations.
The six tribes’ wizards were victims of their distorted memories. They believed they had previously conquered Marvelem, but in reality, they had never even engaged him in battle. Unbeknownst to them, Marvelem was imbued with the spirit of the six tribes’ master wizards, which allowed him to manipulate their magic subtly against them. This spirit coerced the wizards into unwittingly attacking one another, following the deceptive guidance of the master wizard.
The only Memories that lingered with the Six Magic Tribe was of Gigim Marvelem standing atop the highest hill, merely observing the chaos below.
When the dust settled, Marvelem had vanished, leaving behind only the Dead Disk—a nefarious soul trap designed to ensnare both the bodies and spirits of the wizards.
“Whoever escapes Marvelem from the Dead Disk will be banished to the edge of the universe. I have even encrypted the code of the Dead Disk.”
The arcanus tribe’s master wizard proudly declared that he had secured Marvelem within this soul trap.
The Dead Disk, a device intended solely for capturing wizards, was believed to hold Marvelem indefinitely, deemed forever inaccessible unless the encrypted password was broken from the outside. The six magic tribes celebrated what they perceived as a monumental triumph, unaware of the true nature of their victory. This day was etched into the annals of stellar history.
Yet, Marvelem had not perished in the Great Battle.
“I’m Marvelem”
The small boy announced, waving his hand.
“You’re Marvelem?”
Suri, who had long revered the tales of the Great Battle, was taken aback, having believed Marvelem to be long deceased.
“After fleeing the planet Sirius with my mother, I spent some time with Dragon Eridan,”
Marvelem continued, his eyes alight with excitement at the mention of Eridan.
“You know Eridan?”
Suri asked, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.
“Do you think you’re the only one? He’s my teacher.”
Marvelem retorted playfully, sensing Suri’s growing envy.
“Teacher? And who are you to claim Eridan as your teacher?”
Suri demanded, his jealousy boiling over.
Eridan had engaged in a lengthy dialogue with Marvelem’s mother for 72 days. During this period, Marvelem had frolicked in the Core Garden, where visions from [Memories of the Stars] frequented his dreams. Curious and eager, young Marvelem approached Eridan to inquire about these celestial memories, demonstrating his inquisitive nature from an early age.
Eridan had informed me that he couldn’t disclose anything about [Memories of the Stars]. Yet, curiously, Marvelem was eager to share his insights on [Memories of the Stars]. The charter of the Dragon Library outlined its purpose, operational rules, and preservation methods, clearly stating that those who could unlock [Memories of the Stars] were entitled to inherit the magic it held. Marvelem’s determination was palpable; he yearned to uncover every detail about [Memories of the Stars].
Eridan, sensing Marvelem’s enthusiasm, decided to grant him a task. He warned that [Memories of the Stars] must be safeguarded from enemies and that the book should never be opened alone. He emphasized that failing to adhere to these guidelines could transform the magic of possession into a curse disguised as a blessing. From that moment on, Dragon Eridan became Marvelem’s mentor, guiding him through 72 days of lessons on possession magic.
“…This tiny little thing… Are you joking around about Dragon Eridan in front of me?”
Suri, however, was seething with jealousy, unable to contain his anger at Marvelem for being Eridan’s favored disciple.
“I’ve traveled across the universe with my name… What do you mean by ‘little thing’?”
Marvelem tossed his coriander-colored hair, sending golden dust shimmering into the air.
“Are you bragging now? How infuriating! Did you see lightning strike in 72 years? You brought me here without my consent, didn’t you? This is clearly violence!”
Suri’s frustration bubbled over, his voice rising in indignation.
“No, I didn’t. The star of Sirius is already bound by enemies to prevent anyone from escaping,”
Marvelem retorted.
“But how did lightning strike in 72 years arrive at the position of prophecy? It was such a brief interval…”
Marvelem’s tone dripped with disdain, and Suri felt a surge of irritation.
“You nearly died, and I saved your life! I almost lost my father forever.”
He continued.
“Saving me? That’s amusing. I made it to that position on my own—who saved whom? This is about your failure!”
Suri shot back, his eyes narrowing with frustration.
“Yes, but if I hadn’t intervened, you would be dead. Don’t you grasp that yet? Didn’t you r father claim you couldn’t endure 72 years of lightning because of the barrier? So how did the lightning reach the position of prophecy?”
