Episode 373

Zeke watched the reactions of the knights and soldiers as they cheered at the sight of the massive phoenix soaring above them.

“Looks like the morale boost is working perfectly.”

The enormous phoenix was, in fact, none other than the Tyrant. Zeke had used his illusionary powers to cloak the Tyrant in the guise of Raven, the phoenix.

A deep, resonant cry echoed across the battlefield as Raven, perched atop the Tyrant, let out a majestic call. The mystical sound lifted the spirits of the allied forces and caused the advancing monsters to hesitate. Simultaneously, flames erupted where the monsters gathered.

To the others, it seemed as if the phoenix’s flight was igniting the fires, but in truth, it was the Tyrant unleashing its fiery breath. The sudden blaze in their rear caused the monsters to panic and scatter, breaking their formation.

The knights of the Dortha Republic seized the opportunity.

“Let’s sweep away these monsters!”

The knights, who had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters, quickly regrouped and charged forward. The tide of battle shifted dramatically.

Watching this unfold, the skeletal mage pulled out a staff adorned with a skull.

“Behold the power of the Great ‘Master of the Abyss’! Tremble in fear!”

A red light flashed from the skull’s eyes, casting its glow upon the undead monsters. These creatures, which had been mere reanimated corpses, began to transform under the power of the Abyss.

With a crackling sound, the undead monsters donned bone armor, their eyes glowing red as they charged toward the fortress walls. Empowered by the celestial force, their strength was on a whole new level.

Seeing this, Zeke turned to the system.

“System! Can we activate Defense Mode here?”

A message appeared before Zeke.

[The current Defense Mode range is limited to the fortress. Only this area can be set to Defense Mode.]

The casino city was as vast as Atlas, making it impossible to cover the entire area with Defense Mode. Swallowing his disappointment, Zeke issued a command to the system.

“Activate Defense Mode within the available range. Deploy the Guardians and Golem Knights.”

[Deploying Defense Mode in the designated area as per the administrator’s command.]

[Deploying Guardians Horus, Idas, and Lynceus to the appropriate locations.]

[Recovered Golem Knights are available for deployment. Would you like to assign them automatically?]

“The Golem Knights are ready too? Perfect. Assign them automatically.”

[Automatic assignment complete. Executing Defense Mode in the designated area.]

The designated Defense Mode area appeared before Zeke, and the Guardians were summoned to their positions.

A deep hum resonated as the largest Guardian, Horus, took its place atop the fortress gate, flanked by Idas and Lynceus. The Golem Knights were positioned at key points where the monsters were climbing, using their shields to block the advance and support the knights and soldiers.

Hades, observing the scene, also summoned his Guardians to assist the Golem Knights. Soon, Horus, fully settled on the wall, opened its mouth wide and unleashed a massive beam of light toward the monsters.

The beam swept through the monsters in an instant. The knights, witnessing this, raised their swords and shouted.

“The Knight of Salvation fights with us!”

“In the name of the great Zeke Draker, we shall judge our enemies!”

The knights felt as if they were holy warriors fighting alongside a legendary hero. Just then, reinforcements from the Dortha Republic began to arrive on the battlefield.

Though the monsters still outnumbered them, the influx of troops from all sides began to shift the battle’s momentum once more. Zeke roared to the troops.

“The vile enemies tremble before our swords and spears! The holy light shall protect us! With courage, we will vanquish them!”

As he finished speaking, Zeke raised the light of the Holy Radiance into the sky. Those defending the fortress saw the light and their morale soared, their cheers echoing even louder.

The skeletal mage, watching the situation turn against him, felt the sting of pride. Failing to capture a single human city with such forces was unacceptable for a high-ranking demon.

“These pesky humans…”

He raised his skull staff to the sky, and black smoke began to billow from the skull’s eyes. The smoke coalesced, forming a massive hole in the sky.

Zeke, seeing the black hole created by the skeletal mage, drew his green sword and called out to Arataso.

“Arataso, what’s that guy up to now?”

Arataso, who had been resting inside the sword after a tiring battle, awoke from his slumber at Zeke’s call.

“Hmm, what is it now… huh?”

Sensing the ominous energy around him, Arataso snapped to attention.

“What the… isn’t that Nebilos?”

Nebilos was one of the trusted vassals of the Abyss’s Master, serving as an overseer among Abaddon’s high-ranking demons. Arataso, recognizing the black hole created by Nebilos, shouted in alarm.

“Damn! That’s the entrance to the Abyss!”

As Arataso spoke, something began to crawl out of the black hole. Horrific tentacles and grotesque wings emerged as the Abyssal Beasts revealed themselves. These creatures, feeding on the dark energy of the Abyss, were as terrifying as deep-sea monsters.

Despite their terrifying appearance, these beasts were the lowest creatures in the Abyss, often preyed upon by other predators. Yet, they possessed power far beyond the monsters of the mortal realm.

Nebilos swung his skull staff, commanding the Abyssal Beasts.

“Destroy everything these human insects have built! Show them the power of the Great ‘Master of the Abyss’!”

The Abyssal Beasts, dripping with black venom and writhing their tentacles, took to the air, scattering the venom like rain across the battlefield.

