Episode 295
A massive bear with golden fur was huddled beneath a tree.
“What a huge bear. Is this what a divine beast feels like…?”
Zeke slowly approached the bear.
Grrrr—
The bear, curled up, let out a dry growl.
Up close, it was even larger than it had seemed from a distance, like a small hill resting on the ground.
As Zeke and Michelle drew near, the bear gradually opened its eyes, glancing between the two of them.
Suddenly, Michelle ran toward the bear, tears streaming down her face.
“San-gun!”
She buried her face in the bear’s fur, sobbing uncontrollably.
“It’s been a while, Turushino.”
Michelle looked up at the bear, her face a mess of tears.
“I’m so sorry, San-gun. I tried to find the medicine, but I messed up again, just like always.”
The bear spoke in a warm, gentle voice.
“Turushino, you are not foolish. You may be slower than others, but sometimes that slowness is important.”
The voice was filled with boundless compassion and love.
Zeke began to understand what San-gun meant to Michelle.
“So that’s why you were trying to find the elixir. To save this divine beast.”
San-gun turned its gaze to Zeke.
“I sensed the power of a dragon after so long, and here you are, a rare one.”
Zeke bowed his head respectfully.
“My name is Zeke Draker. I’ve come here to reclaim the power of the sacred relic.”
At the mention of the relic, San-gun’s eyelids trembled slightly.
“A sacred relic… Rare one, do you know what it means for a relic to reappear? It signals chaos in this world.”
“San-gun, the world is already in turmoil. High-ranking demons have emerged, and there are those who seek to use this power to overthrow the continent.”
San-gun took a deep breath at Zeke’s words.
“Do you intend to stop them with the power of the relic?”
Zeke’s original goal was to become the strongest on the continent. But as he got entangled with Abel, Siemens, and the Empire, he found himself in this situation.
“Even if I become the strongest, it means nothing if the continent is reduced to ashes.”
Zeke nodded at San-gun.
“Yes, that’s how it turned out… for now, at least.”
San-gun’s eyes met Zeke’s.
“Come closer and place your hand on my body.”
Following San-gun’s instruction, Zeke placed his hand on the bear’s golden fur, feeling its warmth seep into his palm.
San-gun’s voice resonated in Zeke’s mind.
“You defy the laws, yet your heart is steadfast and unyielding. Such a pure and radiant soul is truly remarkable.”
Zeke was taken aback by the compliment.
“Thank you, but I can’t agree that my soul is pure and beautiful.”
“Strong and beautiful one, you are capable of guiding the relic on the right path.”
Zeke’s eyes lit up with hope.
“Then, can you open the path to the Fairy Lake?”
San-gun shook its head.
“To open the path to the Fairy Lake, I must regain my divine power. As you can see, I have lost almost all my strength.”
The divine beast, San-gun, was too weak to even stand.
Zeke, still touching San-gun, asked the system.
“System, what’s wrong with San-gun?”
The system searched for relevant information and soon displayed a message.
[Divine beasts are connected to their domains. San-gun’s domain is linked to the Ogre Mountain Range, and the invasion of demonic energy has damaged its soul.]
“Demonic energy? How can we heal it?”
[You must purify the demonic energy and restore the divine beast’s divinity.]
The Mask of Agamemnon, which had the power of purification, was too worn to use. Zeke pondered how to deal with the demonic energy embedded in San-gun’s body.
After some thought, he spoke to Michelle, who was still clinging to San-gun.
“Michelle, I’m going to heal San-gun. Please step back.”
Michelle wiped her tears and quickly moved away.
“Please, save our San-gun!”
Zeke took a deep breath and examined San-gun’s body.
A healing aura enveloped San-gun, but the bear’s labored breathing did not improve.
“The demonic energy has penetrated deep inside.”
Zeke spoke to San-gun.
“I’m going to burn the demonic energy inside you. It might hurt, but please bear with it.”
“You are going through so much trouble for me.”
With San-gun’s permission, Zeke activated his sacred flame.
While not as effective as a purification skill, the sacred flame could still burn demonic energy.
The flame coursed through San-gun’s body, incinerating the demonic energy.
Sssss—
Black smoke began to escape from San-gun’s mouth and nose.
The pain of being burned from within made San-gun tremble.
Sweat beaded on Zeke’s forehead.
“The demonic energy is deeply embedded, hardened throughout the body.”
The sacred flame could only burn a small portion of it. The energy had become so rigidly fused with San-gun’s body that continuing to burn it might harm the bear.
“Ugh!”
San-gun writhed in agony.
Zeke gritted his teeth.
“This won’t work. I need a purification skill.”
He carefully took out the Mask of Agamemnon.
With only 20% durability left, using it recklessly could shatter the mask.
“I have to finish this quickly.”
Zeke steadied his breathing and donned the mask.
A golden aura emanated from Zeke’s body.
Using the purification skill after so long felt like wielding a forgotten weapon.
The purifying power seeped into San-gun’s body.
