Episode 211
“So, if the S-rank skill, Dragon Sword Technique, evolves, it can become an even higher-grade skill.”
Not only that, but it also meant that his other special skills could evolve into more powerful forms.
As he pondered how to evolve the Dragon Sword Technique to a higher level, the space around Zeke began to shift.
Rumble!
The circular platform he stood on started to descend.
Rumble, rumble!
Thud!
The platform lowered, revealing a landscape entirely different from the 99th floor.
“Where am I?”
It looked like a fortress made of solid black bricks. Surprisingly, the walls were adorned with mounted Minotaur heads.
As Zeke took in the sight, a message appeared before him.
[You have reached the 100th floor, the final level of the Inverted Tower.]
[Congratulations on being the first to reach the end of the Inverted Tower.]
[Achievement unlocked. You have earned a reward.]
[You have gained 500 Karma Points.]
[Welcome to Creta Castle.]
“Creta Castle?”
Zeke recalled a story from the Sage of Tales about the hero Tyr, who was said to be the king of the Creta Kingdom.
As he surveyed the castle, he realized his hunch was correct.
“Is the hero Tyr going to appear here?”
The likelihood of finding Tyr’s shield here seemed higher.
Zeke moved through the corridor adorned with Minotaur decorations and entered deeper into the castle.
He opened a door to reveal a massive hall. At the far end, a high platform held a throne seemingly made from monster bones.
Seated on the throne was a figure wearing a horned helmet.
“To have reached this place, your abilities are truly remarkable.”
The figure, clad in northern-style armor and wielding a massive hammer, slowly rose from the throne.
Zeke recognized the figure’s identity.
“The hero Tyr.”
But something seemed off to Zeke.
“It looks like Tyr… but it’s a woman?”
In the legends, Tyr was depicted as a giant male hero. Yet, the Tyr before him was a woman, wielding a hammer instead of a sword or shield.
Tyr stepped forward, hammer in hand, and shouted.
“Warrior! Welcome to the Creta Royal Palace! Your incredible strength and unyielding will have brought you here! I shall test you myself!”
Boom!
Tyr charged at Zeke with the hammer.
Crash!
Leaping into the air, Tyr brought the hammer down on Zeke.
Smash!
The hammer, imbued with immense power, aimed straight for Zeke’s head.
Zeke quickly raised his sword, Bahamut, to block Tyr’s hammer.
Clang!
The clash of Tyr’s hammer and Bahamut sent shockwaves rippling outward.
Tyr exclaimed with admiration.
“That’s a fine sword! It’s the first to withstand my ‘Giant Slayer’!”
Tyr swung the hammer sideways at Zeke.
Crash!
The hammer carried the weight and force of a giant’s swing.
Zeke calmly deflected Tyr’s hammer, trying to divert its path.
Tyr grinned.
“Interesting! You wield your sword like that rascal, Shaton!”
Tyr adjusted her grip on the hammer and pressed the attack even harder.
Watching Tyr, Zeke felt a sense of familiarity, as if he were facing a past version of himself.
The relentless, powerful assault was reminiscent of his own fighting style.
“More, more! Let’s heat things up!”
True to the fiery nature of the Turn family ancestors, Tyr was relentless.
Zeke maintained his composure, blocking Tyr’s hammer and searching for an opening.
In a flash, Tyr slammed the hammer down and charged forward.
Zeke deflected the hammer and countered with his Infinite Chain Technique.
Slash!
Zeke’s sword aimed for Tyr’s side.
But then—
Whoosh!
Astonishingly, Zeke’s sword cut through empty air.
Tyr’s presence vanished, leaving no trace.
Suddenly, Tyr appeared behind Zeke.
Whoosh!
She swung the hammer at him.
“Ugh!”
Zeke narrowly evaded Tyr’s attack with his Phantom Step, rolling across the floor.
Crash!
The hammer obliterated the spot where Zeke had been.
Tyr didn’t stop, charging at Zeke again like a raging bull.
Zeke summoned an aura blade on his sword and launched an attack at Tyr.
Slash!
Tyr raised her hammer, effortlessly nullifying Zeke’s crescent strike.
“Crude but powerful, with clear attack points.”
Rex Turn, the head of the Turn family, was a warrior who maximized the blessed physical strength of the Turn lineage while mastering refined aura techniques.
In contrast, the hero Tyr lacked Rex Turn’s refinement but possessed a raw strength that more than compensated for it.
Tyr instinctively followed Zeke’s movements, relentlessly swinging her hammer.
Crash!
Watching Tyr’s tireless, heavy attacks, Zeke wondered if she, too, had an infinite stamina skill.
In the past, he might have matched Tyr’s fiery spirit with his own, but now his perspective on battle had evolved.
“Imbue the sword with will.”
Zeke blocked Tyr’s hammer, focusing his intent into his sword.
Hum!
Zeke naturally tapped into his full power, transforming himself into a divine warrior.
Clang!
Tyr felt Zeke’s sword, now even sturdier, clash with her hammer.
She grinned, adjusting her grip.
“Fascinating! Show me more of your strength!”
The Giant Slayer in Tyr’s hands roared in response.
A white light emanated from the hammer.
“What is that?”
Zeke realized the light from the hammer resembled the magic of light from Lubern.
Tyr raised the glowing hammer and charged at Zeke.
“Haah!”
With a powerful shout, Tyr’s hammer descended on Zeke like a bolt of lightning.
Zeke assumed the Dragon Slayer stance and charged at Tyr.
Dragon Sword Technique Secret Art
First Form
Sun and Moon Slash
The secret art of the Dragon Sword Technique unfolded from Zeke’s blade.
