Episode 432
Rumble!
As Azmun released the power constraints with a binding spell, the chimera’s body began to react strangely.
Groooan!
With a grotesque sound, its entire body started to swell.
Crack!
First, its arms and legs expanded, followed by its torso, and its face began to transform.
Roar!
Its skin turned scaly like a dragon’s, with tusks protruding like a boar’s, and its body resembled a tiger’s.
Zeke raised his Bahamut sword, staring at the chimera that had morphed into a monstrous form.
“One of the Four Fiends, the Do’ol. This must be an experiment infused with its power.”
It was clear that the Nostra family had mixed the cursed blood of a dragon with the corrupted holy blood of the Four Fiends to create this unnatural creature.
Zeke felt a deep revulsion for the Nostra family’s chimera experiments, which toyed with life itself.
Azmun watched the fully unleashed chimera with a sly grin.
“Chimera! Kill them all!”
At Azmun’s command, the chimera let out a menacing roar and charged toward the Black Legion.
Diego, at the forefront, swung his dual swords to deflect the chimera’s sharp claws, while Aster thrust his spear at it.
Clang!
The spear bounced off the chimera’s tough scales.
Then Felix, standing behind, gripped his sword and gathered his energy.
Hummm!
Felix unleashed the golden swordsmanship of Agamemnon, his aura merging with the powerful energy of the Arc Paladin within him, creating a radiant aura blade from his sword.
His blade pierced through the chimera’s scales.
Crack!
Felix’s sword sliced along the chimera’s side, green blood spurting from the wound.
Sizzle!
The acidic blood hissed as it hit the ground, melting it.
Seizing the opportunity, Reina and Liam rushed in, striking at the wound.
Slash!
Reina’s swift attack and Liam’s heavy blow landed simultaneously on the chimera’s injured side.
Thud!
The powerful strike caused the chimera to stagger and collapse sideways.
Screech!
The chimera let out a pained cry.
Azmun, watching from behind, was taken aback, his confident expression replaced with one of anxiety.
“To think that even Zeke Dreiker’s subordinates could be this strong.”
The Black Legion, all elite warriors with extensive combat experience, had been underestimated by Azmun.
His plan to subdue them with the chimera and escape had fallen apart.
Zeke approached Azmun slowly, holding Bahamut.
“Is that all you’ve got? You might want to surrender before this gets any more tedious.”
Azmun forced a bitter smile, steadying his breath. He hadn’t expected to resort to this.
“Zeke Dreiker, this isn’t the end of what I’ve prepared.”
Azmun began to chant something in a low, eerie tone, speaking in a language Zeke had never heard before.
‘What is this?’
The strange language was reminiscent of the shadowy figure’s speech from within William Siemens’ forbidden tome.
Rumble!
As Azmun chanted the bizarre incantation, the sword of Azitahaka, which Zeke had planted in the ground, began to react.
Twitch―
The sword suddenly writhed, opening a massive maw.
The sword’s mouth extended, flying toward the chimera.
Crunch!
The sword of Azitahaka bit into the chimera, burrowing into its body.
The chimera began to transform once more, in a way unlike before.
Screech!
The chimera’s color changed first, its skin turning black, and the wound inflicted by Felix healed rapidly.
Rip!
After the color change, the chimera’s face split into four, revealing rows of sharp teeth within.
Simultaneously, something sprouted from the chimera’s back.
Swish!
Tentacles bristling with sharp teeth emerged.
Zeke frowned at the sight of the tentacles sprouting from the chimera.
‘Is that an Outsider?’
It resembled the Outsiders he had seen in the Forest of the Forgotten.
Zeke speculated about the connection between the chimera, the sword of Azitahaka, and the Outsiders.
‘Could Azitahaka’s power be related to Siemens Apollyon?’
Siemens Apollyon had sealed the spirit of the earth god in the Forest of the Forgotten, guarded by the Outsiders. The mysterious language from William Siemens’ tome was linked to the ruins of Siemens Apollyon. Now, the sword of Azitahaka, bestowed by Ramon Siemens, had transformed the chimera into an Outsider.
Zeke suspected a close connection between Siemens Apollyon and Azitahaka’s power.
Screech!
The chimera, now fully transformed into a devouring beast, roared at the Black Legion.
Azmun spoke to Zeke.
“Even you, the knight of salvation, cannot stop this insatiable beast.”
As Azmun spoke ominously, the beast’s body sprouted dozens of tentacles, attacking the Black Legion.
Seeing this, Azmun turned to Zeke.
“Zeke Dreiker, I offer you one more chance. If you join me, we can take over Rom…”
But then it happened.
Swish!
One of the beast’s tentacles wrapped around Azmun’s ankle.
“Wha—?”
The tentacle coiled around Azmun, lifting him into the air.
“No, stop! Stop it!”
Azmun knew the incantation to create the devouring beast but not how to stop it. The beast, which consumed everything, didn’t recognize Azmun as its master, seeing him only as meat to devour.
The tentacle brought Azmun toward the beast’s gaping maw.
“No, no!”
Crunch!
With a final scream, the scheming Azmun Barrios disappeared into the beast’s mouth.
Only the gruesome sound of bones and flesh being crushed echoed from the beast’s back.
