Episode 700
What lay hidden behind the veil was none other than the face of Arthur Draker.
The King in Yellow, prophesied to rise with the coming of destruction.
Arthur Draker, clad in yellow robes and wielding the divine sword imbued with Apollyon’s power, gazed at Zeke with a confident smile.
“Impressive, Zeke.”
Zeke’s eyes were drawn to the divine sword in Arthur Draker’s hand.
“I wondered what it meant for the sword to be Apollyon itself… I never imagined Apollyon would escape the celestial realm by embedding his soul into a sword.”
In today’s world, where knights and mages held the balance of power, the role of priests had become akin to healers.
The only place where they still wielded power was the Solar Order, and even there, they practiced a different system of flame magic rather than divine power.
Zeke realized why the priests of the Solar Order never received the Sun God’s power directly, unlike the demons who bestowed their powers upon their followers.
As Zeke pieced together the mysteries of the past, Arthur Draker raised the divine sword and spoke.
“Yes, Apollyon sought to rule the material world through his avatar, Adam. To escape the constraints of karma, he sent his soul-imbued sword to the earth. But he underestimated the limitations set by the primordial light.”
A powerful hum resonated from the divine sword in Arthur Draker’s grasp.
“The constraints of karma split the divine sword into multiple shadow swords using the power of the God of Chaos. As a result, Apollyon’s soul, contained within the sword, was unintentionally sealed. He could only intervene in the material world indirectly through Adam’s descendants.”
Zeke understood the true nature of the Draker lineage, known as the Absolute Sword Family.
“So that’s why the descendants of Adam, the Drakers, were blessed with aura—to carry out Apollyon’s will and intervene in the material world?”
Arthur Draker chuckled at Zeke’s words.
“That’s one way to see it. But over time, Adam’s bloodline thinned, and the name ‘Absolute Sword Family’ remained, while the purpose of wielding the sword was forgotten.”
Zeke frowned slightly as he looked at Arthur Draker.
“So that’s why you sought to discover pure-blooded awakeners and maintain the bloodline. The stronger Adam’s blood, the easier it would be for Apollyon’s voice to reach.”
Arthur Draker laughed heartily at Zeke’s insight.
“Ha ha ha! Exactly, and among the many Drakers, Apollyon chose me, and I answered his call. My father never acknowledged me, but in the end, I was the one who carried the purest bloodline.”
Arthur Draker had died and been resurrected in an ancient temple, gaining the Solar Body and displaying unparalleled talent.
Only then did Zeke understand why Arthur Draker had been obsessed with the sword from a young age and why he had ventured into the dangerous ancient temple that no one else dared to enter.
Arthur Draker looked at Zeke and spoke.
“And in the process of completing the divine sword, I realized one thing.”
A glint of madness appeared in Arthur Draker’s eyes.
“If the divine sword is the Sun God itself… then through that sword, I can become a god.”
A surge of divine power emanated from Arthur Draker, and the power of the Sun God Apollyon erupted.
A halo in the shape of the sun shone brightly as Arthur Draker’s voice transformed into a divine language of a different caliber.
“I am Arthur Draker, and I am also Apollyon. I will destroy the old world and create a new one, becoming the god of the new world.”
As he unleashed his powerful divine presence as the King in Yellow, the sun-like halo behind him burned even brighter.
“Zeke, I offer you a chance.”
He fixed his gaze on Zeke, his eyes gleaming.
“Become my avatar. Then you can be the sole god of the new world alongside me.”
Zeke scoffed at his words.
“Becoming the sole god of a new world? Sounds to me like you just want to take over my body since yours is falling apart.”
“That’s not it. It’s an opportunity to become one with me and be the sole god of a great new world.”
Zeke looked at the King in Yellow with a mocking smile.
“Not interested. I prefer the world as it is now over the one you’re trying to create.”
The King in Yellow slowly raised the divine sword in response to Zeke’s answer.
“Think carefully, Zeke. There’s nothing more foolish than rejecting a glorious position.”
A massive pressure emanated from the King in Yellow as he wielded the sword.
Yet, despite the overwhelming power, Zeke stood firm, meeting his gaze.
“I’m not interested in positions handed out for free. Besides…”
Zeke’s eyes flashed with determination.
“I’m not looking to rule the material world.”
With those words, Zeke lifted his foot and stomped it down hard.
A powerful wave rippled out from where he struck, causing the space filled with demonic energy to tremble.
The sudden wave forced the King in Yellow, enveloped in the sun’s halo, to step back.
“What are you doing?”
Zeke looked at the King in Yellow and spoke.
“There’s another choice besides the one you forced upon me.”
Something began to rise from the wave Zeke had created.
The concentrated demonic energy surged up, forming a massive pillar between Zeke and the King in Yellow.
“This is…!”
The soul of the Demon King, sealed within the body of a mutated angel, was released, revealing its true power.
The King in Yellow, surrounded by the sun’s halo, retreated as the massive pillar of demonic energy rose from the void.
The demonic energy, transformed into tentacles, attempted to ensnare him.
But the light from the King in Yellow’s sword turned the demonic energy to ash in an instant.
The demonic energy rising from the void formed a massive tree-like structure between Zeke and the King in Yellow.
The King in Yellow looked at Zeke, who had summoned the Demon King’s power, and spoke.
“Your struggle is meaningless. Stop resisting and become my avatar. Then you will share in eternal glory with me.”