Suri felt a mix of embarrassment and indignation. Marvelem was right, and it stung.
“We didn’t have time to dwell on his feelings. We have to close the barrier before the wizards arrive.”
Marvelem urged Suri.
“How?”
Suri’s mind became complicated.
“It was the emperor of the Nova Empire who created the tie… You didn’t know that?”
Marvelem continued to smile.
“What? D.. did you find the planet Sirius?”
Suri was so surprised that he stuttered.
“Spy snipers located it. The emperor is searching for Altima-39, but he’s actually after a secret book there called [Memories of the Stars]. Initially, I thought it was in the Dragon Library, so I sent Moloch… and… I’ll keep the backstory a secret,”
Marvelem explained, his grin widening.
“I heard about Moloch from Eridan. But what is [Memories of the Stars]?”
Suri replied. “But what is [Memories of the Stars]?”
“Suri… Don’t you know [The Ballad of Sausuna] or [Winged Traveler]?”
Marvelem chuckled, clearly entertained.
“How do you know that?”
Suri wondered what Marvelem truly was.
“[The Ballad of Sansuna]… [Winged Traveler]… they’re merely chapters of [Memories of the Stars]…”
Marvelem’s smile faded from his face.
“I need to close the barrier now. There’s no time for jokes. Let’s move,”
As Marvelem prepared to run, he adopted an unusual stance, his hips pulled back.
“We need to turn back time. Before the barrier was breached,” he declared playfully.
“What? I’ve completed every mission, but this is my first time doing something like this. I’m not in a movie—I don’t have a time machine! How do you expect to turn back time?”
Suri retorted, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“It’s actually quite simple,”
Marvelem replied.
“We stop the current time, revert to before the barrier was broken, and… The reason this is possible is due to the giant temples on the island of Malta and the planet Sirius. These megalithic structures are not mere buildings; they hold astronomical secrets. The arrangement and orientation of these megaliths can be altered through the lightning of 72 years. We need to revert to the moment the lightning first struck, just before the barrier was breached. We must close the barrier completely. Once it’s secure and the wizards can’t invade, we’ll reopen it and send the first lightning in 72 years to Malta.”
Marvelem gazed at the wizards, poised at the edge of prophecy.
“It sounds like a theory of paradoxes. First, we close it, and then we reopen? Does that even make sense? You and I, we’re not light. You can’t achieve that speed.”
Suri argued, his impatience growing.
“I need your magic,”
Marvelem insisted, raising his thumb in determination.
“My magic? You expect me to defeat all those wizards, seal the barrier, and then reopen it? Do you really think I have that much power? Stop talking nonsense…”
Suri snapped, his nerves fraying.
“I’m going to possess you. And you’ll become a mailer”
Marvelem said, his words incomprehensible.
“It’s a kind of pairing, and the moment you are possessed by me, the two of us will share our feelings and thoughts with each other, and I will complete my mission through you. And keep in mind what I’m saying now… When we are in danger, it will feel like time is passing slowly, and when we communicate well, it will feel like time is passing quickly… You’re not a wizard, but I’m a wizard. That’s why it’s possible. Let’s move quickly.”
Marvelem took an unusual position again.
“Why me?”
Suri was still feeling bad because of Eridan.
“You’re the first to come all the way here. This is also recorded in the library’s dedication… I can’t go.”
Marvelem tried to assure Suri.
“Can I do it?”
Suri was uneasy. He didn’t even know what it was to be a mailer.
At that time, Sabi and Maru were next to the Suri in Torwein.
“… This isn’t just changing the timeline. Being a mailer means you change your own timeline.
Marvelem also waved to Sabi and Maru to say hello.
“Suri, you haven’t seen Sirius, have you? You’ll be surprised if you go there, too. You’ll find out why I’m trying to save Sirius… So let’s go… Let’s save it together.”
Marvelem took Suri’s hand.
“Can we go, too? We want to go together. I want to be of help.”
It was Sabi.
“I think you should keep an eye on the oracle. Whether the Oracle annihilates or conciliates the wizards. You shouldn’t take an oracle easy.”
Marvelem took Suri’s hand.
Hundreds of bolt riders appeared in the sky of the megalithic temple. The bolt rider, which spewed lightning, fired a light of lightning at Suri and Mablem. The lightning cylinder came down.
[To be continued…]
