Episode 112
Rumble!
The walls of the lair cracked, and stones began to fall from the ceiling.
Simultaneously, the magic stones embedded in the floor turned a menacing red.
Buzz!
Zeke watched the flickering stones with growing alarm.
“This can’t be happening…!”
Seeing the countdown rapidly ticking away, Zeke hastily summoned Bucephalus.
Neigh!
Mounted on Bucephalus, Zeke shouted, “System! Open an escape route!”
[Emergency escape portal function for the lair cannot be activated.]
[Accessing the defense base’s management system to open the sky path.]
Rumble!
The ceiling of the lair began to split open.
Dodging the falling debris, Zeke urged Bucephalus up the wall, soaring towards the opening.
Crash!
Bucephalus sped through the lair, racing towards the defense base.
Zeke found himself back atop the base where he had earlier discovered Terracan Draker’s legacy.
“So, this is how the paths connect.”
[Opening the ceiling of the fourth defense base.]
Rumble!
Just as he had seen in the holographic display, the ceiling of the defense base split open.
Like Terracan riding a Pegasus, Zeke flew Bucephalus through the opening.
Neigh!
As Bucephalus soared into the sky, the scene below became clear.
The dragon’s lair beneath the ruins was collapsing, taking the excavation site above with it.
Mages, hunting dogs, and excavation slaves were scrambling to escape the dungeon.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted from the dungeon.
The area where the temple once stood shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck, and then it crumbled inward.
“My God.”
Watching from Bucephalus’s back, Zeke broke into a cold sweat.
Had he been even a moment later, he might have been buried there.
Then, Zeke spotted the mages fleeing the dungeon.
Seeing them clutching security-sealed boxes, Zeke urged Bucephalus to intercept them.
The documents they risked their lives to retrieve likely contained crucial information about the inhumane experiments conducted inside the dungeon.
Zeke dismissed Bucephalus and leaped off a cliff, blocking the mages’ path.
Thud!
Startled by Zeke’s sudden appearance, the mages retreated in panic.
“Enemy! Kill him!”
At a mage’s command, the hunting dogs charged at Zeke.
Slash!
With a single, powerful swing, Zeke’s sword decapitated the dogs.
The mages quickly began chanting spells.
“Firewall!”
A towering wall of fire erupted between Zeke and the mages.
But Zeke’s armor automatically generated a shield, deflecting the magic.
The mages unleashed a barrage of spells at Zeke, who stood unfazed.
Boom!
Crackle!
Crash!
The canyon echoed with the thunderous roar of powerful magic aimed at Zeke.
Yet, Zeke activated his magic reflection skill, deflecting all incoming spells.
Whoosh!
Zeke emerged unscathed, walking through the wall of fire towards the mages.
Seeing their magic fail, the mages turned pale.
“This can’t be happening!”
Realizing they had no chance against Zeke, who withstood a barrage that could wipe out an entire knight order, the mages decided to flee.
As more hunting dogs charged at Zeke, the mages chanted and began to levitate, attempting to escape over the canyon.
Swish—
Zeke swiftly dispatched the dogs and turned to the fleeing mages.
He couldn’t risk damaging the security boxes and losing the data inside, so he needed to capture them with minimal harm.
Zeke retrieved a dagger from his inventory, infused it with his will, and hurled it at the mages.
The dagger, imbued with the intent to pursue, chased after the mages.
Thud!
“Argh!”
The mages struck by Zeke’s dagger plummeted into the canyon below.
Crash!
Half of the dozen mages met their end upon impact, their necks snapping or heads shattering.
Zeke rushed to where the mages had fallen.
“Ugh!”
One mage, having survived the fall, clutched a security bag and tried to escape.
Zeke drew his sword and aimed it at the mage.
“Drop the security bag, and I’ll spare your life.”
Ignoring Zeke’s offer, the mage cast a spell.
“Ice Arrow!”
Hundreds of sharp ice arrows flew towards Zeke.
Snap!
But the arrows shattered against his shield and armor.
With dragon-scale armor beneath, Zeke was impervious to such magic.
Realizing even ice magic was ineffective, the mage’s face fell in despair.
Zeke swung his sword at the mage’s wrist holding the security bag.
Slash!
“Ahhh!”
The mage screamed as his wrist was severed.
Zeke pried the mage’s hand from the bag’s handle and stored it in his inventory.
Approaching the injured mage, Zeke offered, “Tell me what’s inside the security box, and I’ll give you a healing potion.”
For mages, hands were crucial for casting spells.
The mage, gritting his teeth, shouted at Zeke, “You bastard! How dare you interfere with the Empire’s grand plan! The Empire’s hoof and sword will tear you to shreds…!”
Slash—
Zeke silenced the mage with a swift strike to the neck.
He could uncover the contents of the security box himself. He had only hoped to gain more detailed information, but there was no need to waste time.
Escaping this place was more urgent.
Just as Zeke was about to summon Bucephalus, something whizzed towards him.
Boom!
Zeke instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding an explosion where he had stood.
“This is…?”
It was one of the things that had troubled Zeke most during the Third Continental War.
“Imperial Magic Corps’ special snipers.”
These were specialized mages who used sniper magic to assassinate knights.
Many knights had fallen to them, earning them the nickname “Knight Killers.”
