Episode 105
Melissa was taken aback. “The transport unit was wiped out? What do you mean?”
The commander, his face ashen, replied, “They say those… those creatures have appeared again.”
Melissa’s expression twisted with concern.
Zeke, noticing her distress, asked, “Princess, what’s going on?”
“It seems those creatures I mentioned before have shown up again. Last time, they only targeted the transport wagons, but this time… they annihilated the entire unit.”
For the knights of Alensia, one of the most powerful kingdoms in the central realm, to be decimated, the so-called creatures must possess extraordinary strength.
“Could it be the Empire’s hunting dogs attacking?” Zeke wondered aloud.
He turned to Melissa. “I need to see the site. Please assign a swift soldier familiar with the terrain to accompany me.”
With a border guard selected by Melissa, Zeke set out with Felix and Liam to inspect the scene.
The sound of hooves echoed as they arrived. Zeke asked the guard, “Is it here?”
“Yes, Sir Zeke. The attack happened near that canyon.”
Leaving their horses, Zeke and his companions descended into the canyon. The terrain was rugged, the path narrow—an ideal spot for an ambush.
“Why choose this route for transport?” Zeke questioned.
The guard, sweating nervously, explained, “It’s much faster this way. Taking the detour would add at least two days.”
Zeke nodded. “Is this canyon route commonly used for border crossings?”
The guard shook his head. “No, this area is rife with outlaws. Civilians use the safer main road. If time allowed, the transport unit would have taken the main road too.”
Due to delays in medicine supplies, they were pressed for time, forcing them to take the riskier canyon route.
“It feels like someone orchestrated this, guiding the transport unit here,” Zeke mused.
This wasn’t a random attack by creatures; it seemed like a meticulously planned assault.
Zeke surveyed the massacre below. Felix grimaced at the gruesome sight.
Now Zeke understood why Melissa called them creatures. More bodies were torn apart than those killed by swords.
Zeke examined the bodies closely, scrutinizing the wounds.
“Something’s off. These aren’t typical injuries. It’s as if a monster attacked them.”
Yet, there were no signs of monsters feeding on the bodies.
“Could something with the strength of an ogre have done this?”
Zeke’s curiosity about the creatures’ identity grew.
Using his keen senses, he scanned the area, detecting traces invisible to the human eye. He discovered the trail led up the steep canyon cliffs.
He asked the guard, “What’s up there?”
The guard checked the location. “That path leads to the Join tribe’s ghetto.”
Grabbing the guard by the collar, Zeke leapt up the cliff, following the trail. Felix and Liam scrambled up after him.
“Master, a little warning next time, please…” Felix panted, catching up.
Ignoring Felix, Zeke continued examining the traces. “Does this direction also lead to the ghetto?”
The guard nodded.
“Understood. You can return now. Liam, Felix, follow me.”
With the map in his mind, Zeke didn’t need the guard’s guidance anymore.
He led Felix and Liam toward the Join tribe’s ghetto, following the creatures’ trail.
Suddenly, a notification appeared.
[Traces of corrupted energy detected.]
“Corrupted energy?” Zeke knew this referred to demonic energy.
Why was demonic energy appearing in the heart of the central continent?
He recalled Cain, who once wielded the ancient Hershion, had also been tainted by demonic energy.
“Could these creatures be connected to the transport unit’s attackers?”
Zeke changed course, pursuing the corrupted energy’s trail.
Deeper inside, red sandstone walls rose like spires. Ancient Join tribe remnants were scattered throughout.
Traditional Join tribe homes, carved into caves and crevices within the canyon walls, were visible.
Zeke sensed something amiss. “Liam, Felix, stay alert.”
Weapons drawn, Liam and Felix stood ready.
Suddenly, from a cave in the sandstone wall, a hulking figure emerged, swinging a massive iron club at them.
Boom!
The ground shook as the club struck, sending red dust flying.
The figure, humanoid but beast-like, stood over two meters tall, more ogre than man.
A white mask with eye holes covered its face, and it wore rough leather armor reinforced with thick metal plates.
It resembled a barbarian, yet its attire was entirely different.
The creature, more beast than human, swung its club again with ferocious strength.
Zeke charged, wielding Bahamut.
Clang!
The club met Zeke’s sword, yet remained unscathed, its strength surpassing human limits.
“Raaagh!” The creature roared, frustrated that Zeke wasn’t crushed.
It swung the club wildly, each blow powerful enough to overwhelm ordinary knights.
Having gauged the creature’s strength, Zeke deflected the club with his sword.
Thunk!
The creature, bewildered by its ineffective attack, glared at Zeke.
Then, Zeke’s sword unleashed an aura blade.
Vwoom!
He swung at the creature’s club.
Slice!
