Episode 314
As Zeke soared through the air, gripping the Giant Slayer, the colossal automaton unleashed a blinding light directly at him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Giant Slayer in Zeke’s hand cleaved through the light, propelling him straight toward the automaton’s chest.
Crack!
Zeke’s body became a hardened projectile, piercing through the giant’s chest.
Rumble—
The automaton staggered backward, its chest breached, yet it swung its hand in a desperate attempt to seize Zeke.
“Not so fast!”
Zeke veered around, launching the Dragon’s Claw at the automaton.
Slash—
The sharp claws left a vivid mark across the mask covering the automaton’s face.
Crack!
The automaton retreated, clutching its face as if to protect the mask.
‘Is that its weak spot?’
Zeke targeted the mask, swinging the Giant Slayer with all his might.
Crash!
The powerful blow struck the automaton’s face.
Roar—
The automaton flailed its arms wildly, trying to catch Zeke.
Dodging the attacks, Zeke infused his hammer with energy, continuing his assault.
Crack!
The mask began to fracture under the relentless strikes.
‘Now’s my chance.’
Seizing the moment, Zeke leaped into the air, unleashing the Dragon’s Roar at the cracked mask.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A symbol emerged from the automaton’s chest, releasing a powerful light.
The Dragon’s Roar pierced through the automaton’s hand, striking the mask.
Crack—
The compressed mana shattered the mask covering the automaton’s face.
Thud!
The giant collapsed to the ground.
As the broken mask fell away, the automaton’s true face was revealed.
Seeing the face, Zeke understood what Arataso had meant.
‘He said it was akin to a Nephilim. It does remind me of the Snow Queen.’
The face, once hidden by the mask, lacked a nose and mouth, with only eyes glowing with a mystical light.
Zeke realized, just as Arataso had suggested, that this being was more akin to a spirit than a typical creature of the physical realm.
Unlike its previous menacing demeanor, the automaton now gazed at Zeke with serene eyes.
—Thank you for freeing me from my long captivity…
The voice resonated directly in Zeke’s mind.
He recalled the words of the swamp’s master, who had spoken similarly.
‘So, its original soul was trapped within a body repurposed as a weapon of war.’
Hummm!
A white light emanated from the automaton’s body, dispersing into the earth.
Simultaneously, the light vanished from the automaton’s eyes.
‘The guardian crafted by the god of the earth has returned to its divine origin.’
Zeke watched the spirit depart from the automaton.
‘Better to absorb it myself than leave it for the Empire to exploit.’
Ensuring no one was around, Zeke activated his absorption skill on the automaton’s body.
Sssss—
The automaton’s form vanished into Zeke’s shadow, and a message window appeared.
[You have absorbed the designated target, the Corrupted Guardian of the Earth.]
[Absorbing the designated creature has increased your absorption skill level.]
[Your stamina, mental strength, and mana have been replenished.]
[The skill level of Dragon Warrior has increased from Novice to Adept.]
[The skill level of Giant Hunting has increased from Adept to Expert.]
[You have gained 2,000 Karma Points.]
[You have obtained 1 Special Random Box.]
Having absorbed the automaton, Zeke received substantial rewards.
After reviewing the messages, Zeke unfurled his dragon wings and headed back toward the canyon.
The barbarians, who had been hiding from the automaton’s attacks, rushed toward Zeke.
“Zeke!”
The barbarians gave him a thumbs-up, impressed by his defeat of both the dragon and the giant.
Zeke, seeing them, recalled the giant’s guardian tower in the rock tribe’s village.
‘Is there a connection between the barbarians and the giants?’
At that moment, Adnan and Bodmir appeared beside Zeke.
Bodmir surveyed the collapsed canyon and remarked, “Phew. I thought I was a goner when the cliffs started crumbling. What on earth happened?”
It seemed they hadn’t witnessed the automaton’s rampage from inside the cave.
Zeke turned to Adnan. “Did you find the cause of the dimensional rift?”
Adnan nodded, pulling something from his coat—a rusted, grotesque idol.
It depicted monsters and tormented humans, all screaming in agony.
“What is this?”
Adnan lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke as he explained, “It’s a demon’s token. They used its power to open the rift and control the monsters.”
Zeke recalled the words of the fallen abyssal mage.
‘He mentioned the artifact’s stabilizing effect. This must be the relic of the Harbinger of Blood and Madness.’
Adnan pocketed the spent cigarette and said, “This is troublesome. With such a token, they can create rifts anywhere.”
“Are you taking it to the High Table?”
Adnan nodded. “They’ll verify it and take appropriate action. We’ll follow their orders.”
He secured the token and addressed Zeke, “Draker’s Knight, we owe you one this time. We’ll repay the debt.”
Bodmir waved at Zeke. “See you next time!”
Without hesitation, Adnan and Bodmir departed. Watching them go, Zeke crossed the canyon with the barbarians to rejoin Helen’s group.
The canyon, devastated by the automaton’s destructive light, had buried most of the monsters under debris.
‘With the fallen constellation’s relic gone and their controllers dead, the monsters must have scattered.’
Monsters rarely formed groups, except for certain species.
While they could pose a threat if they spread across the ghetto, the area wouldn’t remain completely isolated.
