Episode 205
“Take this!”
The Fisher Knight hurled his net with all his might at the monstrous beast.
Whoosh!
The tightly woven net shot towards the creature, moving as if it were alive, wrapping around the beast’s limbs.
Roar!
The minotaur-like monster stumbled as it got caught in the net, and the Fisher Knight leaped into the air, driving his spear through its neck.
Flash!
The beast struck by the spear disintegrated into ashes.
The Fisher Knight gathered his net and slung it over his shoulder, then turned to face the remaining creatures, spear at the ready.
“Foul beasts! Do you think you can escape the shining spear of Reyes, the most honorable knight of Chronos?”
He raised his spear high, his voice booming.
“Behold the gleaming helmets and sturdy armor! The sharp, scale-like spearheads! Witness the majesty of these brave knights who quench their thirst with the blood of monsters and lull themselves to sleep with their screams!”
Arataso, listening to Reyes’ proclamation, chuckled derisively.
[He tries to mimic the rhythm of a sonnet without understanding it. If it were me, I’d refine the meter for a touch of elegance…]
‘Arataso, enough with the pointless comments.’
Reyes, one of the Clock Tower’s knights, was renowned not only for his prowess with the spear but also as a celebrated bard. His epic poems and sonnets about the Hero King were still popular among the nobility and knights of the central region.
Zeke, observing Reyes, marveled at hearing the famous sonnets firsthand.
‘Is this really the spirit of Reyes? Who could have created this tower to preserve the spirits of the Clock Tower’s knights?’
If Reyes’ spirit remained, it was possible that other knights’ spirits were also present.
‘Perhaps even the spirit of the Hero Tyr is here. This might be a good opportunity to inquire about the relic-like shield.’
As Zeke pondered this, watching Reyes ensnare and slay the beasts, he sensed an ominous presence approaching.
Arataso, sensing it too, spoke first.
[This is the aura of the Tumah tribe.]
Boom!
The forest trembled as something massive approached.
Roar!
A giant beast resembling a yeti charged forward, but what was truly astonishing was the figure riding atop it.
Clad in solid black armor, with red eyes gleaming beneath a helmet, the rider held chains wrapped around the beast’s neck, glaring down at Reyes.
[How dare a human enter this place? Are you seeking your own death?]
Thanks to the system’s translation, Zeke understood the demon’s words, though Reyes seemed oblivious to their meaning.
Swinging his net, Reyes shouted defiantly.
“At last, you reveal yourself, demon! Those eyes, like the flames of purgatory! Ominous! Blasphemous!”
The demon leaped from the beast’s head, landing with a thud.
Zeke, holding his breath, assessed the Tumah tribe’s strength.
‘Strong. At least on par with a Red Knight. Arataso, how does this demon rank among its kind?’
Arataso replied dismissively, ‘For a low-tier demon, it’s quite strong.’
Zeke frowned at Arataso’s response. Low-tier demons could enter the physical realm without restrictions, meaning that if a gate opened, hundreds or thousands of such powerful beings could pour through.
‘It’s astonishing that they were held back during the Hero King’s time and the Liberation War.’
The low-tier demon, eyeing Reyes, raised its hands to its chest.
Snap!
Black blades extended from its wrists.
[For the crime of defiling this realm, you shall pay with your life.]
In an instant, the demon vanished, leaving only an afterimage.
“What?!”
Startled, Reyes unfurled his net.
Whoosh!
The net spread wide across the ground.
Swoosh!
The demon, leaving a trail of afterimages, leaped over the net, descending upon Reyes with its sword.
Crash!
The demon’s sword clashed with Reyes’ spear, sending shockwaves in all directions.
The armored demon retreated with surprising agility.
Reyes’ expression was grave, and Zeke realized he had sustained internal injuries.
‘Arataso, is that demon using a resonance technique?’
Arataso chuckled, ‘A low-tier demon using resonance? Hardly. It’s merely imitating martial techniques. Though it’s more advanced than human aura techniques.’
Despite Arataso’s arrogance, Zeke couldn’t act rashly without his sacred skills.
‘Is this demon strong for a low-tier?’
‘Hmm, considering it’s from the Tumah tribe, yes. Demons vary greatly; some use magic or sorcery, and higher-tier ones wield bizarre techniques depending on their master’s power.’
While Zeke conversed with Arataso, the demon relentlessly attacked Reyes.
“Ugh!”
As Reyes tried to retreat, the beast blocked his path.
Roar!
Seeing Reyes besieged from both sides, Zeke stood up.
‘Even if he’s a spirit, I should help. He might be useful.’
Drawing Bahamut, Zeke charged at the beast accompanying the demon.
Whoosh!
His aura-infused sword sliced through the beast’s leg.
Screech!
The beast howled in agony.
Zeke wrapped a chain around the beast’s other leg with his left arm.
Crunch!
The beast, its movements restricted, struggled to break free but couldn’t escape the soul-binding technique.
Screech!
Zeke yanked the chain, pulling the beast down.
“Take this!”
He assumed the Dragon Slayer stance and swung his sword at the beast’s head.
Dragon Slayer Technique
Chapter 7, Verse 2
Dragon Head Thrust
The powerful strike pierced the beast’s head.
Thud!
The unexpected attack felled the beast.
