Episode 541
Boom!
As Zeke unleashed a dark storm, it swept through the black knights, sending a whirlwind of sand spiraling into the sky above the wasteland.
Rumble!
The dark storm obliterated the black knights and dispersed the toxic fog that had been lingering heavily around them.
The black knights, limbs twisted and broken, lay scattered across the dirt mounds.
Zeke surveyed the devastation he had wrought with an emotionless gaze.
But moments later, the seemingly lifeless black knights began to stir once more.
Crack!
From within their black helmets, red eyes glowed fiercely as their contorted limbs snapped back into place.
Thud!
The black knights, restored to their original form save for the dust clinging to their armor, reassembled into their formation, aligning themselves in rows.
They raised their swords, pointing them at Zeke, who stood above them.
Hummm!
The energy from hundreds of black knights resonated, merging into a single wave that surged toward Zeke.
Zeeeeng—
The shockwave, carried by the energy, swept across the wasteland, hurtling toward Zeke.
Watching the oncoming shockwave, Zeke calmly raised his hand.
Screeeech—
The magical barrier Zeke conjured deflected the shockwave, sending it back in the opposite direction.
Hummm!
The redirected shockwave expanded, soaring into the sky and engulfing the monstrous creatures resembling eagles that were flying above.
Screeeech—
The creatures struck by the shockwave let out piercing cries, spewing blood as they plummeted from the sky.
Boom!
With the creatures gone, the black knights momentarily halted their movements.
Zeke was the first to act, advancing toward the motionless black knights with his sword.
As he unleashed the elemental power of his sword, a massive pressure descended upon the area where the black knights stood.
Crack!
The black knights, crushed by the gravitational field Zeke created, were driven into the ground, their bodies crumpling under the force.
Though they struggled to escape the oppressive field, the powerful gravity held them firmly in place.
As Zeke observed the black knights, now completely immobilized and embedded in the earth, the ground began to tremble violently.
Rumble!
Suddenly, the surface of the wasteland split open, and two black towers emerged from beneath.
Thud!
Atop each tower was a sharp, lightning rod-like structure, from which black currents flowed, connecting and growing in intensity.
Crackle!
The black currents between the towers coalesced into a dark sphere, which unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity toward Zeke.
Crackle—
Zeke swiftly retreated, dodging the incoming black lightning.
But it wasn’t over.
The ground shook once more, and more black towers began to rise, each unleashing streams of electricity aimed at Zeke.
Before long, a dozen such towers had appeared across the wasteland, all targeting Zeke.
And that wasn’t all.
Doors opened at the base of the towers, releasing hundreds of black knights who charged at Zeke.
From above, the towers rained down powerful currents, while below, the relentless black knights surged forward.
In response, Zeke, his expression unchanged, summoned thousands of shadow creatures from within the shadows.
The translucent shadow creatures, following Zeke’s command, rushed toward the advancing black knights.
The black knights, wielding their energy, swiftly cut down the shadow creatures charging at them.
As the shadow creatures dissipated upon being struck, Zeke summoned more from the shadows.
While Zeke and his shadow creatures engaged the towers and black knights, he was also observing the situation from a concealed location with Shadia.
“As Boris said, their defenses are more formidable than expected.”
Zeke had sent his doppelgänger to draw the enemy’s attention, knowing that he posed a significant threat to them, prompting them to focus their efforts on him.
The appearance of numerous towers attacking Zeke suggested that his plan was working to some extent.
“But this isn’t enough. We need to shake things up once more for the team to infiltrate.”
Zeke issued a command to his doppelgänger, who raised its sword.
Hummm!
The doppelgänger’s sword gathered immense energy, not as powerful as Zeke’s own, but enough to repel the approaching black knights.
The doppelgänger reversed its grip on the energy-charged sword and drove it into the ground, murmuring an incantation.
“Triple Spell. Grand Explosion.”
Simultaneously, a brilliant light erupted from the point of impact, spreading across the wasteland.
Rumble!
The ground shook violently as a chain of explosions rocked the area.
Boom!
The explosion engulfed the black knights and the surrounding black towers.
The massive light storm swept over the enemies and even reached the hidden locations of other reconnaissance units.
Rumble—
Without the makeshift barrier device created by Hades, they too would have been caught in the explosion’s devastating force.
Zeke, noticing the significant drain on his energy from the Triple Spell, retrieved a bloodstone from his inventory and absorbed it through the shadows.
He had discovered that absorbing bloodstones could replenish his energy and had prepared them in advance.
Surveying the wasteland, now completely devastated by the explosion, Zeke sent a telepathic message to Boris.
—Boris, now’s the time. Find an opening and infiltrate.
Following Zeke’s instructions, Boris led his agents through a pre-scouted entry point, slipping in unnoticed.
Their mission was to plant explosive devices at the core of the underground labyrinth, allowing Zeke to eliminate the enemy and bring the entire structure down.
