Episode 568
The secret weapon of Emperor Nero had left the surroundings in ruins, with thick clouds of dust rising into the air.
The Red King had devised a battle strategy that was entirely different from the traditional, honor-bound knights of the Central Continent.
Despite being a formidable knight of the Black Order himself, he never boasted of his prowess.
His philosophy was to minimize his allies’ losses while thoroughly destroying the enemy, rather than charging in headfirst.
Even after bombarding Zeke with a barrage of cannonballs, the Red King remained vigilant, raising his hand once more.
The Dracul Knights reloaded their cannons, awaiting the Red King’s signal.
“Ugh…”
As the dust settled, Zeke emerged, staggering and bleeding.
He was barely holding himself up, his sword planted in the ground for support.
Seeing that Zeke was still alive, the Red King signaled again.
Without mercy, more cannonballs were launched toward Zeke’s position.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Red King, clad in his crimson armor, watched closely to ensure Zeke hadn’t escaped the blast zone.
As the dust settled again, Zeke Draker appeared, looking even more battered than before.
“Ugh…”
Despite his groans, Zeke Draker was still alive, and the eyes hidden beneath the Red King’s helmet shifted.
‘It’s a decoy.’
He recalled that this was a tactic Zeke Draker often used—throwing a decoy to distract the enemy before launching a surprise attack from behind.
The Red King quickly signaled the Dracul Knights.
Recognizing the change in their leader’s signal, the Dracul Knights immediately understood that the one hit by the cannonballs was a fake, and the real Zeke Draker was lurking, ready to strike.
Clang!
Though Zeke Draker was in plain sight, the Dracul Knights, trusting the Red King’s signal without question, swiftly rearranged their formation and descended into the canyon, surrounding their leader.
With shields and swords at the ready, they watched all directions, prepared for Zeke Draker to spring from the ground.
The Red King, atop his warhorse, slowly approached the decoy Zeke Draker, who was still pretending to be injured with his sword in the ground.
He swung his axe at the decoy.
Whoosh!
The powerful aura-infused axe aimed to cleave the decoy in one strike.
But then, the supposed decoy sprang to life, deflecting the Red King’s axe with his sword.
Clang!
The Red King’s axe was knocked into the air by an unbelievable force.
His warhorse, a steed among steeds, neighed fiercely and retreated.
Zeke, wielding his sword, charged directly at the Red King.
The Dracul Knights stationed around the Red King moved instinctively to intercept.
Rumble!
They formed a wall with their large, sturdy shields, creating a path for the Red King to retreat.
Zeke, impressed by their loyalty and boldness, didn’t stop and struck their shields with his sword.
Boom!
The power of dragon-slaying magic shattered the Dracul Knights’ formidable defense in one blow.
As the knights at the front fell, those behind quickly moved to rebuild the wall.
Watching their seamless movements, Zeke couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘Their training is evident.’
Though he had rigorously trained his own Black Order and Black Sword Knights, they weren’t at this level. The Dracul Knights moved as if they were a single organism.
Through this, Zeke could feel the immense trust they had in the Red King.
‘But this won’t be enough.’
Rumble!
Facing the Dracul Knights’ encirclement, Zeke unleashed the power of his Elemental Sword.
As the field of gravity expanded, a powerful gravitational wave emanated from around Zeke.
Rumble—
The Dracul Knights caught in the gravitational field were immobilized by the immense pressure.
Yet, they never let go of their shields.
Crack!
Even as their shoulders dislocated and their feet sank into the ground, they maintained their formation, refusing to drop their shields. Zeke felt a sense of awe.
‘Amazing. This is the might of the Dracul Knights who held back the Murk Empire’s army.’
At that moment, the Red King, who had retreated, dismounted his warhorse and hefted his massive axe.
Whoosh!
A red aura gathered around the axe.
The Red King swung the axe, sending the red aura soaring into the sky before crashing down toward Zeke.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Watching the Red King’s red aura descend upon him, Zeke sensed something was off.
‘What is this?’
In an instant, Zeke released his gravitational field and leaped into the air, swinging his sword at the descending aura.
Boom!
In mid-air, Zeke’s sword strike collided with the Red King’s ultimate attack, causing a massive explosion.
Rumble!
Amidst the scattering red light of the explosion, Zeke, now completely unharmed, hovered in the air, looking down at the Red King and the Dracul Knights.
He slowly descended toward the Red King, landing in the midst of the encircling knights.
Then, he spoke to the Red King.
“Red King, why do I sense the aura of a dragon from you?”
Boris was in the ruins near Jupiter Castle, working with his intelligence team to devise an infiltration plan based on the information provided by Goose, now known as Dmitri.
Dmitri continued his explanation, pointing at a map of Jupiter Castle.
“Jupiter Castle is known for its tight defenses, but there’s always a way in.”
He pointed to the north gate.
“There’s an underground sewer system here that leads to the Voltro River.”
Unlike Rome or Mars, which were close to the Voltro River, Jupiter was quite a distance away.
The high terrain and rocky surroundings made it a strategic stronghold, but it was challenging to bring in a water supply.
