Episode 352
Crack!
The holy spear pierced the emperor’s heart.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[The black serpent within the fallen constellation has been damaged by the power of god-slaying.]
[The black serpent struggles to escape its avatar.]
[The god-slaying power anchors the constellation’s essence to the avatar.]
Zeke gripped the spear embedded in the emperor and summoned the power of purification.
Vroooom!
A golden aura seeped into the emperor’s body, and he let out a scream of agony.
“Aaaaargh!”
Dark energy began to pour out from him.
Zeke summoned Solomon’s Ring and activated its power against the dark energy.
[The unique power of Solomon’s Ring is activated.]
The dark energy flowing from the emperor was absorbed into Solomon’s Ring.
Sssss—
The energy coiled around the ring before being sucked inside.
Zeke held the spear and brought the ring closer to the emperor’s body.
“Grrrrk!”
The emperor’s body convulsed as if on the brink of death.
Then, several messages flashed before Zeke’s eyes.
[The black serpent within the fallen constellation makes an urgent proposal to the immortal.]
[It offers to grant a wish without any cost.]
[It claims the deal can be made without any price if released.]
Ignoring the messages, Zeke continued to absorb the dark energy with the ring.
Soon, all the dark energy was drawn out of the emperor, and a new symbol was etched onto Solomon’s Ring.
Unlike the faint symbols of blood and madness, the symbol of the black serpent was vividly inscribed.
As soon as he confirmed this, another message appeared.
[The fallen constellation ‘Black Serpent’ has been sealed within Solomon’s Ring.]
[The true name ‘Belial’ of the black serpent is inscribed on Solomon’s Ring.]
[You can use the unique power ‘Deception’ of the fallen constellation ‘Belial’ once a day.]
Unlike ordinary demons, the true names of fallen constellations were hidden.
But once the essence was perfectly sealed within Solomon’s Ring, the true name was revealed, allowing Zeke to use its power.
‘The unique power of Deception…’
Just then, another message appeared.
[You have achieved the remarkable feat of sealing a fallen constellation.]
[You have earned the title of Demon Hunter.]
[Due to the title, the special skill Giant Slayer has evolved into Demon Slayer (S-rank).]
[When using Demon Slayer, you deal 1.5 times additional damage to fallen constellations and their minions.]
[The proficiency of the active skill Radiant Blade has increased.]
[You have gained 10,000 Karma Points for your achievement.]
Satisfied with the rewards from sealing the fallen constellation, Zeke nodded.
He then looked at the emperor, now devoid of Belial’s power.
Corrupted by dark forces, the emperor had become a monster, and with the constellation sealed, he was left powerless, barely clinging to life.
Zeke grasped the spear lodged in the emperor’s heart and spoke to him.
“Come to think of it, I never told you.”
He looked at the emperor and said, “The Elder Dragon relic you were searching for—I took it.”
For a moment, Zeke noticed a flicker in the emperor’s eyes.
He calmly watched as he withdrew the spear from the emperor’s heart.
Sssss—
As the spear was removed, the emperor’s body began to rapidly disintegrate.
Zeke immediately summoned shadows to absorb the emperor’s body.
Sssss—
The emperor’s body was absorbed into Zeke’s shadow, and soon a message appeared.
[You have eliminated a corrupted avatar completely consumed by dark energy.]
[You receive 1,000 Karma Points as a reward.]
[You have devoured a corrupted avatar completely consumed by dark energy.]
[Your depleted health, mental strength, and mana are restored.]
[Absorbing the avatar has increased the proficiency of the dragon skill ‘Absorption.’]
[You have absorbed the bloodline ability ‘Regeneration (S-rank)’ of the devoured avatar.]
[The active skill ‘Regeneration (S-rank)’ has transformed into the trait ‘Immortal Body.’]
[Due to the trait Immortal Body, mana consumption for the healing factor is reduced.]
[Due to the trait Immortal Body, the proficiency of the special skill Soul Sealing has increased.]
‘Immortal Body?’
Originally a healer class, Zeke had awakened as a unique class, the Immortal, after the awakening ritual.
Since becoming an Immortal, his class had never changed, and he had never heard of the trait Immortal Body.
Zeke checked the information on ‘Immortal Body.’
―Immortal Body―
The indestructible body of an Immortal. Wounds heal quickly, and it can wield powerful soul energy.
Zeke understood why the proficiency of Soul Sealing had increased due to the Immortal Body.
‘Powerful soul energy, huh.’
He speculated that the true power of an Immortal might not be the ability to regenerate but the powerful soul energy.
The god-slaying power, which only an Immortal could wield, seemed to be activated solely by powerful soul energy.
Among Zeke’s skills, those utilizing soul energy included Soul Strike, Dragon Skills, and Astral Sword.
‘If it’s my destiny to stop the resurrecting Demon King, I must hone these skills.’
Among them, Zeke focused on Soul Strike, which he had learned from his mentor, Nigel, in a past life.
In truth, the most powerful technique he possessed was the Elemental Sword.
However, this technique was too inefficient for Zeke to handle at his current level, and since it used mana, it wasn’t suitable for dealing with constellations that required soul energy to damage.
The skill that could directly impact fallen constellations and demons was Soul Strike.
He realized he needed to learn the rest of Soul Strike from his mentor, Nigel.
‘Does this mean I have to seek out my mentor in person?’
The thought alone made his knees weak.
Even as a Black Knight, Zeke still feared his mentor, Nigel.
In his past life, he had suffered greatly under him, and even now, he wasn’t confident he could win against him.
In his past life, he hadn’t realized it, but now, having reached the level of a Black Knight, he suspected Nigel might be at the Grandmaster level.
