Episode 136
“Could it be…?”
Zeke recalled the minion wielding the staff of the “Herald of Blood and Madness” in the Hydra’s cave.
Crack!
Blood and black smoke seeped into the ground, coalescing and clinging to the dead sorcerer’s body.
Creak!
The already lifeless body twisted grotesquely, slowly rising to its feet. With a sickening crack, its spine twisted a full 180 degrees.
The robe covering its face tore, revealing a bald head. The back of the head writhed, forming the shape of a human face.
Snap!
Sharp bones jutted out from the inverted elbows, and its nails and claws grew like those of a beast.
Roar!
The face on the back of its head let out a monstrous scream.
Zeke realized that a demon’s minion had possessed the dead sorcerer’s body.
“Hammer of Light!”
Zeke unleashed a skill at the screaming minion.
Crack!
But the Hammer of Light was dispersed by the black smoke enveloping the minion.
“This one’s stronger than the last one.”
Growl!
The back of the sorcerer’s head split open, revealing the beast-like face of a demon.
[How dare you meddle with the servant of the ‘Master of the Lowest Abyss’…]
This seemed to be a different demon’s minion than the “Herald of Blood and Madness.”
Zeke raised his orichalcum sword, pointing it at the minion.
“Demon, what are you planning with the bloodline of Luvern?”
The creature had no intention of answering Zeke’s question. It straightened its back, revealing a massive form that seemed impossible to fit within the small sorcerer’s body.
It looked like a skinned werewolf, but its aura was entirely different.
[You reek of the stench of the Light’s spawn.]
Light magic was clearly the bane of demons.
Moments later, the demon crouched and lunged at Zeke.
Whoosh!
Sharp claws slashed through the space where Zeke had been standing. Each claw was as potent as an aura blade.
“This won’t be easy.”
Zeke equipped his newly crafted Hershion and donned Agamemnon’s mask. The purifying blade of his orichalcum sword surged forth.
Hum!
A golden aura blazed from the sword like a flame.
The demon recoiled, startled by the energy emanating from the purifying blade.
[What is that…?]
The demon bared its teeth at Zeke.
[You are the key to the holy relic!]
It opened its mouth wide, spewing a dark energy.
Boom!
Zeke swung the purifying blade at the dark energy.
Dragon Slayer Technique: True Dragon Sword Art
Chapter 3, Verse 1
Crescent Slash
The Crescent Slash, imbued with the purifying blade’s energy, cleaved through the dark energy.
Slash!
Zeke charged at the demon, enveloped in the golden aura, and unleashed the Dragon’s Claw.
Slash!
The powerful Dragon’s Claw skill struck the demon’s body.
[Ugh!]
Caught off guard, the demon staggered back, and Zeke spun in mid-air, swinging the purifying blade.
Slice—
Zeke’s sword cut through the demon from shoulder to waist.
Thud!
The severed body fell to the ground.
Zeke summoned chains with his soul-binding technique, wrapping them tightly around the demon’s upper body.
Sizzle!
The demon’s flesh turned to black ash upon contact with the chains.
[Aaargh!]
The demon screamed in agony.
Zeke pressed the purifying blade closer and asked, “What is the holy relic? Is that why you’re after the bloodline of Luvern, not for some miracle?”
He recalled the word “holy relic” from the newly appeared main quest.
“It must be connected to the Luvern quest somehow.”
The demon, bound by chains, looked at Zeke and laughed maniacally.
[Heh. I remember your soul. The ‘Master of the Lowest Abyss’ will send minions to tear you apart.]
Zeke tightened the chains.
[Aaargh!]
“Threatening me, are you? You picked the wrong guy.”
If the demon thought Zeke would be intimidated, it was sorely mistaken.
Zeke chuckled and decided to test the new skill he acquired after clearing the quest mission.
“Holy Flame.”
As Zeke used the Holy Flame skill, a white flame appeared before him, circling around his body.
“Is this the Holy Flame? It just feels warm. Why is it an S-rank skill?”
But then, the demon beneath Zeke’s feet screamed.
[Aaargh! Get it away!]
Surprisingly, the demon’s body turned to ash under the light of the Holy Flame.
Zeke was taken aback.
“Does the Holy Flame’s light have the effect of light magic?”
If so, even knights who couldn’t use light magic could fight demons and beasts wherever the Holy Flame was present.
Zeke brought the Holy Flame closer to the demon and demanded, “What is the holy relic? Speak.”
Sizzle—
[Aaargh!]
Zeke tortured the demon with the Holy Flame.
The demon wanted to abandon its body and return to the demon realm, but it was trapped by the soul-binding technique.
The demon, terrified by Zeke’s precise torment with the Holy Flame, finally spoke.
“You endure better than I expected.”
Zeke wielded the orichalcum sword and used the Light’s Punishment skill, pressing it against the demon’s side.
Sizzle—
[Aaargh!]
While the purifying blade disrupted and destroyed demonic energy upon contact, light magic didn’t destroy it but caused the demon pain.
The presence of the Holy Flame intensified the agony.
Unable to withstand the pain, the demon finally confessed.
[Aaargh! Th-there was a competition among the minions!]
“What do you mean, competition?”
[Heh. The minion that brings the holy relic is given a chance to rise in rank. With the bloodline of Luvern, the holy relic can be found!]
“What are you talking about? Explain it simply. What does rising in rank mean?”
The demon, trembling in pain, managed to speak.
[Huff. Huff. It means… even minions like us can gain a constellation name.]
Zeke tilted his head at the demon’s words.
