Episode 229
Zeke watched Kaiman kneeling before him and couldn’t shake the feeling that he resembled a dragon warrior.
“Are dragon warriors a type of shadow spirit too?”
He suspected it was due to the newly acquired power of Bahamut, the dominion over shadows, but he still didn’t fully understand what a shadow spirit was.
Deciding to ask the Hermit of the Story when he had the chance, Zeke sent Kaiman back into the shadows.
He then turned his attention to the Damascus sword still in his hand.
“It seems like an artifact. Let’s see what information it holds.”
―Sword Information―
Description: A Damascus sword crafted by a master artisan.
Unique Ability: Chains of Sealing
Special Feature: Can summon chains that bind souls.
“Chains of Sealing, huh. So that’s what those chains I saw earlier were.”
Zeke activated the skill while gripping the sword.
Clink, clink, clink!
Black chains shot out from the Damascus sword, much like the soul-binding chains on Zeke’s left hand.
He compared the black chains to those on his left arm.
“They’re almost identical… Did Terracan Draker borrow soul-binding techniques from the Eastern Continent?”
Zeke thought of someone who might know about Eastern Continent sorcery.
“Aul Draker was knowledgeable about the Eastern Empire. I should meet with him.”
After retracting the chains and storing the sword in his inventory, Zeke turned his attention to the fallen Captain Hook. His body had already withered, resembling a mummy.
When Zeke nudged him, Hook’s body crumbled like sand, scattering in the wind.
“Tsk, tsk, they say using a cursed sword never ends well.”
Zeke approached the unconscious Peter Pan.
“Are you alright?”
Peter Pan finally regained consciousness as Zeke approached, wiping the blood from her forehead.
“That damned ghostly crocodile! Where’d it go? I’ll tear it to pieces!”
She stood up, leaning against the ship’s wall, still fuming. Only after hearing that Zeke had defeated both Hook and Genie did she calm down, glancing around.
“Damn, I should’ve taken care of them myself.”
The pirate ships that had surrounded them had already fled after Hook’s defeat.
With the situation under control, Zeke prepared to steer the ship back toward the island.
But then Peter Pan suddenly staggered and looked out beyond the deck.
“Do you hear that strange sound?”
“What sound?”
“I’ve been hearing something from over there.”
Zeke, hearing nothing, looked puzzled.
Peter Pan turned to face the sea, and Zeke watched her with growing concern.
“Did she hit her head too hard when she fell?”
Zeke wondered if her healing factor could fix a head injury.
Peter Pan mumbled as she gazed out at the sea.
“Something… is calling me.”
Startled by her sudden words, Zeke asked, “What do you mean something is calling you?”
Peter Pan leaned over the railing, nearly falling overboard. Zeke rushed to grab her just in time, as blood from her forehead dripped down.
He shook her shoulders.
“Peter Pan! Snap out of it! What’s gotten into you?”
Perhaps due to Zeke’s vigorous shaking, Peter Pan suddenly came to her senses.
“Huh? What? What was I doing?”
“You were about to jump into the sea.”
Peter Pan looked bewildered.
“I was? Why would I do that? I swear I heard something strange…”
Just then, the sea where Peter Pan’s blood had fallen began to bubble.
Suddenly, the entire island seemed to tremble.
“What the…?”
A deep, resonant sound echoed, as if the island itself was groaning.
Zeke couldn’t believe his eyes.
The island was rising.
Water cascaded down like a waterfall as a massive landmass emerged beneath the island.
“Is that…?”
A colossal sea turtle lifted its head, revealing that the island had been resting on its shell.
Stunned by the unbelievable sight, a message appeared before Zeke.
[You have discovered the Avatar of the Forgotten Sea God.]
[You are being forcibly transported to the Avatar of the Forgotten Sea God to continue your quest.]
“What? Forcibly transported?”
A portal opened in front of Zeke, pulling him in.
Peter Pan shouted as she watched Zeke disappear.
“What? What’s happening?”
Even as he was being pulled in, Zeke called out to her.
“Find my companions on the island! They can help…”
With a loud noise, the portal closed, and Zeke vanished.
Wooong!
The portal opened, and Zeke emerged.
He landed swiftly and surveyed his surroundings.
“Where am I?”
The place resembled a cave, with walls and floors made of solid stone.
Yet, the stone walls seemed to move as if alive.
A deep, resonant sound echoed from within the cave.
Zeke realized he was inside the body of the giant turtle.
As he grasped this, another message appeared before him.
―Achievement Quest Intermediate Mission (Information Updated)―
[Find the traces of the Forgotten Sea God. (No time limit)]
[Quest Mission Reward: Title - Blessing of the Sea God / Treasure of the Sea God]
“The mission details have changed.”
The quest had shifted from finding the island of the Forgotten Sea God to finding traces of the Forgotten Sea God.
Zeke read the quest details, trying to understand the situation.
He noted the word “Forgotten” before “Sea God.”
“A ‘Forgotten’ Sea God. Could it be related to the decline of the Deep Sea Tribe?”
The resting place and tomb of the Deep Sea Tribe had been destroyed by someone.
This too seemed connected to the traces of the Forgotten Sea God.
Determined to find the traces, Zeke ventured deeper.
The stone cave undulated with the turtle’s breaths.
“How long has this turtle lived?”
Zeke mused it must have lived for thousands of years as he continued walking.
Deeper inside, he found a vast stalactite cave.
“How can there be such a cave inside a living creature?”
But the cave wasn’t the problem.
