Episode 347
“A continent beyond the Dark Sea?”
When Duke first mentioned the Dark Sea, I had a vague feeling there might be something there, but I never imagined an entire continent existed.
“Kronos said it, didn’t he? That the truth is hidden beyond the Dark Sea.”
Terrakan Draker had claimed that the way to revive the fallen Bahamut lay beyond those dark waters.
As I pondered Terrakan Draker’s words, my expression hardened.
“Could it be that the method to revive Bahamut involves using the Book of the Dead?”
I recalled the crazed look on Terrakan Draker’s face in the vision.
A weary hero who had lost his soulmate and the will to live.
He vanished without ever revealing to his son, Gio Lubern, that he was his father.
“A forsaken continent beyond the Dark Sea. I need to learn more about this.”
I lifted my head and looked at the Holy King.
“If the Book of the Dead is truly beyond the Dark Sea, as Your Majesty suggests, then there’s no real way to break the Demon King’s seal, is there? So, isn’t this arrangement unnecessary…?”
The Holy King shook his head.
“Even though the great sages and dragons sealed him, nothing is ever perfect. The Demon King’s powerful soul continues to emit malevolent energy, creating his minions even while sealed.”
Listening to the Holy King, I began to piece things together.
“Could it be that the beasts…?”
The Highlanders speculated that the beasts emerged from beyond the giant mountain range bordering the Dark Sea.
If the Demon King’s sealed power on the forsaken continent was causing these beasts to appear, it would explain their relentless emergence.
The Holy King looked at me and spoke.
“The followers of the Abyss believe that one day the Demon King’s soul will break free and lead them. They are preparing a vessel for that moment.”
I realized what the Abyss and Siemens were doing to resurrect the Demon King.
“So, the Abyss has been preparing Abel’s body as a vessel for the Demon King.”
Cain, who died by my hand, and Abel, who became the vessel by receiving the Dragon Heart.
I thought of the mastermind behind all these plans.
“Ramon Siemens.”
In the present, he was undoubtedly the focal point of the Demon King’s resurrection efforts.
With Abel dead by my hand, he would be desperately searching for a new vessel.
“There’s only one way. Eliminate Siemens.”
Without Siemens, the Abyss would lose its driving force.
With a determined glint in my eyes, I set a new goal.
Just then, the Holy King’s form began to fade.
“Your Majesty?”
The Holy King looked at his increasingly transparent body and spoke.
“The time is almost up.”
He turned to me.
“Successor, I am sorry to burden you with such a difficult task. Please, use the Holy Spear to stop the Demon King and bring peace and tranquility to the world.”
The Holy King approached me and placed his hand over my chest, where the heart of Bahamut, my mother, lay dormant, though he was unaware of this.
“It was an honor to meet you, my distant descendant. May the blessing of light guide your journey.”
A brilliant light emanated from his hand, enveloping me.
As the Holy King’s body dissolved into light, the entire space was filled with a radiant glow.
Simultaneously, a message appeared before my eyes.
[The power of the Radiant Light is unlocked.]
[The title ‘Knight of the Radiant Light’ is changed to ‘Bearer of the Radiant Light.’]
[Due to the title’s influence, the proficiency of the special skill ‘Holy Light Technique’ increases.]
[Due to the title’s influence, the proficiency of the active skill ‘Lightning Strike’ increases, and the light attribute is added.]
[Due to the title’s influence, the proficiency of ‘Blade of Purification’ increases.]
[‘Blade of Purification’ evolves into the S-rank skill ‘Blade of Radiant Light.’]
[You acquire the special skill ‘Holy King’s Spear Technique (S-rank).’]
[The special skill ‘Holy King’s Spear Technique’ can be linked with the special skill ‘Holy Light Technique.’]
A powerful energy filled my body, and my vision was flooded with light.
As the light subsided, I slowly opened my eyes.
“Where am I…?”
The surroundings had changed once more.
I found myself in a chapel styled after the Lubern dynasty.
In the center stood a statue of Gio Lubern in armor, with a stone coffin beneath it.
I approached the coffin slowly.
The surface was adorned with symbols of the sun, similar to those I’d seen in various ruins.
Suddenly, I realized something.
“This isn’t a symbol of the sun, but of light itself.”
The Holy Empire founded by Gio Lubern initially worshipped the god of light, symbolizing the creator deity.
However, as the Lubern dynasty fell and the Holy Empire fractured, the symbol shifted to the sun.
It seemed the emblem had changed during that transition.
I traced the symbol on the surface and slowly opened the coffin.
If the Emperor sought the Holy King’s remains, I needed to secure them first.
But inside, there were no remains.
“What is this?”
To my surprise, it contained an old spear.
And that spear was none other than the Holy Spear Longomianth, imbued with the power to slay gods.
“So, the Emperor wasn’t after the Holy King’s remains but this spear.”
I reached out for the spear.
At that moment, light burst from my chest.
“What is this?”
The same symbol of light engraved on the coffin’s surface appeared from my chest.
I recalled the Holy King transferring the power of light to me in his final moments.
And then, a message appeared before my eyes.