“A constellation? What nonsense is that? Demons talking about constellations?”
Just then, a commotion sounded from behind.
“The hunting dogs, huh. Tch.”
There was no time to waste.
Zeke used Devour on the demon.
Swoosh—
Zeke’s shadow slowly absorbed the demon.
[W-what is this! What are you doing!]
The demon’s body was completely absorbed into Zeke’s shadow.
A message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[You have devoured a corrupted sorcerer fully consumed by demonic energy.]
[Your depleted health, mental strength, and mana are replenished.]
[You have devoured a part of the corrupted soul of Griesmodal, a minion of the ‘Master of the Lowest Abyss.’]
[You have absorbed the bloodline ability of the devoured minion, transforming the passive skill Combat Sense into Beast Sense.]
[As a bonus reward, you receive 500 Karma Points.]
Zeke looked satisfied with the rewards from devouring the demon.
“The enhanced Hydra was worth 1500 points, but I got 500 points from a relatively easy opponent.”
It seemed that capturing demons yielded significantly more bonus Karma Points.
“Beast Sense, huh.”
Before leaving, Zeke tested the enhanced sensory skill.
“Wow.”
Beyond the five senses, he felt all the movements around him conveyed in a three-dimensional manner.
Sensing the approach of the hunting dogs, Zeke used Stealth to conceal himself.
Having escaped the hunting dogs’ encirclement, he spent several days in the forest, luring paladins and hunting dogs into fighting each other, disrupting the web of traps.
Meanwhile, the princess and her party safely left Tempel and arrived in Mycenae.
Zeke arrived in Mycenae a few days after the princess and her party.
The members of Agamemnon Castle warmly welcomed him.
“It’s been a while, Master.”
Rufus Agamemnon, the head of the Agamemnon family, who had been informed in advance, embraced Zeke.
“Welcome, Zeke.”
Zeke felt a familial bond from Rufus’s warm welcome.
“It’s been a while, Master.”
“Ah, call me grandfather.”
Zeke grinned at Rufus.
“Yes, grandfather. Has Princess Arina arrived safely?”
“Yes. I prepared in advance after receiving your message. She’s inside, let’s go see her.”
Zeke and Rufus headed to where Princess Arina was.
The princess was with Clone, dressed in a nun’s habit.
Upon seeing Zeke, she rushed over.
“Sir Zeke! You’re safe!”
Princess Arina grasped Zeke’s hands, her expression genuinely relieved.
“I told you I’d be fine. I’m glad you arrived safely, Your Highness.”
Rufus watched Princess Arina and Zeke with a curious expression.
Zeke sat across from the princess and Rufus on the sofa, with Cloné by his side.
“Is everything to your liking here?” he asked.
The princess responded with a warm smile. “The lord has been incredibly hospitable. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept so peacefully.”
Back at the temple, she had always been on edge, never knowing when an attack might come. But within the walls of Agamemnon’s castle, neither the Holy Kingdom nor the Empire would dare to intrude.
Rufus addressed Princess Arina with a respectful tone. “Please, consider this your home and make yourself comfortable.”
The princess returned his smile.
Zeke turned to Cloné. “Have the Rose Knights arrived safely?”
“Not all of them yet, but they should be here soon… I mean, they will be here soon,” Cloné replied, catching herself as she glanced at the princess and Rufus, adjusting her speech to be more formal.
Zeke chuckled at her attempt. “Just speak naturally.”
“Should I?” Cloné quickly dropped the formalities.
After hearing the situation, Zeke asked Rufus and Cloné to give him a moment alone with the princess.
As Rufus stood up, he whispered to Zeke, “Zeke, you have my blessing.”
”…?”
Rufus gave him a thumbs-up before leaving the room, leaving Zeke bewildered and shaking his head.
‘Grandfather, do you even know how old the princess is?’ he thought, regaining his composure before turning to Princess Arina to discuss the encounter with the demons.
“Demons? I thought they were just stories,” she said, surprised.
“Princess, have you ever heard of sacred relics?”
The demons had mentioned that they could find the relics through the bloodline of Luvern. But Princess Arina seemed puzzled.
“Sacred relics? That’s new to me.”
If even Arina, the heir to Luvern’s magic, was unaware, it was unlikely anyone else in the bloodline knew either.
Then, a thought struck her. “Oh, perhaps the relics are related to something my mother once told me—a story about the Fairy King.”
“The Fairy King?”
“Yes. The Fairy King was born from the first tear shed by the Primordial Light, the creator of this world. Unlike other celestial beings, the Fairy King retained the power of the beginning.”
“Wait, the Primordial Light? Are you referring to the Sun God?”
“No, the Sun God and the Moon Goddess, along with all other celestial beings, originated from the Primordial Light.”
“I was under the impression that both the Holy Empire and the Holy Kingdom worshipped the Sun God. I’ve never heard of the Primordial Light.”
“The magic of Luvern’s light was inspired by the Primordial Light. Originally, the deity worshipped by the Holy Empire was not the Sun God, but the Primordial Light.”
“I see.”
The princess continued her explanation. “The legend says that the Fairy King, the sole bearer of the Primordial Light’s power, bestowed three gifts upon humanity, who were weaker than other races. Thanks to these gifts, humans were able to thrive.”
“Three gifts imbued with the Fairy King’s power… those could be the sacred relics.”
“That’s my guess.”
“Do you know where these relics might be?”
The princess shook her head. “I always thought it was just a legend my mother told me. But…”
She looked at Zeke. “The Hermit of the Tales might know something about the relics.”