Episode 221
To Zeke’s astonishment, the golem glaring at him from beneath the sea didn’t resemble a typical golem. Instead, it looked like an ancient sea creature he’d only read about in books.
Rumble!
As Zeke stood momentarily stunned, the golem charged at him with a trident in hand.
Whoosh!
The golem thrust the trident forward, causing the water to swirl violently around Zeke.
“Ugh!”
Moving freely underwater was no easy task. Zeke quickly transformed his feet into dragon-like claws using his draconic powers.
Crack!
With his dragon claws gripping the ocean floor, Zeke braced himself as the golem lunged at him with the trident.
Roar!
The golem brought the massive trident down towards Zeke.
Crash!
Zeke swiftly reverted his feet to their original form and spun his body to dodge the attack. Regaining his balance, he faced the golem head-on.
In that moment, Zeke realized something crucial.
“If I make my body heavier, it’ll be easier to maintain my balance.”
He activated his gravitational field, increasing his body’s weight.
Rumble!
The pressure around Zeke intensified, creating a turbulent whirlpool. With his balance restored, Zeke assumed a combat stance and unleashed a powerful shockwave.
Vroom!
The mana’s vibrations were even more pronounced underwater. Zeke, now accustomed to moving in the water, aimed his fist at the golem.
He stepped forward and launched a devastating attack through his Infinite Chain Technique.
Infinite Chain Technique
Forward Strike
Target Piercing
The powerful wave struck the golem’s body with explosive force.
Boom!
The golem, pushed back by the wave, crashed into a wall. Zeke surged forward, cutting through the water like a missile.
Crash!
He unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, ensuring the golem couldn’t rise again.
Boom! Boom!
The golem’s body was gradually driven into the rubble by the force of Zeke’s attacks, infused with gravitational power.
Rumble!
The golem, buried in the debris, began to glow as runes embedded in its body lit up.
Rumble!
The water currents around the golem intensified.
“What is this?”
A massive whirlpool formed where Zeke stood.
Crack!
Zeke tried to withstand the vortex with his gravitational field, but its power was overwhelming.
“Ugh!”
Unable to hold on any longer, Zeke was lifted off his feet. The golem manipulated the whirlpool, attempting to eject Zeke.
Sensing this, Zeke drew Bahamut and felt the turbulent waters.
Vroom!
A faint hum resonated from Bahamut. Zeke decided to embrace the water’s flow rather than resist it.
Instead of being tossed around, Zeke found he could now sense the water’s current more clearly.
“Don’t fight force with force; let it flow naturally.”
With this insight, Zeke infused his sword with the wisdom he’d gained from the inverted tower and moved in harmony with the water’s flow.
Rumble!
The whirlpool’s force began to follow Zeke’s sword rather than oppose it.
Zeke didn’t try to cut through the vortex; he moved with it.
Vroom!
Amidst the raging whirlpool, Zeke felt the natural flow of his sword more keenly than ever.
The golem, seeing Zeke control the water’s flow with his sword, increased the whirlpool’s power.
Rumble!
The intensified current pressed down on Zeke.
“Softly against the strong.”
Zeke felt the whirlpool’s pressure and expanded his hydrodynamic field.
Vroom!
The water began to move according to Zeke’s will. He redirected the turbulent current back towards the golem.
Boom!
Losing control of the whirlpool, the golem was lifted by the forceful water.
Riding the current, Zeke swung his sword at the golem.
Elemental Sword
Hydrodynamic Field
Spiral Blade
Zeke unleashed a technique he had never used before. A spiraling wave shot from his sword, striking the golem’s body.
Crack!
The wave wrapped around the golem, leaving a spiral mark.
As the rubble around the golem collapsed, a hidden entrance was revealed. Zeke manipulated the spiral’s power to push the golem into the entrance.
The whirlpool carried both Zeke and the golem into the opening.
“Whoa!”
Riding the whirlpool into the entrance, Zeke finally surfaced, gasping for air. As he emerged from the water, a message appeared before him.
[You have gained insight into the Elemental Sword’s Hydrodynamic Field.]
[Your proficiency with the Elemental Sword has increased.]
[Your proficiency with the Elemental Sword has reached ‘Expert’ level.]
[The basic course of the Elemental Sword is complete.]
[The Elemental Sword has evolved into the practical course.]
[You have acquired the title: Successor of the Hero King.]
“The basic course? All this time, that was just the basic course?”
In disbelief, Zeke checked the special skills category in his status window.
Special Skills: Elemental Sword [SS Rank (Beginner)] / Dragon Slayer Sword Technique [S Rank (Expert)] / Soul Sealing Art [A Rank (Beginner)] / Spirit Technique [S Rank (Beginner)] / Infinite Chain Technique [S Rank (Proficient)] / Sacred Fire Technique [S Rank (Beginner)] / Colossus Hunting Technique [A Rank (Proficient)]
“SS Rank? So it’s grown beyond S Rank.”
Zeke focused his elemental power into his sword.
Vroom!
The speed at which he concentrated his elemental power had increased, and the sword’s power was noticeably different.
Zeke infused his sword with gravitational power and swung it lightly.
Rumble!
Even without direct contact, the cave shook in response to the gravitational force.
Zeke gaped at the power of the SS Rank skill.
“Now I understand why Lord Shaton and Lord Tyr were so surprised when they heard about the Elemental Sword.”
He felt embarrassed for having considered the Elemental Sword merely a supplementary skill to the Dragon Slayer Sword Technique.
Moreover, he had gained the title of Successor of the Hero King.
“So this is what the true Elemental Sword is all about.”
However, there was one downside.
