Episode 329
The wizards recognized him immediately and tried to counterattack, but Zeke was faster.
Zeke vanished and reappeared right in front of them.
With a flash of his sword, the wizards’ heads fell in an instant.
Zeke read the shadows of the surviving wizards to uncover their true identities.
“As expected, they’re from the Empire.”
In the end, the dozen or so wizards managing the magic circle all fell to Zeke’s blade. The magic circle, already unstable from a mana backlash, spiraled out of control without proper follow-up measures.
Crackle!
As the magic circle ceased to function, the surrounding mist began to dissipate.
The orcs standing guard were caught off guard.
“What the…?”
At that moment, something charged at the orcs.
“Raaaargh!”
Seeing the barbarians charging with battle cries, the orcs raised their axes.
“Stop them!”
But it was futile. The barbarians’ clubs sent the unsuspecting orcs flying in an instant.
Crash!
The orcs, crushed in their armor by the barbarians’ clubs and fists, fell.
By the time Zeke had fully dealt with the magic circle, not a single orc was left standing.
He absorbed some of the fallen orcs to regain his strength.
Soon, the mist cleared completely, and the knights waiting on the warship safely landed at the harbor.
“Eliminate the rest of them.”
Following Decker’s orders, the Black Sword Knights began hunting the orcs.
Thanks to their experience fighting numerous monsters and beasts in the Ghetto region, the Black Sword Knights skillfully clashed with the orcs and brought them down.
In just one day, the Black Sword Knights reclaimed the Holy Kingdom’s harbor.
Once the situation was under control, Shadia returned after inspecting the harbor and searching for any remaining traces of the enemy, as per Zeke’s orders.
Shadia reported back to Zeke.
“Boss, there were no survivors. Most were transported away, and the rest seem to have fallen victim to the orcs.”
The orcs had a habit of killing their enemies and devouring their bodies.
They believed that consuming the blood, flesh, and hearts of their foes would make them stronger warriors.
Shadia had discovered a place where the bones of humans devoured by the orcs were piled up.
Zeke relayed this grim news to the knights.
“If we leave them be, sacrifices like this will continue.”
The Black Sword Knights and the Silver Knights were filled with rage upon learning of the orcs’ atrocities.
To secure the harbor, Zeke used the communication orb to request reinforcements from Kali, who decided to send additional troops through Helen.
After ending the communication, Zeke spoke to Decker.
“We’ll leave the harbor to the Silver Knights. The Black Sword Knights will head straight to the Bardoka Holy State.”
Following Zeke’s decision, the Silver Knights stayed to guard the harbor while the Black Sword Knights quickly prepared to march along the road leading to Bardoka.
During their advance, the knights faced several battles.
Monsters and beasts blocked their path, and at times, orc legions attacked.
But none could stop the Black Sword Knights.
After several days of marching, the Black Sword Knights reached the road leading into Bardoka.
Zeke surveyed the path and spoke to Decker.
“We’ll have to part ways here for a while.”
“Master, please take care.”
Zeke nodded lightly, then led Bucephalus, along with Boris and Shadia, toward the monastery where Bacchus was rumored to be hiding.
The old monastery, where Bacchus was said to be, was nestled in the mountains, a bit away from the Bardoka Holy State.
It was an ideal hiding place, being remote and rarely visited by people.
Zeke, Boris, and Shadia climbed the mountain and approached the old monastery.
Before entering, Zeke set up a temporary camp in a nearby cave to recover his strength before infiltrating the monastery.
In the cave, Zeke sent ghost soldiers to scout the surroundings and shared food from his inventory with Boris and Shadia.
But Shadia seemed uneasy, as if she had something to say to Zeke.
“Shadia, if you have something to say, go ahead.”
At Zeke’s prompt, Shadia hesitated before speaking.
“Boss, as you might remember, the contract with Salmak is about to expire.”
Zeke nodded at her words.
“Has it been that long already?”
Seeing Zeke’s lack of response, Shadia grew slightly anxious and asked him.
“Are you planning to extend the contract?”
“Extending the contract, huh…”
Zeke looked up at her and said, “Do you need more time to kill me as the Mountain Elder ordered?”
Shadia flinched, a shiver running through her body, even though Zeke hadn’t shown any hostility or pressure. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Next to her, Boris calmly ate his bread.
Shadia realized that Zeke had been aware of her secret orders for a long time.
She looked at Zeke and asked, “Did you bring me on this mission to deal with me?”
Zeke chuckled at her question.
“Why would I kill someone I paid a hefty sum to hire?”
Judging by Zeke and Boris’s reactions, it didn’t seem like they intended to kill her.
She calmed herself and asked Zeke, “Why did you keep me by your side, knowing the Mountain Elder’s intentions?”
Zeke replied, “I told you, we had a contract, and I used your skills as per that contract. You turned out to be more capable than expected, which was beneficial for me.”
Shadia slowly opened her mouth.
“Is there something you want from me?”
Zeke clicked his tongue at her question.
“It’s not about what I want. It’s about what you want.”
Shadia looked confused at his words.
“What I want?”