Having devoured Azmun, the beast licked its lips, still hungry, and turned its gaze toward the Black Legion and Zeke.
At that moment, the Komodo lizards and dragon warriors, waiting in the wings, charged at the beast.
Screech!
Growl!
Dozens of lizards and dragon warriors pressed the attack on the devouring beast.
But the beast, with its many tentacles, ensnared the lizards and warriors, immobilizing them.
As the beast opened its mouth to swallow the shadow spirits, Zeke snapped his fingers, dispelling their summoning.
The beast paused momentarily, then turned its attention to Zeke.
The Black Legion quickly formed a defensive line in front of Zeke.
Zeke addressed them.
“I’ll handle this creature. You take care of the remaining Magal Palace knights.”
With a snap of his fingers, ghost knights, golem knights, and the lizard-mounted Kaiman unit appeared.
Zeke gave a special command to Liam.
“Liam, lead the troops and secure Rom’s palace.”
Liam nodded at Zeke’s order.
“Understood, my lord. Everyone, follow me!”
Though not the oldest or strongest, Liam’s past life as a mercenary king made him a natural leader, guiding the Black Legion with skill.
As the Black Legion departed, Zeke faced the devouring beast, donning the Herseion of Theia and raising Bahamut, summoning all his strength.
Rumble!
Sensing Zeke’s extraordinary power, the beast bared its teeth and roared menacingly.
Screech!
Tentacles bristling with teeth flew toward Zeke.
Whoosh!
Zeke moved swiftly with his wind technique, dodging the incoming tentacles.
But as more tentacles targeted him, Zeke realized his limits. He activated his dragon wing skill, soaring into the air, evading the tentacles, and launched a holy light attack at the beast.
Zap!
The beam of light shot toward the beast.
Boom!
The beast dodged the light with quick movements, scaling the walls with its sharp claws, lunging at Zeke.
Screech!
Its arm extended, transforming into a whip-like appendage with sharp claws, swinging at Zeke.
Slash!
The beast’s claws sliced through the air, aiming for Zeke.
Clang!
With every ounce of his strength, Zeke shielded himself from the beast’s claws and then launched himself into the air, charging straight at the creature.
“Haah!”
His entire body aglow with the light of the Holy Radiance, Zeke thrust Bahamut forward, unleashing another powerful burst of light at the beast.
Crackle!
The intense beam of light struck, and to Zeke’s surprise, the creature’s body began to dissipate like mist.
Sssshhh—
But moments later, the scattered form of the beast reassembled, appearing right behind Zeke.
Swish!
The creature’s tentacles wrapped around Zeke, trapping him in their grip.
Sizzle!
Acidic liquid oozed from the tentacles, attempting to dissolve the armor blessed by the goddess Theia. Yet, made of orichalcum, the armor withstood the corrosive attack.
Frustrated by its failure, the beast let out a furious roar.
Roar!
Its face split into four, revealing a massive maw. The creature engulfed Zeke whole, intending to digest him from within.
Crunch!
Finding it difficult to chew through the armor with its teeth, the beast decided to swallow Zeke and let its stomach do the work. Satisfied, the beast soon sensed something amiss.
Gurgle!
Its stomach began to churn violently.
Gag!
Suddenly, the beast opened its mouth wide, expelling a torrent of half-dissolved bones, flesh, and armor fragments.
The creature clawed at the ground in agony.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted from within its belly.
Screech!
The beast spewed a clear liquid, unable to contain itself, and opened a mouth on its back.
Cough!
From that mouth, a golden aura burst forth.
Hum!
Unable to withstand the purifying light, the beast began to retch again.
At that moment, its stomach convulsed once more, and a sword emerged, slicing through its belly.
Crash!
Zeke stepped out slowly, sword in hand, having used the power of decay to dissolve the beast’s innards.
“What kind of creature are you?” he muttered, shaking off the remnants of the beast’s organs from his hand.
He raised his sword, facing the flesh-eating beast. “That must’ve hurt. Come on, let’s finish this.”
The beast, its insides in turmoil thanks to Zeke, struggled to rise and let out a threatening roar.
Roar!
But such feeble threats were meaningless to Zeke. He brandished Bahamut and summoned the Elemental Sword of Water.
Slash!
The beast extended its tentacles in desperation, but Zeke’s wave-like sword cut through them all with ease.
Screech!
Zeke approached the suffering beast, his sword gleaming with the power of purification.
The blade, imbued with purifying energy, flashed as Zeke aimed for the sword of Azhdahaka embedded within the beast.
Crash!
The power sustaining the beast’s form wavered under the purifying force, rendering it immobile.
As the situation unfolded, the sword of Azhdahaka, proving to be more than just a weapon, detached from the beast’s body and floated free.
The beast’s ravaged form reverted to its original state, collapsing to the ground, oozing green fluid.
No longer a sword, the orb-like form of Azhdahaka’s weapon hovered in the air.
Zeke’s eyes gleamed as he watched, waiting for this moment.
Sssshhh—
A massive shadow rose behind Zeke, enveloping the orb and swallowing it whole.
Simultaneously, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[You have absorbed an external entity imbued with the power of the malevolent god.]