Episode 214
“Zeke Draker.”
The moment Zeke emerged from the Trials of Struggle, he found himself face-to-face with Rex Turn, who seemed to have been waiting for him.
As Zeke approached, Rex Turn spoke up.
“Have you seen the end of the trials?”
Zeke nodded in response to Rex’s question. “Yes. I’ve passed all the tests, right down to the 100th floor, the deepest level.”
Rex Turn’s eyebrows twitched at Zeke’s words. The other administrators, too, held their breath, eyes fixed on Zeke.
Zeke couldn’t quite read what was going through Rex Turn’s mind.
“Conquering the tower… I don’t know if it’ll be a blessing or a curse, but… let’s see how this plays out.”
Zeke knelt on one knee, adopting a respectful posture as he addressed Rex Turn.
“I have something to say to you, Lord Rex Turn, head of the Turn family.”
Taking a deep breath, Zeke continued, “Upon reaching the deepest level of the Trials of Struggle, I uncovered a remarkable secret of the Turn family.”
Rex Turn’s thick eyebrows twitched again at this revelation.
“What do you mean by that?”
Zeke reached into his inventory and pulled out the ‘Giant Slayer’s Manual,’ handing it to Rex Turn.
“This is the manual of the God of War, Tyr.”
“The God of War? Who dares to use such a grandiose title?”
Rex Turn was unfamiliar with the name Tyr, hence his reaction.
Zeke took a moment to clarify. “The God of War, Tyr, is none other than Tius, a knight of the Clock Tower representing the Kingdom of Chronos, and the former king of the northern continent’s Creta Kingdom.”
The revelation left not only Rex Turn but all the administrators in shock.
“The Brave Knight Tius!”
“A hero from legend!”
Zeke drove the point home, looking directly at Rex Turn. “The Turn family are the descendants of the heroic God of War, Tyr.”
The administrators began to murmur among themselves, but Rex Turn silenced them with a powerful stomp.
Boom!
A wave of energy radiated out, and the administrators fell silent, standing at attention.
Rex Turn leaned in close to Zeke, shouting, “The Turn family, descendants of Tius. Is that true, Zeke Draker? Can you stand by your words?”
Zeke nodded firmly. “I swear on my honor as a knight, it is the truth.”
Rex Turn gazed at the manual Zeke had handed over. If Zeke’s words were true, the manual was invaluable.
Zeke continued, “I learned the techniques within to pass the trials, but if the Turn family does not permit it, I will seal the knowledge forever.”
Family secrets were not to be shared, even among blood relatives. Of course, Zeke had no intention of actually sealing the techniques.
“I’ll just use them without the Turn family knowing.”
After all, to properly wield the Giant Slayer’s techniques, one needed Tyr’s weapon, the ‘Giant Hunter,’ which was safely stored in Zeke’s inventory, away from prying eyes.
To Zeke, the manual was just a shell, something he could part with easily if it meant forging a bond with the Turn family.
“If this helps strengthen ties with the Turn family, it’s a win.”
Rex Turn looked at Zeke and asked, “You know the value of this manual. Why give it to me?”
Zeke took a deep breath before answering, “The rightful owner of the manual is the Turn family, descendants of the God of War. Returning lost property to its owner is simply the duty of a knight.”
He added, “Moreover, I consider the Turn family true allies. How could I covet and steal from a friend?”
Suddenly, Rex Turn tossed the manual to the ground.
Zeke clenched his teeth at Rex’s unexpected action.
“Is my plan failing?”
If it had been Arthur Draker, he might have seen through Zeke’s intentions, being skilled in such schemes. But Zeke had thought Rex Turn, who valued loyalty, would be swayed by his plan.
Rex Turn looked down at Zeke and spoke, “Zeke Draker, did you think I’d be pleased by your words?”
Zeke realized his plan had indeed gone awry.
“I underestimated the Turn family…”
But something felt off.
Rex Turn suddenly looked up at the ceiling and shouted, “Did you think this Rex Turn would be moved by such words?”
“Huh?”
Zeke, sensing something strange, looked up at Rex Turn.
Rex Turn’s eyes were red, and he seemed to be holding back tears.
Zeke was taken aback by Rex Turn’s unexpected reaction.
“What… what is this?”
Rex Turn suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Zeke by the shoulders and pulling him to his feet.
Then, in a booming voice, he declared, “Zeke Draker! The loyalty and friendship you’ve shown to the Turn family! I’ve seen it clearly!”
The administrators, too, looked at Zeke with eyes full of admiration.
“What?”
Zeke’s plan had worked far better than he had anticipated.
Rex Turn patted Zeke on the shoulder, saying, “You’ve not only passed the Trials of Struggle but also uncovered the roots of the Turn family and brought proof! Zeke Draker! You’re already one of us!”
Rex Turn pulled Zeke into a tight embrace, his broad chest enveloping him.
The administrators, unable to hold back any longer, burst into applause, tears streaming down their faces.
“Sir Zeke Draker! We’re moved!”
“Eternal ally of Turn!”
“Zeke Draker! A true warrior! We’re inspired by your passion!”
The overwhelming response from the Turn family left Zeke feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“This is crazy.”
Rex Turn’s reaction made Zeke feel almost guilty.
But since things had turned out this way, he decided to solidify his position.
He extricated himself from Rex Turn’s embrace, putting on a look of deep gratitude.
“To have the head of the family and all of you think so highly of me… I’m truly honored. I’ve learned so much from the Trials of Struggle.”
Rex Turn, now serious, asked Zeke, “What did you gain from inside?”
