Episode 91
“Over there! Block them!”
The Red Lion Knights, loyal to Abel, drew their swords and formed a barrier across the path.
If they were delayed here, the special forces and Abel himself would soon catch up.
Zeke shouted to Boris, “I’ll clear the way. Get the prince out of here!”
Zeke hoisted the prince onto Boris’s horse. As Boris galloped away from the hotel, Zeke unsheathed his sword.
Whoooosh!
Elemental energy surged into Zeke’s blade as he focused the power of the wind.
Whoooosh!
A massive storm erupted around Zeke, and he swung his storm-infused sword at the Red Lion Knights.
Crash!
The fierce gusts blinded the knights, leaving them disoriented.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Boris, with Karus in tow, charged through the path Zeke had carved.
Zeke followed, slashing at the confused knights.
Bang!
The knights collided with Zeke’s sword, imbued with his formidable strength, and were sent flying.
“Aaaargh!”
Zeke retrieved a potion from his inventory labeled “Deep Breath of the Flame Giant.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he tossed it, a wall of white flames erupted in front of the hotel.
The knights, unable to breach the fiery barrier, stumbled back in confusion.
“Damn it! Unleash the Aura Blades!”
The Blue Knights gathered, attempting to quell the flames with their Aura Blades.
But the ancient potion’s flames were not so easily extinguished. The knights hesitated, fearing the intense heat that threatened to turn them to ash.
Then, suddenly—
Whoooosh!
Abel leaped through the air, diving toward the flames. With a swift strike of his sword, he parted the fiery wall as if it were a waterfall.
Standing before the divided flames, Abel commanded the knights, “Split the Red Lion Knights! One group with me to the terminal and harbor! The other, pursue the intruders with the special forces!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Zeke and Boris raced through the forest, evading their pursuers.
Once the cityscape faded from view, Zeke asked Boris, “Is there a direct route to the central continent from here?”
Boris shook his head. “Avoiding Abel Draker and the imperial special forces makes a direct route difficult.”
“Are there other options?”
Boris hesitated before speaking. “Two options. First, head north, cross the central sea, and detour to the northern continent. But this route risks detection along the coast.”
“And the other?”
“Pass through the Beast Forest, head south, and cross the Sea of Death to the southern continent. From there, we can use a portal to reach the central continent. However, the forest is fraught with dangers.”
“We’ll go south.”
Zeke chose the Beast Forest without hesitation, preferring to face beasts over knights.
Boris sighed but nodded. “Understood.”
He turned his horse toward the forest, leading Zeke.
Karus, seated behind Boris, was pale and silent.
Zeke approached Karus, offering him a potion. “Drink this. It’ll warm you up.”
Karus accepted the potion with trembling hands and drank it down. Color returned to his cheeks.
“Much better than before. Thank you, Sir Zeke.”
Zeke was taken aback. “How did you know I was Zeke Draker?”
Karus steadied his breath. “I never forget a face. Your voice and accent are unmistakable.”
‘So he followed willingly because he knew who I was.’
Zeke had underestimated him, thinking him just a reckless prince.
Zeke addressed Karus, “Your Highness, you’re in grave danger.”
Karus nodded. “Yes, if both Julius and Abel are after me, the entire central continent is my enemy.”
Zeke shook his head. “Not necessarily. If we reach Midland and enter Kali Draker’s domain, you’ll be safe.”
“Kali Draker, the Silver Knight. She’s helping me?”
“She sent me here.”
“I trust the Silver Knight. Sir Zeke, can you get me there safely?”
Zeke nodded. “I’ll do my best. But you’ll need to follow my instructions closely.”
Just then, Zeke sensed something.
“Stay back with His Highness. I’ll handle the front.”
Zeke gripped his sword and moved forward.
Suddenly, something dropped from the trees.
“Screeeech!”
A massive beast, resembling a giant flying squirrel, lunged at Zeke.
He swung his sword, slicing the creature in two.
[You have defeated a creature corrupted by dark energy.]
[You gain 10 Karma Points.]
As expected, defeating the beast earned Zeke Karma Points.
‘Good. I can gather points here.’
Boris spoke to Zeke. “Boss, we can’t ride further in.”
Zeke dismounted, agreeing to proceed on foot.
Screeeech!
The deeper they ventured, the more beasts attacked.
Zeke cut down every beast that lunged from the trees, pressing onward through the forest.
With at least two days’ journey ahead, conserving energy was crucial.
Zeke distributed food and water from his inventory to Boris and Karus, sustaining himself by absorbing the energy of fallen beasts.
Then, an ominous sound echoed through the forest.
Screeeech!
A flock of sinister birds circled above, their cries piercing the air.
“The forest feels different,” Zeke noted.
Boris replied, “It seems the pursuers have entered the forest.”
The knights were likely scouring the forest noisily in search of Karus.
