Episode 400
“The Blood King, Caligula?”
Caligula didn’t call himself the king of vampires; he claimed to be the king of Shambhala.
Zeke recalled the name Shambhala.
“The Third Eye of Shambhala. The information on that necklace I found in the Inverted Tower mentioned it.”
It seemed that the realm Caligula ruled was indeed Shambhala.
With a languid yet arrogant demeanor, Caligula addressed Zeke.
“What brings a mere human to my sanctuary?”
“There are those who seek the power of a king. I’ve come to stop them.”
At this, Caligula burst into a fit of laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
The entire realm of consciousness trembled with his laughter.
After a long bout of laughter, Caligula abruptly stopped and looked at Zeke.
“A lowly human dares to covet my power. How utterly amusing.”
Zeke could sense the terrifying power hidden within Caligula’s arrogance.
“The true master of the Third Eye… I wonder if there’s a connection to the Blood Eye.”
Deciding to learn more about Caligula, Zeke took a step closer.
Suddenly, a red glow emanated from Caligula’s third eye.
The crimson energy wrapped around Zeke, pressing down on him.
But Zeke resisted, summoning a field of force to stand firm against Caligula’s power.
Seeing Zeke stand tall despite his might, Caligula looked down at him with cold eyes.
“You insolent fool. Have you come with the impious intent to claim my power for yourself?”
Zeke met Caligula’s gaze and replied.
“I can’t deny it. If anyone is to wield that power, I’d rather it be me.”
Caligula sensed the truth in Zeke’s words.
He studied Zeke and spoke.
“An intriguing creature. A human, yet not a human; a dragon, yet not a dragon—standing on the boundary.”
Muttering to himself, Caligula reached out toward Zeke.
Suddenly, Zeke’s forehead burned as if set aflame.
“What is this…?”
A Blood Eye appeared on Zeke’s forehead.
Caligula examined the Blood Eye and smirked.
“How fascinating. A fragment of my power resides within you. A human wielding the Blood King’s power…”
He shifted his gaze from the Blood Eye to Zeke’s eyes.
“Do you know who I am?”
Zeke shook his head.
“I don’t know much. I only know you as the king of vampires. That’s what the legends say.”
Caligula laughed heartily once more.
“The king of the Faceless Ones, they say. Not entirely wrong.”
Caligula rose from his throne.
As he extended his hand, black smoke gathered beneath the throne, forming three distinct shapes.
Caligula looked at the shapes and spoke.
“The Faceless Ones, the Dream Demons, the Beastfolk—all are under my dominion.”
Zeke pondered Caligula’s words, examining the forms he had conjured.
“Vampires, Dream Demons, and Beastfolk?”
He asked Caligula.
“What kind of being are you to rule over them all?”
Caligula regarded Zeke and replied.
“As the leader of the Third Eye Clan, I possess the greatest power among those with physical form, the only king to touch the divine.”
Zeke realized he was learning of an ancient race, the Third Eye Clan, for the first time.
“An ancient race from the era of the constellations… Caligula might know about the first immortal, the Godslayer.”
Zeke asked Caligula.
“I heard it was the Elder Dragon and the Fairy King who imprisoned you here. Why did they do it?”
Caligula’s expression darkened.
“Who dares claim they imprisoned me here!”
His roar filled the chamber with a powerful aura.
Though startled by the reaction, Zeke thought it might be better to provoke him for more information.
Just as he was about to speak again, Caligula interrupted.
“Do you think the Elder Dragon and the Fairy King could imprison me? Ridiculous. I came here of my own will! No one can imprison me!”
“Then why are you sealed here?”
Caligula fell silent, then slumped back onto his throne, muttering to himself.
“I am the strongest of all… a being who has touched the divine…”
Zeke realized Caligula’s mind was not in a normal state.
“He’s been through some kind of trauma.”
Suddenly, Caligula lifted his head, clutching it with both hands, trembling with anxiety.
“That damned Godslayer! He might come back!”
The arrogance from before was nowhere to be found in Caligula’s desperate cries.
Zeke listened intently to Caligula’s words about the Godslayer.
“So, he does know about the Godslayer.”
He asked Caligula.
“Did the Godslayer try to kill you?”
Caligula’s hands shook as he began to speak again.
“I captured him and tore him apart. Even the Godslayer couldn’t withstand the power of the great Third Eye. But with that cursed immortal power… he kept coming back, seeking me out.”
Fear flickered in Caligula’s eyes as he spoke of the Godslayer.
A being that returned to life no matter how many times it was killed.
Zeke understood why Caligula was here.
“He must have asked the Elder Dragon and the Fairy King to hide him from the Godslayer.”
Even the arrogant king Caligula feared the Godslayer enough to seal himself away.
Zeke recalled the tales of the Godslayer wielding a spear to kill gods who disrupted the balance.
Caligula, with his immense power, likely wielded his might and authority with arrogance.
The Godslayer wouldn’t have let such a being run rampant.
“If the Godslayer didn’t have immortal power, he would have been killed by Caligula. His claim of touching divine power isn’t entirely exaggerated.”
If such power fell into the wrong hands, it would be dangerous.
Zeke decided to exploit Caligula’s fear.
“Your Majesty, I understand your plight. I too am pursued by those who covet immortal power.”
