《A Dragonslayer's Peerless Regression》 Chapter 1 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 1 My name is Zeke Draker. I am a direct descendant of the Draker n. This renowned Dragon yer family is the most prestigious knightly family on the continent, a family that even the Emperor couldn''t touch. In other words, anyone who can''t be a knight in this family is treated like trash. That was me. The first failure to awaken in the Draker n''s direct bloodline. I was the only one who failed to awaken my aura, a rite of passage for the Draker bloodline. And I was a healer ss, somethingpletely unrted to dragon yers. A healer ss in a dragon yer family''s direct bloodline. It sounds like a bad joke, but it''s an undeniable fact. Despite being a direct descendant, I was treated like trash in the family for failing to awaken my aura. As a result, I was expelled from the ns academy, which all Draker descendants had to graduate from, at the age of fifteen. To survive and be stronger, I wandered the continent and did everything I could. A certain sage once said: If you only pursue strength, you will have nothing left in the end. That''s a load of bullshit. It''s a million times better to have strength than not. It''s the truth of the world that those without strength are eventually trampled on and have their precious things taken away by those with strength. That''s why I struggled to ovee my limits and be stronger. If it weren''t for those damn Imperial hounds, I could have be the strongest on the continent. Because I was the first to obtain the ancient artifact that the Emperor was desperately searching for. I didn''t know exactly what it was, but it must have been something extraordinary since that Emperor, obsessed with conquering the continent, was looking for it. I went through hell in the Ice Mountains, which were so cold they could freeze you to the bone, to find the artifact. But as soon as I came out of the dungeon, those Imperial hounds spread a dra and chased after me. After running for over a week, I was finally caught right in front of the Ice Wall. They cut off both my arms and snickered as they watched me writhing. Then they took out a coin to decide who would kill me. I gritted my teeth, crawled on the ground, grabbed my severed right arm, and used Healing. While the knight who cut off my arm was distracted by the coin tossed in the air, I snuck up behind him and cut his throat. He must have never expected me to reattach my severed arm and get up in that situation. I defeated all the hounds, but I wasn''t unscathed either. My stomach and back were riddled with swords. This wasn''t something even the master of Healing could heal. I picked up the dark dragon statue that had fallen in the snow with difficulty. Unable to even unravel the secrets hidden within the ancient artifact, I leaned against the cold Ice Wall and waited for my painful death. Despite pursuing strength all my life, I couldn''t obtain the power I truly desired. ''Damn it...'' Just as I was about to breathe myst, strange letters appeared before my eyes. [A strong will awakens the ancient power.] [The soul of the Elder Dragon is imprinted on the soul of the one with the will.] At first, I thought it was a load of nonsense. [The system detects danger to the Awakened.] [Emergency measures are activated.] [Do you agree?] I''m dying here, who cares about emergency measures. [Do you agree?] Yes, damn it! I agree.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Woooong! [Awakened agreement confirmed.] [The irreversible promised power is activated.] [Countdown initiated.] [5, 4, 3, 2, 1] * * * "And when I opened my eyes, I was like this." Zeke looked at his reflection in the mirror. The face covered in scars and burns was gone, reced by a handsome young man with ck hair, ck eyes, pale skin, and delicate features. Zeke, who had been in his thirties, had returned to the age of ten, at most. He looked around. ''I thought it looked familiar...'' It was the room he used as a ''cradle'' when he was young. "Did I really go back in time?" Zeke looked down at his body. He still couldn''t forget the feeling of the swords deeply embedded in his stomach. He looked at his hands and feet. ''Were my hands always this small?'' Above all, there were almost no wounds on his hands. He had been wandering all over the continent, and there wasn''t a single part of his body without scars. Zeke racked his brains. "What in the world happened?" Suddenly, Zeke remembered the voice he heard in his fading consciousness just before he died. ''What did it say... emergency measure? Promised power?'' It was difficult to grasp its meaning. "And to think I''m back in this crazy family..." Zeke had run away from the Draker n after being expelled from the academy when he turned fifteen. The dragon yer family was founded by the descendants of Terakan Draker, who saved the continent by beheading the evil dragon Bahamut a thousand years ago. It was one of the three transcendent ns on the continent, where all members were blessed with aura and became aura users. Zeke was born as a direct descendant of that Draker n. ''They call it a Dragon yer family, but this is just a crazy ce.'' Zeke shuddered, remembering what he had experienced here in the past. He couldn''t understand why he was back in his terrible past. "Sigh... I don''t understand what''s going on." It was then. [Administration System reactivating.] [Confirming the Awakened''s soul level.] [Confirmed 100% soul match.] [The soul of the Elder Dragon ispletely fused with the soul of the chosen Awakened.] [Acquiring partial authority of the system.] [Status window ess activated.] ''What''s this?'' Letters appeared before my eyes. [Opening status window.] Suddenly, translucent letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Healer (Rare) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon ss Skills: Healing / Composed Mind / Health Regeneration / Heightened Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Beginner)] / Mutte[E-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Current Karma Points Held: 0 Zeke examined the letters that appeared before his eyes. He tried to touch them with his hand, but they couldn''t be touched. It seemed like a magically created image rather than something real. He read the contents of the status window. "Healer ss?" He recalled the ancient knowledge he had learned from his master long ago. His master had said that the ancients divided sses ording to their potential and developed techniques ordingly. ''Judging by the ss and skills, it seems to be rted to that ancient artifact.'' Zeke looked at the words "Healing" in the ss skills section and shouted in disbelief, "Healing." His hand was instantly enveloped in a white light. Zeke was startled. "I''ve already awakened my ability?" In his previous life, he hadn''t awakened his healing ability until he was over twenty. Seeing that he could still use Healing, Zeke realized that his abilities from his previous life remained. "If I''ve awakened Healing, then maybe...?" Zeke closed his eyes and concentrated, and mana stirred near his sr plexus. Zeke''s eyes shot open. "My ether hall is open." The Secret Dragon yer Technique of the Draker family could only be learned after awakening one''s aura and opening the lower dantian. Zeke, who couldn''t awaken his aura, couldn''t open his lower dantian and learn the true Dragon yer Technique. Despite having the talent of a healer but unable to handle aura, Zeke learned how to open his ether hall from his master and handle mana. ''I almost died learning this.'' Zeke moved his body, manipting mana. Whoosh! He swayed, losing his bnce. His young body wasn''t used to moving like he did in the past. ''It''ll get better with practice.'' At least the situation was much more advantageous than in his previous life. He turned his attention back to the status window. "Skills. What are these?" Zeke pressed his finger on "Composed Mind." The page turned, and new letters appeared. ¡ªSkill Description¡ª Composed Mind: Keeps the user''s mind calm and unshaken in any situation. Zeke tilted his head. "So I have this skill besides Healing." Since the concept of sses and skills wasn''t used in the present era, he didn''t know what skills he had. ''Is it thanks to the Composed Mind skill that my mind isn''t that affected despite going through this absurd situation?'' Even Zeke himself thought he was quite calm considering he had died horribly and then regressed. He pressed the other skills as well. ¡ªss Skills¡ª Healing: Creates a healing light that restores wounds. Composed Mind: Keeps the user''s mind calm and unshaken in any situation. Health Regeneration: Replenishes lost health and reduces fatigue. Heightened Senses: Momentarily focuses the senses and increases cognitive speed. After reading through the skills he possessed, Zeke tried using Heightened Senses. He felt his senses sharpen as if time had slowed down. He nodded. "This sensation is familiar. Maybe I used it unconsciously during battle." After checking his ss skills, Zeke pressed Active Skills. ¡ªActive Skills¡ª Precise Stab (E-rank): Allows for more urate strikes at the enemy''s vital points, increasing lethality. Mutte (E-rank): Allows for rapid shing attacks while disrupting the enemy''s vision. Critical Strike (D-rank): Allows for a critical attack on the enemy. However, failure can result in a counterattack. Zeke pondered as he looked at the active skills. "Finishing moves? Secret techniques? Something like that?" After checking the active skills, Zeke pressed Draconian Skills at the bottom. But instead of the skill description, a message popped up. [Draconian Skills are unavable. 10 Karma points are required to view these skills.] "Karma points?" It was a term he had never heard before. He had never even heard it from his master, who was quite knowledgeable about ancient knowledge. Just as he was about to press for more information about Karma points, Knock, knock. Someone knocked. As Zeke unconsciously thought about turning off the status window, the letters before his eyes disappeared. "Come in." At Zeke''s permission, the door opened, and someone entered. A well-built old man with white, slicked-back hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a monocle. Zeke was startled. ''Decker?'' Decker was a servant sent from the main Draker household. He spoke to Zeke with a sharp glint in his eyes. "You''re still not ready... What are you thinking, young master?" Zeke''s body instinctively recoiled at Decker''s sharp voice. In the past, Zeke had felt an unconscious fear of Decker. But it was different now. He wasn''t an ordinary child anymore. Something appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Composed Mind skill used.] As Zeke thought, it seemed like the skills were being used automatically depending on the situation. Zeke, having regained hisposure, looked at Decker and said, "Ready? What are you talking about?" Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten about the evaluation test today." Zeke was startled by Decker''s words. ''Evaluation test...?'' Decker looked at Zeke and said, "You need to hurry and get ready. You''ll lose points if you''rete for the evaluation test..." Then Zeke looked up and asked Decker, "Decker, what''s the date today? No, what year, month, and day is it?" Decker stared intently at Zeke for a moment, then adjusted his monocle again and said in a dry voice, "It''s 14th October, 1035." Zeke calcted the date. ''1035... I died in 1055, so it''s exactly 20 years ago. I''m twelve years old. And if it''s October 14th...'' Zeke, having organized his thoughts, looked at Decker and said, "Right. They always held the year-end evaluation in the cradle around this time." Decker looked down at Zeke and said, "As I said before, it will be difficult to survive in the Draker n if you continue to avoid reality like this, young master." Although his voice was devoid of emotion, it contained sincerity. Then Zeke looked up at Decker and said, "Avoid? Me?" He clenched his fist, making a cracking sound. "Why would I avoid it when I''ve finally returned?" Zeke''s eyes shed. "There are a lot of people I need to repay." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 2 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 2 Zeke walked down the deste hallway towards the circr arena where the year-end evaluation was held. He looked around as he walked. ''It''s exactly the same as my memories. So suffocating.'' Shields bearing the Draker n crest were hung throughout the hallway. A dragon with a chain around its neck and a sword piercing its heart. It was the Draker n crest, called the Dragon yer Emblem. Zeke frowned at the sight of the crest. ''To think I''d see this again alive.'' To Zeke, the Draker n was both a trauma and an object of undeniable yearning. A wall he couldn''t ovee. He had thought that if he gained the strongest power on the continent, he couldpletely erase the shadow of the Drakers. Perhaps that was why he had struggled so desperately. He roughly pushed open the door at the end of the hallway and entered. Thud! The circr arena was already filled with children of Zeke''s age. They were all wrapping leather straps around their hands for Pankration, one of the year-end evaluation events.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ''Hmm...'' The gathered children murmured at Zeke''s appearance. He ignored them and looked around the arena. It was a strange feeling to be back in the Pankration arena after so long. "Ha, brings back memories." As a child, Zeke hated Pankration. He was small and weak for a direct descendant of the Draker n. The young blood rtives of the Draker n, regardless of whether they were from the direct or coteral line, began living together at the age of seven. And in themunal living area called the "Cradle," strict rules, disciplined life, and harsh training continued for five years. They received basic training in swordsmanship, hand-to-handbat, and physical training before the Blessing Ceremony, and one of the most important training events was Pankration. Pankration in the Draker n was a no-rulespetition close to actualbat. There were many injuries, but it didn''t matter because they had the highest-grade healing potions on hand. This was something only the Draker n could do in the entire continent. "Whew..." Zeke took a deep breath and stretched his muscles. The other children, unfamiliar with Zeke acting like this, nced at him. It was then. "Oh, what brings you out today instead of running away?" Zeke turned his head to see a red-haired boy with freckles standing there. Behind him stood tworge boys with broad shoulders, boasting arrogant postures. ''Who is he?'' Then he realized who the boy was. "Ah, it''s you. Leon Conrad." The red-haired boy''s face turned crimson, and he gritted his teeth. Leon grabbed Zeke''s shoulder and said menacingly, "You recessive gene bastard, are you crazy?" It was then. Grab! Zeke grabbed Leon''s wrist tightly. Crack! Leon''s eyes widened, and he shook off Zeke''s hand that was gripping his wrist. ring at Zeke, Leon shouted, "How dare you! Do you want to die, you recessive gene bastard?!" Zeke looked at Leon with a calm gaze and thought, ''Should I kill him?'' Zeke had been through all sorts of hardships while wandering the continent before his regression. Killing a twelve-year-old kid who hadn''t even awakened his aura was nothing to him. As Leon fumed in front of Zeke, the other children quietly watched the situation. It was then. Ding! The bell signaling the evaluation rang. Zeke clicked his tongue as he watched Leon retreat. He remembered how Leon had constantly bullied him during their time in the Cradle and the academy. ''Leon Conrad. That damn bastard was also one of my cousins.'' Zeke had four siblings and over ten cousins. Except for the direct descendants, whom he rarely met, most of his cousins were annoying incarnations of the Drakers. As Zeke reminisced, the instructor stepped onto the arena. At his appearance, the children lined up in front of the circr arena. Their movements were surprisingly swift for twelve-year-olds. Zeke recalled the instructor''s name. ''Pan Mark. He was the instructor in charge of this batch.'' Pan Mark, standing in the arena, shouted, "This year''s evaluation, likest year, will consist of Pankration and sword fighting." The children tensed and focused at Pan''s words. The evaluation at the Cradle was linked to ss assignments at the academy they would enter next year. After the Blessing Ceremony, the trainees would awaken their aura and enter the academy as Yellow Knights. And they would be assigned to sses based on the year-end evaluation they received at the Cradle. The higher the ss, the more opportunities they had to learn higher-level dragon yer techniques, so the children couldn''t help but be obsessed with their scores. Zeke clicked his tongue, witnessing the fiercepetition again after 20 years. ''How did I survive here before?'' Zeke was physically and mentally weak as a child. The Cradle and the academy were nothing short of hell for him in his childhood. As Zeke reminisced, Pan Mark called out the first evaluators. "Aaron! Gota!" Aaron and Gota stepped onto the arena. Gota was one of therge boys who had been standing behind Leon. Both of them were well-built and seemed to be in a simr weight ss. Pan blew the whistle. Beep! Aaron and Gota lowered their stances and red at each other. A momentter, Gota lunged first, trying to grab Aaron''s leg. Aaron quickly changed direction and grabbed Gota''s waist. Aaron lifted Gota''s body and threw him over. Thud! Gota, mmed onto the arena floor, got up angrily. "Youmoner bastard..." Aaron, with a rxed expression, took his stance. Gota attempted a few more attacks, but they were all blocked by Aaron''s defense. The match ended anticlimactically with Aaron''s victory. ''Hmm...'' Zeke watched Aaron and Gota''s match with a bored expression. ''Maybe it''s because it''s a kids'' fight. It''s so clumsy.'' He used to hate Pankration with a passion. But now, it looked like child''s y. Seeing Zeke yawning widely, Leon, who was standing opposite him, red at him with murderous eyes. After a few more matches, Pan Mark called out the next contestants. "Zeke! And..." Pan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Leon! Come forward." Judging from Leon''s excited expression, it seemed like he had talked to the instructor beforehand. The Draker n outwardly presented themselves as a noble knightly family, but behind the scenes, all sorts of schemes and tricks were rampant. ''And they said that only those who could ovee schemes and tricks were true dragon yers.'' Leon stepped into the arena and mmed his fists together. Zeke trudged into the arena listlessly. Leon looked at Zeke and said, "Recessive gene bastard, you''re dead today." Zeke looked at Leon and said, "Hey." Leon looked at his fist and then looked up at Zeke. "If you say ''recessive gene'' one more time, I''ll really kill you." Leon flinched at the murderous intent he felt from Zeke. Realizing that he was momentarily intimidated by Zeke, Leon shouted even louder, "You recessive..." Whoosh! At that moment, Zeke''s fist cut through the air. Wham! Leon felt as if half of his face had disappeared. He copsed onto the arena floor. "Gasp... M-my face." Leon clutched his face as he fell. Zeke recalled the message that had appeared when he punched Leon in the face. [Skill Critical Strike activated.] ''So this is how the active skills are activated.'' Beep! The whistle blew. Pan Mark shouted at Zeke, "What are you doing before the match even started?!" Zeke looked at Pan and said, "Does anyone say ''start!'' ? Before stabbing someone on the battlefield? The one who strikes first wins." Pan was surprised by Zeke''s harsh tone. ''He''s always running away, and now suddenly...?'' Leon got up, fuming. "Instructor! Start again! I''ll kill that recessive gene bastard!" Pan hesitated for a moment, then blew the whistle again. "Match starts!" Leon took his stance and charged at Zeke. ''That lucky punch must havended by chance. This time, I''ll break his arms and legspletely.'' Leon was small, but he had a talent for Pankration. Even bigger kids couldn''t keep up with Leon''s fighting sense and often ended up with dislocated shoulders. Moreover, he was known for his ruthlessness, refusing to stop even when his opponent tapped out, and would break their arms and legs. So other children were often passive when facing him. Again, Leon, filled with confidence, lowered his stance and charged at Zeke. But Zeke, who was standing still, showed no openings, unlike usual. ''What''s this?'' And at that moment, Zeke''s left hand moved. Whack! Zeke''s jab, which shouldn''t have reached him, struck Leon''s face. "This bastard!" Every time Leon charged, Zeke''s jab would fly. Whack! "Ugh!" It was a light jab, but his fist was wrapped tightly with leather straps, so every hit tore his skin and made his head ring. Leon guarded his face and closed in on Zeke, grabbing his waist. "Gotcha, you bastard!" All he had to do was take him down and break his joints. He tried to throw Zeke over his back, but strangely, Zeke didn''t budge. ''W-what the...?'' Zeke whispered in Leon''s ear, "I told you. If you say ''recessive'' one more time, I''ll kill you." Leon, goosebumps erupting all over his body, hurriedly tried to back away. Whoosh! But Zeke, in close range, kicked Leon''s thigh. "Ugh!" It was a heavy blow, unexpected from a low kick in such an unstable position. As Leon''s bnce faltered, Zeke hooked his leg inward and tripped him. Thud! As Leon fell, Zeke mmed his elbow into his ribs. [Skill Precise Stab activated.] "Cough!" With his ribs broken, Leon couldn''t breathe. Zeke mounted Leon, pinning one of his arms with his leg and pressing his knee on the other shoulder. Zeke, in a mounted position, made a fist and looked down at Leon. Then he punched Leon in the face. [Skill Mutte activated.] Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Zeke''s fists pounded relentlessly on Leon''s face. "Gah, gah! S-stop!" Despite Leon''s pleas, Zeke''s fists didn''t stop. Leon, struggling, eventually fainted from Zeke''s merciless beating. Only then did Zeke slowly get up. "You''re nothing but a little punk." The waiting paramedics rushed in and dragged the unconscious Leon out of the arena. Zeke, who had turned Leon into a bloody mess in an instant, returned to his seat. The other children exchanged nces, trying to grasp the situation after Zeke''s sudden change. Then Zeke''s voice rang out. "You guys, I can hear your eyeballs rolling." The children''s eyes uniformly focused on Zeke. Zeke chuckled and continued, "Now that I''ve worked up a sweat, my head is finally working. I''m starting to recognize who''s who." The children just stared at Zeke silently, unable to understand what he was saying. "If you have something to say,e and say it. Stop rolling your eyes around." It was then. "Instructor." A boy with a sharp, three-white-eyed gaze raised his hand. [PR/N: Three white eye refers to more of the white part of the eye showing either above or below the iris.] "Can I choose Zeke as my opponent for the evaluation?" Zeke recognized the boy who raised his hand. ''I remember. His name was... that''s right. Jakenn Vardec. Another cousin has appeared.'' At Jakenn ''s words, Pan turned to Zeke. "Zeke, what will you do?" Zeke thought for a moment and then stood up. "Sure, why not, let''s sweat a little more. But," He pointed at Jakenn and said, "It''s too boring with just you alone." Zeke pointed at the boy sitting next to Jakenn. "Liam Stone." The boy who had been sitting silently next to Jakenn quietly raised his head. Zeke looked at him and said, "Both of you,e at me together." Zeke grinned. "That seems a bit more bnced." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 3 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 3 Jakenn''s eyes narrowed at Zeke''s words. "Are you insulting me?" Zeke nodded in response. "Yeah, that''s right. I''m insulting you." Jakenn trembled with anger and clenched his fists. Zeke said, "So what are you going to do? Do it if you want to. Otherwise, I''m leaving." Jakenn, trying to suppress his anger, looked at Pan, the instructor. "Is this alright, Instructor?" Pan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "If Zeke is okay with it, I don''t mind." With permission granted, Jakenn and Liam stepped onto the arena. Zeke stood opposite Jakenn and Liam with a rxed expression. He looked at Liam standing next to Jakenn. ''It''s strange seeing him here again.'' Liam Stone. In the future, he was one of the most famous people in the Central Continent. ''The Mercenary King, Liam.'' Unlike the Conrad or Vardec ns, who were blood-rted to the Drakers, Liam was a very distant rtive among the Draker''s coteral lineage. Despite that, the reason he was in the Cradle was that he had been chosen as Jakenn Vardec''s attendant. In Zeke''s memory, Liam would receive the blessing of aura here and enter the academy, but he wouldn''t be able to enter Valha, the higher educational institution. He was abandoned midway because of his low birth. Liam, who wandered around as a free knight, was able to join the Knights of Baranon, a small country in the western region. He could have ended his life peacefully as an ordinary knight, but when Baranon was destroyed by the Empire, the Knights he belonged to disappeared. With nowhere to go, he became a mercenary and wandered the continent. Then, by chance, he attained enlightenment and became a Red Knight. People gather around those who are strong. Moreover, it was a chaotic time, so there was no shortage of mercenaries. Thus, the Stone Mercenary Corps was formed, centered around Liam, the Red Knight, and a few yearster, he united the three major mercenary corps of the continent and earned the title of Mercenary King in the Central Continent. Zeke felt a strange sensation seeing the taciturn boy standing next to Jakenn, the future Mercenary King. ''We were enemies in my past life, but this life could be different.'' Just then, Pan blew the whistle. "Match starts!" Jakenn took his stance and approached Zeke. But Liam, who was behind him, didn''t move and just stood still. Zeke frowned and said to Jakenn, "I clearly said both of you should attack me together." Jakenn scoffed.N?v(el)B\\jnn "I was just ying along with your childish game earlier." Jakenn lunged forward with a powerful high kick towards Zeke. Thud! It was a powerful impact, unbelievable for a twelve-year-old''s kick. Everyone thought Zeke would copse from a single kick from Jakenn. "Ugh..." But contrary to expectations, it was Jakenn who groaned and stepped back. Jakenn''s ankle, which had delivered the kick, was swollen. Zeke said as he lowered his left elbow. "Why are you throwing yourself at my elbow?" Jakenn tried to regain his bnce, but his ankle seemed to bepletely broken, making it difficult for him to stand. ''Damn it, if this happens, I''ll have to take him down with a mount...'' Just as Jakenn was about to charge, Zeke struck first. Whoosh! Zeke delivered a low kick to Jakenn''s injured leg. Crack! "Ugh!" Jakenn''s face contorted in pain as he was hit on his injured leg, and his bnce faltered. It was then. Whoosh! Zeke spun around, rotating his whole body, and thrust his fist into Jakenn''s side. Wham! [Skill Critical Strike activated.] With its full rotational force, the Critical Strike shattered all of Jakenn''s ribs. "Ugh..." Jakenn gasped and copsed to his knees. Zeke, catching his breath, shouted at Liam, who was standing behind, "Are you just going to keep standing there?" Liam nced at Jakenn, who was gasping for breath. Jakenn, his face pale, shouted, "Cough... Liam! Kill that bastard!" At Jakenn''s shout, Liam stepped forward. As Liam stepped forward, Zeke finally took a proper fighting stance for the first time. ''But... is he really twelve years old?'' He looked at least five years older than his peers, with his unusually long limbs and taciturn expression. Zeke was wary of Liam''s long arms. ''Even when we fought in my past life, I was troubled by the reach of those long arms.'' If he gave Liam the initiative, the flow of the fight could shiftpletely. Shing! Zeke dashed forward and threw a jab. Whack! He circled Liam, striking his guard with jabs. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! His sharp jabs, like awls, prated Liam''s guard. Zeke''s movements, stepping with quick footwork and throwing jabs back and forth, weren''t typical Pankration techniques. "What''s that?" The other trainees murmured at the unfamiliar technique. Pan, the instructor, was also surprised to see Zeke''s technique. ''That''s the boxing technique used by the Northern Rangers?'' It was rare to see a Northern Continent fighting technique in the Central Continent, where swordsmanship was the focus. Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Even as the onlookers murmured, Liam remained crouched, silently blocking Zeke''s jabs. Then, Zeke''s step faltered slightly, and his jab missed. Liam''s eyes gleamed. Whoosh! In an instant, Liam extended his long arm and wrapped it around Zeke''s jab as if to snatch it. "Heave-ho!" Liam quickly wrapped his arm around Zeke''s, attempting to lift and throw him. This was possible because of the significant size difference between Zeke and Liam. Zeke, caught in Liam''s grasp and in danger of being thrown, quickly twisted his body in mid-air. Then, using his small physique to his advantage, he wrapped both legs around Liam''s arm and twisted the joint. Crack! Before Liam could react, his shoulder was dislocated, and his elbow twisted. "Aaaaagh!" Liam, his joint broken, copsed onto the arena floor. Zeke didn''t stop at breaking Liam''s arm. He released his legs from Liam''s arm and wrapped them around his neck. "Gasp!" Zeke''s legs tightened around Liam''s carotid artery. Liam didn''t tap out until the very end. In the Draker n, tapping out was a greater dishonor than death or injury. Eventually, Liam lost consciousness. "Whew..." Zeke released his hold on the unconscious Liam''s neck and stood up. All eyes were on Zeke, who had effortlessly defeated Jakenn and Liam. Zeke pointed at one person among the hundred trainees as he met their gazes. "Owen Siemens." A mature-looking boy with brown hair met Zeke''s gaze with a calm expression. Zeke shifted his gaze and pointed to another person. "Reina Turunn." A girl with a sharp gaze and closely cropped hair red at Zeke. Zeke turned his gaze and pointed at the fallen Jakenn. "Jakenn Vardec, Leon Conrad... are out, so moving on." Zeke addressed the trainees. "Tell your families. Zeke Draker is a little different now." With those words, Zeke stepped down from the arena. Owen and Reina watched Zeke walk away in silence, and Zeke clicked his tongue at the sight. ''Are those the eyes of twelve-year-olds?'' Zeke, descending from the arena, left with all eyes on him. Pan, who had been staring nkly at Zeke''s retreating figure, finally came to his senses and dered, "Zeke! Winner!" The copsed Jakenn and Liam were taken to the infirmary, and the year-end evaluation continued. * * * "Whew..." Returning to his room, Zeke threw off his clothes and copsed onto the bed. His whole body ached from overexerting himself. "Those bastards. They''ll have a headache trying to figure this out." In his past life, he couldn''t awaken his aura and was treated like trash in the Cradle and the academy before being abandoned by the n. Zeke gritted his teeth, remembering the misery of that time vividly. ''Those cousins must be busy reporting by now.'' There were four cousins who had joined the same year as Zeke. Some, like Leon, directly pressured Zeke, but most just watched him from afar. However, even the cousins who had been observing Zeke from a distance wouldn''t be able to stay silent after witnessing his transformation today. It was obvious that their families would give them orders. ''I can''t just sit still and wait. I''ll take the initiative and divert their attention.'' It was easier to hide in moderately dirty water than in perfectly clean water. That was the reason he deliberately revealed his strength in the year-end evaluation today. His fighting skills were only a small part of his abilities, so there was no problem in revealing this much. Zeke got out of bed and stood up. "While those guys are busy scheming, I just need to steadily build up my strength." He had no intention of being bullied like in his past life. In this life, he was going to devour the Draker n whole. Zeke quietly opened his mouth. "Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Healer (Rare) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon Skills Held: Healing / Composed Mind / Health Regeneration / Heightened Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Beginner)] / Mutte [E-rank (Expert)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Karma Points Held: 0 ''The Mutte skill has changed from Beginner to Expert.'' He didn''t know the exact principle, but it seemed like the level of the skills changed the more he used them. Looking at the status window, Zeke tilted his head at the Karma section. ''Hmm... What are Karma Points?'' Karma Points were required to unlock the unavable Draconian Skills. But Karma was a term he had never heard before. Zeke pressed Karma Points, just in case. ¡ªKarma Points¡ª Karma Points can be obtained by killing monsters. "You can get points by killing monsters?" The first thing Zeke did after being expelled from the family was to be a dungeon porter. He had followed low-level adventurers, going back and forth between dungeons where dangerous monsters appeared. Zeke read the exnation again. ''Monsters with mana.'' The monsters in the dungeon lived in groups, so to hunt them alone, one needed to be at least a Purple Knight, capable of wielding aura. Zeke closed the status window and fell into thought. ''To obtain Karma Points, I need to have at least the skills of a Purple Knight.'' Zeke''s current state, with only his Ether Hall opened, could be ssified as a Yellow Knight, a rank above a White Knight. He could be promoted to a Purple Knight after awakening his aura, opening his lower dantian, and imbuing his sword with aura. From this stage onwards, the title used was no longer swordsman but knight. Only after mastering aura and creating an aura de from the sword could one be promoted to Blue Knight and be recognized as a true knight, earning a title. And those among the Blue Knights who broke through the wall and advanced to the next level were the Red Knights. Commanders ofrge kingdoms or empires are typically Red Knights. Therefore, the military strength of a nation is often gauged by the number of Red and Blue Knights it possesses. However, there are those who defy thismon sense. Superhumans who surpass the realm of humans, a rare few even on the continent. They are the ck Knights, also known as one-man armies. Even across the entire continent, the number of ck Knights was so small that they could be counted individually. Surprisingly, the Draker n had five such ck Knights. With five ck Knights, each capable of wiping out a small kingdom on their own, no one dared to oppose the Draker n. Not even the Emperor. ''There''s a reason why they''re called one of the three transcendent families.'' The dragon-yer Draker n. The Mystic Arts Ishtaar n. And the magic-wielding Nirvana n. They didn''t belong to any country and were recognized for their independence, unbound by anyws. But in the future Zeke had seen, a great change would ur in this three-way power structure. ''It was about 10 years from now, I think.'' He had to prepare and grow stronger before the time of change. ''I don''t know why I regressed to the past, or what this system is...'' Zeke''s eyes gleamed. ''If I can be stronger, I will use anything.'' It was then. Knock, knock. Zeke shouted towards the door. "Come in." The door opened and Decker, a servant who looked more like a knight than an actual knight, entered. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 4 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 4 Zeke said in a sharp voice, "What is it, Decker?" Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "I heard about what happened to you at the Pankration testing ground earlier, young master." Zeke turned his head, feigning disinterest, and said, "So what?" "I heard you beat Leon Conrad and Jakenn Vardec to a pulp. Is that true?" Zeke scoffed. "You already know, so why ask?" Decker stepped closer to Zeke. "I have been watching over you since the day you were born, young master." Zeke said as he changed his clothes, "I know." Decker had been in charge of Zeke until he was expelled from the family. His father, the head of the n, hadn''t seen him once since he failed to awaken his aura at the Blessing Ceremony. His mother had died when he was young, and his father was as good as gone, so Decker was like a parent to him. Even when he was treated like trash by the family, Decker was the only one who stayed by his side. Decker looked at Zeke and said, "May I ask what happened?" "Those bastards messed with me, and I beat them up. What more do you need?" Despite Zeke''s harsh words, Decker remained silent. Zeke looked at Decker and said, "What do you want to say, Decker?" Decker slowly opened his mouth. "Young master, may I check your pulse for a moment?" Checking his pulse meant checking whether he had awakened his aura. Zeke looked at Decker and then silently held out his hand. "Please, go ahead." Decker grabbed Zeke''s wrist. Woooong! Zeke flinched as Decker''s aura flowed through his body. Decker''s aura examined every corner of Zeke''s body. It was then that Zeke realized something he hadn''t known in his past life. ''A Blue Knight?'' The way Decker''s aura moved freely within Zeke''s body was unusual. ''Even if he''s a servant from the main family, is a Blue Knight really doing chores for a kid?'' It was absurd. Even in the knightly orders of small kingdoms, Blue Knights often served asmanders. As Zeke''s suspicions grew, Decker, who had been examining his body, pursed his lips tightly. Seeing that, Zeke chuckled inwardly. ''No matter how much he checks, he won''t sense any aura.'' Opening the ether hall was fundamentally different from opening the lower dantian, and it was a method almost no one knew. Even Zeke himself had thought it was absurd when he first heard about the ether hall from his master. Because it was a concept that defiedmon sense. Knights who awakened their aura and opened their lower dantian couldn''t use mana. Conversely, mages who awakened their mana and formed a circle in their heart couldn''t use aura. It was impossible to possess both a lower dantian and a circle in one body. Zeke, who could use Healing, a type of magic, couldn''t use aura. However, by opening his ether hall, he became able to use mana, the source of both magic and aura. By wielding mana, Zeke could use a different kind of power than aura. Decker stared at Zeke and said, "Are you hiding something from me, young master?" At his serious question, Zeke also stared back at Decker and said, "Are you hiding anything from me, Decker?" Decker closed his mouth at Zeke''s words. In his past life, Decker had been a loyal servant who protected him until the veryst moment when he was expelled from the family. But now that Zeke knew Decker was hiding his strength, he couldn''t let his guard down. ''Maybe... the other direct descendants deliberately ced him here.'' Decker slowly opened his mouth. "May I ask why you suddenly changed?" Just yesterday, Zeke was trying to figure out how to skip the Pankration test. But in a single day, he had changed drastically. Zeke turned to look at Decker. "That''s the wrong question." A strange light flickered in Decker''s eyes. Zeke continued in a chilling voice, "You should have asked why I didn''t change sooner." Decker didn''t answer Zeke''s question. Zeke gestured to Decker as if he hadn''t expected an answer. "You know the test in a week is a swordsmanship duel, right?" Decker nodded. "Yes, young master." "Prepare a sword for me." "A different one than the one you usually use?" "How can I duel with that hollow piece of trash?" Zeke frowned and said, "Prepare a ymore for me." Decker replied in a calm voice, "ymores are longer and heavier than ordinary swords." "I know. The heavier the better. I''ll adjust itter, so just bring one from the warehouse." Decker stared intently at Zeke and then nodded. "As you wish, young master." "And make a reservation for the personal training room this afternoon. I''ll go right after lunch. Leave the sword in the training room." "As you wish." After receiving all the instructions, Decker left the room without another word. Zeke took a deep breath as soon as Decker left. "Whew... I keep learning things I didn''t know in my past life as soon as I regress." Zeke calmly collected himself and organized his thoughts about the future he knew. Knowing the future was a powerful weapon. Over the next 20 years, many events, big and small, would take ce on the continent, leading to a time of great change. He made ns to use the future he knew to his advantage. ''Just you wait, Drakers. This time, unlike my past life, I will use you thoroughly.'' * * * In the afternoon, Zeke went to the personal training room he had reserved. As expected of a training room built by the Draker n, all the equipment was state-of-the-art. Mirrors were attached to the walls so that he could check his posture while swinging the sword, and various muscle training tools and training weapons were also avable. Looking around the training room, Zeke found the ymore on the table. "As expected of Decker. His work is impable." He lifted the ymore. The de alone was over a meter long and weighed over three kilograms. It was smaller than a bastard sword, but it was definitely a heavy sword for the twelve-year-old Zeke to wield. "Hmm... the weight bnce is good." This was one of the main facilities of the Dragon yer family, a family of knights among knights. Even a single sword in the warehouse wasn''t made carelessly. ''It''s still not as good as the one I used before.'' Actually, the ymore Zeke used in his past life was a special sword, so it couldn''t bepared in the first ce. Knowing this, he suppressed his regret and took a stance, holding the ymore with both hands. "Whew..." In his past life, he could easily swing even heavier swords, but with a child''s body, even holding it was a burden. Zeke slowly swung the ymore. Thud! Unable to handle the weight of the sword, the tip of the sword crashed into the floor of the training ground. Zeke lifted the ymore again. "It''s difficult without using it." He closed his eyes and focused on his ether hall. A warm energy flowed from his sr plexus and spread throughout his body. A cultivation technique that utilized mana, the pure energy of nature, not aura or magic. It was originally a technique that humans couldn''t learn. Zeke, having spread mana throughout his body, swung the ymore again. Whoosh! His movements were much better than before. He fixed his lower body and repeated the basic swinging motion. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! With each swing, the sword felt more familiar, and the sound of cutting through the air rang out. Then, at some point, even the sound of cutting through the air disappeared. Zeke put down the sword. "Ugh! I need to build up my stamina first. I''ll copse from exhaustion swinging this sword." As an adult, Zeke had a solid physique of over 180 centimeters, with flexible and resilient muscles filling his entire body. On the other hand, he was barely over 160 centimeters now, with a small physique and almost no muscles. If it weren''t for thebat skills and awakened skills he learned in his past life, he wouldn''t have been able to overpower his cousins in Pankration. Zeke clicked his tongue, looking at his aching body after swinging the sword a few times. "Really... my body wasplete trash when I was young." He decided to use his secret technique. "Healing." Light spread throughout his body, and the pain in his aching muscles disappeared. Zeke lifted his healed arm and, with a satisfied expression, grabbed the sword again. This was how Zeke utilized Healing in his past life. He used to overwork his muscles, heal them with Healing, and then overwork them again, strengthening his muscle fibers several times more than others. Through this training method, Zeke was able to cut down opponentsrger than himself and even higher-ranking knights. It was a harsh training method that was impossible without extraordinary mental strength and willpower. "One week. It''s a bit tight, but... I''ll have to adapt somehow." He swung the ymore again and again without rest. * * * A week had passed since the Pankration evaluation. During that week, Zeke''s performance became a hot topic among the trainees. Zeke, who had been seen as weak, unlike a direct descendant of the Draker n, showed apletely different side of himself in this year-end evaluation. Some of the trainees even spected that Zeke might be using an evil power obtained through ck magic. And finally, the day of the swordsmanship duel, thest event of the year-end evaluation, arrived. Mealtimes were fixed at the Cradle. Since the training was harsh, the meals were well-prepared with a bnce of nutrients. Especially breakfast, which was prepared as a buffet, allowed the trainees to eat as much as they wanted. Next to themon dining area used by ordinary trainees, there was a separate dining room that only the children of prominent families within the Draker blood alliance could enter. Unlike the ordinary meals focused on nutrition, luxurious dishes were set on the tables there. Owen, Reina, Jakenn, and Leon were sitting at the prepared round table. The servants ced the food each of their masters wanted in front of them. Owen picked up his knife and fork and gracefully cut the in fish dish into bite-sized pieces. On the other hand, a whole steak was ced in front of Reina. She cut arge piece of the bloody steak and put it in her mouth, chewing. It was a hearty meal befitting the heir of the Turunn n, known for having the strongest physique among all the ns. Jakenn and Leon didn''t touch the food and just sat still. Seeing them like that, Owen said, "Even if you don''t have an appetite, you should eat something. You need a full stomach for the swordsmanship duel this afternoon." At those words, Leon looked up and red at Owen. "Are you picking a fight?" Owen shook his head with an indifferent expression. "There''s no point in talking to someone who doesn''t know how to ept kindness." Leon jumped to his feet. "How dare you..." Just then, Reina, who had almost finished her steak, looked up and red at Leon. Leon flinched at her stare and slowly sat back down. Jakenn, who had been silent, opened his mouth. "So, what are we going to do?" Owen, Reina, and Leon looked up at his words. They all knew what Jakenn was talking about. ''Zeke Draker.'' Owen said as he wiped his mouth, "Well... I don''t know if it was a fluke or what, but he won''t be able to do much with swordsmanship." He continued with a cold glint in his eyes, "We''ll find out today what else Zeke is hiding." Reina, having devoured her entire steak, abruptly stood up. She raised the sword that had been leaning against her chair and dered, "Did that truly seem like a fluke to you?" Her words drew Owen''s attention. Reina looked at the three still seated at the table and said, "You are not worthy of bing Draker knights." With that, she strode out of the dining hall. "That arrogant bitch..." Leon mmed his hand on the table, trembling with rage. Owen tapped the table with his fingers, his mind racing. ''Reina and Zeke. This could get interesting.'' A genius who awakened her aura at the age of ten, before the Blessing Ceremony. It seemed Reina Turunn had found her prey.N?v(el)B\\jnn [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 5 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 5 All the trainees of the Cradle gathered in the central training ground for the swordsmanship duel evaluation. "Everyone, fall in line!" Over a hundred trainees lined up in rows with tense expressions. Although Pankration was also an evaluation event, swordsmanship was undoubtedly the most important. The trainees of the Cradle, only twelve years old, already had the eyes of warriors. The head instructor, Pan Mark, and the other instructors checked the trainees. Then, Pan''s eyes shed as he looked over the lined-up trainees. "Zeke! Where is Zeke?" No matter how much he looked around, Zeke was nowhere to be seen. The other trainees murmured and nced around. The instructors shouted, "Quiet!" "Who dares to chatter before this sacred evaluation?!" The trainees straightened up and stared ahead with tense expressions. It was then. nk! nk! Someone was walking from the end of the training ground, a ymore slung over their shoulder. It was none other than Zeke. Everyone was speechless at the sight of Zeke, who waste for the evaluation but walking in as if nothing was wrong. Zeke casually stood at the back of the line. Seeing this, Pan red at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. Are you so ipetent that you can''t even find your ce after beingte?" An ordinary trainee would have been intimidated by Pan''s low voice alone. But Zeke was someone who had experienced all sorts of hardships on the continent for 20 years. There was no way he would cower from Pan''s intimidation. Zeke looked around and then walked to an empty spot in the front row. Thud! He took his ce, nted the ymore that had been slung over his shoulder into the ground, and looked up at Pan. ''Zeke Draker. What in the world happened to you?'' Pan was annoyed by Zeke''s behavior, but there was nothing he could do about it now, so he decided to proceed with the evaluation. "We will now begin the swordsmanship duel, the most important part of the Cradle trainee graduation evaluation." Although it was called a duel, it was conducted with real swords, so it was a brutal evaluation where even deaths weren''t out of the ordinary. Pan continued slowly, "Based on the scores from the year-end evaluation and the results of the aura awakening after next month''s Blessing Ceremony, we will determine your eptance into the academy and your ss assignments." All the trainees except Zeke gulped at Pan''s words. The other trainees were focused on entering the academy, but Zeke was different. ''Aura awakening.'' It was one of the main reasons he was treated like trash in his past life. The problem was that Zeke was still a Healer ss in this life. Zeke, who had the talent of a healer, not a swordsman, couldn''t awaken his aura. Zeke''s heart pounded. ''I can''t be treated like trash again in this life.'' He needed to show them something before the Blessing Ceremony. After the tedious exnation of the Cradle graduation procedure was over, Pan looked over the trainees and said, "We will begin the final evaluation, the swordsmanship duel." Pan turned his gaze and looked at Zeke in the front row. "Zeke,e up to the arena." Although he was called first unexpectedly, Zeke walked up to the arena without a word. Pan frowned at the sight of Zeke with a ymore slung over his shoulder. "Are you really going to use that sword?" Zeke looked at Pan and said, "Is there a rule against it?" There was no rule against using a ymore, but in the Draker n, which prided itself on being knights among knights, no one walked around with such a mercenary-like appearance. The trainees also sneered at Zeke''s attire. "Does he think he''ll be stronger with a bigger sword?" "As expected, the Pankration was just a fluke." Pan also clicked his tongue inwardly at Zeke''s appearance. ''Was I expecting too much?'' Just as he was about to call Zeke''s opponent, "Instructor." Someone called out to Pan. Pan looked at the trainee who had called him. "Reina Turunn." A genius who had already awakened her aura before the Blessing Ceremony. She was a talent that even the Draker n paid attention to. "Please allow me to duel with Zeke Draker." Pan hesitated slightly at Reina''s words. He was curious about Zeke''s skills, but he wondered if Reina was a suitable opponent for Zeke. ''How many of the trainees could even block three of Reina''s strikes?'' As Pan hesitated to answer, "Why are you so hesitant? She wants to duel with me." Zeke, already in the arena, said while looking at Reina. Pan said to Zeke, "Do you really want to duel with Reina Turunn?" Zeke wordlessly raised his sword. With the situation like this, Pan couldn''t stop them. He nodded to Reina. Thud! Reina stepped onto the arena opposite Zeke. Unlike Zeke, who was holding a ymore, she was holding an ordinary arming sword. Zeke felt a strange excitement as he looked at Reina. ''A duel with the sh Knight. What an honor.'' Reina drew her sword without a word. Zeke also lifted his ymore. Reina noticed something strange about the way Zeke held his sword. ''It''s different.'' They had trained together in the Cradle for five years. She knew the way Zeke held and swung a sword. Zeke couldn''t even hold a sword properly before. He even had a special training sword made that was half the weight of a normal sword because he couldn''t handle the weight. But now, he was naturally wielding a ymore, which wasrger and heavier than a normal sword. ''It''s subtle, but his body has grown and gained musclepared to a week ago.'' In general, it was impossible for the body to undergo such a dramatic change in just a week. ''I''ll know once we cross swords.'' Reina stepped forward. Despite his nonchnt appearance, Zeke was actually nervous inwardly. ''Reina Turunn. The most talented among the next generation of Draker n who awakened their aura through the Blessing Ceremony.'' In his past life, he couldn''t evene close to her level in the Cradle. But it was different now. Zeke felt the heat emanating from his entire body. It was then that Pan shouted, "Duel start!" As soon as he shouted, Reina moved first. Thud! Kicking off the ground, she dashed towards Zeke and swung her sword. The powerful sword strike hit Zeke''s ymore. ng! The swords shed, creating a sound like a giant bell ringing. Zeke was pushed back, still holding his ymore. Reina abruptly changed direction and swung again. ng! Once again, the ymore and Reina''s sword shed, and a sharp ng resonated. Zeke simply blocked Reina''s sword without moving. Leon, among the cousins watching the duel from the stands, was the first to speak. "Zeke''s already finished." Leon sneered with a twisted smile. Jakenn, sitting next to him, simply watched Zeke without saying a word. ng! ng! ng! Despite Reina''s powerful attacks, Zeke only retreated and didn''t attack even once. Leon, sitting in the stands, shouted at Reina, "Reina! Stop ying around and just kill him already!" It was then. "You idiot." Jakenn shot a sharp retort at Leon. Leon red at Jakenn and said, "What did you say...? You bastard..." Jakenn turned and red back at Leon. Leon flinched and backed away, forgetting his anger. He knew his skills were no match for Jakenn''s. "Does it look like Reina is ying around to you?" At Jakenn''s words, Leon finally realized that something was off. The expressions of Owen, the instructors, and especially the head instructor, Pan, were all stiff. No, it was more urate to say they were surprised. Jakenn drove the point home. "That Zeke bastard... ispletely toying with Reina." Leon''s face turned pale at those words. Indeed, Zeke, who was parrying Reina''s sword, was at ease. ''So this is the swordsmanship of the sh Knight when she was in the Cradle.'' Her swordsmanship was precise and powerful, unbelievable for a twelve-year-old. Of course, Zeke in the past couldn''t wield a sword like that at the same age. But for Zeke, who had regressed after living a harsh life for 20 years, Reina''s swordsmanship was child''s y. The tension and excitement he felt at first had long since disappeared. He was now guiding Reina, deflecting her attacks and leading her to better sword paths, as if in a practice duel. ''Fast and strong, but that''s it. It''s too textbook,cking individuality.'' Being faithful to the basics was good, but she was swinging her sword too rigidly. Reina, who had been blindly following Zeke''s lead, also seemed to realize something was strange. She suddenly withdrew her sword and stepped back. "Huff... Huff..." Reina caught her breath, holding her sword and red at Zeke. Reina had never once been out of breath while dueling with her peers. But Zeke in front of her didn''t feel like a peer at all. It felt like she was having a practice duel with an instructor. Seeing Reina hesitate, Zeke lowered his ymore a bit. ''Let''s break the mold a little.'' Suddenly, Zeke moved quickly and closed the distance with Reina. Slide! Pan was surprised to see Zeke''s footwork as he smoothly closed the distance. ''Is that Quick Step? How does he know that technique?'' Actually, Quick Step wasn''t much of a technique. It was a basic skill that involved moving your feet quickly to close the distance in an instant and bring your opponent within your attack range. However, although it sounded simple in words, it was a technique that could only be mastered through real-lifebat experience on the brink of death. Just then, something appeared before Zeke''s eyes. Even while closing the distance with Reina, Zeke read the message that popped up. [Active Skill ''Quick Step'' registered.] ''So this is how you register skills.'' Zeke''s Quick Step was different from the usual. He closed the distance in an instant, leaving no trace, like a ghost. It was a technique possible only for Zeke, who had several times more muscle fibers than others. Whoosh! Zeke suddenly appeared in front of her as if he had folded space. At the same time, Zeke''s ymore came flying. Reina hurriedly took a defensive stance. ng! The ymore struck her sword with force. ''Ugh...'' Her wrist throbbed from blocking the attack without a proper stance. But that wasn''t the end. Zeke''s ymore drew a strange trajectory and struck her sword repeatedly. ng! ng! ng! ng! Zeke moved the giant, heavy ymore as if it were an extension of his own hand. Reina couldn''t help but panic as the sword attacks came frompletely unexpected directions and angles. She had lost herposure. Whoosh! Zeke''s ymore came flying from the front. ''No!'' Reina instinctively drew upon the power of her aura. ng! Reina''s sword, imbued with aura, deflected Zeke''s ymore. ng! Zeke, unable to withstand the force of Reina''s aura-infused attack, lost his grip on the ymore. Whizz! Thud! The deflected ymore embedded itself in the arena floor. Seeing him lose his sword, everyone thought Zeke had lost. But then, a shocking scene unfolded. "This is..." Zeke, the moment he lost his grip on the ymore, charged towards Reina. Closing the distance with Quick Step, Zeke struck Reina''s throat with a hand strike. Cough!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Reina clutched her neck and stumbled back. Jakenn and Leon gaped at the sight. They had been taught that a knight should never let go of their sword, even in death. Indeed, Reina was still gripping her sword tightly even as she clutched her neck. Leon jumped to his feet and shouted, "Crazy Bastard! This is a sword fight! I won''t ept this kind of brawl!" Zeke turned and red at Leon. Leon, meeting Zeke''s fierce gaze, flinched and backed away. Pan, the head instructor, was also contemting how to judge Zeke''s unorthodox attack. It was then. Reina lowered her sword with a hardened expression. And she slowly opened her mouth. "I lost." Reina Turunn admitted her own defeat. She had failed to defeat Zeke even after using her aura, which she had decided not to use against fellow trainees. But that wasn''t the only reason she admitted defeat. ''If that had been a dagger instead of a hand strike...'' It was herplete defeat. The trainees in the arena, as well as the instructors evaluating them, were speechless. Zeke picked up his fallen ymore, slung it over his shoulder, and walked down from the arena, just as he had entered. Pan finally regained hisposure and announced the result of the duel. "Z-Zeke Draker, winner!" Everyone in the arena was shocked by Zeke''s victory. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 6 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 6 A handsome man with red hair took a sip of his ck tea, savoring the aroma. He wore ck leather gloves with strange patterns etched into them. Unlike typical knights, he was dressed in a ck uniform and a leather coat, with his sword slung across his back. This attire signified only one thing. A full-fledged knight of the Draker n. And among them, the most noble status, a pure-blooded Dragon yer. Abel Draker, the second of the five direct descendants of the Draker n, set down his teacup with a satisfied expression. "The tea smells wonderful." With his red hair flowing like a mane, he was a knight who had roamed the battlefields and earned the title of "Lion Sword." Seeing Abel Draker''s rxed demeanor, his cousin William Siemens, sitting opposite him, let out a sigh. "Do you really have the leisure to enjoy tea now, Abel?" He had a serious expression as he looked at the news from the Cradle that his younger brother Owen had sent. "You''re not bothered even after hearing that Zeke, that boy, defeated Reina Turunn?" Abel set down his teacup andughed. "You''re always so serious, William." With a rxed expression, Abel asked William, "The Blessing Ceremony isn''t far off, is it?" William nodded. "Yes, it''s in a month." Abel grinned and stood up. He walked to the window and looked out at the scenery. The scene outside waspletely different from the peaceful room. Everything was on fire, and people were screaming. Amidst the chaos, knights were capturing prisoners, beheading them, and throwing their bodies into a pit. Despite witnessing this scene of pandemonium, Abel''s expression remained calm. He slowly opened his mouth. "I think it''s time I paid a visit to the main house." Abel continued, "I''ve be curious about what kind of awakening our youngest will have." * * * Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke was swinging his ymore in the private training room. Horizontally, vertically. For a month after the year-end evaluation, Zeke had focused solely on basic swings, to the point of boredom. After defeating Reina and shocking the entire Cradle, he had shut himself in the training room and devoted himself to swordsmanship practice. "Whew..." After finishing ten thousand swings, Zeke wiped his sweat with a towel. His body had grown remarkably in a month. He had grown over 5 centimeters taller, and his muscles were now firm and defined. It was the result of repeating the hellish training of pushing his body to its limits and then healing it with Healing. "Whew." Zeke exhaled and said, "Status window open." Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Expert)] / Quick Step [D-rank (Expert)] "Hmm..." While practicing his swordsmanship, the Mutte skill had changed to Continuous sh after surpassing the expert level. Continuous sh was a higher-level skill with greater uracy than Mutte. ''I still don''t understand why only I can see this.'' Zeke shook his head at the thought that came to mind while looking at the status window. For now, he could only guess that it was rted to the ancient artifact he found in his past life. To reach the Ice Mountains where the ancient artifact was hidden, one needed to be at least a Blue Knight, so in his current situation, there was no information he could get about this status window. Zeke focused on the Karma Points. Perhaps he could learn more about the system if he eliminated magical beasts with mana and earned points. ''First, I need to regain my original skills.'' Knock!, knock! Someone knocked on the door of the private training room. "Come in." Decker entered. "Young master, they say we depart in two hours." Zeke nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll be out soon, so get ready." * * * Rumble! The carriages carrying the Cradle trainees began to move, escorted by the Draker n knights. The carriages were emzoned with the family crest. The Cradle was located within the ''Dragon''s Nest'' territory, where the main Draker household was located. The Dragon''s Nest was where the Draker n originated, and it held great symbolic significance. However, since the Duchy of Troy, where the main estate was located, was situated in the western part of the continent, the actual center of the family, the Four Seasons Castle, was located in Mind, the center of the continent. One of the reasons why the main house of the Draker n held such important symbolism was because of the ''Blessing Ceremony.'' And the carriages carrying the trainees were heading towards the main house of the Dragon yers for this ''Blessing Ceremony.'' Thud! The trainees who got off the carriages were all wearing ck ceremonial robes with the Draker n crest. Zeke also got off the carriage. ''It''s been a while.'' Zeke looked around the main building of the Draker n,monly known as the ''Lair,'' which had been preserved for over a thousand years. It was in this ce, where the founder Terakan was said to have been born and raised, that the legend of the Dragon yers began. The trainees moved to the hall where the Blessing Ceremony would be held. Creak! The door opened, revealing a massive hall. On the central wall of the hall was a depiction of the founder, Terakan Draker, striking down the evil Dragon Bahamut with his sword, its neck wrapped in chains. The hall was already filled with the n''s knights and retainers in uniform, waiting for the trainees. They were the parents and family members of the trainees who hade to witness the Blessing Ceremony. Zeke stood at the very back and looked around at the people in the hall. ''There are more faces I don''t recognize than those I do.'' Since he had been expelled from the n at the age of fifteen in his previous life, he hadn''t had the chance to see the Draker knights directly. He had actually learned more about the Draker n through news articles while wandering the continent. Perhaps among them were those who served as informants for the direct Draker descendantspeting for the position of the next family head. ''Well, they''ll soon lose interest once they realize I can''t awaken my aura.'' It was then that Zeke noticed someone. A red-haired man wearing a different uniform than the others and leather gloves.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeke''s heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of his chest. ''Why is he here...?'' It was Abel Draker, the second son of the Draker n''s direct descendants. As if sensing Zeke''s gaze, Abel turned his head, looked at him, and grinned. A genius among geniuses who had been promoted to Blue Knight at the young age of twenty, ten years ago. The supernova who was shaking the continent with the title of Lion Sword hade here in person. Zeke gulped as he looked at Abel. ''Lion Sword. No, the Knight of ughter...'' The Abel Draker he had seen in his past life was a figure who caused great upheaval not only in the Draker n but also on the continent. Zeke was nervous as he looked at Abel. ''Abel definitely didn''te here in my past life. Then... this means the future has changed because of me.'' It was a small change, but things were definitely changing little by littlepared to his past life. Just then, Pan Mark appeared, dressed in the family uniform. "The Blessing Ceremony will begin shortly!" At Pan''s shout, everyone in the hall moved towards the wall. Then the servants behind them brought something to the center of the hall. Thud! Thud! Thud! Arge object covered in cloth was ced in the center. At Pan''s gesture, the servants removed the cloth. Even though Zeke knew what it was, his eyes wavered when he actually saw it. ''To think I''d see that damn thing again.'' What was ced in the center of the hall was a giant bronze statue of a man in armor holding a sword. It was the Sword God Statue used in the Draker n''s Blessing Ceremony. Pan stood before the Sword God Statue and called out a name. "Aaron, step forward." The tall boy who was standing at the front of the children stepped forward. Aaron looked up at the Sword God Statue nervously. Then he slowly knelt on one knee and ced his hand in the bowl of water ced beneath the Sword God Statue. A sharp needle hidden under the bowl of water touched his palm. Woooong! The blood that flowed from the needle prick spread faintly, and the surface of the water rippled. At the same time, the bowl began to glow, and the Sword God Statue trembled. Rumble! Soon, a bluish light emanated from the sword. Aaron''s body was also enveloped in a blue aura. It was a sign that the Blessing Ceremony was sessful and he had awakened his aura. The descendants of the Draker n awakened their aura at the age of twelve through this blessing of aura. The aura awakening of the Draker n members was incredibly fast, considering that knights from ordinary families usually awakened their aura in their twenties. Thanks to this blessing of aura, the Draker n was able to raise strong knights faster than any other family on the continent. Following Aaron, other trainees also received the blessing of aura in front of the Sword God Statue. "Next, Reina. Step forward." It was Reina''s Turunn, and she also stepped forward and ced her hand in the bowl of water. Rumble! A blue light emanated from the sword of the Sword God Statue, as expected. It was a natural result for Reina, who had already awakened her aura and opened her lower dantian. It was then. Woooong! The blue light red even stronger. Then it quickly turned red. Gasps erupted from the observers. "Red light! A pure-blooded awakening!" Reina''s body was enveloped in a red light. The pure-blooded awakening, which only appeared in a select few among the Draker bloodline, was like a guarantee that they would grow to be stronger than a Blue Knight. Moreover, those with a pure-blooded awakening were granted special abilities. Crackle! With Reina''s awakening, the magicmps in the hall flickered. It was due to the influence of ''Mana Interference,'' a characteristic of the pure-blooded Dragon yer lineage. "Bring the gloves!" At Pan''smand, the servants brought temporary gloves to Reina. As Reina put on the gloves, the flickering stopped. Everyone in the hall, both observers and trainees, looked at Reina with awe. Reina Turunn was now able to use the name Reina Draker. Because she had proven herself to be a pure-blooded Draker. As Reina finished her awakening and stepped back from the Sword God Statue, Pan shouted, "Next! Zeke!" It was finally Zeke''s turn. Everyone in the hall focused their attention on Zeke. The youngest son of Arthur Draker, the current head of the n and one of the strongest on the continent. Statistically, the pure-blooded awakening was more likely to appear in the direct descendants of the n head who used the Draker name. Everyone watched Zeke standing before the Sword God Statue. ''To think I''d be standing here again.'' The terrible memories of his past life crept up on him. Zeke knelt and slowly ced his hand in the bowl of water. The sharp needle pricked his palm. Blood spread through the bowl of water. ''Whew...'' Everyone in the hall held their breath and focused on the Sword God Statue. Rumble! The Sword God Statue vibrated. If the Blessing Ceremony was sessful, a blue light would emanate from the sword. But then, something unbelievable happened. Thud! The Sword God Statue stopped vibrating without emitting any light. ''Damn it...'' Any descendant of the Draker n should receive the blessing of aura. The observers, witnessing this unprecedented phenomenon of the vibration stopping without the expected reaction, simply tilted their heads and watched the Sword God Statue. However, Zeke had experienced this situation in his past life. He had tried the ritual again with his other hand, but the blue light still didn''t appear. ''Is this life the same as well?'' He had a glimmer of hope that this life might be different from his past life. But the Sword God Statue didn''t ept him this time either. ''Damn it. Well, it doesn''t matter. There are plenty of ways to be stronger without awakening my aura.'' Just as Zeke was about to pull his hand out of the bowl, suppressing his bitterness, Woooong! Suddenly, the Sword God Statue began to vibrate differently than usual. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [The Appraisal Terminal has detected missing information required for ss appraisal.] [Entering ss information into the terminal with system authority.] ''What''s this?'' The administration system, visible only to the Sword God Statue and Zeke, was interacting. Woooong! The entire Sword God Statue vibrated even more violently. [ss appraisal information entryplete.] Suddenly, light emanated from the eyes of the Sword God Statue. The observers, witnessing this unprecedented phenomenon, looked bewildered. [The terminal has appraised the user''s talent as a ''Healer.''] [Confirmed that the ss has already been opened.] [Determining the acquired ss as a Rare grade.] Whoosh! A red light flickered from the sword of the Sword God Statue. ''Red light?'' A red light flickering from the Draker n''s Sword God Statue signified a pure-blooded awakening. Usually, a blue light appeared and then changed to red, but it was the first time a red light appeared from the start. The observers murmured at the sight of the red light from the Sword God Statue. And at that moment, new letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 7 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 7 A series of messages appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [The ''Blessing of the Elder Dragon'' engraved on the user''s soul is activated in conjunction with the terminal.] [The bloodline talent ''Warrior''s Blood'' awakens.] [The awakened talentsbine.] [A new ss has been formed through the rarebination of talents.] [Awakening the talent of the Unique ss ''Immortal''.] Woooong! The red light of the Sword God Statue suddenly turned gold, and at the same time, Zeke''s body was enveloped in a golden light. And then, messages quickly appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [ss skill ''Healing'' transforms into passive skill ''Healing Factor''.] [ss skill ¡®Composed Mind'' transforms into passive skill ''Unyielding Mental Defense''.] [ss skill ''Health Regeneration'' transforms into passive skill ''Infinite Stamina''.] [ss skill ''Heightened Senses'' transforms into passive skill ''Combat Senses''.] Zeke read the messages that were popping up incessantly. ''My ss and skills have changed?'' [Due to the bloodline talent, you have be ''Magic Repellent''.] [The ''Magic Repellent'' trait is enhanced by a skill due to the ss characteristic.] [The enhanced trait transforms into the skill ''Mana Reflection (A-rank)''.] [Unique ss Special Skill ''Area of Effect Buff (A-rank)'' granted.] [100 Karma Points granted as a Unique ss Special Reward.] Zeke was startled. ''Trait enhancement? Unique ss Special Skill? What is all this?'' As Zeke read the messages, the golden light subsided, and the observers were thrown into confusion. "G-golden light?" "What in the world happened?" "I-is this... really a pure-blooded awakening?" The entire hall was in an uproar. Everyone was speechless at the Sword God Statue''s reaction, which waspletely different from the usual Draker awakening. It was then. p! p! p! Abel Draker, who had been watching the ceremony from behind, pped his hands. Then he shouted, "What are you doing! Quickly bring the gloves for our youngest!" Gloves that blocked Mana Interference ability symbolized a pure-blooded awakened. Abel Draker, a direct descendant and a pure-blooded awakened, had acknowledged Zeke as a pure-blooded awakened as well. Hearing Abel''s words, Pan was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Bring the gloves." The servants hurriedly brought Zeke a pair of gloves. Rough leather gloves with no pattern. A proper pair of gloves would be made for him when he entered the academy. Zeke slowly picked up the temporary gloves and put them on. He felt the weight of the heavy gloves. As Zeke was about to return to his ce, Abel approached him. "Congrattions on your pure-blooded awakening, little brother."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Abel extended his hand to Zeke. Zeke looked at Abel''s outstretched hand and recalled what had happened in his past life. Abel Draker, the Knight of ughter. The war he ignited eventually came back around andpletely changed Zeke''s life. Because of it, Zeke lost the person most precious to him. Zeke unconsciously clenched his fist as he looked at Abel''s outstretched hand. "This is rather awkward." Abel lowered his hand and looked down at Zeke. Zeke sensed a calm madness hidden in Abel''s eyes. Abel smiled at Zeke. "Let''s meet again." He turned around and left the hall. Zeke watched Abel''s retreating figure and clenched his fist. ''Abel, I don''t know what you''re up to, but I won''t go down easily.'' * * * After the Blessing Ceremony, a grand party was held for the trainees who hadpleted the Cradle. All the trainees in this batch had received the blessing of aura, and two had even achieved a pure-blooded awakening. Everyone who attended the Blessing Ceremony talked about Reina and Zeke''s awakening. In particr, Zeke''s golden light was an unprecedented phenomenon, so everyone was very interested. But Zeke, who was practically the main character of the party, wasn''t there. He had slipped away to his room as soon as the party started. "Whew..." Zeke entered his room and threw off the stuffy ceremonial robe. Perhaps because it was a room for a pure-blooded awakened, it was decorated with luxurious furniture. It was a ce that Zeke in his past life couldn''t have even imagined. ''It''s good to be a pure-blooded awakened.'' Zeke took off the gloves he was wearing. And he held his hand up to the magicmp. But even when he waved his hand, there was nothing unusual about the magicmp. ''That''s strange.'' All pure-blooded Drakers had the ''Mana Interference'' ability. An ability that proved they were the natural enemies of dragons, the creatures of mana. Because of this ability, pure-blooded Drakers couldn''t live a normal life without gloves. But even though Zeke was recognized as a pure-blooded awakened, this Mana Interference ability wasn''t activated. "Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Expert)] / Quick Step [D-rank (Expert)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff [A-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Karma Points Held: 100 The contents of the status window werepletely different from before. "Immortal. Unique." Before the Blessing Ceremony, Zeke''s ss was Healer, and his grade was Rare. Zeke had a hunch. ''The terminal said that the identification information needed for ss appraisal was lost, and the system forcibly entered it.'' This meant that the Sword God Statue had limitations in identifying sses. Zekepared his reaction to that of the other awakened ones and realized the true nature of the Blessing Ceremony. "Damn it. Of course it wouldn''t react to the Healer ss, since it''s a tool that can only identify Warrior sses." Zeke gritted his teeth, remembering the hardships he had endured in his past life. The Sword God Statue used in the Blessing Ceremony was an ancient artifact that had been used since the generations before Terakan, the founder of the n. Its origins and functions were not properly known. Only the form that blue light meant normal awakening and red light meant pure-blooded awakening had been passed down. If the Sword God Statue in his past life had been able to identify the Healer''s awakening, it would have definitely emitted a red light in response to the Rare grade. Zeke recalled that his light had changed from red to golden during the Blessing Ceremony. "It seems that the golden light appeared because I changed from a Rare ss Healer to a Unique ss Immortal." Zeke checked the new skills he had acquired. "The skills I received as Unique ss privileges are A-rank. That means they must be quite effective." Zeke first looked at the descriptions of the ''Mana Reflection'' and ''Area of Effect Buff'' skills. ¡ªMana Reflection: Creates a distortion field that nullifies surrounding mana. ¡ªArea of Effect Buff: Allows the caster to transfer their skills to multiple targets within range. "Magic nullification and wide-range skill transfer?" With his abundantbat experience, Zeke could think of dozens of strategies to use these two skills to outwit his enemies. He wore a satisfied expression. "If I use them here, the magicmps will all explode, so I''ll have to test their effects quietlyter. And let''s see, I received 100 Karma Points as a privilege." He had 100 points received as a privilege for awakening to a Unique ss. Zeke looked at the Draconian Skill category, which was marked as unavable, and selected it. [Do you want to use points to unlock Draconian Skills?] ''What should I do?'' He thought about it for a moment, but since there was nowhere else to use the Karma Points, he chose to use them. Ding! [Draconian Skills unlocked. You can now view the skill list.] Zeke checked the Dragon Skill status window. ¡ªDraconian Skills Level 1¡ª Dragon Eyes (Locked - 20 points) / Dragon''s Majesty (Locked - 30 points) / Gluttony (Locked - 50 points) (50 Karma Points required to unlock Level 2 skills) "What''s this?" He had high expectations for the Draconian Skills, but something was strange. ''Is it because they''re Level 1 skills?'' Zeke pressed the skill descriptions. ¡ªDraconian Skills Level 1 Information¡ª Dragon Eyes: Allows you to see more clearly and examine the opponent''s information in detail. (20 points required to unlock) Dragon''s Majesty: Allows you to subdue enemies with your overwhelming presence. (30 points required to unlock) Gluttony: Allows you to eat and digest a lot. (50 points required to unlock) "Hmm...?" It seemed that all three skills required more points to be unlocked and used. ''But what''s thatst skill?'' He could somewhat understand Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty, but Gluttony waspletely iprehensible. "Why does eating and digesting a lot require more points to unlock than other skills?" It seemed like he wouldn''t know exactly what kind of abilities they had until he tried using them. Zeke contemted as he looked at the three skills. Having already spent 10 points to view the Draconian Skills, he had 90 points left. ''First, I''ll unlock Dragon Eyes... and then it''s between Majesty and Gluttony.'' He couldn''t unlock all three because he was 10 points short. Even if he unlocked only Dragon Eyes and spent 50 points to view Level 2 skills, it seemed like he wouldn''t be able to learn them without more points. After some thought, Zeke chose Majesty over Gluttony. "I can unlock Gluttony... after I catch some monsters." Zeke opened the Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty skill windows and pressed unlock. [Do you want to unlock the Dragon Skill, Dragon Eyes?] [Do you want to unlock the Dragon Skill, Dragon''s Majesty?] ''Yes, unlock both.'' The screen changed instantly. Draconian Skills (Level 1 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) Karma Points Held: 40 Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty appeared in the Draconian Skills section. Zeke looked at the two skills and pondered. "But... how do I test these?" Unsure, Zeke activated Dragon Eyes. [Dragon Eyes activated.] Zeke''s vision changed instantly. ''Huh?'' It was apletely different feeling from what he normally saw. He turned his head to look at a dark area, and the previously invisible area turned green, allowing him to distinguish the shapes of objects. "Wow, what is this?" It was an ability that allowed him to see beyond the range of human vision. Just then, Zeke noticed something. [Do you want to check the detected object information?] ''What''s object information? Let''s see.'' [Chair made during the Lubern dynasty] [Decorative candlestick made in the Sicron region] [Olive wood desk made in the Misok region] As he looked at the objects in the room, information about them was automatically disyed. "Oh my god. How is this possible?" Just then, his vision returned to normal, as if the Dragon Eyes'' duration had ended. Zeke felt a sudden wave of fatigue. "Hmm... the cost is high because the performance is good." Considering the fatigue, there was a limit to how many times he could use it per day. "Let''s see, next is Dragon''s Majesty." Zeke endured the dizziness and activated Dragon''s Majesty. [Dragon''s Majesty activated.] Wooong! A faint wave emanated from Zeke''s body and spread in all directions. "Is this Dragon''s Majesty?" Zeke stood in his room and examined the range of the wave. The effective range was about 3 meters, and it was difficult to measure the full extent of the faintly spreading wave beyond the room. The skill deactivated as if the wave had spread to its limit. "Does this wave create a sense of intimidation?" The problem was that there were no enemies, so he couldn''t tell the skill''s effect. It was then. Bursting open! Decker rushed into Zeke''s room with a hardened expression. He was holding a small dagger in his hand. "D-Decker? What''s going on?" Decker shouted as he shielded Zeke, "Young master, get down! There''s an intruder!" Zeke was startled by Decker''s reaction. Decker raised his senses, trying to find traces of the energy he had just felt. But he couldn''t sense any energy anywhere. ''What''s going on? I definitely felt a terrifying presence from this direction.'' Through Decker''s reaction, Zeke could indirectly experience the power of Dragon''s Majesty. ''If Decker, a Blue Knight, reacts like this... I can probably subdue most small fries with this.'' Decker, unable to find any trace of the intruder, eventually said he would strengthen the surrounding security and left the room. Zeke broke out in a cold sweat after Decker left. "Whew, I can''t use this skill carelessly." He felt a wave of fatigue after using Dragon''s Majesty as well. "At this rate, I can''t use the skills many times." No matter how powerful the skills were, if the number of times he could use them was limited, it was no different from a picture of a cake. But just then, letters appeared before his eyes again. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 8 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 8 [Passive skill Healing Factor activated.] [Passive skill Infinite Stamina activated.] A warm energy spread through Zeke''s body. "Huh? My body suddenly feels refreshed?" The fatigue suddenly disappeared. It was the same refreshing feeling he used to feel whenever he used Healing when he was exhausted. Zeke moved his body around. "What is this?" Zeke checked the skill information, which had changed from active skills to passive skills. ¡ªPassive Skill Description¡ª Healing Factor: Automatically heals the body''s wounds. (Always active)N?v(el)B\\jnn Unyielding Mental Defense: Defends against all status abnormalities caused by external factors and keeps the mind calm. (Always active) Infinite Stamina: Infinite stamina allows for immediate recovery from fatigue. (Always active) Combat Senses: Danger perception is maximized, and cognitive speed increases duringbat. (Always active) Zeke''s jaw dropped after reading the skill descriptions. "Oh my god." Not only were the skills stronger than when he was a Healer, but they were also always active. Zeke especially paid attention to the Healing Factor. "Automatically heals the body? Doesn''t this mean infinite healing?" He had tried to achieve a simr effect with Healing in his past life, but he had failed. This was because there was a significant cooldown time between uses of Healing, and it was difficult topletely heal all wounds with Healing alone. Zeke decided to test Healing Factor. He took out the dagger he had put in his pocket. "Whew." Zeke gripped the sharpened dagger and shed his palm. sh! Red blood flowed from his palm. Zeke tilted his head, looking at the dripping blood. "Huh? What''s this? Does the skill not activate if I inflict the wound myself?" Zeke wondered and pressed the wound to stop the bleeding. Then he suddenly noticed something strange. "Huh?" There was no wound where the blood was flowing. It was so clean that he couldn''t even tell he had been cut. [Skill Healing Factor activated.] The system notification couldn''t keep up with the speed of the wound healing. Zeke decided to make a bigger wound. He shed his forearm with the dagger. His skin split open. But at the same time it split, the wound closed and returned to its original state. "Crazy... what kind of cheat ability is this?" Zeke, who had lived a rough life in his past life, fighting with swords, could fully appreciate how overpowered his ability was. He finally understood the meaning of his ss name. "Immortal." It was the perfect ss name for his abilities. Zeke stood up. He picked up the ymore leaning against the wall and muttered, "With this level of ability, I can move my ns forward by about three years." Zeke''s eyes gleamed. It was possible to graduate from the academy after five years if you passed the exam. However, those with exceptional abilities could apply for early graduation. Zeke swung his ymore and smiled. "That academy? I''ll graduate within two years." * * * Unlike the Cradle, which was located within the Dragon''s Nest, the academy was located in the heart of the capital of the Duchy of Troy. The Duchy of Troy, famous for the legend of the Dragon yers, was located in the western part of the continent and was the territory of the Draker n. The Draker n''s academy, founded by the family''s founder, Terakan Draker, was the continent''s best knight school, boasting a long tradition. Therefore, not everyone could enter the Draker Academy. Only those who received a special letter of rmendation from the Draker n, their retainers, or those rted to the family could enroll. And since it was a ce where the children of influential people across the continent wanted to enter even if it meant paying a fortune, the capital of the Duchy of Troy, although small in size, was as bustling as the capital of the Empire. And the time when this decent capital became especially lively was February, when the new semester of the Draker Academy began. Rumble! On the day the new semester started, carriages carrying students from all over the continent flocked to the academy. The central za of the academy was filled with new students as well as upperssmen. They were all wearing ck cadet uniforms modeled after the Draker n uniform, and the upperssmen of the academy were already well-built and muscr, almost like adults. "They''reing." Rumble! At someone''s words, ck carriages entered the academy in a line. The gathered students watched the ck carriages with tense expressions. ck carriages with the Dragon yer Emblem. They were the carriages carrying the new students from the Cradle. The ck carriages lined up in a row and stopped at one side of the central za. Then, the doors opened, and the new students from the Cradle disembarked one by one. Both the upperssmen and the new students watched them with nervous expressions. The Cradle graduates, who had undergone harsh training from a young age and were now entering the academy, were on a different level from ordinary students. They were all directly or indirectly rted to the Draker n and had awakened their aura through the Blessing Ceremony. They were starting from a different starting line. As if to emphasize this, the Cradle graduates were wearing ceremonial robes with the Dragon yer Emblem, unlike the ordinary students. Those who entered the academy from outside looked at them with awe. Then, Reina Turunn, now able to use the name Reina Draker, appeared. Thud! As Reina got off the carriage, dozens of students from the Turunn n, who had been waiting on one side of the za, approached her and knelt. "We greet Reina Draker!" They emphasized the name "Draker." Reina looked down at them and nodded slightly. The Turunn n students stood up, straightened their backs, and stood behind Reina. She then led the dozens of students into the academy building. The children of influential ns, such as Jakenn Vardec, Leon Conrad, and Owen Siemens, already had their factions established in the school before they even entered. Just then, the door of thest carriage opened. All eyes in the za turned towards it. The person who emerged from the carriage was Zeke Draker. The youngest son of the n head, Arthur Draker, and the rumor that he was a pure-blooded awakened had already spread throughout the academy. Surprisingly, Zeke Draker wasn''t wearing the n''s ceremonial robes. He looked around the academy za, dressed in casual clothes with a massive ymore slung over his shoulder, and stepped down. "Whew... how long has it been since I''ve been here?" In his past life, he had been expelled from the academy at the age of fifteen and wandered the continent. Seeing the familiar scenery of the academy building brought back the pain of the past. Zeke walked across the za with his ymore slung over his shoulder. It was a ce so vast and maze-like that neers would get lost, but that didn''t apply to Zeke. He skillfully found his assigned dormitory. "Hmm. It''s good to be a pure-blooded awakened. I never thought I''d get the tinum Floor." Pure-blooded awakened were given an entire floor of a luxury mansion to use during their time at the academy. And the floor master was provided with various benefits, including exclusive maids and servants, a private training room, a lounge, a swimming pool, a sauna, and a reading room. Zeke walked towards the tinum Mansion, the luxury dormitory, instead of the ordinary dormitory. It boasted a splendid exterior,parable to a 5-star hotel in Mind or the Dorta Republic, and disciplined staff that exuded elegance. It was a ce he couldn''t have imagined in his past life when he used the ordinary shared dormitory. As he approached the mansion, one of the staff members walked towards him. "Wee, Master Zeke Draker. We''ve been waiting for you." Zeke entered the mansion, guided by the staff member. He boarded the mana-powered elevator. "Please be sure to wear your gloves, as there may be problems with the elevator for pure-blooded awakened." Zeke nodded, and the staff member operated the elevator. His assigned floor was the 4th floor. Ding! As the elevator doors opened, the servants and maids who managed the 4th floor lined up and greeted Zeke. "Wee, Master!" Zeke was flustered by the sight, something he had never experienced in his past life, but he pretended to be nonchnt. Then, the elderly head servant approached Zeke and bowed politely. "It is an honor to serve you, Master Zeke. If you wish, I can guide you on how to use the tinum Floor." Zeke waved his hand. "Thank you, but I''ll take the tourter. Where is my luggage?" "Master Zeke''s luggage has been organized in your room." "Lead the way to my room." Zeke followed the head servant to his room. The entire floor was Zeke''s space, so it seemed to be several hundred square meters. The head servant opened the door, revealing a room no different from a luxury hotel suite. "Huh..." It was a glimpse of the power of the Draker n, who spared no expense in investing in talented individuals. "If you need anything, please ring the bell anytime, Master Zeke." Zeke asked the head servant, who was about to leave, "Where''s Decker?" "Decker has gone to the academy administration office to process your enrollment, Master Zeke." "Tell him toe see me when he returns." "Yes, sir." As the head servant left, Zeke slowly looked around the room, which was as spacious as a training ground. ''I could actually train here.'' He muttered to himself and then walked to one side of the room and opened a luxurious wardrobe made of walnut. Inside, there were a dozen uniforms that fit him perfectly. Zeke clicked his tongue. ''Are they rolling in money? The more I see, the more I realize this family is crazy.'' Before Zeke could finish looking around the room, Decker returned with a small box bearing the Dragon yer Emblem. Zeke immediately realized what it was. "Are those the gloves?" "Yes, sir. Please open it." Zeke opened the lid of the box Decker was holding. A pair of ck gloves with the Draker n crest was inside. "Gloves made of dragon leather." To block Mana Interference, alchemically treated dragon leather was required. As a Dragon yer family, the Draker n had thergest collection of dragon-rted items on the continent. He took off the temporary gloves and put on the new ones. The gloves, which seemed small, surprisingly fit his hands perfectly as if they were a second skin. Zeke clenched and unfurled his gloved hands, checking the fit. "They''re light? And incredibly soft. It feels like I''m not even wearing gloves." Unlike the heavy and ufortable temporary gloves, the official gloves were extremelyfortable. Decker closed the box and ced it aside, saying, "Now that you are a pure-blooded awakened, you must wear them at all times." Although Zeke''s Magic Repellent trait had been enhanced into the Magic Reflection skill, removing the constant activation effect, the gloves of a pure-blooded awakened still had many benefits. Decker asked Zeke, "By the way, why were you looking for me?" Zeke picked up the ymore leaning against the wall with his gloved hand. "This. I need a new one made." He could continue using the ymore he brought from the Cradle, but it had its limitations as a training weapon. The Duchy of Troy had an abundance of high-quality iron and skilled artisans, so most academy students had their first weapons made here. Decker nodded. "Understood. Then I will search for a suitable artisan." Zeke shook his head. "No, I''ve already found one." He took out a note from his pocket and handed it to Decker. "Find this person and make an appointment. I''ll go in person." Decker tilted his head at the note Zeke handed him. "Is he a famous artisan worthy of you going in person, young master? I don''t think I''ve ever seen that name before." "He''s not famous now. The reason I''m going in person is... well, it''s hard to exin. Just make the appointment first." Although Decker seemed to find it strange, he nodded. "Understood. I''ll let you know as soon as the appointment is made. Also, sses start tomorrow. I''ve ced the materials for new students on the desk, so please be sure to familiarize yourself with them." Zeke clicked his tongue as he looked at Decker. "Always nagging. Alright, I''ll train after dinner, so book the training ground for me." Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "Have you forgotten where you are, young master?" "Huh? This is the tinum Floor... Ah, that''s right. They said there''s a private training room here too." Zeke nodded with satisfaction. ''With a private training room... I can practice the Dragon Skills more freely.'' It was then. At the sudden knock, Decker went to check and saw the head servant entering the room. "Master Zeke. There''s a message from another Floor Master." "A message? From whom?" The head servant handed Zeke a note and said, "It''s a message from Miss Reina Draker, the master of the 6th floor." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 9 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 9 Zeke went up to the top floor where the tinum Floor''s exclusive lounge was located. He was guided by a servant to the lounge, where Reina Draker was already seated. Behind Reina stood several upperssmen who followed the Turunn n. Seeing that, Zeke scoffed inwardly. ''Do they think they''re cartel members?'' To Zeke, it looked like child''s y. At Reina''s gesture, the Turunn n cadets stepped back. Zeke sat opposite Reina. "I apologize. My family members are a bit... entric." Reina had grown out her shaved head from the Cradle days into a short-cut. Wearing the Draker cadet uniform and the gloves symbolizing a pure-blooded awakening, she looked like the epitome of a Draker knight. ''Amazing.'' Zeke sensed the energy emanating from Reina and realized that she had already opened her lower dantian and begun aura cultivation. Once again, Zeke felt that the Draker n was a den of monsters. "Why did you call me?" Zeke asked Reina directly. He hadn''t refused the invitation out of curiosity about the sh Knight, who was the strongest among the knights of his generation in his past life, but he didn''t want to waste time on trivial matters. Just then, the servants started bringing in the prepared food. tes piled with thick steaks were ced in front of Reina and Zeke. "Let''s talk while we eat." Zeke was slightly surprised to see the massive amount of steak ced in front of Reina. ''Is she going to eat all that by herself?'' He wasn''t a small eater himself, but Reina''s appetite was beyondmon sense. She tore the bloody steak into chunks and shoved them into her mouth. She finished a whole piece of steak in an instant. Reina, seeing Zeke staring at her eating instead of touching the steak in front of him, asked, "What''s wrong?" "No, it''s nothing. So why did you call me?" Reina wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. I won''t beat around the bush. ept the sponsorship of the Turunn n." epting sponsorship meant bing a member of the Turunn n. Zeke clicked his tongue at Reina''s words. "You called me just to say that? I''m disappointed." "It''s not easy to graduate from the academy without a sponsor n. Especially if you''re aiming for Valha." Valha. It was the highest educational institution located in As, thergest city in Mind, the heart of the Central Continent. Like the academy they were currently in, Valha was also run by the Draker n. Valha was the best knight training institution, and just entering it guaranteed one''s future. Over 70% of the knightmanders in the kingdoms located in the Central Continent were from Valha. And not all Draker descendants could enter Valha. Only the best of the best could enter. Zeke looked at Reina and said, "Did you think I wouldn''t be able to enter Valha because I don''t have a maternal n to give me pocket money?" The direct descendants, including Zeke, were all half-siblings with different mothers. In the case of Abel Draker, the second son, his mother was from the Siemens n, so he was sponsored by that n. Simrly, while other direct descendants had powerful families backing them, Zeke had no maternal n to support him. His mother had died of illness when he was young, and there was nothing he could learn about her, as if she didn''t belong to any noteworthy n. Therefore, it was impossible for him to receive support from any faction rted to his mother. Knowing that Zeke had no sponsor n, Reina was the first to offer the support of the Turunn n. Reina continued speaking as she chewed and swallowed her steak. "The Turunn n''s sponsorship wouldn''t be a bad offer. Unless you already have another n to support you." Reina wasn''t wrong. The Turunn n was one of the main retainer families of the Draker n. The Power of Turunn. The Knowledge of Siemens. The Wealth of Valdec. As one of the three families supporting the Drakers, the Turunn n''s power would undoubtedly be of great help to Zeke''s growth. But Zeke firmly refused Reina''s offer. "No. It''s the same with any n. I don''t feel the need to be sponsored." Reina, who had been continuing her meal, was surprised and stopped at Zeke''s blunt refusal. She hadn''t expected Zeke to refuse her offer. Seeing Reina like that, Zeke recalled his memories of the Turunn n. ''If I get involved with the Turunns here, I could be tied down for life.'' Another way to describe the Turunn n was the Tenacity of Turunn. With their unique organizational skills and unwavering loyalty, the Turunn n never let go of a target once they set their sights on it. There was a reason why the Turunn n had been in charge of the Draker¡¯s infamous pursuit unit, the ''Chase Squad,'' for generations. For Zeke, who wanted to graduate from the academy quickly, take what he needed from Valha, and leave the Draker n, the Turunns were more like chains that would bind him than reliable sponsors. ''I''m curious about the Turunn n''s secret techniques, but even if I learn them, I''ll lose more than I gain.'' Reina, who had already finished the steak on her te, looked at Zeke and said, "You never cease to amaze me, Zeke Draker." "There will be more surprises in the future." Zeke got up to leave but then stopped. He turned to Reina and said, "Reina Draker, let me give you some advice out of goodwill." Reina looked at Zeke. "Your current swordsmanship is too rigid. In my opinion, your strength isn''t in brute force, but in the flexibility thates from your uniquely resilient body. There''s no need to force yourself to be strong like other men. If you utilize your flexibility, you can be several times stronger than you are now." Reina stared nkly at Zeke''s words. Zeke was the first person to give her such direct advice, even though she had been known as a genius since childhood. Zeke, having given his advice, left the lounge. Reina, left alone in the lounge, finally came to her senses and pondered Zeke''s words. "I was conscious of other men?" It was something she had never thought about before. The Turunn n was symbolized by strength. So Reina had simply followed that n tradition. ''No, maybe I was unconsciously aware of it.'' A genius was different. Reina acknowledged her shorings as soon as she recognized them. She quickly grasped the opportunity to be stronger. She looked at the entrance of the lounge where Zeke had disappeared. ''Zeke Draker. What do you see with those eyes?'' * * * The next day, the first sses of the academy semester began. The ss Zeke was assigned to was called the ''Special ss,'' where the most outstanding elites were gathered. He walked around the campus, looking around. ''Ha, it''s been a while.'' In his past life, this ce was filled with only bad memories, but aftering back as a pure-blooded awakened, this ce felt like heaven. ''As expected, it''s good to have power and authority.'' Unlike the ce where ordinary students took sses, the Special ss had its own separate building. He had never been to this ce in his past life, so he climbed the stairs with curious eyes. He saw the Special ss building as he reached the top of the stairs. ''So that''s the building.'' It was smaller than the building for ordinary students, which amodated thousands, but considering it was a building exclusively for the Special ss, which had only a few hundred students, it was enormous. Just as Zeke was about to enter the building, "Zeke Draker." A voice called out to him. Zeke turned around. "Owen." Owen Siemens was there with a few other students. Judging from their uniforms, they were wearing badges symbolizing the Siemens n. It seemed they were cadets belonging to the Siemens n. They red at Zeke with wary eyes. Zeke scoffed inwardly. ''Already forming cliques? This damn family is rotten to the core, even the kids.'' Looking around, most of the Special ss students, whether in small orrge groups, had formed their own factions. The only one alone was Zeke. Owen approached Zeke. He slowly opened his mouth. "I invited you to dinner yesterday, but you didn''t reply. Did you not receive the message?" Zeke said to Owen, "No, I received it." Owen asked in a calm voice, "Then why didn''t you reply?" Zeke replied, "You''re a funny guy. Do I have to reply to every single dinner invitation you send?" At Zeke''s sharp retort, one of the upperssmen from the Siemens n stepped forward. He was a guy with muscles bulging beneath his uniform. "That seems quite rude to the young master''s kindness." Zeke said to him, "Who are you?" The guy frowned and said, "Huh. A new student doesn''t know me? This is..." Zeke didn''t want to waste any more words and simply turned around. It was then. Whoosh! A hand strike flew towards Zeke. He reflexively reached out and caught it. Woong! ''Aura?'' The hand strike was imbued with aura. Zeke blocked the strike with his hand, then used Quick Step to retreat. "How''s that? Feeling a bit more alert now?" The upperssman who had thrown the hand strike said confidently, loosening his hand. "My name is Durban Roswell. Here, I''m called Durban the sher. I''m the one who will teach you some manners on behalf of Master Owen." ''Durban the sher?'' He wondered why a student who wasn''t even a knight was using a title. Zeke looked at Owen, who was standing behind Durban, with disbelief. Owen, far from stopping Durban, was observing Zeke''s reaction. ''So this is how you''re going to y it.'' He didn''t like the way Owen was scheming behind the scenes, typical of the Siemens n. Zeke clenched his fist and said, "I''m your manners injection today. Brace yourselves." Zeke''s figure vanished in an instant. Swish! Zeke weaved through Durban''s guard and closed in. Durban saw Zeke''s fist flying towards his abdomen and smiled confidently. ''How cute. A freshman''s punch.'' Durban focused his aura on his abdomen. His steel-like abs, reinforced with aura, became as hard as an iron te. It was obvious that a freshman''s punch would shatter against it. Whoosh! ''Huh?'' Durban doubted his ears. The sound was strange.N?v(el)B\\jnn Zeke''s fist, which had cut through the air,nded squarely on Durban''s abdomen. Crash! Crack! "Gah!" Durban felt as if his entire abdomen had been ripped out. Zeke''s attack, now in full swing, didn''t stop. He used Quick Step to close the distance and then spun to the other side, delivering a low kick to Durban''s thigh. Whoosh! Crash! The same sound as before rang out. "Ugh..." Durban copsed, unable to stand from the impact that sent his thigh throbbing. Zeke''s attack was so fast that Durban couldn''t even attempt to protect his thigh with aura. Durban''s face turned pale blue. "Is it... broken?" Zeke approached the copsed Durban, clenching his fists tightly. Durban waved his hand in panic. "W-wait!" But it was Durban who had started the trouble in the first ce. Zeke had no reason to hold back for his sake. "Durban, the ''sher''? What a load of crap!" With Durban''s ribs cracked and his thigh bone shattered, Zeke stomped on him mercilessly. Owen and the other senior cadets stood silently, merely observing Zeke''s brutal assault. After thoroughly beating Durban, Zeke pressed hard on his injured leg. "Aaaagh!" Durban''s screams echoed throughout the special division''s training yard. The other cadet groups nearby watched the scene with interest. Zeke turned to Owen and said, "Who''s backing Durban the sher? Hurry up ande out¡ªI''m busy." Owen nced at the fallen Durban before turning his head away. He addressed Zeke with a cold tone. "Zeke Draker, you''re bing insufferably arrogant." Zeke scowled at him, his expression filled with disdain. "Save it, you pompous old geezer." Owen stared at Zeke intently for a moment before silently leading the other senior cadets from the Siemens group into the special division''s building. Durban, abandoned,y groaning at Zeke''s feet. Clicking his tongue, Zeke watched Owen''s retreating figure. "Those Siemens bastards¡ªeveryst one of them is unbearable." By now, Durban was crawling away, dragging his legs behind him. Seeing this, Zeke casually approached and delivered a swift kick to Durban''s side. "Aaaagh!" Durban''s scream once again reverberated across the training yard. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 10 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 10 Zeke entered the Special ss building after easily defeating Durban the sher. In his past life, he couldn''t even awaken his aura, so he was at the bottom of the ordinary ss, let alone the Special ss. The cadets in the ordinary ss had to follow a strict schedule. They had to move ording to a tightly packed timetable from morning tillte at night. The instructors'' teaching policy was that if youcked talent, you should make up for it with effort. Thanks to this, Zeke, who couldn''t awaken his aura and had poor stamina, had to struggle to keep up with the sses. ''I really wanted to die back then.'' Zeke recalled his past and headed to the Special ss homeroom. He gaped at the luxuriously decorated homeroom, something he couldn''t have imagined when he was in the ordinary ss. There were even high-quality desks prepared for each student in the spacious room. Zeke found the desk with his name on it and sat down. He looked to his side and saw Reina, whom he had met yesterday, sitting upright with a straight back. Looking around, it seemed like about half of the students were from the Cradle, including Owen, Jakenn, and Leon. The rest were talented students who had been trained by their respective families. As Zeke was looking around and assessing the other students, someone entered the homeroom. At the same time, all the cadets stood up. It was none other than the academy''s headmaster, who entered with their homeroom instructor. Reina, the representative of their batch, shouted loudly, "Salute the Headmaster!" The cadets all saluted the Headmaster in unison. The Headmaster, with his impressive Kaiser moustache, epted the cadets'' salute with a friendly smile. All the other cadets were looking at the Headmaster with respect. Except for one person, Zeke. ''It''s been a while, Howard Draker.'' Howard Draker, the war hero who made a contribution by participating in the Eastern Empire invasion war 20 years ago. Zeke knew his other side. ''A petty man who only engages in conspiracies while wearing the mask of a hero.'' Above all, he was the one who cruelly expelled Zeke from the academy in his past life. Zeke gritted his teeth as he watched Howard give his speech. ''I will repay you someday.'' While he was grinding his teeth, Howard Draker finished his speech, and the cadets gave him a standing ovation. The Headmaster left, and the homeroom instructor gave a brief announcement. Unlike the ordinary ss, the Special ss was allowed to create their own schedules by choosing the subjects they wanted. It was a clear privilegepared to the ordinary ss. But there was still a mandatory ss they had to attend. The Special ss cadets moved to the training ground together for their firstmon ss. As expected of an academy created by the Draker family, their first ss was a practical one, not a theoretical one. It was time to learn the basics of the ''Dragon yer Technique.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om About a hundred new Special ss cadets lined up in the vast training ground. Just then, someone entered the training ground. Step! Step! A knight from the main Draker household, wearing the official uniform embroidered with the Dragon yer Emblem, appeared. The Special ss students had slightly puzzled expressions at the sight of the unexpectedly young knight. But Zeke gasped when he saw the knight who entered. ''The Red-Eyed Knight...! I never thought I''d see Andrei here.'' Andrei Draker. He hadn''t undergone a pure-blooded awakening, but with his outstanding talent, he graduated early from the academy, graduated from Valha with excellent grades, and immediately became a knight of the main family. In his past life, Andrei attained enlightenment in his early thirties and became a Red Knight. He earned the title of Red-Eyed Knight because the red aura that formed on his sword resembled an eye. ''To think they''re using a knight from the main family as a basic training instructor.'' It showed how much attention the Draker n was paying to the Special ss. Andrei spoke as soon as he stood in front of the students. "Everyone, draw your swords." His voice was filled with authority, unlike his gentle-looking face. The students obediently drew their swords. It was then that Andrei noticed something. "Cadet. What is that sword?" Andrei pointed at Zeke''s sword. Zeke twirled his ymore and said, "As you can see, it''s a sword." Andrei said, "Step forward." The atmosphere instantly turned heavy. Zeke stepped forward with his ymore. Andrei looked down at Zeke and said, "Do you not understand what I mean, cadet?" Zeke was starting to get annoyed by Andrei''s condescending tone. ''This bastard, with every word...'' A message suddenly popped up. [Skill Unyielding Mental Defense activated.] Perhaps due to the skill''s effect, his anger subsided, and his mind calmed down. ''Alright, since things havee to this...'' He looked Andrei straight in the eye and said, "I said it''s a sword, what''s wrong with that?" The cadets in the training ground felt a sudden tingling sensation on their skin. It was because the faint killing intent of a Blue Knight had spread throughout the training ground. Zeke clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at Andrei. ''He still needs more training. To be provoked by a kid''s words and use his killing intent like that.'' Provocations from enemies weremon in actual battles. Even a skilled knight could be killed by a lower-ranked knight if they were agitated and couldn''t utilize their full potential. Andrei slowly drew his sword and said to Zeke, "Cadet, if your sword even grazes my body, I will forgive your disrespect and exempt you from basic training." Zeke was surprised by those words. ''Exempt me from basic training?'' It was a wee offer for Zeke. The basic Dragon yer Technique training wasn''t very useful to him, as he needed to focus on cultivating his ether hall. ''I''ve practiced the basic Dragon yer Technique for over two years.'' Zeke, who had failed to receive the blessing of aura at the Blessing Ceremony, had to learn the course that others finished in three months for two whole years. While Zeke was inwardly rejoicing, Andrei took a stance with his sword. "I won''t use aura. Come at me." Zeke took a stance with his ymore. ''He won''t use aura, huh?'' A battle n instantly unfolded in his mind. [Skill Combat Senses activated.] His senses sharpened due to the skill''s effect. "Here Ie." Zeke moved swiftly with Quick Step. His sword lunged towards Andrei''s side. ng! Andrei lightly parried Zeke''s sword. Zeke changed direction and swung his sword again. Whoosh! The ymore, imbued with all his strength, shed against Andrei''s sword. ng! Andrei effortlessly deflected therge, heavy ymore with his sword. Zeke''s fierce attacks were all neutralized by Andrei''s light swordsmanship. The Special ss cadets gaped at Andrei''s movements. ''As expected of a knight from the main family.'' Among them, only one person, Reina Draker, thought differently. ''Even if he''s not using aura, how can he exchange blows with a knight from the main family for so long?'' Andrei''s expression gradually hardened as he blocked Zeke''s attacks. ''This guy... who the hell is he?'' Initially, he had intended to make an example of the cadet with the strange sword and establish dominance over the entire Special ss, who were full of spirit. He thought they would tremble after he unleashed his killing intent a few times, but he was annoyed that Zeke was meeting his aggression head-on. So he tried to teach him a lesson, but things weren''t going as nned. Whoosh! Zeke''s sword suddenly flew from his blind spot. ng! Andrei swung his sword, blocking and deflecting Zeke''s attack. It was filled with unbelievable strength for a thirteen-year-old. He had thought that Zeke would tire and copse after a few exchanges with this level of swordsmanship, but the boy wasn''t exhausted at all and was swinging his sword even more vigorously. ''If I don''t use aura, I might be the one to tire first.'' Andrei''s only weakness, despite having enough talent to receive the Draker name, was hisck of stamina. He had never had a duel that dragged on because of his exceptional talent, so it wasn''t much of a problem. But in actualbat, stamina was often more important than swordsmanship itself. Zeke, with his abundantbat experience, saw right through that. ''Those young knights who only practiced swordsmanship diligently in a greenhouse are all the same.'' He didn''t know what would happen if Andrei used aura, but since he was kindly only using swordsmanship, it was a golden opportunity for Zeke. Zeke, with the passive skill Infinite Stamina, swung his sword freely without feeling any fatigue. Whoosh! He deliberately swung his sword erratically, left and right, up and down, to exhaust Andrei''s stamina. It would have been more advantageous for stamina conservation if he had simply met Andrei''s attacks head-on instead of using advanced techniques like deflecting. But Andrei''s arrogance, in trying to teach a cadet a lesson, had brought about the worst possible oue. ng! Andrei''s deflection of Zeke''s sword faltered slightly. Zeke realized that Andrei''s stamina was significantly depleted. ''Taste the bitterness of life, you greenhouse flower.'' Zeke sneered inwardly and used Quick Step to dash towards Andrei. At the same time, he activated the One-hit Kill skill. Whoosh! Zeke''s strength, the eleration of Quick Step, and the power of the Critical Strike skill were all channeled into the ymore. Andrei sensed the power contained in Zeke''s sword. ''That''s dangerous.'' He instantly retreated and sheathed his sword. Then, he took a step forward and drew his sword. Zeke knew this move. ''Dragon yer Technique Chapter 1, Verse 1. Sky Cleave.'' It was the most basic move in the Dragon yer Technique, but its power was different when performed by a Blue Knight. Boom! The swords shed, and an explosion-like sound resonated. The cadets watched with wide eyes to see the result of the sh. "Ugh..." Zeke, holding the ymore, stumbled backward. Blood trickled from his mouth. On the other hand, Andrei was still holding his sword in the same stance. It was Zeke''s defeat, in to see. Then Andrei straightened his posture and sheathed his sword. Turning around, he said in a low voice, "Cadet... you are excused from attending this ss from tomorrow onwards." Hearing Andrei''s words, Zeke copsed to the ground. The healers waiting on the side carried Zeke away on a stretcher. The other cadets, who had been watching the duel between Andrei and Zeke, gulped nervously. Andrei looked around at the cadets and said, "Are there any other cadets who do not wish to attend this ss?" No one raised their hand at Andrei''s question. He continued in an authoritative voice, "Take up your swords. From today onwards, you will devote yourselves to training to be true Draker knights." It was the beginning of the Dragon yer Technique basic training course. * * * The healers carried Zeke to the infirmary on a stretcher. Just as the healer was about to inject Zeke with a potion mixture, "That''s alright. I don''t need a potion." Zeke, who had fainted from bleeding, woke up perfectly fine and grabbed the healer''s hand, refusing the treatment. The surprised healer tried toy Zeke down again. "You must have internal injuries, so lie down. Otherwise, there could be serious side effectster." Zeke wasn''t actually injured, but there was no way to exin it, so he justy down and obediently received the potion. Although the top-grade potion was useless to him with his Healing Factor, he decided to just take it since it was the Draker n''s money anyway. Hey there, recalling the duel from earlier. ''Well, I guess that was a decent performance.'' Andrei ended up using aura at thest moment, even though he had said he wouldn''t. The Draker n was known for their unique aura training. They were trained to maintain their aura at all times, regardless of time or ce, whether eating or sleeping. As a result, using aura became as natural as breathing. Andrei was also consciously trying not to use aura, but when blocking the final blow, he unconsciously used it. Although Zeke''s sword didn''t graze Andrei''s clothes, he had forced a Blue Knight to use aura, so he had sufficiently demonstrated his skills. And since Zeke copsed, Andrei also didn''t lose face in front of the cadets. It was the result of Zeke''s staged performance in a duel where neither side had anything to lose. He started thinking about how to use the free time he had secured. It was then. "What a strange kid." Zeke was startled. ''I didn''t sense any presence at all.'' He sat up and looked around cautiously towards the source of the voice. Gulp, gulp! A man with a bushy beard was mixing a potion with pure alcohol used for disinfection and then downed it in one gulp. Then he wiped his mouth with satisfaction. "Ah... My insides are tingling. As expected, the taste of a top-grade potion is different." The man drank the remaining potion and spoke to Zeke. "Hey kid. How did you do that earlier?" Zeke asked cautiously, "What do you mean?" The man lifted the potion bottle and poured thest drop into his mouth. Then he smacked his lips and said, "Ah... Trying to y dumb, kid. You were internally injured, you know." Zeke flinched. "How did you heal so quickly after taking a direct hit from aura?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 11 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 11 Zeke was momentarily taken aback by the drunkard''s words. ''He noticed my Healing Factor?'' His pupils constricted and his muscles stiffened in surprise. But soon, the ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' skill activated, allowing him to regain hisposure. "I don''t understand what you''re talking about." He didn''t know who the man in front of him was. He thought it was better to pretend ignorance than to speak rashly. The drunkard smacked his lips, checking if there was any alcohol left, then brushed his hands together. "Hmm... So you''re going to y dumb?" That''s when it happened. The drunkard suddenly lunged at Zeke.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ''An attack?'' Before Zeke could even register the attack, the man''s sharp de came flying towards his face. Zeke rolled his body and fell under the bed, dodging the de. Simultaneously, he kicked up the mattress to block the man''s vision. As hended on the floor, he reached under the bed and attacked the man''s knee. Thump! The attack missed as the drunkard leaped into the air. Zeke crawled further under the bed and kicked the bed frame with his foot. ng! The metal bed frame wasunched into the air. Whoosh! Zeke rolled his body and moved towards the door, the only exit. As he got up, he grabbed the ymore he had ced beside him. ng! Zeke was startled as he drew the ymore. ''What''s that...?'' He saw the man bncing on the edge of the bed frame, doing a handstand in mid-air as if performing an acrobatic stunt. The man jumped off in a stable posture, gently pushed the frame with his foot, and returned the bed to its original position. These were not the movements of an ordinary knight. Zeke pointed his ymore at the man and spoke. "Who sent you, assassin?" It was possible that other direct descendants of the purebloods had deployed this assassin to keep him in check. The man tilted his head, picking at his ear, as he heard Zeke''s words. "The more I see you, the stranger you seem." The man didn''t answer Zeke''s question and slowly approached him. Zeke quickly closed the distance and struck with a deadly blow. Whoosh! It was a strike thatbined the eleration of his quick movement, the power of his deadly blow skill, and the strength of the ''Herculean Strength'' skill. But the man simply reached out and caught Zeke''s sword with his fingers. "Hmm..." Zeke tried to pull his sword out from between the man''s fingers, but it wouldn''t budge. ''This is no ordinary assassin.'' Zeke immediately let go of his sword and stepped back. The man looked at Zeke curiously, examining the ymore stuck between his fingers. "A Draker retreats and abandons his sword?" His voice was closer to curiosity than reproach. Whoosh! The man twirled his hand, and in an instant, the ymore was in his grasp. Zeke changed his demeanor and asked the man, "May I ask who this esteemed individual is?" With such skill, he was at least a Blue Knight or higher. Initially, Zeke had assumed he was an assassin disguised as a healer. However, observing his actions, it seemed he had no intention of killing Zeke. ''If he had intended to kill me, I would already be dead.'' That''s how significant the difference in skill was between Zeke and the man. The man scratched his bushy beard and then threw the ymore he was holding towards Zeke. Thud! Zeke lightly caught the heavy ymore. That''s when it happened. The man who was standing in front of him disappeared. ''Behind?'' In the blink of an eye, the man was behind Zeke. ''With this level of skill, he could be a Red Knight.'' Cold sweat trickled down Zeke''s forehead. The man ced a hand on Zeke''s shoulder and said, "My name is Dexter." It was a name Zeke had never heard of, even in his previous life. Dexter whispered to Zeke, "Kid. If you want to talk to me,e find me at the greenhouse on the west side of the academy." Leaving those words behind, the man''s presence vanished. Zeke turned around, but as expected, the man was nowhere to be seen. ''Just who is he?'' Beads of cold sweat formed on his back. It was the first time he had felt such a sense of frustration since his return. He had only felt this way once before in his previous life. ''This is the first time since my Master.'' Even considering that his current state was far below his abilities in his previous life, Dexter''s skill was extraordinary. As he sheathed his sword, Zeke tried to recall if there was any information from his previous life that matched this man. ''There''s nothing that perfectly matches this Dexter fellow.'' Just then, a piece of information shed through his mind. ''Wait, could it be that person...?'' If his hunch was correct, he could also understand why Andrei was currently at the academy. Zeke''s eyes gleamed. *** A week had passed since Zeke''s encounter with Dexter. During that time, Zeke acted as if nothing had happened with Dexter. He didn''t even nce towards the western greenhouse, quietly focusing on attending his sses. During the Basic Dragon yer training sessions, he practiced cultivating his ether hall in the tinum Floor''s private training room, only venturing out when he had other sses. Currently, Zeke was on his way to arge lecture hall to attend a Mana Theory ss, one of the few lecture-style sses at the academy. In the tiered lecture hall, the instructor diligently lectured on the properties of mana and the principles of magic manifestation. Other students weren''t very interested in the theoretical lessons. After all, what mattered was practical application. However, Zeke, surprisingly, listened intently to the mana theory lecture, even taking notes. Other group students who disliked Zeke watched him with curiosity. ''I didn''t realize it when I heard it before, but listening again, there''s a lot of useful information.'' In his previous life, he had been bullied so much and struggled to keep up with the practical training that he didn''t have the time to focus on the theory sses. After leaving the academy, he learned almost everything through direct, hands-on experience. He didn''t have the opportunity to take systematic theoretical sses. As he reviewed the systematically organized theory with his ingrained practical experience, things he knew instinctively began to make sense. ''Aha, so that''s why if a warrior simply strikes a magic form being cast by a mage with their shield, they can suffer damage from the bacsh.'' Zeke guessed that the instructor wasn''t an ordinary mage. As he expected, the Mana Theory instructor, Paynun, was a former schrship student from Delfoa''s National Magic University, a country known as the birthce of magic. However, Paynun himself was exhausted from the atmosphere of the academy, a space for knights, by knights, and of knights. The reason he, renowned as a genius even at Delfoa Magic University, came to the academy as an instructor was the stable research environment. That''s why Paynun had taken the job as an instructor at the academy, despite the dissuasion of many seniors. ''Sigh... there was a reason why my seniors tried to stop me.'' Since the Mana Theory ss was mostly conducted formally, it was absurd to expect enthusiasm from the aspiring knight students. And following that atmosphere, he too had begun to approach the ss mechanically. But then, "Professor, I have a question." Paynun thought he had misheard something. ''Haha, now I''m hearing things.'' But then the voice came again. "I don''t quite understand the mana conversion operation form you just exined." Paynun was startled and turned around. There actually was a student asking a question during ss. Paynun adjusted his sses and stammered, "M-Mana conversion operation form? Which one?" Zeke clearly and precisely asked about the part he was curious about. "Aha, this one, you see. You have to adjust the mana constant." Zeke nodded, understanding Paynun''s kind exnation. Seeing Zeke understand his exnation after just one try, Paynun was impressed. "D-Do you have any other questions you don''t understand?" At his words, Zeke asked a few more questions. Paynun was slightly surprised as he listened to Zeke''s questions. ''Considering he doesn''t know the basic forms, those are quite in-depth questions?'' Before he knew it, the ss was almost entirely filled with questions and answers between Paynun and Zeke. Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell rang, signaling the end of the theory ss, and the students got up from their seats for the next practical training session. Zeke only stood up after asking Paynun a few more things he needed. "W-Wait a moment, student Zeke." Paynun called out to him, and Zeke turned around. "If you have any more questions, feel free toe to my office anytime. It''s the room at the very end of the second basement floor in the research building." "Understood, Professor." Receiving Paynun''s affectionate gaze, Zeke left the lecture hall. "He''s full of passion, maybe because he''s a young professor." Zeke wasn''t sure if he would have more questions, but he believed that it wouldn''t hurt to befriend a mage. ''There''s no one as useful as a mage as a colleague.'' Mages were quick with calctions and excellent at adapting to situations, making them flexible and adaptable anywhere. On the other hand, knights oftencked flexibility because they only trained with swords, and in crisis situations, they often became a burden. Recalling what he had learned from Paynun, Zeke exited the building. But there was someone lying on a bench outside in the courtyard. ''That person is...'' As Zeke stepped out of the building, Dexter slowly got up from his spot. Scratching his bushy beard, he looked at Zeke and said, "The more I see you, the more interesting you seem, kid." Zeke addressed Dexter, "What brings you here, sir?" Dexter, getting up, said, "Kid. Didn''t you hear what I said back then?" Zeke looked at him directly and replied, "Yes, I did." Dexter looked at Zeke in disbelief. "Huh... then why didn''t youe to the greenhouse?" Zeke said in a calm voice, "I was busy with personal training." At his words, Dexter''s jaw dropped. Then, after a moment, he closed his mouth and seemed lost in thought, before lifting his head and looking at Zeke. "Is that so." Suddenly, Dexter''s body disappeared. Even with hisbat senses heightened, Zeke missed Dexter''s movement. Then, Dexter, appearing from behind, lightly tapped Zeke''s neck. "Th..." Damn it. Zeke couldn''t finish his sentence and copsed. Dexter took the unconscious Zeke and disappeared somewhere. *** "Ugh..." Zeke finally regained consciousness. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw an intense green scent and lush leaves. Zeke abruptly sat up. ''Was I kidnapped?'' He looked around. "Where am I?" He was inside a building made of ss, where countless nts and trees were growing. "Kid, are you feeling better?" Turning his head, he saw Dexter watering the nts. Finishing up, Dexter gulped down a potion mixed with alcohol. "Ugh!" A strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air. Zeke spoke to Dexter, "Did you kidnap me?" Dexter put down the watering can and replied, "Yeah, that''s right. Kidnapping." At his words, Zeke calmly scanned his surroundings. ''There''s one escape route at the back, one to the east, and one across from me.'' Instinctively identifying the escape routes first, Zeke slowly started to move his body. Seeing this, Dexter grinned. "Why are you trying to escape?" His figure disappeared again. Zeke instinctively rolled his body to the side. "Oh my, but I''m right here." Dexter appeared on the side Zeke had rolled towards. Zeke regained his stance, wary of Dexter. "Just who are you?" Dexter grinned. "I''ll tell you if you can catch me even once." Dexter gestured towards Zeke, as if inviting him to try and catch him. Looking at Dexter, Zeke was actually thinking something else. ''Good. He took the bait.'' Outwardly, he was a thirteen-year-old boy, but inside, he was a seasoned warrior who had gone through all sorts of hardships. ''Dexter is an alias.'' Zeke already knew his true identity. That''s why he deliberately didn''t go to the greenhouse and instead led him toe find him. ''His real name is the Gale Knight, Duke Draker.'' Zeke gulped as he looked at him. ''In the past... he was a ck Knight of the Draker n.