Episode 210
“Siemens Apollyon?”
Zeke had never heard that name before. It wasn’t surprising, given that no knight by that name existed in the Clock Tower’s records.
Seeing Zeke’s puzzled expression, Shaton nodded as if he understood.
“It seems my plan was successful if you don’t recognize the name Siemens Apollyon.”
“What plan are you referring to?”
Shaton continued, his expression turning serious.
“I erased Siemens’ name from the history of Chronos.”
Zeke now understood why Siemens’ name had vanished from the ranks of the Clock Tower knights.
“Did Siemens Apollyon betray Chronos?”
Shaton nodded.
“He was the disciple of the great sage and the adopted son of the Hero King, Kaisir. He was dearly loved by him.”
“Kaisir had an adopted son?”
Zeke was surprised to learn that the stern Kaisir had taken someone under his wing.
“Siemens assumed that once Kaisir departed, the throne of Chronos would naturally pass to him. But the Hero King made a different choice.”
“He passed the throne to the Sword Saint.”
Shaton swallowed hard before continuing.
“It was difficult to understand his decision, but I chose to follow it. Siemens, however, could not.”
“Did he try to seize the throne?”
“Yes, he betrayed his mentor, his comrades, and even his contracted dragon to become the king of Chronos.”
“Is it even possible to betray a dragon, a soul-bound partner?”
Shaton frowned.
“He forced the dragon to sacrifice itself for him. Siemens imprisoned the dragon and committed the atrocity of transferring its heart into his own body.”
Shaton went on.
“Siemens Apollyon became a unique being, wielding the Hero King’s sword and the sage’s magic, with the heart of a complete dragon.”
Zeke’s jaw dropped.
“Are you saying Siemens Apollyon could wield the Elemental Sword?”
Shaton was the one surprised this time.
“How do you know about the Elemental Sword?”
Zeke hesitated before speaking slowly.
“Actually… I inherited it. The Elemental Sword of Kaisir.”
Shaton’s eyes widened in shock, more so than when he learned Zeke was the successor of the Sword Saint.
Zeke recounted how he had found Kaisir’s resting place and received the Elemental Sword directly from his spirit.
Shaton sighed and nodded.
“It was worth the effort to create that place with Chronos. To think the Hero King’s legacy would continue two thousand years later.”
“But if what you said is true, didn’t Siemens Apollyon also learn the Elemental Sword?”
Shaton shook his head.
“No one could master the Elemental Sword, not even Siemens Apollyon. He inherited all other secrets of the Hero King, but not the Elemental Sword.”
Zeke began to understand why Kaisir had been so particular about passing down the Elemental Sword.
He asked Shaton again.
“With such immense power, how did you manage to stop Siemens Apollyon and drive him out of Chronos?”
Shaton gazed into the distance, recalling the past, before speaking again.
“That was one of Siemens’ downfalls. He was too confident in his power. With the dragon’s strength, the Hero King’s secrets, and the sage’s magic at his disposal, he was like a constellation from legend. He didn’t hesitate to instill fear in knights and soldiers, advancing on the castle and turning his blade against old comrades.”
“All the heroes of Chronos must have fought against Siemens Apollyon.”
“Not only that, but he also incurred the wrath of the dragons.”
Zeke nodded.
Imprisoning a soul-bound dragon and stealing its heart would not have gone unnoticed by the other dragons.
Shaton continued his explanation.
“After his failed attempt to seize the throne and being expelled from Chronos, Siemens fled to the territory of the orcs, our enemies.”
“He allied with the enemy, then.”
“Yes, and there he delved into forbidden magic, seeking a way to defeat the dragons.”
“Is that why he summoned the demons?”
“Exactly. The orcs, being followers of the ‘Riders of Blood and Madness,’ were eager participants in the summoning ritual. Siemens sacrificed the neutral dark elves to summon the demons, then deceived them into believing humans had killed the elves, drawing them to his side.”
Zeke was appalled by Siemens Apollyon’s atrocities.
“Now that I think about it, the current Siemens isn’t much different.”
Deceiving, stealing, and reaching for forbidden power for his own desires. The only difference was that the current Siemens conducted these acts in secrecy.
Shaton looked at Zeke and spoke.
“Siemens Apollyon’s ambition knew no bounds, and he eventually summoned the Demon King to the mortal realm.”
In the end, human greed had invited the invasion of the Demon King’s army, threatening the world’s destruction.
Shaton’s expression was somber.
“Many comrades were lost in that war.”
Zeke realized how the war with the Demon King’s army had come to be.
“Because of Siemens Apollyon’s ambition, the prophecy of destruction continues even two thousand years later.”
Judging by the earlier conversation, it seemed the current spectral Shaton hadn’t heard Chronos’ prophecy of destruction yet.
At that moment, Shaton spoke again.
“Time is running short.”
He looked at Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, your sword holds too much.”
Shaton continued.
“Have you mastered all the principles of the True Dragon Sword Technique?”
“Yes, though there are many parts I don’t understand.”
Zeke replied, a bit embarrassed, and asked Shaton about terms like ‘small circulation’ and ‘large circulation.’
Shaton studied Zeke for a moment before shaking his head.
“You don’t need to worry about those terms.”
“Is that really okay?”
