Episode 305
Not long after the intelligence agents made their escape, Zeke received the response he had been waiting for.
The Imperial Army had begun to take direct action.
Instead of returning to the autonomous district, Zeke was using his ghost soldiers and summoned creatures to monitor the movements of the Imperial forces.
At one point, a ghost soldier stationed deep within enemy lines detected something unusual.
Through the eyes of the ghost soldiers, Zeke observed the approaching figures.
Though they were cloaked in black and hooded, it was unmistakably the Imperial Knights leading a charge.
“Got them.”
Zeke surmised that the knights had been dispatched to deal with him directly, having heard that he was injured and that the Black Sword Knights and the Joins had all succumbed to the Red Flower Plague.
As Zeke scrutinized the knights more closely through the ghost soldier’s vision, he was taken aback.
“Morgan Buffon?”
Morgan Buffon, the commander himself, was leading the knights of the Imperial Palace.
“Didn’t expect him to come out personally.”
Zeke had anticipated a few knights or some intelligence agents, but instead, Morgan had brought an entire battalion.
“If they’re planning to kill everyone and let the monsters clean up, I can do the same.”
This meant Zeke could also eliminate them quietly and let the monsters handle the aftermath.
With a chilling smile, Zeke rose from his seat.
“Let’s see how you like falling into your own trap.”
His figure melted into the shadows, gradually disappearing.
Thud, thud, thud!
Morgan Buffon led the knights of the Imperial Palace through the darkness.
He clenched his teeth, his body trembling with rising anger.
“Of all times, why is the Second Prince inspecting here?”
Prince Leonardo Crowley Constantinus, the second in line, seemed oblivious to his position as the heir apparent, frequently visiting dangerous battlefields, much to Morgan’s annoyance.
While it was commendable for a ruler to gain firsthand experience on the battlefield, Morgan found it incompatible with his own duties, which often involved the Empire’s darker dealings.
The mission in the ghetto was meant to be conducted discreetly, as it involved releasing monsters to justify territorial incursions.
However, the Second Prince, who believed everything could be resolved by the book, was always critical of Morgan’s methods.
Moreover, with the reshuffling of the intelligence agency and the complexities arising from the reorganization of the 13th Division, many tasks had fallen to the Imperial Palace, leaving Morgan with too much to handle personally.
In the past, he could have sent a few intelligence agents to eliminate the leaders of the Joins and the Beastmen, waiting for them to collapse on their own.
But with the intelligence director being cautious and refusing to approve assassins, Morgan had no choice but to act himself.
“Anyway, I need to wrap this up before the Second Prince arrives.”
According to intelligence, Zeke Draker was injured by Six, and the Joins and Black Sword Knights in the autonomous district were all down with the Red Flower Plague.
For Morgan, who had seen many of his plans thwarted by Zeke Draker, this was a golden opportunity.
He planned to swiftly enter the autonomous district, eliminate the targets, release the monsters for cleanup, and return to the base camp.
“Taking down Zeke Draker will inevitably impact Kali Draker. With Helen Draker isolated, this could be a chance to deal with troublesome figures all at once.”
As Morgan organized his thoughts, the image of Abel Draker flashed in his mind.
He had always sensed something unsettling about Abel Draker.
When they met again after Abel became a Black Knight, he exuded an even more ominous aura.
“Madness, perhaps. He’s someone I’d rather not get close to.”
The Empire intended to absorb the Drakers through Abel Draker, so Morgan had no choice but to maintain a good relationship with him.
Feeling uneasy, Morgan shook off thoughts of Abel and led the knights toward the autonomous district.
Suddenly, something emerged from the darkness.
Shhh!
A mysterious knight swung a massive sword, cutting down the lead knight and his horse.
The knights of the Imperial Palace, startled, drew their swords.
“Enemy attack!”
Despite their surprise, they quickly spread out, surrounding the knight with the massive sword.
They unleashed their aura blades, aiming directly at the enemy.
Surprisingly, the knight with the massive sword showed no intention of dodging the incoming blades.
He gripped his sword with both hands, crouched briefly, and then swung with all his might at the charging knights.
Boom!
A storm erupted from the massive sword.
Crash!
The knights caught in the sword’s storm were torn apart, their limbs scattering in all directions.
With a single swing, the formation crumbled.
The knights at the rear barely regained their balance and charged at the mysterious knight again.
Whoosh!
As dozens of aura blades flew toward him, the knight with the massive sword vanished in an instant.
Moments later, he reappeared in the air, swinging his sword at the knights.
Whoosh!
Crash!
He wielded the massive sword as if it were an extension of his body, slaughtering the knights of the Imperial Palace.
Morgan Buffon, witnessing the scene, turned pale.
“A Black Knight… A Black Knight has appeared.”
He had no idea where a Black Knight, a national-level asset, had suddenly come from.
To survive, he needed to escape immediately.
Without looking back, Morgan fled.
“Commander!”
The other knights of the Imperial Palace, seeing Morgan flee, were thrown into confusion.
Zeke, the knight who had been slaughtering the knights, noticed Morgan’s escape.
“Can’t let him get away.”
He picked up a spear lying nearby and hurled it at the fleeing Morgan.
Whoosh!
The spear pierced the air, striking Morgan’s back with tremendous force.
Thud!
Thanks to the Imperial Palace’s armor, the spear didn’t penetrate completely.