Thus, Jupiter Castle had drilled underground to draw groundwater for its water supply, and the city’s sewage was directed north through a sewer system to the Voltro River.
Without this underground sewer system, the isolated castle would face sanitation issues and the risk of disease outbreaks.
Therefore, the underground sewer system of Jupiter Castle was classified as top secret.
The problem was that the sewer system was incredibly complex.
Like many ancient cities, Jupiter Castle was built atop an older city from before the Holy Empire, and the sewer system was over a thousand years old.
Over the centuries, repairs and expansions had turned the sewers into an untraceable maze.
Even if someone discovered the existence of the sewer system, its complexity made infiltration nearly impossible.
However, as Castro’s lieutenant, Dmitri had managed the sewer system and knew its structure in detail.
After hearing Dmitri’s explanation, Boris pulled Shadia aside.
“What do you think, Deputy Commander?”
Shadia pondered before speaking.
“It’s hard to trust his words. He was part of the Empire’s 13th Division and was Castro’s lieutenant until recently. His defection could be a ruse to feed us false information.”
She drew a dagger with a cold expression.
“True information often requires pain to obtain. If you permit, I can verify the truth.”
Hearing Shadia’s words, Dmitri, who was nearby, chattered his teeth nervously.
“Uh, Miss Salmak. I can hear you. Could you not say such scary things when I’m around?”
Boris considered Shadia’s continued suspicion of Dmitri.
Just then, Adol, Serena, and Zion emerged from the ground.
Serena approached Boris and Shadia, bowing slightly.
“Commander, we’ve checked the underground sewer system.”
“What did you find?”
“We couldn’t explore the entire structure, but most of it matches what he described.”
Dmitri, glancing at Shadia, added, “See? I’m telling the truth. There’s no other way into Jupiter Castle. I’ve been there. Sure, we could win in a direct confrontation, but if we’re going to infiltrate, that’s the best route.”
Despite Serena’s report, Shadia remained skeptical of Dmitri’s words.
Boris pondered for a moment before making a decision.
“We’ll enter through the northern underground sewer Dmitri mentioned.”
He gestured to Dmitri.
“Bring him along. If anything seems off, eliminate him and retreat.”
The intelligence team nodded at Boris’s decision and quickly prepared to enter the sewer.
Surprisingly, there were few guards at Jupiter Castle’s north gate.
As they entered the sewer, the reason became clear, dispelling any doubts about Dmitri’s intentions.
Boris swung his aura-infused sword, decapitating a charging monster.
In the underground sewers, not only were there monstrous creatures, but also experimental chimeras unleashed by the dark sorcerers of the abyss.
Serina and her team had scouted ahead and reported back, but the reality was beyond imagination.
Dmitri, who had followed Boris, swung his sword to fend off the attacking beasts.
“Captain Boris, I’ve been in a desk job for so long that this fieldwork is a bit much for me,” Dmitri remarked.
Boris gestured to the side. “Then perhaps I should send you over to the slaughterhouse team.”
Dmitri shook his head vigorously and, summoning his aura, continued to fight off the creatures with determination. He was well aware that if he went to the slaughterhouse, Shadia might pretend to make a mistake and slit his throat. He resolved to stick close to Boris.
Navigating the labyrinthine sewers, Dmitri led the way toward the path that connected to Jupiter Castle. The sewers, carrying the castle’s waste, were filled with foul odors and filth.
Fortunately, the espionage team was accustomed to such conditions, making infiltration possible. Regular soldiers or knights would never have considered entering through this route.
As Dmitri guided the team through the branching tunnels, he stopped at a point and turned to Boris. “From here, we need to go underwater.”
Despite the prospect of diving into the filthy water, the espionage team calmly retrieved their equipment. They took out the crystal spheres they had been issued, attached them to their chests, and activated them.
In an instant, their bodies were covered in diving suits, and magical devices that allowed them to breathe underwater were fitted to their faces.
Dmitri gaped in astonishment. “Hershion tech? No, it doesn’t seem like it. But to have dozens of these advanced devices…”
Boris handed Dmitri a set of equipment and explained how to use it. Once Dmitri was suited up, the team plunged into the murky water without hesitation.
The magical devices they wore ensured clear visibility even in the turbid water, allowing them to swim upstream with relative ease.
Dmitri occasionally checked above them, guiding Boris in the right direction.
Then, suddenly—
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
A massive crocodile-shaped beast began to charge toward the team.
Panicking, Dmitri vehemently insisted that he hadn’t set a trap.
Boris calmed Dmitri and signaled to Aaron, who was behind them. Aaron retrieved an underwater launcher from his back and aimed it at the approaching crocodile beasts.
Whoosh—
A harpoon shot out swiftly underwater, striking the beast with precision and triggering a powerful explosion.
Boom!
The beast’s body shattered, and the shockwave rippled up to the surface.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Boris signaled the team to move. As they advanced, Aaron planted a new type of mine at his position and quickly followed.
Other beasts rushed in to attack the moving team, but the mines Aaron had set clung to their bodies and exploded, tearing the creatures apart.