Episode 313
A series of deafening explosions echoed through the cave.
The magical bombs that Zeke had strategically placed with the help of his ghost soldiers were detonating.
Outside, Zeke issued a command to the Kaiman unit he had stationed.
“Kaiman, draw their attention by taking down the monsters.”
“Understood, Master.”
While the hounds were distracted, Zeke intended to uncover the secrets of this place.
Suddenly, a blast erupted from behind.
The head of a hound, which had been with a sorcerer, exploded.
The sorcerer of the Abyss gritted his teeth as he looked at the dead hound.
“Damn it! A sorcerer! A sorcerer has infiltrated and cast a spirit spell!”
It seemed he had mistaken Zeke’s bloodshot magic for a spirit spell.
The sorcerer anxiously bit his thumbnail, his expression tense.
“A spirit spell? Could it be the Scorpions have betrayed us? Or perhaps someone secretly raised by the Tower has infiltrated? Or maybe the Nirvana group is involved…”
The sorcerer, consumed by extreme anxiety, muttered to himself while scratching the back of his hand.
Zeke realized the sorcerer’s symptoms were indicative of Soma addiction.
“Soma temporarily boosts magical power, but addiction leads to severe anxiety.”
The sorcerer gnawed at his nails as he stared at a massive block of ice.
“Damn it, just a little longer and I could have unearthed that. Damn it, damn it!”
Zeke, who had been concealing his presence with the power of silver, felt the strain on his body as time passed.
Releasing his full strength, he stealthily approached the sorcerer from behind.
The moment Zeke let go of his concealment, the sorcerer spun around and shouted.
“There you are!”
His sensitivity to presence was as sharp as his temperament.
CRACK!
The space where Zeke stood distorted with a thunderous roar.
“What incredible power. Is it enhanced by Soma?”
Even as Zeke marveled, he swiftly extended chains to capture the sorcerer.
CLANG!
But before the chains could ensnare him, the sorcerer’s body turned to smoke and vanished. He reappeared in the air, casting a spell at Zeke.
CRACKLE!
The space around Zeke warped again.
He quickly twisted his body using an illusionary step to evade the magic.
“A tricky spell to deal with.”
Its power was formidable, and its speed and lack of preparatory movements made it difficult to predict.
The sorcerer, now with eyes like a demon, pointed his staff at Zeke and swung.
“Die!”
CRACKLE!
The entire space around Zeke began to distort.
He swiftly used the spirit skill of his sword sheath.
Disappearing into the dimensional rift, Zeke left no trace behind.
The startled sorcerer scanned the area with his demonic eyes.
“Damn it! Where are you?”
At that moment, Zeke emerged from the dimensional rift behind the sorcerer.
SLASH!
Zeke attacked the sorcerer with Dragon’s Claw.
“ARGH!”
Black smoke billowed from the sorcerer’s body as he was struck by the Dragon’s Claw.
Zeke immediately used soul-binding magic to restrain the sorcerer.
CLANG!
The sorcerer, bound by chains, was slammed against the stairs.
With his foot on the sorcerer’s neck, Zeke glared down at him.
“You… you’re Zeke Draker…”
The sorcerer’s recognition of his identity made Zeke’s expression harden.
Despite his efforts to remain cautious, it seemed information had leaked due to his repeated clashes with the Abyss.
Just as Zeke was about to delve into the sorcerer’s memories using the power of shadow domination, a system alert interrupted him.
[The designated target senses the dragon’s aura from the user.]
[The designated target, previously dormant, is reactivating.]
“What?”
RUMBLE—
The entire cave shook.
Zeke turned in surprise to see cracks forming in the ice block embedded in the wall.
CRACK!
A massive hand burst forth from the cracked ice block.
CRACK!
The ice shattered completely, and the entity within awakened.
The sorcerer, still bound by chains, burst into maniacal laughter at the sight.
“It’s awakened! It really has awakened! Success! Hahaha! The revival is near!”
Zeke tried to seize him, but the sorcerer had already vanished, leaving only a trace of blood behind.
“These wretched bastards.”
Retrieving his chains, Zeke turned his attention to the awakened giant.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The colossal being rose, swinging its limbs.
ROAR—
With a monstrous cry that shook the earth, one side of the cave wall collapsed entirely.
Simultaneously, a passage leading outside the canyon was revealed.
“This is insane…”
The giant rose to its full height and charged at Zeke.
It swung its massive fist.
BOOM!
The spot where Zeke had stood crumbled to dust.
Summoning Bucephalus in mid-air, Zeke swiftly flew outside.
“What on earth is that?”
From atop Bucephalus, Zeke surveyed the scene. One side of the canyon’s cliff had completely collapsed.
And from the gaping hole, the giant emerged.
Only then could Zeke clearly see the creature.
It wore a black mask, and its body was covered in bizarre patterns.
Its long arms hung low as it moved slowly, resembling a golem in human form.
“But it’s too fluid to be a golem… What is it?”
It was so enormous, it seemed like a moving mountain.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The eerie creature advanced toward Zeke.
At that moment, the barbarians atop the canyon shouted to Zeke.
“Zeke!”
Zeke veered toward them.
The barbarians pointed at the strange creature and shouted.
“Zeke, that’s a giant!”
Zeke looked at them incredulously.
“Giant? Weren’t they all gone ages ago?”
The barbarians nodded.
“Yeah. Giants disappeared long ago. None left now.”
“Then what is that?”
The barbarians shook their heads.
“We don’t know. That’s why it’s strange.”
What the Empire had been excavating was none other than an ancient giant, thought to be extinct.
“These madmen want to use giants for war?”
Giants were originally sacred beings, protectors of forests and mountains, akin to spirits.