Relieved, Zeke hurried through the canyon and spotted Helen’s group beyond the wasteland.
But they were engaged in battle with beasts.
Zeke shouted to the barbarians, “Let’s go!”
The barbarians charged at the beasts with battle cries.
Boom!
Zeke and the barbarians cut through the beasts, reaching Helen.
“Sister!”
Helen swung her sword, felling a charging beast.
Hearing Zeke’s voice, she brightened. “Zeke! You’re safe!”
Zeke felt relieved to see Helen’s group unharmed.
Fortunately, they had escaped the canyon before the giant awoke, avoiding being buried under debris.
With Zeke and the barbarians joining forces, the group pushed through the wasteland, nearing the autonomous district.
But a new problem arose.
“The autonomous district is under attack by monsters.”
The district, protected only by a fence beyond its earthen walls, couldn’t withstand a large-scale assault.
The Crouching Flame’s Song, seeing the monsters surrounding the district, raised a metal bar in anger.
“I’ll defeat them and save my comrades.”
Zeke stopped the Crouching Flame’s Song. “Rushing in blindly could cause more harm.”
Even from a distance, the number of monsters attacking the district seemed to exceed hundreds.
Zeke was particularly concerned about Big Joe’s health.
The old man, weakened from weeks of inadequate nourishment in the fortress, was in poor condition.
Though Zeke had been treating him with potions and healing, it wasn’t enough.
Zeke called out to Richmond in the autonomous district.
‘Richmond.’
Richmond responded to Zeke’s call.
‘Master!’
‘What’s the situation inside?’
‘Oh, those blasted monsters keep coming. We’ve set up a bone wall to block the beasts from the outskirts, but it won’t hold for long. The monsters are all converging on the west gate.’
‘The west gate, you say.’
‘Bane and I are handling the big ones, but there are strange ones holding back…’
‘Strange ones? What do you mean?’
‘You know, the ones with those bizarre weapons you fought. Knights, but not quite…’
Zeke frowned at Richmond’s words.
‘You mean the Knight Killers?’
‘Yes! They’re shooting at us, and while Bane and I are fine, the knights can’t afford to get hit. So we’re stuck inside.’
The presence of Knight Killers indicated Abel’s involvement.
‘If Abel’s involved, he must have shown himself. Which means… William Siemens is in play?’
Zeke processed Richmond’s report, formulating a plan to turn the situation to their advantage.
He gathered his companions.
“The autonomous district is surrounded by three layers of enemies.”
Zeke sketched a diagram on the ground as he explained.
The innermost layer was encircled by monsters, with beasts positioned beyond them.
In the distance, Siemens’ Night Killers were poised, ready to target any enemies emerging from the fortress.
Zeke turned to Helen and the Crouching Flame’s Song, addressing Big Joe as well. “I’ll hold off the beasts and snipers. You need to push through quickly and get inside.”
He added specific instructions for the Crouching Flame’s Song. “The Joins should lead the charge to the main gate. Once there, signal the inside to open the west gate.”
The Crouching Flame’s Song nodded in agreement. “Understood.”
With a few simple commands, the unit was ready. Zeke unfurled his holy weapon, imbuing the weapons of the Beastfolk and Joins with the power of light.
The light-infused warriors recalled tales of Zeke’s blessing from the Fairy King, their eyes gleaming with determination. “This light will shield you from the demonic poison. Charge straight for the main gate.”
Everyone nodded at Zeke’s words. Helen and the Crouching Flame’s Song took the lead, sprinting forward. “Let’s go!”
Helen swung her Dragon Buster, cutting down the beasts in her path and clearing the way. Simultaneously, Zeke unleashed a radiant flail, scattering the enemy ranks.
Watching the bolts of light descend from the sky, Helen marveled at Zeke’s boundless power.
Then it happened.
Whizz!
A bullet from a Night Killer’s rifle sped toward Helen. Instinctively, her bloodline ability, “Magnetism,” activated, deflecting the bullet away.
‘So this is the sniping Zeke warned me about.’
Zeke had forewarned Helen about the Night Killers and taught her how to use her ability to defend against their attacks.
Staying close to the Crouching Flame’s Song and Big Joe, Helen deflected incoming bullets as they ran.
Before long, they broke through the beasts and reached the area where the monsters were gathered.
As the iron fence of the autonomous district came into view, the Crouching Flame’s Song let out a piercing signal.
Screeeech!
The Join sentries inside recognized the signal. However, with monsters still present, opening the gate was risky.
Just then, something charged at the monsters.
Grrrrr—
Gurabs and Shark Dragons appeared.
Screeeech—
The Gurab unit blocked the monsters, preventing them from advancing toward the main gate.
The Join sentries, observing from inside, were taken aback. “What on earth is that?”
Boris, who was watching with them, recognized the Gurabs and Shark Dragons. ‘The boss has returned!’
He reassured the Joins. “Those are our summons. Open the gate without worry!”
At Boris’s words, the Joins nodded and promptly opened the gate.
The triple-layered iron gate slid upward smoothly.
Seeing the gate open, Helen shouted to her companions, “Get inside while I hold them off!”
She brandished her Dragon Buster and activated her bloodline ability.
Shhhhhh!
The armor clinging to Helen’s body began to transform.