Something was attached behind the stalactites.
Creak, creak!
Monsters with stone-covered bodies flew at Zeke.
Screech!
Zeke drew Bahamut and swung at the approaching monsters.
Crack!
The monsters shattered like stone under his blade.
But something was off.
“Why aren’t my Karma Points increasing?”
Normally, defeating monsters would automatically increase his Karma Points, but these monsters yielded nothing.
Zeke examined the creatures.
“Could it be?”
The stone monsters weren’t living beings but constructs made through sorcery.
“Like those golems… Is this the Sea God’s sorcery?”
Frowning, Zeke gripped his sword and pressed on.
Despite the constructs blocking his path, he easily dispatched them and moved past the stalactite cave.
Beyond the cave, a massive door appeared.
“To think there’s something like this inside a turtle… It’s fascinating and strange.”
Zeke approached the door and reached out.
[Attempting to access the Advanced Administrator System.]
[Recognizing an Advanced Administrator in the secure area.]
[Granting temporary access code.]
[Temporarily lifting the seal on the secure area.]
Rumble!
The thick door split open in all directions.
Inside, the scene resembled the Tomb of the Dragon Slayer or the Sanctuary of the Sky People.
“So this is a secure area. Was this also made by an Elder Dragon?”
Zeke cautiously stepped into the secure area.
Lining the path were giant statues resembling the Deep Sea Tribe.
“Are these constructs too?”
Like the dragon statues in the Elder Dragon ruins, the Deep Sea Tribe statues showed no signs of movement or reaction.
As he examined them, he passed through to a circular space.
In the center, Zeke found a familiar device.
It was none other than a spirit regenerator.
A blue gem floated above the regenerator.
Zeke approached the spirit regenerator.
“Will the spirit of the Forgotten Sea God appear?”
He wasn’t sure if a constellation could exist as a spirit, but he decided to activate it.
Placing his hand on the gem, Zeke infused it with mana.
A message appeared before him.
[The Trial of the Forgotten Sea God begins.]
“What? The Trial of the Forgotten Sea God?”
Before Zeke could react, the spirit regenerator activated.
Wooong!
A blue figure emerged, taking the form of a warrior.
Thud!
The warrior, clad in blue armor with scales, wielded a trident and a round shield.
He wore a helmet resembling the face of the Deep Sea Tribe.
Without a word, the warrior pointed his trident at Zeke.
Understanding the situation, Zeke drew Bahamut and steadied his breath.
“A trial of the Sea God, huh. This reminds me of the Inverted Tower.”
The warrior seemed to decide that Zeke was ready, gesturing for him to come forward.
“If you’re feeling confident, I won’t hold back!”
Zeke launched himself forward with incredible speed.
He swung his sword with all his might.
Boom!
The warrior effortlessly deflected Zeke’s powerful strike with his trident.
Zeke was taken aback by the ease with which the warrior parried his attack, but he quickly assessed the situation.
“He’s no ordinary opponent. In that case…”
Zeke expanded the range of his energy waves, creating a powerful resonance.
Vroom!
At the same time, he summoned his inner strength, transforming into a formidable force and unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.
His swordplay, a dazzling mix of solar and golden techniques, sought out the warrior’s weaknesses.
Swish, swish, swish!
The warrior skillfully spun his trident, blocking Zeke’s attacks with ease. In fact, Zeke found himself getting caught up in the flow of the trident’s movements.
Gritting his teeth, Zeke broke away from the rhythm and retreated.
“This isn’t just any spear technique. Who is he?”
Zeke realized this was no time for complacency. He focused his mind entirely on his sword.
Vroom!
The blade hummed with a low, resonant cry.
And then it happened.
Snap!
The warrior, who had been standing still, suddenly lunged at Zeke’s opening with his trident.
Boom!
Zeke quickly raised his sword to block the attack, retreating as he launched a counterstrike.
Crash, crash!
The warrior deftly deflected Zeke’s strikes with his trident, then swiftly lunged at him again.
Swish, swish, swish!
The trident moved with a fluid yet heavy grace, targeting Zeke’s vulnerabilities.
Zeke summoned his ultimate technique, the “Will of Speed,” to fend off the warrior’s assault.
Clang!
After deflecting the trident, Zeke stepped back, feeling an inexplicable drain on his strength.
“It’s not just a matter of stamina. I’m completely caught up in the flow of that trident.”
No matter what attack Zeke launched, he couldn’t break through the trident’s defense.
He tried to focus again, raising his sword.
But in that instant, the warrior vanished.
“Where?”
Whoosh!
The trident emerged from Zeke’s blind spot.
To protect himself, Zeke activated his dragon scale armor and retreated, then launched a dragon claw attack at the warrior.
Clang!
The dragon claw struck the warrior’s blue armor.
The warrior paused, holding his trident, and slowly removed his helmet, revealing his face to Zeke.
Zeke was stunned.
“A dragonkin?”
The warrior’s eyes were a striking blue, reminiscent of a dragon’s gaze.
But something was different. It wasn’t the same feeling he got from Hoshgar, another dragonkin he knew.
The warrior spoke, looking at Zeke.
“You neither fully wield the power of a human nor that of a dragon. How curious. What are you?”
Zeke addressed the warrior.
“My name is Zeke Draker. I am one who carries the spirit of an Elder Dragon.”
The warrior’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The spirit of an Elder Dragon…”
After a moment of silence, the warrior spoke again.
“I am Poseidon, the forgotten sea god’s avatar and guardian of the southern seas.”