Episode 201
Zeke held his breath, observing the creature before him.
Standing over two meters tall, with two horns protruding from its head and bat-like wings on its back, it was the very image of a demon from storybooks and legends.
Zeke retrieved the sealed sword of Arataso from his inventory.
“Arataso.”
He couldn’t summon his familiar, but perhaps he could call upon the sealed Arataso.
However, without the ability to use holy fire, he had no way to summon Arataso if it didn’t respond.
“What is it?”
Fortunately, Arataso answered without resistance.
Zeke showed the demon wandering the hallway to Arataso and asked, “Is that a real demon?”
Arataso snorted derisively. “You think that thing is a demon with a celestial name? Human eyes and brains are so pitifully—”
“Cut the chatter. If it’s not a demon, then what is it?”
Arataso clicked its tongue. “That’s a Balrog. It’s a lower-tier creature used by the Tuma tribe.”
“A lower-tier creature? It looks incredibly strong.”
“Think of them as the soldiers of the Tuma tribe. Stronger than humans, sure, but they can’t use martial arts and only wield crude magic. They have clear limits.”
“So that’s the typical level of a demon realm soldier.”
“Yes, those creatures can come to the human realm without being affected by karma. High-ranking demons like me can’t.”
Zeke recalled the video Hoshigar had shown him before.
When the gate opened, countless mid-sized beasts, monsters from the demon realm, and low-ranking demons had poured out.
“Low-ranking demons can emerge into the physical world through gates. Each one is at least as strong as a red knight.”
That meant the power of a Balrog, a demon realm soldier, was likely at least on par with a blue knight.
Zeke asked Arataso again, “What’s their weakness?”
Arataso shouted in irritation, “Do you think I’d just tell a human that?”
“If you tell me, I’ll grant you a wish.”
“Let me go with honor.”
“Anything but that.”
Arataso gritted its teeth. “Damn human! Fine, then offer me a fresh soul.”
“Do you think I’d agree to that?”
Realizing Zeke might unleash holy fire if provoked further, Arataso offered a compromise.
“I’m so bored here. At least play me some of your trivial human music.”
“Music? Demons have music?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. One reason humans make pacts with demons is to gain artistic sense and creativity. My castle in the demon realm is filled with exquisite art and an exceptional orchestra—”
“Fine, music it is. I’ll take you to a concert when I get the chance.”
“You promised.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now, tell me the Balrog’s weakness.”
Arataso grumbled but spoke. “It’s the horns. They control their magic through those horns. Destroy them, and they can’t use their power properly.”
“The horns, huh. Anything else?”
“Typical human greed, never satisfied. They’re strong but not flexible. Use the Resonant Wave Technique I taught you, and you’ll easily subdue them.”
Zeke grinned, thinking this was a perfect opportunity to practice the Infinite Chain Technique and Resonant Wave Technique.
He put the sealed sword back into his inventory, along with Bahamut, and gathered his energy with his bare hands.
Vroooom!
Resonant waves emanated from around his body.
Just then.
Thud! Thud!
One of the Balrogs roaming the hallway sensed Zeke’s energy and began moving toward him.
“Here we go.”
Zeke steadied his breath and faced the Balrog.
“Rooooar!”
The Balrog charged at Zeke, horns aimed straight at him.
Crackle!
Black magical currents flowed from the Balrog’s horns, compressing into a black energy projectile.
The projectile flew toward Zeke.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Zeke used the Resonant Wave Technique to deflect the Balrog’s projectile to the side.
Crash!
The projectile exploded, causing the hallway wall to crumble.
Zeke assessed the power of the projectile.
“It’s about as strong as a third-circle spell like Fire Arrow.”
Since it was an attack made of demonic energy, like the attacks of the Night Killers, it couldn’t be treated normally due to the demonic poison.
The thought of hundreds or thousands of such demon soldiers pouring through a gate was terrifying.
“Just imagining it is horrifying.”
The Balrog didn’t stop, charging at Zeke with sharp claws.
“Raaaah!”
The attack was imbued with the immense power of its massive frame.
Zeke raised his arm to block the Balrog’s attack.
Clang!
With the Resonant Wave Technique enveloping his arm, it was as if he wore armor.
Thwack!
Zeke deflected the Balrog’s attack and stepped forward, rotating his body to deliver a powerful punch.
Boom!
Zeke’s punch, charged with the Resonant Wave Technique, struck the Balrog directly.
“Rooooar!”
The resonant waves disrupted the Balrog’s magic, causing the energy around its horns to dissipate like mist.
Zeke pursued the retreating Balrog.
He unleashed the Infinite Chain Technique.
Infinite Chain Technique
Charging Strike
Spinning Thrust
Zeke’s punch, infused with powerful rotation, pierced the Balrog’s body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Resonant Wave Technique and Infinite Chain Technique combined, delivering a devastating blow to the Balrog.
Crash!
The Balrog, slammed into the wall, staggered and couldn’t move.
Zeke unleashed a flurry of punches at the Balrog.
Infinite Chain Technique
Rapid Strikes
Omnidirectional Assault
Zeke’s punches rained down on the Balrog from all angles.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each hit, the Balrog’s internal magic scattered, rendering it powerless.
Grrrrr!
As the Balrog struggled to rise, Zeke delivered a powerful chop to its horns.
Snap!
Both of the Balrog’s horns shattered under Zeke’s strike.
Grrrrk!
