6. The 72nd Lightning and the Dead Disk
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.
“We’re done for… Our hideout is gone…”
Maru burst into tears while losing all combat power.
Using his flashlight, Suri illuminated their surroundings. Dust swirled around; on walls were tooth cave spiders clinging tightly together.
“Their faces are made entirely out teeth… And they’re fluorescent… They’re disgustingly pale.”
“This is strange… My feet keep feeling squishy… Did my feet get bitten again during all this?”
Both Sabi’s voice filled with panic, and Maru’s voice trembling in fear showed how scared they were. When Suri shone his flashlight under Maru’s feet; red-eyed common tomb rats were squirming everywhere.
“…Red-eyed rats…”
As soon as Suri ran ahead; followed by Sabi running behind him; and then followed by Maru running behind them—all three being chased closely behind by common tomb rats; then tooth cave spiders following closely behind those rats.
“Huh? Am I spinning around? Why am I spinning round-and-round like this? Isn’t spinning supposed your thing?”
Maru rolled back-and-forth aimlessly—here-and-there—while being tossed about continuously inside what appeared like moving caves—the caves shook vigorously side-to-side; when caves rose upwards towards left side—all three went up along; when caves rose upwards towards right side—all three went up along; common tomb rats also did same thing; tooth cave spiders also did same thing.
“I feel like throwing up…”
Maru grabbed onto Suri’s neck from behind barely managing not vomit.
“…Ugh.”
Suri swallowed a scream. A plump Cemetery Rat had climbed onto his chest. It was holding a key in its mouth, and oddly enough, it had no eyes.
“It must be the leader among the red-eyed rats… This is straight out of a *gore movie.”
Suri tried to take the key, but the Cemetery Rat only regurgitated the smell of death. To make matters worse, Tooth Cave Spiders started crawling up and pushed their fluorescent teeth forward while drooling excessively.
“Th-there… light… light.”
At Maru’s shout, Suri looked up and saw a wooden door not far away with an image of a candle tree carved on it. He used both hands to tear off the Cemetery Rat and Tooth Cave Spider from his body then ran towards it through the swaying cave. Upon reaching it, he pushed against it with all his might but to no avail. Sabi clung onto Suri from behind trying to help push but still nothing happened until Maru forcefully shoved them both aside which finally made door open.
As soon as they opened door, Suri, Sabi, and Maru were thrown down as if being tossed onto floor. At bottom most position was Suri who pushed aside Sabi and Maru then tried closing door first. However, it didn’t close properly.Cemetery Rats and Tooth Cave Spider sclung onto its crevices like jaws refusing to let go. Suri snatched away key from leader Cemetery Rat’s mouth that was stuck in between. Then, the rat disappeared like smoke. After closing the door, Suri found the keyhole and locked the door securely with the key he had taken.
“Those rat bastards… They’ve eaten all my food… I should have strangled them…”
Maru mimicked choking someone.
“They’re not just rat bastards; they’re actual rats you pig!”
Sabire torted without missing beat,
“This place… It’s Cartoon Lab! It had an emergency exit!”
Suri couldn’t hide his astonishment anymore. His father’s lab— Cartoon Lab— had undergone yet another transformation into an impeccable Stone Temple resembling something found somewhere in Mediterranean Sea— an ancient stone temple.
“As expected… My dad knew about my dreams ahead of time.”
He approached one of pillars at entrance that had snake-shaped engravings around its center where constellation seemed alive moving around subtly.
“…Could it be a mini portal?”
Suri stared hard at the constellation. It was the very universe that the Black Panther alien had shown through the helmet.
“At the hideout… I didn’t understand the protocol. That’s why it exploded with a strong magnetic current… I’m a fool, a fool. The Black Panther already told me…”
That’s when it happened. The baby lightning that had been flashing reappeared and started striking the pillars of the temple indiscriminately.
“I won’t make the same mistake as before.”
Suri clenched his teeth and glared at the baby lightning.
“27…38…46…55…63..70…71…72! It’s the 72nd lightning!”
Suri shouted without hesitation and caught the 72nd baby lightning like a flash, and pierced the constellation of the temple pillar. The 72nd baby lightning wrapped around Suri and set off a firework. The constellation drawer opened with a clunk. While being hit by the pouring baby lightning, Suri took out the storage box from the drawer.
“Are you… Lightning Man? Thor?”
Maru couldn’t close his mouth, but Suri immediately inspected the metal storage box. There was a note on the storage box. It was written, Dead Disk.
“…This is a box made of copper… there’s a silver-decorated pattern in the center…”
Suri’s voice began to tremble. As he wiped the silver pattern with his hand, it sparkled and shone.
“It looks like a torch, right?… The torch is made up of three spiral flames. Just like the triskelion pattern. Each symbolizes the past, present, and future… Look at this. The handle of the torch is a sword handle… You see? It’s not a torch. It’s a torch sword… Hahaha.”
He couldn’t help but laugh, but Suri tried to open the storage box carefully.
“Don’t… The Dead Disk has even its password encrypted. You’ll never be able to solve it if you do it wrong… There must be a way to break the seal… Maybe we’re only given one chance?”
When Sabi said it dryly, Suri nodded.
“You’re right…”
“If it’s a storage box made in ancient times, the way to break the seal could also be an ancient cipher, right?”
Sabi looked troubled.
“Guys… I found something really cool.”
“It could be a clue!”
Just as Maru, who had disappeared for a moment, came back showing off an old map, Sabi quickly intercepted it.
“This is… not a map drawn with a cylindrical projection like a globe, but with an azimuthal projection. The disadvantage of this map is that it can’t represent more than half of the sphere… Hmm, this one is disguised like a map of the earth. Wow, that’s really smart… It’s a map that shows the distance between planets and the address of a specific star.”
Sabi’s face was flushed as she studied the map. Suri tasted some of the dye from the colored part.
“This map is admirable. The colors of the stars you see here are natural inks. The red stars were made using coral and pearl, the blue stars with turquoise or grass leaves, and the yellow stars with iron sulfide and saffron. Faded and blurred due to discoloration… right here and here… Gold, silver, and copper ink was used for a specific star. So, the specific star that used metallic ink has a very special meaning, and the ancient person who made this map long ago knew this special star. Can you believe it?”
Suri thought he was going to pass out from Sabi’s endless sermons.
[To be continued…]
