*Land of the Sun… Next Day*
"Ugh… where am I?" El slowly opened his eyes, only to realize he was lying on a comfortable bed. A myriad of bubble-like creatures floated around him, some hovered above his wounds healing him slowly.
"You should rest. Your external wounds are healed, but there're deep injuries inside your body. Those'll take time to heal."
El weakly turned his head toward the voice only to find a simple-looking man who resembled a wandering bard more than a healer.
A magic scroll hovered beside him, and several bubble creatures drifted closer, enveloping his body as they resumed their work, gently mending him.
"Ya've arrived on a distant continent… the Land of the Sun. Welcome to our humble abode… El, prince of the Heart Kingdom."
A man with an eyepatch stepped into the hut, followed by a short woman whose face felt all too familiar.
"How do you know about me?" El asked, startled but he didn't move to attack. His Ki told him the man bore no ill intent.
"My name is Ryudo Ryuya. I am the Shogun of the Land of the Sun—ya can think of it as the Wizard King of yer kingdom. As for how I know ya… It has something to do with my ability. In simple terms, It is an all-seeing eye. I can observe whatever I desire in the present moment. I know ya came from the Clover Kingdom."
El fell silent, taking time to process the information.
'Land of the sun… the continent that drifted away during ancient war, then its people survived.'
'And Such an overpowered ability…' Still, it explained everything.
"Thank you for healing me. May I know how much time has passed since I arrived here?"
"Hm… ya were fighting a demon called Mahoraga yesterday afternoon. Ya arrived here by evening and have been unconscious all night. It's now the next morning."
'I see… I still have time. If I return quickly, I can meet the Eye of the Midnight Sun tomorrow night, as planned.' El thought.
"I apologize for how I arrived here, lady… it wasn't my—"
"I know. Ryuya-dono already told me… That's the only reason you're still alive. Don't bring it up again." Her voice carried a chilling killing intent.
"…Understood." El couldn't be more happy to put that misunderstanding away.
"How long will it take for me to recover? I need to return to the Clover Kingdom by tomorrow." El asked, thinking of staying in the country for a little longer.
"Hm… truth be told, it's nearly impossible to travel from the Land of the Sun to the Clover Kingdom as one willed. What happened with ya and Yami was nothing short of a miracle. Unless someone possesses extremely precise and powerful spatial magic…" El narrowed his eyes at that remark and asked.
"What about my magic? You should already be aware of my teleportation ability." EL observed the Shogun carefully.
"I'm skeptical in yer case… It shouldn't be difficult to cross the sea. The Clover Kingdom lies straight west from here. However, the Black Sea holds six Extreme Magic regions, far more treacherous than the Grand Magic Zones in yer kingdom. Because of that, the chances of success are extremely low," Ryuya, the Shogun, said.
El nodded, grateful for the information. He had already experienced firsthand how his Instant Transmission had failed within a mana vein. Still, as long as there was even the slightest chance, he intended to try returning back home.
"You mentioned Yami… do you mean Yami Sukehiro? The captain of the Black Bulls?" As El asked the question, he sensed the girl behind Shogun flinch. Now that he paid closer attention, her Ki felt strikingly similar to Yami's.
'Are they related…?'
"Oh… that's a long story. Ya should be able to move now—why don't we take a stroll?"
The Shogun smiled. Though not fully healed, El rose and followed behind him, soon arriving at the central road of the region.
As they walked, Ryuya explained how Yami had once crossed the Black Sea with pure luck, surviving the extreme mana regions against all odds.
He went on to describe the magic system of the Land of the Sun. It was similar to the Clover Kingdom—instead of grimoires, people here used scrolls to channel their power.
The Land of the Sun itself was spread across several islands. Many of them housed small communities, each protected by the strongest warriors known as the Ryuzen Seven. For the first time in history, all the islands had been unified under a single ruler the current Shogun.
"It's much like the Heart Kingdom," Ryuya added. "Unified and prosperous… unlike the other three kingdoms of yer continent."
El considered his words, then asked, "Can you see what is happening in the underworld as well?"
"Unfortunately… no. and though ya haven't asked, ya may take back yer possession." Ryuya spoke warmly as he presented a golden sphere, a single star shining brilliantly within it with two tinge of darkness floating inside.
'It must have awakened early after absorbing the chaotic mana from the mana vein… Regardless, it saved my life.'
El glanced at Ryuya. The man clearly understood its power yet showed no interest in possessing it.
'Another fool like Wizard King Julius… but I like people like them.' El thought.
"I've already achieved my goal. I have no need for it," Ryuya said calmly. "But in yer hands, that thing will be useful. It may even help preserve the peace we've fought for." His words were simple, understanding the upcoming calamity won't spare his kingdom also.
As El's fingers touched the awakened Dragon Ball, information once again flooded into his mind… just like the first time.
[1-Star Dragon Ball — Corrupted]
[Description: The Dragon Ball has maintained the seal of the Underworld for over a thousand years. However, it eventually became corrupted by the demonic mana. It was later absorbed by high-ranking demons, taking in their mana and magical traits.
Both halves of the sphere now carry the attributes of Lilith's Absolute Ice Magic and Namaah's Absolute Fire Magic.
To purify it, the user must absorb the demonic attributes within the Dragon Ball, reach the point of saturation, and defeat the lingering will of the demonic entities.
Be warned failure may result in the user's death.
Once purified, the Dragon Ball will return to its original form: a wish-granting orb.
Each person can only possess one ability.]
"What kind of bullshit is this…" El shouted in anger as he finished deciphering the information.