48. The Ancient Dragon’s Summoning
Bong… bong… bong…
The bells of St. John’s Co-Cathedral were ringing. Above the heads of people gathered in the plaza, strange fragments of light scattered in all directions. They bounced around busily by themselves, like living creatures.
The light fragments pierced through the air itself. Emitting tremendous light trails, they forced their way through the gaps in the air. Then the air tore, and modern Malta’s landscape began to distort with a crackling sound. Through the torn gap, a completely different Malta was revealed.
Tens of thousands of megalithic temples appeared, seemingly endless. Most were about three stories high. Built by stacking hundreds of differently sized stones layer upon layer, some megaliths appeared to weigh over 50 tons. The gaps between the stacked megaliths were so precise that not even a single sheet of paper could fit between them. A red snake shape adorned the floor of each megalithic temple.
The light fragments spread throughout Malta, rushing chaotically in all directions. Modern and ancient Malta began to overlap in the same space. A bizarre scene unfolded where ancient temples coexisted with modern cafes, outdoor dining fountains appeared in front of hotels, and ancient stone paths overlaid modern roads.
Malta’s sky also showed gaps. It looked as if the lightning shield were being dismantled. Lightning constantly burst through, falling throughout the city and causing fires everywhere. A giant tsunami of flames rose as if a volcano had erupted.
“Ah, hot!”
Suri screamed.
“Me too…”
Marblem felt the same.
“Malta isn’t just getting hot—it’s burning up. We need to go quickly.” Suri spoke to Sabi and Maru, who responded with thumbs up.
At that moment, Emperor Nova flicked his finger again. With a mysterious whooshing sound, Ariel—a black bird with a lion’s face—flew in. Ariel served as both scout and navigator for wizards. Ariel stood at attention, head held high.
The great wizards of the six tribes appeared: Arcanus, Draco, Ren, Cain, Libya, and Meta. Each wore a red Sirius star made of cosmic quartz at their waist. The great wizard of summoning, Draco, stepped forward.
“Your Majesty… please give us your command.”
The great wizard knelt.
“Summon Eridan.”
Emperor Nova’s presence radiated authority.
“Eridan cannot leave the library. However, there is a quantum dual existence summoning method. It’s a magic that allows Eridan to exist in two places simultaneously. It applies the principle of quantum superposition magically to expand his existence without separating it. His consciousness and power remain fully maintained in both locations.” The great wizard explained.
“Please create a spacetime connection passage.
This magic creates a direct link between the library and the Altima room, allowing Eridan to exist in both spaces without physically moving. He can travel between them as if they are extensions of one space.”
The great wizard continued.
“Both methods are unsuitable. Eridan must take us to Malta. Perform the essence projection ritual instead—a magic that extracts and projects only his essential energy. His body remains in the library, but his spirit and magical power can transport us to Malta in complete form. This projection will act and use magic exactly like the real Eridan.”
Marblem stepped forward.
The knowledge Suri displayed was not his own, but ancient wisdom that had invaded his mind. Everyone looked at him with admiration.
“I don’t know either… these words just came out…”
Suri was clearly flustered.
“No wonder… that’s knowledge someone who ranked last in school would never know… I was quite surprised.”
Maru chuckled.
Draco, the great wizard, slammed his staff forcefully onto the floor. The other great wizards followed suit, striking their staff against the floor. Sirius lightning poured into the Altima room.
The Emperor, Suri, Sabi, Maru, and Marblem stood in the center, watching the perfect circle formed by the six great wizards in their black robes. Each wizard held a staff symbolizing their tribe’s magic.
The Grand wizard stepped forward. Using a wand topped by an unusually high hat and a large hexagonal star that shone like a lord of light, he located the long-captured [Winged Traveler].
“This ritual is very complex and dangerous. Eridan is no ordinary being—he is an ancient dragon bound by the magical constraints of the library. First, we must create a connection to the library. We need to build a bridge between the library and this place.”
The six great wizards simultaneously raised their staffs.
Ancient languages and magic spells echoed from their mouths. With each syllable pronounced, rough ripples spread through the air.
“Et Shalosh Mir Eridan, Nem Baratus Kon Librarium…”
The Grand wizard placed three objects on the central Altima table: a page from a book written on old parchment, red, blue, and yellow scales, and a piece of transparent crystal.
“These are mediums that will strengthen Eridan’s connection. The Winged Traveler symbolizes the library he protects, the scales represent his body, and the crystal embodies his magical energy.”
As the ritual intensified, the air in the room thickened.
Movement slowed as if underwater, and sounds became deeper and more resonant. The black robes turned gold. Objects rose from the floor, floating in the air.
“Now we will extract Eridan’s essence.”
The Grand wizard chanted the spell, causing the room’s temperature to drop sharply.
The air turned red, blue, and yellow, beginning to rotate rapidly.
“Et Essentia Draconis, Nomine Corporis, Mentis Et Magia…”
The moment the final syllable was pronounced, intense light filled the room. The six great wizards softly groaned. They were channeling all their magical power.
Then came a strange sound of tearing space. Finally, Eridan’s head appeared. Though Eridan’s appearance was clear, he wasn’t fully materialized. His body was translucent, composed of blue energy. His presence was overwhelming.
Eridan’s eyes opened. The piercing blue light… it was truly Eridan.
“Eridan… take these children to Malta.”
The Emperor raised his left hand toward Eridan. Eridan slightly bowed his head.
Shhh shhh shhh…
A cool, unpleasant sound that seemed to pierce flesh reached their ears.
Indeed, it was a giant snake large enough to cover an entire megalithic temple. The giant snake perhaps could have shattered the lightning shield itself.
[To be continued…]
** 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.