Caligula lifted his head slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“My enemies are trying to artificially create immortals to bring back the Godslayer who once threatened you.”
Caligula leapt to his feet.
“Is that true!”
The realm of consciousness shook violently once more.
Zeke nodded, unfazed, and continued.
“Yes. With a fragment of your power, I’ve been pursued relentlessly, leading me here.”
Caligula used his abilities to confirm Zeke’s words were true.
Indeed, Zeke’s statement aligned with the truth of the Abyss’s intentions.
Caligula descended from his throne, placing a hand on Zeke’s shoulder.
“You, who bear a fragment of my power, are like me.”
Caligula’s unstable mind made him susceptible to Zeke’s words.
Especially since Zeke possessed the Blood Eye, a crucial part of Caligula’s power.
As a successor to his power, even the arrogant Blood King couldn’t help but believe him.
Caligula’s eyes began to glow red.
He spoke to Zeke.
“Do not fear, bearer of my power.”
With those words, Caligula’s grip on Zeke’s shoulder tightened.
He suddenly grinned with a twisted smile.
“So, the Godslayer is no longer in this world.”
Caligula’s eyes emitted a red light, connecting with the Blood Eye on Zeke’s forehead.
“In that case, there’s no need for a great king like me to remain trapped here. My body may be gone, but I shall return to the world through yours.”
Caligula’s crimson spirit began to seep into Zeke.
The Blood Eye on Zeke’s forehead glowed fiercely.
Caligula was attempting to consume Zeke’s mind and take over his body.
“When I return to the world, all wicked things shall kneel before me, weak humans will offer their hearts and blood, and all beings with souls will tremble in fear!”
Caligula declared with a voice full of madness.
But then, Zeke interrupted.
“That’s a load of crap.”
Caligula stared at Zeke, momentarily dumbfounded.
Caligula’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Zeke, who, despite being subdued, was looking back at him with clear, defiant eyes.
“How dare a mere human! Offer your body to me with joy!”
“Cut the crap and hand over your power. I was trying to do this the easy way, but letting a lunatic like you loose in the world would just make things worse.”
A crackling sound filled the air as Caligula felt his power being siphoned into Zeke.
“You wretched human! Stop this at once!”
“And why would I do that?”
Through his bloodline ability, Zeke continued to drain Caligula’s power. It was something he hadn’t known was possible, but thanks to Caligula, it was proving to be surprisingly easy.
The absorption had begun, and Caligula found himself unable to sever the soul connection he had created.
“No, this can’t be happening!”
Zeke quickly absorbed all of Caligula’s power and retrieved a sacred spear from his inventory.
“Do you remember this?”
Caligula’s face turned pale at the sight of the spear in Zeke’s hand.
“How did you get that?!”
“Well, they were trying to resurrect the Godslayer on the other side, but I inherited the spear. I’m an immortal too, you know.”
The spear hummed with power, resonating with Zeke’s energy, and sent a strong vibration through the air.
Caligula, trembling with fear, retreated until he was backed against his throne.
“No, please!”
“Yes. You’ve committed too many sins. It’s time for you to die quietly.”
Zeke thrust the spear toward Caligula, who had been pushed back into his throne.
With a sickening thud, the spear pierced Caligula’s heart.
“Gah!”
Caligula coughed up blood, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
“I am… the great king of the Three-Eyed…”
Ignoring his words, Zeke continued to use his absorption ability. Caligula’s consciousness, fading from the spear’s wound, was drawn into Zeke’s shadow.
A message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
“You have absorbed Caligula, the king of the corrupted ancient Three-Eyed race.”
“Your stamina, mental strength, and mana have been restored.”
“You have acquired the power of the Three-Eyed through Caligula’s bloodline ability.”
“The active skill ‘Blood Vision’ is now subordinate to the power ‘Three-Eyed.’”
“You have earned the title ‘Blood King.’”
“The White-Faced, Dream Demons, and Beast Tribes will now submit to the holder of the Blood King title.”
“You have received 3,000 Karma Points as a reward.”
“A special random box has been awarded as a reward.”
Having absorbed Caligula and gained the power of the Three-Eyed and the title of Blood King, Zeke checked the details of his new power.
―Power Information―
Three-Eyed: The third eye of the ruler of Shambhala and king of the ancient Three-Eyed race. It is the source of bloodline magic and necromancy, possessing the power to dominate all things corrupt.
As soon as he reviewed the power’s information, the scene before Zeke shifted.
The grand hall shattered like a broken glass window, revealing the original altar beneath.
In that moment, Caligula’s coffin, which had been in front of Zeke, crumbled into dust.
With Caligula’s soul absorbed, the seal itself had vanished.
“I feel more spiritually charged than before.”
Spiritual power was notoriously difficult to cultivate, but by absorbing the power of Caligula, a high-ranking soul despite its corruption, Zeke’s own soul had ascended to a higher level.
Taking a deep breath, Zeke descended the altar and approached Bacchus and his group.
Something felt off.
Bacchus and Nikki were trembling, unable to meet Zeke’s gaze.
Then, Carmilla, who had regained consciousness, rose and knelt before Zeke with a respectful posture.
Seeing her actions, Bacchus and Nikki followed suit, kneeling and bowing their heads to Zeke.
With a trembling voice, Carmilla spoke.
“This humble servant, Carmilla, greets the great king.”