Episode 598
“Hmm.”
Zeke let out a short sigh as he looked at the bloated mass of flesh collapsed before him.
“Grrr…”
Souma’s body seemed unable to endure the pain Zeke had inflicted any longer.
Zeke had already extracted most of the information he could from Souma.
With a snap of his fingers, Zeke set the mass that was once Souma ablaze.
Fwoosh!
The flames consumed Souma’s form, leaving nothing but ashes, without even a scream escaping his lips.
Zeke scattered the power of purification over the ashes, ensuring that the external force could not regenerate.
Only after dealing with Souma completely did Zeke reflect on the information he had extracted.
“Arthur Draker’s true goal.”
This was the ultimate piece of information Zeke had sought from Souma.
During the interrogation, Zeke had also used the wisdom of the dragon to peer into Souma’s karma data.
Yet, like the other demons he had encountered, Souma’s karma data was blank, as if the power of the external force left no trace.
“Not erased on purpose, but never existed in the first place?”
The power of the external force was a mystery, and even Zeke had his limits in understanding it.
He sighed, muttering the purpose of Arthur Draker that he had uncovered.
“Complete control of the world.”
Arthur Draker’s aim was not to summon the Demon King to destroy the world.
Instead, he intended to use that overwhelming power to unify the physical realm.
Just as Terracan Draker had defeated the evil dragon Bahamut and unified the realm.
Arthur planned to summon the Demon King, partially destroy the realm, and then emerge as a savior when humanity united, writing a new legend akin to the dragon slayer myth, creating a world under his perfect control.
Though this conclusion was based on Souma’s information, Zeke knew it was plausible for someone like Arthur Draker.
“Arthur Draker is an extreme narcissist. He’d do something as insane as summoning the Demon King just to become the hero of a new dragon slayer legend.”
Zeke turned his gaze toward the stormy island.
If the Book of the Dead was sealed there, he had to prevent it from falling into Arthur Draker’s hands.
He spoke to Richmond and Vane.
“The remnants of the Black Stage might swarm here again. Stop them from reaching the island at all costs.”
Richmond and Vane bowed deeply, responding with loyalty.
“Understood, Master.”
“Leave it to us!”
Leaving the task to Richmond and Vane, Zeke summoned Bucephalus.
He mounted the creature and soared into the sky, heading toward the stormy island.
Vroooom!
As he approached, a translucent barrier blocked external threats from entering.
Zeke reached out toward the barrier.
Crackle!
The barrier resisted, pushing him back as it always did with outsiders.
But Zeke was undeterred, forcing his way through into the stormy island.
Crackle!
Amidst the crackling energy, Zeke’s eyes sharpened with determination.
“Arthur Draker, things won’t go your way.”
Soon, his figure vanished into the protective barrier.
“Damn it!”
Nabu shouted, opening a book toward the approaching beasts.
“Blow, winds! And let the spears of iron fly!”
As he chanted, dozens of spears materialized, carried by strong winds toward the beasts.
Thud, thud, thud!
The spears pierced the beasts’ bodies.
Seeing this, Nabu raised his voice again.
“The arrow you shot into my heart has become a thorn, bringing unspeakable pain and suffering!”
At his words, thorns sprouted from the spears embedded in the beasts’ chests.
Crunch!
The massive thorns tore through the beasts’ insides, ripping them apart.
Nigel, watching from the side, gave Nabu a curious look.
”…That’s not what that passage means.”
“Oh, who cares in a pinch! Ivan, curse them!”
At Nabu’s command, Ivan raised his crossbow, firing arrows at the ground where the beasts gathered.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
The arrows struck the ground, and soon a dark purple aura rose, seeping into the beasts.
Their movements slowed, and they began attacking each other, disoriented.
Nabu summoned more spears, launching them at the confused beasts.
As Nigel protected Nabu and Ivan, she turned to see Mana holding back the onslaught with a barrier.
She called out to Mana.
“Mana, step aside.”
Mana moved slightly, allowing Nigel to thrust her sword at the beasts caught in the barrier.
Boom!
With a surge of energy, Nigel’s sword obliterated the beasts in one strike.
Nabu, having coordinated with Ivan to deal with the beasts, wiped sweat from his brow and sighed.
“Ugh, there are so many of them.”
He clicked his tongue at the scattered beast corpses.
But then, some of the corpses began to twitch, as if regenerating.
Nabu quickly opened his book again.
“Let the holy light shine here, eradicating the unholy presence!”
Vroooom!
Light burst forth, bathing the corpses of the external beasts, turning them to black ash instantly.
Exhausted, Nabu collapsed to the ground.
“Damn, using holy light drains so much karma. How does Zeke use it so freely?”
After a brief rest, seeing the beasts somewhat under control, he spoke to Ivan.