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 12 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 12 Seeing the change in Zeke''s demeanor, Dexter grinned. ''This little guy. Is he finally ready to try?'' The more he saw him, the more peculiar he found him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Countless talented individuals had sought him out, but he had never paid attention to any of them. After ten years, someone had finally appeared who piqued his interest. ''Let''s see what you''ve got...'' But then Zeke''s figure darted towards the escape route at the back. Dexter''s eyes, expecting Zeke to charge at him, were filled with bewilderment. ''Huh? Look at this kid.'' He hesitated for a moment, then started running. In an instant, Dexter was blocking Zeke''s path. Zeke gritted his teeth and changed direction again. As if amused, Dexter once again moved ahead of Zeke, blocking his path. Zeke stepped back and spoke to Dexter, "Why are you doing this to me, sir?" Dexter looked at Zeke in disbelief. "I''ve seen people beg me to teach them, but this is a first." Zeke shook his head and said, "I have no such intention, so please just let me go." "Huh... really? You have no desire to learn anything from me?" Zeke nodded. "I don''t have enough time to master what I already know." Crack! Veins bulged on Dexter''s forehead. His body shimmered and disappeared. Reappearing, Dexter tossed the sword towards Zeke. Catching the ymore, Zeke asked, "Can I go now?" Dexter crossed his arms, looked down at him, and said, "No, you can''t just leave." Now Dexter was feeling challenged. His body shimmered again. And at that moment, a line stretched across the greenhouse between Dexter and Zeke. He looked at Zeke and said, "I don''t care what you do. If you can cross this line, I''ll grant you anything you desire." "How can you make such an irresponsible promise when you don''t even know what I might desire?" "I said I''ll grant you anything! You impertinent little brat!" Zeke, as if he had no choice, took a stance with the ymore in hand. "You made a promise." Dexter grinned. "Alright. Come and get it." Holding the ymore, Zeke activated Quick Step towards Dexter and charged at him. Dexter simply stood still beyond the line. Whoosh! He was clearly running forward, but suddenly the floor and ceiling were reversed. ''Huh?'' The ground rushed towards his face. Thwack! A tremendous impact struck his face. Zeke found himself sprawled on the dirt floor. ''What was that...?'' As hey there, Zeke recalled a simr experience with his master before his return. ''Damn it, it feels awful to experience this again after so long.'' Zeke sprang to his feet. Dexter was yawning and picking at his ear. Zeke charged towards Dexter again. Crash! The result was the same. He found himself lying on the floor, staring at the greenhouse ceiling. "Whew..." Seeing Zeke exuding a different aura than before, Dexter grinned. "So, are you finally getting a bit interested?" Zeke gripped his ymore tightly. Then he lunged forward again. The result was the same. Dexter watched Zeke get up, panting, and savored the feeling of satisfaction. ''You arrogant brat. After getting thrown around ten times, you''ll be clinging to my leg and begging for mercy.'' As Dexter expected, Zeke continued to charge and was repeatedly thrown to the ground. But as time passed, Dexter''s expression gradually darkened. ''Wait, how many times has it been now?'' He had been changing the direction of his full-force charges and mming Zeke to the ground, so his back must be aching terribly. But this kid, no matter how many times he was thrown down, ten or twenty times, he would get up again without tiring. When it passed two hundred times, Dexter realized something was wrong. He spoke to Zeke in a low voice, "Kid. Just admit defeat." Zeke staggered, panting as if on the verge of copse. Nevertheless, he gripped his ymore tightly and charged at Dexter. The result was the same. Crash! This time, he fell with a louder thud than before, as if he had hit something wrong. But once again, Zeke staggered back to his feet. Zeke''s bloodshot eyes were filled with murderous intent. Even Dexter flinched at that gaze. ''What kind of eyes are those for a child...'' He looked like a mercenary who had spent decades on the battlefield. Then, Suddenly, Zeke straightened his posture and charged forward. Surprised by Zeke''s sudden charge, Dexter tried to suppress his bewilderment and counter the attack. But the reaction waspletely different from the previous two hundred times. [Skill Dragon''s Majesty has been activated.] An aura of murderous intent and pressure emanated from Zeke, sending chills down Dexter''s spine. For a brief moment, his movements faltered. Zeke didn''t miss that opening. [Skill Dragon Eye activated.] Charging at high speed with his sword, Zeke used Dragon Eye to grasp Dexter''s movements, which had been invisible to him until now. The moment Dexter tried to grab and deflect his charging sword, Zeke let go of the weapon and immediately activated another skill. [Skill Quick Step activated.] He dropped his sword and dashed forward, rolling low to the ground. The line was right in front of him. That''s when it happened. Tsssss! In an instant, Dexter''s body split into multiple figures. These duplicates lined up, blocking Zeke''s path. ''What''s this...?'' Zeke''s body was flung into the air again. The ground and ceiling flipped. Crash! He felt his entire spine shatter. He heard the system''s voice in his ears. [Due to excessive skill usage, fatigue has exceeded critical levels.] [Consciousness will be forcibly shut down for user safety.] Other messages popped up, but Zeke could no longer hear them. ''N-No...'' With the line right before his eyes, Zeke''s vision blurred. Soon, darkness enveloped him, and he lost consciousness. *** Zeke woke up in his bedroom on the tinum Floor. "Are you alright, young master?" As he opened his eyes, Decker approached him. Sitting up, Zeke asked, "What happened?" "You''re asking me that, young master?" Decker adjusted his monocle and continued, "You were lying unconscious on the lobby sofa." Zeke roughly understood what had happened. ''Duke must have brought me here after I fainted.'' Decker got up and said, "I''ll call a healer if you''re feeling unwell." Zeke waved his hand dismissively. "No, it''s fine. I was so focused on training earlier that I took a short break and must have fallen asleep on the sofa." Despite the imusible exnation, Decker simply nodded without any further questions. "Understood. Please call me if you need anything, young master." As Decker left, Zeke sat up in bed, recalling the events at the greenhouse. "Damn it... I almost made it." Zeke was well aware of the strengths of his abilities. Inexhaustible stamina and recovery. He had been knocked down and gotten back up over two hundred times, inducing Dexter''s carelessness. The moment he sensed an opening, he used Dragon''s Majesty and Dragon Eye to press his attack. It was an unorthodox tactic, but Zeke had used all his abilities to exploit Duke''s weakness while concealing the power of his middle dantian. ''As expected of someone who was a ck Knight in the past. This isn''t enough to beat him?'' The reason Zeke knew about Duke''s true identity was thanks to Andrei Draker. In his previous life, he had identally learned about the rtionship between Andrei and Duke while carrying out a mission. In the future, Andrei Draker would earn the nickname "Crimson Knight." The reason he was able to be a Red Knight at such a young age, despite not having awakened his pureblood abilities, was because he was the disciple of Duke Draker, who had passed on his secret techniques to him. ''After receiving Duke Draker''s secret techniques, Andrei was able to grow rapidly even without the special abilities of a pureblood.'' Zeke gritted his teeth. ''If I could have learned Duke''s secret techniques, I could have be stronger much faster than now.'' Just then, a message popped up before Zeke''s eyes. [You have an unread message. Would you like to check it?] ''An unread message?'' When Zeke chose to confirm, a message window appeared. [D-rank skill ''Quick Step'' has been transformed into C-rank skill ''High-Speed Movement.''] Seeing the message, Zeke nodded. "C-rank skill, huh. At least I gained something." Then another message appeared. [Your strong will has caused your soul to grow.] [Along with the growth of your soul, the administrator''s system function has been activated.] [Would you like to check the function?] ''System function?'' He didn''t know exactly what it meant, but he decided to check it out. [You can activate the following functions with Karma Points: Activate Minimap (20) / Activate Inventory (20) / Activate Beginner Quest Book (45)] "What is this?" Zeke pressed the exnation button. ¡ª Minimap: Allows you to grasp the structure of terrain and features in the form of a map. ¡ª Inventory: Allows you to store items up to the allowed capacity. ¡ª Beginner Quest Book: Provides tutorials and missions for the efficient growth of lower-level administrators. ''Hmm... I don''t understand even after reading the exnation.'' He could only understand the function of inventory activation. ''Activating the minimap and inventory each require 20 Karma Points.'' He currently had 40 Karma Points, so he could activate both the inventory and the minimap right away. ''I don''t quite understand what it means to be able to store items. Does it mean I get something like a bag?'' After pondering, Zeke used his points to activate the inventory. [Inventory function activated.] Ding! With a signal sound, a grid of five rows and five columns, a total of 25 squares, appeared before his eyes. [When you designate an item you want to store, it will be stored in your inventory.] After reading the exnation, Zeke tilted his head and picked up the ymore that was leaning against his bed. ''Is this how I store it?'' Suddenly, the ymore in his hand disappeared. "Huh?" The vanished ymore was now in one of the squares floating before his eyes. "What is this?" Zeke''s ymore upied two of the 25 squares. [The size and weight of an item affect how much space it takes up in the inventory.] [If you want more storage space, expand your inventory with Karma Points.] [To take out a stored item, think of its name or form.] ''Name or form?'' Zeke concentrated on the ymore. Whoosh! Instantly, the ymore appeared in Zeke''s hand. He couldn''t believe his eyes. "This is much better than a subspace box." It wasn''t that artifacts that could distort space and reduce the volume of luggage didn''t exist. However, the problem was that they were incredibly expensive. Even Zeke in his previous life, due to the nature of his profession, had a small subspace box, but it wasn''t as cost-effective as the inventory. "And on top of that, I can increase the storage space. This is a real windfall." He had failed Duke''s test, but he had gained a new power instead. Zeke was once again impressed by the usefulness of the administrator system. ''If this is what the functions of a Low-rank Administrator are like, what about higher ranks?'' There could be unimaginably useful functions. The problem was the Karma Points needed to activate the functions. "To get more points, I need to hunt monsters..." Originally, he had nned to leisurely explore dungeons and hunt monsters after bing a Purple Knight. But if Karma Points were this valuable, he needed to move up his dungeon hunting ns. "I... need to revise my ns a bit." Knock, knock! Just then, someone knocked. Zeke sensed Decker''s presence beyond the door. "Come in." Decker entered the room and said to Zeke, "A message has been delivered to you, young master." "A message?" Zeke received the note that Decker handed him. Unfolding the note, he saw a line written in crooked handwriting. ?Kid. If you want to challenge me again,e find me.? Zeke grinned at the message. ''He blocked me with a secret technique at thest moment, so is he giving me another chance to challenge him?'' It wasn''t aplete failure. He still had a chance to learn Duke''s secret techniques. Then Decker said to Zeke, "Young master. There''s something I need to tell you." "What is it?" "I found the cksmith you mentionedst time." Zeke nodded at Decker''s words. "When is the appointment scheduled for?" At his question, Decker''s expression darkened. "Well... there''s a bit of a problem." Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "The cksmith you mentioned refused the appointment, saying he doesn''t make weapons anymore." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 13 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 13 Zeke rode in a carriage out of the academy. He was on his way to meet the cksmith who had refused his appointment. ''Gelion Halbert.'' Zeke recalled the cksmith''s name. In his previous life, Zeke had a deep connection with Gelion. Ten years from now, Gelion would earn the nickname "Soul cksmith." He would also earn the title of the continent''s best cksmith because he could read the user''s soul and create the most suitable weapon for them. And before his return, Zeke had saved Gelion''s life while carrying out a mission. Indebted to Zeke for saving his life, Gelion had crafted a much-needed sword for him as a reward. Zeke recalled the ymore he used in his previous life. ''Sr Sword Gram'' The Sr Sword Gram, engraved with a pattern resembling a coiled snake, was a masterpiece by the master craftsman, Gelion. This sword had a special function just for Zeke. It was the ability to convert mana cultivated from the ether hall into aura. The reason Zeke wanted tomission a weapon from Gelion, of all people, was to recreate this Gram. "We have arrived, young master." At Decker''s words, Zeke opened the carriage door and stepped out. It was a small, shabby cksmith''s workshop in a corner of the city. Zeke looked at the sign on the cksmith''s workshop. [Gelion''s cksmith] ''What sense of naming.'' He ordered Decker to wait and entered alone. As soon as he stepped inside, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air. A man was slumped over a table inside. Zeke slowly approached the table. "Ugh!" The man,pletely drunk, waved his hand without even looking at Zeke. "Closed for business... go away... closed..." A young man with pale skin and a gaunt face. He had a delicate face and a thin body that didn''t seem to belong to a cksmith. He had a sparse beard, but it was definitely Gelion. Zeke looked down at Gelion and said, "Gelion Halbert." At the sound of his name, Gelion looked up at Zeke with hazy eyes. "Huh? What? You... this isn''t a ce for kids, so get out..." He then picked up a bottle of alcohol and started guzzling it down. Zeke frowned at hispletely wasted appearance. ''This is serious.'' He looked around the cksmith''s workshop. It seemed like the forge hadn''t been lit in months. He spoke to Gelion, "I heard you''re not taking any appointments. May I know why?" Gelion burped and wiped his mouth. "Ugh... I can''t make the weapons I want to make. What''s the point of making more?" Zeke tilted his head, observing Gelion''s state. ''He''s so different from when I saw him in my previous life. I can''t figure out what''s going on.'' Even in his previous life, Gelion was quite emotionally vtile due to his delicate nature, unlike a typical cksmith, but Zeke had never seen him so despondent. Zeke watched him for a moment, then turned and walked out of the cksmith''s workshop. Gelion chuckled and continued to drink. "Someone like me should just die. What kind of cksmith am I..." That''s when it happened. Ssh! "Gah!" Zeke, who had gone outside to fill a bucket with water, threw it with all his might at Gelion. Gelion, drenched from head to toe, looked at Zeke with a dumbfounded expression. Zeke spoke to him with a cold gaze, "Are you feeling more sober now?" Gelion blinked and stared at Zeke. Then his eyes settled on the gloves Zeke was wearing. Gelion''s face turned pale. "D-Draker..." In the Duchy of Troy, the Draker n held a unique status. Especially among them, the pure-blooded Drakers were even more special. Gelion instantly sobered up. He immediately bowed his head low on the table. "I-I apologize. I''ve been disrespectful to your esteemed self..." "I''ll ask you again. Why did you refuse my appointment?" At those words, Gelion trembled. "I-I never imagined that a pure-blooded Draker would request something from an unknown cksmith like me..." Gelion hadn''t even bothered to check the appointment request in the first ce. Zeke pulled up a chair, sat down, and said to Gelion, "Now you know who your client is. I''ll ask you again, can you take my appointment?" Gelion replied in a fearful but firm voice, "I apologize, but I cannot fulfill your request." Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "You have time to drink, but no time to take my request?" Gelion lifted his head and said to Zeke, "That''s... although it''s impertinent of me to say, it''s a personal matter." "Exin yourself clearly. If it''s not a convincing reason, you cannot refuse my request." At Zeke''s words, Gelion hesitated, then slowly got up from his seat. "This way, please. I''ll exin." Gelion led Zeke to the back of the cksmith''s workshop. Hundreds of broken swords were piled up there. It was like a graveyard of swords. Looking at the wreckage of the swords, Zeke asked Gelion, "What is this?" Gelion said with a bitter expression, "This is the reason why I cannot ept your request." Zeke picked up the fragments from the pile of swords and examined them. "This is..." He could discern something from the broken sword fragments. "It''s the folded steel forging technique. And it''s a much higher level of skill than usual." Gelion was surprised by Zeke''s words. "H-How did you know?" It didn''t make sense for a pure-blooded Draker to know about the "folded steel" forging technique, which even most cksmiths were unfamiliar with. Looking at the mountain of debris, Zeke said, "Are you saying you can''t ept the request because youck the skill?" Gelion nodded with a stiff expression. "I''ve reached my limit as a cksmith." Zeke could understand Gelion''s situation. ''He''s hit a huge wall.'' The Gelion of the future could freely manipte fire and iron, creating the perfect weapon for any user. Seeing Gelion standing at a crossroads in his growth, Zeke fell into deep thought. ''What should I do?'' Actually, Zeke already knew the solution to Gelion''s problem. In his previous life, Zeke had been Gelion''s lifesaver, so he had heard many stories from him. ''Gelion, every time I see the weapons you create, I''m filled with admiration. What''s your secret?'' ''Many cksmiths want to know that. It''s my life''s secret, but what could I hide from my benefactor?'' ''No... If it''s that much of a secret, you don''t have to tell me. It''s too much pressure.'' ''The secret is the forge. A magically crafted forge.'' Gelion''s secret was to freely control the temperature of the fire through a specially made magic forge. Zeke looked at the mountain of sword debris with a bitter expression. ''The timing isn''t right. Does this mean he doesn''t have the skills to create the Sr Sword yet?'' The Sr Sword Gram was a piece that Gelion himself called his greatest masterpiece. If Gelion hadn''t ovee his current obstacle, he wouldn''t be able to create Zeke''s sword. Just then, Gelion suddenly copsed and cried out in frustration. "Ugh... This is so frustrating! If only I had the forge... if only I had the forge..." Zeke spoke to Gelion, "What do you mean by forge?" Gelion pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Zeke. "This is the special forge I designed." Zeke was surprised to see the blueprint drawn on the parchment. ''It''s the same one Gelion used in the future.'' Gelion said with a frustrated expression, "If only this forge wereplete, I could reach the level I envision. But... that damn money is the problem." Surprised by his words, Zeke blinked and asked, "Wait, so you''re saying all these failed works are because you don''t have the money to build this forge? Not because youck the skill?" At Zeke''s question, Gelion said with a serious expression, "I already mastered all existing cksmithing techniques years ago. What I desire is something beyond that." Gelion was trying to go beyond existing techniques to step into a realm that ordinary cksmiths couldn''t reach. Looking at the forge blueprint on the parchment, Zeke asked, "How much money are you short?" Gelion sighed. "I can somehow get a loan to build the forge itself. But... the most important thing is the core magic operation form." "Magic operation form? Can''t you justmission a mage for that?" Gelion made a bitter face. "I already tried submitting a request to the magic tower." "And?" "The Magic Tower guys asked for ten thousand gold to create the operation form for that forge." "Ten thousand gold?" Usually, the monthly living expenses for an average family were about ten gold. Ten thousand gold was an amount that ordinary people couldn''t even dream of earning in their entire lives. "Ten thousand gold? That''s putting the cart before the horse." Gelion had a frustrated expression. "There''s clearly a way to improve, but I can''t surpass that level with ordinary fire. Every time I hammer the iron, I feel nothing but self-doubt." Zeke looked at Gelion and fell into deep thought. ''Before my return, the reason Gelion''s rise to fame was dyed might have been because he was saving money.'' If that was the case, it meant that once the forge wasplete, there would be no problem for Gelion to disy his true skills. Just then, someone shed through Zeke''s mind. ''The Mana Theory instructor... Paynun, was it? He was definitely a specialist in magic operation form research.'' Perhaps this problem could be solved more easily than expected. He spoke to the despairing Gelion, "Hey, Gelion." Gelion barely managed topose himself and said, "I apologize... for my disgraceful behavior before your esteemed self..." "If I can make this forge for you, will you ept my request?" At those words, Gelion''s eyes widened, and he looked at Zeke. "Y-You''ll make the forge for me?" Gelion''s eyes were burning with passion. Zeke unconsciously stepped back from Gelion''s intense aura. "I think I can give it a try." As Zeke regained hisposure after the slight surprise, Gelion knelt before him and clutched his ankles. "Sob! If you do that for me, this Gelion will serve you as his benefactor for life!" Looking at Gelion, who was shedding tears, Zeke recalled the Gelion of his previous life. ''He seems even more grateful than when I saved his life.'' He took Gelion''s forge blueprint and put it in his pocket. "I''ll meet with a mage first and let you know as soon as I have the results. And stop drinking." At Zeke''s words, Gelion bowed his head, his face covered in tears and snot. "Understood. Thank you! Thank you! My lord!" ***n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Leaving Gelion''s shabby cksmith''s workshop behind, Zeke headed back to the academy. In the carriage, he examined Gelion''s blueprint. Although he hadn''t formally learned magic, he could read an operation form blueprint. ''The structure itself doesn''t seem difficult. Why did the Magic Tower guys charge so much?'' It seemed like there was something he didn''t know. Arriving at the academy, Zeke headed towards the research building where Paynun was staying. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. ''That ce is...?'' A secluded spot between the academy buildings. It was the ce where Zeke was often bullied by Leon Conrad in his previous life. The bullying had stopped since his return, but the memories of the past hadn''t disappeared. Zeke was about to turn around and head towards the research building when... Thwack! Thwack! He heard the sound of someone being hiting from a secluded alleyway. Zeke tried to ignore it but stopped in his tracks. ''This isn''t the time for me to be nosy...'' The painful memories of the academy held him back. Eventually, Zeke turned around and walked towards the alleyway. As he expected, Leon Conrad and his gang were huddled together. With Zeke, their usual prey, gone, it seemed they were tormenting a new victim. He looked at the cadet being beaten by Leon''s gang. ''Huh? That guy is...'' Zeke recognized the face. ''Liam Stone.'' Jakenn Varldec''s attendant and the future mercenary king. He was being beaten up as Leon Conrad''s new victim. Knowing that the person being beaten was Liam Stone, Zeke became conflicted. ''There''s no way Liam would just take a beating. Is there something going on?'' He felt like getting involved would only lead to trouble. After a moment of thought, Zeke turned around to leave. Just then, Leon''s voice boomed, "How''s it feel? Does that knock some sense into you, you inferior bastard!" In an instant, Zeke''s figure shot upwards. He stepped on the wall and leaped forward. He grabbed Leon Conrad by the back of the neck and threw him against the wall. "Ugh!" Conrad''s gang was taken aback by Zeke''s sudden intrusion. Zeke red at them with murderous eyes and said, "Three seconds. Get on your knees and bow your heads." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 14 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 14 Liam was flustered by Zeke''s sudden appearance. He already knew that Durban, the Siemens'' swordsman, had been beaten by Zeke. The direct lineage faction he served had ordered him to observe the situation for the time being. Leon gritted his teeth at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. You''ve be arrogant just because you''ve awakened your pure-blood." Zeke looked at Leon''s group and said, "Bow your heads while I''m still being nice." Leon''s face turned bright red at Zeke''s words. Blinded by rage, Leon forgot all about his superiors'' orders and shouted at his followers. "What are you doing! Get him!" Most of Leon''s followers were upperssmen. No matter how special a freshman might be, they wouldn''t normally stand a chance against an upperssman trained in Aura. But Zeke wasn''t your average freshman. As he loosened his hand, he said, "Three seconds have passed." The upperssmen charged at Zeke. "You arrogant bastard! We''ll teach you some academy manners!" Zeke, seeing the upperssman rushing towards him, assumed a boxing stance and threw a jab. Thwack! The upperssman, unable to dodge Zeke''s straight jab, took a direct hit. Zeke aimed to follow up the jab with a low kick to the thigh. But the upperssman, struck by the jab, lost consciousness and copsed. Zeke''s movements, constantly enhanced by his Combat Sense skill, were on a different levelpared to the other students. Seeing an upperssman fall with a single light jab made Leon and his group flinch. Zeke looked at them and said, "I''ll give you one more chance. Bow your heads." Leon, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from Zeke, broke out in a cold sweat. "D-Damn it." Leon shouted at the upperssmen. "What are you doing! Hurry up and grab him!" At Leon''smand, about five upperssmen cautiously surrounded Zeke, closing the distance. Looking at the faces of the approaching upperssmen, Zeke muttered to himself. ¡®I was truly pathetic in the past. To think I cried every day after getting beaten by these guys.¡¯ Back then, the upperssmen seemed like an insurmountable wall. Zeke slowly raised his fist. "Clench your teeth." In an instant, Zeke''s fist began its assault. Whoosh! His right hand shot out in a straight line. Like a spear thrusting forward, his punch flew precisely towards the man''s philtrum. Kaboom! It was as if the upperssman''s head had exploded. His face caved in by a single punch, the upperssman lost consciousness and copsed. Zeke didn''t stop there. Turning clockwise from where he stood, he punched the faces of the upperssmen surrounding him. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Without even a moment to guard, the upperssmen were knocked down by Zeke''s punches. They didn''t even have a chance to use their Aura properly. Zeke stood tall amidst the fallen upperssmen. Leon trembled as he watched. ''H-How...?'' The Zeke he knew, who used to cower in fear at the mere raise of his hand, was gone, reced by someonepletely different. Zeke slowly approached Leon. Leon quickly drew the sword from his waist. Zeke''s eyes narrowed at the sight. "You do know what it means to draw your sword outside the training ground, don''t you, Leon Conrad?" While anything was permitted within the training ground, Draker did not allow the drawing of real swords outside of it. Drawing a real sword was considered a life-or-death duel, and no one could be held responsible for any deaths that urred. Zeke looked at Liam Stone behind him and said, "Liam Stone. You''re the witness. Leon Conrad drew his real sword first, showing intent to kill, and I will respond with the same intent." At the same time, Zeke also drew the ymore he wore on his back. A murderous aura emanated from the gleaming de of the ymore. Although Leon stood with his sword drawn, he was already overwhelmed by Zeke''s aura. Just then, Zeke took a step forward, sword in hand. ''Gasp...'' Leon unconsciously stepped back. As he retreated, he found himself backed against a wall, unable to move further. Leon''s hand holding the sword trembled. Zeke swung his sword towards Leon. ng! Leon''s sword was flung away by the heavy blow. Leon''s face turned pale as he lost his grip on the sword. Zeke''s de touched Leon''s neck. He spoke in a chilling voice. "Leon Conrad. Anyst words? I''ll be merciful and convey your final will."N?v(el)B\\jnn As the sharp de touched his skin, Leon finally realized the reality of his situation. Drip. Leon''s lower body became damp. He said with tears in his eyes, "P-Please spare me. Please..." To the Draker n, begging for one''s life was a greater disgrace than death. Zeke saw an ovep between the Leon who tormented and humiliated him in the past and the Leon begging for his life now. His grip on the sword tightened. Swish! The ymore swung and then returned to its scabbard. Leon, who had squeezed his eyes shut, was startled to find his head still attached to his body. But something was strange. "Huh?" Thick blood flowed from his right ear. He saw his ear lying on the ground. Zeke said to Leon, "I''ll take that ear in exchange for your insignificant life. If you go to a healer and have it reattached, I''lle find you again and that time, I will definitely take your head. Understand?" Leon, unable to even pick up his severed ear, nodded. Zeke said, "Get out of here." Leon hastily ran away. Zeke looked at the sprawled upperssmen, then turned his head towards Liam, who was standing quietly behind him. "Liam Stone. Abandoned by Jakenn, huh?" Liam didn''t answer. Seeing Liam''s silence, Zeke turned away. ''This is no longer my business.'' Just as Zeke was about to pass Liam and leave the secluded alleyway, "Why did you help me?" Liam''s voice came from behind. Zeke answered without looking back at Liam. "I didn''t particrly help you." He paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at Liam Stone. "Liam Stone. In the end, the only one who can help you is yourself." Zeke turned around and walked out of the alleyway. Zeke regretted the somewhat preachy words that had unknowingly left his mouth. ''I hate acting like an old geezer.'' Shaking his head, he headed towards Paynun''sb. As he had heard before, he went to the very end of the second floor of the research building and found theboratory with Paynun''s name on it. Zeke knocked and called for Paynun. "Professor. It''s Zeke Draker, a new student." Then, from inside the room, he heard the sound of something crashing to the floor. The door flew open in a hurry. "Zeke?" He was surprised to see Zeke actually visiting hisb. Paynun''s eyes sparkled as he said, "Do you have any questions? About what... No,e in first." It was unthinkable for a student from the Dragon yer family, knights among knights, to be interested in magic theory at the Academy. Paynun, like a desert traveler who had discovered an oasis, was delighted by Zeke''s visit. Inside theb, it wasplete chaos. The walls were covered with papers filled with strange symbols, and the desk was piled high with thick books and documents. ''Well, that''s how mages are.'' Paynun cleared a space on his desk for Zeke. "Haha. It''s a bit messy, isn''t it? Just have a seat here for a moment." A momentter, he brought over a cup of tea in an old mug. Sitting across from Zeke, Paynun asked with sparkling eyes, "So, what brings you here?" Zeke put down his teacup and took out a piece of parchment from his pocket. "Professor. Could you take a look at this for a moment?" Paynun nced over the blueprint of the forge that Zeke handed him. At first, Paynun''s gaze was casual, but his expression gradually grew serious. He asked Zeke, staring intently at the blueprint, "Where... where did you get this?" Seeing Paynun''s reaction, Zeke realized he hade to the right ce. ''There are manybat mages, but surprisingly few who can design magic-powered devices. This is fortunate.'' Zeke asked Paynun, "Professor, I''ll ask you directly. This magic-powered mechanism used in this forge... Can you design it?" Paynun looked at the blueprint, then rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought for a moment. He put down the blueprint, looked at Zeke, and said, "I don''t know where you got this, but... I think if youmissioned this to the Magic Tower, they would either refuse or charge you at least ten thousand gold." Zeke was surprised by Paynun''s words. "How did you know that?" Paynun smiled wryly at Zeke''s reaction. "When the Magic Tower receives a request that''s not profitable, they indirectly say it''s difficult to take on. Because no one would actually spend ten thousand gold to make a forge." Zeke recalled that Gelion from the future had actually made this forge. Though he didn''t know if Gelion had actually paid ten thousand gold to the Magic Tower or hired another mage. Paynun stroked his chin and said, "To answer your question, it is possible." Zeke''s expression brightened at his words. "Really? If so, I''d like tomission the design from you, Professor." Just then, Paynun raised his hand. "Before that, it would be good to hear my exnation first." Paynun spread out the blueprint, pointed to the core part of the forge, and said, "This part here is the core. Every magic-powered device has this core. But... as you can see, the core of this forge is unusual." "What do you mean?" "It''s the size of a small core, but its output is greater than that of arge core. This is probably why the Magic Tower would refuse themission." Paynun continued his exnation. "Furthermore, the output of this core needs to be freely adjustable with almost no timeg. It''s an incrediblyplex and difficult mechanism to create." Zeke looked at Paynun and said, "But you''re saying it''s still possible to design?" Paynun said with a serious expression, "There are two ways. The first is for me to design the mechanism, taking into ount the two conditions mentioned above. The problem is that just calcting it would roughly take... about ten years." Zeke''s jaw dropped. Paynun continued, "The second is that if you have a highpression magic stone, you can make this forge with a simple mechanism." Zeke''s eyes widened. "A highpression magic stone? Isn''t that an ancient artifact that can''t be made with modern technology?" Paynun nodded. "That''s right. They''re rare, as they''re sometimes found in ancient ruins, and they''re incredibly expensive. A magic stone with enough output for this forge would cost about three thousand gold." Zeke fell into thought again. Even if he was a pure-blooded Draker, it was impossible for a freshman who had just entered the academy to raise arge sum of three thousand gold. If he became a formal knight of the main family, he would be able to obtain not only fifty thousand gold but also a highpression magic stone, but it was impossible for him now. ''Hmm... I need Gelion''s sword to fully utilize the power of my ether hall. This is a headache.'' Mana''s power was closer to raw, pure natural energy, and since it wasn''t something humans could handle in the first ce, it was tricky to even perform applied techniques. However, if mana could be converted into Aura, it would be possible to perform human swordsmanship using the power of the ether hall. That''s why the sr sword Gram was essential to Zeke. ''Damn it, but where can I get a highpression magic stone right now?'' While Zeke was agonizing over this, Paynun was carefully examining the blueprint and eximed in admiration. "By the way, this blueprint is really well-made. Apart from the core, the other parts have an incredibly efficient structure. This is something that''s hard to find even in Golden Age ruins..." Paynun''s words brought Zeke to his senses. "W-wait. What did you just say?" "Huh? Golden Age ruins..." Suddenly, something shed through Zeke''s mind. ''If it''s a Golden Age ruin...'' One of the pieces of information from the future came to mind. Zeke got up from his seat and said to Paynun, "Professor, I''d like to request that you design the mechanism by the time I return." "You''re reallymissioning the design? It could take about ten, no, fifteen years or more..." "I''ll bring it." "What are you talking about?" "A highpression magic stone." Zeke said with a serious expression. "I have a way to get it." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 15 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 15 The Draker n''s academy was a knight academy admired by all aspiring knights across the continent. The reason for its fame was none other than the fact that it was founded by the hero of the Liberation War, Dragon yer Terakan Draker himself. Terakan, who slew the evil Dragon Bahamut, was a great man credited with ushering in a new era for humanity. And the hundred years following Bahamut''s death were called the Golden Age. This was thanks to the corpses of the dragons in by the Dragon yers, the treasures they had amassed, and the artifacts that poured out from the ancient ruins hidden beneath the Lair. Among these, it was the ancient artifacts that captured the mages'' attention. Among the relics from the Hero King era, a civilization that predated the Golden Age, there were artifacts that surpassed current magical technology. The highpression magic stone that Paynun mentioned was one such artifact. To obtain this highpression magic stone, Zeke headed to the most deserted ce in the academy. ''The library, of course.'' About ten years from now, an ancient underground ruin from the Golden Age would be discovered in the academy''s library, making headlines in the news. ''A highpression magic stone was definitely excavated here.'' In his past life, Zeke had frequented this library during his time at the academy. The library was the perfect ce to spend time when he wanted to avoid being bullied. Seeing the front entrance of the library after such a long time evoked a sense of nostalgia in Zeke. The academy''s library wasrger than the national libraries of most countries. When the academy was founded, the founder, Terakan, was personally involved in its construction, so even though it wasn''t frequently used, it was constantly maintained. Zeke slowly entered the library. As in the past, the library was very quiet. Only librarians were moving about, organizing new books and asionally helping visitors find books. ''Was it this way?'' It had been so long since he''d been to the library that he was disoriented. Zeke slowly recalled his past memories. ''Let''s see. It was definitely the underground archives of the central hall.'' While carrying out extensive renovations to organize the materials in the underground archives, they identally discovered the entrance to an underground ruin. And upon investigation, it turned out to be quite arge ruin, so mages from both the Magic Tower and Nirvana were mobilized for the excavation. Surprisingly, it was identified as a ruin from the Golden Age, and precious artifacts poured out. Zeke from the future had read about this in the news and remembered that there was a highpression magic stone among those artifacts. Since it was a ruin that wouldn''t be discovered for another ten years, no one knew about it now. ''I''ll sneak down there and take only the highpression magic stone, then slowly smuggle out the rest.'' Zeke descended to the basement of the central hall. Since the library was sparsely popted, no one paid attention to Zeke as he wandered around. He went down to the underground archives without any restrictions. "Is this it?" The smell of old paper wafted through the air. Looking at the records piled up on the bookshelves, Zeke recalled the picture of the entrance to the ruins he had seen in the news. "I can''t remember well because it was so long ago." He frowned, unable to recall. He couldn''t very well dig up the entire archive. Just then, something came to Zeke''s mind. ''Perhaps if I use Dragon Eyes...?'' He immediately activated the skill. [Skill Dragon Eyes activated.] As soon as he used the skill, his vision changed. Not only did it enhance his sight to see clearly in the dark, but various pieces of information also surfaced in his mind. As he examined the archive with Dragon Eyes, Zeke noticed a spot in the corner of the floor marked in red. ''What''s there...?'' Zeke approached and tapped the floor. Thump, thump! A hollow sound came from within. Zeke cautiously looked around. He didn''t sense anyone nearby. ''Good.'' He spread his palm wide and drew power from his ether hall. Woooong! Mana enveloped his palm, and a faint vibration resonated. He invoked the ''Soul-Body Technique'' he had learned from his master in his previous life. ''Sever.'' The mana energy sharpened as Zeke''s will to cut infused his hand. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! The floor split cleanly, as if cut by a sharp de. ''It''s still a bit dizzying. I shouldn''t use this unless absolutely necessary until my ether hall is fully recovered.'' Since it was a technique originally unusable by humans, the Soul-Body Technique had side effects. This was the reason why Zeke was so determined to create the sr sword Gram. He lifted the cut section of the floor like a door. Dust billowed up as the empty space below was revealed. "Now, let''s see." Zeke brushed off the dust and used Dragon Eyes to examine the dark passage within. He saw a path leading downwards. Without hesitation, Zeke jumped down into the passage. Whoosh! Landing nimbly on the ground below, the effects of Dragon Eyes wore off, and the surroundings darkened again. Having experienced firsthand what happens when he overuses his skills, Zeke took out a fire starter from his pocket. After creating a torch, Zeke looked around the passage. ''It looks just like a dungeon.'' After being expelled from the academy the first time, Zeke had lived for a while as a porter for adventurers in dungeons. He learned how to survive in the world by going in and out of dungeons with adventurers. Although there were times when he almost died from monsters due to bad party luck, he tenaciously survived somehow. While working as a porter and rolling around in dungeons, he was tricked by a con man and sold as a ve in the Southern Continent. After experiencing all sorts of terrible things in the Southern Continent ruled by cartel organizations, Zeke finally escaped and met his master in the forbidden ''Forest of the Forgotten.'' ''I don''t know if meeting the Master was fortunate or unfortunate.'' Briefly lost in memories of the past, Zeke regained his focus and examined the path leading to the ruins.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ''Is the entrance deeper than I thought? The news article didn''t have this information.'' Zeke proceeded further inside, maintaining his vignce. That''s when it happened. He sensed a faint movement ahead. ''Could someone have already discovered this ce?'' Zeke tensed up, extinguished his torch, and activated Dragon Eyes. His vision shifted to green, clearly distinguishing friend from foe. He cautiously moved forward. And he carefully observed the movement. ''Huh? What''s that...?'' It was none other than a skeleton. Zeke looked around nervously. The presence of skeletons meant there was a high possibility of higher-level magical beasts nearby. So he used Dragon Eyes to scan the surroundings, but no other monsters were visible. This time, he examined the state of the skeleton. It wasn''t holding a sword or a shield, but a pickaxe and a shovel. In this case, it was highly likely that the corpse had spontaneously transformed into a monster due to the influence of the old dungeon, rather than being created by a higher-level monster. Zeke slowly stood up. "It''s been a while since I''ve hunted monsters." Monster hunting had been a significant part of the missions Zeke had undertaken andpleted before his return. He clenched his fists and approached the skeleton. Click! The skeletons reacted to Zeke''s presence. Despite being spontaneously generated, they disyed hostility towards living beings due to their monstrous instincts. Keeek! The skeleton lunged at Zeke with its pickaxe raised. Zeke calmly assumed a stance and drew his ymore from his inventory. ng! [Skill "Critical Strike" activated.] The skeleton shattered with a single blow. Zeke turned and struck another skeleton with his sword. ng! It also shattered with one hit. Ding! [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] "Huh?" When he opened his status window, he saw that his Karma points had increased by 2. Zeke nodded as he looked at the shattered skeletons. "Come to think of it... the undead are magic-wielding monsters." Zeke grinned at the sight of the destroyed skeletons. "I can handle spontaneously generated skeletons like these even now." Realizing this was an opportunity to earn Karma points, his eyes sparkled. He had thought he would need to be at least a purple knight to hunt monsters, but he had found an unexpected solution. Zeke walked around, searching for traces of other skeletons. Groooan! Perhaps because it was an old ruin, there were quite a few naturally urring skeletons. Zeke excitedly swung his sword at the skeletons. Ding! [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] The pleasant notification sound continued to ring out. Zeke ran around every corner of the ruins as if he were going to kill every skeleton there. Somewhere along the way, he lost sight of his original goal and focused on hunting skeletons instead of finding the entrance to the ruins. After a few hours, he could no longer see any skeletons. "Let''s see. How many did I kill?" A message popped up. [Skeletons in: 30] "Oh, quite a lot. Let''s see. Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon System functions: Inventory (25 slots) / Minimap (Locked) / Beginner Quest Book (Locked) Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Senses Active skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strikel [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff [A-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (1st stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) Karma points possessed: 40 Zeke looked for items he could activate with Karma points. "Minimap is 20 points, Beginner Quest Book is 45 points, Gluttony is 50 points, and unlocking the 2nd stage of Draconian Skills is 50 points." The only thing he could unlock with his current 40 points was the minimap. After some thought, Zeke decided to activate the minimap. "I don''t know what it is, but... with a name like ''map,'' it should help me find my way." He pressed ''Activate Minimap.'' [Minimap function activated.] A small map unfolded before Zeke''s eyes. "Oh?" Apass symbol appeared on one side of the map, and geographical features were disyed like a drawing. A red dot blinked in the center. "Oh my god. Is this a map right now? With my location and surrounding terrain marked?" Zeke had once learned how to read a map directly from a Northern Ranger. Maps were like life to Rangers, but obtaining a map with urate scales and geographical features was like finding a needle in a haystack. Maps made by mages were the most urate, but they were too expensive for him to afford. But now he had obtained a very urate map. Zeke marveled as he fiddled with the minimap. "The scale can be adjusted, and the direction is disyed automatically. With this, I won''t die from getting lost." Muttering to himself, Zeke adjusted the scale to grasp the overall terrain of the ruins. While looking at the minimap, Zeke discovered a ce marked with a different color than the usual geographical features. "What''s this?" When Zeke tapped the marked area, a message appeared. [Disy directions to the designated location?] ¡°Navigation?¡± When Zeke chose to receive directions, the shortest route to the destination was disyed on the minimap as a dotted line in a different color. Zeke''s jaw dropped. ¡°Wow, this is incredible. Why did I just activate this now?¡± He walked towards the location indicated by the minimap in admiration. When he finished walking along the designated path on the map, a message popped up again. [You have arrived at your destination.] Zeke looked around. He saw a huge door right in front of him. He slowly approached it. ¡°Is this it? The ruins?¡± Zeke pushed on the door as he got closer. The door wouldn''t budge, as if it were locked with some kind of magic. Zeke made a troubled face. ¡°Damn... Come to think of it, they said they brought a lot of mages when they excavated the ruins.¡± The artifacts, including the highpression magic stone, were undoubtedly behind that door. Zeke was tearing his hair out at the obstacle he faced aftering all this way. ¡°Ugh... Why is nothing ever easy?¡± Ding! Just then, the system notification rang. Zeke read the message that appeared. [Do you wish to enter the Dragon yer''s Tomb?] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 16 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 16 "Dragon yer''s Tomb?" As Zeke thought about entering, another message appeared. [Opening the Dragon yer''s Tomb.] Whirrr! Click! The gears that looked like decorations on the door turned, and the lock opened with a sound. "It''s open?" Zeke approached the door and gently pushed it once more. Rumble! Originally, it was a door that fifty mages from the Empire''s Magic Tower and Nirvana had struggled to open for a month, racking their brains with calctions. However, Zeke, blessed by the Ancient Dragon, was able to open the door and enter with ease. Zeke''s jaw dropped as he saw the inside of the ruins. "How is it so huge?" Giant statues of knights lined both sides, and a massive stone wall stretched out before him. Zeke gulped at the sight of the thick stone wall blocking his way. He couldn''t believe that such a massive structure, so grand it seemed impossible for humans to have built, existed beneath the academy library. Zeke quickly nced around. "This is bigger than ten central training groundsbined." Amazed by the majestic scale of the Dragon yer''s Tomb, he turned on the minimap. "There must be a ce to store the artifacts somewhere around here." The minimap showed a path leading further inside, but he couldn''t find the entrance. Eventually, Zeke activated Dragon Eyes again and scanned the stone wall, but still couldn''t find any trace of an entrance. Then, Zeke suddenly looked up at the top of the stone wall. "Wait a minute..." Zeke turned on the minimap and examined the terrain. Then he tried changing the minimap settings. Instantly, the perspective of the minimap, which was a t n, changed to disy the geographical features three-dimensionally. "Found it." With the 3D map, Zeke confirmed that the entrance was located on top of the stone wall. He looked at the smooth stone wall that seemed to be a hundred meters high and pondered. "How do I get up there?" If he were Zeke from his past life, it would have been possible somehow, but currently, he couldn''t properly utilize the power of his dantian, making it impossible. "There must be some way to get up." In a desperate tone, he said, "Find a way to get up there." Surprisingly, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [essing the control device as requested by the administrator.] "Huh? It actually works." Another message appeared. [Automatic transportation device is unavable.] [Activating manual transportation device.] At the same time, the stone wall began to vibrate. "Wh-what''s happening?" Stepping stones started to protrude one by one from the smooth stone wall. The protruding stepping stones formed a staircase leading all the way to the top of the wall. Zeke was astonished by the stairs that were created in an instant. "Wh-what is this? Magic?" He ascended the stairs that stretched along the stone wall. "Whew..." When he reached the top of the wall, there was anotherrge door simr to the one before. As Zeke approached, a message popped up again. [Do you wish to open the Dragon yer''s Tomb repository?] Seeing the word "repository," Zeke grinned. "Of course I''ll open it." Whirrr! Click! The door opened, just like before. Zeke opened the door and entered the repository. Inside, there were dozens of shelves stacked with boxes of various sizes. Zeke examined the boxes on the shelves. "Wow! This is... a sealed box. Finding one of these in a dungeon was like hitting the jackpot." Among adventurers, these were called treasure chests or sealed boxes. Usually, the boxes contained not only precious artifacts but also Rune stones, making them items that could bring in a tidy profit. And there were hundreds of such sealed boxes on disy. Zeke began to open the boxes one by one, humming a tune. "Let''s see. What''s this? A Rune stone? I can give this to Professor Paynun as payment for the designter. And this is..." Each and every item inside the boxes was a valuable artifact. Larger boxes contained weapons and equipment from the Golden Age and ancient times. "Whew, it''s hard to take all of this now." Zeke first sorted out the items that seemed immediately useful. These were mainly hard-to-find practical items like rust-proof daggers, cold-weather gear, and weight-reducing backpacks. He put the Runes, which were small and valuable, into his inventory box by box, and neatly packed the general items into his backpack. Zeke looked around the repository and grinned. "I''ll have to smuggle these out little by little while I''m at the academy." He figured that if he sold the items on the ck market through the routes he knew, he could probably make at least a hundred thousand gold by the time he graduated from the academy. After organizing his luggage to some extent, Zeke hummed a tune and started opening the sealed boxes again. Then, Zeke opened a box in a corner and shouted with joy. "Yes! Found it." He had found the highpression magic stone, the original purpose of his visit. The blue magic stone, contained in a sturdy cylindrical ss bottle, emitted a dazzling light. Zeke opened all the boxes around it. And he found about four more highpression magic stones. "Four of these precious things. Let''s take them all for now." Zeke tried to put all the magic stones he had obtained into his inventory, but he didn''t have enough space. He thought about what to remove, but concluded that he couldn''t part with anything. He decided to use 10 of his remaining Karma points to expand his inventory slots. [Inventory slots have been expanded to a total of 65.] The original 25 slots were increased by 4 slots per point, adding 40 more slots. Zeke put the highpression magic stones into his inventory and added the items he couldn''t take earlier. "It fills up quickly." Unlike lightweight backpacks or subspace boxes, the inventory was not affected by weight or volume itself. Moreover, Zeke had experimented and found that it could preserve food in its original state, making it incredibly useful for exploring dungeons or wilderness areas. ''I should expand the inventory as much as possible as I umte Karma points.'' Having secured the highpression magic stones, Zeke slung his backpack over his shoulder and was about to leave. But as he was about to exit, Zeke felt something strange emanating from the wall at the end of the repository. "What''s this?" A chilling and tingling sensation on the back of his neck. Unconsciously, Zeke followed the sensation towards the wall. A nk wall. He slowly reached out his hand towards it. [Do you wish to move to the Dragon yer''s Resting ce?] ''Dragon yer''s Resting ce?'' Zeke chose to move. Woooong! Suddenly, the wall vibrated. Zeke was startled to see a shimmer appear on the wall. "A portal?" Large-scale portal devices capable of long-distance travel were operated throughout the continent, centered around the Magic Towers. However, this small-scale portal technology had been lost before the Golden Age, so it didn''t make sense for it to be here. ''This is the first time I''ve seen this since the Forest of the Forgotten.'' Puzzled, Zeke slowly approached the portal. And he stepped into it. Woooong! The unique vibration of the portal swept over Zeke''s body. He felt slightly dizzy as he passed through the portal. When Zeke opened his eyes, apletely different scene unfolded before him. "What is all this...?" It was a tomb. Coffins, modeled after warriors, were stacked in tiers on both sides of the vast underground space. There were at least twenty tiers high, and over a hundredpartments stretching sideways, all packed tightly together. Zeke was astonished by the enormous scale of the tomb. "I don''t understand what this is. There was nothing like this in the news articles I saw before." Zeke approached a nearby coffin and opened the lid. Thud! Inside the coffin, instead of a corpse,y armor, a sword, and a shield. Ding! [?? Dragon yer exclusive equipment discovered.] ''Dragon yer exclusive equipment?'' Only after carefully examining the coffin did Zeke confirm that the name of the coffin''s owner was written in ancientnguage. He looked around at the tiered tombs. "Are all these tombs... Dragon yers?" In the Draker n, the term "Dragon yer" referred to their ancestor Terakan, who defeated the evil Dragon Bahamut. To honor the Dragon yer, the knight among knights, the Drakers mastered the Dragon yer techniques passed down by Terakan and grew into the continent''s greatest knight family. But if all these were Dragon yers, then defeating the evil Dragon Bahamut might not have been Terakan''s achievement alone. Zeke examined the armor ced within the tomb. Its form and shape were quite different frommonly excavated armor. As he lifted and turned the armor for closer inspection, he noticed a groove carved into its back. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zeke felt the groove in the armor and suddenly remembered something. ¡°Highpression magic stone¡­.¡± Zeke took out the box containing the magic stone from his inventory. He found that the size of the magic stone perfectly matched the groove in the armor. Zeke slowly tried fitting the magic stone into the groove. Click! As expected, the magic stone fit perfectly into the groove. At that moment, a message popped up before Zeke¡¯s eyes. [Magic battery has been installed in the Dragon yer exclusive equipment.] [Equipment is too old to operate.] ¡°Installing a magic stone into armor?¡± This was information he hadn''t encountered even in the future. Even in the future he had seen, the exact purpose of highpression magic stones, as opposed to ordinary magic stones, remained unknown. There were various hypotheses, but if the standardized highpression magic stones were used to operate this armor called "Dragon yer exclusive equipment," it meant that many of the mages'' hypotheses and spections were wrong. ¡°Why would they install this precious highpression magic stone into armor?¡± Although he had figured out how to use it, it was an iprehensible idea based on currentmon sense. ''There seems to be a reason. But I don''t know with my limited knowledge of magic.'' Perhaps Professor Paynun, a researcher, could figure out the reason by looking at the armor. Zeke removed the highpression magic stone from the armor and put it back into his inventory. He walked past the massive tomb and further inward. Unlike the ordinary tombs, there was a huge stele erected inside. Zeke slowly approached the stele. ''What''s written on it?'' There was writing, but it was in the ancientnguage, not themonnguage of the continent, so he couldn''t read it. That''s when it happened. Ding! [The Administration System is automatically connected to the control device.] [Releasing the central security device of the Dragon''s Resting ce.] [Unlocking the legacy registered by administrator Terakan Draker.] ¡°What?¡± Rumble! Suddenly, the stele slid back, and something began to rise from the floor. Zeke backed away cautiously. Thud! A transparent ss tube rose from the floor. Inside the ss tube, a fist-sized, dark red orb floated, emitting a mesmerizing light. Zeke slowly approached the ss tube. ¡°What is this? Terakan Draker¡¯s legacy¡­?¡± As Zeke''s gaze fell upon the crimson orb, a message surfaced. [You have discovered the ''Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut''.] Zeke was startled by the message. "B-Bahamut''s heart?" The reason Terakan Draker earned the title of Dragon yer. It was because he had in the Evil Dragon Bahamut, who had ravaged the continent leading an army of monsters. ''That Bahamut''s heart?'' Dragons generate mana from their hearts. Therefore, a dragon''s heart contained an immense amount of mana, iparable to even a highpression magic stone. If mages were to find even a fragment of a dragon''s heart, they would pay a fortune to obtain it. That''s how valuable a dragon''s heart was. "Even a fragment causes a frenzy, but a perfectly preserved dragon heart like this..." Moreover, it was the heart of Bahamut, known as the strongest and most evil dragon in the continent''s history. He couldn''t understand why his ancestor, Terakan Draker, had hidden this priceless treasure beneath the academy library. With questions lingering in his mind, Zeke reached out towards the radiantly glowing heart of Bahamut. Ding! [The Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut is reacting to the user.] [The powerful curse engraved on the heart is attempting to overpower the user''s mind.] Zeke was momentarily captivated by the brilliant color of the heart. [Skill ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' activated.] [Defending against the Light Dragon''s curse.] Zeke suddenly came to his senses. "Wh-what?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeke realized why Terakan Draker had sealed this heart here. Even for a brief moment, he was overwhelmed by the Light Dragon''s allure, consumed by an urge to destroy everything. If it weren''t for the ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' skill, which protected him from all status abnormalities, he might have be a madman in an instant. "Whew, that''s incredibly dangerous." Ding! Another message surfaced. [You have withstood the Cursed Light Dragon''s temptation.] [Inheritance conditions have been met.] [Ownership of the inheritance has been acquired.] [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 17 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 17 [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] ''Absorb Bahamut''s heart?'' It was not just any dragon''s heart, but Bahamut''s heart. Normally, a dragon''s heart was used by alchemists or mages to create magic tools, so it was questionable whether a person could even absorb it. Perhaps Nirvana, a family of mages, could melt it into their bodies in some bizarre way, but to Zeke''s knowledge, the very concept of absorbing a dragon''s heart was unfamiliar. ''Wouldn''t there be some side effects from absorbing it?'' Perhaps because he had been through so much in his past life, Zeke was always suspicious first. Just then, a message appeared on the system again. [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] Zeke pondered as he looked at the message that reappeared. It was a legacy and arrangement left by his ancestor, Terakan Draker. Since he had blocked the curse that tried to contaminate his mind with his mental defenses and inherited the legacy with his spirit, there shouldn''t be any particr risk. Zeke looked at the system message and nodded. "Absorb." Woooong! As Zeke made his decision, the ss tube containing Bahamut''s heart vibrated. At the same time, an even brighter light poured out from the radiant heart. "Wh-what?" The light emanating from Bahamut''s heart gathered into one and pierced Zeke''s sr plexus. "Ugh!" Zeke felt the highly concentrated mana flowing into his body. He almost lost consciousness for a moment due to the unexpected surge of power. ''N-no.'' He unconsciously used the Soul-Body Technique he learned from his master to spread the inflowing highly concentrated mana throughout his body. Starting from his ether hall, the mana circted throughout his body and returned to his ether hall. "Ugh..." Zeke gritted his teeth and focused on controlling the highly concentrated mana. Before he knew it, his body was floating in the air. Streams of light continued to flow from Bahamut''s heart. Woooong! Now, the entire ss tube was shaking, and soon cracks began to appear on its surface. Crackle! As the amount of mana flowing into Zeke''s body increased, the ss tube was on the verge of shattering. Even as this happened, the highly concentrated mana circted through Zeke''s body several times, umtingyer byyer within his ether hall. And by epting the mana, which was pure energy itself, throughout his body, the impure energy and waste products within Zeke were cleansed. Every time Zeke exhaled, ck smoke containing negative energy poured out from his nose and mouth. At the same time, Zeke''s body began to change. Crack! His muscles and bones spontaneously transformed, finding their optimal bnce. His muscle fibers became tougher, and his bones became denser and harder. Crack! Crack! "Ugh!" Zeke gritted his teeth so hard his jaw felt like it would break from the pain, as if every bone in his body was being shattered. But he didn''t scream, focusing solely on controlling the mana with the Soul-Body Technique. He remembered his master''s warning from his past life: never make a sound when creating an Ether hall. Woooong! The light reached its peak. Zeke, floating in the air with his arms spread wide, absorbed all the mana pouring out from Bahamut''s heart with a vengeance. Rumble! The ss tube vibrated tremendously. At the same time that the light waspletely absorbed into Zeke, the ss tube shattered as if exploding. Shatter! The recoil sent Zeke''s body flying from the air, crashing to the floor. "Ugh!" After rolling several times on the floor, Zeke finally regained his bnce and gasped for breath. "Damn it... I thought I was going to die from the pain." Even Zeke, who had experienced all sorts of battles in his past life, found it hard to endure the pain. He looked down at the area around his sr plexus where he had absorbed the light. The clothes near the area where the light had pierced through were burned and gone. However, a strange pattern was engraved on Zeke''s sr plexus. It was a pattern he had never seen before, like a picture or a rune. "Is it like a tattoo? Why did this appear?" At that moment, messages appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have absorbed the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut.] [95% of the mana''s power, which is beyond the user''s capacity, has beenpressed and sealed.] [The absorbed mana''s power has transformed the user''s body.] [The user''s constitution has been changed to ''Divine Body''.] [The unique power of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut, ''Dragon Control'', has been generated.] [Due to the influence of the absorbed power, the Draconian Skills ''Incantation has been generated.] [You have inherited the legacy of administrator Terakan Draker.] [You have acquired the title ''Heir of Terakan Draker''.] [As the heir, you are granted ess to Terakan Draker''s secure archive.] Zeke was astonished as he read the messages that appeared. "What is all this? Divine Body? Terakan Draker''s secure archive?" The system notifications didn''t end there. [With the growth of the soul, the functions of the administrator system have been activated.] [Beginner Quest Book activated.] [Starting the tutorial for low-rank administrators.] [After the tutorial, quests for the administrator''s growth will proceed.] [Rewards will be given upon questpletion.] Zeke made a bewildered expression as he saw the messages that appeared. "Tutorial? What''s this now?" His head was spinning from the overwhelming amount of information at once. Zeke closed the message window and took a deep breath. He had to leave this ce, as staying here too long could lead to him being discovered. Zeke got up and approached the ss tube where Bahamut''s heart had been. The ss tube waspletely shattered. There was no trace of Bahamut''s heart, which had been floating inside. "Was it all absorbed into my body?" Just then, Zeke noticed something. He felt an unusual aura emanating from the bottom of the ss tube where Bahamut''s heart had been. Zeke unconsciously focused mana on his hand. The aura enveloped his hand as naturally as breathing. "Sever." A sharp intent settled in his hand. At that moment, Zeke noticed something strange. "I''m not dizzy?" In his past life, whenever he used the Soul-Body Technique, he suffered from severe headaches due to the side effects. And it was the same in his present life after his return. Therefore, he had to refrain from using the Soul-Body Technique unless it was a crisis situation, only using it to enhance his movements with mana. However, perhaps due to the effects of absorbing Bahamut''s heart, the side effects of dizziness and headaches were significantly reduced even when he used the Soul-Body Technique. "This is an unexpected gain." Zeke cut the bottom of the ss tube with the sharp aura surrounding his hand. Crack! The bottom cracked open, revealing what was hidden inside. "This is?" What was hidden was none other than a giant tooth. Zeke activated Dragon Eyes to examine the information of the tooth. [The hardest fang of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut] "Bahamut''s fang?" He didn''t know why Bahamut''s fang was ced with the heart, but a dragon''s tooth was a precious material that was impossible to obtain. Zeke picked up the tooth, asrge as a grown man''s forearm, and grinned. "To think that such an intact dragon tooth remained. Gelion might be able to make a sword with this." Zeke organized his inventory space and put Bahamut''s fang inside. He looked around the Dragon yer''s Resting ce once more, then gathered his belongings. "I''ll smuggle the rest out slowly." He left the Dragon yer''s Tomb and went up towards the library. By the time he safely exited the library, it was already dark outside. It had been a tough journey, but he had gained a lot. Zeke went straight back to the tinum Floor. He then went to his personal training ground, organized the artifacts he had brought in his inventory, and sorted out what he needed immediately and what he would store. "This should be enough organizing for now. Before checking the messages... Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Control Constitution: Divine Body System functions: Inventory (65 slots) / Minimap / Beginner Quest Book Passive skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Active skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (1st stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) / Incantation (Locked) Karma points possessed: 0 Zeke pressed on the newly appeared Authority and Constitution to bring up their description windows. ¨DAuthority Information¨D Dragon Control: Grants dominance over dragon kind. Allows summoning andmanding subjugated dragon kind. ¨DConstitution Information¨D Divine Body: Enables the manifestation of peak physical abilities and elerates the learning of martial arts. Increases the body''s mana conductivity. "Dominance over dragon kind... I wonder if it would work on wyverns or basilisk-type dragon kind monsters." After checking the information on Dragon Control, Zeke read the description of Divine Body below it. "Divine Body is something I''ve never heard of. Well, judging by the description, it''s a good thing." The pain he endured while absorbing Bahamut''s heart was worth it. The newly acquired Draconian Skills, Incantation, had an entry, but it was still locked, making it impossible to check the information. It seemed he would need to raise his Draconian Skills level to use it. Zeke checked the next piece of information. He clicked on the description of the secure archive, which he could ess as the heir of Terakan Draker. [The system requires an information update to ess Terakan Draker''s secure archive.] [Please move to a location where information can be updated.] At the same time, a map of the continent appeared before his eyes. The continental map gradually zoomed in and began to point to a specific location. The ce designated by the system was a ce Zeke knew well. "Valha?" It was apletely unexpected ce. Actually, Zeke hadn''t nned on going to Valha after graduating from the academy. Knowing the events that would unfold in the future, he intended to build his own forces outside the n after regaining some of his strength. Therefore, Zeke fell into deep thought as he looked at the map marking Valha. ''Come to think of it, just as there was a legacy left by Terakan Draker in the academy, there might be something simr in Valha.'' If there was a legacy like Bahamut''s heart in Valha, it would be enough to change his ns. After memorizing the location marked on the map, Zeke checked the next message. It was about the newly activated Beginner Quest Book. "What is this tutorial?" As Zeke spoke, the tutorial started. [Starting the tutorial for low-rank administrators.] At the same time, Zeke''s vision went ck, and the surrounding space suddenly began to change. "Wh-what?" Then something appeared in front of Zeke. Kaaak! Surprisingly, three orcs were running towards Zeke. Zeke was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the monsters, but he quickly regained hisposure and gripped his ymore. A message appeared before his eyes. ¨DTutorial Mission¨D [Eliminate the appearing monsters within the time limit using two or more active skills. (Time limit: 60 minutes)] "What?" Zeke was bewildered by the message that appeared. Kaaak! Even amidst the chaos, the three orcs charged madly, roaring their battle cries. Wielding sharp ives and spiked clubs, they were indeed a threat. But Zeke, having regained hisposure, effortlessly deflected the orc''s attack with his ymore. ng! The orc''s attack felt much lighter than expected. ''Are they weaker than normal orcs?'' Zeke, sword in hand, moved into the orc''s blind spot. His body felt lighter and his vision wider than usual. It was as if the orcs were swinging their weapons in slow motion. Zeke parried the sluggishly approaching ive and swiftly decapitated the orc with his sword. Then, using the High-Speed Movement skill, he slid towards the other orcs.N?v(el)B\\jnn With his increased speed, Zeke used the Continuous sh skill to slice through the orcs'' necks along with their clubs. Thud! In an instant, all three orcs fell. Zeke looked at his sword. It was so clean and swift that there wasn''t a single drop of blood on the de. "At this rate, I''m almost at the level of a purple knight. Did I grow this rapidly from absorbing Bahamut''s heart?" The dark background that had enveloped the surroundings suddenly disappeared, revealing the original training ground scenery. The corpses of the orcs Zeke had defeated were also gone. ''Was that an illusion just now? It feltpletely real.'' As Zeke marveled, messages appeared before his eyes. [Tutorial Missionpleted.] [Critical points have been added to the reward.] [Time reduction points have been added to the reward.] [Reward: 50 Karma points awarded.] [The ''Shop'' category has been unlocked forpleting the first tutorial.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 18 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 18 "Shop category?" A new window appeared before Zeke''s puzzled eyes. ¡ª Shop Usage List ¡ª 1. Item Purchase / Sale 2. Item Disassembly / Repair (Locked) 3. Item Enhancement (Locked) Seeing the list in the shop category, Zeke began to ponder the true nature of the system again. ¡ª Tutorial Mission ¡ª [Purchase an item using the shop. (No time limit)] "It''s telling me to buy an item?" Zeke put his curiosity aside for now and pressed "Item Purchase" as instructed in the tutorial mission. [Disying the list of items avable for purchase by Low-rank administrators.] As the message appeared, the screen changed, and images of items were disyed in a list, with their names and brief introductions next to them. Zeke looked through the list of items. "Lower Potion, Intermediate Potion, Complete Recovery Potion, Stamina Enhancement Potion, Status Abnormality Recovery Potion..." There were dozens of potions he had never seen before. Zeke''s jaw dropped at the variety of potions. "Oh my god. These are all enhancement potions found in ancient ruins. They''re so rare that they''re hard toe by." Recovery potions had be mass-produced and widely avable a hundred years ago when the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan made his patent for refining troll blood free to the public. However, enhancement potions, unlike recovery potions, required rare ingredients and relied heavily on the secret techniques of individual alchemists, making top-grade enhancement potions extremely expensive. Nevertheless, modern enhancement potions were less effective than those from ancient times. Zeke smiled broadly as he looked at the ancient enhancement potions that were difficult to buy even with money. "Deep Breath of the me Giant? I remember an auction where the Breath of the me Giant was sold for almost a hundred gold." Zeke clicked on the Deep Breath of the me Giant potion. ¡ª Potion Information ¡ª A potion that induces the hottest breath of the me Giant, which breathes inextinguishable mes. (20 points) Zeke checked the price listed next to the information. "20 points for one potion." Since points could be used to acquire other skills or unlock system functions, he needed to choose carefully. The shop items avable to low-rank administrators were limited to ordinary potions, enhancement potions, low-grade scrolls containing simple magic, and low-grade rune stones. Although they werebeled as "low-grade" in the shop window, all of them were items that could only be found in ancient ruins, making each one precious. Zeke, as a test, purchased the ''Wings of the Sky'', which could be bought with a small number of points. It came with a description that it increased agility. [The purchased item has been moved to your inventory.] [5 points have been deducted.] [Tutorial Missionpleted.] [A low-grade scroll will be randomly awarded as a reward.] "A low-grade scroll? So the rewards aren''t just points." Zeke opened his inventory window. A potion and a scroll appeared in the empty slots. When he took the potion out of his inventory, a bottle filled with clear, sky-blue liquid materialized in his hand. He also took out the scroll and checked its information; it contained the ''Shield'' magic. It seemed like he could make a huge profit by buying items from the shop and putting them up for auction. There was an auction market specializing in such ancient artifacts in the ind nation of the Dorta Republic. It was frequented by mages from both Nirvana and the Magic Tower, making it a ce where he could sell ancient items for a good price. "If I start hunting monsters and gather a lot of Karma points, I can buy things that can be sold at high prices and put them up for auction." It seemed like it would be useful when he left the Draker family and built his own forces. Zeke then pressed the "Sale" option instead of "Purchase." [Please ce the item you wish to sell in the inventory window.] He ced the ymore he was holding into the inventory window. However, a warning message appeared. [This item cannot be sold.] "Huh? Why not?" Zeke pondered for a moment, then put one of the ancient items he hadid out on the training ground floor into his inventory. [Do you wish to sell ''Dagger Useful for Camping''? / Sale Price: 4 points] Only ancient items could be sold in the shop. Since all the items avable for purchase were ancient items, it seemed that only ancient items could be sold as well. "But the sale points are too low. This would fetch at least 100 gold if I sold it at the auction house." Selling was not cost-effective. Thinking that he would never use the "Sale" option, Zeke examined the rest. "Disassemble" was a function that extracted raw materials from ancient items by paying a certain number of points, and "Repair," as the name suggested, was a function that restored damaged items. Both were inefficient in terms of point consumption. The "Disassemble," "Repair," and "Enhance" options were locked and could not be used yet. After carefully examining the item purchase and sale list, Zeke nodded. "I have a rough idea of how to use this. I guess the list of items I can buy will expand as I rank up from a low-rank administrator." Zeke decided that he needed to acquire Karma points through monster hunting as quickly as possible. After organizing his newly acquired items, he moved the artifacts to a secure storage. Thinking that he should deposit them in the vault of the Northern Bank run by the dwarves when he had the chance, Zeke ended his day. * * * The next day, he went straight to Professor Paynun. And he took out the highpression magic stone he had brought and ced it before him. Paynun was surprised to see Zeke actually bringing a highpression magic stone. "H-how did you get this?" "It''s difficult to tell you the details. When will the drive mechanism bepleted? I need it as soon as possible." At that, Paynun looked at Zeke and said, "I''ve alreadypleted the drive mechanism calctions." This time, it was Zeke who was surprised. "What? Already?" "With a highpression magic stone, the design isn''t that difficult." Zeke realized that Paynun''s skills were extraordinary. ''This could be quite useful.'' He felt that Paynun was a talent wasted on being stuck as an academy lecturer. Anyway, at the news that the drive mechanism wasplete, Zeke jumped up from his seat. "Professor. Let''s go." "Huh? Where are you talking about?" "Where else but to make the forge?" * * * With the highpression magic stone and the drive mechanism ready, the creation of the magic forge proceeded smoothly. When Zeke called in workers to install the forge in a corner of the smithy, Gelion had an expression of disbelief. "A-are you really making it for me? A magic forge?" "I promised, didn''t I? But there''s a condition. You have to make my sword. Not just any sword, but your masterpiece." Zeke was anxious that the young Gelion mightck the skills to create the sr sword Gram. That''s why he emphasized it to some extent, but Gelion, unaware of Zeke''s thoughts, had tears in his eyes. "My lord! You are my lifelong benefactor!" Gelion was even more moved than when Zeke had saved his life in the previous life. The forge instation didn''t take long. Paynun participated in the work with enthusiasm. He held the design drawings on site and gave precise construction instructions to the workers. Thanks to this, the magic forge was able to achieve much higher efficiency than Gelion had designed. Whoosh! As Paynun activated the magic drive mechanism, the forge started operating. Gelion shed tears of joy as he looked at the blue mes emanating from the forge. "Ah! To think that I would actuallyplete this forge before I die!" Paynun was also satisfied with thepleted forge. "With this level of efficiency, it will probablyst for a hundred years without any problems." "Thank you, Professor! Thank you!" Professor Paynun returned to the academy first due to his lectures after checking the forge. Zeke, left alone with Gelion, spoke to him discreetly. "Gelion. I have a favor to ask of you, but can you keep it a secret?" Gelion excitedly pounded his chest with his fist. "Of course! It''s a request from my benefactor! I, Gelion, will take your secret to the grave." Knowing how single-minded Gelion was from his past life, Zeke wasn''t really worried about the secret leaking out. He took out Bahamut''s fang, which he had brought in a box, and ced it before Gelion. "M-my lord, what is this?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "It''s the hardest fang of a dragon. Have you ever seen anything like it?" Gelion was startled by Zeke''s words. "A-a dragon''s fang?" Gelion had never seen a dragon''s tooth preserved so perfectly. In fact, no cksmith on the continent would have seen anything like it. Zeke calmed the surprised Gelion and continued. "Make my sword with this." Gelion trembled at his words. "A-are you entrusting me with this precious item?" "Why, do youck confidence?" Gelion immediately jumped up from his seat. He snorted and shouted. "Of course not! I, Gelion, will stake my life on making your sword!" "No, there''s no need to stake your life. That''s too much pressure." As always, this single-minded cksmith didn''t know the meaning of moderation. Excited to confirm what he had to do, Gelion examined the fang of Bahamut that Zeke had brought. "Ha... this color, this texture." He ran his palm over the fang and let out a rough breath. Seeing Gelion like this, Zeke shook his head. ''In my past life, he at least had a master craftsman''s aura about him. Well, it doesn''t matter as long as he makes a good sword.'' Zeke slowly rose from his seat. "Then I''ll leave it to you. Make me a sword that fits me perfectly." At that moment, Gelion stood up and approached Zeke. "My lord. May I ask you one favor?" Seeing Gelion speak in a suddenly serious voice, Zeke nodded. "What is it?" "May I look into your eyes for a moment?" Zeke''s eyebrows twitched at his words. It was because he remembered Gelion''s words from his previous life. ''Gelion, do you really read people''s souls and make swords ording to them?'' ''I don''t know about reading souls, but when I make a truly important sword, I look into the eyes of the person who will use it.'' ''Their eyes? Is there a special meaning?'' ''It''s hard to exin in words, but when I look into their eyes, I feel something. The user''s emotions, or perhaps their will? It''s difficult to express urately.'' The young craftsman before him was looking at Zeke with the same eyes as the master craftsman from the future, or perhaps even more passionately. Zeke nodded. "If you wish, you may do so." Gelion carefully looked into Zeke''s eyes. After staring for a while, Gelion carefully closed his eyes. He remained in that state for a long time, then quietly opened his eyes. "Thank you for granting my rude request, my lord." He immediately ced Bahamut''s fang into the magic forge. Then, without saying a word, he stared at the fang and the mes within the forge. Seeing Gelion like this, Zeke quietly left the smithy so as not to disturb him. ''It seems I worried for nothing.'' Zeke headed back to the academy, anticipating what kind of sword would be created. * * * When Zeke returned to the academy and went up to the tinum Floor, someone was sitting in the reception room. "Old man?" Surprisingly, Duke Draker was sprawled on the sofa, pouring arge amount of high-quality liquor into his mouth. With a flushed face, he shouted at Zeke. "You brat! Where have you been all this time!" "What brings you all the way here? No, wait, how did you even get into the tinum Floor, which is off-limits to outsiders?" Duke opened his mouth wide and burst intoughter. "Puhaha! You little punk, do you know who I am to say such a thing! There''s nowhere I can''t go in any ce built by the Drakers!" Knowing his identity, Zeke understood what he meant, but he pretended not to know and replied. "You seem quite drunk. Why don''t you go back and rest?" Duke suddenly sat up and shouted at Zeke. "You little whippersnapper! I left you a message, why didn''t youe back!" "I haven''t felt like challenging you again yet." "You insolent brat! If I lined up all the guys begging to learn even one thing from me, it would stretch around the central training ground!" "Then why don''t you take those people and teach them? Why do you keeping to someone who doesn''t want to learn?" At Zeke''s words, Duke gritted his teeth. He abruptly stood up and said to Zeke, "Fine. Let me introduce myself formally." Whoosh! At the same time, the alcohol fumes seeped out of Duke''s body like mist. His flushed face instantly returned to normal. He looked down at Zeke with a serious expression and said, "My name is Duke Draker. I was once Draker''s ck Knight." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 19 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 19 ''Finally, he''s taking the bait.'' It was worth all the effort he put into making Duke impatient. What he desired wasn''t some simple teaching, but Duke''s ultimate technique, the Gale Force Technique. Even Andrei, who became the Crimson Knight after receiving Duke''s teachings in his previous life, hadn''t been taught the Gale Force Technique. The Red-Eyed Technique was a skill Andrei had developed and mastered on his own. Knowing this, Zeke had deliberately made a bet with Duke to squeeze out everything he had. He intended to provoke him further, have another bet, and then have the Gale Force Technique imparted to him, but Duke had already revealed his identity. Zeke stared at Duke and said, "Draker''s ck Knight... You shouldn''t say such things carelessly." "Ha. This is crazy. I''ve never seen such an audacious brat in my life." "The ck Knight is a top secret within the n, so it''s hard to trust you when you speak so easily about it." "Every word you say reminds me of Arthur when he was young, it''s annoying." Zeke was genuinely surprised by those words. "Father, no. You mean the head of the n?" Duke nodded. "Yes. The great and mighty head of the Draker n, Arthur Draker." Since Duke was also a ck Knight of the family, Zeke knew he would have a close rtionship with the head of the n, but he didn''t realize they had known each other since childhood. ''Come to think of it, most of the high-ranking Drakers go from the cradle to the academy, then to Valha, and finally to the main house. If they are of simr age, they would have been cadets together.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Duke looked at Zeke and said, "I''m stuck in the academy after retiring from knighthood due to certain circumstances, but even now, if I go to the Four Seasons Castle, there are only a few above me, you brat." Although he spoke yfully, Duke Draker''s influence within the Draker n was indeed substantial. Even disregarding the fact that he was a ck Knight, he was a close associate of Arthur Draker, the head of the n, and one of the few people he trusted. Zeke slowly rose from his seat and bowed to Duke. "I deeply apologize for my disrespect to the n elder and the honorable ck Knight." Duke snorted at Zeke''s polite apology. "What''s this? Suddenly acting so formal." "You could use your authority to pressure the headmaster and have me expelled." "Hey, even if I''m reckless, why would I do such a tiring thing with no benefit?" Although he said he wouldn''t do it, to Zeke''s ears, it sounded like he might do it if there was a benefit. Just then, Duke sat down on the sofa, picked his ear with his finger, and said to Zeke, "So, are you finally thinking of learning something from me, you arrogant brat?" "Does that mean you''ll ept me as your formal disciple?" "This kid is suddenly pushing his luck. That depends on how you perform." "Then forget it. I''m busy with my personal training." "Ha, really. Damn brat. Fine. Alright. I can''t back down now that I''ve revealed my identity. I''ll take you as my disciple." Honestly, Zeke was quite surprised. He hadn''t expected to be Duke Draker''s disciple so easily. Before Duke could change his mind, he quickly rose from his seat and knelt on one knee before him. "To the honorable knight among knights, Duke Draker, Zeke Draker makes the oath of discipleship with due respect. I vow to diligently umte the virtues of learning by following Master''s orders, and to strive to enhance Master''s honor." Duke''s jaw dropped as he heard Zeke''s oath. "Huh? You even know the ancient oath." "Isn''t knowledge a virtue of a knight?" "You''re a smooth talker. A sly one." "Master. May I ask you one thing?" "You''re quick to call me Master with that thick skin of yours. Fine, ask away." "Why did you choose me as your disciple?" He was honestly curious. Even Andrei, a prodigy among prodigies, couldn''t be Duke''s formal disciple until the very end. Why would Duke, with his high standards, take Zeke as his disciple? Duke looked at Zeke and chuckled. "Why do you think?" "I''m asking because I don''t know." "I like your tenacity." Zeke thought he had misheard. "I thought you took me as your disciple because I was some kind of unparalleled genius." "You little brat. If that were the case, I would have taken the girl from the Turunn n as my disciple." "Tsk." Seeing Zeke''s reaction, Dukeughed heartily. "Don''t be disappointed, kid. When I was at the academy, I was at the bottom of the regr ss, let alone the special ss." "What? But you said you reached the level of a ck Knight." Zeke was genuinely surprised by this story he was hearing for the first time. Duke continued, "Not everyone bes a Red Knight or a ck Knight just because they are an unparalleled genius. On the contrary, those with too much talent may fail to ovee obstacles and be swallowed by the despair thates from it." Zeke agreed with Duke to some extent. Even among the most talentedte bloomers on the continent, only a few actually reached the level of a Blue Knight. And even fewer among them could be a Red Knight, a hero. There were countless cases where someone was loudly touted as a brilliant talent who would be the continent''s best knight, but ended up remaining a Blue Knight for life. Duke grinned and said, "The secret technique I created, the Gale Force Technique, cannot be learned just because someone has talent. Tenacity, perseverance, effort! And beyond that, a relentless spirit! You need those to master it." Zeke realized why Andrei ultimately couldn''t learn the Gale Force Technique. ''It was a technique that didn''t suit Andrei, whocked stamina.'' Duke abruptly stood up. "Alright! Let''s go while we''re at it." "What? Where are we going?" "Where else but to train?" "Right now?" Duke grabbed Zeke without a word and dragged him out of the tinum Floor towards the greenhouse. "Why are weing here when there are good training rooms?" "Just follow me quietly, you talkative disciple." He led Zeke down the stairs at the side of the greenhouse. They came to a basement door secured with a magic lock, and beyond ity an unexpected space. "A-a training ground?" In the basement of the greenhouse was a vast training ground and practice area. Although the personal training room on the tinum Floor was good, it was nothingpared to this ce. "Arthur had this prepared so I wouldn''t get rusty. Well, I haven''t used it much." He said to Zeke. "First, run." "Huh?" "Don''t you understand what ''run'' means?" Hearing Duke''s abruptmand, Zeke started running around the training ground. Duke shouted, "Faster!" Zeke increased his speed and ran around the training ground, while Duke watched him closely as he circled. And when Zeke had run about 50ps around the training ground, he shouted, "Stop!" Zeke stopped running and approached Duke. "Can I stop running now?" Duke narrowed his eyes and said to Zeke, "I''ve felt something strange about you since before." His figure disappeared in an instant and reappeared behind Zeke. Zeke narrowly dodged Duke''s attempt to grab his wrist. Duke stared nkly at his hand grasping at the air. "Y-you dodged?" "What was that all of a sudden, Master?" Duke''s dignity as a master was crumbling. "Ahem. Anyway, fine. Zeke, what are you hiding from me?" Zeke flinched at Duke''s words, but he denied it for now. "Hiding? I''m not hiding anything." "It was strange from the first time I saw you. You were moving fine even after being injured by that leech Andrei, and during the test, you kept getting up even when you shouldn''t have been able to move." Zeke feigned ignorance and said, "I''m just tough." "Do you think I''m a fool? That''s not something you can do just by being tough." Zeke flinched inwardly. ''Damn, if he finds out that I haven''t awakened my Aura, it''s all over.'' Zeke had intended to somehow hide that fact, learn the Gale Force Technique, and then use mana converted into Aura after the sr sword Gram waspleted. Just then, Duke spoke. "Are you perhaps... an Irregr?" Irregr was a term used to describe those with unique abilities that couldn''t be categorized. However, Irregrs weren''t viewed favorably in the Central Continent. They were often ostracized and driven out of viges,beled as cursed beings. In fact, in his past life, there was a case where an Irregr caused the downfall of an entire kingdom and became a public enemy of the continent, so it wasn''t entirely without reason. Although Zeke knew about Irregrs, he feigned ignorance. "What''s an Irregr, Master?" Duke stroked his beard and pondered. "Well, you wouldn''t know, having juste out of the cradle." He looked at Zeke and said, "An Irregr refers to someone like you, who has unique abilities. The problem is..." Duke swallowed the words he was about to say. "Never mind. It''s nothing to worry about. But don''t reveal that you''re an Irregr to others." "Master. Then can''t I learn the Gale Force Technique?" Duke shook his head. "The Gale Force Technique is different from other Draker secret techniques. It''s a technique where drawing out the pure power of the body to its fullest is more important than the power of Aura." Hearing Duke''s words, Zeke realized his judgment was correct. ''Even before returning, I used healing to push my physical strength to the limit. I thought that with the Healing Factor and Infinite Stamina skills, I might be able to learn the Gale Force Technique without Aura, and thankfully, it seems possible.'' Duke looked at Zeke and said, "Now, watch what I do carefully." He moved erratically, changing directions and leaving footprints. He moved as if drawing a circle, then deviated in another direction, then returned to the original circle. After making those strange movements and leaving footprints, Duke returned to his original position. "Did you see the footwork I just performed?" "Yes." "Are you sure you saw it all?" "Yes, I saw it all." "Good. Then try walking along the footprints I made." Duke grinned and stepped aside. Zeke stared intently at the footprints Duke had made, then turned to Duke and said, "Master." "What is it? You''re not going to say you can''t do it now, are you?" "No, it''s not that. It''s just that your stride and mine are different. Can I try it next to you, adjusting to my stride?" "What?" Before Duke could say anything, Zeke started performing the footwork right next to him. He performed the same movements, drawing a circle, then changing direction to the side, and returning to the circle. First in the four cardinal directions, then in the eightpass directions, then in the sixty-four directions, returning to the starting point. It was a perfect disy of the Gale Force Technique''s essence. After performing the footwork and returning to his original position, Zeke frowned slightly. "Ah, I made a mistake here. I should have gone right instead of left." Seeing Zeke perform the perfect footwork in a single try, Duke was speechless. "Y-you... how..." With his constitution changed to Divine body, Zeke''s learning speed for martial arts had be faster than anyone else''s. The natural talent to replicate a technique with his body just by seeing it once. That was the ability of the Divine Body. Shocked after seeing Zeke perform the basic footwork of the Gale Force Technique in one go, Duke barely managed to collect himself. "W-wait a minute." Duke''s figure moved swiftly. Swish! He moved his feet rapidly, leaving footprints on the training ground. The range was wider and the changes moreplex than before. Soon, Duke''s footprints filled the entire training ground. Looking at Duke, who had returned to his original position, Zeke asked, "Do I have to follow this too?" Zeke asked with a sense of disbelief. "Yes, try it." Zeke pondered for a moment, then nodded. He slowly started to follow the series of Gale Force Technique footwork that Duke had performed. Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke''s figure flickered in and out of sight. Even though he was only performing the basic form, the Gale Force Technique was already starting to take root in his body. ''Insane... I''ve never seen or heard of such talent.'' Having trained his body to its limits in his past life, Zeke could feel the secrets contained within Duke''s footwork with his entire being. As he performed the ever-changing footwork, he instinctively grasped how to move if a hypothetical enemy were in front of him. Whoosh! Zeke''s movements became noticeably faster than when he started. As hepleted a full circuit of the training ground and returned to his original position, messages appeared before his eyes. [Special Skill category activated.] [You have learned the Special Skill Gale Force Technique (A-rank).] [Some of the Active Skills will be absorbed into the Special Skill.] [Reward: 50 points awarded for unlocking the Special category.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 20 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 20 Upon obtaining the Gale Force Technique, a special skill category appeared. ''Special skill? Does this mean a secret technique?'' As Duke approached, Zeke closed the message window. "I can''t believe it even after seeing it." Duke was genuinely surprised. It had already been over ten years since he retired from the ck Knights and secluded himself in the academy. He stayed to find a sessor, but now it was just a nominal reason; in reality, he had half given up. The Gale Force Technique he created was a technique with too many constraints to pass down to future generations. It was a secret technique he obtained by training his body to the limit to ovee the wall, as Duke himself had ordinary talent in aura. However, the talented individuals who came to the academy focused on training their aura power rather than their physical strength. He had tested a few talented individuals, but they couldn''t keep up and quickly dropped out. Naturally, he had almost given up on finding a sessor, but he happened to discover Zeke and saw the possibility of passing down the Gale Force Technique to him. Incredible recovery and stamina, and an unyielding will. He perfectly matched the talent Duke was looking for. ''And he''s an extraordinary genius? Ha, I must be in luck in my old age.'' Seeing Duke staring intently at him, Zeke opened his mouth. "What is it, Master?" "...." He was a good student, but his personality was a bit problematic. Still, Duke was satisfied that he could pass down the Gale Force Technique. He grinned. "Hehe. My beloved disciple. Let''s do well together from now on." Zeke got goosebumps from the sudden expression of affection. And from that day on, hellish training truly began. Overjoyed at finding a true sessor, Duke generously poured out all his knowledge. If it had been any other talented individual instead of Zeke, they would have given up and run away after just one day of training at that intensity. "From now on, the use of aura is prohibited during the training period." It was actually a good thing for Zeke, who hadn''t awakened his aura in the first ce. Since raising pure physical strength was the foundation of the Gale Force Technique, Zeke followed Duke''s training with his healing factor and infinite stamina. Actually, Zeke had briefly worked as a swordsmanship instructor in the North before his return. Based on that experience, Duke''s teaching method waspletely haphazard. ''At this rate, it''splete overwork. I can only endure it because it''s me. It''s the perfect training method to ruin someone else''s body.'' Because Duke became a ck Knight through his own efforts, he had a strong tendency to push hard with the mindset that anything was possible if you put your mind to it. Zeke modified Duke''s nonsensical, willpower-based training method on his own and filled in the gaps. Thus, Zeke received personal training from Duke all day long in the greenhouse training ground, except for themon sses for the special ss. And when he had received about a month of concentrated training from Duke, rumors began to spread in the academy. The rumors were that Zeke was receiving personal training from a high-ranking knight of his n. Zeke, who had no intention of making friends at the academy, didn''t even know that such rumors were circting. Moreover, he was too busy just digesting Duke''s insanely tough training to have time to pay attention to such rumors. Zeke, whose appetite had increased significantly since he started training in the Gale Force Technique, was once again at the cadet cafeteria, piling up three times the amount of food on his tray and wolfing it down. Just then, someone approached and sat across from Zeke. Zeke, who didn''t care who came, focused only on eating. "Zeke Draker." Only when the person who approached called his name did Zeke raise his head and look ahead. ''Andrei?'' A young man with delicate features, more befitting a mage than a knight. Andrei Draker spoke in a low voice. "Could you spare me a moment?" Since being exempted from the basic Dragon yer ss, there had been no particr reason to see Andrei. Zeke could sense the anxiety hidden beneath Andrei''s stiff expression. ''He must have learned that I became Duke''s disciple.'' Zeke picked up his tray and rose from his seat. "Let''s have some tea." Zeke and Andrei went up to the tinum Floor lounge. As they settled into the sky lounge with a view of the entire academy, the staff soon prepared and brought tea. Zeke, who enjoyed tea in his previous life as well, savored the aroma of the finest tea, which was not easily essible outside. Unlike the rxed Zeke, Andrei didn''t even touch his tea. "How did you persuade him?" Zeke asked as he took a sip of tea. "What are you talking about?" Andrei''s eyebrows twitched. "Are you going to y dumb?" Andrei, a knight from the main family, hade to ask Zeke, a much younger student, so Zeke could sense how desperate he was.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Looking at Andrei, Zeke shook his head. "I never persuaded Master." At the word "Master," Andrei bit his lip. "You''re saying you didn''t persuade Duke to be his disciple?" "Yes. Rather, you could say that I was the one persuaded." It wasn''t wrong. Although it was due to Zeke''s scheme, Duke himself thought Zeke was the talent to inherit the Gale Force Technique and kept hovering around him. Andrei was at a loss for words at the unexpected answer. Andrei, who became a knight of the main family due to his outstanding talent, realized his limitations in the Four Seasons Fortress. Among his peers, there was no one who could rival him, but the continent was vast, and the Four Seasons Fortress was teeming with unbelievable monsters. Therefore, Andrei volunteered for the unpopr role of academy instructor instead of knightly duties that could increase his expertise. This was because it was secretly rumored in the Four Seasons Fortress that Duke, a former ck Knight, was living in seclusion at the academy. Duke Draker, amoner and an ordinary Awakened who became a ck Knight, was a legendary figure in the Four Seasons Fortress. Andrei believed that inheriting Duke Draker''s secret techniques was the only way to ovee the wall of pure-blooded Awakened. He followed Duke around and constantly asked to be epted as a disciple, but he was not allowed. Then, out of the blue, he heard the news that Duke had taken a new student as his disciple. He looked at Zeke with mixed feelings of disappointment, jealousy, and curiosity. Of all people, it was the pure-blooded Awakened who had gotten on his nerves from the first day of basic Dragon yer ss. He clenched his teeth. Just then, Zeke opened his mouth. "Instructor, why do you want to learn Master''s Gale Force Technique?" Andrei, with an even more hardened expression, slowly opened his mouth. "It''s only natural for a knight to want to be stronger. What''s wrong with that?" Zeke shook his head at his words. "No, you''re right, Instructor. But..." Zeke looked at Andrei and said, "I think the method is wrong." Andrei''s blood boiled as he was lectured by Zeke, who was much younger than him. ''Those damn pure-blooded Awakened...'' He forced himself to suppress his anger and asked Zeke, "What do you mean by the method being wrong, cadet?" "The Gale Force Technique doesn''t suit you, Instructor. If you want to be stronger, it''s better to learn a different technique." Upon hearing Zeke''s words, Andrei jumped to his feet. "I cannot tolerate any more insults." Zeke gazed at him intently and said, "I haven''t insulted you. If you felt that way, it''s because of your inferiorityplex about not being a pure-blooded Awakened." Andrei''s face flushed red at Zeke''s pointed remark that hit him where it hurt. Zeke was the first person to so bluntly point out hisplex. "Have you said your piece, cadet?" "No, I''m not finished yet." "Go on. Let''s see how far you''ll take your insolence." "Tell Master that you don''t need to be his disciple, just being by his side is enough." Andrei''s expression distorted at thosepletely unexpected words. "Are you telling me to be a squire now?" "No. You have a high opinion of yourself. I was thinking more along the lines of a servant." His blood boiled. Feeling there was no need to hear more, Andrei gritted his teeth and left his seat. Just then, Zeke called out to Andrei from behind. "Does that damn pride of yours make you stronger? Stop clinging to clothes that don''t fit and think about what you really need!" At those words, Andrei stopped for a moment. Then he turned his head to look at Zeke. After looking at Zeke in silence, he turned his head again and walked out of the lounge. Zeke shook his head as he watched Andrei leave the lounge without a word. "Sigh, I''ve done all I can." In his previous life, Andrei received teachings from Duke and earned the nickname "Crimson Knight." He had offered advice out of a bit of conscience for Andrei, whose future had changed because of him, but it was useless if Andrei couldn''t ept it. Zeke drained the rest of his tea and rose from his seat. * * * The next day, Zeke went to the greenhouse for training and gaped at the sight that unfolded before him. "Huff... Huff..." Andrei was running around the greenhouse training ground, drenched in sweat. Zeke looked at Duke with a dumbfounded expression. "Wh-what is it, Master?" Duke said while picking his ear with an annoyed expression. "That leech, for some reason, begged to stay by my side even as a servant, so I told him I''d ept him if he could run three hundredps without aura." For Draker knights, being told not to use aura was like being told to hold their breath. Andrei, who already had weak stamina, was running with a pale face. "How manyps has he done so far?" "Two hundred and ny-eightps. Ha, that guy is quite stubborn." Andrei, his face turning blue, desperately tried to block his aura andplete the run with pure physical strength. "Gasp... Gasp..." With onep left and his staminapletely depleted, he stumbled and practically crawled around the training ground. Seeing Andrei, Zeke realized he had misjudged him. ''I thought he was a greenhouse softie, but he has some backbone.'' Andrei, practically half-dead, finished thestp and crawled to Duke. He gasped for breath and said, "I-I finished... theps..." Duke clicked his tongue at the sight of Andrei. "A knight from the main family, panting like that after just running a bit. This is how the Four Seasons Fortress is going. In my day, we woke up in the morning and ran five hundredps around the central training ground of the Four Seasons Fortress without using aura!" Andrei, with a dying look on his face, opened his mouth. "Y-you... must keep your... promise." Duke nodded with a displeased expression. "Ugh, what a bother. I don''t know what''s gotten into you, but do as you please." Only after hearing those words did Andrei lose consciousness and copse. Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head at the sight of Andrei. "These young knights these days... In my day..." "Enough about that. What are we learning today? I already learned all the applied movementsst time." "You impudent disciple! The Gale Force Technique has infinite variations, so there''s no end to its applications. You''re just a beginner, stop acting arrogant." Duke was deliberately finding fault with Zeke because his learning speed was so fast. The basics needed for the Gale Force Technique were taught in less than a week. Flustered, Duke brought out applied movements, but Zeke absorbed them all like a sponge, learning everything he was taught. Worried that he would run out of things to teach in less than a month, Duke was teaching as slowly as possible. "So what are we doing today?" Duke clicked his tongue at Zeke. "You naive brat. Review what you''ve learned today." "Huh? Why the sudden review?" "Something suddenly came up, I need to go somewhere for a bit." "Did you have work here, Master?" Zeke quickly dodged with footwork as Duke tried to flick his forehead in response to his sly remark. "That rascal, he''s only getting better at tricks!" Duke said with a displeased expression as he watched Zeke move with his footwork like a fluttering butterfly. "A troublesome fellow ising tomorrow. How tiring." "Who''sing that even requires you, Master?" Duke said while roughly picking his ear. "Who else but the great head of the Draker n, Arthur Draker." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 21 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 21 The entire academy was abuzz with the news of the sudden visit of Arthur Drakerr, the head of the Draker n. Led by Headmaster Howard Draker, the academy''s instructors and cadets lined up from the main gate to the za, awaiting Arthur Draker''s arrival. When the appointed time arrived, a thunderous sound echoed down the main road. Thud thud thud thud! Six massive ck horses pulled arge, heavy, ck carriage, far grander than any ordinary carriage. Emzoned on the side of the carriage was a Dragon yer''s emblem made of gold. It was the personal carriage of Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n. And hundreds of knights followed behind the carriage. The procession, which gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure, made not only the cadets but also the instructors tense.. Finally, the carriage stopped in the center of the za. The giant ck horses snorted and pawed the ground, their breathing out in ragged gasps. Headmaster Howard Draker approached the carriage. The door opened, and a man stepped out. ¡°Howard. It''s been a while.¡± A middle-aged man with an air of profound charisma, his gray hair slicked back. This man was Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n, which stood at the pinnacle of the continent''s three transcendent ns, and one of the eight strongest individuals on the continent. Howard Draker, along with everyone gathered in the za, knelt before him. ¡°Greetings to the Lord of Draker!¡± Arthur Draker raised his hand in acknowledgment of their greetings. Then he ced a hand on Howard''s shoulder. ¡°You''ve been working hard.¡± ¡°It''s nothingpared to your efforts, Lord Draker.¡± ¡°You''re a great help.¡± Arthur Draker raised his head and looked at the young cadets lined up in the za. He slowly began to speak. ¡°Cadets. Rise.¡± He spoke normally, but his voice carried to every corner of the academy. The cadets, tense, rose to their feet. It was as if Arthur Draker''s voice was ringing right next to their ears. ¡°Young Dragon yers. You are the hope of our Draker n, the new seeds.¡± Everyone focused on the head of the n''s gentle yet powerful voice. They strained their ears, determined not to miss a single word. ¡°Devote yourselves to your training! Your growth will be the growth of our family.¡± When his short but impactful speech ended, the cadets saluted the head of the n. ¡°Sir!¡± Arthur smiled and returned their salute. ¡°You all have great spirit. Now, let''s go inside.¡± The Headmaster and Arthur Draker entered the main academy building. The cadets moved to their respective buildings to resume their sses. As they walked, the cadets were excited to have seen the head of the n in person. ¡°To see the head of the n in person¡­ The other siblings in the family will be so jealous!¡± ¡°I will definitely enter Valha and go to the Four Seasons Castle.¡± ¡°With your skills? In your dreams.¡± Amidst the excited cadets, Zeke tilted his head and headed towards the training ground. ''The head of the n never visited the academy before I regressed. What''s going on?'' He already knew that the future was changing little by little due to his regression. But he didn''t think that the change would extend to the head of the n, who resided in the Four Seasons Castle. Zeke tilted his head and returned to the tinum Floor. But soon, he had to go back outside. The head of the n had summoned him. * * * Zeke headed to the Headmaster''s office located in the main building. He hadn''t been fazed by much since his regression, but now, even his strong mental defenses weren''t much help. Thump thump thump! Standing in front of the Headmaster''s office door, he barely managed to calm his pounding heart. The door opened, and he took a deep breath and entered. There he was, inside the opulent Headmaster''s office. ¡°Come in.¡± Arthur Draker, who had changed into casual clothes instead of his uniform, greeted him warmly, sipping whiskey from a ss. Zeke immediately knelt and greeted him ording to the family''s etiquette. ¡°To Arthur Draker, the master of all knights and guardian of the honorable name of Dragon yer, Zeke Draker, a member of the n, offers his respects.¡± Seeing Zeke''s old-fashioned greeting, Arthur Drakerughed heartily. ¡°I haven''t seen anyone greet me in such an old-fashioned way, even in the Four Seasons Castle. Don''t make a fuss and have a seat.¡± Zeke couldn''t get used to Arthur Draker''s friendly demeanor. Thest time he remembered seeing the head of the n was when he was seven years old, before entering the cradle, when he was called in, briefly nced at, and then dismissed. Until he was expelled from the academy, Arthur had never contacted him or offered any help. In his previous life, he had barely seen his father, Arthur Draker, a few times, so he couldn''t even grasp what kind of person he was. As Zeke took a seat, Arthur ced a pre-prepared cup of tea in front of him. ¡°I hear you enjoy tea.¡± Zeke was startled by his words. It meant that even the information that he always ordered tea in the tinum Floor was reported to the head of the n. The saying that there was nothing the Emperor didn''t know, but even more so, nothing that the head of the Draker n didn''t know, hit home. Wary of the head of the n''s unreadable intentions, Zeke drank his tea. Then Arthur spoke first. ¡°So, I hear you''ve be Duke''s disciple.¡± Hearing those words, Zeke realized why he was here and why he had been summoned. ''In my previous life, the Gale Force Technique was not properly passed down and practically disappeared. Now that there''s a sessor to the ck Knight''s signature technique, it makes sense that he would take notice.'' Zeke looked at Arthur and nodded. ¡°The Gale Knight has shown me favor.¡± ¡°Duke said you were quite reluctant, which annoyed him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He didn''t know that the esteemed ck Knight had such a loose tongue. Arthur said with a smile. ¡°Honestly, I didn''t think there would be a talent that could catch the eye of that picky fellow, Duke. Moreover, I certainly didn''t expect it to be my youngest son.¡± Zeke''s heart pounded at the words ''youngest son''. Arthur looked at Zeke and said. ¡°So, I''m curious about your goal. If you keep working hard like this, you can definitely enter Valha¡­¡± ¡°To be the strongest on the continent.¡± Arthur was momentarily speechless at Zeke''s words. Seeing Arthur''s reaction, he said once more. ¡°My goal is to be the strongest on the continent.¡± Arthur''s eyes changed in an instant. Then he burst intoughter. ¡°Bwahahahahahaha!¡± Wooong! An intangible energy emanated from Arthur''s body. Zeke gritted his teeth against the energy enveloping him. Wherever this energy reached was under Arthur''s control. It meant that he held the power of life and death over anyone within that range. ''He''s a monster, as expected.'' Despite his amiable face, the man in front of him was undeniably the strongest on the continent. Therefore, to be the strongest, Zeke had to ovee this mountain. Arthur Draker abruptly stoppedughing. He looked at Zeke and said. ¡°That''s the most interesting thing I''ve heardtely.¡± The energy that enveloped Zeke vanished instantly. Zeke''s entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Arthur Draker looked at Zeke with a satisfied expression. Then he took something out of his pocket. ¡°Originally, I was going to give you a gift to celebrate bing the sessor of the Gale Force¡­ but now I see that gift is not enough.¡± What Arthur took out was a palm-sized metal card. The Draker n''s Dragon yer emblem was delicately engraved on the surface of the card. Zeke was surprised to see the card. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I believe it''s a ck Card, issued only to the top VVIPs across the continent.¡± ¡°If you know, then there''s no need for exnation.¡± Arthur handed the ck Card to Zeke. ¡°It''s issued in my name, but I''ll transfer the ownership, so use it freely.¡± A ck Card, especially one used by the head of the Draker n, must have unimaginable benefits. Before his regression, Zeke had never received any attention. Now that he was a Pure-blooded Awakener and the sessor of the Gale Force, the situation waspletely different. If Zeke were an ordinary thirteen-year-old, he would have been overjoyed to receive the card.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But Zeke immediately grasped Arthur''s intention hidden within the ck Card. ''It''s a card with enormous benefits, but it can be rendered useless at any moment with a single word from the head of the n.'' Moreover, every time the card was used, a record would remain, so his every move would be ryed to the head of the n. Zeke once again realized that the person in front of him was an omnipotent ruler who controlled the entire continent. Arthur Draker spoke again. ¡°I''d like to have a nice meal with you since we''ve met after so long, but I have another appointment and need to leave soon.¡± ¡°It was an honor just to see you.¡± ¡°You''ve certainly changed.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. You may go now. I can''t take up any more of the precious time of the future strongest on the continent.¡± With a gesture from Arthur, Zeke rose from his seat, bowed, and left the room. Arthur, left alone in the Headmaster''s office, downed the rest of his whiskey. Just then, someone emerged from the shadows in a corner of the room. ¡°Putting on a good show as a loving father, aren''t you?¡± It was none other than Duke Draker. Duke, casting aside any respect or formality towards the head of the n, plopped down in front of Arthur. Arthur grinned at Duke. ¡°Why are you so angry again?¡± ¡°Because it''s sickening to see you act like a caring father now, after neglecting him all his life in the cradle.¡± ¡°I could arrest you for insulting the head of the n, you know.¡± ¡°Go ahead, arrest me then.¡± Duke acted defiantly, and Arthur, watching him, stroked his neatly trimmed beard. ¡°So, do you think Zeke can inherit the legacy of the Gale Force?¡± ¡°How would I know? I need to teach him more to find out.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I was wondering why you took that trash, who couldn''t even awaken his aura, as your disciple.¡± Arthur''s eyes shed. ¡°After seeing him today, I think I understand. It''s been a while since I''ve seen someone withstand the Astral Sword''s energy, even if it was faint.¡± ¡°Your twisted hobbies are truly annoying.¡± ¡°I missed your harsh words. No one in the Four Seasons Castle talks to me like that.¡± ¡°My condolences to the knights who have to suffer because of their ill-tempered lord.¡± Arthur chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a whiskey bottle from his subspace pocket. As he stretched out his hand, a ss from the cupboard slid towards him and was sucked into his hand. Arthur poured whiskey into the empty ss. As he swirled the ss of whiskey, ice formed within it. ¡°Let''s have a drink.¡± He handed the whiskey to Duke and poured himself a ss as well. They downed the whiskey in one gulp. ¡°Whew¡­ What is this? Dragon''s Breath, isn''t it? And Red, at that. Where did you get this precious stuff?¡± ¡°I brought it because I thought you''d like it.¡± ¡°Your personality is truly the worst, but it''s things like this that keep me from cutting ties with you. You annoying bastard.¡± Duke grumbled and then savored the whiskey. Then Arthur spoke again. ¡°Are you aware that the situation on the continent has been strangetely?¡± ¡°How would I know, wasting my time stuck in the backwater of Troy?¡± ¡°I know your eyes and ears are still active all over the continent.¡± ¡°If you know, why are you fishing for information? You sly fox.¡± Arthur swirled his whiskey ss and said, ¡°It seems something unusual is happening in the Rom Empire.¡± ¡°That crazy Emperor has been a troublemaker ever since he was the Crown Prince. What is it this time?¡± ¡°Duke, do you think immortality is possible?¡± ¡°Are you joking with me right now?¡± ¡°The Emperor seems to believe it''s possible.¡± ¡°Ha, he''spletely lost his mind.¡± ¡°The problem is that that madman is the Emperor , who upies half of the Central Continent. He even created an imperial unit called the Hounds.¡± ¡°The Hounds? The name itself is ominous.¡± ¡°The Emperor is using that unit to search for something.¡± ¡°What is he searching for?¡± ¡°An ancient artifact.¡± ¡°Surely he''s not looking for an artifact that grants immortality, is he?¡± ¡°Bad premonitions alwayse true, don''t they?¡± ¡°That''s¡­ not just a bad premonition.¡± Duke clicked his tongue as he finished his whiskey. He knew that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was superstitious and surrounded by suspicious individuals, but he didn''t expect him to go astray like this. ¡°Shouldn''t we put some pressure on him as a family?¡± ¡°It''s difficult to act strongly because we''re in an alliance to keep the Eastern Empire in check together.¡± ¡°Ha, you''ve really mellowed out. In the past, you would have just picked a fight.¡± ¡°Being the head of the n isn''t all sunshine and rainbows.¡± ¡°So what''s the main point? Why are you beating around the bush like this?¡± Arthur looked at Duke and said, ¡°I''m nning to leave the Four Seasons Castle for a while.¡± ¡°Why are you leaving the Four Seasons Castle when the Emperor of the Rom Empire has gone mad?¡± ¡°I''m going to the Ice Mountains to find the ancient artifact that the Emperor is looking for.¡± ¡°What? Are you crazy? Don''t tell me it''s because of that immortality¡­¡± ¡°There''s a possibility that the artifact is a trace of an Elder Dragon.¡± [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 22 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 22 At the mention of the Elder Dragon, Duke''s face hardened. Arthur slowly began to speak. ¡°No matter what, that artifact must never fall into the Emperor''s hands.¡± Duke nodded in agreement. Arthur rose from his seat. ¡°While I''m away, Duke, I''ll need your eyes and ears to keep watch on the Emperor.¡± ¡°You''re leaving me with all the troublesome tasks.¡± ¡°It''s not like you have to do the dirty work yourself. Stop whining and pay attention.¡± Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head. Simply being strong might make one the head of the Draker n, but it wasn''t enough tost long. The man in front of him had held the position of head of the Draker n for the longest time in its history. He was overly calcting, but it was precisely because of this that he had been able to handle so many enemies. Duke finished his whiskey and stood up. ¡°I won''t bother seeing you off. Take care.¡± And with that, Duke vanished. Arthur Draker, left alone, took a sip from his whiskey ss and then suddenly looked around. ''I felt something¡­ Was it my imagination?'' Arthur didn''t believe there could be a presence that could deceive his senses. * * * ''An artifact of the Elder Dragon?'' Zeke, who had left the Headmaster''s office after meeting with Arthur Draker, remained near the main building instead of leaving. Outside, he used ''Hearing'', the ability of his Soul Perception, to eavesdrop on the conversation between Arthur Draker and Duke. Wheeeeeen! Zeke, withdrawing his Hearing, felt a strong wave of dizziness. He had been able to use Soul Perception after absorbing the Heart of Bahamut, but the side effects hadn''tpletely disappeared. He closed his eyes for a moment and waited for the dizziness to subside, finally regaining hisposure. Soul Perception was a technique that used the power of the soul, not aura, so he was able to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two ck Knights. As Zeke returned to the tinum Floor, he reyed the conversation between Arthur and Duke in his mind. Knowing the future, Zeke knew better than anyone how cold and calcting Arthur Draker was. He wasn''t a thirteen-year-old kid. Having gone through all sorts of hardships, Zeke wasn''t naive enough to be fooled by a moment of kindness. He suspected that the head of the n had some ulterior motive and had secretly eavesdropped on the conversation with Duke. Zeke pondered over the words ''artifact of the Elder Dragon'' and ''Ice Mountains'' that Arthur had mentioned. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to refer to the ck dragon statue he had brought back before his death. The problem was that Zeke had discovered that artifact in the Ice Mountains 19 years from now. He had no idea that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was already searching for the artifact at this point in time. Zeke recalled the time when he had found the artifact before his regression. ''Even if he is the head of the Draker n, it would be impossible to find where that artifact is hidden.'' Zeke himself had found the artifact through a series of coincidences. Thinking about the situation back then, he could somewhat understand why the Emperor hadn''t been able to find the artifact for over 19 years. After a moment of thought, Zeke opened his status window and read the title written on it. [Blessed by the Elder Dragon] It was certain that the artifact he had discovered was rted to the being called the Elder Dragon. However, he couldn''t figure out how this system, visible only to him, was rted to the immortality that the Rom Emperor desired. It seemed that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was on a wild goose chase. ''I guess I''ve gained a clue to figure out the true nature of that artifact.'' As Zeke left the main building, he reyed Arthur Draker''s words in his mind. The head of the n had called him trash who couldn''t even awaken his aura. Zeke clenched his fists. He no longer felt any fear or tension towards Arthur Draker. He reaffirmed his resolve to be the strongest, using the Draker n as a stepping stone to bring the entire continent under his feet. He aimed to be the absolute ruler, the strongest on the continent, epassing not only the Central Continent but also the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Continents. ''I''ll make the head of the Draker n, the Emperor, and everyone else kneel before me.'' * * * After the visit of the head of the n, Arthur Draker, the academy became busy with another matter. It was none other than the approaching semester evaluation period. As an educational institution created by the Draker n, with a foundation of thoroughpetition, the academy was filled with evaluations, big and small. Among them, the semester evaluation held the most significant weight in determining advancement. This was because if one failed to achieve excellent results here, it was impossible to advance to Valha. Graduating from the academy alone earned one good treatment in most kingdoms, but it was nothingpared to those who graduated from Valha. This was because entering Valha itself was seen as a guarantee of sess. The cadets of the special ss, who had an advantage in advancing to Valha, were also busy preparing for the semester evaluation. Those who received support from their families even hired knights for private tutoring. This was also the reason why Reina had offered Zeke her n''s support. Receiving tutoring from experienced knights and preparing ording to the semester evaluation criteria made it easier to manage grades, thus increasing the chances of exceeding Valha''s admission threshold. However, such things weren''t much of a problem for Zeke. ¡°Damn evaluation exams. I know everything, but it''s annoying to have to go through it again.¡± Zeke, who hadn''t awakened his aura, had been relentlessly bullied by the instructors. The instructors would give Zeke, who had failed, even more difficult additional tests, putting mental pressure on him. Since he was a direct descendant of the Draker n, they couldn''t expel him immediately, so they used that pressure to signal him to withdraw voluntarily. However, despite being bullied by the students and instructors, Zeke endured and held on, refusing to withdraw. In the end, though, Headmaster Howard himself stepped in and kicked him out of the academy. Zeke gritted his teeth as he thought about that time. "This time, it will never happen again." In the private training room, Zeke tirelessly honed his swordsmanship, wielding a practice ymore. The swordsmanship he was practicing was the Basic Dragon yer Technique, consisting of eight forms. The Basic Dragon yer Technique, which he had been steadily practicing since his previous life, was the swordsmanship Zeke had trained in for the longest time. He performed the Dragon yer Technique, raising his mana and oveying it with Soul Perception. Whoosh! The mana imbued with the will of ''Severing'' coated his sword. Zeke then performed the first form, first verse of the Dragon yer Technique, Sky Cleaving. Whoosh! The moment he performed the Dragon yer Technique, the mana coated on his sword scattered. Zeke looked down at his sword. "It''s not working, as expected." He had tried to see if the Dragon yer Technique, which should be performed using aura, was possible with mana, but it was impossible. The mana energy imbued in the sword scattered before he could even properly execute the Dragon yer Technique. Zeke held his sword and once again imbued it with the will of Severing. Whoosh! When he performed a normal horizontal sh instead of the Dragon yer Technique, the mana did not scatter. Zeke lowered his sword and sighed. Although he had learned Soul Perception from his master, whom he met in the forbidden Forest of the Forgotten, Zeke, who had broken his oath and left the restricted area in the middle of his training, had not learned all the techniques properly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Because he only knew half-baked Soul Perception, he was limited in performing high-level swordsmanship without the Sr Sword Gram, which converted mana into aura. The problem was the semester evaluation. In order for Zeke, who couldn''t use aura, to be evaluated, he needed Gelion''s sword, but even after several months, there was no news from him. If he took the evaluation in his current state, he would surely fail, just like in his previous life. However, in order to open Terakan Draker''s security vault, he had to go to Valha. Because it was forbidden to outsiders, the only way to enter was to be admitted. "It''s one mountain after another." Zeke gave up on performing the Dragon yer Technique with Soul Perception and devoted himself to swordsmanship training again. Having grasped the basic principles of the Gale Force, Zeke already possessed the skills of a Purple Knight. Zeke, who had already reached the level of a Red Knight in his previous life, bore fruit in his efforts to regain his former level as quickly as possible. After finishing his training and returning to the floor, Decker approached Zeke. "Young Master, a fellow student hase to see you." Zeke, who had no friends at the academy, had no one to call a fellow student. Puzzled, he went to the reception room and found an unexpected person waiting for him. "Liam Stone." Liam Stone, the future mercenary king, stood up with a stiff, nervous posture. Then he immediately walked up to Zeke and knelt. Zeke, seeing Liam like that, said, "What is this?" Liam raised his head and said to Zeke, "Please ept me." Zeke was taken aback by the unexpected words. "ept you? What do you mean?" "If you take me in, I will dedicate my loyalty to you." "Huh, you mean you want to be my subordinate?" "I will serve you as my lord." It was absurd for a mere thirteen-year-old to talk about loyalty and lordship. Zeke, looking at Liam, said, "Do you even know what an oath of loyalty means?" "I understand your concern. Although distant, I am also of Draker blood. I fully understand the weight of an oath of loyalty." Zeke criticized his past self for lecturing Liam Stone like an old man. He hadn''t expected Liam toe to him to pledge his loyalty. "Is it because of Leon''s group? If there has been continued unfair violence since then..." "It''s not because of an idiot like Leon Conrad. If I''m hit, I''ll get hit, and if I''m insulted, I''ll endure it." "Then there''s no need for you to do this." "I want to go to Valha." In his past life, Liam didn''t go to Valha. That was because Jakenn Vardec, who had taken him in, didn''t support him. Based on skill alone, there was no reason for Liam not to go to Valha. He had the ability to break through the barrier of a Red Knight on his own, without anyone else''s help. "You know my evaluation at the academy. It''s absurd to say you''ll pledge your loyalty to me and go to Valha. Do you have something in mind?" "It''s my gut feeling." "Gut feeling? You''re going to pledge your loyalty to me based on such an uncertain feeling?" "I''ve always had a good gut feeling. When I was with Jakenn Vardec, I wasn''t satisfied, but I felt like I would gain something if I stayed with him." "But that feeling was wrong. Are you sure you have a good gut feeling?" "If it wasn''t for the duel with you, Zeke, Jakenn wouldn''t have abandoned me." Jakenn pretended to be magnanimous, but he was the most petty among his cousins. This was evident from the fact that he immediately abandoned Liam after his defeat to Zeke in the Pankration. Zeke looked at Liam kneeling in front of him and pondered. ''Should I ept this guy?'' Zeke had many secrets that he couldn''t reveal to others. If his secret were to leak before he could properly develop his skills, he could die without a trace. Having experienced the rough storms of life, it was natural for Zeke to have such thoughts. Then Liam, looking at Zeke, said, "If you tell me to be mute, I''ll be mute, if you tell me to be blind, I''ll be blind, and if you tell me to be deaf, I''ll be deaf. Please, just take me in." Zeke sensed a desperation in Liam. He didn''t think the proud mercenary king would cling to him like this based on a mere feeling. He opened his mouth to speak to Liam. "Get up." Liam flinched and looked at Zeke. Zeke spoke again. "I said get up." Liam sprang to his feet. "Follow me." Zeke led Liam to the training room. Then he handed him a sword. "If you can withstand my attack, I''ll take you in." Liam was surprised by those words. "You''re saying I just have to endure it?" Liam had awakened his aura and even formed his Ether hall with his outstanding talent. He had heard that Zeke was receiving individual training from a high-ranking knight, but he didn''t think there would be such a big difference since they were the same age. Zeke said no more and raised his ymore. And he used the Draconian skill ''Dragon''s Majesty''. Saaaaaaaaaa! Liam almost dropped his sword from the oppressive pressure that tightened around his body and the murderous intent that pierced his lungs. He barely managed to hold onto his sword and gritted his teeth to resist the oppressive energy. Just then, Zeke stepped forward, holding his sword. Wheeee! He executed a high-speed movement skill mixed with the essence of the Gale Force. At the same time, the sword,den with heavy energy, fell towards the crown of Liam''s head. Liam forced his stiff muscles to move, raising his sword to block Zeke''s attack. ng! However, the moment he shed with Zeke''s sword, Liam couldn''t withstand the pressure and ended up dropping his sword. Simultaneously, the energy that was pressing down on him disappeared. "Gasp, gasp..." With his palmspletely torn from the momentary sh, Liam was drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath. Liam trembled in fear as he looked at Zeke standing in front of him. Even though Zeke hadn''t used his aura, there was an insurmountable wall between them. Then Zeke said to Liam, "You''re pathetic." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 23 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 23 Upon hearing Zeke''s words, Liam immediately knelt. ¡°Master. Zeke, please give me one more chance.