Episode 350
“A monster like that, the Emperor of the Rom Empire?”
In his past life, Zeke had stolen the Elder Dragon’s relic that the Emperor coveted, only to be killed by the Emperor’s hounds. He lost his comrades in the continental war that followed.
With these memories, a figure appeared in Zeke’s mind.
“Alicia.”
Alicia Himonas.
The Grand Duke of the North, the White Wolf of the Northern Continent, the incarnation of the Wolf King Fenrir, the King of the North, and many other titles.
Many hailed her as the only hero capable of stopping Emperor Nero, the usurper of the continent.
Yet, in the end, Alicia couldn’t stop the usurper’s army and met her end by her own sword.
In his past life, Zeke often thought of Alicia with the same regret.
If only he had been stronger, if he had reached the level of the Black Knight back then, perhaps he could have protected her. He had replayed that thought countless times.
As Zeke looked at the grotesque form of the Emperor, he remembered his fallen comrades.
“All because of this wretched creature…”
The Emperor had shed his humanity to extend his life, and Zeke frowned at the sight.
The Emperor bared his sharp teeth, glaring at Zeke.
“I remember you, filthy spawn of the Draker. Cursed blood of Arthur Draker.”
The Emperor’s back swelled, tearing through his clothes.
Crack!
Tentacles, snake-like in appearance, burst forth from his back.
Hiss!
The Emperor’s eyes turned a deep red.
“Ugh!”
Barely holding onto his sanity, he shouted at Zeke.
“Where have you hidden the Holy King’s remains? Bring them to me now! If I feed them to the Black Serpent in my mouth, I can regain my youth and immortality!”
The Emperor seemed unaware that the Holy King’s remains were not here.
“The Black Serpent in his mouth? Is that the name of a fallen celestial? So that’s who tempted the Emperor.”
It seemed the Black Serpent was after the Holy Spear left here, not the remains.
Though the reason the fallen celestials sought the Holy Relics and the Holy Spear was unclear, Zeke suspected it was linked to the Demon King’s resurrection.
Zeke aimed Bahamut at the Emperor and spoke.
“If you want the Holy King’s remains, you’ll have to capture me first.”
The Emperor bared his sharp teeth at Zeke’s words and roared.
“Arrogant fool! I’ll tear you to shreds!”
Swoosh!
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the tentacles shot towards Zeke.
Zeke unleashed his Holy Light against the encroaching tentacles.
Vroom!
A powerful light rose above his head.
Simultaneously, a brilliant flash erupted from the light.
Zap—
The flash struck the tentacles.
Hiss!
The tentacles, hit by the flash, emitted black smoke and disintegrated into dust.
Seeing the tentacles’ weakness to the Holy Light, Zeke realized the Emperor was corrupted by dark magic.
“Is he in a state similar to the Hydra, completely consumed by dark magic?”
Zeke aimed the Holy Light at the Emperor’s body.
Zap—
The flash flew towards the Emperor.
The Emperor extended his hand, and a translucent red barrier appeared, neutralizing the Holy Light’s flash.
Sizzle—
The red barrier surrounding the Emperor’s body seemed to be a different kind of power, not magic or aura.
Zeke opened his blood vision to examine the red barrier protecting the Emperor.
“Is it some form of ancient sorcery?”
The Emperor, who had practically created a new body with cultist sorcery, was infused with sorcery throughout.
As Zeke clicked his tongue internally, the Emperor swung his sharp claws at him.
Slash!
A deadly poison dripped from his claws, aimed at Zeke.
Sizzle!
The poison splattered around, melting the walls and floor.
Zeke used the power of flame to counter the incoming poison.
Whoosh!
The flames, created by his power, burned away the poison and surged towards the Emperor.
Vroom!
The Emperor’s body was once again enveloped in a translucent barrier.
But the flames Zeke conjured contained the power of a dragon.
The flames pierced through the sorcerous barrier.
Seeing the flames’ power about to engulf him, the Emperor instinctively began chanting a spell.
Sizzle—
Black energy rose from his body.
The black energy wrapped around the barrier, smothering the flames until they began to fade.
Zeke was astonished to see the Emperor extinguish the flames with his power.
“Is that the power of a fallen celestial? It’s horrifying.”
The Emperor looked even more grotesque than before.
His skin was slick with a slimy liquid and pus, and an extra pair of eyes had appeared on his forehead.
The tentacles writhing from his back hissed like snakes, extending in all directions.
The Emperor reached out towards Zeke.
Vroom!
Black energy emanated from his hand, forming shapes.
Zeke sensed the presence of wraiths in those shapes.
Screech—
Dozens of wraith knights, like shadows, advanced towards Zeke.
The Emperor pointed at Zeke and shouted to them.
“Faithful wraith knights! Kill him at once!”
The shadows charged at Zeke on shadowy steeds, wielding swords and shields.
Despite the wraith knights’ charge, Zeke remained unmoved.
As the wraith knights approached, they suddenly froze.
The Emperor was taken aback, seeing the wraiths standing still like statues.
“Wraiths! What are you doing? Kill him now!”
The knights, turned into wraiths and bound by the Emperor’s will, felt fear at his command.
Yet, they couldn’t move.
Zeke was using the power of shadow control.
Sizzle—
Zeke’s shadows had already ensnared the wraiths.
The wraiths couldn’t resist the shadow’s power that was consuming their souls.
Zeke absorbed the wraiths he had captured with the shadow’s power.
[Absorbed the wraith of a fallen knight.]
