Episode 202
The silence among the Balrogs didn’t last long.
ROOOAAARRR!
A beastly cheer erupted, shaking the entire arena.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
For the Balrogs, a warrior race, battle was the essence of life.
The sudden appearance of a human who had defeated their kin and was now challenging their champion was the ultimate entertainment for them.
Zeke stood there, dumbfounded by the Balrogs’ excitement over his victory.
“What on earth are these creatures?”
Where the defeated Balrog had turned to ash, a magic stone lay.
It was larger than the one he had acquired earlier.
Just then, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[Absorbing the Balrog’s magic stone will restore your spent energy.]
[Magic stones obtained from defeating stronger Balrogs grant more experience points.]
“Experience points from absorbing magic stones?”
Unlike orcs or elves, it seemed that Balrogs required direct absorption of magic stones to gain experience.
Zeke stored the large magic stone in his inventory and took out the smaller one he had obtained earlier.
“Absorb.”
As he willed the absorption, the light from the magic stone in his hand seeped into the mark on his chest.
[You have absorbed the Balrog’s magic stone and gained 100 experience points.]
[Your health and mana have been restored.]
“100 points?”
Even from a relatively weaker Balrog, the experience points were substantial.
Moreover, his health was restored, allowing him to face challengers consecutively.
Zeke shouted at the Balrogs, “I’ve come to challenge the champion! Bring out the champion!”
His provocation stirred the Balrogs watching from the sidelines.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Among them, a particularly large Balrog began to stride toward the arena.
[The Butcher!]
[The Butcher has appeared!]
A Balrog with a nickname among its kind was bound to be formidable.
The massive Balrog leaped into the arena without hesitation.
ROOOAAARRR!
True to its nature, it spread its wings wide and let out a thunderous roar.
It was even larger than the previous Balrog, standing at least four meters tall.
[Pathetic human. I’ll kill you and devour you!]
With that, the Butcher drew a massive sword from its back, seemingly crafted from the bones of a beast.
Zeke considered summoning Bahamut but decided to first face the creature with his Infinite Chain Technique.
BOOM!
The Butcher charged at Zeke, wielding the enormous bone sword.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
The bone sword, brimming with dark energy, swept across the arena floor toward Zeke.
BOOM!
The heavy bone sword obliterated the spot where Zeke had stood.
Using his Phantom Step, Zeke evaded the bone sword and slipped into the Butcher’s blind spot.
WHOOSH!
Simultaneously, Zeke unleashed a strike toward the Balrog.
BAM!
Though his attack landed squarely, the Butcher didn’t flinch.
The Butcher twitched its brow, glaring at Zeke.
[So, you’ve learned some cheap martial arts, human! How dare you toy with me!]
The Butcher swung the bone sword like a windmill, aiming for Zeke.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Unlike the precise spear techniques of Arataso, the Butcher’s sword was all brute force, but its speed and weight made it difficult to dodge.
Zeke steadied his breath, using his Phantom Step to evade the bone sword and look for an opening.
The Butcher raised the bone sword high and charged again.
[Die, human!]
Seizing the opportunity in the Butcher’s wide movements, Zeke charged forward.
SWISH!
Instead of a single powerful strike, Zeke delivered a series of precise, smaller attacks.
He relentlessly targeted the Butcher’s left knee with his strikes.
The Butcher sneered, swinging the bone sword.
[Those petty tricks don’t even tickle!]
WHOOSH!
Zeke narrowly dodged the bone sword.
He crouched and attacked the Butcher’s left knee again.
BAM!
As he grew accustomed to the attack, Zeke began to incorporate the subtleties of the Solar Golden Swordsmanship into his moves.
‘This is…’
After absorbing the skills of the Death Knight Louis Marchisio, Zeke realized that the Solar Swordsmanship, Agamemnon’s Golden Swordsmanship, and Lord Favre’s Infinite Chain Technique all shared the same roots.
Thus, as he executed the Infinite Chain Technique, the movements of the Solar Golden Swordsmanship naturally unfolded.
WHOOSH!