“The leader insists on guarding the Book of the Dead alone. Is it really okay to leave it to him?”
Ivan, still calm, infused curses into his arrows as he replied.
“The Book of the Dead is hidden somewhere in this fortress. The leader likely decided it’s better if we don’t know its location.”
Nabu frowned at his words.
“Ugh, even in this situation, he won’t let us help!”
Nigel, watching Nabu’s frustration, spoke up.
“Stop complaining and get up. The storm fortress’s barrier is breached, and they’ll keep coming. If we leave them, they’ll keep multiplying.”
Groaning, Nabu got to his feet.
“Ugh, my luck. I should’ve just ascended and left this world behind. What riches am I chasing here…”
Just then, the entire high table flinched, turning to the end of the corridor.
Someone was approaching from the dark hallway.
Step, step.
A robed figure slowly emerged.
Sensing something ominous, the high table members tensed.
Nigel stepped forward, pointing her sword.
“Who are you?”
The robed figure removed his hood, revealing white hair, red eyes, and a youthful face.
He addressed the high table.
“My name is Harvey Draker. I was once the priest leading the Abyss.”
Nabu, hearing the name Harvey Draker, looked shocked.
“Wait, Harvey Draker? Wasn’t the priest of the Abyss originally Harvey West?”
Harvey Draker spoke slowly in response to Nabu’s question.
“The Abyss has fallen, and I have gained a new name and life. As a Draker, I have been reborn as the new humanity of the new world.”
Nigel furrowed her brow at his words.
“You sure have a roundabout way of saying you’re Arthur Draker’s lackey.”
Harvey Draker paused, then glared at the high table.
“I won’t waste words. Tell me where the Book of the Dead is, and I’ll grant you a painless death.”
Nigel, gathering energy into her sword, responded.
Rumble!
The power of her soul surged into her blade, distorting the air around her.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll make sure to kill you quickly.”
Whoosh—
Nigel shot forward like an arrow.
Her sword sliced through Harvey Draker’s body.
Sss—
His form dispersed like mist, only to reform behind her.
He looked at Nigel and spoke.
“High table… transcenders with limited power. You can’t handle my strength.”
Annoyed by his words, Nigel swung her sword with irritation.
“Talkative types are never worth much. Shut up and come at me.”
As soon as she stomped her foot, she shot forward again.
Her sword slashed through Harvey Draker’s neck.
But once again, it was the same.
Sssss—
The misty form of Harvey Draker emerged from behind.
He addressed Nigel with a sneer.
“Foolish beings. Feel the chasm of power between us.”
In an instant, Harvey Draker’s eyes transformed into those of a dragon.
Rumble!
A massive aura of intimidation radiated from his body.
Yet Nigel, undeterred, gripped her sword and charged at him once more.
Vwoooom!
With all her might, she swung her sword, aiming to cleave Harvey Draker in two.
Harvey Draker extended a hand toward Nigel and murmured a single word.
“Fall.”
In that moment, Nigel, who had been airborne, plummeted to the ground.
Crash!
With a tremendous noise, the spot where she landed was deeply cratered.
“Ugh!”
Nigel struggled to her feet, resisting the immense force pressing down on her.
Witnessing this, Nabu’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Is that… dragon speech?”
Dragon speech was a power that dragons could acquire after a thousand years, once they became elder dragons. There were tales of humans who, having formed pacts with dragons, could wield this power, but in an age where dragons had nearly vanished, it seemed impossible for any human to possess it.
Of course, Harvey Draker was not easily classified as a mere person of this era, but it was still astonishing.
Moreover, while Nabu’s incantation magic appeared similar to dragon speech, its method and structure were entirely different.
The most terrifying aspect of dragon speech was its speed. The ability to enact physical changes with just a few words was an incredible power.
Harvey Draker, his dragon eyes gleaming, addressed Nigel and the others at the high table.
“Do you feel the power gap now? Stop this futile resistance and tell me where the Book of the Lion is.”
Nigel rose to her feet, a mocking smile on her lips.
“Resorting to cheap tricks, are we?”
She steadied her breath and raised her sword.
Then she spoke to Harvey Draker.
“Kid, how many dragons do you think I’ve slain, those whose bodies were stolen by demons a thousand years ago? Flaunting a single dragon speech is laughable.”
She was the guardian of the Forest of the Forgotten.
During the Liberation War, the Demon King’s army surely targeted that forbidden place.
Dragons, whose bodies had been taken by demons, swarmed the Forest of the Forgotten, but they never achieved their goal.
There was one reason for this.
Because Nigel, the Hermit of the Forest, was there.
Sssss—
The energy of her soul surged through her sword, and the power of her spirit body enveloped her.
Vwoooom!
Nigel took a step forward, her gaze fixed on Harvey Draker.
“Dragon or not… I’ll cut them all down.”