‘If I master Soul Strike and can use Triple Spell, I might reach the Grandmaster level myself.’
To face the Demon King and the fallen constellations he would encounter, the power of a Black Knight alone wasn’t enough.
Zeke decided he needed to head to the Forest of the Forgotten soon.
‘I also need to prevent the Empire from retrieving the sealed ones in the forest and find the Shadow Drake’s relic, so I should go quickly.’
With his plans set, Zeke looked around, thinking he should tidy up the disordered sanctuary and return to Vadoka.
He first approached Gillian, who lay sprawled nearby.
Thanks to the healing buff Zeke had cast, Gillian’s life wasn’t in danger, but he still hadn’t regained consciousness.
Zeke stepped outside and reached out to the golem knights, who were dented and embedded in the walls after being struck by Gillian.
[Would you like to restore the summoned golem knights?]
Having inherited the power of the Holy King and earned the title of the Keeper of Radiant Light, Zeke had become the master of the golem knights guarding the sanctuary and could register them as summons.
After confirming the message, Zeke unsummoned the golem knights for restoration.
It seemed it would take some time for the damaged golem knights to be restored.
As Zeke searched for any surviving Imperial soldiers, he found Carlito hiding in a corner with his head buried.
“Come forward.”
When Zeke’s charisma power was activated, Carlito couldn’t resist his command and stumbled forward, trembling.
He immediately knelt before Zeke.
“P-please spare me!”
Carlito had secretly witnessed everything Zeke had done.
He had single-handedly annihilated the emperor’s elite guards, defeated the brainwashed Gillian, and destroyed the monstrous emperor, even erasing his body with shadows.
To Carlito, Zeke was a terrifying monster beyond comprehension.
Using the power of shadow control, Zeke read Carlito’s memories to learn who he was.
‘The vice-captain of the Celestial Bow Knights.’
Having risen to his position through political maneuvering, Carlito had extensive knowledge about the Empire.
After some thought, Zeke spoke to Carlito.
“Do you want to live?”
Carlito desperately pleaded, banging his forehead on the ground.
“I want to live! I-I’ll do anything if you spare me!”
Though a petty man, Carlito was also competent.
After some consideration, Zeke looked at Carlito and said, “Raise your head.”
As Carlito cautiously lifted his head, Zeke met his eyes and activated his blood eye.
Sssss—
Using the power of the blood eye, charisma, and shadow control, Zeke subdued Carlito’s soul.
“Gah!”
Carlito felt as if something was constricting his heart, and he trembled in pain.
Zeke spoke to Carlito.
“Carlito Luciano. No matter where you are, if you betray me, your heart will explode, and you will die. If you doubt it, feel free to test it.”
Carlito shook his head vigorously and replied.
“D-doubt? How could I ever do such a thing to my master! I will serve you loyally for life!”
Carlito immediately declared himself Zeke’s servant.
Given the situation, Zeke decided to use Carlito to gather intelligence on the Empire and exploit their weaknesses.
After efficiently disposing of the fallen imperial soldiers, Zeke closed the sanctuary’s doors and stepped back outside.
Carlito, carrying the unconscious Gillian, followed closely behind him.
Once outside, Zeke turned to Carlito and instructed, “Inform the main force about the vanguard’s annihilation and the emperor’s death. But don’t return to the Empire. Stall for time until I arrive with the knights, then surrender.”
Bound by Zeke’s command, Carlito had no choice but to comply. He returned to the main imperial force, which had been waiting indecisively behind the blockade set by Richmond.
Brandishing the bloodstained imperial banner as evidence, Carlito announced the emperor’s death. The commanders were thrown into disarray, unsure of how to proceed.
Already under the influence of cultist magic and stimulants, the commanders were incapable of making rational decisions, engaging instead in pointless debates.
Following Zeke’s orders, Carlito subtly sowed confusion among the commanders, preventing them from returning to the Empire.
Days later, Zeke arrived with the Black Sword Knights, and Carlito, as planned, intimidated the commanders into inaction.
However, the internal conflict was intense. Some commanders argued fiercely that they should crush Zeke Draker’s knights and return to the Empire with the glory of victory.
Amidst the chaos, Zeke led his knights in a surprise attack on the disoriented imperial forces.
“Is there anyone among the imperial knights who dares to face me?” Zeke challenged.
In response, a few commanders sent their knights to boost morale, but none could withstand more than three exchanges with Zeke’s blade.
The commanders, intimidated by Zeke’s reputation as the Knight of Salvation and his formidable skills, gradually lost the will to fight.
Carlito reminded them of the emperor’s death, warning that if they fought and lost, they would be held accountable for both the defeat and the emperor’s demise upon returning to the Empire.
With no supplies left, having resorted to pillaging, they were in no condition to sustain themselves. Even if they decided to retreat, the path was fraught with uncertainty.
In the end, faced with a dire situation where every option seemed disastrous, the commanders agreed with Carlito that surrendering to the Black Sword Knights, who could provide food and essentials, was their best option.
Zeke, with fewer than a thousand knights, managed to secure the surrender of an army over twenty thousand strong.
The imperial soldiers, weary from hunger and exhaustion, seemed almost relieved to surrender.
Leading the surrendered twenty thousand imperial troops, Zeke set out for the Kingdom of Vadoka.
By successfully liberating the Holy Kingdom after the Ghetto region, Zeke once again solidified his reputation as the Knight of Salvation across the continent.
Upon safely returning to the Kingdom of Vadoka, Zeke immediately received a message from Arthur Draker, sent from Atlas.