Since being raised by the Mountain Elder and becoming Salmak’s disciple, she had never thought about what she wanted.
She followed orders and killed her targets without fail.
The idea of achieving something she desired was beyond her imagination.
Zeke spoke to Shadia, who was silently pondering.
“Is there nothing you want for yourself?”
Even with Zeke’s direct question, Shadia couldn’t answer for a long time.
Eventually, she spoke.
“I’ve never thought about it.”
Zeke nodded at her words.
“It’s possible not to know what you want. Boris, what do you want?”
Boris answered without hesitation.
“I dreamed of a leisurely life with regular hours.”
“Well, then you chose the wrong profession.”
Boris gave a wry smile at Zeke’s comment.
Boris had worked hard to pass the Imperial Guard Knights exam, aiming for a comfortable pension and a life without overtime. However, his exceptional aptitude for espionage during the exam led to his forced recruitment into the 13th Division.
He was too talented, which ironically took him further from the life he desired.
Zeke looked at Shadia and said, “Everyone has something they want. Whether they can achieve it is another matter.”
Shadia, with a complex expression, asked Zeke, “May I ask what you want, Boss?”
Zeke fell silent at her question.
Boris, who had been eating his bread, also looked up at Zeke, curious about his goals.
Zeke, under their gaze, slowly spoke.
“I wanted to become the strongest on the continent.”
Shadia and Boris were taken aback by his unexpected answer.
The idea of becoming the strongest on the continent sounded like a child’s dream of becoming a hero or discovering a treasure island.
But when Zeke, standing before them, spoke of becoming the strongest, it didn’t feel like an empty boast.
He looked at Boris and Shadia and said, “I’ve always wondered why I dreamed of becoming the strongest.”
Zeke’s past life had been filled with incomparable suffering.
After returning, he never wanted to relive that painful life.
The pain from his previous life was a mix of various sorrows.
The sadness of losing things because he was weak, and the guilt of failing to protect what he cherished.
He dreamed of becoming the strongest to avoid all those pains, to be free from any danger.
At first, he thought becoming a Black Knight would achieve that.
But there were many hidden strong individuals on the continent, and Zeke had yet to become as free as he dreamed.
Zeke looked at Shadia and said, “Shadia, I wanted to be free. Free from everything that binds and confines me.”
The word “freedom” struck deep in Shadia’s heart.
Zeke continued, “The thing that bound me the most was the name ‘Draker.’ Something I couldn’t erase even if I wanted to. To escape it, I thought I had to become strong enough not to be bound by that name. That’s why I set that goal—to become so strong that even the Draker family, the strongest on the continent, couldn’t bind me.”
Boris and Shadia exchanged surprised glances, as if they had just glimpsed the true feelings hidden beneath Zeke’s tough exterior.
Zeke looked at Shadia and spoke.
“Shadia, I asked if I should deal with you. My answer is no. Even if you return to Salmak, I will not harm you. The reason I can say this is because I am stronger than Salmak. No matter how hard the entire Salmak tries to kill me, they can’t.”
Shadia knew Zeke’s words were no idle boast.
“Salmak could never handle Zeke Draker…”
She looked at Zeke and asked, “If I ever have something I want, may I tell you then?”
“Of course. I’ll be waiting.”
Shadia shivered slightly at his words, sensing the hidden meaning behind them.
If she chose freedom and left Salmak, Zeke would welcome her with open arms.
She placed a hand over her heart, feeling its fierce pounding.
She recalled the loneliness embedded within her heart.
If she betrayed the Old Man of the Mountain, this loneliness would surely activate and kill her.
The suspicious Old Man had planted this loneliness in all his subordinates, including himself.
“Is it okay to dream of a freedom I never dared to imagine?”
Zeke seemed like someone who could return her freedom.
Even if he couldn’t, Shadia had no desire to return to the Old Man of the Mountain.
She was already captivated by Zeke Draker and wanted to witness his journey by his side.
“Boss, I…”
Shadia hesitated, about to say something to Zeke, when suddenly his eyes sharpened.
“Something’s coming.”
The ghost soldiers he had sent out for reconnaissance had signaled something suspicious.
Zeke shared the ghost soldiers’ vision and scanned the surroundings.
A dozen shadowy figures emerged near the old monastery.
They appeared on horseback, with pale skin, long hair, and leather clothing that defied the seasons, their eyes glowing red.
Zeke immediately recognized them.
“Vampires from the Red Eye gang.”
Though Bacchus was a vampire hybrid, Zeke hadn’t expected him to be connected with the Red Eye, a vampire gang.
Red Eye was a militant group of vampires, often clashing with the Nostra family over the eastern territories.
While the Nostra family was organized around bloodline abilities, Red Eye was composed of vampires skilled in necromancy.
Zeke recalled the royal vampire Garin, whom he had killed in the inverted tower.
“His blood magic was quite troublesome.”
The blood magic tome he had obtained from Garin was still in his inventory.
He had given it to Richmond for research, but since it was magic only vampires could use, it remained unused.
Zeke was certain the Red Eye vampires were heading for the monastery.
He stood up.
“They’re on the move. Get ready.”