Simultaneously, the Balrog lost its strength and crumbled to ash.
In the spot where the Balrog vanished, a black stone resembling a magic crystal remained.
“What is this?”
Zeke picked up the stone and examined it.
[A Magic Stone Containing the Power of a Balrog]
“It contains the power of a Balrog?”
Surprised by the unexpected find, Zeke couldn’t immediately determine its use, so he stored the magic stone in his inventory.
“If I give it to Richmond, he’ll figure something out.”
Richmond, who couldn’t resist monster materials, would undoubtedly be eager to research the Balrog’s magic stone.
Reflecting on the recent battle, Zeke prepared for the next fight. Having faced a Balrog, he understood Arataso’s words.
Using the Resonant Wave Technique to disrupt the Balrog’s magic made them much easier to handle.
“With this, I should be able to clear this stage easily.”
Zeke planned to train his Infinite Chain Technique and Resonant Wave Technique while clearing the hidden stage.
But as he emerged from the dark hallway and saw the real stage, he realized his earlier thoughts were a huge mistake.
“What the…?”
Hundreds of Balrogs were gathered, battling in a circular arena.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fierce fighting Balrogs resembled hellish war dogs.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke.
[The Hidden Stage Begins.]
[Participate in the Arena Match and Defeat the Balrog Champion.]
[Successful Stage Completion Will Grant Corresponding Rewards.]
“What? Participate in an arena match?”
Balrogs were a race empowered by the Tuma tribe.
Born and bred for battle, they lived to fight, gaining strength by claiming the horns of defeated foes.
Losers couldn’t participate in battles until their horns regrew, enduring humiliation and losing their warrior status.
Zeke didn’t know the detailed habits of Balrogs, but he instinctively sensed they were a race obsessed with combat.
Crack!
In the meantime, one Balrog in the arena had its horn snapped by another.
The victorious Balrog swallowed the horn.
Moments later, its horns grew larger.
The defeated Balrog was jeered at and driven out of the arena by the others.
The horn-swallowing Balrog pounded its chest and roared.
[Who’s the next challenger?]
The system translated the Balrog’s language for Zeke.
He sighed.
“At this point, I’m questioning Tyr’s sanity for creating this place.”
Kaisir was eccentric, but Tyr seemed even more so.
Reluctantly, Zeke descended toward the arena.
Grrrrr!
The sudden appearance of a human made the Balrogs growl and glare at him.
As Zeke approached the arena, the Balrogs bared their teeth but stepped aside.
To the battle-hungry Balrogs, the arena was a sacred place.
In this place, everyone had the chance to showcase their skills, but only in one-on-one combat.
“Damn human, coming here of all places.”
“Is that guy really planning to step into the arena?”
“How dare a mere human!”
Zeke ascended to the arena, unfazed by the menacing aura of the Balrogs surrounding him.
The Balrog on the opposite side was even larger than the one Zeke had just defeated.
“Must be at least three meters tall,” he thought.
As Zeke stepped into the arena, the Balrog sneered at him.
“Arrogant human! I don’t know how you got here, but don’t think you’ll leave alive.”
Zeke casually stretched his wrists and asked, “How do I challenge the champion?”
“What? Challenge the champion?”
The Balrog trembled with excitement, not even registering that Zeke had spoken their language.
He pounded his chest and shouted, “This human dares to challenge the champion!”
The other Balrogs joined in, pounding their chests and letting out terrible roars.
“This is insane,” Zeke thought, struggling to adapt to their culture.
The Balrog facing Zeke spoke again. “Arrogant human, if you want to challenge the champion, you’ll have to defeat me first.”
It seemed the only way to challenge the champion was to climb the ranks through combat.
“How many more do I have to beat before I can face the champion?” Zeke asked.
The Balrog scoffed, baring his claws. “Do you really think you need to know that?”
With that, he lunged at Zeke.
Boom!
Zeke deftly sidestepped the charging Balrog’s attack with a swift movement technique.
Crash!
The arena shook from the impact of the Balrog’s missed strike.
The Balrog bared his teeth, breathing heavily as Zeke evaded his attack.
“Arrogant human!”
He enveloped his arm in dark energy, forming a massive gauntlet-like weapon.
“Die!”
With a fierce swing, the Balrog’s claws slashed through the space where Zeke had just been.
Zeke dodged again, weaving through the attacks with his agile movements.
Then, he closed in on the Balrog.
Whoosh!
Spinning his body, Zeke unleashed a powerful strike to the Balrog’s side.
Crack!
Zeke’s fist, charged with energy, landed squarely on the Balrog, sending him flying to the opposite side of the arena.
Boom!
The Balrog crashed into the wall, dazed and unable to recover.
“W-what is this…?”
Zeke stepped forward, pressing his foot against the Balrog’s chest, clenching his fists.
“Brace yourself.”
Thud, thud, thud!
Zeke’s fists rained down mercilessly on the fallen Balrog.
“Gah!”
As the Balrog struggled to regain his senses, Zeke grabbed one of his horns and swung his hand down.
Snap!
One horn shattered.
The Balrog, panicking, raised his hands. “W-wait!”
But Zeke showed no mercy. His hand came down again, breaking the remaining horn.
Snap!
With both horns gone, the Balrog screamed.
“No, it can’t be!”
All that remained of the Balrog was a pile of black ash.
The arena, once filled with the roars of the Balrogs, fell into a sudden, eerie silence.