Episode 175
A powerful force surged from the boy’s body.
Boom!
At the same time, Zeke felt a raw, tearing energy that seemed ready to rip him apart.
“So this is a bloodline ability.”
It was a completely different sensation from the powers of Dario or Bisco. Even the system didn’t register this force as a curse, suggesting there were various types of bloodline abilities.
Zeke braced himself against the boy’s unprecedented power and took a step forward, pointing his sword at the boy.
Zeke unleashed a field of gravity.
Rumble!
A heavy gravitational force pressed down on the area where the boy stood.
Crack!
The ground around the boy buckled under the immense pressure, yet the boy remained unfazed, reaching out with his hand and shouting defiantly.
“Ha! Is that all you’ve got? Try harder, monster!”
The boy’s power intensified, pushing back against the gravity Zeke had summoned, and he began to advance.
The boy reached out toward Zeke.
“Crush!”
Boom!
Zeke felt as if invisible hands were trying to crush him from all sides. Fortunately, thanks to Theia’s Hersion armor, he withstood the boy’s power.
“To think a bloodline ability could be this strong.”
The strength of the Nostra family was palpable.
Seeing Zeke withstand his power, the boy frowned and slowly clenched his fist.
Crack!
A powerful pressure enveloped Zeke, as if a giant were squeezing him with both hands.
Rumble!
Once again, Zeke endured the overwhelming force, thanks to Theia’s Hersion and his dragon scale armor skill. But the boy, seemingly confident in his power, smirked at Zeke.
“Let’s shatter that confidence.”
Zeke activated his Dragon Claw skill against the boy.
Slash!
Three deep wounds appeared on the boy’s body.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, the boy staggered back, clutching the long gash that ran from his chest to his side.
“You… how dare you…”
The boy, unable to believe he had been injured, glared at Zeke as he retreated. Suddenly, his eyes began to glow red.
Crackle!
Stones around them started to levitate, spinning furiously in the air due to the force waves.
The boy pointed a finger at Zeke.
“Die!”
Hundreds of spinning stones shot toward Zeke.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The stones relentlessly pelted Zeke, raising a cloud of dust where he stood.
“Huff… huff…”
Exhausted from using too much power, the boy descended to the ground.
The spot where Zeke had been was now a massive crater, as if a meteor had struck.
The boy grinned at the sight.
“A mere monster dared to challenge me, Sion.”
Sion straightened up and surveyed the destruction around him.
“I’ve wrecked everything again. I’m going to get in trouble… whatever.”
He slowly floated into the air, reaching out toward the farmhouse where Zeke’s group had been hiding.
With a flick of his wrist, the farmhouse crumpled and collapsed.
“That should have finished them off.”
Sion soared into the sky and disappeared.
After he vanished, the ground began to stir.
Zeke emerged from the earth, brushing off dirt and surveying the area.
He looked at the collapsed farmhouse and tilted his head.
“For someone with that much power, his cleanup is sloppy.”
A professional would have checked for bodies or evidence, ensuring nothing was left behind. But Sion had simply destroyed the farmhouse and assumed everyone was dead.
Zeke guessed that Sion was a secret weapon used only for special tasks within the Nostra family.
“He’s probably used to others cleaning up after him.”
This meant other members of the Nostra family might soon arrive.
Zeke ignited a pure flame, setting the ruined safehouse ablaze.
Whoosh!
After erasing all traces of his group and Dario, he summoned Bucephalus and headed toward the bunker where Boris was hiding.
“Hoo.”
Boris, hidden in the mountain bunker, sharpened his senses, alert for any approaching enemies.
He sensed a few soldiers moving around the mountain, but they seemed unaware of the bunker and moved on.
Then, he felt it.
“Someone’s coming.”
Boris signaled to Bisco, who gripped a dagger and held onto Dario.
If they couldn’t escape, they were prepared to kill Dario and themselves to avoid capture and torture.
As tension filled the air, a signal indicating an ally was heard.
Through the periscope installed in the bunker, Boris confirmed Zeke’s arrival.
Relieved, he opened the door.
“Boss.”
Zeke entered the bunker, patting Boris on the shoulder.
“Good work, Boris.”
For two days, he had led the pursuers on a wild chase, leaving false trails.
The pursuers, misled by Zeke’s tracks, had turned toward the eastern region.
Zeke sat down, drinking water and eating dried fruit to catch his breath.
After a brief rest, he glanced at Dario, tied up in the corner.
“How’s Dario?”
“He’s fine. He caused a fuss when he realized the rescue team was here, but he’s been quiet since yesterday.”
Zeke stood and approached Dario.
Dario flinched as Zeke neared.
Zeke removed Dario’s gag and spoke.
“The Nostra family sent an interesting character. A boy, probably in his early teens, wearing a short suit, with a bloodline ability to move objects. He called himself Sion. Who is he?”
Dario’s eyes darted nervously.
As Zeke raised his hand, Dario panicked and spoke.
“I-I’ll talk!”
“Who is that kid?”
Dario hesitated before answering.
“S-Six.”
“Six?”
Dario nodded.
“He’s one of six elite bloodline users created by the family.”
“There are six of them?”
“Y-Yes.”