Once he confirmed their successful entry, Zeke turned to Shadia.
“I’m heading in through another route. Stand by and eliminate any dark mages that appear.”
“Understood, my lord.”
Watching Shadia and her assassins vanish into the shadows, Zeke activated his spectral power, entering the dimensional boundary.
He navigated the shaken underground labyrinth, descending deeper.
Ssshhh—
Soon, he emerged in a secluded corner of the underground maze.
The area appeared to be a storage room filled with unused, old armor and weapons.
Opening the door, he stepped into the corridor, where several dark mages were rushing about in a panic.
“Damn it! Send out the alert! It’s an emergency! Zeke Draker is attacking!”
Avoiding their notice, Zeke searched for a path leading further down, rather than up.
‘Given the structure of the bloodstone factory, the true depths are likely connected by a portal.’
As he moved downward, Zeke sensed a familiar, ominous energy ahead.
‘What is this?’
It was an energy he recognized—the aura of the fallen constellation, the Knight of Blood and Madness.
The true name of the Knight of Blood and Madness was “Wirinome,” a demon known for its brutality and savagery.
In the demon realm, Wirinome was a ruler of the harsh Gehenna region, a dangerous constellation akin to a great demon.
However, after being attacked by Zeke and having part of its soul sealed in Solomon’s Ring, it had been unable to manifest in the physical world.
Sensing Wirinome’s energy here, Zeke was taken aback.
‘If the energy is this strong… could Wirinome’s avatar be here?’
Zeke cautiously descended, following the trail of Wirinome’s energy.
Beyond the wall lay a vast chamber, occupied by dark mages and what appeared to be knights of Zemens.
A sharp voice echoed from within.
“Damn it! It’s loose!”
“Get back!”
A deafening roar shook the entire chamber.
Roar!
Concealed, Zeke observed the unfolding chaos.
Dark mages and knights surrounded a massive cage, from which Wirinome’s energy emanated.
As he tried to get a better view of the cage, one side buckled, and a massive, skinless arm burst through.
Crack!
The enormous, blue-tinged muscular arm thrashed about, trying to break free.
A knight, unable to evade in time, was caught by the monstrous arm and dragged into the cage.
Screech!
With a sickening crunch, the beast’s roar echoed once more.
The dark mages hurried to seal the cage, but the arm reappeared, widening the gap.
Roar!
The opening grew larger, and two more arms burst out.
The dark mages retreated, shouting orders to the knights.
“Stop him! Stop that man!”
The command was barked at the knights, but the ones giving it were already retreating, fear etched in their eyes.
Dark sorcerers burst through the door where Zeke was hiding. He watched them scramble up the narrow staircase, then quietly summoned shadows to his aid.
Swish—
In an instant, the shadows transformed into razor-sharp blades, swiftly slicing through the sorcerers’ necks.
“Gahhh!”
The fleeing sorcerers collapsed, blood bubbling from their throats.
Zeke singled out the one who seemed to be in charge and used the wisdom of the dragon to delve into his memories.
Zzzzt—
Moments later, Zeke had uncovered the truth about the entity lurking within the cavern.
“The Abyss… These madmen… They’ve used the remnants of a fallen celestial’s claw and sacred blood to create an avatar?”
They had gone beyond summoning demons; they were attempting to harness the power of a fallen celestial by creating an experimental vessel.
The dark sorcerers of the Abyss had implanted the cloned sacred blood and claw of the celestial into ancient beasts, enabling them to wield its power.
The problem was that the vessel’s strength had grown beyond their control, forcing them to seal it away.
When Zeke stormed their headquarters, they had tried to unleash it against him, but it had turned on them instead.
“A vessel capable of wielding the celestial’s power… If they had managed to control it, they could have created beings with power surpassing even the highest demons.”
If the Abyss’s research had continued, they might have discovered a way to perfectly control these vessels, replicating the power of the fallen celestial.
Zeke knew he had to destroy this labyrinth and bring down the Abyss before it was too late.
Roar!
The experimental creature, now fully unleashed, lashed out at the knights with wild swings of its arms.
Crunch! Snap! Snap!
The monster, now in the center of the cavern, grabbed knights with its massive hands and devoured them whole.
Zeke slowly entered the cavern.
The creature was a muscular horror, its skin peeled away to reveal raw muscle beneath.
It lacked intelligence, but its demonic power was not to be underestimated.
As Zeke approached, the creature sensed his presence and turned its head.
Grrrr—
Its grotesque face was skinless, its mouth stretched wide with sharp teeth protruding.
The creature turned its body toward Zeke, slowly rising to its full height.
Roar—
The beast howled like an animal and advanced on Zeke, extending a clawed hand toward him.
Swoosh—
The hand elongated, reaching out to snatch Zeke.
But in that moment, shadows rose from the ground and severed the creature’s extended arm.
Slash—
The severed arm flew into the air, spraying blue blood as it went.