Episode 685
“Never thought I’d find myself back here.”
Duke muttered to himself, his voice tinged with irony, as he surveyed the desolate landscape of the abandoned continent, drenched in a relentless black rain.
Returning to this place, which had left him with indelible mental scars, after so many years stirred a complex mix of emotions within him.
Duke, along with the Black Sword Knights clad in their Hershion armor, moved cautiously through the starkly different environment of the abandoned continent, their expressions tense.
They had been waiting in Mycenae, and as soon as the invasion fortress gate, set up by the demon princesses, opened, they crossed over to this forsaken land.
Airships and warships hovered around the fortress, and the Black Sword Knights, along with vampire units, beast tribes, the Joins, barbarians, and the Three-Eyed troops—all forces loyal to Zeke—had gathered here.
Remarkably, even the three transcendent families, Nirvana and Ishtar, had joined this expedition.
Yellin led the Ishtar Raven Squad, and Zeros commanded the Nirvana Mage Unit, both crossing the gate to the abandoned continent.
Draker, Ishtar, Nirvana—the three great transcendent families of the continent had united their strength.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Behind the advancing Black Sword Knights, automatic recovery golems created by the head of the Nirvana family followed.
Himmel, the captain of the Raven Squad, also kept a vigilant eye on the forest from behind.
This was the vanguard, tasked with finding the path to the final tower where the Demon King’s soul was sealed. Duke, having previous experience on this continent, volunteered to lead them.
With Zeke’s help, Duke had overcome his past trauma and wanted to prove to himself that he was fully recovered, which is why he volunteered for the vanguard.
Vroooom!
Duke scanned the forest and then looked at the Black Sword Knights.
The translucent barrier from their Hershion armor shielded them from the dense, malevolent rain.
Duke felt a sense of satisfaction at how well-prepared they were this time, compared to his previous visit when they had no information.
“Back then, we were drenched in this rain and couldn’t fight properly.”
The rain, saturated with dark energy, sapped the aura of knights and nullified the magic of wizards.
In the past, Duke and the Draker knights couldn’t fully utilize their skills here.
But this time, things were different.
With proper supplies and even a fortress established, they were in a much more advantageous position.
As Duke steeled himself once more, Himmel twitched his ears and pointed in a direction.
“Something’s coming.”
At his words, Duke signaled to the Black Sword Knights.
Owl, Andrei, and the other knights behind Duke drew their swords, readying themselves.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
A massive creature emerged from between the towering trees.
Grrrrr—
It was a beast of a different caliber than the monsters or beasts seen on the central continent.
A giant lizard, dragon-like in appearance, walked on two legs, glaring at them with a chilling gaze.
Its body was covered in sharp horns, and its thick tail exuded a heavy sense of menace.
Duke, upon seeing the creature, surprisingly broke into a smile.
“Well, well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it, you beast?”
He murmured softly, signaling the Nirvana mages to send in the golems.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Golems over four meters tall advanced toward the massive reptilian beast.
Grrrr!
The beast, seeing the golems approach, suddenly charged, colliding with them with its body.
Boom!
The powerful impact sent a golem flying through the air.
Crash!
The heavy golem crashed to the ground at a distance, while the other golems clung to the beast’s tail and legs.
Rumble!
The mages controlling the golems had to concentrate intensely, channeling their magic to counter the beast’s immense strength.
Roar!
The beast opened its massive jaws, letting out a deafening roar.
Realizing that the golems alone wouldn’t suffice, Duke gestured. His Black Sword Knights and Himmel’s Raven Squad charged at the beast, which the golems were holding down.
Whoosh!
The Raven Squad leaped into the air, using their aerial techniques to distract the beast with thrown daggers.
The beast extended its neck, attempting to swallow the Ishtar warriors whole.
At that moment, Owl and Andrei swooped down from above, swords drawn.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Their aura-infused blades pierced deep into the beast’s neck.
The beast howled in agony, its head thrown back.
Undeterred, Owl and Andrei drove their swords deeper.
Then, Duke unleashed a whirlwind attack directly at the beast.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The powerful gusts from Duke’s sword cleaved the beast’s neck in an instant.
Thud!
The massive beast’s head hit the ground.
Its enormous body lost balance and toppled over.
“Phew.”
Duke exhaled a shallow breath, looking down at the fallen creature.
In the past, half of the knights who had accompanied him were wiped out by such beasts.
Seeing it dealt with without any significant losses this time brought a sense of closure.
The golem that had been knocked away also restored itself, thanks to its self-repair function.
Andrei approached Duke and spoke.
“Commander, seeing such a beast suggests we’re close to the final tower.”
Duke nodded at Andrei’s words.
“Yes, let’s wrap up today’s exploration and head back to the fortress to report.”
At his command, a mage pulled out a coordinate marker from their backpack and planted it in the ground.
This marker allowed them to pinpoint their location without being affected by the dark energy.
Once the marker was securely placed, Duke prepared to lead the vanguard back to the fortress.
But then, he sensed something amiss.
“What is this…?”
Duke’s expression hardened as he shouted to his team.
“Everyone, stay alert!”
At his command, the vanguard drew their weapons, scanning their surroundings.
Rumble!
Soon, an overwhelming pressure emanated from deeper within the forest.
It was a force far stronger than the beast they had just slain.
Duke, Andrei, and Owl, standing at the forefront, felt a cold sweat trickle down their backs.