However, the shockwave from the spear, imbued with destructive energy, penetrated deep into his body.
“Ugh!”
Morgan’s body, struck by the shockwave, fell to the ground like a lifeless hunk of meat.
The surrounding knights, witnessing this, charged at Zeke.
“Kill him!”
Zeke swung his massive sword at the charging knights.
Whoosh!
Another storm erupted, shattering the knights’ swords and even their armor.
In no time, Zeke’s massive sword had severed all their heads.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, dozens of knights fell to the ground.
Zeke walked slowly among the fallen knights.
Morgan, lying on the ground, trembled, trying desperately to move.
But the shockwave had shattered his spine, rendering him immobile.
“Damn it…”
He fumbled for a potion hidden in his coat, trying to drink it, but his hands shook too much to retrieve it properly.
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.
Morgan’s hands moved a little faster.
Just as he managed to open the potion bottle and tried to drink it, Zeke kicked it away, shattering it.
Then he stomped on Morgan’s hand.
Crunch!
“Aaaargh!”
Morgan screamed in agony as his hand was crushed.
Zeke reached down and grabbed Morgan’s hair.
“Long time no see, Morgan Buffon.”
Morgan was shocked to recognize the knight’s voice.
He looked up at the knight, and his face turned white as he recognized him.
“You… You’re… Zeke Draker!”
He never imagined the Black Knight’s identity would be Zeke Draker.
Zeke, seeing Morgan’s shock, spoke.
“Didn’t expect you to crawl out here yourself, but it works out well.”
Morgan Buffon was a ruthless figure who had orchestrated massacres alongside Abel during the continental war.
Eliminating him quickly was beneficial in many ways.
Morgan, trying to reason with Zeke, said, “Sir Zeke! Please, let’s talk this out.”
He was desperate to change Zeke’s mind.
But Zeke had no intention of listening.
Without a word, Zeke used his shadow control, blood vision, and dragon senses to delve into Morgan’s memories.
“Ugh!”
Morgan’s eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth from the pain of having his brain turned inside out.
Yet Zeke continued, searching through Morgan’s memories for crucial Imperial information.
“So the Emperor’s health is failing. Looks like he doesn’t have much time left. Ah, the intelligence director switched from the Emperor’s faction to Julius’s. And they put a retired general in charge of the 13th Division instead of an intelligence officer? No wonder things seemed off.”
Julius planned to enthrone the Second Prince, Leo, and rule from behind the scenes.
Zeke sifted through Morgan’s memories, identifying the face of the Second Prince, Leonardo Crowley Constantinus.
“The young imperial knight I first saw on the Sea God’s Island, wearing that unfamiliar Hershion.”
The knight’s exceptional skills had left a lasting impression on him.
Through Morgan’s memories, Zeke gleaned insights into Leo’s personality.
“Hmm, given the circumstances, there’s definitely an opening to infiltrate the Empire.”
It was then that Zeke stumbled upon a familiar figure in Morgan’s recollections.
“Abel…”
Abel Draker was right there, surprisingly without his usual retinue. He was stationed at the garrison with only William Siemens by his side.
“Abel here alone? This might be the perfect chance to deal with him.”
In the current chaos of the ghetto, Zeke could easily cover up Abel’s demise.
Morgan Buffon coughed up blood-tinged foam, and soon his heart stopped, leaving him lifeless.
Zeke discarded Morgan’s body and retrieved the Hershion from him.
“A fine piece wasted on someone like Morgan.”
After stowing the Hershion in his inventory, Zeke summoned Richmond.
“You called, Master?”
“Yes, how are things on your end?”
“Just the occasional monster, nothing major. Oh, as you mentioned, the Empire’s scouts have been snooping around the perimeter.”
“I see. Make sure they never realize I’m not there.”
“Understood.”
With the situation assessed, Zeke instructed Richmond to lure the monsters to their location. As a necromancer who had dedicated his life to studying monsters, Richmond found this task trivial, even if the Empire had tried to brainwash him.
“Come on, you beasts! Over here! It’s a feast!”
Richmond waved his staff, and soon, nocturnal monsters with menacing eyes emerged, tearing into the scattered corpses of fallen knights.
Morgan Buffon’s body was devoured entirely, a pitiful end for one of the Empire’s 13 legion commanders.
Having dealt with the Knights of the Hershion, Zeke returned to the camp.
“What? You plan to go to the isolated fortress alone?” Decker shook his head at Zeke’s words.
“No, it’s too dangerous for you to go there by yourself.”
“I’ve spread rumors that I’m injured and stuck, so they’ll likely let their guard down. The longer we wait, the worse it is for us.”
The isolated fortress held Helen, the Song of the Crouching Flame, and Big Joe. Zeke intended to rescue them and set a trap for Abel.
Realizing Zeke had made up his mind, Decker finally nodded.
“I will follow your orders, my lord.”
Nearby, Clone tapped his mace against his palm. “We’ll keep smashing those monster heads.”
Zeke shook his head. “No, we can’t wipe them all out. We need to make it look like we’re struggling against the monsters, so Abel, hiding behind the Empire’s forces, will show himself.”
Clone clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Zeke, observing Clone’s reaction, gathered the Black Sword Knights to explain the situation. Before leaving the autonomous district, he summoned Richmond and Vane to prepare for any unforeseen events.
With preparations complete, Zeke stealthily entered the ghetto, teeming with berserk monsters.