Zeke’s movements around the Butcher became increasingly fluid as he attacked.
The Butcher couldn’t keep up with Zeke’s swift maneuvers, swinging the bone sword at empty air.
BOOM!
The larger the Butcher’s movements, the more openings Zeke found to exploit.
Zeke combined the Infinite Chain Technique with the Resonant Wave, executing the Solar Golden Swordsmanship.
SWISH!
Zeke’s hand, imbued with the wave, sliced sharply at the Butcher’s left knee.
SLASH!
For the first time, the Butcher reacted to Zeke’s attack.
GRUNT!
THUD!
The Butcher’s left knee hit the ground.
Zeke didn’t stop there.
SWISH!
The essence of the Gale Technique lay in ‘distance.’
The key was to maintain a range where the opponent’s attacks couldn’t reach, while his own could.
When attacking, he closed the distance like a gale, and when evading, he retreated like a gale, widening the gap.
That was the essence of the Gale Technique.
‘I had so many skills that I never truly mastered the essence of each.’
Zeke finally understood what it meant for the hand to become a sword, and for the body itself to become a weapon, as described in the Infinite Chain Technique.
To become a Red Knight, one must reach the state of unity between sword and self.
Having broken through the barrier of the Red Knight, Zeke had felt what unity with the sword meant through experience, but had never seriously contemplated it.
With so many skills and techniques, he never had the luxury to focus on mastering one.
It was only when his abilities were sealed by the constraints of the Inverted Tower that he realized the true source of his power.
WHOOSH!
A wave emanated from Zeke’s entire body.
Sharp energy surged from his hands.
Zeke charged at the Butcher with incredible speed.
SLASH!
Agamemnon’s Golden Swordsmanship unfolded from Zeke’s hands.
As he turned, the Paladin’s Solar Swordsmanship followed.
Turning again, his feet executed the Northern Ranger’s martial arts.
All these movements happened in an instant.
SWISH!
GROAN!
The Butcher couldn’t keep up with Zeke’s relentless assault.
He swung the bone sword wildly.
ROAR!
Through the wave field surrounding him, Zeke felt his senses heightened.
The Butcher’s bone sword seemed to move in slow motion.
Zeke deftly dodged the bone sword.
Then he struck the flat of the bone sword with his fist.
CRACK!
With a light tap, the solid bone sword shattered into pieces. The Butcher roared at the sight of his broken weapon.
ROAR!
A massive surge of dark energy erupted from his body.
As if the bone sword had regrown, a massive sword of condensed dark energy flew at Zeke with the intent to cleave him in two.
To Zeke’s eyes, even this sword seemed frozen in time.
He summoned all his strength.
Soul Force
Will of Steel
Zeke focused the Will of Steel into his right arm.
At the same time, he concentrated the Resonant Wave.
He unleashed the Infinite Chain Technique toward the Butcher.
Agamemnon’s Golden Swordsmanship
Counter Technique
Majesty of the Golden Sword
Zeke’s hand became a sword, deflecting the Butcher’s attack.
The Infinite Chain Technique activated, and Zeke’s assault followed immediately.
Paladin Solar Swordsmanship
Secret Technique
Countercurrent Sword
Zeke’s hands curved like wings, striking the Butcher’s body.
BOOM!
The powerful wave struck the Butcher’s body, penetrating and vibrating the dark energy within.
GROAN!
The dark energy enveloping the Butcher dissipated as he staggered backward.
Zeke leaped into the air, aiming his hand at the Butcher’s horn.
Dragon Slayer Technique Application
Gale Technique Secret
Wind Slash
Zeke’s hand sliced cleanly through the Butcher’s horn.
ROAR!
The Butcher let out a final scream as he turned to ash.
Zeke landed gracefully in the arena.
Simultaneously, a message appeared before his eyes.
[You have mastered the special skill Infinite Chain Technique (S-rank).]
[The special skill ‘Solar Golden Swordsmanship (A-rank)’ has been absorbed into this skill.]
The stagnant special skill category had changed.
“Finally, the Infinite Chain Technique has been registered as a special skill.”
