Episode 273
The moment the name “Zeke Draker” was mentioned, the bald-headed wizards raised their staffs and began casting spells.
For ordinary wizards, even with silent casting, there is a delay before the magic activates.
That’s why wizards never travel alone or only with other wizards; they form parties with swordsmen or archers.
However, there was an exception: dark wizards.
Dark wizards use magic in a completely different way.
Their spell activation speed was incredibly fast.
They could cast curses even before a swordsman could draw their sword.
This was why dark wizards commanded high prices on the battlefield.
The bald wizards quickly cast curses at Zeke.
If he were an ordinary knight, he would have succumbed to the curse before even drawing his sword.
But Zeke had a curse reflection skill.
Vwoooom—
The curses aimed at Zeke rebounded, backfiring on the bald wizards.
“Aaaargh!”
“Ugh!”
The wizards, struck by their own curses, screamed and writhed on the ground.
Some began scratching themselves until they bled, while others drooled and slammed their heads against the wall.
The curses were grotesque and vile.
Zeke approached the branded wizard and the apostle with a dagger in hand.
The branded wizard slammed his staff into the ground, and a magic circle appeared.
From within, lizard-like beasts began to crawl out.
Hissss!
The lizard beasts flicked their tongues and advanced toward Zeke.
Zeke exuded the majesty of a dragon, glaring at the beasts.
The beasts hesitated and retreated under his gaze.
Even these creatures seemed to be subject to the dominion of dragonkind.
The branded wizard was flustered when his summoned beasts refused to obey.
“You fools! Attack him now!”
Reluctantly, the lizard beasts hissed and charged at Zeke.
Hissss!
Satisfied that even the beasts were under his control, Zeke wielded Anexi’s daggers in both hands and charged at them.
Slash!
The daggers sliced through the beasts as if they were paper.
The beasts, cut down, slowly dissolved into Zeke’s shadow.
The branded wizard, seeing his beasts fall so easily, raised his staff again in panic.
“You, you…!”
At that moment, the apostle behind him grabbed the wizard’s bald head.
A red glow emanated from the brand on the wizard’s forehead.
“Please, Apostle! Wait!”
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking came from the wizard’s body.
“Graaah!”
His body twisted, skin bubbling and transforming into a grotesque form.
Hair sprouted from his bald head, limbs elongated, and a snout protruded.
[Power! I feel power surging!]
The transformed wizard, now a monster, glared at Zeke with crazed eyes and swung his clawed hand, charged with dark energy, at him.
Boom!
Zeke’s holy aura formed a shield of light, blocking the claws.
But the monster, filled with dark energy, was undeterred and charged at Zeke again.
[Laughs maniacally! Die!]
Zeke extended his hand and detonated the shield of light.
A brilliant explosion of light filled the room.
[Groooan!]
Blinded by the light, the monster staggered back.
Zeke seized the moment to hurl Anexi’s dagger.
Thud!
The dagger pierced the monster’s tough hide, but dark energy quickly healed the wound.
[That won’t be enough!]
The monster charged at Zeke once more.
Zeke pulled on the chain attached to the dagger, which had embedded itself in the monster’s body.
The dagger, firmly lodged inside, caused the monster to lose balance and fall when Zeke yanked the chain.
[Screams!]
As the monster struggled to rise, Zeke retrieved Tyr’s Giant Slayer from his inventory.
With immense strength, he swung the weapon at the fallen monster.
Crash!
The Giant Slayer crushed the monster’s body in a single blow.
[Groans—]
Zeke continued to pummel the monster, preventing it from regenerating.
He then set the monster’s mangled body ablaze with holy fire.
Fwoosh!
The monster’s remains were consumed by the flames.
Turning his gaze from the burning creature, Zeke looked at the apostle and spoke.
“Take a good look. This will be your fate soon.”
Panting heavily, the apostle, hidden behind a mask, exhaled sharply and tilted the beak of the mask to the side.
Screeeech—
A piercing sound filled the air as the apostle opened his mouth, revealing blackened teeth.
[Screams!]
The apostle’s shriek shook the entire room.
An ordinary person would have collapsed, bleeding from the ears.
But Zeke stood unfazed, watching the apostle scream.
The apostle, incredulous at Zeke’s calm demeanor, glared at him.
He screamed again, but Zeke remained unaffected.
“Are you done screaming?”
The curse reflection skill deflected the apostle’s sound, leaving Zeke unharmed.
Realizing his weapon was useless, the apostle grabbed a fallen experiment and conjured smoke.
Zeke, anticipating this, planted Roland into the ground.
He activated a magic suppression technique.
Crackle—
With the magic reflection skill, Zeke manipulated the flow of magic in the room, unlike before when it merely deflected magic.
The apostle’s attempt to escape with the experiment was thwarted.
[You wretch—]
The apostle’s voice erupted as a shockwave from his mouth.
Boom!
This time, Zeke was propelled backward, crashing through walls and a thick iron door.
Even as he flew, Zeke maintained his balance and drew Bahamut.
He reached out toward the experiment beside the apostle.
“Detonate!”
The magic bomb implanted in the experiment exploded with the will of the soul bomb.
Boom!
Sharp fragments, pre-embedded, burst forth with the explosion.
