Episode 118
“So, they were sent by Duke Graham.”
Zeke recalled how he had passed on information about the ancient sorcerer who cursed Angelina to Duke Graham. However, there was a problem: the sorcerer wasn’t in the dungeon Zeke had mentioned. The timing didn’t match when Zeke had captured him.
Duke Graham had mobilized not only his knights but also seasoned adventurers familiar with dungeons to capture the ancient sorcerer.
Rick continued, “We heard rumors of an evil dark sorcerer in the area and came to see if it was the sorcerer Duke Graham is looking for.”
At this, Richmond, who had been quietly conducting his research with monster bones, trembled with indignation. He was offended that adventurers had mistaken him for a wicked sorcerer casting curses.
“Master! I am not some lowly sorcerer who casts such vile curses!” Richmond protested, making sure only Zeke could hear him.
“Yes, I know. Just stay quiet,” Zeke reassured him.
Turning to Rick, Zeke said, “Unfortunately, there’s no such sorcerer here. Richmond, our mage, has thoroughly checked, and found no trace.”
Rick’s group looked disappointed at Zeke’s words.
“I see. We’ve searched countless dungeons for that sorcerer, but it’s like he vanished.”
Zeke pondered Rick’s words. “Hmm, these adventurers seem quite capable. They might be useful.”
“Rick, I do have some information about an evil sorcerer. I can’t be sure it’s the one you’re after, but it’s worth considering.”
Zeke shared some of the information he had gathered in his past life before capturing the ancient sorcerer, hoping it would aid the adventurers in their search.
Jason, the mage, diligently took notes as Zeke spoke.
Jason nodded, “Ah, so there’s a possibility he’s not in the Barbarian territories but rather in the north.”
“Sorcerers, unlike dark mages, often seek traces of forgotten ancient gods or malevolent spirits. They search for lingering powers in those places,” Zeke explained.
Rick nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. We’ll head to the location you mentioned and look for signs of the sorcerer.”
“If you find any trace of the sorcerer, do not engage. Contact Duke Graham immediately. You could fall victim to an ancient curse,” Zeke warned firmly.
Rick’s group nodded in understanding. They spent the night at the campsite and descended the mountain at dawn.
“Thank you for your help, Zeke. We’ll repay your kindness next time we meet.”
“I hope you find the sorcerer’s trail,” Zeke replied.
As Rick’s group disappeared down the mountain, Zeke watched them for a moment before heading up into the Barbarian territories with Richmond.
While climbing, Zeke suddenly asked Richmond, “Richmond, have you ever heard of a place called Narak?”
Richmond shook his head. “No, Master. What is it?”
“Never mind. I was just curious. Then, you probably don’t know what the ‘Book of the Dead’ is either.”
“Oh, I do know that.”
Zeke was taken aback. “What? You really know?”
Richmond was equally surprised by Zeke’s reaction. “Yes, I know. Was I not supposed to?”
“No, there’s no reason you shouldn’t. Tell me what the Book of the Dead is.”
Richmond, pleased to have Zeke’s attention, explained, “The Book of the Dead is something most ordinary people wouldn’t know about.”
“Skip the preamble and summarize it.”
“Yes, sir. In short, the Book of the Dead is a tome left by the Demon King to humans.”
“A book written by the Demon King? Tell me more.”
Despite asking for a summary, Zeke’s curiosity got the better of him, prompting Richmond to grumble internally.
“I can hear you grumbling.”
“Ah! Sorry, Master.”
Richmond continued, “You know the legend of the Hero King Kaishir, right?”
Zeke nodded, though he knew more than just the legend—he had been personally trained in swordsmanship by the Hero King himself.
Richmond quickly added, “Do you know the story of how the Hero King Kaishir sealed the Demon King?”
Zeke shook his head. “No, I haven’t heard that one.”
Despite his training with the spirit of Kaishir, the topic of the Demon King had never come up.
Richmond nodded. “It’s not a well-known story. To be precise, it was the Hero King’s father, the ‘Sage,’ who accomplished this feat.”
“The Sage?”
“Yes. You probably know that Kaishir was a half-human, half-fairy born from the Sage and the Fairy King.”
“Yes, though I wasn’t particularly fond of that detail.”
Richmond continued, “The Fairy King and the Sage created Kaishir specifically to stop the Demon King.”
“Wait, they created him? I thought they had him out of love.”
“Fairies aren’t beings of this world. How could they love a human? The Fairy King used the Sage’s power to create a being infused with their own power. The Sage entrusted Kaishir, who inherited their powers, to the Wolf King who breathed fire, raising him to be a hero.”
“The storybooks I read said he was abandoned as a baby due to an evil sorcerer and raised by wolves.”
“Really? Do you think the Sage would carelessly lose the Hero King like that?”
Zeke realized Richmond’s version made more sense. He had never asked Kaishir about his complicated family history, and it wasn’t mentioned in the chronicles Kaishir left behind.
The chronicles mostly detailed how Kaishir founded the Kingdom of Chronos and gathered his followers.
Richmond’s tale of the Demon King wasn’t included.
“Anyway, when the Hero King established the Kingdom of Chronos, the Demon King led the demons to attack this world.”
“Wait, demons? Aren’t they just imaginary creatures used to scare children?”
Richmond looked at Zeke incredulously. “Demons, imaginary? Then how do dark mages learn dark magic?”
“By using corrupted souls and forbidden techniques, I suppose.”
