Episode 446
“Irregulars.”
These are individuals who possess anomalies that defy the laws of the world.
Zeke himself had once been mistaken for an Irregular when he first encountered Duke.
Moreover, Luther Zemben, who taught Zeke the art of magic reversal, was a true Irregular, capable of wielding both aura and magic simultaneously.
During the era of the Holy Empire, such abilities were seen as curses, leading to the persecution, exclusion, and even hunting of Irregulars.
Though not as severe now, prejudice against them still lingered.
Despite the discrimination, the origins of Irregulars and how they came to be remain shrouded in mystery.
They have existed throughout the continent’s history, sometimes playing pivotal roles in major events, yet no one can explain their existence.
Zeke was taken aback when he heard that the God of Chaos was the first to create such Irregulars.
He questioned the Elder Dragon.
“Why did the God of Chaos make King Solomon an Irregular?”
“The Irregulars are small cracks, unforeseen even by the God of Chaos, mere scratches on the wheel of fate. Just as a butterfly’s wings can eventually cause a typhoon, a small crack can lead to unpredictable outcomes. That is the power of chaos, and Solomon sought to harness it.”
“An unpredictable crack of chaos…”
The Elder Dragon continued.
“Solomon, as an Irregular, gained the ability to control karma, a power only the constellations could wield. He used the city management system created by the constellations to develop the karma system and accessed the Sephiroth dimension server, the essence of the universe accessible only to the constellations. He called it the ‘Akashic Code.’”
Zeke recalled the new abilities he gained as a master administrator.
“So that’s what the Akashic Code was.”
“But no matter how special, Solomon was still human and faced limitations. He proposed a new idea to me using the information he obtained from the Akashic Code.”
Zeke’s eyes widened at the Elder Dragon’s words.
“Could it be…?”
“A contract to share the heart of a dragon with a human. Solomon sought to transcend human limitations through a pact with me.”
The idea of implanting a dragon’s heart into a human was first proposed by King Solomon, not Siemens Apollyon.
“Did you accept the contract, Elder Dragon?”
“At the time, Solomon seemed like the only hope. The atrocities of the constellations had worsened, and mortals had become their playthings. The dragons were no exception.”
Zeke remembered witnessing the fate of the dragons bound to the golden city of Blanca.
Hades, too, had been trapped there, spending countless years in solitude.
“Following Solomon’s words, we made the pact, and he became the first contractor to possess a dragon’s heart. But then… something unexpected happened.”
The Elder Dragon continued.
“A being that was both mortal and not.”
Zeke’s eyes wavered.
“Solomon gained the power of immortality.”
Boom!
With a powerful shockwave, a massive beast toppled over.
Rumble!
As the fallen beasts were trampled, others crawled up from behind.
Nigel, who had been hunting beasts in the Forgotten Forest’s west for months, gritted his teeth.
“Damn beasts. No matter how many we kill, they just keep coming.”
Adnan and Bodmir approached Nigel, their faces and bodies covered in beast blood.
Adnan spoke to her.
“Nigel, Nabu is calling for you.”
Nigel spat on the ground at the mention of Nabu.
“I’m busy as hell, and he wants me to come to him? If he has something to say, he should come here!”
Adnan replied with a serious expression.
“Nabu says he’s found the location of the gate summoning these creatures.”
Nigel’s expression changed at those words.
“Well, that scatterbrained scholar finally earned his keep.”
Even as they spoke, beasts were swarming towards Nigel, Adnan, and Bodmir.
Adnan and Bodmir tensed, gripping their weapons.
Without even looking at the approaching beasts, Nigel swung her sword.
Boom!
A powerful wave of energy swept through the charging beasts.
Splat!
The beasts were instantly reduced to blood, scattering across the forest.
Adnan and Bodmir gaped at the sight.
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
“So this is the true might of the High Table.”
Ignoring their awe, Nigel sheathed her sword and spoke to Adnan.
“I’m going to check it out. Make sure this place doesn’t fall.”
Adnan nodded.
“Understood. I’ll stake my life to hold them back.”
Nigel clicked her tongue.
“Don’t waste your life here. If it gets too dangerous, retreat.”
With that, she leapt into the air.
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, she flew beyond the forest.
Adnan and Bodmir watched her in admiration before resuming their vigilance.
Growl—
More beasts emerged from beyond the forest.
Adnan shouted to the Highlanders in the camp.
“Everyone, stay alert! Archers and mages, wait until they get closer! Knights, charge when their formation breaks!”
Screech—
The beasts charged with a roar.
Behind the camp’s barricades, mages and archers held their breath, measuring the distance.
Adnan gauged the distance between the camp and the beasts with a tense expression.
Then, at the right moment, he stood up.
“Fifteen meters to the left! Fire the magic!”
At his command, the mages unleashed their long-range attacks.
Whoosh!
Explosive spells flew towards the charging beasts.
As the magic struck, a massive explosion erupted.
Boom!
The explosion disrupted the beasts’ formation.
Adnan shouted again.
“Archers! Attack the flanks!”