¡± Zeke slowly approached Liam. Looking down at him, he said, "Why should I?" "I will follow any order you give me, Master Zeke. Please give me one more chance." Zeke said to Liam, "Will you really listen to any order I give you?" "Yes." "Good. Then cut off your right arm." Liam suddenly looked up at Zeke. Zeke said with a cold expression, "Didn''t you say you''d follow anything?" At those words, Liam looked down at his right arm. Even if he cut it off, he could reattach it if he went to a healer quickly, but healing potions weren''t a cure-all. Especially with the right arm, in the worst case, even a single nerve being damaged could make it impossible to hold a sword. Liam''s hands trembled as he picked up the fallen sword. He gripped the sword, sweat dripping down his face. Liam looked at Zeke and said, "If I follow your order, will you take me in?" "Yes." "I understand." Suddenly, Liam''s expression changed. With a hardened face, he gripped the sword with his left hand and struck down at his right arm. Slice! An unpleasant sound pierced his ears. Liam looked at his right arm. "Huh?" He had clearly struck his arm with the sword, but it was fine. He then looked at his sword. Surprisingly, it wasn''t his arm that was cut, but the sword. The de, cut in half, was held in Zeke''s hand. "You idiot. What were you going to do if I didn''t ept you after you cut off your arm?" Zeke tossed the severed de. The de embedded itself deep into the hard stone wall. Such a feat was only possible for a Purple Knight, who could imbue their weapon with aura. ''Master Zeke has already surpassed the barrier of Purple.'' Zeke said to Liam in a low voice, "If you do such a foolish thing again, there will be no oath of loyalty or anything. Do you understand?" Liam, his face flushed, said, "Th-then, does that mean you''ll ept me?" "I''ll keep an eye on you." "Thank you! Thank you, Master! I will devote my loyalty to you!" Zeke smiled bitterly as he watched Liam readily bow his head before him. After returning to the reception room with Liam, he had a servant bring them warm tea. Sitting on the sofa, he said to Liam, "So, what is it?" "What do you mean?" "The reason why you have to go this far, Liam." He looked at Liam with sharp eyes and said, "Do you have a family member who is unwell?" Liam was startled and looked at Zeke. "H-how did you know?" It was just a deduction based on various circumstances, but even Zeke himself didn''t expect to get it right so quickly. Zeke nodded. "I knew it. Valha has various benefits. Medical benefits are one of them." Valha graduates receive the best treatment on the continent. And not only them, but their families also benefit. Medical benefits were included among them. The medical technology of the Draker n, which owned thergest general hospital in the entire continent, was something that the proud Rom Empire coveted. Liam lowered his head and said, "I recently received news that my mother has copsed." "So you wanted to go to Valha to receive medical benefits." "Yes. My mother raised me all by herself, going through a lot of hardship. Our family has fallen on hard times, so we can''t even afford proper medicine. I want to enter Valha and provide her with proper treatment." He didn''t know that the future mercenary king was such a devoted son. However, apart from that, he was quite naive about the ways of the world. "You idiot. When will you go to Valha and treat your mother''s illness?" He was still a first-year student, so even if he graduated early, it would take two more years before he was eligible to enter Valha. And not just anyone could go to Valha just by graduating. At Zeke''s sharp words, Liam clenched his fists. "It''s an illness that doesn''t respond to ordinary treatment, so there was nothing I could do. All the healers I called in immediately couldn''t even figure out what the illness was. It seems impossible to treat without the Draker n''s medical technology, and since it doesn''t seem critical right now, this was the conclusion I came to after much deliberation." Zeke''s expression changed subtly as he listened. "Is this illness by any chance... apanied by red spots on the body and periodic high fever?" Liam was surprised by Zeke''s words. "How did you know?" ''Hah, this is... Should I call this good luck?'' The illness that Liam''s mother had contracted was something that would be a major epidemic in the Central Continent five years from now. Although the fatality rate wasn''t high, it was highly contagious, causing many people to fall ill, and mainly the elderly and children with weak immune systems lost their lives. ''It was called Red Flower Disease, wasn''t it?'' It was named after the red rash that appeared on the face. In his past life, a cure was developed only after many people had died, finally bringing the disease under control. And luckily, Zeke knew how to make the cure for Red Flower Disease. Zeke said to Liam, "Well, that''s none of my business. How long has it been since the symptoms appeared?" "About a week." ''I need to act quickly before it gets any worse and bes difficult to treat.'' Zeke immediately had Decker gather the necessary medicinal herbs, make the Red Flower Disease treatment, and send it to the Stone n. "If she takes the medicine for about two months, she''ll get better." It was an illness that other healers had given up on, but Zeke not only knew the symptoms just by hearing about the situation, but also prepared the treatment medicine swiftly. In Liam''s eyes, Zeke was like a god. "Thank you! Thank you, Master! I will devote my loyalty to you!" "Of course you should, since you''ve pledged your loyalty. I''ll abandon you immediately if you get in my way, so do well." And so, the future Mercenary King, Liam Stone, became the first subordinate of Zeke Draker. * * * "Time''s up. Everyone, hand in your papers." The written exam for the Knighthood Culture subject was over. Theoretical subjects were no problem for Zeke. The real problem started with the practical exams. The first practical exam was held outside the academy. Both special and regr sses werebined, and the exam consisted of entering a test dungeon in pairs to hunt monsters. Most of the academy cadets gathered in front of the test dungeon had somewhat nervous expressions. On the other hand, the cadets who received support from their families were more rxed. They had already practiced dungeon exploration methods, monster handling methods, and even how to earn extra points with the help of their families. Among the cadets reacting in various ways, Zeke and Liam also stood in front of the dungeon, waiting their turn. Just then, someone approached from behind. "Unexpected. Abination of Zeke Draker and Liam Stone." The annoying, petty tone of voice was somewhat familiar. Looking back, as expected, Jakenn Vardec was standing there with his group. Zeke ignored Jakenn and concentrated on checking his equipment. Seeing Zeke like that, Jakenn said, "Zeke Draker, have you ever even seen a monster before?" At those words, Zeke looked up and red at Jakenn. "Don''t bother me and just go away." Jakenn smirked at Zeke''s words. "They say most people wet their pants when they see a monster for the first time. Zeke, I look forward to seeing how you''ll react." Just then, the instructor''s voice rang out. "Zeke Draker! Liam Stone! Enter!" The two entered the entrance indicated by the instructor among the dozens of split dungeon entrances. Other families don''t conduct such dangerous practical training for thirteen-year-olds. But this was Draker. Such crazy things weremonce here, which made it possible. The dungeon exploration examsted for four days. The goal of this practical exam was not just to hunt monsters, but to safely escape the maze-like dungeon. Zeke and Liam slowly ventured deeper into the dungeon. Zeke checked the hidden markings throughout the dungeon and found his way. Liam was surprised to see Zeke like that. ''Has Master explored dungeons before?'' Zeke had mostly shown hiscking side in the cradle, so Liam still couldn''t get used to this sudden change. After walking through the dark cave for several hours, arge open space appeared inside. Zeke touched the moss on the walls of the open space and the soil on the floor, and even smelled them. "Let''s take a break here for a while." He took out the equipment he had brought from the Dragon yer''s tomb and set up a temporary base camp. He set up a simple tent to block the moisture and stretched wire around the area for vignce. Liam, who had been watching Zeke skillfully set up camp, approached awkwardly. "I-I''ll do it." "Never mind. I''ll take care of this, so go gather some appropriately sized stones nearby. Let''s make a firece and cook something to eat." The most important thing in dungeon exploration was stamina management. Of course, Zeke had the Infinite Stamina skill, but anything could happen in a dungeon, so he couldn''t let his guard down. When Liam brought the stones, Zeke arranged them and installed a magic tool that emitted heat inside. Perhaps because it was an ancient item, its performance was excellent. Zeke took out the instant food he had stored in his inventory and heated it on the firece. "Here, try it." Liam drank the soup Zeke handed him. It was so delicious that he couldn''t believe it was made in a dungeon. "It''s incredibly delicious, Master." It was possible because it was an instant meal made by specially ordering soup from the tinum Lounge, freezing it immediately, and storing it in his inventory. Since food stored in the inventory was preserved as it was, he could simply heat it up and enjoy the soup''s original vor. Zeke and Liam ate a proper meal and took a short rest in the base camp they had set up. They took turns keeping watch and guarding the surroundings, recovering their stamina, and then explored deeper into the dungeon. Zeke turned on the minimap to check if the markings and paths indicated in the cave matched. And at some point, Zeke noticed something strange and tilted his head. ''The direction the other cadets are going and the direction we''re going arepletely opposite.''N?v(el)B\\jnn The minimap also showed the locations of the other cadets, and the red dots marking them were clustered on the left path. However, the path Zeke and Liam were on was marked to continue only to the right. Zeke sensed something was amiss. ''Could it be that those guys are already making their move?'' Growl! Just then, a strange sound suddenly came from deep within the cave. Sensing it, Zeke said to Liam, "Liam, put out the fire." Despite being in a dark cave, Liam didn''t question Zeke''s order to extinguish the fire and immediately did so. Zeke, with the fire out, focused on his sense of smell. ''This smell is...? The smell of sulfur?'' Zeke had experienced more than enough monster hunting due to his missions. ''Why is there a trace of a Hellhound in a test dungeon?'' The Hellhound, also known as the Infernal Hound, was ssified as a very dangerous monster even among adventurers. They had excellent senses, moved in packs, and relentlessly chased their prey until they seeded in hunting, making it difficult to escape. ''Don''t tell me they put a Hellhound in as a test monster?'' Even for a crazy n like the Drakers, that was going too far. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. "Liam, be on guard." Zeke warned Liam in a low voice. He took his sword and walked forward, leading the way. Screech! Just then, a Gremlin hiding behind a rock jumped out. Whoosh! Zeke swung his sword and immediately split the Gremlin''s body in half. Thud! The severed body of the Gremlin fell to the floor. Liam also blocked and dealt with the Gremlins popping out from other ces without panicking, using his sword. As long as they didn''t panic, they could handle Gremlins of that level with their skills. But then it happened. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Another sound came from deep within the cave. Zeke realized that the Gremlins were running away from the monster that was making this sound. At the same time, something ck darted out towards Zeke. ng! As Zeke expected, a Hellhound appeared and suddenly charged at him. Liam was startled and tried to approach and help Zeke. But Zeke''s sword struck down on the Hellhound''s head. Slice! With a powerful blow, the Hellhound''s head was immediately separated from its body. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have defeated a Hellhound. You have earned 15 Karma Points.] "Liam, turn on the light." At Zeke''smand, Liam immediately turned on the magicmp. A fairlyrge Hellhoundy copsed with its head severed. Just then, Zeke discovered something on the Hellhound. "This is...." "What''s wrong, Master?" Zeke pointed at the Hellhound''s belly. There were marks as if something had gnawed at it. "No wonder it was a bit slow." Kookookookookook! The tremors resonated once more. Thump! Thump! Thump! Something massive, shaking the entire cave, approached. Seeing its true form, Liam was utterly shocked. "A-a Troll?" A representative of mid-sized monsters with a gigantic physique and outstanding regenerative abilities. A high-risk monster that could easily make a snack out of a Hellhound appeared before them. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 24 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 24 Liam stood before Zeke, drenched in sweat. "Master, I''ll be the bait. In the meantime, please escape quickly." Zeke chuckled and pushed Liam back. "Thanks for the thought." Although Liam knew Zeke was at the Purple Knight level, fighting monsters was a different matter. There were countless cases of skilled knights losing their lives in battles against monsters. Moreover, there was no way Zeke, still an academy cadet, could handle a high-risk monster like a Troll. Before Liam could stop him, Zeke darted forward. "Gale Force: Phantom Step." Zeke''s body, leaving afterimages, slipped into the Troll''s blind spot. Kaaaaaaaak! The Troll swung its massive club. But it was impossible to catch Zeke''s movements as he moved swiftly with Phantom Step. Zeke had hunted countless Trolls in his previous life. Furthermore, it was easier to use Soul Perception now than in his past life. Zeke raised his mana and imbued his sword with the energy of Severing using Soul Perception. Whoosh! Then, he calmly circled the Troll, urately severing the tendons in its limbs. Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo! The entire cave shook as the Troll twisted its body. Zeke, not fooled by the Troll''s movements, stabbed its leg joints. Thud! The Troll, its joints destroyed, copsed under its own weight. However, its wounds began to heal due to the Troll''s unique regenerative abilities. Zeke didn''t miss that opening while the Troll was recovering. He thrust his ymore straight towards the Troll''s neck. Slice! The massive Troll''s head fell from its body. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have defeated a Troll. You have earned 30 Karma Points.] Both the Hellhound and the Troll awarded Karma Points. ''It seems that ''magic-wielding demonic beasts'' refers to all monsters in general.'' The Gremlins were probably too weak to be counted for points. Zeke wore a satisfied expression. If he could umte points by hunting monsters, it seemed possible to gather Karma Points much faster than expected. Zeke turned on the minimap and checked the locations of the surrounding monsters. He grinned and said to Liam, "Liam, collect their heads." "Understood. Should I collect the Gremlins'' heads too?" "Let''s just take the big ones." Zeke rotated his sword-wielding wrist and walked towards where the monsters were marked. This time, Goblins were gathered in one ce. They seemed to have been waiting for the Troll to pass. Zeke approached silently and swiftly beheaded the Goblins. Kyaak! The Goblins were turned into Zeke''s points before they could even scream properly. [You have defeated a Goblin. You have earned 5 Karma Points.] Having dealt with five Goblins, he had earned 25 points. ''How many points do I have now?'' [Current Karma Points: 165] Since there was no opportunity to go outside the dungeon, it seemed like a good idea to umte arge number of points this time. As he was making ns, new letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. ¨DTutorial Sudden Mission¨D [Hunt 100 monsters of ten different types in the dungeon. Time limit: 72 hours] [Sudden Mission Reward: Double the acquired Karma Points / 2 Random Boxes] [Current Score: 3 types / 7 monsters] [Non-aggressive monsters are excluded from the count] ''Sudden Mission?'' A new type of mission appeared. Zeke grinned as he saw the reward for the Sudden Mission. It was a satisfactory reward, so he decided to act immediately. He needed to move quickly to seed in the mission within the time limit. "Liam, let''s move." Zeke moved through the dungeon like a skilled adventurer. By looking at the traces left in the dungeon, he quickly figured out which monsters were present. He continued hunting by having Liam attract the monsters'' attention from the front while he beheaded them from behind with his sword. sh! Once the hunt was over, Liam tied the heads of the monsters Zeke had in with a string and carried them on his back. They hunted the monsters in the dungeon, and when their stamina ran low, they set up a base camp again and rested. Even the Infinite Stamina skill couldn''t replenish hunger and sleep, so proper rest was essential. They repeated the cycle of resting and hunting, resting and hunting. In this way, Zeke swept through the dungeon, hunting 99 monsters of nine different types in three days. ''I just need to catch one more type.'' It was strange that there were so many types of high-risk monsters in a test dungeon. But Zeke was more concerned about the possibility of failing the Sudden Mission, licking his lips in regret. That''s when it happened. Crackle crackle crackle! Zeke sensed a strange sounding from beneath his feet. He shouted to Liam, "Liam! Throw me an Orc head and stay back!" Liam quickly followed Zeke''s instructions. Zeke took the Orc head Liam handed him and threw it towards where the sound wasing from. Then he held his breath and waited. A momentter, the ground shook. Crunch! A Dungeon Worm that had been underground had surfaced and devoured the Orc head Zeke had thrown with its sharp teeth. Zeke knew that oil was like poison to Dungeon Worms. He quickly took out some oil from his bag and applied it to his de. Immediately after, he approached the Dungeon Worm at high speed, using the Gale Force footwork. Then, he boldly stabbed the Dungeon Worm''s weak point, under its jaw, with his sword. Kaaaaak! Zeke''s sword pierced through the Dungeon Worm''s jaw and straight through to the top of its head. The Dungeon Worm struggled, trying to wrap its tail around Zeke. Crack! The powerful tail wrapped around Zeke, trying to crush him, but it was no use. Zeke''s Healing Factor activated, instantly regenerating his broken bones and muscles. "You damn worm!" Zeke concentrated his mana and imbued his sword with the will of Severing. His sword, now even more powerful, split the Dungeon Worm in two. sh! The Dungeon Worm, split in half, went limp and copsed on the floor. Zeke brushed off the Dungeon Worm''s tail that had wrapped around him and stood up. [Sudden Mission sessful.] [For the first Sudden Mission sess, low-grade potions and scrolls will be randomly awarded.] [Time Reduction Points will be added to the reward.] [Acquired Karma Points will be doubled as a reward.] [Two Random Boxes will be awarded as a reward.] The rewards were great, befitting the effort he had put in. * * * "Damn it, I thought I was going to die." The cadets who escaped through the dungeon exit within the time limit were all in a sorry state. Although there were only low-level monsters like Gremlins and Goblins, they had to push themselves for three days without proper sleep, not knowing when and where the monsters would pop out. Still, those who received support from their families seemed to be in rtively better shape. They brought out the heads or ears of the Gremlins and Goblins they had hunted, strung together. In particr, Jakenn Vardec brought out the head of a Hobgoblin. Since it was a ferocious and agile type even among Goblins, making it difficult to hunt, everyone looked at Jakenn with surprise. Jakenn, enjoying their attention, smirked. ''It was worth it to have practiced beforehand.'' That''s when it happened. "Oh, my..." Reina Draker emerged with the head of an Orc, dripping with blood. When she submitted the Orc head to the instructor, the instructor was shocked. "There was an Orc in the dungeon?" "I found strange traces and investigated, and a wild Orc had made a nest there, preying on other monsters." The instructor''s expression turned grave at those words. "Oh dear, it seems one of the wild monsters from the dangerous area escaped. Good work, Reina Draker." The cadets once again marveled, saying that Reina was indeed on a different level. The instructor checked his watch, confirming the cadets who had emerged and the remaining exam time. "Is the only pair that hasn''te out yet Zeke Draker and Liam Stone?" Zeke and Liam hadn''t returned even when all the other cadets had emerged. Jakenn and the other cadets mocked Zeke and Liam, who still hadn''te out. "Maybe they were eaten by a Goblin horde." "Or maybe they''re too scared to move." Just as the exam time was almost over, Zeke and Liam emerged through a different exit than the designated one. The instructor in charge, seeing Zeke and Liam, said, "Zeke, Liam! There''s a designated exit, why are youing out from there? This is grounds for a penalty." Just then, Zeke approached the instructor and dropped something with a thud. "What''s this?" It was the head of a monster. But it was unusuallyrge for an ordinary monster. The instructor was shocked when he confirmed the identity of the monster. "A-a Troll?" Ignoring the instructor''s surprise, Zeke opened the bag he had brought and rummaged through it. Starting with the Orc head, the Hellhound head, and everything else that came out were all heads of high-risk monsters. Zeke, having piled a dozen heads in front of the instructor, dusted off his hands and said, "There''s more, but I couldn''t fit them all in the bag, so I just brought what I could carry." The instructor stared nkly at the monster heads Zeke had brought. The surrounding cadets had simr expressions. Just then, Zeke looked around with sharp eyes. Owen Siemens'' expression, standing at the very back, caught his eye. ''It was him who yed this trick.'' While others were wearing expressions of disbelief, Owen, although trying to hide it, had a look of dismay. He had thought it strange that high-risk monsters were appearing one after another in the test dungeon. He wasn''t sure how, but Owen must have guided Zeke and Liam to the dungeon route where high-risk monsters appeared. ''Those Siemens guys are shady, as always.'' Zeke, having grasped the situation, looked at the instructor and said, "Is this enough to pass?" "Huh? Uh, y-yes." Hearing the answer, Zeke immediately returned to the academy with Liam. He was exhausted from hunting monsters for days and wanted to go back and rest quickly. * * * "It seems like it''s time." Zeke, having rested for a while and now in his private training room, looked at the letters floating before his eyes. ¨DDraconian Skill Level 1¨D Gluttony (Locked) Thanks to the massive amount of points he had acquired from hunting in the dungeon, he had a whopping 780 points avable. After some thought, Zeke decided to unlock the mysterious Gluttony skill. [Would you like to unlock the Draconian Skill Gluttony?] "Yes, unlock it." Zeke unlocked Gluttony and tried using the skill. Just then, letters appeared. ¨DGluttony Information¨D In the Gluttony state, it is possible to digest anything and convert it into energy. Also, when consuming a demonic beast with bloodline abilities, it is possible to absorb the abilities of that demonic beast. "What? What does this mean?" It was a preposterous exnation. Digesting anything he ate, converting it directly into energy, and even absorbing the bloodline abilities of monsters ¨C this was an ability he had never heard of or seen even in his previous life. "This is apletely insane ability." He now understood why it required 50 points. Zeke tried using the Gluttony skill as a test. Wooong! As the skill activated, Zeke''s shadow wavered. Zeke took out the remaining jerky from his inventory and tossed it on the floor. Then, ording to Zeke''s will, the shadow moved and swallowed the jerky whole. [Energy is converted to restore depleted mental strength.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He felt his mind clear in an instant. "Replenishing energy includes mental strength too?" With this skill, even in situations where he couldn''t sleep properly, he could endure by replenishing his mental strength. It also meant that during battle, if his stamina or mana ran low, he could immediately recover by absorbing and digesting anything with this skill. Zeke was once again reminded that none of the Draconian skills were useless. Zeke brought up the Draconian Skill window. [50 Karma Points required to unlock Skill Level 2] By investing 50 points, he could unlock new Draconian skills. He didn''t know what they would be, but they were likely to be better skills than Level 1, at least. ''Alright, let''s make a bold investment here.'' Just as Zeke was about to unlock Level 2 skills, Knock knock! Someone knocked on the door of Zeke''s private training room. Zeke, his excitement dampened, shouted, "Come in." Decker entered the training room. Zeke said in a slightly irritated voice, "Decker, when I''m in the training room, try not toe in..." ¡°I received a call from Gelion.¡± [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 25 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 25 As soon as Zeke received the message, he rushed to Gelion''s smithy. "Gelion!" Entering the smithy, he found Gelion, looking haggard in front of the magic forge , weakly greeting him. "My lord... You have arrived." Zeke was taken aback seeing Gelion half-dead. In his previous life, when the Sr Sword Gram was made, Gelion wasn''t in this state. ''Don''t tell me he failed?'' An anxious feeling washed over him. Zeke suppressed his impatience and asked Gelion as calmly as possible, "Is the swordplete?" Gelion nodded. Zeke breathed a sigh of relief. Gelion struggled to his feet and brought something from inside. Soon, Gelion ced a wooden box containing a sword covered with cloth in front of Zeke. Zeke slowly removed the cloth and checked the sword. "Huh?" Zeke was momentarily bewildered when he saw the sword inside the box. Its appearance was vastly different from the Sr Sword Gram he knew. The Sr Sword Gram was a famous sword with a snake coiled around its de. But the sword in front of him was all ck, with the hilt and de seamlessly connected. The strangest thing was something else. "Why isn''t the de sharpened?" A sword should be sharp. But the de of the sword in front of him was blunt, not sharpened at all. It seemed like it couldn''t even cut a radish. Gelion, standing beside him, said with a cold sweat, "That sword...is that kind of sword." Hearing Gelion''s cryptic words, Zeke turned to him and said, "Do you mean...that this form is the sword that suits me best?" At Zeke''s words, Gelion nodded vigorously again with a deeply moved expression. "As expected...! My lord is different. If it were any other noble, they would have dragged me out and whipped me. However... the form of the sword that best suits my lord, whom I have peered into, was this." An unimpressive sword with a dull ck de and no decorations. If this sword were ced in a weapon shop, no one would buy it. ''Why is it in this form, unlike the Gram of my past life? Is it because I used the Dragon''s fang as a material?'' Gram was also a sword made by mixing precious mithril and pure iron. Zeke tried to remain calm and asked Gelion, "...So, what''s the name of this sword?" Gelion shook his head. "I couldn''t name this sword." The Sr Sword Gram was named by Gelion, not Zeke. Zeke had no choice but to admit that this sword waspletely different from Gram. "You mean I have to name it." "This sword is like that." If these were the words of Gelion, the Soul cksmith, then it was surely a sword made to be that way. Zeke nodded. Then he rolled up his sleeve. He focused his mana on his wrist, imbued it with the will of Severing, and slit his wrist. Drip! A stream of blood flowed from Zeke''s wrist as he forcibly suppressed his Healing Factor. Drops of blood dripped onto the de. Gelion was surprised to see Zeke''s actions. ''He knows the procedure of the Sword Naming Ceremony. As expected, he is no ordinary person.'' The Sword Naming Ceremony, as the name suggests, was a ritual to give a name to a sword. It originated from the ancient rituals of the Dwarves, known as the cksmith race, but it was such an old tradition that even most cksmiths didn''t know about it. After bleeding onto the sword, Zeke ced his hand on the de. He closed his eyes and quietly sank into his inner self. He tried to retrieve from the abyss the name he would give to his new sword, not the Sr Sword Gram. Among the countless names floating in the abyss, one name came to him. Thump! Thump! Thump! Zeke''s heart pounded. He opened his eyes. "ck Sword Bahamut. I bestow this name upon you." Wooong! The moment Zeke gave it a name, the sword vibrated strongly. Simultaneously, Zeke''s blood on the de seeped into the sword. Woooong! The mark engraved on Zeke''s chest and the sword began to resonate. The sword rose on its own. Zeke reached out and grabbed Bahamut''s hilt. [ck Sword Bahamut has been registered as equipment.] [ck Sword Bahamut''s abilities have been unlocked.] [ck Sword Bahamut''s abilities will be sealed ording to the user''s stats.] [ck Sword Bahamut will grow along with the user''s growth.] Reading the letters that appeared, Zeke was surprised by the part that said Bahamut could grow. He had thought that growth-type weapons only existed in legends. Even the Sr Sword Gram, although a famous sword, was not a weapon that could grow. As Zeke was surprised, Bahamut''s information window appeared before his eyes. ¨Dck Sword Bahamut Information¨D Description: A sword forged from the hardest fang of the cursed evil Dragon Bahamut, tempered with the blue me of magic by a skilled craftsman with spiritual sight. Inherent Abilities: Indestructible, Aura Conversion Special Note: Sealed state (unsealed in stages ording to the user''s growth) ''Indestructible is an inherent ability?'' Although it was made from a dragon''s fang, he didn''t expect it to be an indestructible sword. In the past, Gram was sometimes damaged during battle, and Zeke would bring it to Gelion for repairs. However, with Bahamut''s indestructible characteristic, there would be no need to worry about it breaking or being damaged. But more than that, Zeke gulped at the inherent ability, Aura Conversion. He raised his mana and concentrated on Bahamut. Wooong! It was a simr sensation to when he held Gram. Zeke converted the condensed mana into aura. Swoosh! The invisible mana transformed into a vivid aura. Gelion, who was watching this, was startled. "A-aura." Seeing the clear aura surrounding Zeke''s sword, Gelion had an expression of disbelief. Being able to create such a vivid aura meant that Zeke was at least at the Purple Knight level. Zeke said to Gelion, "Gelion, may I test the sword?" "O-of course, my lord." Zeke picked up a failed sword piled up on one side of the forge and tossed it into the air. His sword, imbued with aura, moved swiftly. ng! In an instant, the sword was cut into ten pieces and fell to the floor. Although it was a failed product, it was a sword made of extremely hard pure iron. Seeing the skill of cutting it with a sword that wasn''t even sharpened, Gelion''s jaw dropped. Zeke repeated the process of tossing another broken swords into the air and cutting them with Bahamut. He could feel Bahamut bing more familiar to his hand. Only after cutting ten swords into pieces did Zeke sheathe his sword. Zeke stared at Gelion with renewed awe. ''He really made an incredible sword.'' Every time he swung it, he felt as if the sword was clinging to his hand. The Sr Sword Gram was good, but it was nothingpared to Bahamut. Although its appearance was crude, it was a peerless sword, the likes of which would never be seen again in this world. "You''ve really worked hard, Gelion." Zeke took out the things he had brought for Gelion. They contained precious gemstones he had brought from the Dragon yer''s tomb. "M-my lord, just making the forge for you was enough." "Take it. I''ll have another favor to ask of youter, so don''t feel burdened." Compared to Gelion''s hard work in creating such a legendary sword, this was nothing. Gelion''s eyes welled up with tears at Zeke''s kindness. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he asked Zeke to wait a moment and dashed inside, returning with something in his hand. What Gelion brought out was none other than a scabbard. "What''s this, Gelion?" "My master made this in the past. I want to give it to you, my lord." "Your master?" Even in his previous life, he had never heard Gelion mention his master. Inwardly surprised, he examined the scabbard Gelion handed him. A name was written on the scabbard in Dwarven. "Golin Yober? Is that Golin, by any chance?" Zeke was surprised to learn that Gelion''s master was the famous Dwarf cksmith Golin, and Gelion was surprised that Zeke could read Dwarven. Seeing Gelion nodding, Zeke said, "Are you sure you can give me something this precious?" "Of course, my lord. It''s nothingpared to the grace you have shown me..." The Dwarf cksmith Golin was a master at creating wondrous things using intricate mechanisms. There were even collectors who were willing to pay tens of thousands of gold to buy anything made by Golin. "This is a truly precious gift." "I''m d you like it, my lord. Let me show you how to use the scabbard." "Is there a separate way to use the scabbard? Ah, well, if it''s made by Golin, it must be something different." Gelion held the scabbard and turned the dial attached to the side. Suddenly, the scabbard unfolded, transforming into a shield that could cover half his body. "Oh my..." Zeke was startled to see the scabbard transform into a shield. Unlike typical shields, it wasn''t very heavy. "It''s a shield made using mithril, wyvern bone, and basilisk leather, so it''s light but more durable than a shield made of iron." Gelion turned the dial again, and the shield returned to its original scabbard form. Whatever the principle, it would certainly be very useful in battle. "Thank you, Gelion." Zeke sheathed Bahamut in the scabbard he received from Gelion. Bahamut, in the form of a ymore, fit perfectly. Gelion looked at Zeke, who was wearing Bahamut, with a proud expression. * * * Zeke, leaving Gelion''s forge, returned to his personal training ground and resumed the point tally he hadn''t finished. Zeke decided to open the Random Boxes first. He took out the two Random Boxes from his inventory and ced them on the floor of the training ground. The Random Boxes were simr to the Sealed Boxes found in dungeons. "Let''s see what''s inside." He muttered cheerfully and opened the Random Box on the left first. "What''s this?" Inside the box was a gauntlet. Zeke checked the information on the gauntlet with his dragon eyes. ¨DGauntlet Information¨D Description: A gauntlet made using hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. Zeke tried on the gauntlet. It was light yet sturdy, seeming like it would be easy to use. "Not a bad start." Zeke opened the Random Box next to it. Unexpectedly, what came out of the second box was a single sheet of paper. "What''s this?" Zeke took the paper out of the box. Then the system activated. [You have discovered a map containing traces of Grandmaster Kaisir.] [The system will automatically interpret and correct the damaged parts of the map.] [The location of the ancient ruins has been confirmed.] Seeing the automatically appearing letters, Zeke muttered in surprise, "Grandmaster Kaisir? Is that the legendary King Kaisir?" Simultaneously, a map appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Location confirmationplete.] The location indicated on the map was somewhere in the Giant Mountains. Zeke frowned as he saw the location. ''That''s barbarian territory.'' Before his regression, Zeke had practically lived in the Giant Mountains for a time. The barbarian tribes, living in istion from other nations and maintaining their own culture, were difficult to deal with. Just then, a message window popped up before Zeke''s eyes again. [Ending the tutorial ording to the user''s level.] [Starting Achievement Quest.] ¨DAchievement Quest Mission¨D [Obtain the secret left by Grandmaster Kaisir in the ruins where traces of Grandmaster Kaisir remain. (No time limit)] [Quest Mission Reward: System Administrator privileges upgrade] Zeke''s jaw dropped as he saw the letters that appeared.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 26 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 26 "King Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship manual and an upgrade to administrator privileges..." There was so much to gain from a single quest. Zeke pondered as he looked at the location of Kaisir''s ruins marked on the map. Although the barbarians were a concern, it wasn''t a ce he couldn''t go at all. If it was the secret swordsmanship of King Kaisir, it was worth the risk. When asked about the most famous hero before the Dragon yer Terakan Draker, everyone would name King Kaisir first. However, he was more of a legend than a historical figure, with feats bordering on the mythical, so there were many opinions on whether he was a real person. There wasn''t much known about the King, to the point that his existence was debated, and no ruins rted to him had ever been discovered. Therefore, the King''s ruins were sure to be filled with artifacts of immense value, not just a secret swordsmanship manual. Zeke memorized the location of Kaisir''s ruins and closed the map. Looking at his remaining 730 points, he spent 50 points to unlock Level 2 Draconian Skills. ¨DDraconian Skill Level 2¨D Dragon Scale Armor (Locked) / Dragon ws (Locked) 300 Karma Points required to unlock Skill Level 3 Zeke read the descriptions of the unlocked Dragonian Skills. ¨DIntroduction to Draconian Skill Level 2¨D Dragon Scale Armor: Dragon scales sprout on the skin, hardening it. Excellent effect against magic resistance. (80 points required to unlock) Dragon ws: Summons powerful dragon ws to strike down enemies in a single blow. (80 points required to unlock) Following Level 1, Level 2 skills also had many useful abilities.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeke decided to unlock Dragon Scale Armor and Dragon ws first, as they were necessary forbat. Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Beginner) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Beginner) / Dragon ws (Beginner) Dragon Speech, obtained by absorbing Bahamut''s heart, was still locked. It seemed he would be able to use it once his Draconian Skill level increased further. Zeke purchased 120 points worth of necessary Enhancement Potions and decided to keep the remaining 400 points for now. He nned to use them as unlock points if the system functions were upgraded. Zeke immediately started training, using the unlocked Dragon Scale Armor and Dragon ws skills to master them for use inbat. In this way, he was growing into a master unmatched by any of his peers. * * * "We will now begin the Aura Practical Evaluation!" All the members of the special ss gathered at the central training ground. The instructor in charge shouted to the special ss cadets once again, "As you know, the most important part of the semester evaluation is the Aura Practical Evaluation! If you don''t get properly evaluated, you won''t be promoted, so do your best!" The cadets tensed up at the instructor''s stern words. The exam was conducted by having the students called one by one by the instructor to take the practical evaluation. To determine the degree of aura awakening, they first underwent a physical activation evaluation, and then they had to measure how long they could maintain aura imbued in their swords. The first cadet followed the instructor''s instructions and underwent various tests, such as a vertical jump and a long jump to test agility, and various strength measurement tests. The instructor recorded the cadet''s results with a sharp eye. "Take your sword and focus your aura." The cadet, breathing heavily, took his sword and drew up as much aura as possible from his Ether hall. Brrr! The sword shook a little, then soon lost its strength and went limp. The instructor recorded the duration of the aura. Watching the other cadets being evaluated, Zeke recalled old memories. ''Perhaps because it''s a special ss, it''s definitely different from the regr ss.'' When he was in the regr ss, not many cadets had opened their Ether hall, so it was rare to see them properly focus aura into their swords. However, all the special ss cadets, even if they couldn''t maintain it for long, showed that they had opened their ether hall and could focus aura into their swords. The difference in level was already starting to widen here. Even among the special ss cadets, who were all talented, there were differences in ability. The cadets who couldn''t properly draw out their aura due to nervousness received low scores and turned pale as if the world had ended. "Next! Owen Siemens." Owen Siemens stepped forward from among the other cadets. As the second son of the influential Siemens n appeared, everyone quietly focused their attention. Owen Siemens d his entire body in aura. Whoosh! With fluid, natural movements, he leaped into the air. His records for the long jump and strength measurement were also much higher than any previous records. "Whew..." Owen looked at his records with a satisfied expression. The Siemens n was particrly skilled in aura control, even among the influential families of the Draker. It was the Siemens n that created the aura training curriculum for the academy''s senior students. As such, all members of the Siemens bloodline had a talent for delicate aura control. Owen took his sword and focused his aura. Soon, the sword, infused with aura, trembled. Owen concentrated his aura into the sword for a noticeably longer time than the other cadets. Then, at some point, his sword began to vibrate differently than before. Wooong! As a clear sword cry rang out, the surrounding cadets were awestruck. "Oh my, it''s already at the stage where the sword cries." "That''s right before the Purple Knight stage." The instructors were just as surprised. This level of aura control, which would be considered genius-level even for an adult in a typical n, was disyed by a thirteen-year-old. Owen Siemens, with a satisfied expression, returned to his seat. Perhaps due to Owen''s surprising level, the other cadets were intimidated and couldn''t properly demonstrate their skills. After a few more took the test, it was Reina Draker''s turn. Reina said to the instructor, "Can I be evaluated with the Dragon yer Technique?" The instructor replied in a slightly flustered voice, "That''s the evaluation standard for senior students. If you can''t perform it properly, you might get a bad score." "I don''t mind." The instructor in charge pondered for a moment, then nodded. With the instructor''s permission, Reina took her sword and raised her aura. Wooong! As soon as she started, her sword let out a cry. "Huh...?" The instructor in charge, watching Reina, let out an exmation without realizing it. He couldn''t believe how naturally she handled the aura at that age. Soon, Reina held her sword and performed the Dragon yer Technique forms. Whoosh! Not only her sword, but her entire body was appropriately imbued with aura as she moved. The instructor''s jaw dropped at the sight of her movements, cleaner and more precise than even senior students. It wasn''t just using aura to jump or increase strength, but a level where she could apply it to swordsmanship. Whoosh! Reina finished all the basic forms of the Dragon yer Technique. Her movements were perfect, like a textbook example of the forms. The instructor in charge pped his hands without realizing it. "Unbelievable." Even among the senior students, few could perform the basic Dragon yer Technique forms so perfectly. Reina caught her breath and returned to her seat. The other cadets looked at her as if she were an unreachable being. Only one person, Owen Siemens, gritted his teeth and red at Reina. ''Damn it.'' He had thought that he would be ahead of Reina, a Pureblood Awakener, in terms of aura control. But the result only confirmed the difference in their skills. Owen red at the gloves on Reina''s hands. ''If I were a Pureblood Awakener, I would be better than you.'' Reina, however, didn''t care about Owen''s gaze. There was only one person she cared about. "Zeke Draker. Come forward." At the instructor''s call, Zeke slowly rose from his seat. He said to the instructor, "I also want to be evaluated with the Dragon yer Technique forms." The instructor frowned at Zeke''s words. "Do you think the semester evaluation is a joke?" "You didn''t say that to Reina Draker." The instructor looked displeased at Zeke''s words. He had let it slide for Reina, the daughter of the Turunn n, because she was known for being diligent and a genius. But Zeke had been consistently insincere, skipping aura practice sses as he pleased, so his request only seemed arrogant. The instructor said in an irritated voice, "If you can''t perform it properly, you''ll immediately fail, so be prepared." Zeke nodded and drew Bahamut from the scabbard hanging on his back. Bahamut was undoubtedly a legendary sword, but on the outside, it looked like a piece of junk. The other cadets sneered at Zeke holding Bahamut. "Ha, he thinks he can do it like Reina Draker just because he''s a Pureblood Awakener too." "Let''s see if he can even perform the Dragon yer Technique properly." Zeke ignored the voices around him. "Whew..." He slowly drew up his mana and infused it into Bahamut. Then he converted the mana into aura. Tsssss! As his aura was about to be revealed, Zeke quickly scattered his mana. ''It''s harder to hold back my power.'' Zeke immediately performed the Dragon yer Technique. Whoosh! During his two years at the academy before his regression, the basic forms of the Dragon yer Technique were all he had practiced. His body and hands moved before he could even think. Whoosh! He leaped into the air and shed at the empty space with his sword. Because the movements were so familiar, Zeke simply moved his sword without thinking. Whee! He carefully performed the forms, holding back, as he couldn''t reveal his full power yet. Afterpleting all the basic forms, he returned to his original position. He looked at the instructor in charge. The instructor was looking at Zeke with disbelief. "P-Purple Knight?" Zeke looked down at the spot where he had performed the forms. He had tried to hold back his power, but it seemed he had unconsciously released more aura. The floor of the training ground was cracked in the shape of the forms he had performed. ''I tried to match Reina''s level... Oh well.'' Zeke smirked as he saw the cadets staring at him in awe, Owen with a dumbfounded expression, and Reina burning with a sense of Jealousy towards him. Unlike his previous life, it seemed he wouldn''t have to struggle with the aura practical exam. * * * The problem arose the next day. Headmaster Howard Draker suddenly summoned Zeke. Zeke, who didn''t have good feelings towards Howard, went to the headmaster''s office with a hardened expression. "Wee, Zeke." Howard Draker greeted Zeke with a friendly smile. "Have a seat." Zeke, wary of the headmaster''s excessive kindness, sat on the sofa. The headmaster even poured tea for Zeke and ced it in front of him. "Thank you." Although he wasn''t grateful at all, Zeke gave his thanks superficially and left the tea untouched. Honestly, he wanted to throw the hot tea at Howard''s smug face. Howard looked at Zeke and began, "I received a report about yesterday''s practical evaluation. You achieved amazing results." "I was just lucky." "No, not luck. Awakening the aura of a Purple Knight at the age of thirteen is impossible with just luck." Despite the amicable atmosphere, Zeke saw the current Howard ovepping with the Howard who had expelled him from the academy before his regression. ''It''s a disgrace to have an unawakened person like you in this academy. As of today, you are no longer an academy cadet. Leave all your belongings, including your cadet ID, and leave immediately.'' ''H-Headmaster, please... Please give me one more chance. I will definitely awaken my aura next semester!'' In his past life, Zeke had begged Howard tearfully. But Howard had mercilessly expelled Zeke. And so, Zeke had to wander the continent with nothing, driven out from here. He had to live a life worse than death, erasing the name Draker. Zeke forcibly suppressed the murderous intent that surged within him. Just then, Howard brought up the main topic to Zeke. "So, Zeke. How about taking the grade skip exam?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 27 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 27 "The grade skip exam, you say?" "Indeed. An outstanding cadet like you is certainly qualified to take the grade skip exam." I had given some thought to skipping grades. In my previous life, Reina had skipped grades and graduated early from the six-year academy program in just four years. Howard stroked his magnificent Kaiser beard as he looked at Zeke. "There''s no need to overthink it. I''m sure you''re more than capable..." "I''ll do it." Zeke answered before Howard could even finish his sentence. His eyes were burning with fierce determination. ''I wee any opportunity to graduate from the academy early.'' Howard gave a satisfied smile at Zeke''s answer. "Excellent. Very well, then I''ll have the grade skip exam prepared. Be sure to show us some impressive results." Zeke nodded and left the headmaster''s office. Howard, left alone, opened a drawer and took something out of a secretly hidden safe. It was amunication crystal ball connected to a secure line. He turned the dial and contacted someone. Bzzzt Static noise erupted from the crystal ball, which only disyed a ck screen. Then, a light indicating that the connection was established came on. Howard spoke into the receiver in a ndestine voice. "Both Pureblood Awakeners have agreed to take the exam." Someone on the other end of the receiver gave Howard instructions. He listened quietly to the instructions and nodded. "Understood. I''ll make those arrangements." As soon as Howard finished speaking, the light in the crystal ball went out. Howard put themunication crystal ball back in the safe. He stood up and, stroking his Kaiser beard, looked at his reflection in the window. "Things are getting interesting." * * * Three days after the meeting with the headmaster, Zeke received notification about the grade skip exam. And without even knowing what the exam entailed, he had to head to the senior cadet aura training room for the evaluation. When he went inside, Reina Draker was already there. She showed a burning fighting spirit towards Zeke. After the aura evaluation test, Reina''s sense of rivalry towards Zeke had grown even stronger. Zeke tried his best to avoid Reina''s gaze. ''This is tiring.'' Originally, Reina was talented enough to be recorded as one of the greatest geniuses in the academy''s history. However, because she was ced on the same level as Zeke, who should be treated as an exception, it felt like her abilities were being downyed. Yet, Reina herself, rather than being bothered by this, seemed to be burning with fighting spirit, considering Zeke as her rival. As the subtle war of nerves continued between Reina and Zeke, someone entered the training ground. Thump! It was the instructor in charge and a knight wearing Draker''s uniform. Zeke was momentarily surprised when he saw the knight behind the instructor. ''Willow Sword?'' Willow Sword, Aoul Draker. He was one of the few people from the Draker n that Zeke had a connection with before his regression. A giant physique with a sturdy-looking body, and arge scar across his face. Just by the aura he exuded, it was clear that he wasn''t someone who would be called in for a grade exam evaluation at the academy. The instructor in charge stepped forward and exined. "Zeke Draker, Reina Draker. Today, your grade exam evaluation will be conducted by Sir Aoul Draker, a senior knight from the main n." Reina and Zeke bowed their heads to Aoul in greeting. Aoul simply stared at them silently without saying a word. The instructor in charge continued his exnation. "The exam will consist of a spar. Show us everything you''ve got for ten minutes. Understood?" Reina replied loudly, and Zeke simply nodded. The instructor in charge asked Aoul, "Shall we begin right away?" Aoul nodded at the instructor''s words. He pointed to Reina first. Reina drew her sword and stood before Aoul. "Whew..." The basic requirement for a senior knight of the Draker n was to be at least a Blue Knight. The Blue Knight rank was just the minimum standard; each of them was a true expert with over ten years of experience in actualbat missions. They could be considered the pirs that actually supported the Draker n. As Reina took her stance, Aoul also drew his sword. However, Aoul''s sword wasn''t a typical arming sword, but a unique type. Zeke fell into thought as he saw Aoul''s sword. "They used the huandao (curved sword) of the Eastern Empire even back then." A strange weapon with a de only on one side. And it was longer than a typical sword. With Aoul''s tall stature andrge build, the fact that he was wielding such arge sword made him quite intimidating. However, Reina, known as one of the most talented among the Drakers, quickly shook off the intimidation and found her pace. She was the first to strike at Aoul. Whoosh! A clean thrust aimed at Aoul''s thigh flew towards him. Seeing Reina''s sword flying towards him, Aoul took a step back. Whiff! Reina''s sword pierced the air. She immediately changed her stance and attacked Aoul with the Dragon yer Technique. However, Aoul didn''t swing his sword; he simply moved his body and stepped back, dodging Reina''s sword. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Reina showed incredible movements for a first-year academy cadet. But she clearly had her limits. Aoul dodged Reina''s attack and turned his body, slipping into her blind spot and cing his foot between her legs. Thud! "Ugh!" With just that, Reina lost her bnce and fell. She quickly got back up and grabbed her sword. "Huff... Huff..." Because she had been attacking while trying to ovee Aoul''s intimidation, her stamina quickly depleted, and she was already out of breath. And at that moment, Aoul raised his sword for the first time. Thump! Aoul stepped forward and swung his sword. Reina quickly raised her sword to block Aoul''s sword. Crack! Reina, struck by the sword, was literally flung back, crashing into the wall of the training ground. Crash! The impact was so great that the wall of the training ground even cracked slightly. "Ugh..." Reina tried to get up, but her body wouldn''t listen; she could only tremble. A momentter, she lost consciousness. The healers who were on standby quickly ced Reina on a stretcher and transported her to the infirmary. ''That''s brutal.'' An unfeeling man like a stone statue, with no mercy. He was exactly as Zeke remembered Willow Sword Aoul Draker. Aoul returned to his original position and pointed at Zeke. Zeke drew Bahamut and said to Aoul, "Are there any specific evaluation criteria?" Even at Zeke''s question, Aoul didn''t answer. ''He''s really a difficult person to deal with.'' In Duke''s case, it was easier to read his intentions. But Aoul was like facing an irond tree. Aoul was the same when Zeke encountered him in the 3rd Continental War in his previous life. A true knight, impossible to read, but upright to a fault. In his previous life, although Aoul was his enemy, Zeke liked him because he wasn''t like the other Drakers. ''He was a person too good to die in such a trivial war.'' Zeke gripped Bahamut. Shaking off various emotions, he pointed his sword at Aoul. Simultaneously, his figure disappeared. Whoosh! Zeke used the Gale Force''s Phantom Step, leaving afterimages around Aoul and surrounding him. Shhh! Zeke''s sword aimed for Aoul''s openings. As with Reina, Aoul twisted his body and dodged Zeke''s sword. Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke increased the speed of his Phantom Step. The afterimages increased from three to five. Simultaneously, five swords aimed for Aoul''s vital points. Wooong! Suddenly, Aoul raised his sword and blocked Zeke''s sword that was aiming for his back. Thud! Aoul turned around and pushed Zeke''s sword. Zeke deflected Aoul''s sword and dodged to the side. If he had been even a littlete, he would have been flung back like Reina. Aoul''s swordsmanship contained immense power in each seemingly simple movement. ''I can''t let my guard down.'' Since he couldn''t reveal his full strength, Zeke had to move while controlling his power as much as possible. However, if he showed himself to be too weak, he wouldn''t pass the grade skip evaluation, so it was important to strike a bnce. Zeke stepped back and caught his breath. Unlike with Reina, Aoul held his sword and took a ready stance. Then he took another step forward. Thump! The pressure was immense, even though he had only taken a single step. Zeke couldn''t help but smile as he faced a strong opponent after a long time. A confrontation with a strong opponent was like a gateway to a new path. Wooong! Zeke''s sword let out a cry. He used Phantom Step and performed the Dragon yer Technique. Dragon yer Technique 3rd Form, 1st Verse Half Moon sh The Half Moon sh, imbued with aura, flew towards Aoul. Thud! Aoul tilted his sword sideways and blocked Zeke''s Half Moon sh. Zeke used the rebound from being blocked by Aoul''s sword to rotate his body. Dragon yer Technique 4th Form, 1st Verse Full Moon sh Immediately, Zeke''s sword drew arge full moon, gathering centrifugal force, and fell towards the top of Aoul''s head. Aoul fixed his lower body and swung his sword upwards from below. Crash! A huge crash resounded as Zeke''s Full Moon sh shed with Aoul''s upward swing. Zeke couldn''t deflect the full impact of the upward swing and was pushed back. ''Whew... It''s definitely tough while controlling my aura.'' That''s when it happened.N?v(el)B\\jnn Aoul spoke to Zeke. "Zeke Draker." He pointed his sword at Zeke. "Unleash your full strength." He had noticed that Zeke wasn''t showing his full power. At the same time, Aoul''s body moved. Whoosh! Unlike before, he swung his sword with an aggressive stance. Wooong! The sword flew towards Zeke from all directions. ng! Zeke raised his sword and blocked the sword. But the attacks continued endlessly. The sword twisted at strange angles, aiming for openings and attacking from unexpected directions. Zeke gritted his teeth as he blocked Aoul''s sword. ''He was using this strange Eastern swordsmanship even back then.'' He remembered struggling against this swordsmanship when he fought Aoul on the battlefield before his regression. When he thought it would strike from above, it would change trajectory ande from the side, and when it came from below, it would go back up. It was so unpredictable that it was difficult to defend against. Seeing Aoul using his full swordsmanship, Zeke thought he would have to use a bit more of his skills to pass the grade skip exam. Wooong! A strong vibration emanated from Zeke''s body, not his sword. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Phantom Step In an instant, Zeke''s body elerated to an invisible speed. Wooong! It was one of the Gale Force''s applications, a technique that strengthened muscles and joints by coating the entire body in aura, increasing sticity. The elerated Zeke dodged Aoul''s sword and slipped inside his guard. Whee! Zeke''s sword shot up, aiming for Aoul''s vital point. That''s when it happened. Thud! Aoul quickly stepped back half a step, creating an opening and drawing his sword towards Zeke. Crash! Zeke, blocking the powerful sword with his own, was pushed back by the rebound and, like Reina, flew towards the wall of the training ground. Rumble! The force was so strong that Zeke crashed through the wall. This meant the healers had to bustle about once more. Only then did Aoul lower his sword and stare intently at Zeke as he was being transported to the infirmary. Just then, "You rascal! You''vepletely wrecked my disciple." Duke, appearing out of nowhere,nded in front of Aoul. Aoul immediately bowed his head towards Duke. "Greetings, Duke Draker." "Aoul, you''re still as stiff as ever." "I''m d to see you in good health." "I''m someone who spends all his time ying around, so I have to be healthy at least. But more importantly..." Duke grinned and slung an arm around Aoul''s shoulder. "So, how is he, my disciple?" Aoul kept his mouth shut for a moment, then slowly said, "Disqualified." Duke was startled at his words. "What? You''re saying he''s disqualified?" Aoul shook his head. "No. I am disqualified as an evaluator." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 28 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 28 "Zeke Draker is beyond my capacity to evaluate." Duke said with a surprised expression, "Huh, is he really that good?" Aoul said with a serious expression, "My personal opinion is that ''he should be sent to Valha tomorrow.''" A man even more stoic than a statue. Hearing the evaluation from Aoul Drake, Duke had a bewildered expression. The instructor in charge, standing behind them, was equally perplexed. "D-do you really want me to ry that?" * * * After gathering the opinions of the headmaster and various department heads, it was decided that Zeke would skip to the 5th grade. He had skipped four grades at once. Zeke simply nodded quietly when Duke told him the result. "You don''t seem happy even though you skipped grades." "I''m happy." In truth, Zeke''s mind was filled with mixed emotions. It felt strange to go from being the trash of the academy to being talked about as a historic genius. At this rate, it was possible to graduate from the academy at the age of fifteen. ''In my previous life, I was expelled from the academy at the age of fifteen. The world is truly unpredictable.'' Since things had turned out this way, he decided to graduate from the academy as soon as possible. Reina skipped two grades, and Liam, who showed excellent results in the semester evaluation, was promoted from the regr ss to the special ss. Zeke, who had moved up to the 5th grade, lived a rtively quiet life at the academy. And during that time, he was able to learn the secret techniques containing the secrets of the Gale Force. With nothing more to teach Zeke, Duke spent his time casually looking after Andrei''s sword. He maintained a continuous rtionship with Professor Paynun, who had made the magic forge for him, but they became physically distant when Paynun moved to the Delfoa Royal Magic Research Institute and left the academy. He left Zeke a direct line, telling him to visit Delfoa sometime. Surprisingly, Aoul Draker visited once a quarter to spar with Zeke and then left. Under Duke Draker''s supervision, Zeke had to face Aoul. After facing Zeke for two years, Aoul seemed to have realized something and applied for a leave of absence from the Four Seasons Castle, confining himself in a closed training ground. After spending two years like this with various events, Zeke finally took the academy graduation exam. "Z-Zeke Drake. P-pass." Zeke set the record for the fastest passing time among all graduation exam takers in history. Zeke gave a wry smile as he looked at the academy graduation badge he received directly from the headmaster. ''I wanted this so badly before.'' He was finally able to erase the academy, which had long been a source of trauma, from his mind. With this feeling of relief, Zeke received another benefit along with his graduation. The headmaster personally wrote him a letter of rmendation for admission to Valha. It was a tremendous benefit, as there had never been a case of someone entering Valha at the age of fifteen. Zeke handed the letter of rmendation from Howard to Decker. "I''m so proud of you, Young Master." Unlike his usual stiff expression, Decker''s face was flushed as he received the letter of rmendation. "It''s nothing to be proud of." Zeke said with an indifferent expression. "When does the Valha semester start?" "It starts in March." "So there are about three months left." The graduation exam usually took about a month, but because Zeke finished it so quickly, he had some time left. After a moment of thought, he said to Decker, "Decker, go to As in advance and settle in. I have somewhere to go before the semester starts." "Where are you going, Young Master?" "I''m thinking of going to a resort to rest for a bit." "Then I''ll make the preparations." "Yes. It would be good to find a quiet ce in Argos." "Understood, Young Master." Just then, Liam came to the floor. "Master, you called for me?" Zeke handed Liam what he had prepared in advance. They were things Liam would need before graduating from the academy. Among them were cheat sheets for each semester''s evaluations. Zeke had personally prepared them for Liam, who didn''t receive family support. "If you keep this up, you''ll definitely be able to enter Valha. I have high hopes for you, Liam." "I won''t disappoint you, Master." "Good. And when you be a 4th year, you''ll need a proper sword to use. I''ve spoken to Gelion, so go to him and ask him to make a sword that suits you." Liam looked at Zeke with a touched expression at his words. "Don''t look at me like that, it''s burdensome. You can go now." "Understood, Master." * * * Even as he prepared for graduation and dealt with academy matters, Zeke didn''t neglect his personal training. Wooong! A strong sword cry arose from Zeke''s sword. Soon, his body disappeared, leaving only afterimages. Whirl! Zeke''s body appeared everywhere in the training ground at incredibly high speed. The Gale Force, Duke''s signature technique, was fully revealed through Zeke. A blue energy surged from Zeke''s sword as he moved like the wind. Wooong! A vivid aura de formed on Zeke''s sword. Zeke swung his sword. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Wind sh The sword of the gale split the air. Crackle, crackle, crackle! Simultaneously, a message window appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Proficiency in the special skill Gale Force increases.] "Whew..." Zeke lowered his sword and opened his status window. [Junior Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Domination Constitution: Divine Body System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap / Beginner Quest Book Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Special Skill: Gale Force [A-grade (Expert)] Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Beginner) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Expert) / Dragon ws (Expert) Current Karma Points: 365 The Gale Force, which had remained at the beginner level, finally became expert level. Zeke held his sword and skillfully created an aura de. "Have I finally broken through the barrier of a Blue Knight?" Unlike in his previous life, he was paving a new path through systematic methods instead of the side-effect-heavy Soul Perception, so he hadn''t yet found the way to be a Red Knight. However, Zeke decided not to rush and to steadily take one step at a time. Excessively rapid growth could actually raise the wall to bing a ck Knight. Indeed, in his previous life, Zeke had tried everything to ovee the wall of the ck Knight, but his methods as a vagabond had clear limits. ''There''s no need to rush.'' During the past two years, he had brought most of his skills to the expert level, widening the range of techniques he could usepared to before his regression. Furthermore, the secret swordsmanship of Kaisir in the Giant Mountains and Terakan Draker''s security vault in Valha were sure to open the way for him to advance beyond the Red Knight and be a ck Knight. He picked up Bahamut again and swung his sword. His desire to be stronger filled the training ground. * * * Argos was a kingdom located at the northern end of the Central Continent, closest to the Northern Continent. The reason Argos, which didn''t have any particr strategic resources, was included among the four major kingdoms of the Central Continent, like Thebes, Delfoa, and Alencia, was due to its thriving dungeon-rted industry. From convenient facilities for adventurers gathering for dungeon exploration to various equipment and manpower required for party formation, everything needed for dungeon exploration could be found here. In particr, the Argos Adventurer''s Guild had a long tradition, boasting a thousand-year history. Although the Adventurer''s Guild had branches all over the continent, its headquarters was located in Argos. And since all adventurers were required to register at the Argos Guild headquarters, aspiring adventurers from all over the continent flocked to this ce. "Next, number 547." The staff member in charge of registration at the Argos Adventurer''s Guild called the next registrant in a business-like tone. The registrant who brought the documents looked quite young. At most, he appeared to be barely twenty years old. The young man with brown hair and green eyes handed the documents to the staff member. "Zeke Murray. Is that correct?" Zeke, who had dyed his hair and changed his eye color with lenses, nodded. He had submitted his registration to the Adventurer''s Guild using the pseudonym he used in his previous life.N?v(el)B\\jnn The staff member, after reviewing the documents and confirming there were no issues, stamped them. "Take this and they''ll give you your registration card. Next, number 548." Zeke took the stamped documents and received his guild membership registration card. There wouldn''t be any problems since he had entrusted the forgery of his identity to a reliable source he frequently used in his previous life. Thus, Zeke told Decker that he was going on vacation to Argos, and then secretly slipped away to create a separate adventurer ID. It was all for the purpose of finding king Kaisir''s ruins. With the ID in hand, Zeke immediately sought out a regr carriage heading to the base camp in the Giant Mountains. The Giant Mountains were a ce where countless dungeons were hidden. Among the ancient artifacts discovered there, some were rare items valuable enough to allow one to livefortably for the rest of their life. As a result, thousands of adventurers came seeking such a jackpot. Zeke, now one of them, had to go to the barbarian territory located deep within the Giant Mountains. Even for Zeke, who had the minimap, going into the rugged Giant Mountains without any preparation was practically suicide. The Giant Mountains were divided into hundreds of sections, and there were carriages that regrly traveled through them. Therefore, it was much more efficient to move to the base camp closest to the barbarian territory and search for Kaisir''s ruins from there. For this reason, Zeke looked for a separate carriage, but it wasn''t easy to find one as it was peak season for dungeon exploration. In the end, Zeke managed to secure a seat on a carriage shared with others, stayed overnight at an inn, and boarded the regr carriage departing at dawn. Looking at the people on the carriage with him, there were some who looked like adventurers, but most seemed to be merchants. They were people who wanted to purchase monster materials from the base camp or sell consumables needed by adventurers. As Zeke was observing the passengers, he spotted a young porter among the adventurers and merchants and fixed his gaze on him. He was lost in thought for a moment. After being expelled from the academy and wandering with nowhere to go, Zeke had seen an advertisement for a porter at an Argos dungeon and impulsively boarded a carriage heading there. He went there believing the promise of food and lodging in exchange for working as a porter. But when he got there, the treatment was abysmal, contrary to what was promised. He had to sleep curled up in a warehouse-like dorm, and he barely got one meal a day. Half of the money he earned working as a porter was taken by the boss as amission, and after deducting food and lodging expenses from the remaining half, there was very little left. The boss even forcibly took that remaining money, iming to save it for him. Zeke gritted his teeth as he thought about that time. Even in his previous life, the first thing he did after gaining strength was to find that boss, torture him Southern-style, and then kill him, so his resentment towards the man spoke for itself. It was around the time the carriage was almost reaching the base camp. One of the adventurers sitting across from him, a man with a sword, casually spoke to Zeke. "Are you an adventurer too?" Zeke didn''t answer and remained silent. The man leaned forward and said, "You should answer when someone speaks to you. You look like you''re going to a dungeon for the first time." Then the man slid closer to Zeke. "Speaking of which, how about joining our party for your first dungeon? I''m telling you this for your own good. Dungeons these days are dangerous, so if you just go in unprepared, you''ll easily be monster food." Zeke was annoyed by the loudmouth chattering beside him despite being ignored. This guy was most likely the type to deceive naive novice adventurers and exploit them. They would use them as bait for monsters or sell them to human traffickers. Since many people who entered dungeons didn''t return, they would make excuses about them being dead and sell them off,mitting such crimes without batting an eye. As Zeke was inwardly annoyed, the loudmouth acted friendly and slung an arm around his shoulder. Then the man subtly showed him the badge attached to his cor. "See this? I''m a graduate of the famous Draker Academy. You know, the Draker n? Have you heard the saying that the party you enter your first dungeon with determines half your adventurer life?" When Zeke still didn''t react, the man''s tone became rough, as if he was losing his temper. "Ha, does this kid have his mouth glued shut? Why aren''t you reacting? I''m a senior adventurer offering you a favor, you arrogant brat." Then Zeke opened his mouth. "Shut up for a second." The man''s eyes wavered. "What? You little punk, how dare you..." The man red at Zeke with a fierce expression. Just then, Zeke abruptly stood up. He stared in one direction. Then he said to the coachman driving the carriage, "There''s a monster appearing 500 meters behind us on the left. Looks like a group of Orcs. Is this a monster zone?" The adventurer behind him scoffed and said, "Kid, monsters can''t enter this zone. Don''t get cocky just because you''re excited about being an adventurer, and sit still." That''s when it happened. Roar! The Orcs'' war cry echoed from afar. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 29 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 29 The merchants and the coachman were startled by the sudden Orc war cry. "N-no way! How can there be Orcs in a safe zone?!" The coachman frantically whipped the horses. "Hurry up! Faster!" Roar! The Orcs'' war cry rang out once more. Neigh! The horses, startled by the cry, reared up in excitement. Crash! As the horses thrashed about, the carriage overturned. Zeke quickly jumped out of the carriage. Thud! The carriagepletely toppled over, and the horses also fell, their legs getting caught under the luggage. In this state, reaching the base camp was impossible. Orc cries could be heard from all directions. The adventurer who had been bragging in front of Zeke earlier was pale and trembling, holding his sword. ''Draker Academy graduate, my foot.'' Zeke hid behind a tree and observed the situation. A momentter, something emerged from the forest. Roar! A group of Orcs wieldingrge stone axes appeared and began attacking the people. "Argh! H-help me!" An Orc smashed a person''s head with its stone axe. The adventurers with weapons tried to resist the Orcs, but it was no use. "H-help me!" The bragging adventurer''s head was smashed by an Orc''s stone axe. The ground quickly became a sea of blood. Zeke, concealing his presence, watched the Orcs collect the bodies and belongings of the dead. If he intervened, it would leave traces, so he calmly waited for the Orcs to disappear. ''How did Orcs get into the safe zone?'' Argos, with its developed dungeon industry, thoroughly protected the safe zones at the national level to protect the merchantsing and going. ''Something must have happened at the base camp.'' As the Orcs passed, he concealed his presence, entered the forest path, and headed towards the base camp. The base camp he arrived at was indeed a gruesome sight. Perhaps swept by monsters, the fences were all broken, and blood-stained luggage was scattered about. Zeke examined the corpses. Among them were soldiers dispatched by the Kingdom of Argos. ''They should have been able to stop most monsters with this much force.'' Unable to understand the situation, Zeke examined the traces left at the base camp. His expression darkened as he checked the traces. This was because he found traces of ''humans'', not monsters, at the attack site. Although it was disguised as a monster attack, this was clearly a disaster caused by humans. It was clear that the base camp had been attacked, and then monsters, attracted by the smell of blood, had entered and looted the bodies and supplies. It seemed that the Orcs, havinge down to the mountain path, had attacked the regr carriage. Zeke dusted off his hands and stood up. ''For now, the important thing is to find Kaisir''s ruins.'' Zeke selected only the necessary supplies from the remaining materials in the messy base camp and immediately left. There was no point in staying here; it would only make him a suspect. He immediately turned on the minimap and headed towards the barbarian territory. As he climbed higher, the terrain became more rugged, slowing his progress. After traveling deep into the mountains for about two days, Zeke discovered something. ''It''s been a while since I''ve seen this.'' Hundreds of skulls hanging on tree branches. Not only human skulls, but also the skulls of various monsters were hung together. This was a sign marking the beginning of barbarian territory. Even monsters rarely entered the area where this sign was present. But Zeke didn''t hesitate and entered the barbarian territory. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. He felt a presence following him. At first, he thought it was barbarians, but then he shook his head. Barbarians never secretly chase intruders who enter their territory. If they saw them, they would immediately capture them and literally ''tear'' their limbs apart. Whoosh! Zeke leaped onto a tree and concealed himself. Then he took out a dagger from his pocket. As hepletely erased his presence, the figures chasing him revealed themselves. There were three of them, and they weren''t ordinary adventurers. ''They''re professionally trained knights.''N?v(el)B\\jnn However, their movements were stealthy for knights. They must have been selected from among knight trainees and taught pursuit and assassination techniques. There was only one ce in Zeke''s memory where such madness urred. ''The Hounds... Why are the Imperials in Argos?'' The Hounds were a unit secretly organized by the Rom Emperor to collect ancient artifacts. In the previous life, these Hounds rose to be the main force of the Rom Empire. But for now, the Hounds were still veiled in secrecy, and few knew of their existence. At that moment, Zeke realized that the Hounds were also responsible for the annihtion of the base camp. It didn''t seem like a coincidence that the Hounds, who specialized in pursuing ancient artifacts, were near Kaisir''s ruins. For Zeke, who had been promoted to a Blue Knight, the Hounds were easily dealt with. ''I need to interrogate them and extract information.'' Whoosh! The situation reversed, and now Zeke was chasing the Hounds. He erased his presence and followed the Hounds for a long time, observing their range of activity. The Hounds moved in groups of at least twelve. Zeke, who had a deep connection with the Hounds in his previous life, knew a lot about them. He noticed that they were on perimeter security duty. ''At this level, the regr contact cycle would be quite long, so even if I kill them, it will take time for anyone to notice.'' Zeke patiently followed the Hounds. And finally, he was able to find the cave where they were stationed. He held his dagger and slowly approached the cave. Using his Dragon Eyes skill, he could clearly see in the darkness. Just then, one of them came out of the cave. Whoosh! Zeke covered his mouth from behind, stabbed him in the lungs with his dagger, and then slit his carotid artery. The Hound copsed without even screaming. Zeke moved the body to the side and searched his belongings. Perhaps because of his status, there wasn''t anything of note. Zeke stealthily entered the cave, checking the terrain with the minimap. The Hounds had modified the inside of the cave to create a base. ''This brings back memories. During my cartel days, I practically lived in jungle camps like this.'' Zeke had once been active as a killer for the infamous McCain Cartel, which ruled the Southern Continent. After being tricked by a dungeon guide and sold into very in the Southern Continent, he received killer training and was deployed on assassination missions. Though rusty, the skills he had learned at the Cradle and the academy were ingrained in his body, allowing him to somehow survive the harsh assassination missions. The cartel, finding this intriguing, formally trained him and made him an assassin for the organization. Thanks to this, Zeke spent five years in the midst of power struggles between cartels in the Southern Continent. Compared to the brutal cartel bosses, the still-inexperienced Hounds were easy targets. Zeke put on a mask to hide his face and stored Bahamut in his inventory. Fully prepared, he entered the cave. Whoosh! The dagger Zeke threw lodged itself in the neck of an unsuspecting Hound. He had already grasped the terrain and the locations of the Hounds with the minimap. Zeke immediately charged deeper into the cave. Two Hounds were on guard duty on the railing of a two-story building built against the cave wall. He took out daggers from his inventory and swiftly threw them with both hands. Thud! The two Hounds, struck by Zeke''s daggers, fell to the ground below. Hearing the unusual sound, the Hounds waiting inside rushed out. Zeke threw the daggers in his hands towards the Hounds running towards him. ng! One of them raised his sword, imbuing it with aura, and deflected Zeke''s daggers. And at that moment, a Hound lunged at Zeke from the side. Zeke lowered his stance and rolled on the ground. He took out a dagger and stabbed it into the Hound''s foot, then immediately took out another dagger and cut his Achilles tendon. "Argh!" Zeke circled behind the Hound and snapped his neck. It was exactly the way Southern assassins dealt with knights. "It''s a Southerner! Block the escape route and keep your distance! Shoot crossbows from afar!" Perhaps there were soldiers as well as knights, as soldiers with crossbows emerged from the building. Zeke ran forward at incredible speed. Whoosh! A rain of arrows poured towards Zeke, but as he moved in a zigzag pattern, they couldn''t aim properly and missedpletely. Before they knew it, Zeke was right in front of the crossbow-wielding soldiers. sh! Zeke beheaded one of the soldiers with a dagger and snatched his crossbow. He skillfully handled the crossbow and shot bolts at the other soldiers. Thud! The soldiers, with bolts embedded in their chests, copsed. While dealing with the soldiers with the crossbow and daggers, the Hounds swarmed around Zeke. Zeke took a stance with daggers in both hands. Then, the one who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and said to Zeke, "What''s a Southerner doing here?" They seemed to have mistaken Zeke for a Southern assassin. ''Let''s make things even more chaotic.'' He lowered his voice and spoke with a Southern ent. "Did you think you could touch McCain''s things and get away with it, you damn Imperials?" The leader of the Hounds said in a flustered voice, "McCain''s things? We haven''t touched anything belonging to them." "Take that up with your damn Emperor after you die." Zeke suddenly kicked up a stone at his feet. Whoosh! The hard stone lodged itself precisely in the leader''s left eye. "Argh!" Zeke, seizing the opportunity, lunged forward and shed the Hounds'' necks with his daggers. "Argh!" There was nothing easier to handle than a knight charging in with excitement. Zeke picked up the sword of a dead knight and threw it at another knight charging towards him. The sword, imbued with the will of Pration, pierced through the knight''s body and lodged itself in another knight behind him. Zeke swiftly annihted the Hounds, leaving only the leader, who had spoken to Zeke earlier. "You uncivilized Southern scum, how dare you!" Whoosh! Zeke dodged the leader''s sword and swung his dagger, severing his arm. "Ugh!" Thud! Zeke''s dagger pierced the leader''s lungs. Just before he died, Zeke said to the leader, "Damn Imperials, Kaisir''s ruins belong to our McCain Cartel." The leader''s eyes wavered at his words. "What nonsense..." The leader of the Hounds died with a look of confusion on his face. Zeke realized from the leader''s reaction that they weren''t after Kaisar''s legacy. "Then why are these bastards here?" Zeke went up to the second floor of the camp and investigated their traces. And he found a letter written in code, delivered from their superiors. The code used by the Imperial Knights was incrediblyplex and sophisticated, making it nearly impossible to decipher. However, Zeke knew how to decipher the Imperial code thanks to his battlefield experience in his previous life. He quickly scanned the letter and checked its contents. ''These bastards are blindly searching for ancient ruins on the Emperor''s orders without even knowing what''s here.'' It seemed that the Rom Emperor, obsessed with immortality, was searching every corner of the continent to collect ancient artifacts. The Hounds were deployed to any ce that might have ancient ruins. Zeke clicked his tongue after reading the letter. "That Emperor has really lost his mind." Now that he knew the Hounds didn''t know about Kaisir''s ruins, there was no need to dy any longer. Zeke left traces behind and exited the cave. He turned on the minimap again and was about to head towards the location of the ruins. That''s when it happened. Whoosh! A chilling sound echoed from the sky. Zeke knew this sound all too well. It was the signal for the Hounds'' inescapable to activate. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 30 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 30 Whoosh! Zeke ran deeper into the forest, avoiding the swarming Hounds. ''Persistent bastards.'' Zeke had already experienced more than enough of how tenacious the Hounds were in his previous life. He turned on the minimap and counted how many Hounds were chasing him. A total of thirty-six Hounds were on his tail. It was clear that the number of pursuing Hounds would only increase with time. Just then, a new Hound unit appeared in front of Zeke. sh! They must have been specifically trained in assassination techniques, as their movements were simr to those of assassins from the desert regions. Whoosh! Zeke twisted his body in mid-air to avoid the attack and retreated. Thanks to his infinite stamina, he wasn''t tired, but there was no way the Hounds would back down now. ''Should I just kill them all?'' The problem was that if any trace of Zeke Draker was left behind, things could getplicated. He had to leave only enough traces to be identified as a hitman from the Southern Continent''s cartel. Dozens of Hounds surrounded Zeke, their eyes fixed on him with sharp gazes. He, too, red at the Hounds and held daggers in both hands. "Haaa!" The knights at the front lunged at Zeke first. Zeke skillfully dodged the knight''s sword, rolled on the ground, and aimed for his Achilles tendon. Whoosh! Perhaps experienced in fighting Southern ouws, the Hounds jumped to avoid the attack. Zeke lowered his stance as much as possible, held his daggers, red at the Hounds, and said, "Damn Imperials, even if I die here today, the McCain Cartel will have their bloody revenge." Despite Zeke''s words, the Hounds remained silent. He had provoked them to get more information, but the Hounds didn''t take the bait. If he were a real McCain assassin, he would have taken poison andmitted suicide or made a deal to hand over information, but Zeke made a different choice. He took something out of his pocket and quickly blew on it. Boooooo! A loud sound, unimaginable from such a small horn, echoed through the entire forest. The Hounds were startled by the sudden noise and looked around cautiously.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But nothing happened, and the one who appeared to be the deputymander nodded, signaling to capture Zeke. Several Hounds approached Zeke. Just then, Zeke threw something in front of them. Whoosh! It was five smoke bombs he had taken out from his inventory. Smoke billowed up,pletely blocking their vision. Zeke concealed his presence and quickly escaped. The deputymander, sensing this, shouted, "Catch him now!" But something happened that made that impossible. Crash! They appeared, pulling trees out of the ground. Over two meters tall, with muscles covering their bodies like armor. Their bare skin, adorned with menacing tattoos, was d in their unique attire made of monster hides. They were the barbarians, the true masters of the Giant Mountains. "Haaaaaaa!" The barbarians'' war cry shook the entire forest. The Hounds were flustered by the sudden appearance of the barbarians. "Kill those savages!" The Hounds charged at the barbarians who appeared from all directions. The knight who ran at the forefront tried to cut a barbarian. ng! "Huh?" Surprisingly, the knight''s sword couldn''t pierce the muscles and bounced off. The barbarian warrior grabbed the knight''s arms and legs and literally twisted and crushed them. Crack! The knight, unable to resist, had his limbs torn off and died. The deputymander shouted in a panic, "Aura! Use aura! Swords without aura won''t work against barbarians!" The knights imbued their swords with aura and charged at the barbarians. The swords, concentrated with aura, were able to pierce the barbarians'' thick muscles. But the problem came after that. "Ugh!" The barbarians, having defended their territory for a long time, had learned to fight against knights who used aura. They sacrificed flesh to gain an advantage. They used their strong muscles to grab the swords that pierced their bodies, preventing them from being pulled out. And then they struck the knights'' heads with their powerful fists. Thud! The barbarians'' fists, possessing unbelievable strength, were like maces wielded by trained knights. Everywhere, barbarians grabbed the knights'' swords, closed in, and smashed their heads. As the barbarians pushed the knights back in hand-to-handbat, the Hound unitmander soon ordered a retreat. "Fall back! Fall back!" But the barbarians were no less tenacious than the Hounds. They didn''t just watch the Hounds flee; they began to chase them. The Giant Mountains were like their backyard. Like a raging storm, the barbarians chased the Hounds with shouts. Zeke, watching from afar, slowly revealed himself. ''It worked better than I thought.'' Zeke fiddled with the horn that had summoned the barbarians. In his previous life, he had fought against barbarians, but when monsters appeared that were too difficult to handle alone, he had also formed a united front with them. The Mohakin tribe, one of the tribes he met at that time, had a very friendly rtionship with Zeke. Zeke was able to learn how to make the horns used by barbarians and their signal system from the Mohakin tribe. The signal Zeke had sent with the horn earlier meant, "A foreign group has invaded the sacred mothend. They are here." Although they appeared to be simple savages on the outside, the barbarians were people who lived with their own culture within their traditions. It was only in the Central Continent, where only human nations existed, that they were dismissed and ostracized as uncivilized. "If you mess with the barbarians, you''re dead that day." Zeke turned back in the opposite direction from the Hounds who were fleeing from the barbarians. He, too, wanted to avoid bing a target of the barbarians'' pursuit. After putting some distance between them, Zeke turned on the minimap and headed straight for Kaisir''s ruins. Since it was located deep in the Giant Mountains, the terrain was rough, making the journey itself an ordeal. He asionally entered caves to eat the food he had brought to satisfy his hunger, and when fatigue umted, he used Gluttony to hunt and consume monsters to replenish his mental strength. After climbing the mountain for several days, he finally reached the entrance to the ruins. "This cave seems to be the entrance." The entrance itself was hidden by giant trees, so if it weren''t for the minimap and the guidance function, it would have been impossible to find even after months of searching. Zeke cautiously entered the cave. The cave was no different from an ordinary dungeon. Zeke proceeded cautiously, following the path indicated by the minimap. There were asional forks in the road, but thanks to the guidance function, he was able to find his way without getting lost. He encountered monsters from time to time along the way. And they were all turned into Zeke''s precious points. The journey was easier than expected. Soon, the cave ended, and the floor changed to a hard brick path. Underground structures in artificial caves, such as ruins, were usually constructed like this. Zeke approached the entrance to the ruins while checking the map. But at some point, Zeke tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the map. ''What''s this?'' A red dot was blinking continuously in front of the entrance to the ruins. It was apletely different reaction than anything that had been disyed on the map so far. Zeke sensed that something ominous was present at the entrance. He immediately took out Bahamut and cautiously entered. It was then, as he turned a corner and arrived in front of Kaisir''s ruins, ''Damn it. I thought things were going too smoothly.'' Growl! A giant Hydra was sitting in front of the entrance to the ruins. Judging by the size of its body and its nine heads, it seemed to be at least a few hundred years old. Just then, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [A fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy has been detected.] ''Fallen dragon?'' He couldn''t understand why the system was suddenly showing this message. Zeke shook his head and pondered as he watched the Hydra guarding the area. ''How do I get past that thing?'' His goal was to find Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship manual, so there was no need to go out of his way to fight the Hydra. Zeke, recalling his experience in the Dragon yer''s tomb, gave an order to the system. ''System, can you open that door?'' As Zeke asked, letters appeared. [essing the control device as requested by the administrator.] [essed the administration system of King Kaisir''s resting ce.] [Entry permission granted.] [Opening the entrance.] Simultaneously, the tightly closed door behind the Hydra began to open. The Hydra, which had been guarding the entrance, rose from its spot. Roar! The nine heads roared and shook their bodies. The entire cave began to shake. ''Oh, damn it.'' Zeke quickly used the Gale Force while the Hydra was roaring. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Phantom Step Zeke''s body floated into the air and flew towards the door like the wind. Roar! But the Hydra wouldn''t let the intruder enter the door so easily. One of the Hydra''s nine heads descended towards Zeke and opened its massive jaws. Zeke gripped Bahamut and focused his aura. A blue aura de surged. Zeke raised Bahamut, enveloped in the aura de, and swung it towards the Hydra. Dragon yer Technique 7th Form, 1st Verse Dragon Head Beheading The Dragon yer Technique originated from sword techniques created to y dragons. The forms of the Dragon yer Technique, characterized byrge movements, weren''t suitable for battles against humans, but they were perfect for fighting giant monsters. Crash! The massive aura de sliced through the Hydra''s mouth. Roar! The Hydra, its mouth cut, roared in pain. Blood gushed from the wound, sttering everywhere. The Hydra''s blood, with its strong acidic properties, corroded the hard stone floor. Whoosh! Zeke''s Flight Step didn''t stop and elerated forward. Then, the Hydra blocked the open door of the ruins with its body. Zeke pointed Bahamut at the Hydra and raised his energy. Wooong! A massive aura de surged. The Hydra''s heads lunged at Zeke. The moment the Hydra''s heads got close, Zeke used the Draconian skill Dragon''s Majesty. Thud! The Hydra, feeling the Dragon''s Majesty, trembled in fear and retreated. Zeke didn''t miss that opening. In that split second, heunched the aura de surrounding his sword towards the Hydra. Dragon yer Technique 3rd Form, 2nd Verse Half Moon Throw Wooong! A crescent-shaped aura de shot out from Zeke''s sword. Whoosh! The rotating crescent moon cut off three of the Hydra''s heads. Roar! Acidic blood gushed from the severed necks and poured down on Zeke. Sizzle! The acidic blood immediately burned Zeke''s skin. If it were an ordinary person, their bones would have melted, but Zeke was different. His Healing Factor immediately healed him. "Tsk!" Zeke immediately jumped through the open doorway. And as soon as he entered, he shouted, "System! Close the door!" [Closing the entrance as requested by the administrator.] Rumble! The door to the ruins began to close again. Then, the Hydra''s heads squeezed through the gap in the door. Roar! Three heads forced their way through the door and lunged at Zeke. "Get out of here, you snake bastards!" Zeke leaped into the air with Bahamut. The Hydra''s heads spewed poisonous fumes towards Zeke, but Zeke, trusting his Healing Factor, charged through the poisonous fumes. An aura de over 3 meters long formed on his sword. Dragon yer Technique 1st Form, 1st Verse Sky Cleaving Crash! The massive aura de cleaved through the three heads stuck in the doorway, from top to bottom. Slice! The Hydra''s heads were split vertically. Zeke red at the Hydra, sword still in hand. It seemed like the creature wasn''t dead yet, as its body outside the door was still writhing. Growl A momentter, the other heads tried to force their way through the gap again. "Persistent snake bastards..." As he muttered and prepared to attack again, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have instilled fear in the fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy.] [Inherent Authority Dragon Domination activates.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 31 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 31 Zeke''s unique ability, ''Dragon Domination'', obtained by absorbing Bahamut''s heart, activated. [Do you wish to subdue the target dragon?] "I don''t know what it is, but let''s try it." But soon a warning message popped up. [Your authority is insufficient to subdue the target dragon.] [Failed to subdue the fallen dragon.] It seemed that even with the authority, he couldn''t subdue just any dragon. Just then, a thumping sound echoed from outside the door, as if the Hydra had abandoned its severed heads and left. Zeke looked at the Hydra heads stuck in the door and pondered what to do, then used the Gluttony skill. Rumble! Zeke''s shadow wavered and spread out towards the Hydra heads. The three severed Hydra heads slowly sank into the shadow as if being swallowed by a ck swamp. It took quite a while to absorb all three Hydra heads. When the absorption wasplete, a message popped up. [You have devoured the severed heads of the fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy.] [Your depleted stamina, mental strength, and mana are restored.] [As a reward for devouring a designated extermination target, your Gluttony skill level increases.] [You have imperfectly absorbed the bloodline ability of the devoured creature, gaining the constitution of Poison Immunity.] After devouring the Hydra heads, his depleted energy was replenished. Zeke confirmed that ''Poison Immunity'' had been added to his constitution category. In addition, his Gluttony skill level increased from beginner to expert. "Designated extermination target. Does that mean the reward is higher for eliminating dragon-type monsters like the Hydra?" Zeke closed the status window and, after confirming that the door waspletely closed, finally entered the ruins. The structure of the ruins was simr to the Dragon yer''s resting ce. While the Dragon yer''s resting ce was mostly made of gray material, Kaisir''s ruins were made of a smooth, white material. ording to legend,King Kaisir was a half-human, half-elf born between a wise sage and an elf king. However, due to the scheme of an evil wizard, Kaisir was separated from his parents and abandoned alone in the mountains. A sacred wolf found the young Kaisir crying in the mountains, nursed him with her milk, and raised him, allowing him to grow up safely. Kaisir used his unparalleled strength to save persecuted humans and established ''Chronos'', a kingdom exclusively for humans, in the Central Continent. Of course, since the Chronos kingdom was also a nation from legends, it was unknown whether it actually existed. However, the royal family of the Rom Empire had long imed to be descendants of King Kaisir. The sacred wolf, the symbol of the Rom Empire, originated from this legend. Although the King and the Chronos kingdom remained as legendary figures, these ruins were evidence that the Chronos kingdom might have actually existed. Zeke marveled at the solid structure with its high ceiling. It was surprising that a structure built more than two thousand years ago was still intact. He opened the minimap and went deeper into the ruins. A long corridor stretched between the giant pirs lined up on both sides. Zeke walked down the corridor cautiously. As he went further down the corridor, he came across a door. When Zeke reached out to the door, a message popped up. [Opening the resting ce of King Kaisir.] Simultaneously, the door opened. The space inside was unexpectedly small. It was a circr space made entirely of white material, with an altar-like structure in the center. The map indicated the altar as the destination. Zeke cautiously crossed the space, climbed the stairs, and went up to the altar. When he reached the altar, he saw a pedestal in the center. Arge, iridescent sky-blue gem was floating on the pedestal. ''A gem? Not the King''s secret swordsmanship manual?'' He had to find the swordsmanship manual toplete the mission. Zeke looked all over the pedestal, but the swordsmanship manual was nowhere to be found. Then, as Zeke''s hand reached towards the gem, [You have found a permanent record left by King Kaisir.] [Transferring and saving the permanent record to the system.] Seeing the system message, Zeke looked at the gem on the pedestal. [The message left by King Kaisir will automatically y.] At that moment, a video appeared before Zeke''s eyes. The face of a delicate young man with snow-white hair and eyebrows appeared on the screen. The young man''s eyes shone beautifully with a clear sky-blue color. His appearance was reminiscent of a legendary elf. The young man in the video began to speak. However, Zeke couldn''t understand a word he was saying. As he frowned in frustration, a message popped up. [Ancient Chronosnguage detected. Automatically converting to themonnguage of the Central Continent.] Simultaneously, the young man''s words began to be tranted into themonnguage. "So, I climbed the mountain and said, ''Hey, are you the Giant King?'' And he immediately tried to mess with me, right? In the past, I would have just grabbed him by the neck and smashed his head! But at that time, I had a family to take care of, and I had a reputation to uphold. So I asked him politely, ''Why do you keep crossing into our territory?'' Then he rolled his eyes and started acting crazy. So I... Hey, hey, hold it steady! The screen is shaking. Saturn, damn it! Are you going to keep messing around? Where was I? Oh, man, you made me forget!" Zeke blinked. He was confused about what he had just heard. Judging from the situation, the foul-mouthed man in the video seemed to be the King Kaisir, but something felt off. "The records and Kaisir''s face are too different. Besides, if that''s Saturn, he''s the most loyal knight of the Clock Tower and a symbol of nobility..." For the next thirty minutes, Kaisir continued his tirade, a mix of colorful curses, self-praise, and harsh criticism of Saturn. [You have finished watching 1 of 546 episodes of the King Kaisir Chronicles. Do you wish to continue watching?] Zeke, finally seeing the message that appeared after the video ended, was shocked to learn that there were over five hundred such videos. Moreover, he was so bewildered by how different Kaisir was from what he had imagined that he couldn''t think straight. In any case, the important thing was Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship. Zeke held his aching head and said to the system, "Find me information about Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship here." Zeke was now getting the hang of using the system. Then a message appeared. [Searching for videos about secret swordsmanship in 546 chronicle videos.] [12 videos found.] Zeke was surprised to see the search results. "There are over five hundred videos, but only twelve are about secret swordsmanship?" His already aching head started to hurt even more. He had to watch the twelve videos that were found, so he started ying them. Soon, Kaisir appeared on the screen again. Unlike before, he was holding a sword. He looked at the screen and raised his sword. "What is a sword? A sword is a sword, what else would it be? It''s because those old geezers who don''t even know how to swing a sword spout nonsense that the kids get confused. A sword is just something you can stab and sh well with. There''s no need to overthink it, that''s what I''m saying. Hey, that was good. Saturn, write this down in the annalster. What? The annals aren''t an autobiography? Just do it when I tell you to, why are you so talkative? Just shut up and do as you''re told, damn it!" Kaisir continued to curse at Saturn for a while, then, perhaps having vented enough, he suddenly grabbed his sword and stood up again. "So, that''s what a sword is. Then how do you use a sword well? Just swing it hard and often. That''s all there is to it. Just swing it. Like this!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Kaisir suddenly took a stance with his sword. Wooong! Something like heat haze emanated from his body. The heat haze enveloped Kaisir''s body and his sword. In that state, he swung his sword. Whoosh! Zeke felt as if his neck had been cut by Kaisir''s sword in the video. "Gasp!" Zeke unconsciously used Phantom Step and jumped back. That''s how much momentum was contained in Kaisir''s sword. Zeke paused the video. "Wh-what was that? That just now... It didn''t seem like he used aura." Zeke rewound the video and watched Kaisir''s sword strike again. It was a chilling movement, even on second viewing. Just then, a system message appeared. ¨DSudden Chain Mission¨D [Learn the secret swordsmanship left by King Kaisir. No time limit.] [Sudden Mission Reward: Tears of the Elf King] [Caution: You cannot leave Kaisir''s resting ce until you learn the secret swordsmanship.] "What the...?" Zeke looked bewildered at the sudden chain mission that had appeared. It came with the condition that he couldn''t leave this ce until he learned Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship. "This is crazy! How am I supposed to learn Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship just by watching this video!" Although there was no one to hear him, Zeke shouted in frustration. He turned off the video and tried to open the door by controlling the system. [A mission is currently underway. You cannot open the door until you clear the mission.] "This is driving me insane." It was a frustrating situation, but he couldn''t stay discouraged forever. Zeke came down from the pedestal and decided to explore the space first. There were three doors on the circr wall, and they opened automatically as Zeke approached. The first one seemed to be a food storage. Various foods were stored in thousands of preservation boxes. The second room was a space for sleeping and washing. Thest room contained various weapons, armor, and books from the Chronos era. Kaisir''s name was written on each item, as if he had used and read them all. The books were written in ancient Chronosnguage, but fortunately, they were automatically tranted thanks to the system correction, making them readable. It was as if everything had been prepared in advance for him to train in seclusion here. It seemed he was stuck here, forced to train. Zeke let out a deep sigh and yed the video again. Sword in hand, Zeke followed Kaisir''s movements one by one, appropriately skipping the useless curses in the video. This was possible thanks to Zeke''s Divine Body. After watching all twelve videos and familiarizing himself with the forms of the swordsmanship, Zeke tried to perform the movements from beginning to end as he had learned them. But no matter how much he swung his sword, he couldn''t replicate the feeling of Kaisir in the video. Just then, a message appeared again. [You have learned the basic form of the Elemental Sword left by King Kaisir.] [The basic stage isplete, moving on to the practical stage.] [Summoning the Hero King''s spirit.] Rumble! Suddenly, the altar in the center of the space began to descend. When the altar hadpletely descended, only the pedestal with the sky-blue gem floating on it remained in the center of the space. Soon, light flickered from the sky-blue gem, and something appeared in front of it. "Wh-what''s this?" A human figure gradually formed within the light. Surprisingly, it was Kaisir from the video, appearing right there. Zeke, utterly astonished, gaped at Kaisir before him. "I-is that really Kaisir?" Kaisir frowned, then immediately drew his sword from its scabbard and swung it towards Zeke. Whoosh! Zeke hurriedly raised Bahamut and blocked Kaisir''s sword. ng! The force contained in Kaisir''s sword was so strong that Zeke was sent flying and crashed into the wall. Crash! Kaisir, casually resting his sword on his shoulder, said to the fallen Zeke, "Get up this instant." A stern rebuke pierced Zeke. "With those skills, you dare try to learn my swordsmanship? The knights of old would be rolling in their graves." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 32 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 32 ''Is that really Kaisir?'' Zeke''s hand, still gripping Bahamut, was tingling. As Zeke remained dazed and didn''t get up, Kaisir charged at him again with his sword. Crash!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He swung his sword towards Zeke without hesitation. "Ugh!" Zeke desperately dodged Kaisir''s sword with PhantomStep. Kaisir showed no mercy. He simply pressed on relentlessly. "I don''t know if you''re real, a ghost, or what, but let''s do this." Wooong! An aura de surged from Zeke''s sword. Kaisir looked at Zeke''s sword and tilted his head. "Are you a disciple of Saturn?" Zeke didn''t answer and dashed forward. Crash! Zeke''s aura de shed with Kaisir''s sword. Kaisir, looking curiously at Zeke''s aura de, swung his sword naturally. "That''s quite fascinating. It''s not elemental power, nor magical power, yet it maintains its form without scattering." Kaisir was very rxed, but Zeke, facing him, felt like he was dying. Every time he shed with Kaisir''s sword, his whole body tingled. It seemed like Kaisir was swinging his sword lightly, yet a heavy force was contained within it. "Interesting. Let''s y a bit more." Suddenly, Kaisir''s movements became faster. Whoosh! Kaisir''s sword moved so fast it was almost invisible. Zeke used Phantom Step, trying to keep up with Kaisir''s movements. ''Ugh!'' The muscles in his body screamed from the strain of the excessive movements. And in the midst of all this, Kaisir''s sword flew at him from his blind spot. Crash! Zeke managed to block the sword with Bahamut, but his entire body was pushed back. Defense was impossible. ''He''s not even using aura, so how...?'' Just then, someone came to Zeke''s mind. The one and only being who wielded power beyond aura without using it. ''Master?'' Not Duke Drake, but the master who taught him how to open his Ether hall and use Soul Perception. Zeke saw the image of his past master in Kaisir. "Whew..." Zeke deactivated the aura de. Instead, he focused his mana on Bahamut and used Soul Perception, imbuing it with his will. Wooong! Instead of an aura de, Zeke''s will, contained in mana, dwelled in his sword. Seeing this, Kaisir was surprised once again. "You can use elemental power? Saturn''s techniques and elemental power on top of that. You''re an interesting one." Kaisir raised his sword again. Rumble! Apletely different energy could be felt. It was the same momentum he had seen in the video. It was as if a giant, the mountain itself, was pressing down on him. "Tsk!" Zeke was the first to charge at Kaisir. Soul Perception The Will of Severance Zeke''s sword, imbued with the will to cut, flew towards Kaisir. At the same time, a huge storm surged from Kaisir''s sword. Elemental Sword Chapter of Wind Power Storm Sword Literally the power of a storm engulfed Zeke. Zeke lost consciousness, swept away by that tremendous power. * * * "Ugh..." Zeke finally regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to see the pure white space. He remembered being struck by Kaisir''s sword and losing consciousness. Zeke sat up and looked around, finding Kaisir in a strange posture with his eyes closed. He was floating in the air with his legs crossed. Perhaps sensing that Zeke had regained consciousness, Kaisir opened his eyes. "You''ve finally awakened. You weakling." Kaisir threw harsh words at him. Zeke asked Kaisir, "Are you... truly the King Kaisir?" Kaisir lifted his chin with an arrogant expression and replied, "What does it matter if I''m real or not?" Such an attitude... Zeke once again realized how fabricated the legend of the King was. Just then, Kaisir stretched out his hand. Bahamut, which was lying next to Zeke, was sucked into his hand. "What are you doing...!?" As Zeke lunged to retrieve Bahamut, Kaisir snapped his fingers. Instantly, Zeke''s body felt heavy, and he couldn''t move. "Ugh..." Kaisir examined Bahamut, floating it in the air. "It''s faint, but I can sense Bahamut''s energy. How is this possible?" Zeke gritted his teeth and red at Kaisir. "What does it matter?" Zeke threw back the same words he had heard earlier. Kaisir smirked and snapped his fingers again. The oppressive force that had bound Zeke disappeared. But Zeke still red at Kaisir with venomous eyes. Seizing the opportunity, he used the Draconian skill ''Dragon ws'' towards Kaisir. sh! An invisible force was summoned from thin air, tearing apart the space where Kaisir stood. "Huh?" Kaisir reacted with a dumbfounded expression and raised his hand, creating a translucent barrier. The Dragon ws couldn''t prate the barrier and vanished. Even the Dragon ws, which could easily tear through steel tes, were useless against Kaisir. Kaisir approached Zeke and said, "You''re a fascinating one. You possess Saturn''s skills, use elemental power, and wield the power of dragons even though you''re not one." He stretched out his hand, and Zeke floated into the air. A powerful force bound his entire body. "Ugh..." Kaisir ced his palm on Zeke''s chest, and strange letters appeared on his clothes. It was the pattern engraved when he absorbed Bahamut''s heart. Kaisir, confirming the letters that appeared, looked at Zeke with interest. "You''re a human who has crossed the boundary of death countless times, and a part of your soul is connected to the spirit world. That''s why you can use elemental power. I never thought it would be possible for a human to use a dragon''s heart like this." He lowered his hand, and Zeke fell to the floor. Kaisir, with an amused expression, looked at Zeke and handed him Bahamut. "Alright. I''m in a good mood because I saw something interesting after a long time. I''ll teach you the Elemental Sword." Kaisir did whatever he wanted, without any rhyme or reason. "Take your sword and stand up." As Zeke staggered to his feet, Kaisir said to him, "Unleash your elemental power." "You keep saying elemental power, what is that?" "You don''t even know what it is, even though you''re using it?" "Are you perhaps talking about mana?" "Mana? What''s that?" It seemed they were using different terms because they were from different eras. Zeke concentrated mana in his body. Kaisir nodded. "Ah, I see. That''s called mana. I didn''t have a particr name for it. Alright, convert that mana into elemental power." Zeke understood Kaisir''s cryptic words and concentrated his mana into his sword using Soul Perception. Then Kaisir suddenly approached and hit Zeke''s head with his scabbard. Whack! "Wh-what was that for!?" "I told you to use elemental power, and you''re using some pseudo-technique that imitates Dragon Speech." "That''s how I learned it in the first ce." "Tsk, tsk, stop it. Humans can''t use Dragon Speech in the first ce. The vessel of the soul itself is different. Even I, who inherited the blood of the Elf King, am half-human and cannot use Dragon Speech." Hearing Kaisir''s words, Zeke recalled the side effects he suffered every time he used Soul Perception in his previous life. At the same time, he thought of the Draconian skill ''Dragon Speech'' that appeared after absorbing Bahamut''s heart. ''If I can use that skill, I might be able to use true Soul Perception.'' Just then, Kaisir said to Zeke, "Elemental power refers to the pure power that makes up all things. The most efficient ones are fire, water, earth, and wind. You draw out that power based on the four basic elements. Watch carefully." Wooong! Mana gathered in Kaisir''s sword, and then that power transformed into a storm. It was the same power that had knocked Zeke unconscious earlier. He realized the nature of the power gathered in Kaisir''s sword. "The power of wind?" The wind power vanished in an instant, and a new energy surged forth. The power of zing fire, the gentle power of water, and even the heavy power of earth ¨C the powers of the four elements were imbued in the sword. ''But isn''t this more magic than swordsmanship?'' That was his first thought upon seeing Kaisir''s power. Wizards generate magical power through a circle created in their hearts. Unlike dragons, who can naturally generate magical power from their hearts, humans cannot create magical power without creating a circle. The more circles created in the heart, the stronger the magical power that can be used, and thus, the higher the recognition as a wizard. When the magical power generated from the circles isbined with magic circuits and forms, magic ispleted. To Zeke, Kaisir''s Elemental Sword seemed closer to magic than swordsmanship. "Now, you''ve seen it. Try it. If you can''t, there''s no teaching or anything." "How am I supposed to try it with just that exnation?" "What do you mean? I''ve shown you enough. What more do you want?" "You haven''t exined the core part of how to convert mana into elemental power by concentrating it." Kaisir looked annoyed as he listened to Zeke''s detailed questions. "Ha, you brat. You sound just like that Saturn guy, it''s annoying." He held his sword and created wind, then fire, then water, repeatedly. Then, at some point, he had a troubled expression. "This... it just happens. How do I exin it?" Zeke looked at Kaisir with a dubious expression and opened his mouth. "I''m curious, has there been even a single person who has learned this technique?" Kaisir replied with a confident expression. "Of course not! No one can just learn the Elemental Sword created by this great genius, the first Grandmaster." "What about the noble knight Saturn? ording to legend, you handed over the kingdom and everything to him." ording to legend, after Kaisir established the Chronos kingdom, he handed over the throne to the noble knight Saturn and returned to thend of the elves. "Saturn? I gave him the throne. Humans can''t learn the Elemental Sword even if I teach them. Maybe elves could." "Elves? Do elves use swords?" "So you''re saying elves don''t use swords?" "The books mostly say they use bows. I''ve never seen an elf myself, so I don''t know." "Why haven''t you seen an elf? They''re all over the ce if you go outside." "What era are you talking about? It''s been hundreds of years since elves disappeared from the world." "What? What kind of nonsense is that? What year is it now?" "It''s the year 1038 of the Liberation Era." "What''s the Liberation Era? Speak in Chronos calendar." "Chronos is a legendary kingdom to us. No one counts the years based on that." "This is crazy." Just then, as if he remembered something, Zeke asked the system, ''System, what year is it in the Chronos calendar?'' A message appeared. [It is the year 2120 of the Chronos calendar.] Zeke said to Kaisir, "It seems to be around the year 2120 of the Chronos calendar." "What? So it''s been 2,000 years since I left the kingdom?" Kaisir had a shocked expression. "Crazy! Even if I was in a spirit state, does it make sense that there was no one to inherit my legacy for 2,000 years?" "You said humans can''t learn the Elemental Sword earlier. Then how can there be a sessor?" "That Saturn guy should have found someone!" "Seriously, that''spletely absurd." Ignoring Zeke''s words, Kaisir gritted his teeth and jumped around. "That damn Saturn! He must have been so busy creating his own swordsmanship that he didn''t care about my sessor at all. Damn it, what was it... Oh yeah, I shouldn''t have helped him when he was researching aura or whatever!" Zeke was surprised to hear those words. "Did you just say aura?" Kaisir nodded. "Yeah, that. Humans like Saturn couldn''t learn my Elemental Sword, so he worked hard to create an alternative technique. Thanks to that, he was able to be a Swordmaster, but it''s just a cheap trick." Zeke held his sword and created an aura de. Kaisir nodded. "Yeah, that. But what you created is a bit different from what Saturn made. He said he draws energy from the Ether hall or something." "That''s how it''s supposed to be. My case is special." Kaisir gritted his teeth as he looked at the aura de Zeke created. "That damn Saturn! Passing down only his own technique to future generations! Not caring about mine at all!" And after hearing Kaisir''s next words, Zeke was more shocked than he had been since meeting him. "That Saturn Draker bastard! I won''t let him off if I catch him!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 33 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 33 ''Saturn Draker?'' It was shocking enough that Saturn was the one who first created the aura cultivation technique. But he had never imagined that the noble knight Saturn was actually a descendant of Draker. ''Why wasn''t this fact known toter generations?'' Until now, the origin of the aura cultivation technique itself was unclear. It was simply thought that each n inherited and developed the cultivation techniques passed down through their lineage. This was the moment the secret of the origin of the aura cultivation technique was revealed. Zeke, recovering from the shock, calmed down the agitated Kaisir. And by gently coaxing him, he began to extract information about the Elemental Sword. * * * Kaisir was foul-mouthed, but he tried his best to share what he knew. "Hmm, you''re a bit better than the others. You understand what I''m saying." For the next few weeks, Zeke was able to learn the theory of the Elemental Sword from Kaisir. Surprisingly, the Elemental Sword was a much more systematic swordsmanship than he had expected, and many of Kaisir''s legendary feats had been downyed. "You say you defeated the Gorgon alone, Your Majesty? The legend says that all twelve knights of the Clock Tower joined forces to defeat it." "Knights of the Clock Tower? I don''t know what that is, but anyway, I went there and wiped them out in one go. The others probably just cleaned up afterward." Listening to Kaisir''s detailed ount of the unrecorded history of the past, Zeke couldn''t help but believe that the person in front of him was indeed Kaisir himself, in spirit form. Once he left his physical body and went to the spirit world where the elves resided, it was impossible to return to the physical world. However, he had ced restrictions on himself to remain in this ce as a spirit and prepared the ruins. "How is that possible?" Kaisir said in a casual tone, "It was possible because the dragons helped me." "What? Dragons?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Seeing Zeke''s surprise, Kaisir was even more surprised. "Why are you surprised that dragons helped me?" "Well, dragons are enemies of humans." "What are you talking about? Why would dragons be enemies of humans? There''s no being that cherishes humans more than dragons." Kaisir pointed at Zeke''s sword and said, "Didn''t Bahamut give you that sword and heart?" Zeke''s eyes wavered intensely. "W-well, yes." If he misspoke here and provoked Kaisir, all his efforts to appease him could go to waste. Zeke cautiously asked Kaisir, "Your Majesty, have you ever... heard of Dragon yers?" Kaisir gritted his teeth at those words. "Are you talking about those damn Dragon yers who act all high and mighty? I remember when they sneaked into air, captured a precious hatchling, and bragged about hunting dragons. I went and chopped off all their heads." Zeke remained silent. If he said that his ancestor had cut off Bahamut''s head and disyed his fang and heart, Kaisir might do the same to him as he did to those Dragon yers. Kaisir, quickly calming his anger at Zeke''s silence, suddenly looked at Zeke with curiosity and asked, "By the way, how did you get the fang and heart from that ill-tempered Bahamut? He''s the most disagreeable dragon I''ve ever met." Zeke lied without batting an eye. "My Murray n has been friends with Lord Bahamut for generations. As you can see, my constitution is unique. He found me interesting and shared his fang and heart with me." Kaisir nodded at his words. "Well, he was indeed interested in things that seemed interesting. That''s why Chronos scolded him a lot." ''Chronos?'' Judging from the context, it seemed to be the name of a dragon. It was a name that didn''t appear in the Dragon yer records. Zeke cautiously asked Kaisir, "Was the Chronos kingdom named after Lord Chronos?" "Well, yes. Since I was Chronos'' contractor, I received a lot of help when establishing the kingdom. I was thinking about what to name the kingdom, and since Chronos was hovering around, I just decided to name it Chronos because it was convenient." It was absurd to learn that the name of the legendary kingdom was chosen for such a trivial reason. ''But a contractor of Chronos... Can dragons make contracts with humans?'' He wanted to ask many questions, but Zeke was worried that if he asked too deeply, he might reveal that he was a descendant of the Dragon yer n, so he cautiously asked questions as if he were simply curious. After a long conversation, based on Kaisir''s words, it seemed that in his time, humans and dragons had a very good rtionship, and dragons helped humans a lot as they were less civilized. The dragons at that time yed the role of ''world adjusters'', so they couldn''t provide unconditional help to the physical world. He said that only after making a contract with a human, polymorphing into a human form, and cing restrictions on themselves could they help their contractor. Otherwise, the bnce of the world could be disrupted, endangering the physical world. ''This is so different from what I know.'' There were many records of the history after the Evil Dragon Bahamut was in by Terakan Draker and the continent was saved from crisis, but the history before that was mostly lost. Because so little was known, some schrs even argued that ancient civilizations were far more advanced than the present. And listening to Kaisir, Zeke felt once again how little information there was about ancient times. At that time, there were dragon contractors everywhere, and the polymorphed dragons seemed to have helped humans greatly, to the extent of influencing human history. Among the ancient items discovered in ancient ruins, there were some that couldn''t be understood with current magical knowledge, and Zeke wondered if they were perhaps created with the help of dragons. Zeke was curious about why the rtionship between humans and dragons, which had been so close, became so distant. ''I should watch the chronicle videos left by Kaisirter.'' After organizing his thoughts, Zeke decided to focus onpletely mastering the Elemental Sword first. He had told everyone he was in Argos for a vacation to avoid the eyes of his n, so there wouldn''t be any major problems, but he had to return to As before the Valha semester started. Mastering the Elemental Sword went more smoothly than expected. However, Zeke unexpectedly struggled at a certain stage. "Hey, hey, that''s not it. You''re doing everything else well, so why do you keep getting this wrong?" He couldn''t quite grasp the ''Chapter of Water Power'', which dealt with the power of water among the four elements. Zeke once again drew upon the power of water and swung his sword. A powerful force, like a waterfall crashing down, swept through the surroundings. Kaisir whacked Zeke''s head with his scabbard. "You idiot! Is this the power of water or the power of a waterfall! The essence of water power is gentleness. Don''t you know the saying that gentleness ovees hardness?" "I''ve never heard that before." "This brat... It seems like he just says he doesn''t know anything that''s disadvantageous to him. Anyway, the power of water isn''t just about using force. Look here." Kaisir raised his sword and drew upon the power of water. His sword flowed calmly, like a still water surface. It flowed leisurely like a flowing river, sometimes slowly like a calmke, and sometimes struck powerfully like a waterfall. Kaisir sheathed his sword and said, "All four elements are important, but water is the most important of them all. Life began from water, and over 70% of our body is made up of water. Do you understand, you idiot?" In his previous life, Zeke had pursued extreme strength with the determination to survive, driven by the need to be stronger. It was only natural that he wasn''t ustomed to swordsmanship that emphasized yielding and gentleness. His head and body understood the movements, but his heart couldn''t fully grasp the concept. Kaisir decided to start again from the basics. Because of this, Zeke had to sit in a cross-legged position, like Kaisir, and meditate for hours every day. He was frustrated because he had to sit still for hours when he needed to quickly master the Elemental Sword and go to Valha. Whack! Whenever he had distracting thoughts, Kaisir''s scabbard would hit his head. "Clear your mind and look deep within yourself." Kaisir spoke like a priest, which didn''t suit him at all. Just like that, a month passed. Despite this, Zeke still couldn''t understand the power of water. On the contrary, his impatience only increased his distracting thoughts, and he ended up getting hit on the back of his head even more by Kaisir. In the end, Kaisir decided to take a different approach. "I can''t believe the only one who can inherit my legacy is such an idiot." "Perhaps there''s a problem with Your Majesty''s teaching method?" "Shut up. This won''t do. You''ll have to learn in a different way." "Was there a different way? Why didn''t you teach me that from the beginning? We''ve wasted so much time." "You''ll regret those words." Kaisir''s method was simple. The key to the power of water was ''rxation''. In other words, it was important to release power, and Kaisir''s method was to forcibly exhaust the body and instill rxation. Zeke smirked as he listened to Kaisir. He had the passive skill Infinite Stamina, so he couldn''t feel the sensation of fatigue. But that was Zeke''s misconception. "Gasp! Gasp!" Intense training that even Infinite Stamina couldn''t keep up with began. It was endless sparring with Kaisir. Without eating or sleeping, he had to fight and fight against Kaisir without rest. On top of that, Kaisir used the ''Chapter of Metal Power'' to increase the gravity on Zeke''s body tenfold. With his heavy body, he had to somehow dodge or block Kaisir''s attacks. "Move faster!" Crash! The Storm Sword, using the Chapter of Wind Power, swept towards Zeke. Zeke also used the Chapter of Wind Power to block the Storm Sword. However, Zeke''s elemental power was no match for Kaisir''s power. He was swept away and crashed into the wall. Perhaps because he had grown stronger than before, he thankfully didn''t lose consciousness. And Kaisir didn''t let Zeke rest. He made him get up and pummeled him with new techniques. After realizing that Zeke had Healing Factor and Infinite Stamina, which healed most wounds instantly, he was having even more fun beating him up. "This is fun! This kind of stimtion is hard toe by in the boring spirit world!" Zeke was tormented by Kaisir for a whole month, forcibly instilled with rxation. At the moment when he felt like he couldn''t move a finger, Zeke swung his sword and practiced his footwork with his bodypletely rxed. Swinging his sword in a state of utter exhaustion, he couldn''t tell if he was the sword or the sword was him. It was a sensation he had never experienced in his previous life. Zeke swung his sword, lost in a trance. When hepletely rxed his body, the sword softly and smoothly found its own path. He understood the forms that made up the ''Chapter of Water Power'', which he couldn''t grasp no matter how hard he tried. At that moment, enlightenment came to Zeke. Wooong! Zeke, having grasped the principle of rxation, swung his sword in a different way than usual. He used the Elemental Sword, then the Gale Force, and even used the Dragon yer Technique by raising his aura. Unconsciously, his hands moved and moved as they pleased. The energy that had been swirling around Zeke''s body was then contained within him. He had broken through the wall of the Red Knight, surpassing the Blue Knight. Zeke opened his eyes. [Sudden Chain Mission sessful.] [Tears of the Elf King awarded as a reward.] [500 Karma Points awarded as a reward.] [Main Quest Mission sessful.] [System administrator privileges upgraded to intermediate administrator as a reward.] [Intermediate administrator system privileges activated.] [System functions have been unlocked as you have been promoted to intermediate administrator.] [Beginner Quest Book changed to Intermediate Quest Book.] [System linkage function activated.] [Skill shortcut slots unlocked. (Only active skills can be used)] [Item shortcut slots unlocked. (Automatic equipment and potion consumption enabled)] [Portal movement system on the minimap activated.] [500 Karma Points awarded as a reward.] [Three Random Skill Cards and three Random Boxes awarded as a reward.] Messages continued to appear. [You have learned King Kaisir''s Elemental Sword.] [Elemental Sword (S-grade) added to special skills.] [Your soul has grown.] [The power of your inherent authority has grown stronger.] [The seal on Bahamut''s heart has been partially released due to the growth of your soul. Currentpression seal level is 90%.] ''This is amazing.