Reyes, surprised by Zeke’s sudden appearance, exclaimed.
“By the gods! Shaton, the Noble Knight! I knew you’d come to my aid!”
Zeke was taken aback by Reyes’ words.
‘Shaton? Does he think I’m the Sword Saint?’
Reyes approached Zeke, taking a stance.
“Behold, demons of blue blood! Witness the swords and spears of the shining knights! Let nobility dispel the darkness that shrouds this land!”
Reyes prepared to hurl his net, while the demon, seeing its fallen beast, glared coldly at the two.
It took a step forward.
Suddenly, something emerged from the demon’s armor.
Snap!
Four black blades extended like insect legs.
Boom!
A sinister aura emanated from the demon, a mix of demonic energy and martial technique.
Arataso, astonished, spoke.
‘What? Six Demon Martial Arts? I thought that technique was lost in the demon realm, yet here it is in the physical realm.’
Zeke asked, ‘Do you know this technique, Arataso?’
‘It’s a rather complex martial art for a low-tier demon.’
Before Arataso could finish, the demon moved.
Whoosh!
The demon, faster than before, circled Zeke and Reyes, leaving afterimages.
Whoosh!
The more the demon ran, the faster it became. Arataso shouted.
‘Six Demon Martial Arts is a speed technique! If you don’t stop it now, it’ll get even faster!’
Hearing Arataso, Zeke stepped forward with Bahamut.
Clang!
Simultaneously, a chain shot from Zeke’s left hand.
Whoosh!
The demon, not just fast but agile, dodged the chain and charged at Zeke.
Whoosh!
In an instant, four blades whirled towards Zeke.
Bang!
Zeke retreated, using his sword to unleash a resonance wave.
Buzz!
The wave from Zeke’s body shook the space, deflecting the demon’s attack.
Crunch!
The demon’s black blades scraped past Bahamut’s blade, then redirected towards Reyes.
Whoosh!
The four blades, now even faster, descended upon Reyes.
Seeing this, Zeke lunged forward, a look of dismay on his face.
‘Damn, I’m too late.’
At that moment, Reyes faced the oncoming demon, his armor suddenly shimmering.
Clink!
The surface of Reyes’ armor bristled like scales.
Swish!
Countless scales shot towards the charging demon.
The demon, charging at an incredible speed, couldn’t avoid the barrage of scales shot from close range and collided head-on.
Crack!
Despite deploying the four blades sprouting from its back and the ones extending from its arms to block the scales, there were simply too many to fend off completely.
Sharp scales embedded themselves into the demon’s limbs.
“Argh!”
The demon let out a pained cry and staggered before collapsing on the spot.
Immediately, Reyes rushed forward and cast a net over the fallen demon.
Whoosh!
The net wrapped around the demon, restraining its movements.
Reyes grinned triumphantly. “Got you, you fiend!”
But then, the demon’s eyes began to glow a fiery red.
A low hum filled the air.
Zeke sensed a dangerous energy emanating from the demon’s body.
“It’s going to self-destruct.”
In a flash, Zeke hurled his sword, imbued with the power of Resonant Force, at the fallen demon.
Whizz!
The sword, Bahamut, pierced the demon’s heart just as it was about to unleash its destructive magic.
Thud—
The demon let out a final gasp, blue blood oozing from its body, and the violent energy subsided.
Soon, the demon’s body crumbled into ash.
“Phew.”
Thanks to his infinite stamina skill, Zeke felt far less fatigued.
He took a deep breath and approached Reyes.
“Knight of the Fishermen, Reyes.”
Reyes removed his helmet, revealing a man with long hair and a beard.
Remarkably, Reyes looked just like the legends described.
Reyes spread his arms wide and embraced Zeke.
“Shaton Draker! Noble knight! I knew you were a man of honor.”
For some reason, Reyes seemed to mistake Zeke for Shaton Draker.
‘Is it because I used the True Dragon Sword Technique and he thinks I’m the Sword Saint?’
Reyes patted Zeke on the shoulder, laughing as he retrieved the net.
“Ever since Kaishir left, it feels like we’ve all lost something. Even Tyr went back to Creta.”
Listening to Reyes, Zeke realized they were in the aftermath of the Hero King Kaishir’s departure to the Fairy Realm.
Zeke decided to play along with Reyes.
“Reyes, I came here worried about you, but why did you come to this place?”
Reyes looked at Zeke and replied, “Someone had to come. Even if we once crossed swords with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Dark Elves. They were our enemies, yes. But that doesn’t mean we can just ignore them being sacrificed to summon demons.”
Zeke was taken aback by this unexpected revelation.
“The Dark Elves are being sacrificed to summon demons?”
Feigning ignorance, Zeke asked Reyes again.
“You’re not wrong, but… who used them as sacrifices to summon demons?”
Reyes gave Zeke a puzzled look and said, “Are you feeling alright today? You were the one who discovered the Dark Elves were being sacrificed.”
As Zeke, not the real Shaton, he had no idea about this.
Reyes gritted his teeth and continued, “It’s hard to believe, but Siemens dabbled in forbidden magic and ended up joining forces with the orcs to summon demons.”
Reyes spoke with a heavy heart.
“To think we’d pay the price for ignoring Bahamut’s warning like this.”