As the dust settled, the apostle’s tattered form was revealed. His robe was riddled with holes, resembling a ragged beggar.
He tore off the robe and discarded his mask.
His face, devoid of hair and eyebrows, had blackened teeth and skin as pale as a corpse.
He opened his mouth wide at Zeke once more.
[Screeches—]
This time, small insects poured from the apostle’s mouth.
Venomous insects swarmed toward Zeke.
Zeke unleashed his holy aura to incinerate the insects in one sweep.
Buzz!
The insects scattered to avoid the holy aura, then redirected their attack toward Zeke.
While Zeke dealt with the insects, the apostle leaped to the opposite side.
At that moment, the wizard who had guided them earlier revealed himself.
Removing his robe, Richmond’s face was exposed.
“Duradura! Stop him!”
Suddenly, a Dullahan burst through the wall.
Thud!
The Dullahan was clad in the Blood Knight’s armor that Zeke had retrieved from the inverted tower.
Instantly, a blood field emanated from his body.
Vwooom!
A crimson aura rose from him, and sensing danger, the apostle screamed at the Dullahan.
[Screeches—]
The powerful shockwave swept away both the Dullahan and the blood field.
“Ugh!”
Richmond, standing behind the Dullahan, endured the apostle’s shockwave and raised his staff.
Vwooom!
Richmond cast an enhancement spell on the Dullahan, causing a violet power to ripple through his body.
Rumble!
The Dullahan advanced toward the apostle once more.
Simultaneously, Richmond drew the Royal Vampire’s dagger and chanted a spell.
A summoning circle formed on the ground, and a violet mass emerged, taking the shape of a golem.
Originally, the artifact used the caster’s blood to create a blood golem, but Richmond had modified it to summon the golem through other means.
The semi-transparent, violet golem, resembling a slime, slowly approached the apostle.
Groooan—
The apostle unleashed another shockwave, but the slime golem split into droplets, then reformed and continued toward the apostle.
The slime golem finally reached its target, morphing its body to ensnare the Apostle.
“Graaaah!”
The sticky slime clung to the Apostle, restricting his movements. With a grimace, he pulled something from his robes—a dagger exuding a chilling aura. He stabbed his own wrist, drawing blood.
Drip. Drip.
As the dark crimson blood flowed, he began chanting. The blood turned a vivid blue, and his eyes turned completely black, even the whites.
“Only death awaits you.”
His voice, now deep and ominous, resonated through the air. Raising his arm, a powerful wave surged forth, flinging the slime golem away.
Crack!
The golem shattered, its summoning undone, and it vanished. At that moment, a Dullahan charged at the Apostle.
Whoosh!
The Dullahan’s fierce sword descended towards the Apostle’s head, but just before it struck, the blade quivered and halted. An invisible force had stopped it. Then, the Dullahan was lifted into the air.
Crack!
The unseen force tightened around the Dullahan. Richmond, who had fallen, sensed the power and raised his staff in alarm.
“Stop him, everyone!”
From his shadow, dragoons emerged, ten in total, rushing towards the Apostle. The Apostle extended his other hand, unleashing his power upon them.
Boom!
The charging dragoons were also frozen in place by the invisible force. The Apostle, with his pitch-black eyes, glared down at Richmond.
“Death is the only fate for those who hinder the grand design.”
Just then—
Thud!
A sword pierced through the Apostle’s back. Black smoke billowed from the wound. The holy gem sword, Roland, had penetrated the Apostle’s defenses. He tried to pull it out, but the sacred orichalcum and gem-infused Roland was immovable by his dark powers.
Crack!
With a sickening sound, the Apostle’s neck twisted 180 degrees. He glared at Zeke, who held Bahamut, blue blood dripping from his mouth.
“I’ll tear you to shreds!”
Richmond locked eyes with Zeke, then dispelled the undead and rolled through a breach in the wall. As the Dullahan and undead vanished, a golden aura erupted from Zeke.
Sizzle—
The Apostle’s body smoked where the aura touched, and he recoiled in shock at the purifying power.
“This… this power!”
His body lifted into the air. In a desperate move, he severed his own arm and hurled it at Zeke. The severed limb swelled and transformed into a pulsating mass of flesh.
As Zeke moved to pursue the fleeing Apostle, something burst from the grotesque mass.
“What is that?”
Crack!
Dozens of snake-like tendrils emerged, each with sharp fangs and grotesque eyes scattered across their length. Zeke sensed the sinister energy within their gaze.
He opened his blood-red eyes, meeting the tendrils’ gaze and overpowering them.
Screech—
Normally, anyone caught in the tendrils’ gaze would be paralyzed, but instead, they froze, unable to approach Zeke. He raised Bahamut, summoning the purifying blade.
With a sweeping motion, he unleashed an infinite sword strike upon the tendrils.
Boom!
The golden aura consumed them, melting them into black smoke. Zeke immediately pursued the Apostle.
Whoosh!
The Apostle fled to the altar where the baptismal ceremony was held. Zeke burst through the doors into the ritual chamber.
The Apostle, with Roland still embedded in him, glared at Zeke from the altar, blue blood dripping. He raised his dagger, shouting in desperation.
“An inescapable death awaits you!”
He plunged the dagger into his own throat. Blue blood spurted onto the altar, and simultaneously, a black light erupted from the magic circle.