The hardened demonic energy shattered under the golden aura.
Unlike the sacred flame, the purification skill gently eradicated the demonic energy without harming San-gun.
Sssss—
Thicker black smoke poured from San-gun’s body.
San-gun’s expression softened considerably compared to when the sacred flame was used.
Just then, a warning message appeared before Zeke.
[The mask’s durability has fallen below 15%.]
[Continuing to use the purification skill will decrease durability.]
[If durability reaches 0%, the mask cannot be repaired.]
Zeke gritted his teeth, trying to remove the demonic energy as quickly as possible.
“Faster, just a bit faster!”
The purifying power rapidly dissolved the demonic energy, but the real challenge lay ahead.
The demonic energy had hardened and adhered to the entire lung.
Even with the purification power fully concentrated, it wouldn’t budge.
As the mask’s durability continued to drop, Zeke grew anxious.
Crack!
A visible crack appeared on the mask.
If he pushed any further, the mask might be completely destroyed.
As Zeke lowered the purification power, the demonic energy in the lungs began to writhe and spread again, creeping over the areas he had just cleansed.
“Damn it.”
[The mask’s durability has fallen below 10%.]
[Continuing to use the purification skill will decrease durability.]
[If durability reaches 0%, the mask cannot be repaired.]
As the purification power weakened, San-gun spoke to Zeke.
“You don’t have to push yourself too hard. This may be my fate.”
Zeke clenched his jaw.
“If things stay like this, the path to the Fairy Lake will remain closed.”
Without the divine beast’s power, he couldn’t reach the Fairy Lake, nor could he restore the Mask of Agamemnon.
Zeke resolved to use the remaining purification power to eliminate the demonic energy in one go.
A brilliant golden aura enveloped San-gun.
Zeke’s eyes caught the message indicating the mask’s durability was rapidly decreasing.
“Come on!”
The demonic energy embedded in San-gun’s body was nearly eradicated by the purification power.
Then it happened.
Deep within San-gun’s lungs, the source of the demonic energy stirred.
Zeke focused the purification power on the source.
But even the purification power couldn’t disperse the source of the demonic energy.
“Why isn’t the purification working?”
Zeke attempted to use the sacred flame to burn the source.
But the more he tried, the more the demonic energy seemed to cling stubbornly.
Grrrr—
San-gun writhed in pain, letting out a long, mournful cry.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke.
[The mask’s durability has fallen below 2%.]
[The mask’s durability has fallen below 1%.]
“No, it can’t be!”
The golden aura was gradually fading.
Crack!
The dark energy seized the opportunity, surging through Sangun’s body with relentless force.
The power of the Great Purification was being overwhelmed by the dark energy.
[The durability of ???‘s mask has fallen below 0%.]
Crack!
At last, Agamemnon’s mask began to shatter. Inside Sangun, the dark energy roiled, shaking Zeke to his core.
Zeke watched the dimming golden aura with a growing sense of despair.
Then, it happened.
[The power of Fortune is activated.]
The elixir he had tucked away in his pocket had its cap knocked off by the impact, spilling onto the sacred relic of the Sea God.
A burst of multicolored light erupted from the relic where the elixir had fallen.
[The elixir reacts with the Sea God’s relic.]
[The Sea God’s relic, the Dragon Pearl, unlocks its power.]
[The Dragon Pearl links with the power of Reversal.]
“What?”
In an instant, time froze for everyone except Zeke.
Before him appeared the clock of Chronos.
[The power of Reversal is activated.]
As the clock’s hands wound backward, Zeke’s time began to reverse.
Simultaneously, the shattered pieces of Agamemnon’s mask reassembled, fitting snugly back onto Zeke’s face.
Zeke stared in astonishment at the restored mask.
“So this is what Reversal can do?”
[With the power of the Dragon Pearl, the Reversal was activated without penalty.]
Time resumed its normal flow.
[The durability of ???‘s mask has fallen below 20%.]
The mask’s durability had returned to 20%.
Zeke immediately summoned the power of the Great Purification.
Vroom!
The golden aura once again enveloped Sangun’s body.
The source of the dark energy embedded within him thrashed violently, trying to unleash its power.
Zeke focused the Great Purification’s energy on that source.
Vroom!
The power of the Great Purification surrounded the dark energy’s core, trapping it from all sides.
The core writhed in agony, as if screaming.
Simultaneously, the purifying energy obliterated the dark core, spreading out in an explosive wave.
Vroom, vroom, vroom!
Golden rings radiated from Sangun’s body, extending across the entire domain.
The golden aura spread beyond Sangun’s realm, reaching the druid village and the entire Ogre Mountain Range.
Sssshhh—
Soon, the black smoke was completely expelled from Sangun’s body. His labored breathing gradually calmed.
Exhausted, Zeke checked the message before him.
[The durability of ???‘s mask has fallen below 1%.]
He had succeeded in purifying just before the mask shattered.
Unconsciously, Zeke’s eyes fluttered shut, and he slipped into unconsciousness.