Episode 420

A deep hum resonated as the light fully absorbed into the totem, lifting it into the air. A brilliant radiance burst forth, causing Zeke to avert his eyes.

“Is the seal broken?”

As the light dimmed slightly, Zeke turned back to see the totem, once a small clay figure, now multiplying and expanding.

Rumble—

The mound of earth grew rapidly, like an inverted tower sprouting from the ground. Arataso, watching from behind, retreated in shock at the growing presence of the earth deity.

“What… what is that…?”

Stammering, Arataso backed away, overwhelmed by the power of the divine dragon, and eventually retreated into the green sword.

Zeke gathered the Damascus sword and the green sword, storing them in his inventory, and watched as the mound of earth took shape.

Boom!

The massive mound had nearly completed its transformation. Zeke recognized it immediately.

“It’s the statue from the Forest of the Forgotten.”

A form with the body of a deer and the hooves of a bull. It was much larger than the statue he had seen in the forest, its divine presence reestablished.

Rumble!

As the mound finished forming, a dragon’s face emerged, complete with horns and eyes. Light flickered in the eyes made of earth, and auspicious clouds began to swirl around the divine dragon.

A message appeared.

[The seal on the Earth God’s divine power is lifted.]

[Gaia, the Earth God, regains divinity.]

[With Gaia’s liberation, the continent’s lands stabilize.]

[The land regains its strength, and spirits and mythical creatures return to their homes.]

Zeke was taken aback by the message.

“So the spirits and mythical creatures vanished because the Earth God was sealed, losing their sanctuary.”

The continent had lost much during the time the Sea God, the Forest God, and the Earth God were forgotten and sealed away. Even more astonishing was that the inhabitants of the material world, including humans, were completely unaware of these truths.

“The Abyss manipulated the continent’s history and fueled conflicts to ensure we forgot the gods, preventing the material world from regaining its strength.”

Only with the return of the sealed gods did the material world realize what it had lost.

The Earth God descended from the sky, approaching Zeke slowly, gazing at him with a benevolent and radiant look.

[Gaia, the Earth God, looks upon the Immortal.]

[Gaia, the Earth God, expresses deep gratitude to the Immortal.]

The divine dragon bowed its head toward Zeke. Startled, Zeke bowed in return.

“I thought the Earth God would be as strict as Ishtar’s laws, but this feels more comforting than the other divine dragons.”

[Gaia, the Earth God, wishes to access the Immortal’s Kabbalah system. Do you approve this access?]

Zeke was surprised by the sudden message. No other divine dragon had approached him in this way, but he approved the access.

[Gaia, the Earth God’s access is approved.]

[Some of Gaia, the Earth God’s memory data is shared. Would you like to view the data?]

“Memory data?”

Though unsure of its nature, Zeke sensed Gaia wanted to convey something to him. He agreed to view the data.

[Replaying Gaia, the Earth God’s memory data.]

Suddenly, Zeke’s surroundings transformed into a different landscape.

“What? This is…”

He had experienced this sensation a few times before.

“Is this the Earth God’s memory?”

With the heart of a dragon, Zeke felt a connection with the Earth God, even if it was just a memory. A deep, serene, and comforting energy spread through his body, and he closed his eyes gently.

“This is the power of the Earth God. It feels like I could embrace everything.”

Zeke sensed the calm yet potent energy within. But then, an unsettling force disrupted the tranquility.

It was a discordant energy, like a jarring note in a harmonious world, loud and chaotic.

When he opened his eyes again, a new vision unfolded before him. It was unlike anything seen through human eyes, allowing him to perceive and understand everything in the realm.

Before him stood the source of the discord.

[Gaia, you’re the last one left.]

The figure was clad in pitch-black armor. Merged with the Earth God, Zeke recognized the figure’s identity.

“Zemens Apollyon.”

Though different from the current form, Zeke sensed the presence of Theia’s Heresion in the figure. Simultaneously, he was struck by a familiar energy emanating from Zemens Apollyon.

“Abel?”

It was remarkably similar to the energy he had felt when battling Abel. Zeke realized it was the power of a dragon.

“Could it be… the dragon heart implanted in Abel and the one Zemens Apollyon implanted in himself are the same?”

Zemens Apollyon had stolen a contract dragon’s heart, transcending human limitations to become the first dragonkin. Abel, too, had awakened as a dragonkin through the Abyss’s baptism, implanting a cursed dragon heart.

“The Abyss preserved the dragon heart implanted in Zemens Apollyon to create a vessel for the Demon King.”

Their terrifying determination to resurrect the Demon King was palpable.

Then, Zemens Apollyon drew his sword.

[Gaia, the Earth God. Once your divine power is sealed, I shall be reborn as the true king.]

Zeke recognized the sword Zemens raised.

“It was the sword in the secret chamber of the Draker family, the one that couldn’t be drawn.”

Arthur Draker had claimed it was the sword of their ancestor, Shaton Draker, but the truth was different.

“That sword belonged to Zemens Apollyon.”

Flames erupted from the sword Zemens wielded, black and ominous.

Within Gaia, Zeke felt the sinister energy from the sword’s flames.

“What is that? It doesn’t seem like dragon power. Is it a type of authority?”