Having grasped the essence of the Infinite Chain Technique, the Solar Golden Swordsmanship, sharing the same roots, seemed to have been absorbed into it.
Zeke realized once more that his mastery had been incomplete until now.
“The skill’s effectiveness is undeniable, but perhaps I’ve relied on it too much. Even outside the tower, I must be wary of becoming complacent with my skills.”
Zeke believed he had found a clue to advancing beyond the rank of a Red Knight to a Black Knight.
Beyond the realm of perfect unity with the sword lay another domain.
He vowed once more to reach that domain.
As the Butcher fell at Zeke’s hands, the atmosphere among the Balrogs shifted dramatically.
“A human defeated the Butcher?”
“To bring down the Butcher… astonishing.”
The Butcher must have been a formidable opponent.
Then, it happened.
Rumble!
The arena where Zeke stood began to split in half.
A new arena floor emerged from below.
“What is this?”
The ground, once ordinary dirt, was now transformed. Sharp bones of monstrous beasts were embedded around the arena, and the walls bristled with blades.
The Balrogs grew excited once more.
“The Champion!”
“The Tyrant! The Tyrant has appeared!”
Soon, a high platform rose on one side of the arena.
Rumble!
A massive throne sat atop it, and someone was seated there.
The pinnacle of the arena, with horns longer and more imposing than any other Balrog.
The Champion had revealed himself.
Boom!
The Champion slowly rose from the throne.
Clad in black armor that enveloped his entire body, he wielded a red sword exuding a menacing aura.
He looked down at Zeke from his throne.
“So that’s the Champion. Not as large as I expected.”
Unlike the Butcher, this Balrog might rely on swift attacks.
Then, the Champion spoke.
“Human. Did you say you would challenge me?”
His eyes glowed red as he gazed at Zeke.
Suddenly, the Champion’s body began to swell.
“What?”
Crack!
In an instant, the Champion transformed into something entirely different.
Zeke was taken aback by the Champion’s new form.
“Is that… a dragon?”
The transformed Champion had become a massive beast resembling a dragon.
As the Champion revealed his true form, the Balrogs erupted in excitement.
“The Tyrant! The Tyrant!”
“Kill him! Kill the human!”
Zeke understood why the Balrogs called the Champion a Tyrant.
“At this point, can he even be considered a Balrog?”
Crack!
The fully transformed Tyrant bared his sharp teeth and claws at Zeke.
“I accept your challenge! But the price will be your life!”
The Tyrant soared into the air, opening his mouth wide.
Whoosh!
A massive dark energy gathered within the Tyrant’s maw.
Then, he unleashed a concentrated blast of magical power at Zeke.
Boom!
The powerful blast obliterated the spot where Zeke had stood.
“Ugh!”
Zeke swiftly evaded the Tyrant’s attack using his flight technique.
He steadied his breath, facing the Balrog-turned-dragon.
“A dragon, huh. On second thought, this might be a good thing.”
Zeke composed himself and retrieved Bahamut from his inventory.
Whoosh!
The familiar hum of the sword brought a sense of satisfaction.
He raised the sword, summoning his aura.
Crackle!
The amount of mana used for his aura was noticeably reduced.
“I’ve been wasting so much power until now.”
Zeke finally understood the advice Rex Turn had given him.
By focusing too intently on one thing, he couldn’t let go, and without letting go, he couldn’t take in anything new.
Zeke relaxed his grip on the sword, achieving a true understanding of the release technique he learned from Kaishir.
With a sudden clarity, Zeke opened his eyes and swung his sword at the airborne Tyrant.
Crackle!
The light swing of his sword grazed the Tyrant’s wing.
“Arrogant human…”
The enraged Tyrant’s body was enveloped in dark energy.
Boom!
He circled in the air before charging straight at Zeke.
It was like a black spear piercing the earth.
Zeke remained calm, gripping his sword and taking his stance.
He stepped forward, swinging his sword at the charging Tyrant.
Dragon Slayer Sword Technique
Second Form
Great Dragon Slash
The secret technique of the Dragon Slayer Sword was unleashed upon the Tyrant.