“I’ve told you before, I have no need for such glory.”
Zeke replied with a mocking smile, reaching out toward the tree of demonic energy.
He looked at Apollyon and spoke.
“I’ve always wondered what the Demon King truly was.”
Apollyon’s eyes gleamed at Zeke’s words.
“Why would the Sun God Apollyon, who supposedly possessed absolute power, go to the trouble of using the Demon King’s soul to bring about the end?”
Zeke continued to glare at Apollyon, reaching out toward the black tree of demonic energy, his divine power rising.
The black tree resonated with Zeke’s energy, beginning to tremble.
“There’s only one thing Apollyon can’t touch.”
The black tree resonated with Zeke, then began to split open.
Inside, a radiant black light shimmered with an ethereal glow.
Zeke recognized the sacred and noble light.
It was the same energy as the fragment of the primordial light he had received from the twisted constellation.
The difference was that the fragment within the black tree was far larger than the shattered remnants and emitted a black light instead of a brilliant one.
Zeke murmured the true nature of the Demon King’s origin, the noble black light.
“The Fallen Primordial Light. So this was the true identity of the Demon King.”
The Sun God Apollyon and the thirteen zodiac constellations were said to have completely annihilated the Creator, the Primordial Light.
But the hidden truth was different from what was known.
Zeke looked at the fallen primordial light, the source of demonic energy, and spoke to the King in Yellow.
“This is why the Sun God Apollyon kept trying to destroy the material world using the Demon King’s soul. You wanted to fully corrupt the remaining fragments of the primordial light through the apocalypse and absorb them.”
By borrowing the power of the God of Chaos, Apollyon had gained the ability to manipulate twisted causality, using that power to corrupt the remaining fragments of the primordial light.
He sought to swallow the fallen primordial light and create a world of his own, becoming the true Creator.
For that ambition, he had brought about countless apocalypses and sacrificed numerous civilizations.
Even as Zeke seethed with anger at Apollyon’s scheme, the fallen primordial light within the black tree continued to emit a constant stream of dark energy.
The dark energy created by the fallen primordial light was the very source of the demonic energy that brought calamity to the material world.
The King in Yellow looked at Zeke and spoke.
“Knowing the truth changes nothing.”
Zeke shook his head at those words.
“Are you sure about that?”
Zeke addressed the black tree.
“Demon King. No, fallen primordial light, you said you waited for me for ages and that only I could save you.”
Zeke shouted at the black tree.
“I accept your will. Demon King, come to me. I will accept you!”
Astonishingly, Zeke offered his body to the Demon King.
In an unexpected turn of events, the King in Yellow erupted with the power of the sun, his voice booming across the void.
“Zeke Draker! What do you think you’re doing? Your body belongs to me, the god of this new world!”
Zeke scoffed at the furious King in Yellow, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Anyone would think you had some claim over me, Arthur Draker. I have no intention of becoming one with the likes of you.”
The King in Yellow seethed with rage, his power surging.
Vroooom!
The divine sword blazed with the solar might of Apollyon, its light and heat radiating fiercely as the King swung it toward Zeke, who was embracing the power of the demon king.
Boom!
The solar energy hurtled toward the black tree.
Fwoooosh!
The intense flames of the sun engulfed the black tree, and the King in Yellow shouted at the rising dark energy.
“Remnant of the fallen creator! Abandon your greed and step back! This is not yours to claim!”
In response, the corrupted primordial light embedded in the black tree flared with a noble glow, sending out a wave of energy.
With that wave, a powerful resonance emanated from the black tree, wrapped in solar flames.
Vroooom!
The massive resonance extinguished the sun’s fire in an instant.
Simultaneously, the demon king’s voice, which had been whispering to Zeke, echoed throughout the void.
“One who has crossed the barrier, accept me. Through this, I shall find redemption once more.”
Hearing the voice, Zeke spread his arms toward the black tree.
“I have no intention of saving you. I only desire your power.”
The demon king’s whisper responded to Zeke’s words.
“All shall be consumed. Thus, imperfection shall return to nothingness.”
With those words, dark energy surged from the black tree.
Boom!
A darkness so deep it overshadowed the sun’s light flowed from the black tree, enveloping Zeke.
The corrupted primordial light embedded in the black tree was drawn into Zeke’s outstretched arms.
The dark energy that formed the void world poured into Zeke’s body.
Boom!
Moments later, the void world trembled and vanished.
The complete darkness dissipated, revealing the shattered cityscape of Eden.
As they emerged from the void, the King in Yellow reverted to the form of Arthur Draker, wielding the divine sword.
Before Arthur Draker’s eyes, a vortex of emptiness formed, threatening to consume everything.
Vroooom!
Gripping the divine sword, Arthur Draker glared at Zeke, who was absorbing the demon king’s soul, clenching his teeth in frustration.
As he took a step toward Zeke, Arthur Draker coughed up blood.
His unstable body couldn’t fully harness the power of Apollyon.
Gritting his teeth, he looked at the massive void storm, then snapped his fingers.
A colossal mouth appeared as the air split open.
Arthur Draker stepped into the mouth, muttering to himself.
“Zeke, it’s pointless. You are destined to become one with me, no matter what.”
With those words, Arthur Draker struggled to move his body and disappeared into the mouth.
Rumble—
The abandoned city of Eden, now just a remnant of the past, was slowly consumed by the vortex of emptiness, fading into oblivion.