“For a swordsman of your level, basic aura techniques are meaningless. Moreover, it seems using aura through the lower dantian doesn’t suit you.”
Zeke was astonished by Shaton’s immediate understanding of his condition.
“That’s right. I couldn’t open my lower dantian, so I had to find another way to master the True Dragon Sword Technique.”
Shaton nodded.
“All things return to one. I referenced many sources to create the True Dragon Sword Technique. The endless wisdom of dragons, the secret arts of elves, and even the mysterious successors from the Eastern Continent. I didn’t shy away from studying the power of demons.”
Zeke nodded in understanding.
“You studied the demons’ martial techniques.”
Shaton was surprised and impressed by Zeke’s knowledge.
“To know about martial techniques… impressive.”
Zeke lightly activated his energy resonance, sending out a wave.
Shaton watched with interest.
“To replicate the demons’ method so precisely. As a human, I couldn’t handle mana that way, so I had to find another method.”
“Is that how you developed the aura cultivation technique?”
“Yes. Even before that, humans naturally accumulated mana in their bodies to wield extraordinary power. Tyr was one such example. I observed heroes like Tyr, who wielded transcendent power, to find their common traits. I wanted to discover a way for everyone to learn such power through effort. That was the aura cultivation technique through the lower dantian.”
“But isn’t it still limited since only those with the swordsman class can awaken aura and open the lower dantian?”
Shaton frowned at Zeke’s words.
“Awaken aura and open the lower dantian? What are you talking about?”
“That’s how we’ve been taught…”
Zeke explained how knights in the current era cultivated aura.
Shaton’s face twisted in disbelief.
“That’s completely backward! You should first gather energy in the lower dantian through breathing, then circulate it to let the body sense aura. My goodness, recite the principles of the True Dragon Sword Technique you learned.”
Zeke recited the principles passed down to Terracan Draker.
After hearing it all, Shaton trembled with frustration.
“Bahamut! He skipped the entire beginning! Well, dragons can accumulate mana just by breathing, so they probably thought the beginning was unnecessary. Dragons are the wisest beings, yet sometimes they make mistakes like this because they’re too exceptional.”
After venting for a while, Shaton calmed down and explained the original principles of the aura cultivation technique he had developed.
The problem was that Zeke couldn’t open his lower dantian, so he could only listen to Shaton’s explanation without practicing it himself.
“I’ll have to remember this and test it with the Black Sword Knights.”
After passing on the correct aura cultivation technique, Shaton looked at Zeke and asked.
“How many have reached the level of Sword Master these days?”
“These days, they don’t use the term ‘Sword Master’ anymore. They call them ‘Black Knights.’ Across the entire continent, there are fewer than twenty.”
“Black Knights? That’s a new one. So, there are twenty Sword Masters… How many Grand Masters are there?”
“Well, there are only Black Knights. There’s some variation among them, but none have reached the level of a Grand Master.”
Hearing this, Shaton’s expression turned somber as he addressed Zeke.
“Zeke Draker, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“I need you to find the place where the True Dragon Sword Technique insights left by my original self are hidden. It could help you surpass the level of a Sword Master and reach that of a Grand Master. It won’t be a loss for you. And share those insights with others as well.”
Just then, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
―Achievement Quest―
[Find the hidden cave containing the insights of Sword Saint Shaton Draker.]
[Quest Mission Reward: The final insights of the Sword Saint]
A quest window suddenly popped up.
Zeke checked the map for the location of the Sword Saint’s cave and was taken aback.
“This… it’s in the Forest of the Forgotten.”
The insights of the Sword Saint were hidden in the Forest of the Forgotten, where his former master, Nigel, resided.
As he pondered what to do, the Sword Saint looked at Zeke and spoke.
“It seems my time is up. Let me tell you one last thing.”
His form began to fade, becoming increasingly transparent.
Shaton left his final words.
“Always be wary of the power of dragons. It’s a force too dangerous for humans to wield. Humans must rise with their own strength.”
With those words, Shaton gradually vanished.
Just like with Hoshgar, the recording of his spirit form had ended.
At that moment, another message appeared.
[You have been acknowledged by Shaton Draker, the Sword Saint and guardian of the 99th floor.]
[Your understanding of aura manipulation has increased through the aura cultivation method directly taught by Sword Saint Shaton Draker.]
[As a reward, a new constitution has been granted to you.]
[You have acquired the constitution ‘Sword Soul Body.’]
“Sword Soul Body?”
It had been a while since he gained a new constitution.
With anticipation, Zeke checked the details of the Sword Soul Body.
―Constitution Information―
Sword Soul Body: Enhances understanding of the sword itself. Allows comprehension of the sword’s intent and accelerates mastery of swordsmanship.
Simultaneously, more messages appeared.
[Due to the influence of the Sword Soul Body, the proficiency of the special skill Gale Force has increased.]
[Due to the influence of the Sword Soul Body, the proficiency of the special skill Infinite Chain Strike has increased.]
[The special skill Gale Force has combined with the special skill True Dragon Sword Technique.]
[The proficiency of the special skill True Dragon Sword Technique has increased.]
[The proficiency of the special skill True Dragon Sword Technique has reached the expert level.]
[Based on your enlightenment, the True Dragon Sword Technique can evolve into a higher-grade special skill.]
“Skill evolution?”