Zeke, reading Rex Turn’s gaze, pondered his response before taking a deep breath and speaking.
“I gained the heart of a true warrior.”
Rex Turn closed his eyes, deeply moved by Zeke’s words.
After savoring the moment, he opened his eyes and patted Zeke on the shoulder.
“Zeke Draker. Never forget the heart of a warrior you’ve gained.”
Zeke met Rex Turn’s gaze and nodded.
The room, once filled with emotional intensity, gradually calmed.
Zeke wiped the sweat from his brow, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, that was close. My plan almost fell apart.”
Thanks to his past experiences in the north, he had managed to play along, but without that, he might have been caught off guard.
Thus, Zeke’s return was met with a warm welcome.
Rex Turn decided to throw a grand banquet in Zeke’s honor and took him to the Turn family’s main estate.
Rex Turn promised to share stories about Zeke’s mother, as he had agreed.
“Arthur forbade mentioning Laura, but who cares? Come to me whenever you want to hear about her.”
Zeke finally found a moment to relax in the guest room of the Turn estate.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to rest.”
Just as he was about to lie down, something crossed his mind, and he sat up.
“Now’s not the time. I should sort out my Karma Points while I have the chance.”
He had gained a lot from the inverted tower.
He had broken through a barrier, found a clue to advancing to a Black Knight, and acquired new powers and abilities.
“Let’s start by trying out the new power, ‘Shadow Dominion.’”
As Zeke activated ‘Shadow Dominion,’ his shadow began to ripple and rise.
Amazingly, his shadow detached from him and started moving independently.
“The shadow moves?”
Moreover, the detached shadow could move freely according to Zeke’s will. He sent it out to move stealthily.
He noticed a servant walking down the corridor and directed his shadow to merge with the servant’s shadow.
Thud!
Once Zeke’s shadow fully merged, he found he could control the servant.
Though the information was fragmented, Zeke received insights about the servant.
“So, he was bringing me a simple meal.”
Zeke released his control over the shadow.
The servant, who had paused momentarily under Zeke’s control, resumed his duties as if nothing had happened.
Knock, knock!
The servant approached Zeke’s door, knocked, and set the meal on the table.
“If you need anything else, please let me know, Sir Zeke.”
Once the servant left, Zeke recalled his shadow.
“So this is Shadow Dominion. It could be incredibly useful for espionage or assassination.”
As the power grew stronger, the range of shadows he could control and the information he could extract would likely increase.
Next, Zeke examined the newly unlocked functions of the advanced administrator system.
“Come to think of it, they mentioned disabling Defense Mode. What is that?”
Zeke accessed the administrator system to explore the Defense Mode settings.
[Loading list of ‘Fortified Zones’ compatible with Defense Mode.]
―Zone List―
Fortress of ???
Tomb of the Dragonslayer
Sanctuary of the Hero King
Sanctuary of the Sky People
Tower of the Giant’s Guardian (Access Denied)
The Ark
“What is this?”
A list of ancient sites that could connect to the administrator system appeared before him.
“The Sanctuary of the Sky People… Now that I think about it, Terracan Draker called that the Fourth Defense Base.”
He recalled watching old footage of Terracan Draker leading the Dragonslayer unit against the beast legion.
Zeke began to grasp the concept of Defense Mode.
“Does this mean I can control defense bases like the Sanctuary of the Sky People through the system?”
In the footage, when the gate opened, a massive horde of monsters and beasts had poured through.
Ordinary walls wouldn’t have stood a chance against them.
‘With giant beasts and dragons corrupted by dark magic flying around…’
Zeke thought of the sturdy stone walls that protected the village of the Rock Tribe.
They seemed like mere piles of stone, but ancient, mysterious power was embedded within them.
The reason the dark magic-corrupted Hydra couldn’t breach the Rock Tribe’s village was likely due to those walls.
‘What is the Fortress of ???’
Zeke tapped on the first item in the zone list.
The screen shifted, revealing a map.
“What? This is…”
To his surprise, the map displayed Agamemnon Castle located in Mycenae.
Zeke remembered the message that had appeared when he had cleansed the dark magic from Agamemnon Castle during the Great Purification.
“It mentioned deactivating Emergency Defense Mode.”
He had tried to see if Agamemnon Castle could be configured like the Tomb of the Dragonslayer or the Sanctuary of the Hero King when it synced with the system, but nothing had changed since, and he had forgotten about it.
“Ah, so it can’t be done with the general management system. It needs to be linked with Defense Mode.”
Zeke had become somewhat accustomed to the Kabbalah system.
He examined the view of Mycenae and Agamemnon Castle displayed on the screen.
“Wow, the terrain details are way more precise than on a regular map.”
When Zeke tapped the map to explore other features, a warning window popped up.
[You do not have permission to access the Karma Data List, so it cannot be updated with the latest data.]
[Defense Mode functions are limited.]
[Only bunker-scale defense functions are available.]
[You can establish a defense zone in a designated limited area.]
Zeke frowned at the message.
“What does that mean? Only bunker-scale defense functions?”
When he tapped the screen again, the map changed.
The room he was in appeared on the map, along with related information.
[You have designated an arbitrary area.]
[Would you like to establish a defense zone?]
“Establish a defense zone?”
Not entirely sure what it entailed, he decided to go ahead with it.
Vroom!
As soon as he made the decision, light radiated from Zeke in all directions.
The light reached the designated points on the map, and the screen changed once more.
[Defense zone confirmed.]
[Updating zone information.]