Episode 263

In life, it’s rare to stumble upon a golden opportunity.

Yet for Zeke, such chances had come his way more than once.

Up until now, every windfall he had created was based on the knowledge he brought from his past life.

But this time, even Zeke was caught off guard by the outcome.

In the depths of a cave on the barren Southern Archipelago, a place more desolate than any wasteland, Zeke had struck the jackpot purely by chance.

His jaw dropped as he gazed at the walls, densely packed with fairy stones.

“This is insane… These fairy stones are worth several times more than the finest mana stones, just lying here in plain sight.”

If this truly was a vein of fairy stones, Zeke could amass wealth several times greater than what he had accumulated so far.

Examining the fairy stones, Zeke realized why neither the shadow spirits nor Richmond could enter this place.

“A cave filled with minerals that naturally absorb and store mana… No wonder a mana field formed here, keeping summoned creatures at bay.”

Seizing the moment, Zeke decided to extract a few fairy stones to enhance his iron sword.

The spirit sealed within the sword, Arataso, awoke as Zeke began his work.

[What are you doing?]

Ignoring the spirit’s question, Zeke placed the iron sword on the enhancement platform and started adding the materials he had gathered.

“And now, for the final touch, the fairy stone…”

[What is this fool up to now!]

With the last piece in place, Zeke initiated the enhancement process.

A bright light flashed from the enhancement platform, and a progress bar appeared, just like it had with Roland.

After about ten minutes, the progress bar reached 100%.

Ding!

A clear chime signaled the completion of the enhancement.

[The equipment ‘Iron Sword’ has been enhanced.]

[The equipment has no name. Please register a name for the enhanced equipment.]

After a moment of thought, Zeke spoke.

“Green Sword Arataso.”

The enhanced sword now gleamed a deeper green, and with Arataso sealed within, the name seemed fitting.

[The equipment is registered as ‘Green Sword Arataso.’]

[The abilities of ‘Green Sword Arataso’ have been enhanced.]

Zeke held the newly enhanced sword in his hand.

“Not bad at all.”

The once rugged iron blade now emitted a green glow, with geometric patterns etched across its surface. A large gem, radiating green light, was embedded at its center.

Zeke checked the details of the Green Sword Arataso.

―Green Sword Arataso Details―

Description: A sword enhanced with fairy stones, sealing the high demon Arataso.

Unique Ability: Summon the sealed entity.

Special Feature: The sword’s power increases as it absorbs the strength of other demons. As the sword grows stronger, it can draw out more of Arataso’s original power.

“I can summon Arataso?”

Surprised by this unexpected ability, Zeke immediately attempted to summon Arataso with the sword.

A hum resonated as the green gem embedded in the sword glowed, and a green spectral form began to materialize.

[Aaaah!]

With a sound like a long-awaited stretch, Arataso emerged.

Zeke tilted his head in curiosity at the sight.

Arataso appeared not as the wooden figure Zeke had seen before, but as a knight clad in green-glowing armor.

The lower body was still horse-like, reminiscent of a centaur, but now fully armored.

Thud!

Arataso, now a summoned entity, looked at his form in astonishment.

[Unbelievable! I can maintain my true form in the physical realm!]

Zeke addressed Arataso.

“Is this your true form, Arataso?”

With a proud stance, Arataso replied haughtily.

[Indeed! Behold the majestic form of Arataso, the first vassal of the pure green wish!]

To Zeke, he looked like an armored centaur.

In the central continent, centaurs were a rare sight, with only a few tribes surviving in the western plains.

Rumors spoke of a land of centaurs in the eastern continent, but nothing was certain.

Seeing Arataso’s form brought back memories from Zeke’s past life.

‘The few remaining centaurs had joined forces with the Joins to become key members of the Western Revolution Army.’

The Joins, led by the Song of the Crouching Flame, and the centaurs, along with other beastfolk, had organized a revolutionary army for freedom.

Unexpectedly, this group survived the continental war and managed to seize the western territories, including Delphoa.

Their victory, which no one had anticipated, was widely covered in the northern continent’s news.

While Zeke was lost in thoughts of his past life, Arataso, thrilled to be outside, was prancing around.

[Oh?]

But soon, Arataso’s legs gave out, and he collapsed, exhausted.

[Why… why is this happening?]

Zeke looked at Arataso with pity.

“Seems like the air here doesn’t suit you.”

[This can’t be happening!]

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Go back and rest.”

Zeke dismissed Arataso’s summoning, pulling him back into the sword as Arataso struggled to stand.

Inside the sword, Arataso’s voice continued, incredulous.

[Something’s wrong. Back in the demon realm, I could lead over a thousand death knights across vast territories without tiring…]

Zeke, uninterested in Arataso’s ramblings, simply muted the voice.

He was getting more accustomed to handling Arataso.

Zeke ventured deeper into the cave.

Eventually, he found himself in a space with walls and floors made of solid bricks, indicating he had entered a dungeon.

‘Looks like the obsidian cave is connected to some ruins.’

As he moved further into the dungeon, Zeke searched for signs of demonic beasts on the walls.

‘Three sharp claws. A beast-like demon, perhaps.’

The creatures at the cave entrance earlier had also been beast-like demons, similar to gnolls.

Recalling his experiences hunting demons with his master during his Highlander days, Zeke’s expression grew serious as he ventured deeper.

‘Beast-like demons always have a leader.’

The Gaguk he had captured with King Fist was more humanoid than beast-like.

And humanoid demons like Gaguk were the trickiest to hunt.