At his command, the archers released a volley of arrows into the sky.
Swoosh—
The Highlander archers fired four arrows at once.
The arrows rained down on the beasts like a storm.
Screech—
Seeing the beasts falter, Bodmir drew his bastard sword and leapt out of the camp.
“Now it’s my turn!”
Other knights followed him.
Bodmir charged forward with his sword.
“Let’s go!”
The sword-wielding Highlanders charged, cutting through the disordered beasts.
Bodmir swung his massive bastard sword, tearing through the beasts’ bodies.
Screech—
While Bodmir and the other knights held the front line, the mages and archers provided cover from behind.
“Haah!”
The Highlanders swung their swords with ghostly precision, cutting down the beasts.
The charging beasts couldn’t breach the Highlanders’ barricade.
Crunch—
Bodmir finished off the last beast and looked up.
His face and hair were drenched in beast blood.
Then, more beasts appeared from behind.
Adnan shouted.
“Everyone, return to the barricade! Mages and archers, prepare to attack again!”
The relentless battle against the beasts continued.
Such fierce battles were fought daily, unknown to the rest of the continent.
Boom!
Nigel flew through the air, arriving at the central headquarters in an instant, and entered the tent where Nabu was.
She found Nabu, the Hermit of Stories, surrounded by floating books, maps, and documents, frantically searching for something.
“Where’s the gate? Tell me now!”
Nabu peeked out from between the books and gestured for her to sit for a moment.
He then relayed instructions through a crystal orb.
“Yes, be extra cautious in the swamp area. Take some ice mages with you. Freeze the swamp to make it easier to move.”
After giving instructions for various terrains and situations, Nabu finally set down the orb and sighed.
“Ahh! I just want to rest! I need a break!”
Nigel clicked her tongue and shook her head at Nabu’s antics.
“You never change, no matter how old you get.”
Nabu pouted at her words.
“To think I’d hear that from an old hag like you, Nigel.”
At the word “hag,” Nigel’s eyes flashed with anger as she drew her sword.
“Your tongue is the root of all your troubles. Today, I’ll cut it off and feed it to the beasts.”
Seeing Nigel approach with her sword, Nabu shrieked.
“Eek! The High Table is breaking the Oath of Accord and drawing weapons! Yikes!”
Just then, another person entered the noisy tent. A naga in monk’s robes clasped his hands together, observing the scene.
“Oh dear, the two benefactors are at it again.”
“Eugh! Manna! Can you please stop Nigel?”
Manna, the monk who was called upon, simply shook his head.
“This too shall pass.”
“Ugh, you useless monk!”
In the end, Nabu was caught by Nigel and only released after taking quite a beating.
Afterwards, Manna spent a good while calming the still-fuming Nigel.
As Nabu healed his swollen eye with a touch of karma, he projected a map into the air.
“You know why I called you two here, right?”
Manna clasped his hands together and replied, “I heard that you, Nabu, have found the gate that summons the beasts.”
Nabu nodded and waved his hand, causing the map to zoom in, revealing several blinking red dots.
He pointed to them and began to explain, “To be precise, it’s not the location of the gate.”
At this, Nigel’s eyes flared up again. “You idiot! If you haven’t found the gate, why drag us here when we’re busy?”
Nabu turned to the shouting Nigel and said, “Calm down. At least let me finish before you start cursing.”
Pointing to the red dots on the map, he continued, “These aren’t gates, but places where the things needed to open them are located.”
Manna nodded in understanding. “So, if we destroy these places, the gates will close?”
Nabu shook his head. “Well, it’s not exactly that simple.”
Nigel’s eyes blazed once more. “Do you want to die?”
As Nigel threatened him, Nabu waved his hands defensively. “I want to pinpoint the exact locations too, but whatever those bastards did, it’s not easy! Just figuring this much out was a nightmare! People who only work in the field never understand the challenges of desk work.”
Watching Nabu grumble, Manna spoke up, “In any case, we just need to go and wipe those places out, right?”
Nigel stood up. “That’s typical of you. Fine, I’ll go and take care of it. You stay here and guard the place with the others.”
As Nigel was about to storm out of the tent, Nabu quickly stopped him. “Wait, wait! You can’t just leave; there’s something important I haven’t told you yet.”
Nigel, looking irritated, said, “I’m getting annoyed, so make it quick and concise.”
Nabu scratched his head, looking troubled. “Uh, well, to sum it up, Nigel, you can’t attack those places.”
A powerful aura of menace emanated from her once more. “How dare you say that! Explain yourself properly!”
Nabu, looking wronged, shouted back, “You told me to keep it short!”
Avoiding Nigel’s deadly glare, Nabu continued his explanation. “It’s complicated, but… basically, those places are hard for us high-table members to reach. As Manna would put it, we need help from the mundane world to strike there.”
Nigel’s face twisted in frustration. “Are you saying we need to join forces with the kingdoms of the Central Continent?”
Nabu nodded. “Exactly. And you and I both know someone perfect for the job.”
Unfolding a fan, Nabu added, “Sieg Draker. We need him to take on those places.”