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 34 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 34 It seemed like many functions had been added with the promotion to intermediate administrator. Zeke opened his status window after a long time. [Intermediate Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Control Constitution: Divine Body, Poison Immunity System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap (Portal Movement) / Intermediate Quest Book / Skill Shortcut Slots / Potion Shortcut Slots / Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Steadfast Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Special Skill: Gale Force [A-rank (Expert)] / Elemental Sword [S-rank (Beginner)] Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Expert) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Expert) / Dragon ws (Expert) Current Karma Points: 1365 The blocked wall had been broken through, and he had alsopleted the quest mission by acquiring the Elemental Sword. Zeke could feel that he had broken through the wall and reached the level of a Red Knight. Seeing Zeke, Kaisir crossed his arms and nodded. "Yes, you need to be at least this strong to be called my sessor. Although you''re stillcking." Zeke asked Kaisir, "Doesn''t the Elemental Sword have any application techniques? If there are any special moves or ultimate moves, I''d like to learn those too." "You idiot. If you wield it properly, you can create storms and split the earth, so why would you need an ultimate move? Only those whock skill seek special moves or ultimate moves." As expected, Kaisir was full of himself. Still, with Kaisir''s skills, Zeke could understand why he would say that. "What will happen to Your Majesty now?" "Now that I''ve passed on the Elemental Sword, I must return to the spirit world." "Can you not return to the physical world from the spirit world?" "If a powerful spirit like me descends recklessly, thews of the world will crumble. Karma won''t allow it." Zeke was surprised by Kaisir''s words. "Did you say karma? What does that mean...?" Suddenly, Kaisir''s body began to turn transparent. "I''ll be going now. Don''t be an idiot and get beaten up somewhere. And make sure to tell the people of the world about my great achievements." Kaisir was the same when he left as when he arrived, only saying what he wanted to say. Soon, Kaisirpletely disappeared, and the sky-blue gem on the pedestal lost its light at the same time. "What a personality. I wonder if he can even get along with the elves." After Kaisir left, Zeke entered the room and put everything he could carry into his inventory. And after a few months, he was able to open the door to the ruins ande out. He wanted to test his new power and fight the Hydra, but it was nowhere to be seen. Zeke left the ruins and turned on the minimap to descend the mountain. Just then, a new function on the map was activated. [A new function has been activated, enabling portal movement.] [Locations that can be essed via portal among the ces the administrator has visited will be marked on the map.] ''Portal movement is possible?'' Zeke checked the map. Among the areas he had visited, the ones where portal movement was possible were marked with a blinking light. He checked the portal-essible areas from Argos. [Point deduction for portal use: 150] As he clicked on various locations, it seemed like the deducted points varied depending on the distance. Since the Hounds were roaming the Giant Mountains and he was alreadyte for the start of the Valha semester, Zeke decided to use the portal by consuming points. [Moving to the designated area.] [Activating portal.] His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt dizzy. The unique nausea of using a portal washed over him. When Zeke looked up, he was already near the old ruins of Argos. "Oh my god." Although it consumed points, it seemed like he could freely move anywhere on the continent using this function. Zeke returned to the resort where he was staying and prepared to leave for As. It had already been a month since the Valha entrance ceremony. He hurried to As, thergest city in the Central Continent and the heart of Mind. * * * "In my ten years at Valha, I''ve never seen anything like this." An elderly knight in a suit looked at Zeke with a stern expression. He was ubert Borges, the headmaster of Valha, a ce every knight dreamed of entering. ubert was elected as the headmaster of Valha despite not being from the Draker n. He was a knight respected throughout the continent, to the point that there was no opposition when he became the headmaster. As the longest-serving captain of the Royal Guard in the Kingdom of Thebes, with a long tradition, he was a person of outstanding skill and reputation. Because of this, the anecdote about Arthur Draker visiting him three times to ask him to be the headmaster of Valha was still being told today. Thanks to this, Valha''s reputation soared even higher after ubert became the headmaster. ubert, famous as an outstanding knight and a principled man, looked alternately at the letter of rmendation in front of him and Zeke standing before him. "So why are youte? You surely didn''t forget that the semester starts in March, did you?" Since he couldn''t say that he was caught by King Kaisir in the ruins and had to train, Zeke slightly altered the truth. "I went to Argos for closed training and became so engrossed in my training that I lost track of time." ubert looked at Zeke with sharp eyes. "Are you implying that your closed training was more valuable than a month at Valha?" "That''s not what I meant. I was simply so focused on finding the path of the sword I sought that I lost track of time." "Hmm..." ubert was a principled man, but he wasn''t inflexible. He was also an outstanding knight, so he could understand Zeke''s exnation to some extent. ubert nodded and said, "There''s some truth to your words, but Valha has its own principles." He looked at Zeke and said, "I''ll judge based on the results of the training you did in Argos. If I deem that training more valuable than a month at Valha, I''ll permit your enrollment." "You mean you want me to show you the results of my training?" "Indeed. Why, Do youck confidence?" Zeke shook his head. "No, sir. Shall we start right now?" ubert shook his head and rang a bell. Someone entered the room. "Find an empty training room and take Zeke Draker there. And contact the professors of each department and tell them to gather at the training room immediately." Zeke followed the headmaster''s secretary to the training room. He had never been inside Valha, even in his previous life, so the unfamiliar buildings seemed fascinating to him. "This way, sir." For an empty training room, its size and facilities were impressive. ''As expected of Valha.'' As he was looking around the training room, Headmaster ubert arrived with other professors. Each professor was a renowned knight on the continent. Zeke stood in the center of the training ground, and the headmaster, sitting in the spectator seats, said to Zeke with a gleam in his eyes, "Show us the results of your training. The professors of each department will evaluate it and make the final decision." Zeke, standing alone in the training ground, pondered the headmaster''s words. He couldn''t gauge what he should show to satisfy the strict headmaster. ''I can''t show the Elemental Sword here either. This is troubling.'' Zeke decided to simply demonstrate the Gale Force and the Dragon yer Technique. He took out Bahamut and assumed a stance. The headmaster and the professors of each department watched Zeke with sharp eyes. Their gazes seemed to say, "Let''s see what you can do." Zeke focused his energy on Bahamut, and an aura de surged forth. Just as he was about to demonstrate the Gale Force technique, "Oh my god!" Someone eximed before he could even do anything. Zeke turned his head to see what was happening, and he saw the professors all staring at his aura de with astonished expressions. ''Oops.'' When he was with King Kaisir, the aura de was considered a trivial technique, and he was treated as a slow learner. But back in reality, he had be an unparalleled genius who created an aura de at the age of fifteen. Zeke closed his eyes tightly andmented his mistake. There was nothing he could do about the water that had already been spilled. He withdrew the aura de and bowed politely. "My skills are too embarrassing to show to the headmaster and the esteemed professors." The professors were once again impressed by the politeness of the Pureblood Awakener of Draker, who had be a Blue Knight at the age of fifteen. The headmaster said in a much softer voice, "It seems that month was for gaining valuable enlightenment." "I was foolish and struggled to grasp the elusive clues, so I lost track of time. I apologize once again." The headmaster also seemed to havepletely calmed down, as he said with a smile, "Haha, if you''re foolish, then what are we?" The other professors alsoughed heartily at the headmaster''s words. The evaluation ended smoothly in a friendly atmosphere, and Zeke was granted permission to enroll in Valha. After the matter was settled, he moved to the lodging in As that Decker had secured in advance. With the ck Card he received from the head of the n, he was able to acquire a luxurious mansion not far from Valha. "Wee." As Zeke entered the mansion, the servants greeted him. Decker, the servant who was more knight-like than a knight, also bowed his head to Zeke. "How was Valha, Young Master?" "It was fine. They told me toe next week. They''ll send the necessary documents for enrollment here, so please take care of it." "Understood, Young Master." Zeke went straight up to his room. As soon as he arrived, he remembered the Random Boxes and Random Skill Cards he hadn''t opened yet because of his urgent trip to Valha. ''Three Random Boxes and three Random Skill Cards.'' He had experience opening Random Boxes before.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But this was his first time with Random Skill Cards. Zeke decided to open the Random Boxes first. Boots, lower body armor, and an earring came out, one of each. ¨DBoots Information¨D Description: Boots made using hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. -Lower Body Armor Information- Description: Lower body armor made of hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. ¨DEarring Information¨D Description: Earrings delicately crafted from crystal. Inherent Ability: Increases mana recovery speed by 15%. Special Note: Goes well with a red dress. They were rather ordinary items. Following the gauntlets, he now had boots and lower body armor made of meteoric iron. He thought that maybe someday he wouldplete the full set. He decided to open the Random Skill Cards next. It was his first time, so he felt a bit cautious. The cards emitted light, and soon a message appeared. [Opening Random Skill Cards.] [Active skill ''Static Electricity (C-rank)'' registered.] [Active skill ''shbang (C-rank)'' registered.] [Active skill ''Discord (C-rank)'' registered.] A total of three active skills were registered. Zeke read the skill descriptions. ¨DStatic Electricity: Imbues a weapon with electric shock. ¨Dshbang: Fires an intensely bright light to block the enemy''s vision. ¨DDiscord: Makes an unpleasant sound to confuse enemies. Zeke then checked the newly unlocked skill shortcut slot function. Three empty slots appeared before his eyes. When he pressed a slot, he could select and ce one of his active skills in it. Zeke ced shbang, Discord, and Static Electricity in the slots in order. [Skills ced in the slots can be used just by thinking.] After confirming the message, he held a dagger and thought about using Static Electricity, and immediately, an electric current flowed through the de. "Oh, that''s interesting." Once a skill was used, he had to wait a certain amount of time before he could use it again. Zeke simrly activated the potion slots. This function allowed him to consume potions just by thinking, after cing the desired potions in the three slots. It seemed like it would be useful in urgent situations during battle. While checking his potions to fill the slots, Zeke found the bottle containing the Tears of the Elf King he had received as a reward for the Sudden Mission. ''Come to think of it, what is this?'' Zeke read the description of the Tears of the Elf King. ¨DTears of the Elf King: Can summon the Elf King from the spirit world once. "Summon the Elf King?" In legends, the Elf King appeared as a being who granted wishes to humans. ''So I can summon the Elf King with this and make a wish?'' After some thought, Zeke carefully put the Tears of the Elf King back into his inventory. He felt like there would be a time when it would be useful, even if he didn''t know when. Knock, knock! There was a knock, and when Zeke gave permission, Decker entered the room. "What is it?" Decker approached Zeke and said, "Young Master, you have a visitor." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 35 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 35 Zeke asked with a puzzled expression, "A visitor? There shouldn''t be anyone who would visit me in As." Zeke left his room and went to the reception room where the visitors were. "Master? And Instructor Andrei?" Surprisingly, Duke Draker and Andrei Draker were in the reception room. Duke waved his hand and said to Zeke, "My disciple, you really are something else. I''ve never seen anyone skip out on Valha enrollment. Didn''t that stubborn old ubert say anything?" Zeke sat down with a tired expression and said, "I just finished taking a special exam." "Really? Then I guess there was no problem." Duke, who knew Zeke''s skills better than anyone, wasn''t too worried. Zeke looked at the two and said, "But what are you two doing here? What about the academy?" Duke said with an indifferent expression, "Shouldn''t a master be where his disciple is? As for the academy, well, Howard will manage it somehow." Duke was someone who didn''t do much anyway, just used up potions. "I understand about Master, but... why is Instructor Andrei here...?" Andrei had a slightly embarrassed expression. Seeing that, Duke said as if exasperated, "Ugh, that leech. He keeps following me around even though I told him I have nothing more to teach him." Despite his words, Duke seemed to have grown fond of Andrei and didn''tpletely reject him. "So you''re both staying in As?" "Yeah, you got a big mansion anyway, so let''s stay here for a while." There was no reason for Zeke to refuse. Thanks to this, Duke and Andrei also became members of the household. Zeke asked Andrei, "Instructor, are you going back to the Four Seasons Castle then?" Andrei shook his head. "No, I was appointed as an assistant professor at Valha." Considering Andrei''s young age, bing an assistant professor at Valha meant that his skills had improved dramatically. Duke, saying it was good to see him after a long time, started drinking heavily even though the sun hadn''t set yet. Zeke kept Dukepany for a while, then left him with Andrei and returned to his room to prepare for his night time outing. And when the secret night fell and everyone in the mansion was asleep, Zeke used the ghost Step, a movement technique that left no trace, and went outside. * * * He knew the dark underworld hidden beneath the morous metropolis of As very well. Zeke entered a secluded alley on the outskirts of the city, where ordinary people rarely ventured. And he went into a bar with a faded sign. Inside the bar, people with dangerous auras were drinking. Zeke scanned the bar, then went to the counter and sat down. He said to the bartender, "Give me a ss of dark beer. And..." He ced a gold coin on the counter and continued, "Go and tell Kay that I want to meet him." At his words, not only the bartender but also the dangerous-looking men around him turned their attention to Zeke. Zeke, receiving their attention, smirked. "Don''t get hurt for nothing and just go tell him quietly. Zeke Draker wants to make a deal with the Syndicate." As soon as the name Draker came up, the bartender gestured to a man near the counter. The man went inside and then beckoned Zeke. It seemed permission had been granted from above. Zeke followed the man inside the bar. As expected of the Syndicate, a smuggling organization, they led Zeke to a passage leading underground. After passing through several tightly secured doors and numerous forks in the path, they finally came to a building that looked like a huge warehouse. They passed through the entrance, guarded by several rough-looking men, and went inside where the goods were stored. "Wait here for a moment." The man went inside first. A momentter, the door opened, and the man beckoned Zeke to enter. Inside, all sorts of goods and cargo boxes were piled up. There was a table between the cargo boxes, and Kay was sitting there. A seductive woman with wavy red hair and a low-cut dress that revealed her cleavage. ''Her taste in clothes is the same as before.'' Kay stared intently at Zeke''s gloves. Then she pointed to the seat across from her. "Have a seat." As Zeke sat down, Kay took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. After exhaling a cloud of thick smoke, she opened her mouth again. "So, what is the reason why the supernova of the Draker n wants to see me?" When asked to name the best intelligence agencies on the continent, people usually name two. One was the Draker n''s ck Stage, and the other was the Rom Empire''s Intelligence Agency. And then there was an intelligence organization that wasn''t widely known, and that was the Syndicate. The Syndicate initially started as a gathering of smugglers from each region, but it was rapidly growing as it became a major carrier of narcotics from the Southern Continent. Zeke had a connection with this Syndicate, and Kay in particr, in his previous life. Back then, Kay was an executive of the Syndicate. In his past life, she was the one who first approached Zeke with a request, and by securing a crucial transportation route through him, she built a solid career within the Syndicate. Thanks to this, Zeke was able to easily ess important information across the continent through her. ''I wouldn''t have found the Elder Dragon artifact before I died if it wasn''t for Kay.'' She wasn''t an executive yet, but she was capable enough, so building a good rtionship with her from now on would definitely be a great help. Zeke took off his gloves and used the Mana Reflection skill. Crackle! The magicmps within the range of the skill flickered violently. Zeke put his gloves back on and stopped the skill. The magicmps returned to normal. "I showed you that because I don''t want to waste time with pointless suspicions, so let''s skip the posturing." Kay realized that this youngest son of the Draker n sitting in front of her was no ordinary person. Zeke looked at Kay and said directly, "I want to make a deal." Kay frowned at his words. "Draker wants to make a deal with us? I''d sooner believe the Rom Emperor would donate to the Holy Kingdom." "Does Draker care where the moneyes from? Whether it''s earned from selling Soma or killing people, money is money." At the mention of Soma, Kay''s expression hardened. It hadn''t been long since the Syndicate started bringing Soma from the Southern Continent to the Central Continent. It was a top secret within the organization. A dangerous aura emanated from Kay and the men around her. "Are you trying to get me killed?" Suddenly, a tremendous force erupted from Zeke''s body. The Syndicate members hidden throughout the warehouse couldn''t move a finger against the murderous intent emanating from Zeke. Kay cursed inwardly, realizing that this young Draker was more dangerous than rumored. ''Damn Drakers.'' Just then, Zeke took something out of his pocket and tossed it over. Kay was surprised to see a pair of earrings on the table. "Artifacts?" Even the young Kay had a good eye, just like her future self. Zeke smirked and said, "They''re popr ancient items at auction houses. You''ll be even more surprised when you see the magic attached to them." Kay, with a dubious expression, took the earrings and put them on. Then she raised her mana to check their function. "...Mana recovery?" Zeke smirked. With modern magic technology, it was impossible to create magic items with this level of efficiency, so their value was immense. She quietly put down the earrings and said, "Is this what you meant by wanting to make a deal?" "This is just the beginning. I have quite a few items that are even better than this. Keep an eye on the market and gradually release them at the Dorta Auction House to turn them into cash." "As a Pureblood Awakener of Draker, you shouldn''t have any worries about money. Why are you doing this?" "I don''t think I need to tell you that." Zeke took out a document with his disguised identity, Zeke Murray''s, details and handed it to Kay. "Open a clean ount with this and put the money there. You''ll find a trade agreement at the back. The items are in the Northern Bank, so transfer them afterpleting the procedures. The salesmission is 10% per item, and I''ll pay an additional incentive for every 10,000 gold." Kay checked the contract Zeke brought. It was a detailed and well-organized contract, as if this wasn''t his first time making such a deal. Kay looked at Zeke and asked, "Who the hell are you?" "You ask even though you know I''m Zeke Draker. I revealed my identity to build trust. Of course, I trust you''ll keep your subordinates in line." Kay looked at the identification and the contract in front of her and pondered. Then she nodded. She stood up. "Follow me." Kay led Zeke to the back of the warehouse. There was an office prepared for Kay inside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It seemed to be a space used for dealing with particrly important clients, as soundproofing magic and security magic were cast everywhere. As Zeke sat down, Kay brought something. "An oath of promise. This is a very wizardly item." Kay wasn''t surprised that Zeke knew she was a wizard. Kay had already guessed that Zeke knew who she was and hade intentionally when he brought the magic items. She unfolded the contract containing the oath of promise and picked up a pen. "I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, but this means I acknowledge you as a true partner for the first time." Zeke didn''t find it strange because he had made an oath of promise with Kay in his previous life as well. Kay pricked her finger on the needle attached to the pen. Then she signed with the blood that flowed down to the nib. Following her, Zeke also signed in the same way. Then, each of their signatures was engraved on the inside of their wrists. ''Huh?'' But Zeke noticed something strange about the signature engraved on his wrist. It was as if two signatures were ovepping. ''Is it because the oath of promise from my previous life is ovepping?'' If the oath of promise made in blood was broken, the signature engraved on the wrist would disappear. This was how they could tell if the person they made the contract with had betrayed them. Zeke flinched at the sight of the ovepping signatures, but Kay didn''t seem to mind. After confirming the signatures engraved on each other''s wrists, the two decided to form a partnership. "Now that we''re partners, can you tell me why a Pureblood Awakener of Draker is trying to sell stolen goods?" Zeke said to Kay, "First, those aren''t stolen goods. They''re ancient items I found. I won''t tell you where I found them, so don''t ask. Second, not all Pureblood Awakeners are rich. You need a wealthy sponsor n for that." It was an internal matter of the Draker n that was difficult for most people to know, so Kay listened to Zeke with a curious expression. Then Zeke said to Kay, "Is the McCain Cartel currently trading with the Syndicate?" Kay''s expression hardened again at his words. "How do you know such confidential information within the organization? Even I, the branch manager, haven''t known for long." She continued, as if there was no point in hiding it, "As you said, we''re trading with McCain. But these days, we''re having trouble because of pressure from the Fav Cartel. They''re telling us to stop trading with McCain and transport their goods instead." Currently, a three-way war was taking ce in the Southern Continent between the giant cartels Fav, McCain, and Tahuani. In the Southern Continent, which was close to awless zone, the kingdoms were practically powerless. The cartels'' military power was dozens of times stronger than that of the Southern Continent''s royal knights. Based on this military power, they produced the drug Soma in the jungle and brought it into the Central Continent. The biggest consumer of Soma was the Rom Empire, so transporting it to the Central Continent was crucial. The border area, which was originally used as a transportation route, waspletely blocked when the Ishtaar n, who had settled there, issued an expulsion order. Even the reckless cartels didn''t want to cause friction with Ishtaar, one of the Transcendent Families, so they had to find another route. That''s how they came to join hands with the Syndicate, a smuggling organization. They were transporting Soma through the South Sea, across the desert, and distributing it to the Rom Empire, the Central Kingdoms, and even the Northern Continent. Since it was known that Soma not only caused hallucinations but also had the effect of increasing magical power, it was very popr among wizards, so there was always an overflowing demand. Thanks to this, the Syndicate, which had monopolized the transportation of the cartels'' goods, was making an enormous amount of money by establishing distribution and salesworks in each region of the continent. Zeke, who had personally experienced this situation in his previous life, knew the circumstances of the Southern cartels very well. Zeke, organizing his memories from his past life, looked at Kay and said, "Hey, Kay. I want to make you an offer." "What kind of offer?" Zeke said with a calm smile, "Put me in touch with Don Juan." Kay was so surprised by his words that she raised her voice without realizing it. "You want to meet the boss of the McCain Cartel?" Zeke nodded. "Yes, and if you do that for me, I''ll make you the boss of the Syndicate." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 36 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 36 Kay looked at Zeke with a dumbfounded expression at his confident proposal. It was hard to gauge how much she should trust him. "Do you know what kind of person Don Juan is?" Zeke smirked. "There''s probably no one who knows Don Juan better than me." During his time as a hitman for McCain in his previous life, Zeke was part of Don Juan''s direct cleaning crew. He took care of all the dirty work of the cartel, killing and threatening the bosses of rival cartels. Thanks to Zeke, the McCain Cartel was able to solidify its position as the number one cartel in the South. As Zeke had risen to the executive level, which was rare for a hitman, he knew various secrets of the cartel. ''I know everything from Don Juan''s secret vault to the nobles and politicians he bribes.'' It was difficult to bring down all the giant cartel forces with his own power alone. But if he could use the Syndicate''s intelligencework to manipte the various cartel forces, he could orchestrate their downfall from behind the scenes. When the cartels weakened themselves by fighting each other, Zeke could simply swallow them whole. However, it was too risky for him, a Draker, to do it himself. That''s why he intended to use the Syndicate and Kay as his proxies. He nned to control everything from behind Kay, without revealing himself, and if that happened, he could manipte the South without leaving any trace. It was a feasible n for Zeke. And to implement this n, he first needed to meet Don Juan, the boss of the McCain Cartel. When Kay didn''t readily answer, Zeke stood up. "Think about it carefully and contact me when you''ve made up your mind." Zeke left the room without hesitation. Kay couldn''t get up from her seat for a long time even after he left. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn''t understand why this was suddenly happening to her. She pondered, looking at Zeke''s signature engraved on her wrist. * * * A weekter, Zeke finally entered Valha. A ce where talented individuals from all over the continent gathered. It was a ce Zeke in his previous life couldn''t even dream of entering. "Hmm." Valha was almost the size of a town. And unlike the stifling atmosphere of the academy, Valha was very free. Students were gathered in groups on the campus,ughing and chatting, or lying on the grass, sunbathing. There were also students reading books on benches, and quite a few people jogging in the morning. ''The atmosphere is very different from what I expected.'' Zeke, who was used to the rigid atmosphere of the Cradle and the academy, found this free atmosphere unfamiliar. Just then, someone approached Zeke. "Hey, are you Zeke by any chance?" Zeke nced at the person who called him. A man with shy hair was swaggering towards him. Judging by his reddish-brown skin, he seemed to be from the desert region or the Southern Continent. The man struck a strange pose, patted his chest, and then held out his fist towards Zeke. When Zeke just stared nkly, the man shrugged and said, "It''ll take a while for our bro Zeke to get rid of that academy stiffness." Zeke looked at the man and said, "Are you that Buddy guy or whatever?" The man mimicked Zeke''s voice and said, "Buddy guy or whatever. Hey, bro, what''s up? Peace! Rx a bit." Zeke wondered if this clown in front of him was really a Valha student. His behavior reminded him of the Soma addicts in the Empire. The man grinned and led Zeke, who still had a hesitant expression. "I''m Diego, Diego Vi. Nice to meet you, bro." Zeke was surprised to hear Diego''s name. "Are you really Diego Vi?" Diego struck another strange pose and shouted "Peace!" Zeke looked at him with an even more dubious expression. ''Is this guy the future Knight of Rhymes?'' Diego Vi was one of the five knights who fought in the 3rd Continental War. Diego Vi, the Knight of Rhymes. Reina Draker, the Knight of sh. Jeffric Solma, the Knight of Smoke. Bishop Caustic, the Knight of Silence. Aster Adolf, the Knight of Illusions. People praised the achievements of those who yed a major role in the 3rd Continental War, calling them the ''Five Star Knights''. Zeke, watching Diego leading him and introducing him to Valha, thought of the other Five Star Knights. ''Except for Reina, the other four weren''t Drakers. What if I made all those I could meet in Valha my subordinates?'' If he had the Five Star Knights as his subordinates in addition to the Mercenary King Liam, he would be able to build his forces much faster. ''Valha is a treasure trove of talent. There might be hidden talents who haven''t gained fame in the future.'' Zeke nodded inwardly, thinking that he might be able to find talented individuals, including the Five Star Knights, to bring into his forcester. After wandering around for a while, it was time for lunch, so the two entered a restaurant. "Zeke bro, you have to try the food here in Valha." The ce Diego led him to was a restaurant serving Southern Continent home-style food. Zeke wasn''t too keen on Southern food because his memories of his time in the South in his previous life weren''t very pleasant, but he took a seat nheless. Soon, a hearty Southern-style meal was served. Zeke picked up a torti and put it in his mouth. "Hmm? This is delicious." Diego grinned at his positive reaction and patted Zeke''s shoulder. While eating, Zeke listened to Diego''s story. He was from a small kingdom in the Southern Continent and was studying abroad in the Central Continent. Diego had been forced to learn the n''s traditional dual swordsmanship from a young age, but he was so talented that he surpassed his father, who was his teacher, at the age of fifteen. "But I like making music more. Speaking of which, how about joining our club, bro?" He said it was a club that researched fusion new age music based on the rhythms of Southern traditional music mixed with Central Continent melodies, but Zeke refused, saying he couldn''t understand the exnation. In fact, he wasn''t interested in music, and he didn''t have the time for it either. After finishing their meal and chatting, Diego suggested they attend a ss together in the afternoon. "Can we just go to a senior ss?" "Those academy guys! Valha is free! Peace! Anything rted to learning is allowed, bro. Let''s go!" Zeke was dragged along by Diego and decided to attend the ss together. The ce Diego took him to was a liberal arts ss with the strange title of ''Special Lecture by a Leading Figure in the Central Continent''. Zeke, following Diego, sat in therge lecture hall with a sullen expression. "Bro! Smile!" Diego said cheerfully to Zeke, and Zeke felt a little tired seeing Diego constantly talking beside him. ''Maybe I can leave this guy out of the Five Star Knights.'' As he was thinking this, the students around them started murmuring. They were whispering and ncing at Zeke sitting next to Diego. It seemed they had noticed him when he turned around because Diego''s voice was quite loud. Zeke wondered what was going on as he saw the students murmuring while looking at them. Diego, hearing the students'' murmurs, suddenly made a fuss. "What? Zeke bro, you''re a Draker?" Zeke looked at Diego with a dumbfounded expression. "You didn''t know that until now?" "I just thought you were from the academy. I thought you were acting all arrogant for no reason, but so that''s why!" "..." Just then, a group of students approached Zeke. "Are you Zeke Draker? Nice to meet you. I''m Doug from the Roswell n. I graduated from the academy in 1025." It was a n name that sounded somewhat familiar. Zeke asked Doug, "Do you have a younger brother?" Doug nodded with a satisfied expression. "You know Durban? Well, I hear there''s no one in the academy who doesn''t know Durban the sher. My younger brother is also scheduled to enter Valha next year." "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He thought he had heard it somewhere, and as expected, it was true. Zeke inwardly wondered if the level of Valha was lower than he thought since Durban the sher was entering, but in fact, Durban''s skills were among the top in the academy, even though he was beaten by Zeke. Moreover, the Roswell n was a prestigious n that had a close rtionship with the Siemens, one of the influential Draker ns,for a long time. It was no coincidence that the brothers Doug and Durban entered Valha. But Zeke ignored Doug''s words and was seriously contemting the level of Valha. And without knowing what was going on inside Zeke, not only Doug, but also the children of other prominent ns in the Central Continent flocked to Zeke. "Zeke Draker! I''m from a prominent n in Thebes..." "I''m from Alencia..." "I''m the second son of the Central Continent Fruit Guild..." Everyone was curious about Zeke, the super rookie who had reached the level of a Blue Knight at the age of fifteen. Zeke was getting annoyed as more and more people gathered around him. He red at Diego, who was smiling cluelessly beside him. Just then, p, p! A loud pping sound rang out, and the people who had flocked around Zeke dispersed and took their seats. It was none other than Headmaster ubert himself, who hade up to the podium. Zeke finally realized why there were so many nobles from the Central Kingdom in a simple liberal arts ss. It was a ss where Headmaster ubert personally invited prominent figures and listened to their life stories. But Diego, who had brought him here, started doing something else, taking out his notebook instead of listening to the lecture. He wrote the lyrics for a new song and showed them to Zeke. "Hey, bro. How are these lyrics? The rhymes are awesome, right?" Zeke quietly ignored Diego''s whispering. ubert began introducing the guest speaker. "I had a very difficult time inviting the person who will be speaking to you today." As he spoke, the headmaster nodded, and the door opened, and someone entered. Zeke''s jaw dropped at the sight of the person who entered. ''Master Duke?'' Duke, dressed impably in a Draker suit, walked onto the podium. Then, the assistants behind him raised a card on the podium. ¡¶ I, Duke Draker: How I Became a ck Knight from the Academy''s Inferior ss ¡· The students'' eyes sparkled with anticipation at the appearance of Duke Draker, the Knight of the Gale. The headmaster also stepped down from the podium and sat in the front row to listen to Duke''s lecture. Duke, with a slightly nervous expression, held the voice amplifier. "Ahem. It''s an honor to be invited as a guest speaker to the Valha I''ve always admired. Even though I couldn''t be a student here." The students allughed heartily at his words. Zeke, seeing the students reacting to every word Duke said andughing loudly, could feel the power of true authority. Unlike when he was with Zeke, Duke was delighted to see the students'' immediate and positive reactions. Amidst great expectations, Duke''s life lecture began. Duke''s life story continued for about two hours. Surprisingly, Duke was quite eloquent. The problem was that he was extremely talkative. Although the students were listening attentively at first, Zeke could feel them gradually getting tired. Since they were knights, they weren''t used to listening to other people''s stories, except maybe during sparring sessions. As Duke''s life story continued without end, even Headmaster ubert, who had invited him, had a slightly troubled expression. He gestured to Duke to wrap it up, but Duke, immersed in his own story, ignored the headmaster''s signal and continued talking endlessly. "So I said to the head of the n, ''Think again. This is really not it.'' Then Arthur..." Just then, The door to the lecture hall opened, and someone walked in. nk. nk.! A knight d in silver armor from head to toe. Flowing tinum blonde hair that didn''t match the armor, and a beautiful face like a statue. The students were startled and rose from their seats. "Th-the Silver Knight!" "C-Cali Draker!" None other than the eldest of the Draker n''s direct descendants had appeared. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 37 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 37 ''Cali Draker.'' She was Zeke''s oldest sister. However, Zeke had rarely seen Cali Draker face-to-face in his previous life. The only times he saw her were from afar at n events before entering the Cradle. She was the eldest daughter of the Draker n and one of the guardian knights of the Four Seasons Castle. There were thousands of knights belonging to the Four Seasons Castle, but among them, there were less than ten guardian knights. Even Abel Draker, who already had his own knight order, had not yet received the title of guardian knight. So, the fact that Cali Draker, who was still in her thirties, was a guardian knight was a remarkable feat. Cali Draker''s achievements were indeed extraordinary. Ison, thergest port city in Mind, had suffered from pirates in the South Sea for over a hundred years. The pirates, based in the Death''s Sea south of the Dorta Republic, were scattered in a cell-like organization, making it virtually impossible topletely eradicate them. However, after Cali Draker became an official knight of the Draker n, the problem was solved. The first thing she did was take care of these South Sea pirates. She boarded the pirates'' ships alone and ughtered them all, chasing down those who fled and even wiping out those hiding on the inds. Fighting back was useless, and so was running away. Cali Draker quietly, decisively, and thoroughly eradicated the South Sea pirates, a problem that no one had been able to solve. Five yearster, pirates were nowhere to be found, at least in Ison. Thanks to Cali Draker, the sea route of the Central Sea, which extended to the Dorta Republic and beyond to the Eastern Empire, was cleared. In recognition of this achievement, Cali Draker received the title of guardian knight at the youngest age ever. With Cali Draker appearing at the special lecture, the students began to get excited again. Duke was flustered as all the attention was suddenly taken away by Cali Draker. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Headmaster ubert gestured to Duke to quicklye down from the podium. Duke, having lost his ce to the rising star, trudged down from the podium. The headmaster cleared his throat and went up to the podium again. "Today, we have a special guest, Cali Draker, famous as the Silver Knight. Since the previous lecture went on for a long time, we''ll quickly invite the Silver Knight." Cali Draker politely greeted ubert and then went up to the podium. The tinum-blonde female knight in silver armor stood before the students with a dignified posture. She looked like a Valkyrie from legends. She spoke to the students without using the voice amplifier. "Attention!" Her resounding voice startled the students, and they straightened up without realizing it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Even Headmaster ubert flinched, so one can imagine how the ordinary students felt. She then bowed respectfully towards Duke. "To the esteemed ck Knight, Sir Duke Draker, I offer my greetings first. Everyone, salute Sir Duke Draker!" The students who graduated from the academy reflexively jumped to their feet and saluted Duke. The students who didn''t graduate from the academy hesitated, following the salute awkwardly or ncing at Cali Draker. Only after the greetings did she stand at the podium again and begin her speech. "Gentlemen, I looked around Valha whileing to this special lecture today. And I am disappointed in you today." Cali Draker was a graduate of Valha before ubert became headmaster. At that time, the headmaster of Valha was from the Draker n, so the discipline was stricter than it is now. She said in a stern voice, "The peace of the continent today was not achieved easily. It is a peace built on the blood of our senior knights." Compared to Cali Draker, Duke Draker was a milder version of a Draker. For three long hours, she emphasized the spirit of chivalry, the importance of strict discipline, and the necessity of rigorous training with a stern and serious attitude. ubert, listening to Cali Draker''s lecture, covered his face with his hands. ''Damn Drakers.'' ubert resolved never to have another Draker as a lecturer. The students, who had been happy to see the Silver Knight in person, gradually turned pale. The special lecture finally ended after three hours of verbal assault, and they all left the lecture hall, exhausted and zombified. Zeke, surprisingly, enjoyed Cali Draker''s lecture. ''It''s strict, but she has a point.'' Since Zeke had spent his entire life on the battlefield, he understood why she was saying those things. Rather, Zeke could feel the warmth and consideration hidden within Cali Draker''s words. There would be no reason for her to give such advice if she didn''t care. "Hey, bro. Want to listen to the new song I wrote over five hours?" Zeke shook his head at Diego''s strange music. As he was about to leave the lecture hall after listening to Diego''s bizarre music, someone approached him. "Zeke." He turned around to find Cali Draker standing there. Zeke bowed his head to Cali Draker. "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Cali Draker, guardian knight of the Four Seasons Castle." Cali Draker returned Zeke''s polite greeting. She said to Zeke, "Could you spare me a moment?" Her tone was stiff, as expected of a Draker. Zeke left Diego, who looked disappointed, and followed Cali. He thought she was going to invite him for a cup of tea or something, but surprisingly, Cali Draker took Zeke to the training ground. Cali Draker stood in the training ground and said to Zeke, "Prepare yourself." Without another word, Cali Draker instructed him to prepare for a spar. Zeke didn''t know her intentions, but he decided to go along with her. He drew Bahamut from his back. At the same time, Cali Draker also drew her pure white sword. It was a sword made entirely of mithril, a gift from the Holy Kingdom. The Holy Kingdom, which had suffered the most from the pirates, had this mithril armor and sword specially crafted and gifted to Cali to express their gratitude for eradicating the pirates. As expected of the wealthy Holy Kingdom, they were generous. Thus, Cali Draker, d in pure white armor and valiantly wielding a snow-white sword, earned the title of the Silver Knight. Cali Draker pointed her sword at Zeke and said, "Show me your full strength, Zeke Draker." At Cali''s words, Zeke pointed his sword at her. "Then I won''t hold back." Zeke charged at Cali with Phantom Step. ng! Zeke''s sword shed with Cali''s. Cali matched Zeke''s every move as he moved swiftly, leaving afterimages. As Cali swung her pure white sword, it left behind brilliant afterimages like blooming flowers. It was indeed the skill of the most beautiful and powerful knight on the continent. Whoosh! Zeke, sensing that Cali Draker''s skills were extraordinary, stepped back. It wasn''t just advanced swordsmanship she had learned, but true skill honed through actualbat. Zeke, who had lowered his skill level to that of a Blue Knight, was careful not to be discovered. If he was careless, the fact that he was hiding his true strength could reach the ears of the head of the n. If news spread that he had already reached the level of a Red Knight, the n would surely try to tie him down and prevent him from leaving. That would interfere with Zeke''s n to leave this ce as soon as possible and freely build his own forces. ''When I can control the Drakers as I wish, then I will return to the n.'' Whoosh! As Zeke regained his focus, Cali, seeing that he was only keeping his distance and not attacking, took the initiative. Crash! Cali Draker''s strength was her greatest asset. Her sword contained far more power than that of ordinary knights. Whoosh! Zeke parried Cali''s sword, found an opening, and thrust his sword. His body moved reflexively to counterattack, thanks to the countless sparring sessions he had with King Kaisir, where he was beaten to a pulp. Cali flinched at Zeke''s sharp attack and retreated. She was surprised that her youngest brother possessed such outstanding talent. "Excellent." A spontaneouspliment escaped her lips, despite her usual reluctance to praise. Cali gripped her sword and focused her aura. Wooong! A pure white aura de, resembling her, enveloped her sword. She had raised her aura to properly gauge Zeke''s skills. As Cali began to use her aura in earnest, Zeke also took a deep breath and summoned his aura de. The atmosphere between the two was different now. Ping! They began to exchange blows at an invisible speed, passing each other by. ng! Cali pressured Zeke with her brilliant swordsmanship. Zeke dodged Cali''s attacks with Phantom Step, looking for an opening. Although she couldn''tpare to Kaisir, she was undoubtedly an excellent swordswoman with a good bnce of offense and defense. sh! Zeke deflected Cali''s sword and used the Dragon yer Technique. Even the simple Half Moon sh was incredibly powerful when used by Zeke. Cali''s body was pushed back even though she blocked it with her sword. With her attack blocked, Zeke used Phantom Step to aim for Cali''s blind spot and thrust his sword. Cali gathered her sword to her chest and concentrated her energy. Wooong! Suddenly, a tremendous force surged from Cali''s body. In fact, before Cali earned the title of Silver Knight, she already had a nickname that was on everyone''s lips. The Great Strength Sword Those who had faced her sword said it felt like facing a giant''s swing. That terrifying aura enveloped her entire body. At the same time, the aura de surrounding her sword grew to the size of a bastard sword. She swung her Great Strength Sword towards Zeke. Crash! Zeke hurriedly dodged her Great Strength Sword with Phantom Step. The shockwave was so powerful that the floor of the training ground cracked. Zeke pretended to be exhausted and pointed his sword at Cali, shouting. "Haaa!" Zeke acted as if he was gathering all the aura in his body. At the same time, he intentionally made his aura de rough instead of neatlypressing it. The aura de formed on Zeke''s sword in the shape of mes, as if fire was zing. It was the ''Sword me'' technique he had created when he couldn''t properly control his aura in the past. But its power was not to be underestimated. Cali''s expression changed as she saw Zeke''s Sword me. Cali''s Great Strength Sword and Zeke''s Sword me shed. Crash! Zeke and Cali were both thrown back simultaneously. "Ugh!" Zeke copsed, clutching his chest as if his aura had backfired. At the same time, he manipted his blood flow to make his face pale. Cali, sheathing her sword, quickly approached him and handed him a potion. "Zeke, drink this quickly." Although Zeke was perfectly healthy, he took the potion Cali gave him and swallowed it with difficulty. He then returned hisplexion to normal, as if he had barely managed to suppress his internal injuries. "Thank you, Lady Cali Draker." "Call me sister." Zeke was surprised by Cali''s words. In the Draker n, even blood-rted siblings were nothing more thanpetitors to each other and never acted affectionately. The fact that Cali Draker, the first in line to be the head of the n, was reaching out to Zeke, who wasn''t sponsored by any n, was a rare sight in the Draker n. "Understood, sister." Cali Draker looked at Zeke with wonder in her eyes. "I heard you became a Blue Knight at the youngest age in the n, and you truly have amazing skills. Even Abel wasn''t this strong at your age." Before Zeke, the record for the youngest Blue Knight was held by Abel Draker. The continent was shaken when Abel became a Blue Knight at the age of neen, so one can imagine the impact of Zeke bing one at fifteen. Cali continued in a serious tone, "Zeke, I originally didn''te here to say this, but after meeting you, I changed my mind." "What do you mean, sister?" "I want to make you an offer." She looked at Zeke and said, "Help me stop Abel Draker, the cruel and merciless Knight of ughter." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 38 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 38 Completely unexpected words came from Cali''s mouth. "What do you mean by stopping Abel Draker, sister?" Cali looked around and then said to Zeke, "Follow me." Cali led Zeke to the private carriage she had arrived in. It was a carriage provided to the guardian knights of the Four Seasons Castle, equipped with all sorts of amenities inside. She took off her silver armor, changed into casual clothes, and personally brewed tea for Zeke. "I hear you like tea. This is tea imported from the Eastern Continent. I hope it suits your taste." Zeke was curious how far the information about his preference for tea had spread within the n. Cali looked at Zeke and slowly began to speak. "Abel''s Knights are currently under contract with the Empire and carrying out the Emperor''s missions." "Missions for the Rom Emperor?" "Yes. In fact, the Rom Empire can be considered one of Draker''s biggest clients. From that perspective, Abel''s actions aren''t wrong." Cali put down her teacup and continued, "The problem is that Abel is increasingly crossing the line. He''s actively intervening in the conflict between the Rom Empire and Alencia, which shares a border with it." "Direct intervention in a conflict? Isn''t that a vition of the n''s first principle, the ''Neutrality Pledge''?" "Indeed. Draker exists as a n, not a nation, and it''s our principle not to intervene in conflicts between other nations. Abel and Siemens have long crossed this line." "It''s hard to believe. Are you saying that the Four Seasons Castle and the head of the n are just watching this happen?" Cali said with a solemn expression, "Zeke, what I''m about to tell you is a n secret. You must never speak of it elsewhere." "Of course, sister." "The Four Seasons Castle is currently divided." Zeke had never been to the Four Seasons Castle in his previous life, so he knew nothing about its internal affairs. He only knew the overall flow of events he had seen in the future. Cali continued slowly, "A pro-Empire faction has emerged within the Council of Elders." Zeke immediately understood what Cali meant. "The Rom Empire has drawn the elders to their side?" "I don''t know the exact details, but that seems to be the case." "I don''t understand. Even the Empire wouldn''t have anything to tempt the elders of the Draker n." "I''m also investigating what methods the Emperor used." "So there are those within the Council of Elders and the guardian knights who have sided with the Empire. Only Abel and Siemens have surfaced, but we don''t know how many more there are or who else is on the Empire''s side, so we can''t act rashly." Cali was surprised that Zeke grasped theplicated situation of the Four Seasons Castle so quickly. ''He''s not just skilled in martial arts.'' Cali nodded and said, "That''s correct. So we''re gathering trustworthy people within the Four Seasons Castle who can stop Abel and Siemens." "You mean you''re gathering forces?" "Yes. I''m trying to gather the power of the ordinary knights, who are the foundation of the Four Seasons Castle, rather than the Council of Elders or the main ns." The Four Seasons Castle, the core of Draker, could be considered the central point for managing the thousands of knights carrying out missions across the continent.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om While Abel was manipting the Council of Elders at the center, Cali moved in apletely different direction. No matter how strong the head of the n or the Council of Elders were, it was impossible to maintain the n without the ordinary knights. She looked at Zeke and said, "Once you graduate from Valha and be an official knight of the Four Seasons Castle, you will have great influence and legitimacy as a Pureblood Awakener. That''s how much significance a Pureblood Awakener holds in the Draker n." The Prana n, Cali Draker''s maternal n and sponsor, wasn''t as influential as the Siemens or Turunn ns, so they were currently at a disadvantage in the power struggle. However, even without a powerful sponsor n, if Zeke, a Pureblood Awakener and a direct descendant, supported Cali, the scales in this power game with Abel would likely tip in her favor, even if only slightly. The Four Seasons Castle was also made up of people. If public opinion swayed towards Cali, even Abel, who had control of the Council of Elders, wouldn''t be able to act recklessly. After listening to Cali, Zeke considered how he could use the surprisingly chaotic situation of the Four Seasons Castle to his advantage. ''Seven yearster, the bnce between the three Transcendent ns will copse, and the continent will be engulfed in war. And Abel Draker will be at the center of it all.'' Zeke looked at his older sister, Cali Draker. In the previous life he experienced, this noble Silver Knight would die in five years. She would meet a heroic end while fighting the new Pirate King who emerged in the South Sea, the ce that brought her fame. The death of Cali Draker, who had been the stabilizing force of the Four Seasons Castle, would be a great shock to the entire Draker n. She was implicitly considered the sessor to the head of the n, and when Cali Draker died, Abel Draker would take her ce. He would then join hands with the Council of Elders, abolish the Draker n''s Neutrality Pledge, and actively participate in the continental war with the backing of the Empire. Arthur Draker, the head of the n, would condone Abel Draker''s actions and then die of illness not long after. Eventually, Abel Draker, the sessor, would inherit the position of the head of the n, and Draker would lead the invasion of the Central Kingdoms and the Northern Continent. They would abandon their role as the mediators of bnce in the Central Continent and be the vanguards of continental invasion. Zeke had settled in the Northern Continent for various reasons at that time and was suddenly caught up in the continental war. Having personally experienced this chaotic future, Zeke knew that Cali''s words weren''t just simple concerns. Having witnessed the chaotic future of the continent, Zeke decided that it was better to help Cali and stop Abel, the Knight of ughter, rather than exploit the situation for now. "I''m stillcking, but I''ll do everything I can to help you." Cali''s eyes wavered at his words. She hadn''t expected Zeke to make a decision so quickly. She looked at Zeke and said, "I made this offer because I believe that the future Zeke Draker will be an outstanding knight, surpassing all others. If you support me, this Silver Knight will always stand by your side." Zeke thought that she was unexpectedly pure for a Draker. While valuing discipline more than anyone else, as expected of a Draker, her inner heart was incredibly soft. Zeke stood up. "I fully agree with your idea of gathering the ordinary knights, sister. I will also be an official knight of the Four Seasons Castle and help you." Cali also stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Zeke. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask. And remember this: The Drakers may seem inconspicuous, but they are everywhere. Always remember that Abel and the Empire''s eyes are on you." "Understood, sister." Zeke bowed to Cali and left the carriage. Walking alone on the Valha campus, Zeke pondered what benefits the alliance with Cali Draker would bring him. ''At least it''s a million times better than having a madman like Abel take over the n. Considering the situation on the continent, too.'' Zeke''s ultimate goal was to be the strongest on the continent and take over the entire Draker n. But he didn''t want to take over a Draker n that had lost its power due to internal strife and be a puppet of the Empire. He decided to help Cali Draker and stop Abel Draker and the Rom Empire''s conspiracy, as he had thought through in the carriage. "And to do that, I need power." Zeke turned on the minimap and looked at the map of Valha. The location of the founder Terakan Draker''s security vault was marked on the minimap. It was none other than the Valha library. * * * Zeke entered the library after presenting his student ID. In fact, he didn''t need to enroll here just to enter Valha. But the location of the security vault left by Terakan Draker was in the Valha library, specifically the Valha-only library that not everyone could enter. The dedicated library, essible only to Valha students, was a secure area that outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering. This was no exception even for Zeke, a Pureblood Awakener of Draker. Zeke had to present his student ID again and undergo iris recognition at the entrance to the dedicated library before he could enter. "Hmm." The academy library was also quiterge, but it was nothingpared to the scale of the Valha library. As, the greatest city in the Central Continent, and Valha, located within it, were where people from all over the world gathered. As such, precious resources also flowed into this ce. From rare books from the Eastern Continent to rhyme collections from the Southern Continent and storybooks containing myths from the Northern Continent, all kinds of books were gathered in the Valha library. Zeke followed the minimap towards the security vault left by Terakan Draker. He soon arrived at the location marked on the map. "What is this ce?" The ce he arrived at wasn''t a library with books, but a storage room for unused items. Zeke examined the dusty storage room. There was no sign of the vault left by Terakan Draker. ''Is there a separate entrance like in the academy?'' He tried to find the entrance using his Dragon Eyes skill, but he couldn''t sense anything around him. Zeke expanded his search range and looked around the storage room, but he still couldn''t find anything. Then, as Zeke stood in the center of the storage room, [Detected data update point.] [essed Terakan Draker''s security vault.] [Do you want to update the data?] Zeke chose to update the data. [Updating data.] Soon, a message appeared saying that the data update wasplete. Zeke immediately opened the security vault. ¨DTerakan Draker''s Security Vault¨D 1. Organization Operation Manual 2. Dragon yer Technique Manual Ver. 5.21 (Final) 3. Reference Materials 4. Collection of Aphorisms for Growth ''What is this?'' It was more like a collection of Terakan Draker''s personal records than a security vault. Though it was different from what he had in mind, Zeke decided to check it out since he hade all this way. The first thing that caught his eye was the Dragon yer Techniques section. Zeke clicked on the Dragon yer Techniques manual. 0920_Dragon_yer_Techniques_Manual_Final 1012_Dragon_yer_Techniques_Manual_Really_Final 1112_Dragon_yer_Techniques_Manual_Really_Really_Final Dozens of manual documents with "Final" in their titles were listed in a row. Zeke scrolled through the manuals and finally opened thest one recorded. He thought it would contain information about hidden secret techniques, but surprisingly, it was aption of basic Dragon yer forms. Zeke was surprised to learn that Terakan Draker, the founder of their order, had personally created the basic Dragon yer manual that has been passed down to this day. It was designed as a detailed textbook on how to train in basic Dragon yer techniques and which parts to emphasize. As Zeke looked through the various versions of the manual, he found a note left by Terakan Draker at the end of the manual. [It should be noted that this Dragon yer Techniques manual is a revision of some of the forms from the True Dragon Sword Art.] "True Dragon Sword Art? Is there such a swordsmanship?" Zeke read more of Terakan Draker''s words. [While the True Dragon Sword Art is indeed an excellent swordsmanship and aura cultivation method, it has the disadvantage of being difficult to learn and understand, making it difficult for all knights to master. The creator of the True Dragon Sword Art and the first to develop the aura cultivation method, Saturn Draker, is the only human to have reached the Grand Master realm. I believe that it is absolutely necessary to inherit Saturn Draker''s, who was given the title of Sword Star, True Dragon Sword Art and create a new swordsmanship that anyone can learn, so I am trying to finish this task that I have been putting off.] Zeke was surprised to see what Terakan Draker had written. "Saturn Draker? A secret technique left by the Noble Knight?" The sessor of the Hero King and the first knight to create aura. Zeke turned off the manual and scanned the security archive list. And he was able to find the True Dragon Sword Art stored in a corner of the reference list. Zeke turned on the True Dragon Sword Art secret manual and read the first sentence. [The True Dragon Sword Art is the only way for humans to y dragons.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 39 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 39 ¡°Dragon yer Techniques?¡± The true meaning of the Dragon sword left by Saturn Draker was a method for humans to y dragons. Zeke read through his words. [With the help of the great King Kaisir, humans were able to form contracts with dragons, the so-called Harmonizers of All Creation. Compared to other races, humans, with their many shorings, were always frail beings. Dragons took pity on such humans and generously shared their knowledge with their contractors. After the King kaisir, those who contracted with dragons settled throughout the continents and began to establish their own civilizations. The speed of their development was so unbelievably fast that I felt a sense of fear. The fear I felt stemmed from the iprehensible existence of dragons. If these beings with infinite power and knowledge were to one day suddenly change their minds and decide to wipe out humanity from this world, all humans would vanish on that day. Trying to suppress the fear growing within my heart, I sought various ways for humans to oppose dragons. The first thing I considered was magic. However, magic was the first gift dragons gave to humans. They taught humans how to create magic circles in their hearts to generate magical power like dragons. It was absurd to try and stop a magical race like dragons with magic. The second was the King Kaisir¡¯s Elemental Sword. But this power was only granted to him, who inherited the blood of the Elven King. At first, I researched various ways for humans to use the Elemental Sword. Ironically, it was the King''s contracted dragon, Kronos, who most enthusiastically helped me with this research. Kronos, intrigued by my research, sought ways to transcend human limitations bybining various magical experiments, the abilities of the Eastern Continent''s sessors, and the King Kaisir¡¯s Elemental Sword. And eventually, Kronos and I discovered a power called ''Aura.'' We found a way to manifest a different kind of power within the human body, one that was neither elemental nor magical. Having found a clue for humans to ovee their limitations, I continued my research even after King Kaisir departed to the spirit world. And finally, bypleting the True Dragon Sword, I was able to perfectly control the power of Aura. I passed this True Dragon Sword on to not only the Kingdom of Kronos but to all human kingdoms. It was a desperate act to prevent humanity from perishing helplessly if dragons ever turned their backs on them. The problem was that there was no one who could fully understand and wield this True Dragon Sword. Mastering Aura required arduous training and bone-chilling pain, but by using artifacts created by dragons, one could easily obtain far greater power. Thus, my True Dragon Sword struggled to find a proper sessor, leading me to leave this secret manual. If there is a sessor who finds this manual, I implore you to understand my will and diligently strive to master it.] Saturn Draker''s plea ended here. Simultaneously, a message appeared. ¡ªAchievement Quest (Intermediate Mission)¡ª [Learn the True Dragon Sword, the secret tradition of Sword Saint Saturn Draker. (Time Limit: Three Months)] [Quest Mission Reward: Title ''Sessor of the Sword Saint'' / Coordinates to the Kronos Kingdom Treasury] "The Kronos Kingdom Treasury as a reward." If it was the treasury of an ancient kingdom, there was a high probability of finding valuable items. It was a useful reward for Zeke, who was trying to build his own forces. Moreover, True Dragon Sword was the origin of Dragon yer techniques, a secret swordsmanship. A profound technique left by Saturn Draker, the creator of Aura, would surely be the key to oveing the wall of the ck Knights. ''Three months is the time limit. I need to focus on mastering the True Dragon Sword while I''m in Valha.'' Suddenly, Zeke noticed something strange. The Dragon yer bloodline of the Draker n had a much longer history than what wasmonly known. Then why was there no record of Saturn Draker''s story or his sessor, Terakan Draker? Everyone knew about the feat of Dragon yer Terakan Draker, who slew the Evil Dragon Bahamut and saved the Central Continent. But surprisingly, not much was known about Terakan Draker himself. Although everyone knew about the Liberation War that took ce a thousand years ago, the information avable was passed down more as legends than historical facts. Because of this, Terakan Draker felt more like a mythical hero like Kaisir than a real historical figure. ''Why haven''t I ever questioned this before?'' It was more urate to say that he hadn''t felt the need to question it rather than not having questioned it at all. Zeke himself hadn''t given much thought to the legend of the Dragon yer until he inherited Terakan Draker''s legacy. However, as he formed direct and indirect rtionships with those he once considered figures of legend and myth, he began to think that there might be something hidden beneath the surface of what he knew. "System, search the security archives for any personal records of Terakan Draker. Something like a diary." [Searching for the administrator''s request.] [There is one search result for your request.] Zeke opened the content found by the System. A video appeared before his eyes. The video seemed to be damaged, with a lot of noise on the screen. Still, it was possible to make out the general content; it seemed like someone had recorded what they saw and heard. [Correcting the video.] As the System corrected the video, the noisy screen became clearer than before. Something appeared on the screen. At first, Zeke couldn''t recognize what it was. Then, a momentter, he realized. ¡°A dragon?¡± A being so enormous that it seemed impossible to exist in this world was staring at Zeke. A gigantic dragon, its entire body covered in ck, hard scales, looked down at him with golden eyes. Just from being looked at, he felt an overwhelming pressure that seemed to annihte everything and freeze his soul. Then, that being spoken. "Terakan." Zeke realized that the gaze in the video belonged to Terakan Draker. "Bahamut." Terakan Draker called the ck dragon before him Bahamut. Bahamut slowly lowered his head and said, "Terakan, my contractor." Zeke was startled upon hearing those words. ''Terakan was Bahamut''s contractor?'' Bzzzt! The noise intensified again. He couldn''t clearly hear what Bahamut and Terakan were saying. The screen flickered, cutting in and out. When the screen resumed, Terakan Draker''s sword was plunged right between Bahamut''s eyes. It seemed like the two were conversing, but he couldn''t make out what they were saying.@@novelbin@@ A momentter, Bahamutpletely lowered his head to the ground and closed his eyes. And starting from where Terakan Draker had pierced him with his sword, Bahamut''s body slowly turned to ck ash and scattered. Only a heart shining like a jewel and one of his hardest fangs remained where his body had been. And the video ended. Zeke wore a dumbfounded expression, unable to believe what he had just seen. ''Bahamut was Terakan Draker''s contracted dragon?'' Zeke was deeply confused by the fact that Terakan Draker and Bahamut had a contractual rtionship. There was definitely something more to the legend of the Dragon yer than what was known. Zeke''s sharp senses kicked in. ''Perhaps an important secret of the Draker n is hidden within this.'' If he could get his hands on the n secret, it could be a useful card to y someday. Zeke decided to investigate the hidden details of the Dragon yer legend. He was currently in Valha Library, the best library in the Central Continent. Zeke began to search for and read every book on the Dragon yer legend in Valha Library. And he discovered a surprising fact. "All the content is the same." As if intentionally fabricated, the information about the Dragon yer legend only mentioned how Terakan Draker defeated Bahamut and ushered in a golden age for the Central Continent. Even more surprising was that there were no research papers or books that delved deeper into the subject. Compared to the hundreds of books and papers on King Kaisir, whose existence was uncertain, there was practically nothing on Terakan Draker. "How can this be?" It was as if someone had intentionally deleted and censored all information about Trrakan Draker. Zeke even realized that in his past life, he hadn''t even been aware of this situation. Feeling that there was no point in trying to learn more about Terakan Draker at Valha Library, Zeke returned to the mansion. He then contacted Kay separately. He requested that she search for and send him any books on Terakan Draker from all regions, including the Central Continent. A weekter, Zeke received a bundle of books from Kay. They were books about the Dragon yer legend, written in thenguages of the Northern and Southern Continents. The problem was that these, too, were not much different from what Zeke had seen in Valha. Zeke read the letter Kay had enclosed. Upon receiving Kay''s letter, Zeke confirmed that his suspicions were correct. The Drakers were hiding the history of Terakan Draker and censoring information about him. It was difficult to understand why the Drakers, who had risen to the position of one of the three Transcendent ns with the title of Dragon yer n, would go to such lengths to erase the past of their ancestor, Terakan Draker. Zeke burned Kay''s letter. It seemed like there was a bigger secret hidden within this than he had initially thought. It was then... ''Who is it?'' Zeke sensed the presence of intruders stealthily approaching. Having mastered elemental power through the Elemental Sword, Zeke''s senses were on a different levelpared to ordinary knights. He drew Bahamut and immediately pressed himself against the wall, concealing his body. Judging by the way they concealed their presence and moved systematically, they were professionals, not amateurs. ''Am I being followed by the Empire''s Hounds? That can''t be...'' When he killed the Hounds he encountered in the Giant Mountains, he only left traces of himself as a Southern Hitman. Moreover, he had used a portal to descend from the mountain, so there shouldn''t have been any traces left behind. Puzzled, Zeke held his breath and watched as they entered his room. The intruders, dressed in ck, began searching his room, unaware that Zeke was hiding. Their movements were so cautious and stealthy that if he hadn''t noticed them beforehand, it would have been difficult to even detect any signs of the room being searched. Zeke realized that these were not the Empire''s Hounds. The Hounds wouldn''t move so covertly and quietly. The moment he realized this, Zeke approached them, using the Phantom Step. Whoosh! Holding a dagger instead of Bahamut, Zeke got behind one of the intruders and immediately tried to behead him. But to his surprise, the intruder twisted his body to avoid Zeke''s attack and immediately rolled out of the way, escaping. Zeke moved towards the others who hadn''t yet exited the room. Swish! He threw his dagger towards their legs to prevent them from escaping. However, the other intruder also seeded in dodging Zeke''s attack and immediately tried to flee outside. ''They''re at least the level of a Purple Knight.'' Zeke gripped his dagger and used the Phantom Step. sh! Just as he was about to escape through the window, the intruder, blocked by Zeke''s sword, had no choice but to roll back into the room. The ck-d figure, his face hidden by a mask, lowered his stance and drew the sword from his waist. Seeing the sword the intruder drew, Zeke realized their identity. ''Northern Rangers?'