Episode 444
The One Who Aspires to Become the Demon King
For a long time, Zeke had pondered over Ramon Jimenez’s true intentions.
Initially, he suspected that Ramon intended to summon the Demon King into Abel’s body to use him as a puppet to conquer the continent.
However, there was always the risk that Abel, once transformed into the Demon King, might turn against Ramon Jimenez.
Controlling a being more powerful than oneself was no easy feat.
Thus, Zeke had speculated on various possibilities regarding Ramon’s goals, but without concrete evidence, predicting his next move was nearly impossible.
It was only now that Zeke finally understood what Ramon Jimenez truly desired.
“Does Ramon Jimenez want to become the Demon King himself?”
In response to Zeke’s question, Chronos spoke slowly.
[Whether it’s possible to summon the Demon King into a body using the power of a malevolent god is something we can’t know without trying. But… a human consumed by a lust for power might very well devise such a plan.]
The Flesh Emperor Ajitahaka, who sought to become a celestial being himself.
Ramon Jimenez, who aimed to become the Demon King and rule over everything.
Both were embodiments of a desire for domination, perhaps drawn to each other by that very nature.
Crackle—
Chronos’s ethereal form flickered, threatening to vanish.
She looked at Zeke and spoke.
[To prevent the signs of destruction, Zeke, you must find the legacy of the Chronos Kingdom.]
She reached out her hand toward him.
Vroom—
A halo of light formed in her hand, soon taking the shape of a seal.
‘Could that be the final seal?’
Chronos looked at Zeke and said,
[The report of Chronos, the place where the primordial temple resides. Zeke, you need to go there and uncover the root of all these events.]
Zeke, puzzled, looked at Chronos and asked,
“The root of all these events? What do you mean?”
Crackle—
Chronos’s form wavered again, as if about to disappear.
She moved her outstretched hand once more.
Vroom—
The seal formed in her palm flew toward Zeke.
Simultaneously, her ethereal form began to dissipate.
[Zeke Draker, please find the legacy of Chronos and prevent the signs of destruction.]
Soon, her form completely scattered and vanished.
“Chronos!”
Zeke, staring at the spot where Chronos had disappeared, approached the final seal floating before him.
‘The final seal is at the Temple of the Goddess Theia?’
He reached out for the seal Chronos had given him.
As his hand touched it, the seal dissolved into a halo of light and merged into Zeke’s body.
Vroom—
A message appeared before Zeke’s eyes as he absorbed the seal.
[The scattered seals of the Chronos Kingdom have been restored.]
[The restored seal activates the coordinates of the Chronos Kingdom’s treasury.]
[As a reward for the linked quest mission, you have acquired the title of Heir of the Chronos Kingdom.]
[With the acquisition of the title Heir of the Chronos Kingdom, the coordinates of the primordial temple are activated.]
[The coordinates of the primordial temple and the Chronos Kingdom’s treasury are combined.]
[The coordinates for the long-forgotten legendary city ‘Carcosa’ are activated.]
[As a reward for the main quest mission, your Cabala system administrator privileges are upgraded to master administrator.]
[Master administrator system privileges are activated.]
[With the upgrade to master administrator, system functions are unlocked.]
[The new function ‘Akashic Code’ is unlocked.]
[The Dragon Wisdom skill and the Akashic Code are linked.]
[Through the Akashic Code, access to the Sephiroth dimension server is enabled.]
[Access to the Karma data list is granted.]
[The advanced quest book is changed to the master quest book.]
[The inventory capacity limit is removed.]
[The range of the portal travel system is expanded.]
[The Karma points consumed during portal travel are reduced by 50%.]
[The limit on the number of companions for portal travel is removed.]
[The range of the defense mode expands from fortress to castle.]
[As a reward, 10,000 Karma points are granted.]
Zeke gaped at the flood of messages.
“Upgraded to master administrator?”
He checked the newly unlocked function, the ‘Akashic Code.’
―System Description―
Akashic Code: Allows access to the Sephiroth dimension server to view and store Karma data.
“Access to a dimension server…?”
The description alone didn’t make the function’s purpose clear.
Just as he was about to explore the Akashic Code’s capabilities, another message appeared before Zeke.
[The coordinates of the legendary city Carcosa are automatically activated.]
[Transferring to the specified coordinates.]
Vroom—
Zeke’s body was enveloped in light.
As he attempted to leave through the system portal, the entire Temple of Theia began to tremble.
Rumble—
Zeke’s body rose into the air, surrounded by light.
The statues of external beings outside the temple seemed to scream silently, trying to prevent his departure.
【Kieeeek—】
【Kaaaaa—】
【Uuuuuu—】
The soul-wrenching cries of the statues made Zeke feel dizzy.
Leaving behind the dreadful wails that seemed to crawl up from the abyss, Zeke’s body was engulfed in a massive light.
And moments later, the great halo of light dispersed. Zeke’s presence had vanished entirely from the Temple of the Goddess Theia.
Vroom—
Zeke reappeared with the light.
“Ugh!”