Zemens Apollyon unleashed the ominous black flames toward Gaia.

Boom!

The black flames surged, engulfing everything in darkness. Gaia tried to quell the flames with the clouds surrounding its body, but it wasn’t enough to stop Zemens Apollyon’s relentless assault.

Gaia twisted to evade the flames, but they clung persistently, like a ferocious beast sinking its teeth into Gaia’s form.

Within Gaia, Zeke felt the excruciating pain as if his soul was being torn apart.

“Ugh!”

Helpless, unable to do anything, Zeke gritted his teeth, enduring the agony.

Gaia struggled to escape the flames, but it was futile. The black flames solidified Gaia’s form, and at that moment, Zemens Apollyon ascended into the air.

He looked at the immobilized Gaia and spoke.

[Gaia, you’re certainly different from the other divine dragons. But it doesn’t matter. My authority cannot be defied, even by the Earth God.]

A black box appeared before Zemens Apollyon.

Sss—

Gaia’s petrified form was drawn into the black box.

Boom!

The shattered earth reformed within the box, transforming into a clay totem.

Zemens Apollyon extended his hand over the box, and a lid materialized, sealing Gaia’s divine power within.

Turning to the floating light before him, Zemens Apollyon spoke.

[Though I cannot destroy your soul now, once I wield the power of a king, I will annihilate the souls of you and the other divine dragons, returning you to nothingness.]

Hum!

Gaia’s soul, stripped of its divine power, was immobilized under Zemens’s pressure.

Moments later, Zemens Apollyon approached, reaching out to Gaia’s soul.

[Sleep, Earth God. Sparing you pain is the least I can offer.]

With those words, Zeke’s vision went dark, leaving him in complete darkness.

“What?”

Suddenly, Zeke regained his senses. The restored form of Gaia was gazing at him.

Having glimpsed the divine dragon’s memory, Zeke felt dizzy. Gaia exhaled gently.

Hum!

The clouds enveloping Gaia wrapped softly around Zeke. He inhaled the subtle, soothing fragrance, clearing his mind and alleviating the dizziness.

Zeke bowed to Gaia.

“Thank you, Gaia. I’m alright now.”

As he finished speaking, the multicolored clouds gathered and seeped into Zeke’s body.

[Gaia, the Earth God, bestows a reward upon the Immortal.]

[The Earth God Gaia bestows the title of ‘Guardian of the Earth’ upon the Immortal.]

[All mythical creatures and spirits now view the Immortal with warmth and are eager to offer their aid.]

[Due to the influence of the ‘Guardian of the Earth’ title, the active skills ‘Lightning Strike (Grade A+)’ and ‘Lion’s Roar (Grade A)’ have merged into ‘Thunderbolt (Grade S)’.]

[You have successfully completed the Achievement Quest.]

[As a reward for the quest, you have received a relic from the Earth God Gaia.]

[The blessing of the Earth God transforms the power of Fortune into the power of Luck.]

[You receive a special random box as a reward.]

A low hum resonated as Gaia slowly bowed her head toward Zeke.

[The Earth God Gaia wishes the Immortal a safe and prosperous journey.]

As the message appeared, Gaia’s form dissolved into light and merged with the earth. Unlike other divine dragons, Gaia did not remain confined to a divine realm but seemed to be present everywhere, nestled within the earth itself.

Zeke examined the rewards he had received from Gaia.

“So, two Grade A skills have combined into an S-grade skill. And the power of Fortune has turned into Luck…”

He checked the details of the power of Luck.

―Power Information―

Luck: Assists the user in achieving their strong desires and wishes.

Zeke tilted his head, puzzled by the description.

“I’m not quite sure what this power does.”

The power of Fortune had activated at critical moments without Zeke’s intention, making it difficult to use deliberately. While Luck seemed like an upgrade, its exact application was still unclear.

Zeke took out Gaia’s relic, a totem, from his rewards.

“This is the totem that was in the box.”

He sensed a benevolent energy emanating from the totem. With the relics from Poseidon, Hermes, and now Gaia, he had collected sacred items from three divine dragons.

“I know how to use the dragon pearl, but what about the statue and the totem?”

After some thought, Zeke decided to consult Hades later and stored the relics in his inventory. He then revisited the final message.

“Special random box. That makes five in total.”

With five special random boxes, he could upgrade them to an out-of-grade random box, which guaranteed a legendary item, significantly boosting his power.

Zeke opened the crafting menu and placed the five special random boxes along with other materials.

“Here goes nothing.”

As he initiated the crafting process, a message appeared, indicating the boxes were being upgraded. A few minutes later, the special random boxes had transformed into an out-of-grade random box.

“Success!”

Zeke retrieved the out-of-grade random box from his inventory.

“Let’s see what’s inside.”

Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the box. A message appeared.

[The user’s strong will activates the power of Luck.]

[The influence of Luck alters the outcome of the random box.]

[The optimal result for the user is determined.]

With the activation of Luck, a dazzling array of colors and a pink mist emerged from the box.

“What kind of legendary artifact will it be?”

Eagerly, Zeke waved away the mist to see what lay inside. Moments later, a sword emerged from the random box.

Zeke’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“This is…?”

It was the very sword that Siemens Apollyon wielded in Gaia’s memories, now appearing before Zeke.