Episode 130
A soft hum filled the air as a radiant aura enveloped Zeke like a protective veil.
Simultaneously, part of this light seeped into both Zeke and Felix.
Felix, who had been reading a letter nearby, felt a refreshing sensation wash over him as the light entered his body.
“What… what is this, my lord?” he asked, bewildered.
A message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[The Veil of Light restores some of your health.]
It seemed to be a skill that healed allies within its range.
Zeke turned to Felix. “Felix, do you feel any different?”
Felix moved his body around, testing the sensation. “I don’t feel much change. Just… refreshed, and it’s easier to breathe.”
It wasn’t a dramatic healing effect like some infinite stamina skill, but it was something.
When Zeke deactivated the skill, the light vanished.
As he swung his orichalcum sword, a thought struck him.
“Can anyone else use this skill, or is it just me?”
He called Felix over. “Felix, take this sword, channel your aura into it, and say ‘Veil of Light.’”
Felix, unsure but willing, did as instructed. “Veil of Light.”
Despite his efforts, the sword remained inert. He tried several more times, but nothing happened.
Felix turned to Zeke with an awkward smile. “It’s not working.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Felix’s face lit up with a sudden idea. “My lord! Maybe it’s like those legendary swords that choose their master!”
“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s get going. We’ve found everything your grandfather left behind.”
With that, Zeke and Felix gathered the items left by Pab Valencia and exited the catacombs. They carefully sealed the sarcophagus to prevent others from discovering the place.
Night had fallen by the time they emerged, so they decided to stay at the village chief’s house. Felix’s home was in such disrepair it was practically uninhabitable.
After dinner, Felix continued to pore over the letters his grandfather had left.
Zeke decided to give him some space.
‘He must be in shock.’
The letters revealed that Pab wasn’t his biological grandfather and that his parents had been killed by the Holy Kingdom. It was a lot to process.
While Felix read, Zeke took the orichalcum sword and went to the backyard. He also examined the book that had come with it. Felix had entrusted both to Zeke, saying they were beyond his ability to handle.
As Zeke skimmed through the book, he was taken aback.
“This is… the secret teachings of the Arc Paladin.”
It contained the insights of Pab Valencia, the Arc Paladin.
Zeke quickly scanned the contents, finding them quite revolutionary.
“Using swordsmanship without a sword?”
The text suggested that at a certain level, one could wield swordsmanship with their entire body, without needing an actual sword.
At first glance, it seemed like a form of martial arts, but the book insisted it was different.
It distinguished between using one’s hands and arms as blades to unleash aura blades and simply striking with one’s fists.
‘Isn’t it essentially the same thing?’
Zeke couldn’t fully grasp Pab Valencia’s insights at his current level.
Pab had named his teachings “Infinite Chain Technique.”
“It means you can connect all movements seamlessly.”
The core of the technique was to envelop one’s body in aura blades and attack with hands, feet, or even by body-slamming the enemy.
Imagining the Infinite Chain Technique, Zeke realized it could be incredibly powerful.
Pab had left a note at the end of the book:
<To those who find this, learn the Infinite Chain Technique. If you cannot, pass it on to someone with a good heart.>
Zeke felt a twinge of guilt at the mention of a “good heart,” but justified learning it since he had found the book.
‘I’ll learn it and teach Felix too.’
Zeke, aiming to become the continent’s strongest, was willing to use anything to grow stronger.
He scanned the book’s contents and saved them in a folder for later study, knowing the insights would take time to fully understand.
Zeke began practicing the movements described in the book.
He still struggled to differentiate between using his hands and arms as blades and simply striking with his fists.
“Wow, you probably need to be at least a Blue Knight to master this.”
Since every move required an aura blade, Felix, at his current Purple Knight level, wouldn’t be able to execute it even if Zeke taught him.
As Zeke practiced the basic movements of the Infinite Chain Technique, Felix came outside.
Zeke stopped and approached him.
“Felix.”
Felix looked more haggard than usual, but his eyes were sharper, more focused.
‘Seems like he’s coping well.’
Zeke, with his passive skill of strong mental defense, rarely experienced mental breakdowns.
But Felix, though strong and talented, was still human and susceptible to emotional turmoil.
Felix approached Zeke, tears welling up.
“My lord…”
Zeke patted Felix’s shoulder as he sobbed.
‘I was mistaken.’
After a while, Felix regained his composure.
“Sorry for showing such a pathetic side, my lord.”
“It’s fine. It’s not the first time.”
Zeke never had high expectations for Felix anyway.
Seeing Felix’s gloom, Zeke had an idea.
‘Can I transfer my strong mental defense as a wide-area buff?’
After some thought, Zeke decided to try casting his mental defense skill as a buff.
A soft hum resonated as the buff spread around Zeke.
Suddenly, Felix’s demeanor changed. He lifted his head, determination in his eyes.
“My lord, I can’t afford to be down like this.”
Zeke observed Felix’s sudden change closely.
Felix clenched his fists and declared, “I will avenge my parents and fulfill my grandfather’s mission!”
Zeke pondered Felix’s fiery resolve.