[The Holy Spear Longomianth recognizes the Bearer of the Radiant Light.]
[Confirmed as the rightful successor of the Holy Spear.]
[The Holy Spear Longomianth reverts to its true form.]
The spear, which had been resting quietly, began to rise into the air.
As the light from my body enveloped it, the spear absorbed the light and began to transform.
The once worn surface of the spear shimmered.
“This looks different from what was in the glass case.”
[The Holy Spear Longomianth has transformed to match the soul of its successor.]
Remarkably, the transformed spear resembled the black sword Bahamut I wielded.
The previous form of the spear had been suited to Terrakan Draker’s soul.
Gio Lubern, the next successor, couldn’t fully claim the spear, so he kept it in its original form. But with my immortal power, I could unleash its true potential.
I reached out for the newly transformed spear.
The spear vibrated gently, as if acknowledging its new master.
I grasped the spear.
To my astonishment, it vanished like smoke and merged into my right forearm.
When I rolled up my sleeve, a tattoo-like pattern was etched on my arm.
“Just like the chains, the spear is now part of me.”
I summoned the spear with my will, just as I did with the soul-binding technique.
The pattern responded immediately, and the spear appeared before me.
I examined the god-slaying spear made of adamantium closely.
“A spear capable of killing constellations. With this, I can eliminate the fallen constellations.”
The Abyss was summoning not only the Demon King but also demons using bloodstones.
To stop these demons, who were beyond the world’s power, I needed this god-slaying force.
I sheathed the spear and looked up at Gio Lubern’s statue.
I bowed my head in respect to the Holy King’s statue before turning away.
Just then, a tremor from outside the sanctuary caught my attention.
“Now, it’s time to hunt the Emperor.”
Kallito and the Knights of the Celestial Bow followed the royal guards to where the Emperor was.
The Emperor was stationed in a cavern where the Hounds had set up a camp.
The Hounds and cultists were exploring the Holy King’s ruins.
As they reached the Emperor’s location, a cultist mage approached Kallito.
“His Majesty commands you to lead the knights in exploring this area.”
Kallito realized the Emperor intended to use them to search the ruins.
“Damn it.”
Feigning loyalty, Kallito shouted praises to the Emperor and joined the dungeon exploration.
The Hounds and the Knights of the Celestial Bow followed the cultist mages into the ruins.
After walking deep into the underground, they found a catacomb with remnants of the Lubern dynasty.
The paths were a complex maze, but the cultist mages, guided by the power of the fallen constellations, navigated with ease.
Their staffs, adorned with a snake-entwined skull, allowed them to interpret the constellations’ will.
After wandering the underground paths for some time, they came upon a massive door.
The door bore an emblem of light, different from the one used by the current Sun Cult. It was the symbol of the original Order of Light, before the Holy Empire’s division.
The cultists approached slowly, pressing a staff against the door. Suddenly, a skull began to shake violently. The mage, filled with excitement, shouted, “It’s the Sacred King’s relic! We’ve found the tomb of Gio Luvern!”
The mage, having discovered the Sacred King’s relic, hurried back to the camp to report to the Emperor. “Your Majesty! We’ve found the Sacred King’s relic!”
From behind the curtain, the Emperor, breathing heavily, addressed the mage. “Open the door. I must reclaim the Sacred King’s remains and restore my true form without delay.”
The mage bowed his head. “Understood. Soon, the Black Serpent of the Mouth will bestow upon Your Majesty the glory of youth and eternal life.”
The cult’s mages busied themselves, preparing the ritual to open the path to the Sacred King’s relic. The Black Serpent of the Mouth, whom they worshipped, was a constellation of contracts and deceit. If the right offerings were made, the Serpent would grant a fitting reward.
As part of this, the mages seized an injured knight, placing him on a blood-drawn magic circle, and began chanting. The knight, trembling with fear, pleaded for his life, but the mages paid no heed, continuing their incantations and pouring a suspicious liquid over his head.
As the chanting intensified, the knight began to react strangely. “Ughhh…” he groaned, twisting in agony. At that moment, one of the mages drew a dagger from his robe. “We offer this sacrifice to the great constellation. Please, open the door!”
Just as the mage was about to plunge the dagger into the knight’s heart, the entire catacomb began to shake violently, as if an earthquake had struck. The magic circle drawn by the mages reacted unpredictably.
Sensing something amiss, a cult mage shouted, “Someone is interfering with the ritual!”
At the mage’s cry, the hounds and the knights of the Scorpion’s Tail drew their swords and stepped forward. Kalito gritted his teeth, scanning the surroundings. “Damn it, what now?”
Freed from the cult’s magic, Kalito had no loyalty left for the Emperor. He and the other knights of the Scorpion’s Tail were exhausted, their eyes bloodshot and sunken. Kalito prepared to flee if it seemed like another enemy was attacking.
Then, something appeared before those on guard. A white mist spread across the floor, frost forming on the walls. The sudden chill caused white breath to escape their mouths. Kalito stepped back in surprise. “What the…?”
Emerging from the white mist, an elemental lich wearing a mask revealed itself, addressing the imperial forces. “Who dares to defile this sacred resting place?”