“That’s a method taught by demons.”
“What?”
Zeke was more bewildered than Richmond at this revelation.
“Anyway, the Demon King created all methods of handling corrupted souls, including dark magic, and demons, as his minions, spread this dark magic among humans.”
“Why humans?”
“Well, humans are the easiest to tempt, aren’t they?”
“That makes sense.”
“By offering their souls to demons, humans could gain great power easily, leading to a surge in dark mages. Eventually, they even performed rituals to summon demons into this world.”
“Madmen.”
“The demons summoned by dark mages brought chaos with their evil powers. By the time the Hero King tried to stop them, it was too late. The Demon King descended into this world.”
“Why wasn’t this passed down to future generations?”
“Well, I’m not sure. It wasn’t hidden when I was around…”
“So, what happened then?”
“The Demon King was too powerful to enter this world as he was. He needed a strong body to contain his power. Only one body in this world could withstand the Demon King.”
“What was it?”
“A dragon.”
“What?”
“Only the body of a corrupted dragon could endure the Demon King’s power.”
Richmond continued, “Even with a dragon’s body, the Demon King couldn’t fully contain his power. So, he created a book to hold it, which is the Book of the Dead, also known as the ‘Necronomicon.’”
“Does that book really exist?”
“It’s a story from the Hero King’s era, so there might be embellishments. It’s a legendary tale, but some parts might be true.”
“Hmm…”
Zeke, having been trained by the legendary Hero King Kaishir, knew that not all legends were mere fabrications.
He asked Richmond, “Were there people searching for this Necronomicon?”
“It’s an intriguing legend, but few believe it truly exists. Even if it did, it’s something no one could handle. It’s a secretive legend among dark mages, along with the King in Yellow…”
“Enough. So, the Sage sealed the Demon King?”
“Yes. The Sage, the Hero King, and the Knights of the Clock Tower combined their powers to seal the Demon King, with the Sage sacrificing his soul in the process.”
“Where did they seal the Demon King?”
“Where else? In the Necronomicon. The Sage and the Demon King’s souls are said to be sealed together in it.”
Thanks to Richmond, Zeke had stumbled upon an unexpected clue about the Book of the Dead.
“Is Narak trying to find that book to break the Demon King’s seal?”
The idea of the Demon King’s seal felt like an ancient legend, hard to grasp. What would anyone do by unleashing the Demon King in today’s world?
“Unlike the Hero King, is it just a legend?”
Not all legends were based on real events, after all.
“I think we might finally understand what those Narak creatures are if we catch them.”
With a lead in hand, Zeke felt he had a clue to track them down.
As they chatted about this and that, Zeke and Richmond made their way diligently toward the Barbarian territory.
Perhaps because Zeke had taken down so many monsters the day before, even Richmond’s magic couldn’t lure any more their way.
Missing out on a bounty of points, Zeke clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Richmond cautiously asked Zeke, “Master, do you have some kind of vendetta against monsters? You seem so eager to hunt them down…”
Just then, Zeke sensed something.
“This energy… a demon beast?”
Leaving Richmond behind, he leaped toward the source of the demonic energy.
Swoosh!
Watching Zeke dash off, Richmond’s jaw dropped. “W-wait for me, Master!”
Roar!
Massive demon beasts charged at the Barbarians.
“Raaaargh!”
The Barbarians let out even louder battle cries, hefting their enormous hammers as they charged.
Boom!
A hammer, wielded with immense strength, slammed into a demon beast.
Thud!
The beast, struck by the hammer, was sent flying into a rock.
Ordinary monsters would have their brains splattered and bodies shattered, but these demon beasts were different.
Crrrack—
Their broken bodies and heads reattached, revealing sharp teeth as they opened their massive jaws again.
One particularly large and muscular Barbarian stepped forward.
“King Fist!”
The warrior from the Rock Tribe, known as King Fist, appeared.
With fists the size of an average Barbarian’s head, he stood before the demon beasts.
“Die!”
He unleashed a flurry of punches at the beasts.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The demon beasts, more battered than when struck by hammers, oozed black fluid as they fell.
Though they were slowly regenerating, it was at a much slower pace than before.
King Fist turned to the other Barbarians and said, “Too many beasts. We need to retreat.”
The other warriors, excited, retorted, “Retreat? Are you scared?”
King Fist glared at them, grinding his teeth. “Want to die?”
As the Barbarians bickered, the demon beasts recovered and rose again.
King Fist and the Barbarians let out another battle cry, charging at the beasts once more.
Their shouts were enough to scare off ogres, but the demon beasts were unfazed.
King Fist felt this might be their last stand.
With death in mind, he and the Barbarians charged at the demon beasts.
Screeeech!
As the beasts and Barbarians clashed, a powerful light suddenly descended from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Zeke’s radiant mace struck the demon beasts directly.
Screeeech!
The beasts, disoriented by the dispersing dark energy, retreated in confusion.
Whoosh!
Zeke swung his aura blade at the demon beasts.
Screeeech—
The Barbarians, witnessing Zeke’s sudden intervention, looked at him with bewildered eyes.
King Fist, assessing the situation, raised his fist and shouted, “Zeke!”
Zeke turned around, recognizing the fist-raising King Fist. “King Fist?”
King Fist spread his arms wide, running toward Zeke with a delighted expression.
As Zeke decapitated a demon beast, he called out to the approaching King Fist, “Forgotten already? I’m the older one.”
“Oh.”