Having lost countless comrades to these snipers, Zeke couldn’t help but be on high alert.
“To think Knight Killers existed even in this era.”
Zeke attempted to locate the sniper using his dragon sight.
Knight Killers could snipe from up to 3 kilometers away, making them hard to spot with the naked eye.
Zeke scanned the surroundings, searching for an escape route.
Whoosh!
He dashed towards another cover.
Boom!
A sniper spell from afar targeted Zeke’s previous position, exploding on impact.
The sniper magic used by Knight Killers wasn’t powerful enough to destroy terrain but was deadly to knights.
Even after the Third Continental War, the specifics of the sniper magic remained a mystery, so Zeke was more vigilant than ever.
“I’ll have to trust in my willpower and shield magic and make a run for it.”
The longer he stayed, the worse it would get.
Knight Killers often stalled knights with sniper fire until reinforcements arrived.
Knowing this, Zeke aimed to escape before encountering the main force.
Slash!
Zeke enveloped himself in a protective will and sprinted towards the exit.
Boom!
The sniper magic was so fast that it hit Zeke’s armor before his shield could activate.
“Ugh!”
The impact seeped through his armor.
Without the dragon-scale armor, he might have been knocked down.
Zeke kept running, determined to escape the canyon.
Summoning Bucephalus was risky, as it might reveal his identity later.
“Damn, there’s no place to open a portal here.”
He lacked the points to open a portal to a distant location.
Taking cover again, Zeke steadied his breath.
Just then, a message appeared before him.
[Dark energy is invading your body.]
The message alarmed Zeke.
“Dark energy?”
He felt increasing pain from the area hit by the sniper magic.
Despite his healing factor, the pain persisted.
Zeke quickly donned Agamemnon’s mask and activated his purification skill.
Buzz!
A golden aura enveloped him, and the pain subsided.
Zeke realized the secret behind the Knight Killers’ sniper magic, a mystery even in his past life.
“They’re using magic infused with dark energy to destroy knights’ bodies.”
If the Empire’s use of such forbidden techniques in war had been known, neutral powers like the Magic Tower or Nirvana would have surely joined the conflict.
Without a healer’s purification skill, there was no way to treat dark energy, making it akin to an incurable poison.
Zeke clenched his teeth tightly.
“Damn bastards. So this is what they’ve been up to.”
When he didn’t know the nature of the sniper magic, it was something to fear. But if it could be healed with his purification skill, there was no need to be afraid.
Wearing Agamemnon’s mask inside his helmet, Zeke emerged from cover.
Whoosh!
Another sniper spell shot towards him.
Zeke took the hit head-on.
Agonizing pain radiated from the point of impact.
Without hesitation, he activated the skill of the golden mask and started running to escape the canyon.
“Purify.”
A hum resonated as light enveloped him, cleansing the dark energy that had seeped into his body.
Once he confirmed the sniper magic’s effects had vanished, Zeke pushed himself to run even faster, channeling his will into his speed.
He was now moving as swiftly as a cavalryman on horseback.
Whoosh!
Another sniper spell struck him, but he used his purification skill without slowing down, continuing his sprint.
Then he saw them.
Thundering hooves!
Hundreds of knights were charging into the canyon.
He must have taken too long; the imperial garrison had arrived.
Zeke recognized the leader of the approaching knights.
“Morgan Buffon.”
A knight of the Sagittarius constellation, one of the Thirteen Constellations.
Morgan Buffon, the imperial legion commander, was leading his knights straight at Zeke.
“Capture him alive!”
Thundering hooves!
The knights swung their swords at Zeke.
Clang!
Zeke swung his sword, infused with golden power, striking the side of a knight’s horse.
Neigh!
The horse, feeling the powerful blow, collapsed sideways, disrupting the knights’ formation.
Morgan shouted to his men.
“Block his escape! Don’t let him get away!”
The canyon was lined with Night Killers above, and both sides were blocked by knights and mages.
Zeke was effectively trapped.
He raised his sword, glaring at Morgan.
“If it’s come to this… I’ll break through head-on.”
Zeke summoned Gurav towards the knights.
Screech!
The summoned Gurav spewed toxic fumes at the knights.
The sight of the massive chimera spewing poison momentarily threw the knights into disarray.
“It’s a monster, stop it!”
Seizing the opportunity, Zeke unleashed a wind barrier and charged at Morgan.
Clang!
Zeke’s sword clashed with Morgan’s.
“Haaah!”
Morgan, the Sagittarius knight, was no pushover.
Boom!
He pushed Zeke’s sword aside, leaping from his horse to strike down with his blade.
The aura-wrapped sword descended upon Zeke.
Zeke swiftly dodged using his speed skill.
Boom!
Morgan’s aura blade collided with the ground, causing a massive explosion.
A cloud of red sand rose into the air.
Morgan pursued Zeke, sword and shield in hand.
“Where are you?”
Then, from within the sand cloud, Zeke’s sword shot out.
Crackle!
Zeke’s sword struck Morgan’s body.
But instead, Zeke’s sword was repelled.
“What the…?”
In an instant, a helmet appeared on Morgan’s head, and a full plate armor enveloped his body.
The constellation of Ophiuchus was engraved on the chest of the armor.
Morgan Buffon’s Herseion had revealed itself.