Episode 209
“A legendary item?”
Zeke had received system rewards countless times, but this was the first time he’d seen such a phrase.
He quickly checked the ring’s details.
― Ring Information ―
Description: A powerful magic ring left by an Elder Dragon for Solomon, the King of Carcosa.
Unique Power: Sealing
Special Feature: Can seal and control demons. (Capable of sealing up to rank 72)
Zeke was taken aback by the information.
“A ring gifted by an Elder Dragon? And it’s not just a power, but a unique ability?”
A ring capable of sealing and controlling fallen celestial demons. It was an artifact of unprecedented rarity.
Stunned by Solomon’s ring, Zeke turned to Arataso.
“Arataso, have you ever heard of Solomon’s ring? A ring that can seal and control demons.”
Arataso replied in a skeptical tone.
[I’ve never heard of it. A ring that can seal demons? How could one possibly seal and control beings that transcend the laws of the world? It’s absurd.]
Even Arataso seemed unfamiliar with the artifact.
“Hmm, then have you heard of a kingdom called Carcosa?”
Zeke’s question made Arataso pause in thought before responding.
[Carcosa… It sounds vaguely familiar.]
“Do you know it or not?”
Zeke pressed, and Arataso replied with a hint of irritation.
[There are too many human kingdoms and cities, and they change too quickly to remember them all! Carcosa… I think I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure.]
As Zeke and Arataso bickered, a new message appeared.
[You have cleared all hidden stages.]
[The structure of the trial grounds is being normalized.]
[A portal to the 99th floor is opening.]
Vwoooom!
A portal appeared before Zeke.
He stepped into it slowly.
The landscape of the demon realm vanished in an instant, replaced by an entirely different place.
‘Where is this?’
It resembled the Tomb of the Dragon Slayer or Kaishir’s Sanctuary, places he had visited before.
The difference was that this space was a vast, empty circle with nothing else in it.
Zeke looked around the circular area, puzzled.
“Is this… a training ground?”
Just then, he sensed an unfamiliar presence behind him.
He quickly turned, stepping back to face the figure.
A silhouette cloaked in black, with a hood obscuring its face, stood there.
Despite the figure’s small and slender build, Zeke couldn’t let his guard down.
‘No openings.’
Zeke, who had reached the pinnacle of the Red Knight, sensed an extraordinary aura from the swordsman before him.
Without a word, he drew the sword at his waist.
Shing!
The sword the swordsman held was of a peculiar design.
Shorter than an arming sword, with a narrower blade.
‘I’ve never seen a sword like that before.’
In an instant, the swordsman vanished.
Snap!
Reappearing behind Zeke, the swordsman swung the sword at him.
Whoosh!
Zeke blocked the sword and stepped back to regain his stance.
Gripping Bahamut with both hands, Zeke lowered his body.
Whoosh!
The swordsman moved first, closing in on Zeke’s side.
Clang!
‘The sword is heavy.’
Despite its thin blade, it was surprisingly weighty.
Even Zeke struggled to fend off the relentless barrage of strikes from all directions.
Boom!
To change the flow, Zeke stepped forward, unleashing a wave of force with his technique.
The swordsman somersaulted lightly, landing gracefully on the ground.
Every movement was as fluid as water.
‘Even when our swords clash, it feels like cutting through water.’
It meant the opponent was perfectly deflecting his attacks.
Zeke had only felt this way twice before.
‘Master Kaishir, and Master Nigel.’
One was a legendary hero king, the other a guardian who had protected the forbidden realm for centuries.
Zeke realized the swordsman before him was on par with them.
‘At least a Black Knight level.’
Watching the swordsman, Zeke thought he knew who this was.
‘Sword Saint Shaton Draker.’
Zeke assumed the stance of the Dragon Slayer technique towards Shaton Draker.
Shaton flinched at Zeke’s posture, then raised his sword again.
Simultaneously, Zeke and Shaton charged at each other.
Snap! Crackle!
In an instant, their swords clashed dozens of times.
The exchange of blows was too fast for the eye to follow.
Zeke couldn’t help but admire as he matched swords with Shaton.
‘Now I understand why he’s called the Sword Saint.’
The swordsman spoke softly as he looked at Zeke.
“A sword is merely an extension of the hand. Don’t become too attached to the sword itself.”
Zeke realized his words resonated with the essence of the Infinite Chain Resolution left by Sir Fab, the Arc Paladin.
Whoosh!
The Sword Saint swung his sword as naturally as breathing.
Yet, the sword carried a weight as if it held the power of mountains and tidal waves.
Crash!
Zeke, who had been parrying the Sword Saint’s strikes, suddenly found himself unable to deflect the impact and was pushed back.
Each time he blocked, his entire body tingled. Even without using his force technique, the sword carried a subtle vibration.
Unlike Zeke, who could use various skills and techniques, Shaton Draker had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship through sheer dedication to the sword.
‘I thought Sword King Bernas was a monster… but he doesn’t compare to the Sword Saint.’
Shaton raised his sword again, looking at Zeke.
Zeke, seeing Shaton’s challenge, gritted his teeth and raised Bahamut.
“Hoo!”
Zeke steadied his breath and assumed the Dragon Slayer stance once more.
Vwoooom!
The air around them stilled, and time seemed to slow.
It was as if the world had stopped, leaving only Zeke and Shaton.
The two extended their senses, feeling each subtle movement, engaging in an invisible battle.
Zeke infused his will into Bahamut.
The once-roaring Bahamut’s blade quieted.
In that moment, Zeke charged at Shaton.
Snap!
In the world where time had stopped, only Shaton reacted to Zeke’s movement, shifting his body.
