Episode 265
In his past life, Zeke had forged a pact with his reclusive master in the forest and the Highlanders.
Thanks to his master, Zeke awakened his healer class and unlocked his energy center, gaining strength that rivaled knights.
The reason his master bestowed such power upon Zeke was to transform him into a Highlander capable of hunting down monstrous beasts.
Zeke spent his previous life following his master, hunting countless beasts.
Among them were ancient beasts, like the one he had captured with the King Fist, known as “ancient species.”
Ordinary beasts were typically monsters transformed by dark energy or cursed into chimeras by ancient evil.
However, the ancient species were different.
These malevolent beings, whose origins were unknown, killed and devoured other creatures in cunning and brutal ways.
Among these ancient species, there were particularly terrifying entities.
Zeke’s master referred to them as “aberrant species.”
These were not creatures altered by dark energy but rather beings from another dimension or those that had fallen so far from grace that they had become something entirely different.
These aberrant species established their own territories, using other beasts to capture prey, consuming their souls to grow their dark power.
Once they amassed enough strength, they would move to another location and repeat the process.
The four most powerful of these aberrant beasts were known as the “Four Fiends.”
In his past life, Zeke’s master had personally dealt with two of the Four Fiends.
One of them was believed to be the “Gungi,” located in the southern archipelago.
When his master hunted the Gungi, Zeke had just unlocked his energy center and couldn’t offer much help, but he vividly remembered the formidable power of the Gungi.
His master, who was stronger than anyone, had to fight for nearly three days and resorted to using a triple spell, which he rarely did, to defeat the Gungi.
The Gungi’s attack had petrified part of his master’s body, requiring him to leave the forest for a month to heal.
Recalling the information his master had shared and what he had witnessed, Zeke explained the Gungi to his gathered companions. They were all left speechless by his description.
Rick was the first to regain his composure and asked Zeke, “Are you saying such a dangerous creature is on this island?”
Zeke nodded. “The only beast that commands other beasts and has the power of petrification is the Gungi.”
Though not the legendary Medusa, the Gungi was an even more insidious foe.
It was ferocious, cunning, and even his master had struggled to hunt it.
Seeing his companions’ worried expressions, Zeke reassured them, “It’s not an easy opponent, but there’s no need to worry. I know how to catch it.”
His companions were taken aback by his confidence.
Arina, speaking for the group, asked, “Sir Zeke, how do you plan to capture such a fearsome beast?”
Zeke replied, “We dig a trap and lure it in with bait.”
Jason raised his hand and asked, “What kind of bait are we talking about, my lord?”
Zeke gave a wry smile. “Believe it or not, the Gungi is drawn to pure and virtuous individuals, seeking to punish them.”
Jason was astonished. “A beast like that exists?”
“Yes, and not just the Gungi. Sometimes, villages select their purest young men and women as bait to lure such beasts into traps. For example…”
Zeke’s gaze shifted to Rick and Arin, causing their faces to flush.
“Why are you looking at us?”
When Zeke turned his attention to Jason and Claire, they shook their heads, indicating that their relationship hadn’t progressed. However, they were both known for their strong sense of empathy, making them ideal bait.
“Perfect. The two purest and kindest people will be the bait.”
Rick and Arin turned pale at his words.
Just then, Nerissa entered the tent.
“Captain Zeke! Is this net good enough?”
Nerissa and the merfolk had been hiding in the nearby sea to avoid the beasts, returning to camp after seeing the signal.
Zeke had asked Nerissa to prepare a sturdy net for the trap.
After inspecting the net, Zeke nodded. “This will do nicely.”
He then turned to the dwarf foreman. “When will the other preparations be ready?”
The dwarf foreman flexed his muscular arms and replied, “Don’t worry, my lord! We’ll have it ready by tomorrow as you requested.”
The dwarves, indebted to Zeke for saving their lives, were diligently preparing the trap as he had instructed.
“Good. Tomorrow, the selected team will move to the target location with me and lure the Gungi and its beasts.”
Zeke looked at Kay. “Kay, stay here with Lady Arina and protect the remaining group.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Zeke’s plan.
The next day, Zeke led the selected team to the target location, away from the camp.
Inside the camp, Richmond guarded the interior, while Kaiman and the Gurav unit protected the perimeter, ensuring no beast attacks.
The team included Rick and Arin, who would serve as bait, the merfolk youth who would handle the net, Felix, Claire, Diego, and Aster.
Additionally, Zeke had chosen an unexpected member for the team: Aaron, a former Night Killer.
Zeke had used the modifications made by the Valdek family to create another magic gun, which he handed to Aaron, along with compressed air bullets, assigning him the role of sniper.
Aaron was more surprised by Zeke’s trust in him than when Zeke had saved his life.
“Don’t you think I might betray you?”
Zeke chuckled at Aaron’s startled question. “If you want to betray us, go ahead. As long as you’re ready to face the consequences.”
Zeke always operated under the assumption that any ally could betray him, which allowed him to accept even former enemies and assign them roles.
Thanks to Arina’s power, Aaron had broken free from Siemens’ brainwashing. Though he initially hated Zeke, he now saw him in a different light and couldn’t view him as a complete enemy.
With Aaron included, Zeke led the selected team into the forest.
He sent ghost soldiers to scout the area and unfolded a simple map to explain the plan.
“This is where we are now. The trap the dwarves built is to the north. Rick and Arin, when the Gungi appears, distract it and lead it here.”