The sudden activation of the coordinates and the ensuing transfer left him disoriented.
“Ugh…”
His head continued to throb from the soul-wrenching cries of the external statues.
Zeke shuddered to think what might happen if those statues awakened and invaded the physical realm.
‘Restoring the statue of the Goddess Theia should keep things stable for now.’
He took a deep breath and surveyed his new surroundings.
Numerous buildings made of ochre bricks.
Though not as tall as the structures in Atlas, their orderly arrangement made the ancient city resemble a modern planned city.
Looking further, he noticed a tall, sturdy blue wall encircling the city like a protective embrace.
‘Is this the legendary city of Carcosa?’
The thought of standing in a city long lost to legend sent an inexplicable shiver through Zeke.
It was a feeling akin to when he had glimpsed the Chronos Kingdom from atop the tower after crossing the timeline.
Zeke glanced at a nearby fruit stand and reached out to pick one of the unfamiliar fruits.
Though he didn’t recognize it, the freshness was palpable in his hand.
He squeezed the fruit, splitting it in half.
Juice dripped from the split fruit.
Zeke took a bite of the halved fruit.
“Oh?”
It was a taste he had never experienced before.
As he savored the juicy fruit, he looked around.
‘But why is there no one here?’
The city was intact, yet devoid of people.
Even the market seemed as if it had just been bustling, with steam still rising from pots.
It felt as though all living beings had vanished, leaving only buildings and objects behind.
Zeke couldn’t tell if this place was real or a recreation of a past city through Karma data.
‘The coordinates created by combining the Chronos report and the primordial temple led to Carcosa.’
He opened the system map out of curiosity, but nothing appeared.
‘It seems what’s visible isn’t real but a playback of past memories through Karma data.’
Just then, a message appeared before Zeke.
[Updating related Karma data through the Akashic Code.]
[Displaying the data on the map.]
After the Karma data update, Carcosa’s city information appeared on the map.
Zeke could finally confirm his location.
‘The city is much larger than I thought.’
It was almost as large as Atlas.
Zeke examined the map and identified a central building.
He turned his gaze toward the city’s center.
“That is…”
A massive structure made of blue stones stood in the heart of the city.
The pyramid-shaped building seemed like a simple landmark at first glance.
‘They wouldn’t have built something like that in the city center just for decoration.’
Typically, the most important structure in a city was placed at its center.
Zeke used his Dragon Wings skill to lift himself into the air.
As he ascended, he surveyed the cityscape of Carcosa from above.
‘Is this the city that was most beloved by the celestials?’
A city once cherished by the celestials, yet ultimately destroyed because of them.
Zeke flew toward the massive structure at the center of Carcosa, taking in the view.
He quickly reached the building’s front, but then he paused.
‘This aura…’
From within the massive structure built of blue stones, an unusual aura emanated.
Zeke instinctively recognized the nature of the aura.
‘This is the aura of a dragon.’
He couldn’t fathom why the central structure of Carcosa exuded a dragon’s aura, but its presence was overwhelming.
It was far more potent than the aura he remembered from Bahamut or any other Lords.
For a moment, Zeke was taken aback by the overwhelming presence, but then he realized it was familiar.
“This energy… could it be…?”
As he pondered the identity of the source, Zeke slowly approached the structure. He flew up to the entrance and stepped inside.
Thud!
Inside, it felt as though he had entered an ancient temple. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all made of blue-tinged stone.
Zeke approached the softly glowing stone wall and placed his hand on it. Instantly, he was taken aback.
Vroooom—
The wall reacted to Zeke, emanating a magical force.
“What is this?”
To his astonishment, the blue stone wall itself was imbued with magic, as if it had been dusted with ground magic stones.
“My god, does that mean the entire structure is like this?”
Though he couldn’t fathom the purpose behind such a design, it was clear that Carcosa was no ordinary city.
Zeke continued down the corridor, moving toward the source of the stronger dragon energy he sensed.
Soon, the corridor ended, revealing a door adorned with blue tiles, giving it an exotic feel.
As Zeke approached, the door began to open on its own.
Rumble—
With a heavy sound, the door revealed a vast hall beyond.
Zeke stepped inside slowly. Unlike the exterior, the interior was lavishly decorated with colorful tiles and intricate patterns.
“Fascinating. I think I’ve heard of such decorative styles in the East.”
Admiring the ornate tiles, Zeke made his way to the center of the hall. Like the rest of the place, there was no sign of life, yet the space was filled with an overwhelming presence.
Zeke lifted his gaze to the front of the hall.
An empty throne sat there, unoccupied. Yet the intense aura he had felt outside was even more palpable here.
Zeke was certain of the identity of the being behind this energy. His expression shifted as he faced the aura emanating from the empty throne and spoke.
“Reveal yourself, great one!”
His voice echoed throughout the hall, but the throne remained silent.
Zeke spoke again, his voice tinged with frustration.
“You summoned me, and now you hide yourself?”
He shouted, his voice filled with indignation.
“Elder Dragon! Show yourself!”