The solid metal was cleaved cleanly by Zeke’s strike.
Sensing Zeke’s formidable aura, the creature instinctively recoiled in fear.
“Urrgh.”
It tried to retreat, but something strange happened.
“Rrrgh!”
The creature’s body swelled, muscles bulging even more.
“Graaaah!”
Its eyes, visible through the mask, turned blood-red, like a beast’s.
The creature charged at Zeke, swinging its massive hand.
Crash!
The ground caved where the hand struck.
The creature continued its frenzied assault, fists flying at Zeke.
Dodging with phantom steps, Zeke countered, striking the creature’s side with his sword.
Crunch!
The blow, infused with Zeke’s strength, shattered bones.
Yet, astonishingly, the creature rose again, unfazed, charging once more.
“What is this? Could it have a healing factor?”
Zeke tested by slicing the creature’s arm, but it didn’t heal like his own wounds.
Realization dawned on Zeke.
“It’s not healing; it’s in a berserk state, numbing pain. This is troublesome.”
Perhaps this creature was an imperial experiment.
Zeke decided to capture it as evidence.
He retrieved Agamemnon’s Mask from his inventory.
Holding the golden mask, Zeke cast a purification skill, enveloping the creature in a cleansing light.
Vwoom!
The creature writhed, trying to escape the light.
“Liam! Felix!”
Understanding Zeke’s call, Liam and Felix blocked the creature’s escape.
The purifying light seeped into the creature again.
“Urrgh!”
The creature trembled, black liquid pouring from its mask’s eyes, ears, and nose.
It convulsed, collapsing to the ground.
Then, like a deflating balloon, its body rapidly shrank, transforming from an ogre-like form to a gaunt, emaciated figure.
Zeke approached, grimacing, to inspect the creature.
It was already dead.
“Stand guard. I’ll check inside the cave.”
Leaving Liam and Felix, Zeke ventured alone into the cave from which the creature had emerged.
As soon as Zeke stepped into the cave, he was hit by a foul stench that made him turn his head away in disgust.
“What on earth is that smell?”
Venturing further inside, he was surprised to find traces of the hijacked supply wagon. Zeke quickly inspected the interior, but all the medicinal supplies had already been shattered. He initially thought the stench might be from the decaying medicine, but it was far too overpowering for that.
Turning his attention away from the wagon, Zeke noticed something sticky scattered around it. With a closer look, he was met with a gruesome sight.
“This is…”
The remains of melted flesh and bones from the creatures lay on the ground, the stench emanating from their decay. It seemed all the creatures had perished, save for the one he encountered earlier. Zeke searched for signs of a battle within the cave but found nothing significant—only traces of a desperate struggle.
He collected some of the melted remains in an empty potion bottle, sealed it, and headed out of the cave. Outside, Felix and Liam called out to him.
“Master! Look at this!”
Part of a dead creature’s body was decomposing, rotting away. The areas Zeke had purified showed no signs of decay, but the unpurified limbs were clearly deteriorating.
“It seems their bodies can’t withstand the dark energy and are disintegrating,” Zeke mused. He decided it was worth investigating further and instructed Felix and Liam to gather the remains and bring them along.
After traversing the canyon, they reached their horses and made their way back to the border headquarters. Upon arrival, the atmosphere was tense and chaotic.
Zeke approached a guard standing at the entrance, sensing something was amiss.
“What’s going on?”
The guard, with a grim expression, replied, “Sir Zeke, you’re here. The Empire has sent knights to the headquarters.”
“The Empire, you say?”
The guard shook his head. “The commander of the border garrison has come personally.”
A personal visit from a knight, especially a commander, was a significant show of force, akin to a military demonstration. Zeke instructed Felix and Liam to store the remains safely and then asked the guard where Melissa was.
Entering the meeting room, Zeke found not only Melissa but also a knight in imperial attire. Recognizing the knight, Zeke’s expression hardened.
“That man…”
It was Morgan Buffon, a knight of the Imperial Thirteen Houses, specifically from the House of the Four Swords—a figure Zeke had a bitter history with in his past life. Despite his youth, Morgan’s receding hairline was just as Zeke remembered.
“Sir Zeke Draker,” Morgan greeted him with a friendly smile as Zeke entered the room. He grasped Zeke’s hand warmly.
“To meet the continent’s most renowned genius here is an honor,” Morgan said, his tone exaggeratedly cordial.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir Morgan,” Zeke replied, recognizing him, which seemed to delight Morgan.
Morgan, still smiling, asked, “But what brings the esteemed knight of Draker to Alencia?”
His question was bold, as if he owned the place. Zeke, unfazed, responded, “I’ve come to catch some petty thieves who keep sneaking over the walls of a house with an owner.”