Episode 151
Zeke stumbled upon something unexpected: the emblem of the sun engraved on Agamemnon’s mask.
“To think I’d find that emblem here.”
The origins of this ruin were shrouded in mystery, but it likely predated the Golden Age.
Zeke examined the part where the sun emblem was etched.
“Hmm.”
The sun was depicted at the highest point, with countless shooting stars cascading beneath it.
“What could this mean?”
Unlike the pictorial records of the Joins, this abstract and symbolic relief was difficult to decipher.
‘I should document this and ask the Sage of Stories later. If anyone knows, it would be him…’
Zeke moved past the relief and discovered a door.
“Looks like there’s still a long way to go.”
He opened the door and stepped inside.
The interior resembled an ancient temple or a royal tomb.
Intricate patterns were carved into the walls and pillars.
‘What is this place, really?’
Strangely, the system didn’t recognize this ruin.
When the door first opened, only the title “Knight of Light” was acknowledged, but it wasn’t registered as a sanctuary like others.
“Could this be an even older temple?”
Just then, something moved in front of Zeke.
‘What is that?’
Rumble!
To his surprise, a golem approached him.
[Security system activated.]
[Administrator authentication failed.]
[Golem will eliminate unauthorized personnel.]
A flurry of messages appeared.
Rumble!
The golem, made entirely of gray stone, looked nothing like Zeke’s summoned Guardian. Its size and appearance were more akin to a barbarian.
Thud, thud, thud!
The golem charged at Zeke, raising its fists to strike.
Boom!
Zeke deftly deflected the golem’s punch with his palm, using the Infinite Chain Technique left by Fav Valencia.
‘A golem with simple attack patterns. A perfect opponent to hone my skills.’
Whoosh!
The Infinite Chain Technique allowed Zeke to wield swordsmanship without a sword.
He decided to face the golem barehanded.
Hiss!
Steam billowed from the golem’s back.
It then launched a rapid series of punches at Zeke.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The heavy stone fists came at a speed almost invisible to the eye.
Zeke dodged the punches using Phantom Steps, deflecting them with his palms and searching for an opening.
Hiss!
More steam erupted from the golem’s back.
Zeke seized the opportunity.
His legs and waist formed a pivot, and his entire body spun, channeling power into his hand.
Infinite Chain Technique
Spinning Strike
Hand Blade Slash
With the force of the spin, Zeke’s hand blade sliced through the golem’s arm.
Thud!
The golem hesitated momentarily before retreating.
Zeke advanced again.
Infinite Chain Technique
Charging Thrust
Finger Stab
Crunch!
Zeke’s fingertips pierced the golem’s heart.
Crack!
His hand broke through, extracting the core from the golem’s heart.
Fwoosh!
The golem collapsed, lifeless without its core.
Zeke caught his breath as he looked at the now-motionless golem.
“Whew. The Infinite Chain Technique… Once mastered, it could be incredibly useful.”
Especially in duels against knights, where appearing unarmed could lure them into a false sense of security, allowing for a precise strike.
Zeke stored the extracted core in his inventory.
Ancient golems were far superior to those crafted by the Magic Tower. Skilled mages could use the core to create new golems.
‘If I bring this to Lord Fainan, he might be able to craft a new golem.’
Passing the golem, Zeke found a staircase leading deeper underground.
The further he descended, the darker it became, but Zeke’s Dragon Eyes allowed him to see as clearly as if it were daylight.
He sensed that this ruin was vastly different from the “sanctuaries” he had encountered before.
Sanctuaries seemed to be systematically managed by the system, waiting for a new administrator.
In contrast, this relic felt like a place fiercely guarded and defended against any intruders.
Zeke recalled the words of the Sage of Stories.
‘Terrakan Draker supposedly returned the holy relic here.’
Perhaps Terrakan had set the system to prevent anyone from entering, to ensure the Holy Grail wouldn’t be misused.
After descending for a while, Zeke discovered a massive cavern on the map.
“What is this?”
Cautiously, Zeke approached the cavern.
He was taken aback by what he saw.
“What on earth?”
A colossal crystal cave stretched out before him.
Giant crystals, as tall as a person, jutted from the ground and filled the ceiling.
Zeke was momentarily speechless at the breathtaking sight of the crystal cave.
After a brief moment of awe, he regained his composure.
‘This isn’t the time to be distracted.’
As he continued to explore, he noticed traces of an ancient waterway, suggesting that water once flowed through this place.
“Water in Death Valley? Perhaps this land wasn’t always a barren wasteland.”
Zeke navigated through the beautiful crystals, venturing deeper inside.
His Dragon Eyes detected something unusual.
He approached a wall made of crystal.
Inside, he found something astonishing.
“An ark?”
A ship, several times larger than Draker’s warship, was embedded within the crystal wall.
The ark protruded from the crystal wall like an avant-garde art piece.
The presence of an ark in the underground caves of Death Valley, where not a drop of water existed, felt utterly out of place.
Zeke climbed the crystals to get closer to the ark.
Up close, the ark exuded an air of mystery.
Despite the passage of time, its surface was pristine, without a single scratch or blemish.
Though he couldn’t identify the material, it was clear it wasn’t made of ordinary wood.
“Could the holy relic be inside?”
Zeke reached out toward the ark.