The venom fell indiscriminately, dissolving everything it touched, friend and foe alike. Zeke, watching this, gripped his chain-linked hammer and swung it.

“These persistent bastards… why won’t they just give up already?”

The difference between humans and demons was evident in such moments. In battles of the mortal realm, surrender was common once the tide turned. But demons fought relentlessly until one side was utterly destroyed.

Muttering in frustration, Zeke hurled his hammer, imbued with the power of the Holy Radiance, at the Abyssal Beasts.

The hammer, heavy with power, flew swiftly toward the beasts. One of the beasts extended its tentacles to block the hammer, but the moment they touched it, they turned to ash. The Abyssal Beast recoiled in shock, instinctively sensing the immense power within the hammer.

Yet, the hammer pursued the retreating beast as if it had eyes.

With a thunderous crash, the hammer pierced through the beasts. Zeke didn’t stop there, channeling the power of lightning through the chain.

The lightning, infused with the light’s power, incinerated the beasts, their remains falling in pieces. Though the task was not as difficult as expected, the problem was that it wasn’t over.

At the entrance Nebilos had opened, more Abyssal Beasts were fighting to emerge. As Zeke pondered how to deal with them, the battling beasts suddenly shrieked and seemed to be pulled back.

Moments later, a massive creature resembling a crocodile pushed its long snout through the Abyssal hole, trying to force its way out.

The creature’s roar sent vibrations across the battlefield. Zeke clenched his teeth at the sight of the enormous Abyssal beast.

“If that thing gets out, the fortress will fall.”

He needed to close that portal immediately. If it opened any wider, even stronger beasts could emerge.

At that moment, Hades flew over to Zeke, looking exasperated.

“I came to see the Eastern Continent, and now this mess.”

“I apologize, but we need to deal with that first.”

“I know. Hmm, that hole seems to be summoned by demonic power… I might be able to do something about it.”

Zeke was surprised by Hades’ words.

“How?”

“If I apply the formulas I studied while trapped in Blanca, I can reverse the summoning ritual and close the hole.”

Zeke nodded at Hades’ suggestion.

“Alright. What do you need me to do?”

“While I’m analyzing this and applying the formulas, make sure that damned skeleton doesn’t widen the door any further,” Hades grumbled.

“Understood, sir! Please, leave it to me!” Zeke shouted back, gripping his hammer and Roland tightly as he charged at Nevilos.

Hades, muttering under his breath, summoned a control panel in mid-air and began analyzing the abyssal hole from which the beasts were trying to escape.

Zeke rushed at Nevilos, trying to buy some time.

Whoosh!

The hammer Zeke hurled flew through the air, crackling with electric light.

Boom!

A powerful explosion of light erupted, but Nevilos swiftly moved, reappearing leisurely at another spot. He pointed his staff at Zeke.

“You insolent human,” he muttered, casting a curse in Zeke’s direction.

The curse’s energy wrapped around Zeke, but it had no effect. His protective skill activated, nullifying the curse.

Seeing his curse fail, Nevilos’s blue flames flared even more intensely. “You’re no ordinary human.”

Zeke pointed his sword at Nevilos. “If you’re a lich, act like one and go back to being a corpse. Stop causing unnecessary chaos.”

Nevilos’s flames flickered violently at Zeke’s taunt.

Arataso, who had been observing the situation since awakening, spoke to Zeke. “How did you know Nevilos hates being called a lich? You’re quite the provocateur.”

“Anyone would think he’s a lich just by looking at him,” Zeke replied with a smirk.

But Nevilos, despite his skeletal appearance, was a noble demon, a dignified aristocrat of the demon realm, even holding a title from Abaddon. Enraged by Zeke’s provocation, he felt his honor was tarnished.

“I’ll grant you the most horrific death!” he roared, raising his skeletal staff and aiming it at Zeke.

The skull’s mouth opened wide, releasing a blue mist.

Sensing the ominous energy, Zeke quickly dismissed his summoned steed, Bucephalus, and conjured a radiant blade of light.

The blue mist coalesced, forming a massive blue skull in the air.

“What is that, Arataso?” Zeke asked.

Arataso’s voice was filled with disbelief. “That’s… the Blue Skull No. 11, a weapon banned even in the demon realm. I can’t believe I’m seeing it.”

Zeke was taken aback. “A banned weapon? What exactly is it?”

As he spoke, the blue skull’s mouth opened wide, unleashing a soundless scream that shook Zeke to his core.

“Ugh.”

If not for his rapid self-healing ability, Zeke would have been bleeding from every orifice and collapsed.

Arataso explained, “When that thing is used, it causes massive damage to surrounding areas, so it was agreed never to use it. Experiencing it firsthand is truly horrifying.”

Though his healing factor quickly restored him, Zeke’s head was still spinning. He steadily approached the blue skull, step by step.

Nevilos watched in disbelief. “A human withstands this attack? Impossible!”

He unleashed a barrage of magic at Zeke, black spears shooting toward him.

Zeke swung Roland, deflecting the spears, then hurled Roland with all his might.

“Take this!”

Roland, imbued with a brilliant blade of light, flew like a meteor, piercing through the blue skull and striking Nevilos squarely in the chest.