They were intelligent and quick-witted, making them hard to catch.

In contrast, beast-like demons were the most dangerous.

Driven by instinct, they attacked anything within their territory, regardless of its strength.

After an initial assault, the strongest leader would appear to deliver the final blow once the target was weakened.

‘If they’re beast-like demons, Lady Arina’s group must have faced relentless attacks.’

They likely sought refuge on a more defensible island to escape the constant assaults.

The problem was the statues mentioned in Jason’s report.

At the time, Zeke hadn’t thought much of it, but now, something came to mind as he surveyed the area.

‘Not Medusa, but… could it really be here? The location doesn’t match at all…’

Pondering this mystery, Zeke continued to explore the dungeon. Soon, he stumbled upon a dusty area.

Sensing something different, Zeke moved towards it, only to trip over something.

‘What’s this?’

Bending down, he discovered a stone arm.

Zeke picked it up and examined it closely, frowning.

“This could be troublesome. It might actually be that creature.”

Just then—

Whoosh!

A sharp claw slashed through the air where Zeke had been standing.

Swish!

Zeke narrowly dodged using his phantom step technique.

Whoom!

Having evaded the attack, Zeke swiftly drew Bahamut.

‘A werewolf, perhaps.’

A demon resembling a werewolf approached, claws bared, advancing slowly towards Zeke.

It was far stronger than any ordinary werewolf, with immense strength and bite force.

Zeke charged forward, aiming Bahamut.

Whoom!

As he assumed the stance for the Infinite Sword Technique, a resonant wave spread around him.

Hum!

The wave of resonance swept over the demon’s body.

Grrr!

The demon, agitated by the surge of demonic energy, retreated in confusion.

Zeke seized the opportunity.

Slash!

With a single, clean strike, Zeke severed the demon’s neck, sheathing his sword as he unleashed a devouring technique.

At that moment—

Grrrr—

Demons emerged from all directions.

Surprisingly, each demon looked different.

‘There’s one that resembles a leopard, and another like a lion.’

Each one was strong enough to be a leader elsewhere.

‘This isn’t a good sign. To command such creatures, the leader must be formidable. It can only be that one.’

As Zeke assessed the situation, fierce demons charged at him from all sides.

Calmly, Zeke wielded Bahamut and executed the Infinite Sword Technique.

Slash!

In an instant, Bahamut’s blade split into multiple edges, striking the vital points of the charging demons with precision.

It was as if Zeke’s body had multiplied, creating illusions of himself in every direction.

Clang!

The beasts, pierced by Zeke’s sword, staggered backward before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

These creatures, known for their resilience, had all been struck in their vital points, ending their lives in a single blow.

“These strong ones sure give a lot of points. Hunting beasts here will rack up points in no time,” Zeke mused, a satisfied grin spreading across his face as he followed the trail left by the fallen beasts.

Bones of animals and monsters were scattered everywhere.

‘This must be their hunting ground,’ he thought.

The beasts devoured anything, human or monster alike. When food was scarce, they even turned on each other. Zeke’s master had once described them as bottomless creatures driven solely by instinct and a desire for destruction.

Recalling his master’s teachings, Zeke continued to search for signs of the beasts when something caught his eye.

“What’s this?”

He picked up a doll, surprisingly free of dust, suggesting it belonged to one of the children from Luvern who had come here.

‘Did they take refuge in this direction?’

Perhaps the beasts had driven them into this hunting ground. Zeke activated his blood vision to trace the remnants of energy left on the doll.

The path became clear to him, and he moved swiftly, leaving only an afterimage behind, like mist dispersing.

Ssshh—

As Zeke ventured deeper into the dungeon, he heard the growls and the scraping of claws against stone.

Grrr—

Scratch! Scratch!

Screech!

Inside, a wall blocked the path, and dozens of beasts were frantically clawing at it.

The beasts howled fiercely, their sharp claws relentlessly scratching the wall.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Larger beasts, resembling bears, rammed their bodies against the wall, trying to bring it down. Starved and desperate, they bared their sharp teeth, waiting for the wall to crumble.

‘Did Jason create that wall?’

If it was a magical barrier, it could only hold for so long. Zeke calmly raised his sword, Bahamut, and aimed it at the beasts.

He then unleashed the Elemental Sword, the Field of Fire.

Whoosh!

Blue flames erupted from Bahamut.

‘Hoo.’

Since the Elemental Sword had been upgraded to SS-rank, its power had become overwhelming, making it difficult for Zeke to control. If he wasn’t careful, the flames could consume not only the beasts but also his allies behind the wall.

Zeke carefully adjusted his strength and swung his sword at the beasts.

Elemental Sword (True)

Field of Fire

Azure Flame Dance

Pillars of blue fire surged from Zeke’s sword.

Whoosh!

The flames snaked through the beasts like fiery serpents.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The beasts caught in the azure flames disintegrated into ash without even a scream.

Screech!

Though driven by pure instinct, the beasts were nothing but helpless prey before the merciless blue flames.

Soon, the area in front of the wall was engulfed in the roaring blue fire. Dozens of beasts were reduced to blackened ash, scattered by the wind.

As Zeke surveyed the horrific scene he had created, he was reminded of the ruins of Atlas from his past life. It felt as if he had slaughtered defenseless creatures.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he resolved, ‘I still need more training. I must master the Elemental Sword.’

Zeke walked slowly through the ashes, extending his hand toward the wall to cast a magic reflection field.

Creeeak!

The wall, touched by the reflection field, began to crumble.