[The wraith of the fallen knight, absorbed under the influence of shadow control, transforms into a shadow spirit.]
[Acquired 32 ghost knights as summons.]
The wraiths created by the Emperor became Zeke’s shadow spirits.
Sizzle—
Zeke summoned the ghost knights, now his new summons.
They appeared more vivid and powerful than in their wraith form, lining up at Zeke’s command.
With a mental command, the ghost knights turned their steeds towards the Emperor, raising their shields and aiming their swords.
The Emperor trembled at the sight.
“How dare you! My knights!”
Zeke chuckled at the Emperor’s reaction.
“They’re just dead wraiths. Whoever uses them owns them.”
Zeke summoned Kaiman and other dragon warriors to join them.
With the addition of the dragon warriors, a full-fledged knight order was formed in an instant.
Zeke commanded them.
“Capture the Emperor.”
Kaiman led the dragon warriors and ghost knights in a charge towards the Emperor.
The Emperor extended his tentacles towards the charging shadow spirits.
Swoosh!
The tentacles tried to ensnare and repel the shadow spirits, but the ghost knights were formidable.
Though fallen, they had been powerful knights in life.
The ghost knights cut through the tentacles and advanced menacingly, causing the Emperor to retreat.
In the past, the Emperor had been a formidable warrior and knight, but with a body created by forbidden arts, he couldn’t wield aura.
He shouted towards the door.
“Gillian! Get in here and kill them now!”
The Emperor urgently called for Gillian, who was battling the golem knight outside.
Something flew in from outside the door.
Whoosh!
It was the head of the golem knight, flying towards Zeke.
Crash!
Zeke dodged, and the golem knight’s head embedded itself deeply in the wall.
Gillian entered, dragging the golem knight’s body behind him.
The Emperor shouted at Gillian.
“Gillian! Kill him now!”
Empowered by the Black Serpent’s power, Gillian wielded the strength of a black knight.
He tossed the golem knight’s body aside and pointed his greatsword at Zeke.
Boom!
The black energy emanating from Gillian began to crack the floor.
Roar!
With a beast-like growl, Gillian charged at Zeke.
Zeke met him head-on with Bahamut.
Crash!
Gillian’s greatsword clashed with Zeke’s, causing an explosion.
The force of the impact pushed Zeke back.
But he quickly retaliated, bringing down a mace of light on Gillian.
Boom!
Gillian took the full brunt of the radiant mace, yet it seemed to have no effect on him as he charged at Zeke once more.
Whoosh!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
His massive sword came crashing down on Zeke in rapid succession.
Zeke deftly parried Gillian’s strikes, looking for an opening.
Despite being consumed by dark magic and losing his senses, Gillian was a formidable knight, on the verge of becoming a black knight through rigorous training.
Even wielding such a heavy sword, he left no openings.
Zeke marveled at Gillian’s skill as he defended against his attacks.
“To think such a knight has been reduced to this… Foolish emperor.”
Zeke stepped back briefly before lunging at Gillian with his sword.
Crash!
Gillian staggered, momentarily losing his balance as he absorbed the force of Zeke’s empowered strike.
But he quickly gathered his dark aura again, enveloping his sword in its shadowy energy.
Zeke addressed him, “Gillian, was it? Your skills are too valuable to waste by killing you like this.”
Though Gillian seemed beyond understanding, Zeke spoke anyway, donning the Mask of Agamemnon.
A golden aura erupted from Zeke, concentrating on his sword, which became enveloped in a radiant glow.
It was his newly evolved skill, the “Blade of Radiant Light.”
Zeke looked at Gillian and said, “If you survive this, I’ll make you my vassal and put your talents to good use.”
Gillian, lost to reason, charged at Zeke with his dark aura-infused sword.
Whoooosh!
The air trembled with the force of his powerful strike.
Zeke met him with the Blade of Radiant Light, unleashing his Infinite Sword Technique.
Infinite Sword Technique
First Form
Sun and Moon Slash
The purifying power of the radiant blade obliterated Gillian’s dark aura, striking his body with explosive force.
Sssssss—
As the purifying energy seeped into Gillian, the black serpent coiled within him began to writhe and glow.
“Arghhhhh!”
Gillian writhed in agony.
The snake tattoo on his face twisted, and something burst from his mouth.
Hissss—
Exposed to the purifying energy, black smoke billowed from the serpent’s body.
The black serpent shot out of Gillian’s mouth and fled swiftly.
Thud!
With the serpent gone, Gillian collapsed, and Zeke approached him.
“He’s still breathing.”
But the serpent had drained much of his life force.
Zeke quickly cast a healing spell on Gillian.
His wounds began to heal, but he remained unconscious.
As Zeke considered giving him a potion, he sensed a growing malevolent force behind him.
“What is this?”
Turning around, he was shocked to see the emperor, who had been fighting the ghostly knights, transformed beyond recognition.
Grrrr—
His skin was like snake scales, oozing a sticky fluid, with red eyes and snakes writhing from his head down his back, emitting an eerie sound.
He was no longer human.
The black serpent that had escaped from Gillian had taken over the emperor completely.
The emperor looked at Zeke and spoke, “The Constellation speaks… Bring the Holy Spear.”
Zeke frowned at the sight of the emperor, now fully a demon’s thrall.
A message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[The black serpent within the Fallen Constellation gazes at the Immortal through its avatar.]
[The black serpent offers the Immortal a proposal.]
[If you hand over the Holy Spear, it will grant your wish.]