At that moment…
[Detected demonic energy nearby.]
‘Demonic energy?’
Seeing the system’s warning, Zeke quickly activated his stealth skill to conceal himself.
Hidden among the crystals, Zeke summoned his Dragon Fang soldiers for reconnaissance.
Through their eyes, he spotted a sinister group approaching, exuding a malevolent aura.
‘What is that…’
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A regiment of skeletal knights, clad in armor, marched in formation.
Behind them, a black knight with glowing blue eyes rode a ghostly steed with a mane of blue flames, accompanied by a lich wearing a rusted crown with jeweled eyes, floating beside him.
‘What is this?’
An undead army, distinctly different from Richmond’s, was advancing, bringing death in its wake.
The black knight on the ghostly steed pointed toward the Dragon Fang soldiers.
“I sense the power of the profane!”
At his shout, the skeletal knights charged at the Dragon Fang soldiers, their eyes gleaming.
Clang!
The Dragon Fang soldiers swung their swords at the rapidly approaching skeletal knights.
Then, the lich behind them chanted a spell, unleashing a sinister energy.
Whoosh!
A black fireball hurtled toward the Dragon Fang soldiers.
Boom!
The impact was so great that the Dragon Fang soldiers were forcibly unsummoned.
Zeke realized the undead army’s formidable power required a strategic approach.
He drew his Wrought Iron Sword and summoned Arataso, sealed within.
‘Arataso. I have a question.’
Arataso remained silent.
Zeke clicked his tongue and infused the sword with the power of holy fire.
‘Aaaargh!’
Arataso’s scream echoed from within the sword.
‘Answer quickly.’
Arataso responded with a wail.
‘Damn it! You cursed wretch! How dare you treat me, Arataso, the knight among knights of the demon realm…’
‘A black knight with a sinister aura is leading skeletal knights and a lich. What is it?’
Despite Zeke’s question, Arataso remained silent.
When Zeke infused more holy fire, Arataso hastily replied.
‘A D-Death Knight! A fallen knight of death!’
‘A Death Knight?’
Death Knights were the stuff of legends.
The souls of fallen knights, transformed by demonic power into knights of death, eternally wandering battlefields and bringing ominous death, were feared as much as plagues.
‘In my castle in the demon realm, I command thousands of powerful Death Knights…’
Arataso began to boast about the prowess of the Death Knights under his command. Having satisfied his curiosity, Zeke released the sword and stored it back in his inventory.
He then summoned Richmond.
“Gasp? My lord. What is it?”
Zeke asked Richmond.
“Richmond, do you remember threatening to turn me into a Death Knight once?”
“Did I ever say such a thing?”
Richmond rolled his eyes, feigning ignorance.
“I’m asking if you can create Death Knights.”
Richmond shook his head vigorously.
“It was just bravado. Even among dark sorcerers, there’s a lot of debate about whether creating a Death Knight is even possible.”
“So, you’re saying an ordinary dark sorcerer can’t create a Death Knight?”
“I’m not even sure if there’s a spell to create or summon one. Maybe only ancient sorcerers who’ve made direct pacts with demons could manage it…”
Hearing Richmond’s words, Zeke nodded thoughtfully.
“So, if someone has made a pact with a demon, it might be possible.”
If a dark sorcerer in the abyss had a direct contract with a demon of celestial rank, their power would likely surpass that of a mere sorcerer clan.
Zeke turned to Richmond. “An undead army led by a Death Knight is on its way.”
Richmond’s eyes widened in shock. “An undead army led by a Death Knight?”
“Yes. We need to fortify before they arrive. Summon as many undead as you can.”
The mention of an undead army made Richmond, a demi-lich himself, shudder. Despite his fear, he was bound to Zeke and couldn’t defy him.
Richmond transformed into his demi-lich form, pulling out a staff with a determined look. “Since it’s come to this… I’ll show you my latest research results.”
“Research results? What are you talking about?”
“You asked me to study the staff you brought from the Giant’s Mountain, remember?”
“Oh.”
Zeke had forgotten about that request. Richmond took one of the staves and began to levitate. As he rose, he waved the staff in the air, channeling the power of the “Rider of Blood and Madness” within it to summon something.
Creaking sounds filled the air as crimson skeletons began to emerge from the ground, forming neat rows of about forty. Richmond looked pleased with his summoned skeletons.
“How do you like it, my lord? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Richmond, how many more times can you summon this many skeletons?”
Caught off guard by the question, Richmond stammered, “Uh, maybe two or three more times?”
“That’s not enough. You need to improve.”
Richmond hung his head at Zeke’s stern words. Unfazed, Zeke began handing out magic bombs to the skeletons, then summoned dragon soldiers and gave them potions of fire giant’s breath, positioning them throughout the crystal cave.
“Richmond, deploy the skeletons forward and hide them underground.”
“Understood.”
Following Zeke’s orders, Richmond buried the skeletons beneath the earth. Zeke then summoned Gurav.
With a growl, Gurav, now as large as a basilisk, nuzzled Zeke affectionately.
“Gurav, go lure them here.”
With a long, resonant growl, Gurav dashed off toward the approaching army.
Zeke and Richmond hid behind the crystals, watching the situation unfold. The tension in the air was palpable.
Then it happened.
A deep rumble echoed.
“They’re here.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The undead army finally appeared.