Zeke rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
Sion’s abilities were at least on par with a Red Knight’s power.
Having five more like him meant the Nostra family wielded power on a national scale.
“Plus, they have the Celestial Bow Knights.”
Despite being a mafia, they had roots across the continent, committing all sorts of crimes.
Zeke addressed Dario.
“Sion destroyed the entire safehouse. It seems the higher-ups ordered your elimination.”
“T-That can’t be…”
Dario looked up at Zeke in disbelief.
Zeke shook his head nonchalantly.
“There’s no point in looking at me like that. I’m just telling the truth.”
Though Zeke had tortured Dario nearly to death, he had kept him alive with healing potions. Yet, the family had sent an elite to kill him.
Zeke asked Dario.
“Why would they go to such lengths to kill you? Do you know something critical to the organization?”
Dario, looking unexpectedly hurt, clenched his teeth and replied.
“I can’t say.”
Zeke understood the implication from Dario’s tone.
“There’s some kind of restriction, isn’t there?”
Members of the Abyss also had restrictions on revealing information.
Even capturing their mages yielded limited information due to these restrictions.
Zeke spoke to Dario.
“To have such restrictions, you must know the identity of the boss.”
Dario’s face turned pale at Zeke’s words.
That reaction confirmed Zeke’s suspicion.
“They even placed restrictions on the family boss to hide their identity? What kind of person is this boss?”
They seemed obsessively thorough.
Zeke stood and approached Boris.
“We move at sundown. There’s a boat waiting by the river beyond the mountain.”
“Understood, boss.”
Zeke whispered to Boris.
“It seems information keeps leaking. Be on guard; we never know when or where the enemy might appear.”
Boris nodded, having suspected the same. Even with Siemens’ fast information network, pinpointing Dario’s hideout and sending knights so quickly was impossible.
It was almost certain there was a traitor within.
As soon as night fell, Zeke led the group over the mountain toward the river.
With the pursuers heading east, there were no enemies in sight.
They needed to cross the mountain and reach the river before dawn.
“Huff… huff…”
Bisco, alternating carrying Dario, struggled to keep up with Zeke and Boris, who climbed the mountain with ease.
“Monsters,” he thought.
Bisco was prepared to do whatever it took to survive, but he had never imagined he’d find himself in a situation like this.
Gritting his teeth, he followed closely behind Zeke and Boris.
“I see the boat,” Zeke announced, peering through the dense forest to locate the vessel.
As he prepared to descend towards the boat, Zeke raised a hand, signaling them to stop. Something unusual was happening on board.
“What’s wrong, boss?” Boris asked, noticing Zeke’s furrowed brow.
“It looks like the Empire’s soldiers have found and taken over the boat,” Zeke replied grimly.
Their plan had been to sail upstream to Mycenae, but it seemed the Empire’s knights had already set a trap, waiting for them. Even if they managed to reclaim the boat and head upriver, the Empire’s forces would likely be blocking the way further ahead.
Boris turned to Zeke. “What should we do?”
“We change the plan,” Zeke said decisively, drawing his sword. “Boris, take Dario and head to Mycenae as planned. Bisco, you’re with me. We’ll seize the boat and I’ll lead them on a chase upriver.”
Boris nodded in agreement. “Understood, boss.”
Without hesitation, Boris grabbed Dario and began the climb back up the mountain. If they could find horses in a nearby village, they could reach Mycenae in two days. With the Empire’s forces split between pursuing them eastward and waiting at the boat, Boris and Dario should be able to reach their destination without much trouble.
Zeke gestured to Bisco. “Bisco, we’re going to throw them into chaos. Be ready for blood.”
“Got it, boss!” Bisco replied, and the two of them stealthily made their way down the mountain.
Just as Zeke had predicted, the boat was occupied by the Empire’s soldiers. They had been summoned from nearby regions to support Siemens and were now lying in wait inside the boat.
One of the soldiers yawned loudly, clearly bored, and turned to his companion. “Do you really think this is the work of those vampires?”
“They say it was a lich that kidnapped the tycoon. Who else but vampires could control a monster like that?”
“Damn it, why are we getting dragged into this mafia mess?” the soldier grumbled, standing up.
His companion looked at him. “Hey, where are you going? Didn’t you hear we’re supposed to stay put?”
“I’m just going to take a leak. Can’t do it in a chamber pot, nothing comes out.”
“Don’t blame me if the captain chews you out.”
“Whatever. They say those guys have all gone east anyway.”
The soldier climbed up to the deck and relieved himself over the side, aiming for the river. “Ah, that’s better. Huh? What’s with all this fog? Was it like this before?”
As he finished and adjusted his pants, he noticed the fog had thickened considerably.
“Huh? What’s going on?” He rubbed his eyes and squinted into the mist.
That’s when he saw it.
Creaking ominously, an old, decrepit ship emerged from the fog, its tattered flag fluttering in the breeze. The soldier’s eyes widened in horror as he recognized the flag.
A skull and crossbones.
The deck was crowded with skeletons and grotesque creatures, a sight that sent the soldier stumbling backward in terror.
“A g-ghost ship! A ghost ship has appeared!” he shouted, his voice trembling with fear.