Zeke’s sword grazed Shaton’s hood.
Simultaneously, Shaton’s sword swung at Zeke from a blind spot.
Screech!
Zeke blocked and deflected Shaton’s sword, spinning to target Shaton’s side with the Dragon Slayer technique.
Dragon Slayer Technique: Dragon Scale Slash
Zeke’s sword pierced sharply.
But astonishingly, Shaton sheathed his sword in the midst of it.
He focused his energy with the sword in its sheath.
In an instant, light flashed from his sheath as the sword was drawn.
Dragon Slayer Technique: Variant Form
Heaven Reversal
The swift sword, capable of overturning the heavens, shattered Zeke’s Dragon Scale Slash and struck his body.
Boom!
Zeke, hit squarely by Shaton’s strike, was sent flying into a wall.
“Ugh!”
Without a healing factor to quickly recover from the impact, Zeke endured the pain and struggled to his feet.
He stood, gripping Bahamut, swaying slightly.
Then Shaton Draker spoke, looking at Zeke.
“You’ve used a variant of the Dragon Slayer technique. Did you learn the sword technique I left behind?”
Despite his frail appearance, Shaton’s voice carried significant weight.
It was the same voice Zeke had heard when conversing with Bahamut in a previously recorded message.
Zeke, having barely regained his composure, looked at him and spoke.
“Greetings, Sword Saint. My name is Zeke Draker, your distant descendant and the one who holds the title of ‘Sword Saint’s Successor.’”
Shaton Draker was visibly surprised by Zeke’s words.
He approached Zeke and slowly removed his hood.
Zeke was shocked to see Shaton Draker’s face.
‘A child?’
He looked about fifteen, with a youthful face and tousled ash-gray hair.
Shaton spoke to Zeke.
“To think the Dragon Slayer technique was passed down to my distant descendant. It seems Bahamut kept his promise.”
Zeke nodded at Shaton’s words.
“Bahamut passed the Dragon Slayer technique to his contractor, Terracan Draker. He organized it into the ‘Dragon Slayer Art,’ which has been passed down to this day.”
Shaton’s eyes widened at Zeke’s explanation.
“Bahamut made a contract with a human?”
He looked utterly incredulous.
Zeke nodded and continued.
“Yes. He even had a child with his contractor.”
Shaton’s eyes widened further.
“My goodness.”
He trembled, as if hearing a terrifying story he shouldn’t have.
After calming himself, he spoke.
“The Ruler of Dusk made a contract with a human, fell in love, and even had a child… It’s unbelievable.”
Shaton Draker had entrusted the Dragon Slayer technique to Bahamut personally.
Seeing Shaton’s reaction, Zeke asked him.
“Is it so shocking that Bahamut made a contract with a human?”
Shaton replied, looking at Zeke.
“Bahamut didn’t just dislike humans; he despised them. He even proposed gathering all the Dragon Lords to stop making contracts with humans and to imprison any dragon that did until their human partner died.”
“It seems Bahamut really despised humans.”
The fact that Bahamut, who once harbored such hatred, had sacrificed himself for humans and left behind his dragon heart and fangs was nothing short of astonishing.
Schatten nodded in response to Zeke’s comment.
“Yes, Bahamut was captured by humans as a hatchling and nearly killed. Being the last of the Shadow Dragons, it caused quite a stir. Shadow Dragons are known for their prickly nature, but after that incident, Bahamut’s hatred for humans must have run deep.”
This was news to Zeke.
“Almost killed by humans, huh? No wonder. But even knowing that, he still made such a request?”
Zeke shook his head in disbelief, recalling how Kaishir had once told him about personally hunting down dragon slayers who targeted hatchlings.
“Humans back then were fearless. How did they think they could withstand a dragon’s wrath?”
Schatten turned to Zeke with a question.
“Zeke Draker, my distant descendant. How much time has passed outside?”
Zeke calculated the time using the Chronos calendar he had shared with Kaishir.
“In Chronos years… it’s 2124. Over two thousand years have passed since your time.”
Zeke had been fifteen when he met Kaishir, and now, at nineteen, four years had passed.
Schatten was taken aback by Zeke’s words.
“Two thousand years… I was prepared for this when I left my spirit record, but hearing it is still a shock.”
As Zeke suspected, like Hoshgar, past figures seemed to be anchored here in a spiritual state.
“I also met Sir Reyes, the Fisher Knight of the Clock Tower.”
Schatten nodded at Zeke’s mention.
“Reyes. A remarkable knight and a dear friend. He sacrificed his life to save his comrades on the battlefield. I hope his honorable sacrifice is still remembered two thousand years later.”
Zeke picked up on the word “battlefield” in Schatten’s words.
“Did you leave your spirit record after the war with the Demon King’s army?”
Schatten nodded.
“Yes, many were lost on that battlefield.”
“Was it after you gave Bahamut the Chronos clock?”
“Clock? What is that?”
From Schatten’s response, it seemed he had left his spirit record before the meeting with Bahamut that Zeke had witnessed.
Schatten shook his head dismissively and changed the subject.
“I heard from other records here that Siemens used dark elves as sacrifices to summon demons.”
“Indeed. After being exiled from Chronos, he allied with orcs and dabbled in forbidden magic to summon demons.”
“Is this Siemens from a family of mages?”
Schatten looked at Zeke with a puzzled expression.
“Family? What do you mean?”
“What? I mean…”
“Siemens is a person’s name. A disciple of the great sage and the first of the Clock Tower knights to fall from grace.”
Schatten continued, looking at Zeke.
“Siemens Apollyon.”