Boris’s expression grew more troubled. “Boss, we should hurry. If the swamp’s master appears, we’re in trouble.”
“The swamp’s master?”
A deep roar resonated from the forest’s depths.
Roooooar!
The entire forest seemed to tremble with the sound.
Boris turned pale. “It’s the swamp’s master. The Dortains never venture deep into the Beast Forest for fear of its wrath.”
Judging by Boris’s reaction, this was no ordinary beast.
Zeke nodded. “Boris, take His Highness and go ahead. I’ll distract the pursuers.”
“Understood.”
“What are you doing?”
Ro Siemens, one of the Red Lion Knights’ captains, snapped at a special forces member.
The member replied, “It’s too dangerous to cut through the forest. We should go around.”
Ro retorted, “And if they reach the smuggling ship first, will the special forces take responsibility?”
The member had no answer.
“If you don’t want to report to the governor that we lost Karus, you’d better pursue them quickly.”
The special forces, gritting their teeth, searched for a path into the Beast Forest.
The responsibility for Karus’s capture still lay with the empire, so they had no choice but to follow the Red Lion Knights’ lead.
‘Damn it. Of all places, the Beast Forest.’
Though not as infamous as the “Forest of the Forgotten” on the central continent, the Beast Forest was equally perilous.
As an intelligence agency, the special forces knew well the dangers of the Beast Forest.
While they moved cautiously, the Red Lion Knights, led by Ro, charged boldly through the forest.
The special forces worried about awakening the swamp’s master but couldn’t stop the knights.
Then, beasts appeared before the pursuit team.
Rooooar!
A massive beast, resembling a bear but far more fearsome, emerged.
“It’s a Devil Bear! Spread out and engage!”
The special forces tried to keep their distance, but the Red Lion Knights charged in, driving their swords into the Devil Bear.
The beast fell swiftly.
The special forces captain broke into a cold sweat.
‘They took down a Devil Bear so easily. The Draker knights are truly formidable.’
The knights continued to cut down beasts as they advanced deeper into the forest.
Then, suddenly—
Roooooar!
A distant roar echoed. The special forces captain turned pale.
“Damn it. The swamp’s master has awakened.”
Ro asked the captain, “Afraid of a mere beast? The special forces’ reputation is wasted on you.”
Ignoring the captain’s warning, Ro led his knights deeper into the forest.
Strangely, the deeper they ventured into the forest, the fewer the monstrous beasts seemed to attack.
The captain of the special unit sensed something was off.
“This forest shouldn’t be this quiet.”
Just then, one of the knights accidentally triggered a scroll.
Boom!
The explosion reverberated through the entire forest.
Startled, Row shouted to the knights, “Prepare for an attack!”
Amidst the smoke, Zeke, hidden from view, slashed at the knights’ ankles with his dagger.
“Aaargh!”
Caught off guard, the knights were helpless against Zeke’s assault.
Row yelled, “Fall back and secure your line of sight!”
But it was already too late.
Zeke’s blade moved faster.
Swish!
His sword sliced through the knights’ necks with deadly precision.
Grinding his teeth, Row summoned his aura blade. “Hyaaaah!”
Zeke hurled a dagger charged with energy at Row.
Clang!
Row deflected the heavy dagger and charged at Zeke without hesitation.
Zeke unleashed a field of water energy towards Row.
Elemental Sword
Water Field
Wave Blade
Zeke’s sword strikes surged like a tidal wave, deflecting Row’s blade and sending him flying back with a massive shockwave.
Boom!
Row crashed into a tree, the force of the wave sweeping through the forest.
“Gah!”
Coughing up blood from the impact, Row struggled to regain his footing.
From a distance, the special unit members threw chains at Zeke.
Clink!
They managed to ensnare his limbs, attempting to immobilize him by pulling from all sides.
But as Zeke enveloped himself in energy, the chains could no longer hold him.
Instead, Zeke yanked the chains, nearly dragging the special unit members towards him.
“What strength is this?!”
Just as Zeke swiftly subdued the knights and special unit members, the ground beneath them began to change.
Sssss!
The solid ground transformed into a swamp.
The special unit captain shouted in alarm, “Get up into the trees, now!”
Realizing the situation, the special unit members quickly climbed to safety, but the knights were not so fortunate.
“Aaah!”
Most floundered and sank into the swamp.
“Help us!”
The knights trapped in the mire tried to use their aura to escape, but it was futile.
The more they struggled, the stronger the swamp’s pull became.
“Aaah!”
In the end, those who couldn’t reach the trees disappeared beneath the swamp.
Leaning against a tree, Row regained his senses and managed to climb onto a nearby branch, breaking into a cold sweat as he watched his subordinates vanish.
“What… what is this?”
The special unit captain gritted his teeth and shouted, “Damn it, the master of the swamp has appeared! We need to get out of here, fast!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From the depths of the forest, the sound of something massive approaching echoed ominously.