‘Did the buff go wrong?’
For thirty minutes, Felix passionately discussed how he would take revenge on the Holy Kingdom. But as soon as the buff wore off, his mood plummeted again.
”…My lord, I’ll head in and rest.”
The end of the buff seemed to amplify his gloom.
Zeke realized that even passive skills could be used as buffs.
“Mental skills are risky. I’ll have to be careful using them.”
Zeke planned to test his infinite stamina and combat sense skills as buffs once Felix recovered.
Fortunately, the next day, Felix shook off his gloom and returned to his usual self.
“My lord, I want to complete my grandfather’s mission.”
“You mean to save the bloodline of Lubern?”
“Yes. After thinking it over, everything seems to align.”
Felix spoke with conviction.
“Saving the bloodline of Lubern and toppling the Papal faction. My grandfather must have wanted to save the Holy Kingdom he loved from its corruption.”
Zeke nodded at Felix’s words.
“Well said, Felix. The buff was worth it.”
“Buff? What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
Zeke also had a quest to deliver the Book of Light to the Lubern bloodline, aligning their goals.
Zeke and Felix returned to the castle.
Upon arrival, they found someone waiting for Zeke, sent by Kay.
The Syndicate had found traces of the Lubern bloodline.
Zeke read the information brought by the informant and was taken aback.
“There’s a Lubern bloodline in Tempel?”
The informant, looking tense, replied, “Yes, sir. There’s an underground organization in Tempel that’s been there for a long time. According to our sources from the Holy Kingdom, a secret Paladin unit is tracking this organization. It’s highly likely they’re connected to the Lubern bloodline.”
“What’s the name of this organization?”
“They’re known only as the Rose Society.”
“The Rose Society…”
Zeke recalled the chair from the Lubern dynasty he had seen in the cradle.
‘It had roses engraved on it.’
The blue rose was the symbol of the Lubern dynasty.
Zeke thought the Syndicate’s theory was plausible.
The problem was the secret Paladin unit from the Holy Kingdom.
Even after Pab’s death, the Holy Kingdom continued to hunt down the Lubern bloodline to imprison them.
‘They said the Lubern bloodline can perform miracles, which is why the Holy Kingdom seeks them. Could that miracle be…’
Zeke instructed the informant to investigate the Holy Kingdom’s “miracle.”
Then he called Felix.
“Felix, we’ve found a lead on the Lubern bloodline. Get ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
Zeke decided to take Felix and Liam to Tempel.
Leaving the knights under Decker and Farrell’s command, Zeke set off for Tempel with the two of them.
“Wow.”
As soon as Felix and Liam stepped out of the station, they were left speechless by the sights of Tempel.
Atlas was a sleek, modern city, while Mycenae had an old-world charm.
But Tempel was unlike either of them.
Burly mercenaries and warriors strutted down the main streets, openly carrying weapons, while rough-looking types were already drinking heavily in broad daylight.
Crash!
A loud noise of something breaking erupted nearby.
“Get that bastard!”
A brawl had broken out, sparked by a drunken argument.
Zeke, however, seemed unfazed by the chaos, as if it were nothing new to him. In truth, the northern lands where he had spent much of his past life were often like this, so it didn’t feel unfamiliar.
He turned to Felix and Liam. “Tempel is the stronghold of the Turn family.”
With that, the two immediately understood why the city was the way it was.
The Turn family, once rumored to be royalty of the northern continent, were known for their rough, unrefined ways and their reverence for warriors. For them, fighting was as common as breathing.
The people who had been brawling moments ago were now back to clinking beer mugs, singing, and throwing arms around each other’s shoulders.
Liam watched the scene with a look of approval.
Zeke glanced at Liam, somewhat amused. ‘Well, considering he’s the future Mercenary King, this might suit him better than knighthood.’
Zeke led Felix and Liam to the accommodations arranged by the Syndicate, located in a bustling street that was also the heart of the city’s underworld.
Once they had changed and prepared, a Syndicate member approached them.
“We’ve been expecting you. I’ll take you to the Rose Society.”
The Rose Society, like the Syndicate, was an underground organization, and it seemed they had channels for communication.
Following the guide, Zeke and his companions ventured into the shadowy alleys.
Tattooed outlaws and gang members with menacing looks eyed them as they passed. Despite the intimidating stares, Zeke’s group, trained knights in disguise, simply followed their guide quietly.
After weaving through the maze of alleys, the guide pointed to an entrance leading underground.
“This way.”
“Aren’t you coming with us?”
“I’m just a grunt. I’ll wait here until you’re done.”
Leaving the guide behind, Zeke and his companions descended into the basement.
The air was musty, like a storage room. ‘Is this where they keep hides?’ Zeke wondered, noting the wooden crates filled with furs.
The members inside, upon hearing they were from the Syndicate, led them further in.
Zeke noticed rose tattoos on the wrists of the members.
Deeper inside, a short-haired woman with tattoos on her arms and neck sat cracking peanuts, surrounded by hulking men.
She spat out a peanut shell and looked at Zeke’s group.
“So, you’re from the Syndicate? Bullshit. Hey, kill those bastards.”