Duke steadied his trembling hand, calming his breath.
“It’s coming.”
From between the trees, something emerged.
A figure wrapped in bandages, wearing a tattered coat, stepped into view.
Duke’s eyes widened at the sight.
“That… thing…”
The mysterious entity that had inflicted an unforgettable mental shock on Duke.
Just facing it made his mind reel and his legs feel weak.
But Duke fought through it, raising his sword.
“Sentinel, we meet again.”
In response to Duke’s words, a low voice resonated from the bandaged figure.
“Leave. All that awaits those who enter this island is a dreadful curse and death.”
Duke chuckled bitterly at the warning.
“No one knows that better than I do. Damn curse.”
Gripping his sword, Duke summoned his whirlwind energy.
Whoosh!
A fierce storm swirled around him.
“I’ll uncover your true identity myself!”
Propelled by the whirlwind, Duke charged at the Sentinel.
Whoosh!
His storm-imbued sword descended from above, aiming to cleave the Sentinel in two.
At that moment, the Sentinel extended a hand, forming a sword from the bandages.
Whoosh!
Simultaneously, the Sentinel swung its sword at Duke’s whirlwind attack.
Boom!
Though it was a simple swing, it neutralized Duke’s whirlwind in an instant.
The recoil sent Duke flying backward.
“Ugh.”
The Sentinel was as formidable as when they had last met.
But this time, Duke didn’t feel the same sense of despair.
As Duke regained his stance, Andrei and Owl charged from the sides, swords raised, targeting the Sentinel’s head and legs.
Whoosh!
Owl’s scimitar and Andrei’s sword aimed for the Sentinel’s vital points.
In response, the Sentinel formed another bandage sword with its other hand, effortlessly parrying both attacks.
Clang!
The clash of swords echoed loudly.
Despite facing both Owl and Andrei simultaneously, the Sentinel’s movements were fluid and untroubled.
Watching the Sentinel wield dual swords with such ease, Duke gritted his teeth.
“To think we’d encounter the Sentinel here.”
It seemed likely that this entity was the guardian of the final tower.
Duke resolved to capture it and uncover the tower’s location, no matter what.
He signaled to the ravens and the wizards, and they quickly moved to form a barrier around the sentry, cutting off any escape routes.
Once he confirmed their positions, he raised his sword high once more.
Whoooosh!
A fierce wind surged around Duke’s blade.
With a swift leap, Duke glided through the air, flying low and fast, straight towards the sentry.
“Haaah!”
The power of the wind propelled him forward, his sword accelerating to supersonic speed as it hurtled towards the sentry.
Seeing this, Andrei and Owl quickly retreated.
Boom!
The sonic boom from Duke’s sword seemed to tear the very air apart as it engulfed the sentry.
Crash!
The sentry tried to block with crossed swords, but the force was too much, sending him flying backward.
Boom!
The sentry crashed into dozens of trees, which shattered into splinters, leaving nothing behind.
The ground was torn apart, leaving a deep crater at the end of the devastation.
Rumble!
Duke, having landed a decisive blow, slowly walked towards the crater where the sentry lay buried.
The rain continued to fall, soaking the earth.
Andrei and Owl cautiously followed Duke.
There was no movement from the crater.
But Duke knew the sentry wouldn’t be defeated so easily.
Just as he was about to peer inside, a bandaged hand shot out from the ground.
Snap!
The hand grabbed Duke’s ankle.
Caught off guard, Duke thrust his sword into the ground.
Boom!
The aura blade pierced deep into the earth.
Yet the grip on his ankle remained unyielding.
“Damn it!”
Hershion braced against the sentry’s grip, but the pressure was intensifying.
As the grip tightened, Duke tried to pull free, and Owl, standing nearby, swung his sword down on the sentry’s wrist.
Thwack!
With a loud crack, the sentry’s wrist was severed.
Finally, Duke was free from the sentry’s grasp.
“Ugh.”
But the pain that had traveled up his leg lingered.
Then, something astonishing happened. The severed arm of the sentry crawled back into the crater on its own.
Duke, about to inspect the crater, felt a faint tremor beneath the ground. He immediately shouted to his team.
“He’s underground! Stay alert!”
No sooner had he spoken than the sentry burst forth from beneath a golem.
Crash!
In an instant, the sentry’s sword cleaved the golem in half.
The bisected golem fell to the ground with a thud.
Ishtar’s ravens charged at the sentry.
Swish!
The sentry swung his sword at the approaching ravens, sending them flying without even making contact.
“Gah!”
Himmel, the leader of the raven squad, coughed up blood and collapsed from the shockwave.
Other golems rushed at the sentry, but it was futile.
Each swing of the sentry’s sword shattered the golems, their fragments scattering across the ground.
Watching this, Duke was reminded of the past.
The memory of his fallen comrades overlapped with the current scene.
‘Is it happening again… everyone dying…?’
His hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
The scars he thought had healed threatened to reopen.
But then, a warm energy enveloped Duke.
Whoooosh—
A golden aura spread over Duke and all the wounded.
A knight of salvation appeared, bathed in radiant light.
Zeke, wielding Levatein, stood before the sentry.
“Guardian of the Tower. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Whoooosh!
A brilliant light erupted from his sword.
Zeke pointed his blade at the sentry and continued.
“Lead me to the final tower. Now.”