20. A Battle Against the Serpent of Fire
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.
Its body was so vast and long that it couldn’t fully uncoil; it simply hovered in the air, its blood-red tongue darting out. The length of its tongue alone could encircle the Omega Archeology School.
“Draco wizards have summoned the serpent of fire. They are a tribe of Sorcerers,” Lord Forte observed, noting that the steep, wrinkled stairs on the face of the serpent were perilous.
Riding on the back of the serpent of fire was the archmage of the Draco wizards. He wore a black robe trimmed in blue along the seams. The emblem of the serpent of fire, also in blue, was embroidered on his chest and adorned the edges of his robe and sleeves.
His long, luxurious silver hair flowed freely, as he wore no hat.
On his wand, a lightning bolt anxiously awaited, ready to transform into a dagger at any moment.
“Suri… No matter how brave we are as a family of explorers, we can’t defeat wizards like that. Let alone win… we will be reduced to dust. They’ll just rip us apart.”
Maru’s face looked as gaunt as a craggy rock.
“Don’t assume we can’t win. I’m trying to save this temple, and if I save this temple… that means, ultimately, the Sirius civilization is saved… So we must be willing to fight any war because…” Suri’s voice faltered, his resolve as firm as the wizard Marvelem’s had been.
“…Because, in the end, it’s all about saving Dad. A person who saves their family is a hero, and saving their family is the greatest thing.”
Sabi clenched her fists.
She had only a useless, weak power, but she was unwilling to give up on her dad.
The wizards began their assault.
A cascade of lightning bolts that had been waiting at their wands intertwined to form a massive circle. This giant vision circle of lightning ensnared the three children, binding them tightly.
The immense serpent of fire also began to coil around the temple with its repulsive body, tightening its grip with the intent to destroy.
“Suri… At least you must reach the location of prophecy. You must find a way,” Sabi urged.
She was determined to fight back despite her lack of weapons.
“We will fight until the end if it can protect you,” Lord Forte declared, breathing with a sharp snort, and exposing the teeth of a wild beast.
His fur bristled, and his claws extended in readiness for battle.
It was the original identity of the wild animal.
“Nobody move. This is my destiny, determined from the moment I was born. Because I am the only one who can catch the first lightning strike in 72 years, and I am the only one who can find that sword… So, they can’t kill me… Because they need that sword… That means they need me. As long as I’m here, they can’t kill my dad either.”
Suri sneered proudly.
It was a bluff, but it was not merely a bluff.
“Here. I’m coming. Catch me if you can!”
Suri screamed as he charged forward.
At that moment, the sword Helix in Suri’s grasp unleashed its power. It sliced through the vision circle in a single strike and soared into the distance. It flew beyond the barrier of the giant serpent of fire and embedded itself firmly in a distant location.
“It is the location of prophecy!” Suri exclaimed.
Suri shouted gallantly.
As soon as Helix embedded itself, a thick bolt of lightning pierced the sky.
Branching out from it, twigs of lightning spread and grew like Jack’s beanstalk, taking the form of a tree that resembled a phylogenetic diagram.
“Oh, wow. That’s the Prayer Tree I saw in my dream,” Suri exclaimed.
He ran with the fearlessness of a madman, undeterred by danger.
The vision circle moved with him, keeping Suri locked inside, while the magic birds, Ariels, chased him from above.
The navigation in every Ariel’s eye activated, each filled with a small ball of fire zipping about.
The eyes of the Ariels, now with fireballs dancing within transparent crystal spheres, shifted their gaze toward the wizards.
The wizards began to stir, and so did the serpent of fire.
“I cannot believe this. There may be a setback in the wizards’ plans,” Lord Forte observed.
With a determined roar, he slammed his entire body into the vision circle that imprisoned him.
It didn’t budge.
Undeterred, he continued his assault until his fur was soaked in blood.
The small crack that had formed due to the sword Helix’s impact gradually widened.
Seeing Lord Forte’s relentless attacks, the serpent of fire drew close to him.
The only barrier between them was the fragile vision circle, trembling and on the brink of shattering.
Suddenly, poisonous needles shot out from the fiery serpent’s scaled ridges.
A drop of poison darted through a crack in the vision circle and stabbed Lord Forte.
He stiffened, becoming as rigid as stone.
Watching the scene unfold, Sabi and Maru froze automatically.
The rest of the Torwaynes could only growl in frustration, aware that stepping forward would not protect Sabi and Maru but might doom them all.
“I must go to the location of the prophecy.”
Suri was acutely aware that the location of the prophecy, where Helix had lodged itself, was distressingly distant. Despite his best efforts to mentally fortify himself with the goal, no matter how swiftly he ran, the location of prophesy seemed to elude him.
Gasping for breath, his mind flashed to Ms. Golly.
Whenever she grew angry, she would wield her Outrageous Hammer with wild abandon, charging ahead fearlessly. Inspired, Suri decided to channel his formidable teacher.
“Okay… I’m Golly. This is my destiny,” he declared, unleashing a fierce scream as he surged forward.
“What kind of a battle of misfortune is this? If anyone tags along with you… it’s like getting killed by the rock some random person throws at us without thinking twice about it… I don’t want to hear you talking about damn destiny again. Please don’t. I’m afraid you are going to get killed, Suri,” Maru pleaded.
He trembled like an aspen leaf in the wind.
“…I won’t let anybody take my sword away. Let them attack me if they dare,” Suri retorted with unyielding resolve, not once glancing back at the pursuing serpent of fire.
He propelled himself forward, mimicking Bruce Lee’s characteristic snort, when suddenly, a ray of lightning burst forth from the sparkling Prayer Tree.
It shot into the distant cosmos to herald the first lightning strike from the star Sirius in 72 years. Not just Suri, but all the wizards paused to watch this celestial spectacle in awe.
“Huh… huh?…”
Suri gasped as his body was suddenly flung toward the prophecy’s location like an arrow released from a bowstring. He flew uncontrollably, as if nothing in the world could halt his momentum.
“Ahhh…”
Suri arced through the air like a projectile launched from a siege engine, his trajectory steep and swift.
Amidst this surreal flight, the strains of Carmina Burana seemed to echo in his ears, sounding almost hallucinatory.
Just then, wizards converged on him from all directions, with the Draco wizards in particular cutting swift paths through the air toward him.
As they reached out to snatch him from the air as he flew, a comet-like fireball, red-hot and roaring, intercepted them.
It engulfed Suri, swallowing him whole, only to expel him moments later.
Dazed, Suri found himself staring at a young boy.
He had bright yellow, almost gilded blonde hair and big blue eyes. He was clad in a star-patterned t-shirt and a jumper adorned with various pendants, paired with blue trousers. In his hands, he held a staff topped with a large jewel, an amalgamation of many different gems.
“…Who are… “
Suri began, but his words trailed off.
“Welcome to the location of the prophecy,” the boy announced in a lively tone.
*Phylogenetic Tree: A diagram illustrating the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.
[To be continued…]