Jason raised his hand and asked, “My lord, how will we recognize the Gungi?”
Zeke looked at Jason and replied, “You’ll know it when you see it.”
Jason tilted his head in confusion, but Zeke simply smiled instead of explaining further.
After confirming the dwarves’ trap, Zeke prepared to summon the beasts. It was the most reliable method he had learned from his master.
He took out a magic bomb from his pouch.
Then, he threw the magic bombs in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed throughout the forest.
Zeke’s companions were bewildered by his actions.
“Lord Zeke! What are you doing?” Diego exclaimed in shock.
But Zeke paid no mind and retrieved more magic bombs from his inventory.
“Stop gawking and earn your keep. Throw them in every direction except north.”
Though the order was unexpected, everyone followed Zeke’s instructions.
“Take this!”
Starting with Clone, they all hurled bombs in every direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a series of explosions that shook the entire forest, silence fell, and Zeke listened intently.
Then, drawing his sword, he spoke decisively.
“Get ready. They’re coming.”
Zeke extended his hand, igniting the sacred fire.
Whoosh!
The sacred fire formed a circle around Zeke and his companions.
Those who had traveled to the island with the deep-sea tribe skillfully applied the sacred fire to their weapons.
Even those seeing the sacred fire for the first time followed suit by observing others.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Roar!
Before long, beasts, drawn by the scent of humans, charged toward them.
A beast resembling a Minotaur tried to break through the sacred fire.
Zeke’s jewel-encrusted sword, Roland, blazed with the sacred fire.
Slash!
Roland cleaved the beast in two.
More beasts charged from all directions.
Zeke shouted, “Hold the line and fight within the sacred fire!”
At his command, Clone stood at the outermost edge, wielding a mace to crush the skulls of incoming beasts with the light of judgment.
Crunch!
“Keek!”
Everyone else fought the beasts from behind the sacred fire.
Surprisingly, Diego and Aster stood out the most in the battle.
“Come at me!”
Diego skillfully subdued the beasts with his twin swords, enhanced by the sacred fire, while Aster used the length of his spear to keep the beasts at bay, striking their vital points with precision.
‘As expected of the Five-Star Knights.’
Rick also displayed much-improved movements after training with Farrell.
Then, it happened.
Whoosh!
Zeke witnessed Felix swiftly decapitating a beast with a single swing of his sword.
Zeke couldn’t help but admire Felix’s swordsmanship.
“Felix has really grown, hasn’t he?”
Though they hadn’t yet seen Liam’s skills since he joined Hades’ group, it was clear that both he and Felix were pushing each other to new heights.
“Liam, the Mercenary King, and Felix, heir to the Arc Paladin. These two will be the future pillars of the Black Sword Knights.”
Zeke smiled faintly as he swung his sword.
Swoosh!
A horde of beasts charged at them, but the group handled them with ease.
Whenever his companions began to tire, Zeke would heal them just in time, boosting their morale with the battle cry skill he had absorbed from the Orc’s medal.
“Haaargh!”
Zeke’s shout seemed to invigorate everyone, drawing out strength beyond their usual limits.
He absorbed the energy from the fallen beasts around him, replenishing his own.
Then, suddenly—
Rumble—
The entire forest trembled, and the ground shook.
His companions looked around in confusion.
“What… what’s happening?”
A piercing shriek, as if the sky itself was being torn apart, echoed through the air.
Zeke’s expression turned serious.
“It’s coming.”
Even the ferocious beasts halted, trembling at the sound.
And then—
Boom!
A fierce wind roared from above.
Instinctively, Felix looked up. Something massive was descending from the sky.
“Wh-what is that?”
The shriek grew louder, closer.
A powerful gust enveloped Zeke and his companions.
Zeke quickly created a wind barrier to shield them as best he could.
Whoosh!
As the wind subsided, something descended from above.
Everyone except Zeke turned pale.
“Is that… a Qunggi?”
It was larger than any beast they had ever seen.
With a body that could swallow an ogre whole, the black-striped beast bared its sharp teeth.
Its body resembled a tiger, but its face was like that of a human, stained red.
Enormous wings, as black as its body, spread from its back.
Growl—
Zeke faced the Qunggi with his sword, Roland, in hand.
“It’s him.”
Though smaller than when he had seen it in his past life, it was unmistakably the same creature.
Perhaps it had grown more by the time his master faced it.
Zeke shouted, “While I hold it off, Arin and Rick, head to the target point!”
The creature was too cunning to fall for a trap laid openly.
As planned, Claire and Felix took Rick and Arin and sprinted north.
Growl—
The Qunggi turned its head as Arin and Rick moved.
Its nature was to punish the purest souls first, so it would likely target them.
Zeke planned to exploit this trait, injuring it and luring it into a trap.
But then—
Screech!
The Qunggi suddenly turned and charged at Zeke instead of Arin and Rick.
“What the—?”
Crash!
The Qunggi’s massive paw slammed down, and Zeke barely managed to evade with a quick illusion step.
The ground where the paw struck was completely shattered.
Growl—
With eyes glowing red, the Qunggi bared its teeth at Zeke again.
“Why is it after me?”
Incredibly, the Qunggi seemed to have judged Zeke as the purest and most virtuous among them.
Zeke pointed his sword at the Qunggi and declared, “Change of plans!”
He shouted, “I’ll be the bait! Everyone, head towards the trap!”