Once peaceful, the giants cursed humans when they began destroying forests and harming forest creatures. They started killing any humans who entered their domain.
Hero King Kaishir personally challenged the Giant King to a wager, winning the right for humans to cultivate the forest.
Though the Hero King wagered for humanity, he strove for coexistence with the giants. However, the Giant King, wishing to avoid further contact with humans, led the giants deep into the Giant Mountains.
Then, when the Demon King resurrected and invaded the mortal realm, the demons sought to enslave the giants.
The giants resisted, but some were possessed by demons and forced into war.
After the war between the Chronos Alliance and the Demon King’s army, giants vanished from the mortal realm.
As Zeke recalled this knowledge, the giant charged at him.
ROAR—
“Zeke!”
Zeke shouted for the barbarians to retreat, then soared into the air on Bucephalus, unleashing a wind barrier at the giant.
WHOOSH!
A massive storm surged toward the giant.
BOOM!
The giant staggered back, hit by Zeke’s storm blade.
But it quickly regained its balance and swung its long arm at Zeke.
WHOOSH!
Zeke retreated, striking the giant with a mace of light.
BOOM!
The giant staggered again but seemed largely unharmed.
The barbarians shouted to Zeke.
“Zeke! Giants can’t be taken down with ordinary attacks!”
Zeke called back to them.
“What do you mean ordinary attacks don’t work?”
“Giants are sacred beings. Only heroes’ powers can defeat them!”
Few heroes in legend had ever defeated giants.
“Hero King Kaishir and… who else?”
Then, a thought flashed through Zeke’s mind.
“Tyr the God of War!”
Tyr’s legend included tales of slaying giants.
Zeke drew Tyr’s Giant Slayer.
He remembered how, during their battle, the Giant Slayer had emitted a holy light similar to Lubern’s magic.
Zeke checked the system for the Giant Slayer’s details.
―Giant Slayer Information―
Description: A weapon crafted by a great sage for Tyr the God of War.
Unique Abilities: Indestructible / Increases spiritual power.
Special Note: Deals double damage to large enemies.
Since it wasn’t his main weapon, Zeke hadn’t paid much attention to the Giant Slayer’s stats, but it had unique abilities like indestructibility and increased spiritual power.
“It has extra damage against large foes. No wonder it was handy against big monsters.”
Now he understood why it was called the Giant Slayer.
Gripping the Giant Slayer, Zeke flew toward the giant.
As he focused his spiritual power, the Giant Slayer shone with a radiant light, just as it had when Tyr wielded it.
WHOOSH!
In that state, Zeke swung the Giant Slayer, striking the giant.
BOOM!
The giant staggered under Zeke’s attack, a noticeable change from before.
“The attack is working. The power boost is effective. This will be advantageous when using my full strength.”
With renewed determination, Zeke charged at the giant once more, wielding the Colossus Hunter.
“Haah!”
Summoning his inner strength, Zeke transformed into his empowered state and swung the Colossus Hunter with all his might.
Boom!
The weapon, infused with his full power, struck the giant, causing it to reel back more than before.
Just as Zeke prepared to charge again, the giant steadied itself and faced him directly.
Thud!
A massive crystal embedded in the giant’s chest began to glow.
Rumble—
A blinding flash erupted from the crystal.
Boom!
A torrent of light, akin to a dragon’s roar, burst forth from the giant’s chest, obliterating everything in its path. Trees turned to ash, the ground split open, and cliffs crumbled.
Roar!
The giant’s destructive cry echoed through the canyon as the light gradually faded. Zeke emerged in mid-air, maneuvering his mount, Bucephalus, while drawing a green sword from his inventory.
“Arataso, what on earth is that giant? It’s nothing like what I’ve read about.”
Arataso, observing the giant, swallowed hard before responding.
[I didn’t expect it to still exist in this realm.]
“You know what it is?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Arataso replied.
[Yes, it’s a war machine known as a Colossus Weapon.]
“A Colossus Weapon? So it’s different from a regular giant?”
Arataso’s voice turned grave.
[The giants you speak of were transformed into weapons by the demon race.]
“What? They turned giants into weapons? How, without using soma like now?”
Rumble—
The giant’s chest glowed again, unleashing another beam of light towards Zeke, who deftly evaded while searching for an opening.
Arataso continued after a brief pause.
[Giants were originally guardians created by the Earth God. As sacred beings, they lose their essence once corrupted.]
“The Earth God, as in the one the elves worship?”
[Yes, it’s said that when this realm was formed, the Earth God crafted the giants from clay to protect and guard the land.]
“So they’re like golems made by the Earth God?”
[You must view them differently from human-made constructs. They’re more akin to the Nephilim, created by the constellations with divine blood.]
The Colossus Weapon before them was a sacred giant, twisted into a war machine by the demon race. It seemed the barbarians had inherited distorted information about this.
“Tyr participated in the demon wars. This weapon might have been specifically designed to combat these modified giants.”
Now Zeke understood why his weapon was called the Colossus Hunter.
Gritting his teeth, Zeke glared at the Colossus Weapon, which continued to unleash its light.
“Those imperial bastards… they really dug up something like this.”
Despite his curiosity, Zeke knew he had to act. He gripped Bahamut tightly.
“I have so many questions, but now’s not the time. I need to destroy it first.”
Zeke summoned the power of his full strength once more. It was a technique not fully mastered, and it took a toll on his body.
“I’ll finish this in one strike.”
Vroom!
Leaping from Bucephalus, Zeke soared towards the Colossus Weapon, wielding the Colossus Hunter.
“Haah!”
With a mighty cry, he unleashed his ultimate technique.
Double Spell
The Will of Penetration
The Colossus Hunter was imbued with the will to pierce through.