“With the upgrade to SS Rank, the mana consumption has increased.”
Previously, it took a major technique to deplete his mana, but now even a single swing of the sword drained it significantly.
He realized he needed to be cautious until he became more accustomed to it.
To replenish his mana, Zeke retrieved a monster carcass from his inventory and fed it to his shadow.
“This isn’t nearly enough.”
Determined to feast on the monsters roaming the cave, Zeke sheathed his sword and examined the golem that had been swept along with him.
“Let’s see. Could this be considered a guardian?”
Normally, the system would recognize a ruin and allow him to register a guardian as a summon if he obtained the authentication code.
However, the Sea God’s Island wasn’t recognized by the Kabbalah’s management system.
“Is this not considered a ruin yet?”
Zeke approached the golem, which resembled an ancient sea creature, and opened its chest to find the core.
“Huh? Why doesn’t it have a core?”
Unlike typical golems, this one lacked a core. Just then, a message appeared.
[Would you like to devour this entity?]
Zeke was taken aback by the message.
“Devour? Can I even devour a golem?”
He had never received such a message when defeating other golems.
Despite his suspicions, Zeke decided to try devouring it.
Sss―
The shadow enveloped the golem and began to absorb it.
Simultaneously, a message appeared.
[You have devoured a talisman imbued with the Sea God’s power.]
[Your depleted health, mental strength, and mana are replenished.]
[You have absorbed the talisman’s abilities, increasing the proficiency of the active skills Magic Reflection (A Rank) and Area Buff (A Rank).]
[You have absorbed the talisman’s abilities, increasing the proficiency of the active skill Blood Vision (S Rank).]
[You have absorbed a portion of the Sea God’s power, acquiring the skill Underwater Breathing (C Rank).]
Zeke realized something upon seeing the skills that had increased in proficiency from devouring the golem.
“So Magic Reflection and Area Buff were related to sorcery, not magic. No wonder their proficiency never increased no matter how much I used them.”
Seeing them rise alongside the sorcery skill Blood Vision confirmed their connection to sorcery.
Zeke closed the status window and surveyed the area the golem had been guarding.
It felt different from the lava cave guarded by the hounds.
“This place… doesn’t seem naturally formed.”
Zeke approached and touched the cave wall. It was heavily worn, likely from the passage of time.
As he examined the wall, Zeke tilted his head in confusion.
“It’s not naturally formed, but it doesn’t seem man-made either.”
It felt entirely different from the Dragon Slayer’s Sanctuary or the Hero King’s Resting Place.
Instead, it resembled the ruins of the Sky Tribe’s Sanctuary or the Ark in Death Valley.
“It seems… this place was made by the ancient sea people.”
In the legends of the Hero King’s era, the ancient sea people were depicted as a mysterious race. They were as secretive as the druids of the forest, living quietly with their own civilization beneath the sea.
In the legendary tales of the Hero King, there’s a story where Kaishir saves the ancient merfolk from a ferocious sea monster. No matter how powerful the creature was, it stood no chance against Kaishir.
Zeke recalled the chronicles left behind by Kaishir.
“There wasn’t much about the merfolk, if I remember correctly… Kaishir mentioned he was so annoyed by his seasickness that he quickly dealt with the issue and returned to Chronos.”
It was hard to believe that the Grand Master, who even dragons feared, suffered from seasickness. But given Kaishir’s unique nature, Zeke had simply accepted it and moved on.
Shaking off thoughts of Kaishir, Zeke refocused on his surroundings and thought about the merfolk.
The descendants of those ancient merfolk still lived, albeit in small numbers, scattered across the untouched southern islands.
Peter Pan had united these merfolk to form a pirate crew, rising to a position of power among the southern pirates.
Zeke speculated that Peter Pan’s abilities might be akin to the ancient merfolk’s magic.
“It doesn’t seem like the necromancy I’m familiar with. I’ll have to face him to find out.”
Cautiously, Zeke ventured deeper into the space.
The further he went, the larger the area became.
He noticed the walls were worn, and the reliefs were damaged.
“Judging by the remnants, this must have been an ancient merfolk temple. Who could have destroyed it like this?”
As Zeke explored the temple, he discovered a new area at the end of the path.
“This place…”
The space held the remnants of a long-lost temple.
In the center was a circular area filled with seawater, and beside it lay the ruins of a garden.
Zeke examined the circular area where the seawater shimmered.
“Is it connected to the sea?”
He continued to inspect the ruined temple.
Then, it happened.
Ripples formed in the water-filled space.
With a splash, merfolk armed with spears emerged from the water.
They cast nets toward Zeke.
With a swift step, Zeke evaded the nets.
More merfolk appeared, hurling hooks tied to ropes at him.
Zeke drew Bahamut and deflected the hooks.
With a clang, the hooks ricocheted off his sword and returned to the merfolk.
The merfolk, their skin glistening and gills visible on their necks, aimed their weapons at Zeke.
“These must be the merfolk pirates,” Zeke thought, observing them.
He called out, “Are you Peter Pan’s underlings?”
The merfolk didn’t respond, instead charging at him.
Four nets spread out from all directions. Zeke unsheathed Bahamut and unleashed a whirlwind technique.
Dragon Slayer Technique
Whirlwind Secret Art
Gale Strike
A gust of wind swept the nets away. But more merfolk rushed at him.
With a crunch, Zeke blocked a spear thrust from a merfolk.
Up close, Zeke noticed something strange.
The merfolk’s eyes were bloodshot, and foam frothed at their mouths.
Zeke recognized it immediately.
“This… it’s the Empire’s experimental stimulant, isn’t it?”