For the first time, he combined his full power with the Dragon Sword Technique.
Crack!
Zeke’s body, enhanced by divine power, unleashed an even stronger Sun and Moon Slash.
Tyr’s hammer and the Sun and Moon Slash collided, creating a massive shockwave.
Whoosh!
The wave rippled through the hall like a tidal wave.
Crack!
The walls cracked, and the ceiling crumbled under the force.
Zeke and Tyr were both thrown back, crashing into the walls.
Boom!
As they hit the walls, the floor and walls began to collapse even faster.
Tyr rose from the rubble, setting her hammer down and removing her helmet.
“For a young warrior to push me this far… truly impressive.”
Zeke also got to his feet.
Seeing Tyr’s face without the helmet, he was reminded of Reyna.
Tyr addressed Zeke.
“Young warrior, come here. I have many questions for you.”
Tyr gestured for Zeke to follow her through a door at the back of the hall.
Inside was a banquet hall.
A fire crackled in the fireplace, and a massive table stood in the center.
The table was laden with roasted calf, whole roast pig, and various other dishes and barrels of beer.
Tyr tossed her helmet aside, set down the Giant Slayer, and began drinking beer straight from the barrel.
“Whew! It’s been a while since I moved like that. I’m parched. By the way, I didn’t catch your name. What is it?”
“I’m Zeke Draker.”
“Draker? I thought as much when I saw your sword… So you’re a descendant of Shaton.”
She gestured for Zeke to sit.
“Zeke Draker, a remarkable warrior from across time. Sit and enjoy the food and drink. In Creta, it’s a great honor to offer fine food and drink to a worthy warrior.”
Zeke took the seat Tyr offered.
He accepted a leg of roast pig that Tyr had sliced off and handed to him.
Tyr had already cut off another leg and was devouring it whole.
“The hero Tyr. Her mannerisms are just like those crazy folks from Himonas.”
Zeke mused that the traditions of Creta, a kingdom on the northern continent, seemed to have carried over to Himonas, ruled by the northern duke.
After quickly finishing a pig leg, Tyr looked at Zeke.
“So, what kind of dragon contractor are you?”
Zeke was cutting into the pig leg when he responded to Tyr’s question.
“I’m not a dragon contractor.”
Tyr raised an eyebrow.
“Not a dragon contractor? That can’t be. While ordinary warriors can enter the tower, meeting me on the 100th floor requires certain conditions. One of them is entering the trial with the power of a dragon contractor, albeit limited.”
“Are you saying that only in Hell Mode can one meet you, Tyr?”
Tyr asked in return.
“What is Hell Mode?”
Tyr’s confident retort left Zeke momentarily flustered.
“Well, I mean… wasn’t it you who created this place, Tyr?”
Tyr shook her head.
“No, I merely provided the space and was tasked with selecting those who were worthy.”
“Then who did create it?”
In response, Tyr downed her beer in one swift motion, placing the empty glass back on the table with a satisfying thud. She wiped the foam from her lips with the back of her hand.
“Ahh!”
She let out a hearty burp, then looked at Zeke.
“There’s only one being capable of creating a place like this.”
Her eyes gleamed with a knowing light.
“An Elder Dragon.”
Zeke’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Are you saying an Elder Dragon built the Inverted Tower?”
“Yes, at the request of Chronos, it was constructed with the combined power of other Dragon Lords.”
Zeke pondered Tyr’s unexpected revelation, recalling the tower’s intricate system.
‘The Inverted Tower’s system shares many similarities with the administrator systems. Could other ancient sites also be the work of Elder Dragons?’
Tyr interrupted his thoughts with a question.
“If you’re not a dragon’s contractor, how did you manage to get here?”
Zeke explained his situation to Tyr.
“Though I’m not a dragon’s contractor, I possess abilities akin to one, thanks to an Elder Dragon relic that imprinted its essence onto my soul.”
Tyr’s eyes widened in surprise.
“An Elder Dragon’s essence imprinted on your soul? Is that even possible?”
“I believe it’s because I discovered an Elder Dragon relic hidden in the Ice Mountains.”
Zeke retrieved a dragon statue from his inventory.
“Have you ever seen this before?”
Tyr examined the statue carefully.
“Hmm, this is…”
“Have you seen it before?”
After a moment of contemplation, Tyr shook her head.
“No, this is new to me.”
Zeke was taken aback by her response.
‘A relic even the legendary Tyr doesn’t recognize?’
Tyr continued to inspect the statue.
“I may not know what this relic is, but I can tell what it’s made of.”
She tapped the statue with her fingers.
“This is made of adamantium.”
Zeke furrowed his brow.
“Adamantium? I’ve never heard of such a metal.”
The most precious metal known was orichalcum, often called the metal of the gods. Adamantium was an entirely unfamiliar name.
Tyr nodded.
“That’s not surprising. Even I’ve never seen it in person before.”
“You’ve never seen it either? What kind of material is it, then?”
Tyr spoke slowly.
“Adamantium is known as the ‘Godslayer Stone.’”
“A stone that can kill gods?”
“Yes. It’s said to be the only material capable of nullifying the power of the constellations.”
“Nullifying the power of the constellations? Is that even possible?”
“According to legend, in the past, when the constellations could interfere with the mortal realm, a warrior wielding weapons made of Godslayer Stone roamed the world, slaying constellations that meddled too much in human affairs.”
“Slaying constellations? A Godslayer, then?”
“Exactly. The legend says that the warrior killed so many constellations that he eventually became something beyond human.”
“Beyond human…?”
Tyr spoke with a grave tone.
“He became the king of the fallen constellations.”