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 40 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 40 Zeke was confused as to why the Ranger unit, also known as the protectors of the Northern Continent, had sought him out. ''Could it be that Abel hired them? To eliminate me from forming an alliance with Kali?'' Zeke focused on the unique shape of the swords the ck-d figures were carrying. They were kukri, swords used by the Rangers of the Gorka Kingdom, located at the northernmost tip of the Northern Continent. And these were the most skilled among the Northern Rangers. Their skills were so exceptional that the Central Kingdoms often paid a high price to employ them as mercenaries for important missions. Especially since Zeke had lived with the Gorka Rangers during his time in the Northern Continent, he knew very well how formidable they were. Zeke confronted the Gorka Ranger who drew his kukri, trying to grasp the situation. "Why are the Gorka Rangers monitoring me?" Zeke asked. The figure in ck didn''t answer, simply pointing his kukri at Zeke and watching for an opportunity to escape towards the window. Zeke moved to block his escape route, positioning himself with his back to the window. Just then, something flew in from outside. Thud! A small ball rolled towards Zeke''s feet. Soon, a hazy smoke erupted from the ball. [Mandrake root extract detected.] [If poisoned, you will lose consciousness.] [The effect of ''Poison Immunity'' negates the poison''s effect.] Thanks to the Poison Immunity he gained from devouring the Hydra''s head, the poisonous smoke couldn''t harm Zeke. However, Zeke pretended to copse, feigning the effects of the poison. A whileter, when the smoke cleared, the two figures in ck carried the unconscious Zeke somewhere. *** The figures in ck brought Zeke to a dark, narrow room, sat him in a chair, and bound him with handcuffs. After confirming that he was securely bound, they left, and Zeke subtly opened his eyes. He checked his map and found that he was near a farm on the outskirts of As. It seemed to be a safe house built by modifying a granary. ''The Northern Rangers have a safe house? It seems they have a separate employer.'' Even if he were imprisoned, Zeke could escape using a portal, so he had willingly pretended to be affected by the poisonous smoke. He had entered the tiger''s den to find out directly why the Gorka Kingdom Rangers were trying to monitor him. Just then, someone entered the room. He approached Zeke, who was pretending to be unconscious with his eyes closed, and held a bottle to his nose. [Mandrake root extract neutralizer detected.] It seemed to be an antidote for the poisonous smoke. Zeke acted as if he was regaining consciousness. "Ugh..." The man spoke to Zeke, who had awakened. "Zeke Draker." Zeke slowly opened his eyes and looked up. ''Who is that?'' A middle-aged man with a stubborn impression and an eyepatch over one eye. Zeke knew who he was. ''Cliff Reinhardt?'' The owner of the Reinhardt Trading Company, one of the future Top Ten Trading Companies of the continent. The reason Zeke recognized him immediately was due to their connection in his past life. In his past life, Abel, after taking over the Draker n, had extended his influence to major tradingpanies for war supplies. At that time, the Reinhardt Trading Company tried to maintain a neutral stance, but Abel and the Empire wouldn''t stand for it. They forcibly disbanded thepany and confiscated its assets. In response, Cliff Reinhardt risked his life to escape from the Central Continent and deliver information to the Northern Continent. It was Zeke who had met with Cliff and ryed the information he had brought to the North. ''Zeke Murray, I believe you will deliver this information safely.'' Zeke had advised Cliff to seek asylum in the North, but he refused. ''I want to meet my final death in my hometown, Alencia.'' The future Cliff, who had epted his death, ovepped with the present Cliff before him. Cliff spoke to Zeke, who was staring intently at him. "You look at me as if you know me." Zeke deliberately changed his expression and said, "I was just curious to see who was brazen enough to kidnap a member of the Draker bloodline." Cliff''s expression hardened at his words. Seeing Cliff''s reaction, Zeke realized that this kidnapping wasn''t meticulously nned. Zeke decided to probe Cliff. "Why did you kidnap me?" There had to be a reason for hiring expensive Gorka Rangers and infiltrating his residence. If there was any connection to Abel, it would be beneficial to deal with Cliff Reinhardt here. It would be even more troublesome if the Reinhardt Trading Company''s funds fell into Abel''s hands. Zeke activated his minimap and identified the location and number of Rangers in the vicinity. ''One in the room, one right outside, and ten around the building. Judging by their presence, there are only those two Rangers.'' Even if they were Gorka Rangers, if Zeke disyed his true skills, he could eliminate them without leaving a trace. Just then, Cliff gestured to the Ranger behind him. The Ranger approached and released the handcuffs that were restraining Zeke''s arms. "Despite how things have turned out, I want to say that this wasn''t my original intention." Zeke spoke to Cliff, who was now using honorifics, unlike before. "That''s ridiculous. You trespassed and kidnapped me, and yet you say you had no such intention." Even trapped in enemy territory, Zeke showed no fear, speaking his mind casually. Cliff was slightly taken aback by Zeke''s attitude. Even a seasoned knight would likely show some anxiety in this situation, but the boy in front of him disyed no such thing. ''Even if he''s young, a Draker is still a Draker.'' In truth, not all Drakers would remain soposed during an interrogation. This was only possible because Zeke had undergone training to withstand all kinds of interrogation and torture during his time as a Southern Hitman. He would have reacted differently if the Gorka Ranger had started a full-blown interrogation, but judging by Cliff''s reaction, it didn''t seem like he was hostile. Just then, Cliff spoke. "Since things havee to this, some exnation seems necessary. I don''t know if you''ve heard of me. My name is Cliff Reinhardt. I run the Reinhardt Trading Company." To Zeke''s surprise, Cliff revealed his identity first. To test Cliff, Zeke deliberately put on an indignant expression and said, "Reinhardt Trading Company. I don''t know how big yourpany is, but you have the guts to mess with a Draker. Even if you kill me here, the Drakes will hunt you down to the end, and even if you don''t kill me here, they will still hunt you down. No matter what you do, you''ll never escape the Drakes." Cliff''s expression hardened. Even for the owner of arge tradingpany, the killing intent of a knight was not easy to brush off. The Ranger standing behind him stepped forward, trying to restrain Zeke. But Cliff raised his hand to stop the Ranger. Cliff took out a document and presented it to Zeke. "Please take a look at this for a moment." Zeke shifted his gaze from Cliff and slowly examined the document. But the document contained somethingpletely unexpected. ''Elena Stone?'' Elena Stone was none other than the mother of Liam Stone, who had be his subordinate. The document Cliff brought contained information about Elena Stone contracting and recovering from the Red Flower gue. Zeke wondered why Cliff had brought him information about Elena Stone''s illness. "It''s a disease that started appearing in the southern region of the Central Continent. It''s called the Red Flower gue there," Cliff said, looking at Zeke. "I learned that Elena Stone, the mother of Academy cadet Liam Stone, also contracted this Red Flower gue and was in critical condition before recovering. Zeke Draker, do you know anything about this?" Of course he knew. Elena Stone had ovee the Red Flower gue thanks to the cure Zeke had provided. Zeke said to Cliff, "I sent Elena Stone the cure. So what?" Cliff''s expression changed dramatically. "So it was you, Zeke Draker, who sent the cure. How did you know the cure for this disease, which hasn''t even been properly identified yet?" "I remembered a medicine I used to take when I had a high fever, and I thought it might work, so I sent it, and it just happened to work. But I don''t understand why the Reinhardt Trading Company is investigating this. Especially to the point of kidnapping me." Cliff shook his head. "Again, I never intended for things to go this far. All I needed was..." Zeke interrupted Cliff. "The cure I gave Elena Stone. You were trying to find out what it was?" At Zeke''s words, Cliff fell silent. Looking at the speechless Cliff, Zeke deduced why he had resorted to such extreme measures. "Do you have someone who urgently needs to be cured of the Red Flower gue?" It wasn''t a question, but a statement filled with conviction. Cliff realized that Zeke was no ordinary fifteen-year-old. Now the situation was unfavorable for Cliff. Even if he wanted to negotiate, he had to offer what the other party wanted from a much weaker position. Then Zeke spoke first. "Cliff Reinhardt. Let''s make a deal." As soon as he grasped the situation, Zeke sought to gain the upper hand. At Zeke''s words, Cliff calmly replied, "What are your terms?" Zeke held up three fingers. "If you promise to grant me three requests in the future, I''ll tell you about the cure." Cliff looked at Zeke and said, "I need to know what the requests are before I can agree to the deal." "I''ll ask for things within the Reinhardt Trading Company''s capabilities." After some contemtion, Cliff looked at Zeke and said, "If you agree to draw up a contract that formalizes these terms, I''ll ept the deal." Zeke grinned and nodded. "Alright. A contract is a must for a deal." At Cliff''s gesture, the Ranger went outside and brought paper and a pen. Cliff took his time meticulously drafting the contract. Zeke read through the contract Cliff had written. "It looks fine. But one thing." He said to Cliff, "The person who needs to be cured of the Red Flower gue. You have to tell me who that person is." Cliff''s expression hardened even more than before. He looked at Zeke and said, "I can''t tell you that."@@novelbin@@ "Then there''s no deal." After some deliberation, Cliff realized he had no choice and slowly opened his mouth. "I can only tell you that it''s one of the Alencia royals." Zeke clicked his tongue. "If that''s how it''s going to be, then there''s no deal." Cliff clenched his teeth. Then he finally spoke. "Melissa Alencia." At Cliff''s words, Zeke''s eyes changed. "The first princess of Alencia." Alencia was currently in a dispute with the Rom Empire over control of the Beastmen Ghetto in the border region. The Alencia Kingdom was already in a state of internal instability, with the royal family and the nobility in sharp conflict. The Rom Empire, taking advantage of this opportunity, had built and deployed arge military base in the border region, coveting the Beastmen Ghetto, which was Alencia''s territory. Melissa Alencia was a popr figure among the people, thanks to her effective public policies, in contrast to the sickly and ipetent king. Moreover, public opinion was growing that if she inherited the throne, the royal authority would be restored, and the internal power struggle with the nobles would end. If Melissa Alencia, a major figure in the Central Continent''s politicalndscape, were to fall ill and be unable to seed to the throne, the chaotic situation in the Alencia Kingdom would undoubtedly worsen. Zeke asked Cliff, "Why is the Reinhardt Trading Company so eager to cure Melissa Alencia''s illness?" "We were in the midst of negotiating a major deal with Princess Melissa. If something were to happen to the princess before the deal is finalized, the entirepany would suffer a significant loss, so we were trying to find a cure by any means." In his past life, the Reinhardt Trading Company grew, centered around the Alencia Kingdom, eventually bing one of the Top Ten Trading Companies on the continent. Cliff Reinhardt had even said that he wanted to die in Alencia if he were to die, so it was understandable that he already had significant influence there, given his attachment to the kingdom. However, even so, it was still puzzling why he would go so far as to hire Gorka Rangers and infiltrate the residence of a Draker bloodline member. Although it wasn''t fully developed yet, the current Reinhardt Trading Company had a certain amount of financial resources, so if it was really urgent, they could have just bought the cure. ''There must be something I don''t know.'' Zeke looked into Cliff Reinhardt''s eyes. Having mastered the Elemental Sword, Zeke had be more proficient in handling mana and could now sense the emotions of others more keenly. He tried to read the emotions he felt from Cliff. ''Desperation, anxiety, deep loyalty...'' It didn''t seem like he was trying to save Princess Melissa simply for the sake of a deal. Zeke realized that there was something more between Princess Melissa and the Reinhardt Trading Company. At least with Cliff, it was clear that their rtionship went beyond a simple business transaction. He felt that he might be able to gain something bigger through this deal. Zeke signed the contract that Cliff had presented. Cliff breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zeke''s signature. Then Zeke spoke. "Alright, Cliff Reinhardt. First, I have a request." He looked at Cliff and said, "You need to get me a job." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 42 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 42 Rumble! The entire Lair shook with Bahamut''s aura. He said to Saturn Draker, "Entrusting me with the method to kill dragons? I knew you were a despicable man, but I didn''t know you were insane." Despite Bahamut''s killing intent, Saturn stood before him, unwavering, and continued, "Chronos agreed with me. You know the reason better than anyone, Bahamut." Bahamut raised his head and roared, "Chronos has been beguiled by humans and lost his standards as a mediator! I don''t believe that nonsense prophecy he spoke of!" Bahamut bared his teeth at Saturn Draker. "Get out of my Lair at once. Otherwise, I will kill not only you but all the humans in the Chronos Kingdom." "If you do that, Bahamut, you won''t escape Karma''s sanctions." "Because of that Kaisir fellow, there are too many humans on this continent. Do you think killing a few tens of thousands of you would disrupt the bnce of Karma? On the contrary, leaving you to multiply like insects is the path to imbnce!" As Bahamut reacted violently, Saturn helplessly took something out of his pocket. It was an old pocket watch. Saturn showed the pocket watch to Bahamut. "Chronos said, ''The Ruler of the Sunset will never ept my request.''" With that, Saturn opened the lid of the pocket watch. ck miasma rose from Bahamut''s body. "Do you think you can do anything to me with the power of Chronos?" He spread his four giant wings. The ck miasma gathered and formed sharp spears. It seemed as if those spears would fly towards Saturn at any moment. That''s when it happened. Whirr! The pocket watch started spinning rapidly. Bahamut, who was about to attack Saturn, froze in ce. Seeing Bahamut suddenly be unresponsive, Zeke realized that the pocket watch Saturn was holding had used some kind of power. ''A watch imbued with the power of Chronos?'' That''s when it happened. Rumble! Bahamut started moving again, twisting his body and roaring. "Gwaaaaaaaaah!" It was a scream as if his soul was being ripped apart. Barely calming down, Bahamut red at Saturn and said, "You... what have you done to me?" Saturn closed the pocket watch and said, "I only made you experience a part of the prophecy Chronos spoke of." Bahamut red at Saturn, exuding an even denser killing intent. However, he dispelled the ck spears that seemed ready to beunched at any moment. He folded his wings and approached Saturn. "Damn it. Making a contract with a human was a mistake." "I think so too. Humans should have risen with their own power, not with the power of dragons." Bahamut exhaled roughly and said to Saturn, "Give it to me. That damn Dragon yer technique or whatever it is."@@novelbin@@ Saturn took out a booklet from his pocket. The booklet floated up and opened before Bahamut''s eyes. After reading the entire contents, Bahamut red at Saturn and said, "You actually created this kind of thing." "It''s to protect this world." "Nonsense. It''s for humans, not the world." The book in front of Bahamut turned to ash and scattered. Bahamut said to Saturn, "I''ll keep this. If the prophecy Chronos spoke of doesn''te to pass, this will never see the light of day." "Even without the True Dragon Sword Skill, humans are finding ways to be stronger to kill each other more efficiently. Given time, they will eventually learn to use Aura on their own." "If that happens, I''ll have to personally step in and kill all the humans. This power is too dangerous for humans to possess." Saturn Draker said to Bahamut, "Someday, you too will find a soul contractor. Then you will understand Chronos'' heart." Leaving those words behind, Saturn Draker departed from Bahamut''s Lair. Bahamut, left alone, curled up again and sank back into the abyss. However, Saturn Draker''s words lingered in his heart for a long time. He thought to himself. That he would never take a human as his contractor. *** "Gasp!" When Zeke regained consciousness, he was standing with his sword in hand, having lost consciousness. Although it was brief, Zeke vividly experienced a fragment of the past where he became Bahamut and met Saturn Draker. It seemed that the True Dragon Sword Skill created by Saturn Draker was passed on to Bahamut, and then its secrets were passed on to Bahamut''s contractor, Terakan Draker. It was puzzling why Bahamut, who disliked humans, had changed his mind and made a contract with Terakan Draker, then passed on the True Dragon Sword Skill. There were no proper records left, making it impossible to understand what had happened. ''I wonder if the head of the Draker family knows about this past secret.'' With all traces of Terakan Draker erased, there was no way the story of Bahamut and Saturn Draker would remain. Just then, Zeke felt a change. ''Did my ether hall get bigger?'' He could feel that his ether hall had expanded significantlypared to before practicing the True Dragon Sword Skill. Woooong! The amount of mana he could handle increased, and the conversion to Aura became faster. Zeke tried using the Elemental Sword. Whoosh! When he activated the fire attribute, mes erupted fiercely from the sword. With the increased amount of mana he could handle, the power of the Elemental Sword had also increased. "I still have a long way to go to reach King Kaisir''s level, but with this much, I won''t die a tragic death anywhere." The Southern Continent was dangerous from the moment one set foot there. It was a ce where he couldn''t let his guard down for a single moment, so he needed to build up his strength as much as possible before going there. Zeke started swinging his sword again. *** As Zeke continued his training, going back and forth between Valha and the training ground, the contact he had been waiting for finally arrived. The first contact was from Cliff. It was to inform him that the preparations for Zeke''s first request wereplete. The second contact was from Kay of the Syndicate. She informed him that she would ept his proposal. To deal with the Syndicate matter first, he disguised himself as Zeke Murray and met with Kay. It was a high-ss lounge bar operated by the Syndicate, a ce that thoroughly guaranteed the anonymity of its users. When he entered the bar, a guide was waiting for him. "Mr. Zeke Murray. This way, please." It was a ce where only VVIPs, not ordinary customers, could enter. All sorts of security magic were in ce from the entrance of the area. As he entered the lounge, Kay was sitting in the middle, waiting for him. "Wee." Kay happily greeted her partner, Zeke. Zeke sat next to Kay. "I didn''t know there was a ce like this in As." When Zeke hade to As in his past life, it was after As had be a territory of the Empire. Thendscape of As, heavily damaged by the war, was quite different from now, so it felt new to him. Kay poured alcohol into Zeke''s ss and said, "It''s one of the Syndicate''s side businesses. Everyone doing business in the shadows needs a ce to talk in secret." Zeke nced at the alcohol Kay had poured and shook his head. "I don''t drink alcohol. I''d prefer it if you prepared tea next time." Kayughed, surprised. "Don''t tell me you''re not drinking because you''re still underage?" "It''s just that I don''t drink because I don''t feel anything even if I do." Even in his past life, Zeke didn''t particrly enjoy drinking alcohol. Moreover, now, perhaps due to the Healing Factor, he didn''t get drunk no matter how much he drank. There was no point in spending money on expensive alcohol, so he thought it would be better to drink tea, which he liked. Kayughed and pped her hands, and an attendant entered the room. Kay ordered tea for Zeke. Drinking the high-quality tea that was served quickly, Zeke made a satisfied expression. "The service is good." "Let me know if you need anything else. The desserts and food here are delicious too." "I don''t need anything else. Rather, I thought it would take longer, but you made up your mind sooner than I expected." Kay changed her posture and made a serious expression. "I had many thoughts, but I made up my mind after seeing the items from the Northern Bank. I had a strong feeling that you would actually pull it off." Kay downed the strong liquor in front of her in one gulp. "Whew, I''m going to make the biggest bet of my life." He refilled Kay''s ss and clinked his teacup against it. "I won''t let you regret that bet." Zeke took out the documents he had brought and handed them to Kay. "What''s this?" "Do you know the Reinhardt Company?" "Reinhardt? They''re the ones growing rapidly in Alencia, right? They have branches in the North and South too." "I''ve secured a clean spot through them, so I n to operate from there when I go down South this time." Kay nced through the documents Zeke had brought at his words. "Deputy Branch Manager of Reinhardt Company''s Southern Continent branch?" "It''s a cover identity. I''ll move to the South through Reinhardt''s route. Let''s meet at their spot when we get there." Zeke needed to avoid the eyes of the Drakers, and Kay needed to avoid the eyes of the Syndicate. A safe house arranged by Reinhardt, who had no connection to either of them, would allow them to avoid both. Kay nodded and put the documents away. "So, let''s say you meet Don Juan as you said. What''s the n after that?" At Kay''s question, Zeke put down his teacup and said, "Do you know anything about the Fav Cartel?" Kay shook her head at Zeke''s question. "No, not much is known about them. I just know that they''re unlucky rough guys." Zeke nodded at her words. "That''s no wonder. They''re ex-pirates." "What?" Kay was surprised by Zeke''s words. "Pirates? Those bastards settled in the South and are doing Soma business? That''s ridiculous. Pirates would never do that." "That''s why no one noticed the true identity of the Fav Cartel. Otherwise, how could they run such a huge organization in the small Southernnd without revealing their identity?" Zeke''s words made sense. As she realized this, Kay''s expression distorted. "Don''t tell me the Fav Cartel has been putting pressure on us... to get their hands on our transportation route?" "Bingo. Those South Sea pirates are bastards who would do that." "Sigh." Kay, who learned the identity of the Fav Cartel, sighed. Currently, the Syndicate executives were in heated debate about whether to continue trading with McCain or switch to Fav. If they had switched to Fav without knowing anything, they would have lost their transportation route to the pirates and faced retaliation from the McCain Cartel. In fact, in the timeline before Zeke''s return, the McCain Cartel had noticed the true identity of the Fav Cartel and sent hitmen and killers to wage war against them. Thanks to that, the Syndicate wasn''t absorbed by the Fav Cartel, but they had to be subordinates of the McCain Cartel as a result. Zeke said to Kay, "What do you think would happen if you told Don Juan this? That the Fav Cartel is a group of pirates, and the Syndicate executives are trying to deal with them." Kay was surprised. "Are you telling me to be an informant?" "You can just wipe out the executives and be the boss yourself, so what does it matter if you''re an informant or not?" Zeke said terrifying things casually. Kay finally realized what she had gotten herself into. She thought for a moment, then grabbed the bottle of alcohol and gulped it down. "Whew. Okay, let''s do it." "Good. Then there''s something we need to do first." "Something to do?" Zeke looked at Kay and said, "The Soma you brought in from McCain. Tell me where the warehouse is where you''re keeping it." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 43 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 43 At Zeke''s words, Kay''s face hardened. "W-warehouse?" "Yes. The warehouse where you store the Soma." "Why the warehouse?" Zeke said with an expressionless face, "To burn it down." "What?" Kay''s hands trembled. Burning down the McCain Cartel''s drugs was something she couldn''t even imagine. Zeke looked at Kay and said, "That''s what it takes to really piss off Don Juan, isn''t it?" "Don''t tell me you''re going to burn down the warehouse and then me it on the Fav?" "Not just that. I''m going to implicate the Syndicate executives as well. That should be enough for Don Juan to send his hitmen." Kay''s face turned pale at Zeke''s bold n. She said in a trembling voice, "What if Don Juan finds out it was us?" "We''ll have to make sure he doesn''t." At Zeke''s words, Kay took another drink. She wiped her mouth and said, "I can''t back down now that things havee to this. Fine. Let''s do it. I''m trusting you." Zeke looked at Kay and said, "Let''s do well, partner." *** Sometime after the two finished their secret conversation, fires broke out in various ces on the outskirts of cities in the Empire and Mind, including As. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but all the goods inside the warehouses werepletely burned, leaving no trace. The cause of the fires and the contents of the warehouses remained unknown, and the incidents were left unresolved. *** Zeke leisurely read the news about the fires in the newspaper at the mansion. "This should make Don Juan, that old man, feel a bit of pain." He had selected a few of the Syndicate''s main warehouses that Kay had told him about and set them aze. He had taken the time to travel to each city by train and activate portal points beforehand, then used the portals on the day of execution to travel between cities overnight and set the fires. Although he lost arge amount of Karma points, there was no way to trace it back to him. Even in the mage n Nirvana, only a limited number of people could use teleportation, and teleportation magic capable of moving between cities didn''t exist in this era. It required arge-scale portal device like the ones operated by the Magic Tower to cover such distances. Now that he had sown the seeds, it was time to wait for them to sprout. He nned to go down South and confront Don Juan during the Valha semester break. Zeke formted a concrete n for how to deal with the cartels. While he was busy making ns, someone entered Zeke''s room. "My disciple." Duke, who had been running around everywhere without staying at the mansion, called Zeke. "It''s hard to see you these days, Master." "Ahem. I don''t know why they''re making a retired person do so much." "It''s because you''re capable." "Cut the ttery. Pack your bags." "What? Why pack my bags all of a sudden?" Duke said with a displeased expression, "We''re going to the Four Seasons Castle. The head of the n has summoned us." *** Rumble! Zeke headed to the Four Seasons Castle in a carriage with Duke and Andrei. He rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window. He saw well-maintained trees lining the streets that stretched through the bustling crowds and splendid buildings of As. Looking at the civilized city, Zeke recalled Bahamut''s words. ''A city only for humans.'' Perhaps the future Bahamut was worried about wasn''t a world where only humans existed, like now. Fairies existed only in legends, elves had disappeared, dwarves and gnomes were driven to the Northern Continent, and beastmen wandered the continent like nomads. Unlike in the past, humans built cities only for themselves and even fought amongst themselves to createrger cities and nations. ''That''s why they need stronger power in these chaotic times.'' Duke asked Zeke, who was looking out the window, "What are you looking at so intently?" Zeke turned his head towards Duke and said, "I was just fascinated by the cityscape." It was a peaceful sight,pletely different from the As he had seen in his past life. No kingdom could exert its power in a city under the influence of the transcendent Draker n. The city had autonomy and operated independently. Mind wasn''t a kingdom, but it held the center of the Central Continent with a stronger unity than any kingdom. And at its center was the Four Seasons Castle, the heart of the Draker n. Although the main house of the Draker n was located in the Duchy of Troy, all the important facilities were in the Four Seasons Castle. Zeke felt a strange sense of excitement at the prospect of visiting the Four Seasons Castle for the first time, a ce he had never been to in his past life. Duke, picking his ear, said, "Honestly. That Arthur. What''s he doing as soon as he returns? A sudden promotion celebration party, of all things." The reason Zeke was summoned to the Four Seasons Castle was none other than a celebration party tomemorate his promotion to Blue Knight. Most of the major bloodline ns of the Draker n hold a promotion celebration party when their child bes a Purple Knight. Even then, it''s usually after they''vee of age, so it''s also called a Draker debutante ball. However, in Zeke''s case, it was a party to celebrate his promotion to Blue Knight, not even Purple Knight, at the age of fifteen, so the significance was extraordinary. Indeed, many nobles and prominent figures from across the Central Continent gathered at the Four Seasons Castle to attend Zeke''s promotion party. Since the only part of the Four Seasons Castle open to the public was the Spring Garden, the party was also scheduled to be held there. Andrei, who was next to him, said, "We''ll be arriving soon." Zeke opened the window and looked outside. In the distance, he could see the walls of the massive Four Seasons Castle. The carriage carrying Zeke quickly entered the castle. *** Maintaining the ssic style of the Central Continent while updating its facilities to modern standards, the Spring Garden was a building that blended ssical beauty with modern sophistication. In the grand hall of this building, not only the children of prominent families invited from all over the Central Continent, but also high-ranking politicians and key figures, all dressed in formal attire representing their families, participated in the party. Arthur Draker, as the host of the party, greeted the guests in formal attire bearing the Dragon yer emblem. Just then, someone approached Arthur Draker. "Father." It was none other than Abel Draker. With his red hair neatly tied back and dressed in formal attire, Abel exuded an aristocratic aura. Arthur greeted Abel with a charming smile. "Abel. Wee. You''vee to celebrate your youngest brother''s achievement. I''m proud of you." Arthur and Abel exchanged simr smiles and embraced. Abel looked around and said, "I''ve never seen a promotion party with so many guests." "Indeed. It''s the continent''s youngest Blue Knight promotion, so everyone must be curious about Zeke." Abel smiled at Arthur''s words. Before Zeke was promoted to Blue Knight, the youngest person to achieve that rank on the continent was Abel himself. However, with Zeke breaking that record, Abel was left as just another ordinary promoter. Arthur soon left Abel''s side and exchanged friendly greetings with a politician from another kingdom. Watching Arthur, Abel clenched his teeth. "Manage your expression a little, Abel." His cousin, William Siemens, approached him. "What''s wrong with my expression?" "If you''re going to smile, smile properly, and if you''re going to be annoyed, be properly annoyed. Trying to do both makes you look indecisive." At William''s words, Abel erased the smile from his face. William clicked his tongue. "But you shouldn''t do that right away either. Your role today, Abel, is to be the amazing older brother who generously congrattes his youngest brother." Just then, a fanfare sounded from above. Everyone''s attention was drawn to one spot. The door opened, and someone appeared. The continent''s youngest Blue Knight and the awakener of Draker''s pure blood. Zeke Draker made his entrance. "Oh my god, is he really a Blue Knight at that age?" "I can''t believe it." "It would have been hard to believe even if it were a Purple Knight promotion party." Receiving the attention of many, Zeke slowly descended from the second floor, walking down the red carpet. This kind of party was a first for Zeke, and since he wasn''t used to aristocratic etiquette, he felt incredibly awkward. ''I understand that some level of performance is necessary, but this is really not something I want to do.'' Zeke walked down the carpet towards Arthur Draker, who was standing at the end. He knelt on one knee before Arthur Draker, lowered his head, and said in a solemn voice, "To the esteemed Sir Arthur Draker, leader of the great Dragon yer n, Zeke Draker deres his intention to take his first step as an honorable knight. I also vow to not tolerate injustice, to help the weak, and to bring peace to thisnd." Arthur Draker drew the sword he was wearing. He lightly touched Zeke''s shoulder with the sword and said, "In the name of Draker, I bless the future of Zeke Draker, who walks the path of an honorable knight." With the blessing of the head of the family, Zeke was formally recognized as a Blue Knight. As Zeke was about to rise from his position, Arthur spoke again. "Furthermore, Sir Zeke Draker is hereby appointed as a formal knight of the Draker n and awarded the official knighthood." Many, including Zeke, were surprised by Arthur''s words. It was unprecedented for someone to be promoted to Blue Knight at fifteen and receive a formal knighthood at sixteen. Moreover, it was the official knighthood of the Draker n, known as the knights among knights, so the shock was indescribable. Flustered by Arthur''s sudden bestowal of the title, Zeke regained hisposure and recited the oath of appointment. "Zeke Draker pledges his loyalty and dedication as a knight of the honorable Draker n." Arthur, seemingly satisfied with Zeke''s oath, removed the sword he had ced on his shoulder and sheathed it. Then, he personally helped Zeke to his feet and introduced him to the many attendees of the party. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce my youngest son to all the distinguished guests gathered here. Sir Zeke Draker is an outstanding knight who has inherited the blood of Draker more strongly than anyone else. Let us bless the future of this talented young man and pray for peace and well-being on the continent." As Arthur raised his ss, the others followed suit. Everyone cheerfully toasted along with Arthur''s toast. The party was sudden, and the unexpected bestowal of knighthood even more so. Zeke still had a bewildered expression. "I''m proud of you."@@novelbin@@ Arthur said, patting Zeke''s shoulder. Zeke looked up at Arthur. It was an expression he had never seen on Arthur''s face in his past life. Zeke bowed his head. "All of this is thanks to you,head of the n." "Why are you being so formal? Call me Father when it''s just the two of us." He said to Zeke in a gentle voice, "So, is the n to be the strongest on the continent going well? Seeing you be the main character of today''s party, it seems to be going smoothly." Zeke replied in a calm voice, "I''m working hard." Arthur chuckled as if amused. Then, Arthur Draker''s voice suddenly changed. "You met Cali, didn''t you?" Zeke felt as if a sharp knife was suddenly held to his throat. ''I can''t let my guard down for even a moment.'' Zeke nodded. "Yes. My older sister came to Valha for a special lecture, and I happened to attend her lecture and had tea with her." "Oh, I see. Come to think of it, it''s been a while since I''ve seen Cali myself. We''re both so busy." Arthur ced his hand on Zeke''s shoulder and said, "We should all get together for a meal as a family sometime. But before that, I want to give you a promotion gift." Arthur smoothly took something out of his pocket. Zeke looked to see what Arthur had taken out. Surprisingly, it was a simple piece of paper. However, the contents written on it were far from ordinary. He handed the piece of paper to Zeke and said, "Go into the n treasury and choose one thing you want." Arthur put his arm around Zeke''s shoulder, drawing him closer, and said, "Keep your eyes peeled and look carefully. Among the countless items, there are treasures, but there''s also useless trash mixed in." Zeke nodded at Arthur''s words. "I''ll keep that in mind." Arthurughed, stepped back, and patted Zeke''s shoulder. "Alright, then go and enjoy the party. A true knight should stand out even at a party." With thosest words, Arthur left Zeke''s side. Even though they had only exchanged a few words, Zeke felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue. ''Arthur Draker. I can''t let my guard down for even a single moment.'' As he sighed inwardly, someone approached Zeke. "Sir Zeke Draker." Zeke turned his head. It was an elegant woman wearing a dress that seemed simplepared to the other nobledies. She said to Zeke, "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I am Melissa Alencia, the First Princess of the Alencia Kingdom." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 44 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 44 ''Melissa Alencia.'' Seeing her healthy appearance, it seemed she had recovered from the Red Flower Disease with the cure Zeke had given her. He bowed his head to Melissa. "I have heard much about Princess Melissa''s reputation. I express my sincere gratitude to you foring to my promotion party. It is an honor to meet you like this." Although they werepliments that could make one''s skin crawl, they were essential in aristocratic society. It was fortunate that he had hastily learned various phrases from Andrei beforeing to the party; otherwise, it would have been difficult to blend in. Melissa smiled and replied to Zeke''s words, "I am very pleased that the continent''s youngest Blue Knight knows of me." "I have been very interested in the charity work you are doing. People who don''t know much about public relief projects may think it''s just about giving away what you have, but it''s a task that requires attention to every single budget item, isn''t it?" Melissa''s expression changed at Zeke''s answer. The mask-like smile broke, and she showed genuine surprise. Most of the young knights she had met were braggarts filled only with ambition and a thirst forpetition. Even regarding the charity work she was doing, they only heard the superficial details and used it as a conversation starter, without any empathy for the hidden difficulties behind it. However, Zeke, in his brief words, had pinpointed the difficulties of charity work. ''As Cliff said, he may not be just an ordinary knight.'' "Thank you for recognizing that. I shouldn''t take up any more of the party''s main attraction''s time. It was a pleasure meeting you. Goodbye." Thinking that she needed to learn more about him, Melissa said goodbye to Zeke and stepped back. Zeke was exhausted from meeting countless royals, nobles, politicians, and key figures who came to him after Melissa. ''I''d rather go through King Kaisir''s hellish training.'' The Draker n was a knight n, but they were also deeply involved in the politics of each kingdom. As they yed the role of maintaining bnce in the Central Continent, other kingdoms valued their rtionship with the Drakers and actively tried to maintain an alliance. A single n, yet wielding more influence than any kingdom or empire. That was the transcendent Draker n. Just then, a group of people approached Zeke. As they approached, the others moved aside. The atmosphere of the party changed due to these people who came wearing armor instead of formal attire, despite being party guests. The youthful man at the forefront of the group approached Zeke and offered a greeting in the Imperial style. "Zeke Draker! The continent''s youngest Blue Knight!" The slightly drunk young man was acting strangely familiar with Zeke. Wearing a shy hairstyle and gleaming armor, the young man grinned at Zeke. "I am Carus Nerba Constantine, the fourth prince of the Great Rom Empire." The people from the Central Kingdom around them were startled and murmured at the young man''s words. They hadn''t expected that the Rom Empire''s royalty would attend a personal promotion party. Zeke, facing Carus, the fourth prince of the Rom Empire, fell into deep thought. ''Why did that damn princee here?'' Although he didn''t know him directly, the person responsible for the deste state of As he had seen in his past life was Carus, the man standing before him. Zeke reluctantly greeted Carus. "Your Highness Carus. Thank you foring to my promotion party." Honestly, he didn''t even want to exchange words with him. However, Carus approached Zeke with a friendly attitude. "Come on, let''s go have a drink together. Hey, bring some alcohol quickly. Tomemorate the historic first meeting between Carus, the continent''s greatest lover of pleasure, and Sir Zeke Draker, who will be the continent''s greatest knight, bring the best alcohol!" At Carus''s words, an attendant hurriedly brought sses of alcohol. Completely ignoring the surrounding gazes, he forcefully handed a ss to Zeke and made a toast. "It''s alcohol bestowed by the Imperial n, so drink it all up." The people around them frowned at Carus''s words. Even if the Drakers existed only as a n, considering their influence, he shouldn''t have been so rude. People started whispering about Carus''s behavior. Zeke drank the alcohol Carus had given him in one gulp. Carus pped his hands and cheered. "Good, good! Zeke! Let''s drink until we''re bothpletely drunk today." Just then, Abel approached from behind Carus. "Your Highness." Carus was very pleased to see Abel calling him. "Oh, Abel. Thank you for inviting me to this delightful gathering. Come and join us for a toast!" Abel, managing his expression with effort, said to Carus, "It is a pleasure to see you in good health. I was just about to discuss something with you. Would you care to join me for a drink and a chat?" "Hmm, I don''t really want to hear about anything troublesome." "It''s a matter that requires Your Highness''s valuable opinion." At those words, Carus finally nodded. "I can''t refuse then. Sir Zeke, let''s discuss the epic that praises the legend of the Dragon yer over drinks all night next time!" Carus walked away, his long cloak fluttering. Only after he disappeared from the banquet hall did the others breathe a sigh of relief. Then they lowered their voices and whispered. "It''s truly surprising that the Imperial Prince is like that." "The Rom Empire itselfcks tradition. That''s why the Emperor and the Prince are like that." "By the way, the Lion Sword''s response is truly amazing. To step up and quickly resolve the issue like that." "Indeed. It seems people don''t praise him for nothing." Zeke was lost in thought as he watched Carus, Abel, and the people from the Siemens n disappear. ''The Empire''s prince, Siemens, and Abel. It seems like they''re up to something.'' Zeke''s eyes shed sharply. *** The promotion party continued for several days. Parties and banquets were quite important to nobles. They were an important indicator of a n''s strength that could be shown to others. It was necessary to treat guests as well as possible, if a banquet was held at all. As a result, Zeke, the main character of the party, also had to entertain the guests for several days. Only after the official banquet ended could he finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Training is a million times easier than holding a banquet." He threw off his stuffy formal attire. Then he took out the note he had received from the head of the n. "The Draker Treasury." As befitting a Dragon yer n, countless items collected over a thousand years were stored in the treasury. Without further ado, Zeke headed straight for Winterkeep, where the Draker Treasury was located. Perhaps instructions had already been given, because as soon as his identity was confirmed, he was immediately guided to the treasury located underground. ''The temperature is low.'' As he entered the underground area with the guide, Zeke could feel that the temperature had been lowered by magic. "Please go this way andplete the procedures." Walking down a narrow corridor, he saw a dozen knights of the n guarding a huge door. Zeke went to the desk andpleted the procedures. "Confirmationplete. By order of the head of the n, you may take one item from the treasury. The inside is quite spacious, so it will take a considerable amount of time to look around everything. Once you leave, you cannot re-enter, so if you wish, you can take auxiliary food, a chamber pot, and bedding inside." It seemed that there were cases where people stayed inside for days to choose the item they wanted. Since Zeke had an inventory, he didn''t need any of that, so he stated that he was fine as he was. "Then, we will open the treasury." The desk attendant pressed a switch, and the huge door of the treasury opened automatically. Rumble! As Zeke entered the treasury, the door closedpletely behind him. "Wow, what is all this?" The treasury was a massive item storage warehouse. Tens of thousands of items were disyed onrge shelves. Seeing this sight, he understood why people said they stayed here for days to find items. He knew the treasury was impressive, but he hadn''t expected it to be this grand, and he couldn''t help but be amazed. "There''s so much that I don''t know what''s what. I''ll have to look through the functions first." Zeke activated the Dragon Eyes skill. Information about the items appeared before his eyes. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, he quickly deactivated Dragon Eyes. "Damn, I''m going to go cross-eyed at this rate." He pondered for a moment, then opened the system window. "System, is there a way to quickly find useful items?" [Checking avable functions as requested by the administrator.] [Activating system linkage function for intermediate administrators.]@@novelbin@@ [You can link the Dragon Eyes skill and the minimap function to disy items on the map.] "I don''t quite understand what that means, but try it." [Linking functions.] Soon, information about the items within Zeke''s line of sight started to appear on the open map. "So this is what the system linkage function is." It seemed that the items had to be within his sight for their information to be disyed. Zeke used the Phantom Step to quickly move around every corner of the treasury. Even so, it took quite a while because the treasury was so vast. "Whew, this should be enough, right?" After scanning the inside of the treasury, Zeke changed the minimap to 3D and checked the information of the scanned items. But there was still too much. "System, can I categorize and view only the types of items I want?" [Possible.] "Good. Then exclude ordinary items without magic functions from the items here." More than half of the disyed items disappeared. "Okay, good. Next, erase one-time consumable items as well." Half of them disappeared again. "How many items are left?" [2,832 items.] "There''s still a lot left." Zeke decided to examine these items one by one. He used the Phantom Step to move around the treasury and examine the items. "Why are there so many swords? System, erase the swords that are worse than Bahamut." Instantly, half of them disappeared. Zeke looked at the remaining items. There were no more swords, perhaps because there were none better than Bahamut. Then, Zeke noticed something strange among the marked items. "What''s this? Why is all the information disyed as question marks?" Not only was it marked in ck on the map, but only "???" was written in the information window. Zeke went to where the item was located. It was an uncategorized item storage area, stored in boxes in a corner, not in the usual disy area. Zeke had almost missed this area, but he had quickly looked around, so at least that much was marked. Only after removing all the stacked storage boxes could Zeke finally see what was inside. "What could it be?" Zeke opened the storage box and checked the items inside. Various misceneous items were randomly mixed in the box. Zeke took them out one by one and examined them. "Not this, not that either." Then, something caught Zeke''s hand. "Is this it?" It was a crude bracelet with a sky-blue gem in the center. Zeke tilted his head as he looked at the bracelet. "Why isn''t any information showing up even with Dragon Eyes?" Just then, a message appeared. [The title ''Heir of Terakan Draker'' is activated.] [You are registered as the heir of the ''Sacred Guardian Stone''.] [You can summon a guardian beast that matches your soul through the ''Sacred Guardian Stone''.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 46 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 46 "This is?" The document was none other than a share transfer agreement for the Reinhardt Company. It stated the condition of transferring 20% of the shares of the Reinhardt Company. "Are you saying you''ll transfer the shares? The shares of the Reinhardt Company?" The Reinhardt Company was already a profitable and promisingpany. To transfer 20% of the shares of apany with such future growth potential was no different from giving away millions of gold. Princess Melissa nodded at Zeke''s surprised words. "Of course. If you give me your assurance, one-fifth of thepany will be yours, Sir Zeke." "Huh." It was an act that was difficult to understand with themon sense Zeke had in his past life. Even though he had saved her life by giving her the cure, that was already a matter settled with another contract. All Princess Melissa wanted now was assurance. It felt excessive for her to give Zeke shares for that. "Your Highness Melissa. I''m still just a student at Valha. I don''t understand why you''re doing this." Honestly, Princess Melissa''s actions only increased his vignce. In his experience, humans never gave anything without expecting something in return. There was always something fishy about deals with excessivelyrge rewards. Princess Melissa looked at Zeke and said, "I am a princess, but I am also a merchant. I am making this offer to you, Sir Zeke, because you are clearly worth the investment." "Investment value. What kind of value? Because I''m a knight of Draker?" "Please don''t misunderstand, I''m not looking down on the Drakers. I apologize, but there are many Draker knights besides yourself, Sir Zeke." At Princess Melissa''s words, something shed through Zeke''s mind. "The rights to the Red Flower Disease cure..." Currently, the Red Flower Disease was continuously spreading in the border area of the Alencia Kingdom. Princess Melissa was someone who helped the people of the kingdom through her charity work. There was no way she would just ignore the Red Flower Disease. "Are you saying you''ll give me shares and buy the rights to the cure?" "If the Empire is spreading this disease, the cure could stop their plot, and even if not, it would still be a profitable deal as it could save the people of the Alencia Kingdom." Zeke looked into Princess Melissa''s eyes to understand her intentions. Among the countless people he had met in his past life, there was no one like Princess Melissa who would throw herself into danger for the sake of others. No, there was one person. ''Damn it. I was trying not to think about it.'' The first person who came to mind when he first returned. He remembered that person, who stubbornly insisted on walking their own path like a lone wolf in the frozen North. "Sir Zeke?" Zeke quickly came to his senses. Melissa and that person he knew had simr eyes.@@novelbin@@ He slowly opened his mouth. "Do I just need to dere that I''m not on the Empire''s side?" Princess Melissa nodded. Zeke stood up. Then he drew the sword he had ced by his side. Cliff, who was standing behind him, flinched in surprise and tried to intervene, but Princess Melissa stopped him. Zeke raised his sword and dered, "I, Zeke Draker, swear on my honor that I have no connection to the Empire." Although his words were brief, they carried great weight. Princess Melissa nodded. "Thank you, Sir Zeke. Your honorable oath has once again reaffirmed my faith in my judgment." Melissa immediately signed the transfer agreement. Then she handed the contract to Zeke. Zeke looked at the transfer agreement and pondered. Although he felt burdened by the prospect of maintaining a continuous rtionship with Princess Melissa, he couldn''t easily give up considering the future value of the Reinhardt Company. ''If it bes too burdensome, I can just sell itter.'' Zeke signed the contract and said, "I gratefully ept the shares you have given me. However, I would prefer it if my identity remained confidential." "Of course, Sir Zeke. Don''t worry about that." Melissa put her hood back on and said, "I have business trips to As at least once a month. Now that you are a director of the Reinhardt Company, I would appreciate it if you could make time for me as much as possible." With her characteristic elegant smile, Melissa left the reception room. Zeke, left alone in the reception room, looked at the seat where Melissa had been sitting and shook his head. Although he was tired from the lengthy conversation, they had both ultimately gained what they needed. ''Somehow, things are going more smoothly than before I returned, but it seems like I have more headaches.'' Back then, his life was rough, but simple. Zeke shook his head and stood up. Swinging his sword was the best way to clear his head when it wasplicated. Zeke headed straight for the training room. *** [You have acquired the True Dragon Sword Skill.] [True Dragon Sword Skill (S-rank) added to Special Skills.] [Achievement Mission sessful.] [Reward: Title ''Sessor of the Sword Saint'' awarded.] [Reward: ''Coordinates of the Chronos Kingdom Treasury'' awarded.] [Reward: 500 Karma points awarded.] [Reward: Two random boxes awarded.] "Finally finished!" Zeke had finally mastered the True Dragon Sword Skill after two long months. He first checked his status window. [Intermediate Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker, Sessor of the Sword Saint Authority: Dragon Control Constitution: Divine Body, Poison immunity System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap (Portal Movement) / Intermediate Quest Book / Skill Shortcut Slots / Potion Shortcut Slots/ Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Steadfast Mind Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Special Skills: Gale Force Technique [A-rank (Proficient)] / Elemental Sword [S-rank (Proficient)] / True Dragon Sword Skill [S-rank (Beginner)] Active Skills: Static Electricity [C-rank (Proficient)], shbang [C-rank (Proficient)], Discord [C-rank (Proficient)],Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] /Area of effect Buff [A-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (2nd stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Proficient) / Dragon''s Majesty (Proficient) / Gluttony (Proficient) / Dragon speech(Locked) / Dragon Scales (Proficient) / Dragon ws (Proficient) Karma Points Possessed: 1095 He was able to recover 500 of the 800 Karma points he had lost using the portal to burn down the McCain Cartel''s warehouses. "By the way, the proficiency of the A-rank skills isn''t increasing." No matter how much he used Mana Reflection and Area of effect Buff during the past two months to try and increase their proficiency, they still remained at the beginner level. It seemed that he needed to use them in actualbat to gain experience. Immediately after checking his status window, Zeke quickly opened his inventory to check the coordinates of the Chronos Kingdom treasury, which he was most curious about. An old piece of paper was stored in his inventory. When Zeke selected the paper, a message appeared. [The coordinates cannot be read currently.] [You need to find the seal that can activate the coordinates.] [The coordinates can be activated by finding andbining the scattered seals.] "What? Seal? Activate?" A map appeared before Zeke''s eyes. Approximate locations were marked across the continental map. "What is this? Two ces on the Central Continent, one on the Southern Continent, and one in the North. Are you saying the seal is split into four?" As expected, obtaining the kingdom''s treasury was no easy task. At the same time, a mission message window appeared. ¨DLinked Quest Mission¨D [Find the scattered seals of the Chronos Kingdom and restore them to their original state. (No time limit)] [Quest Mission Reward: Title ''Heir of the Chronos Kingdom''] "Heir of the Chronos Kingdom? The reward is only a title?" Although the ability to activate the treasury coordinates was quite attractive, if the reward was only a title, there was no need to rush the mission. Since there was no time limit, he could take it slow. "I''ll finish the urgent tasks first and then slowly look for them." After finishing his check, Zeke stretched and left the training ground, heading up to his room. As soon as he arrived, he noticed a letter on his bed. Seeing that it was tightly sealed, he figured it was from Kay. Zeke broke the seal and checked the contents. "Finally, they''ve taken the bait." The date for his meeting with Don Juan had been set. It was perfect timing, as Valha was about to start its vacation period. Zeke immediately got up from his seat. "Alright. It''s time to see those Southern Continent druggies again." *** "Come on! This way!" The port of Ison was always bustling with shipsing in for trade. Thanks to Cali Draker''s efforts, the pirates in the South Sea were gone, clearing the sea routes across the Central Sea, allowing even regr ships to and from the Dorta Republic to operate. Among the ships in the port was one belonging to the rising Reinhardt Company. Zeke, disguised as a sales representative for the Reinhardt Company''s Southern Continent branch, concealed his youthful appearance as much as possible and pretended to be an ordinary young man. With his ck gloves, the symbol of the Draker n''s pure-blood awakener, removed, there was no one on the ship who could connect him to Zeke Draker. ''It will take about ten days to arrive, huh?'' Even if he wanted to use a portal, he couldn''t unless he had been to the destination before. Moreover, even if he had been there, travel was impossible unless the portal coordinates were activated. There were many restrictions, but once he went to the Southern Continent and activated the coordinates, he could travel there anytime, even if it cost a lot of points, so he decided to think positively. ''It''s perfect for creating an alibi.'' Zeke hummed a tune as he rxed on one side of the ship. In his past life, he had traveled so much that he often found himself on ships. He intended to reminisce about those days and rx. Just then, someone approached Zeke. "Hey, kid. Move!" Sailors approached and roughly unloaded cargo where Zeke was sitting. There was no need to ce it there, but they seemed to have done it on purpose, perhaps finding Zeke''s leisurely attitude unsightly. Zeke, who was wearing sses as a disguise, pushed them up and said to the sailor, "Hey, you. What''s your name?" The rugged-looking sailor approached Zeke with an incredulous look. "You? Are you crazy, you skinny little brat? Do you want to be thrown overboard?" Just then, the captain came up on deck. As soon as he spotted Zeke, he rushed over, rubbing his hands together and bowing his head. "Oh, Deputy Branch Manager! Why have youe up on deck already when you could be rxingfortably?" The sailor who was threatening Zeke was startled by the captain''s attitude. "D-Deputy Branch Manager?" The Branch Manager was the person who held all the authority in the tradingpany. And the Deputy Branch Manager was the position right below the Branch Manager. It was rare for someone as young as Zeke to hold the position of Deputy Branch Manager. If it did happen, it meant that the person was a rtive or bloodline of a high-ranking member of thepany. Just in case, he had asked Cliff to elevate his position, but Cliff had gone as far as creating an identity as his nephew and giving him the position of Deputy Branch Manager. Zeke pushed his sses up and asked again, "So, what''s your name?" The sailor''s face turned pale, and he bowed his head at a 90-degree angle. "I-I apologize, Deputy Branch Manager! I made a m-mistake by not recognizing your high position." Zeke patted the sailor''s cheek and said, "Let''s do well. I''m watching you." "Yes! Understood!" Zeke chuckled and was guided into a cabin decorated even more luxuriously than the captain''s room. Hey down on the soft bed and felt the texture of the smooth nket. ''I have to be on this ship for ten days, so there''s no need to travel ufortably.'' Zeke, who dreamed of bing the strongest on the continent. He was someone who knew the sweetness of power. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 47 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 47 "Hmm." Zeke disembarked and took a deep breath. The scent of the Southern Continent, which he hadn''t smelled in a long time, stirred his past memories. ''It was shitty.'' While wandering around dungeons as a porter for adventurer parties, he got caught in a fraudulent contract and was sold as a ve in the Southern region. Zeke was seventeen at the time. While working as a ve on a Soma farm, he was dragged into a mission as a decoy, and strangely, only Zeke survived. After surviving five missions, Zeke received formal hitman training. Surprisingly, the hitman job suited Zeke well. This was because there were no particr difficulties if he calmly focused on the mission. Even knights who could use Aura would easily lose their lives if they were poisoned while off guard. It was then that Zeke realized that using Aura wasn''t everything. However, it was different for Blue Knights who could handle Aura des. No matter how well Zeke erased his presence and approached, the Blue Knights would sense him like ghosts. Even if he used poison, they could control the Aura in their bodies to burn the poison or expel it. ''But in the end, they''re still human. Humans have weaknesses.'' Zeke learned how to skillfully exploit those weaknesses and assassinate Blue Knights, eventually solidifying his position as a named hitman in the McCain Cartel. It was only natural that Zeke, with such skills, would be favored by Don Juan, the boss of the McCain Cartel. As Zeke reminisced about the past while looking around the port after disembarking, someone approached him. "Deputy Branch Manager. We''re ready." It was the guide that the Reinhardt Company had prepared in advance. Zeke boarded the carriage the guide had prepared. The carriage headed towards McCain. Currently, thergest cartel in the Southern Continent was the McCain Cartel, led by Don Juan. And the Fav Cartel was closely trailing behind them. The Fav Cartel was originally a group of pirates from the South Sea, so they had a sea route that could cross the Sea of Death. Although it was highly dangerous, the profits from Soma were higher than the profits from piracy, so they were using their own distributionwork to bring Soma to the Central Continent and sell it. At first, they smuggled and sold McCain Cartel''s products, but they gradually expanded their scale and eventually becamerger than their pirate base. If the Fav Cartel had been somewhat satisfied with this, there wouldn''t have been any problems, but they coveted the McCain Cartel''s position. They thought that if they blocked the Syndicate''s distributionwork, McCain would have no means to transport their goods, and they would naturally lead the market. ''They underestimated Don Juan and thought too simply.'' In his past life, Zeke was in the midst of the war between the McCain and Fav Cartels. Zeke led the McCain Cartel''s sicarios, going in and out of the jungle to destroy the Fav Cartel''s production camps and take out their key bosses. Eventually, in less than three years after the start of the war, the Fav Cartel copsed, and the southern region became even more chaotic withpetition among minor cartels. On the day of their victory in the war against the Fav Cartel, Don Juan adopted Zeke as his foster son and designated him as his official sessor. But that evening, Zeke killed Don Juan and all the executives of the McCain Cartel. "Deputy Branch Manager. We''ve arrived." Zeke, who was reminiscing about the past with his eyes closed in the carriage, opened his eyes at the guide''s words. It seemed they had moved from the port of Golpa to a safe house prepared on the outskirts of McCain. "They''ve done a good job." Perhaps Cliff had put in extra effort, as there was a fairlyrge camp with an attached warehouse. As Zeke entered the camp, he saw a familiar face. "Kay." Kay from the Syndicate was already waiting inside the camp. Kay had a slightly nervous expression. "Are you nervous?" "Aren''t you?" "I''m fine so far." Kay shook her head with an exasperated expression. She said to Zeke, "I''ve made all the other preparations. We''ll be heading to Don Juan''s mansion soon." Zeke nodded. Today was a gathering to celebrate Don Juan''s birthday, and all the bosses of the McCain Cartel, as well as the executives of their partner, the Syndicate, would be present. Kay was also scheduled to attend the party as a working member. She had to exin the future distribution n directly to Don Juan. Zeke was attending the party as her assistant. Kay clutched her head. "Whew... You know what? They say the McCain Cartel uses alligators to deal with traitors. They paralyze them and throw them alive into a swamp with alligators." "To be precise, it''s not alligators, but Shark Dragons. They look simr to alligators, but they''re over 6 meters long and have unimaginable bite force. It''s one of Don Juan''s twisted hobbies. He always wants to show off that he owns a Shark Dragon farm." Kay''s face turned even paler. "If they find out we burned the Soma, I''ll be that monster''s food too." Zeke shook his head as Kay murmured. "No, Kay, you''ll be dealt with differently. Because you''re a mage. In the South, there''s a superstition that having body parts of mages can ward off curses." Kay''s face turned even whiter at those words. Zeke stood up and patted Kay''s shoulder. "Let''s get ready and go." Kay let out a big sigh and stood up. What was done was done, and there was no turning back. After changing their clothes, Kay and Zeke boarded a carriage together and headed to Don Juan''s mansion in the McCain region. As they headed towards Don Juan''s mansion, which practically upied an entire town as his private estate, Zeke felt a renewed sense of emotion. Don Juan''s estate, epassing an entire mountain, was heavily guarded by cartel members from the entrance. Not only the carriage carrying Zeke and Kay, but also cartel bosses from all over the region connected to the McCain Cartel, royalty and officials from the Southern Kingdom, foreign politicians, and local influential figures were all gathering there. Kay''s jaw dropped at the sheer scale of Don Juan''s mansion as they entered. "Oh my god, this isn''t a mansion, it''s a whole castle. Even in the Central Kingdom, there are few ces with castles this size." The wealth that the McCain Cartel amassed through Soma was beyond imagination. Perhaps, considering only personal assets across the entire continent, it wouldn''t be easy to find someone richer than Don Juan.@@novelbin@@ Zeke knew every nook and cranny of this mansion, having once lived there and been responsible for its security. ''Even after decades, I remember every detail clearly.'' Kay and Zeke slowly made their way inside the mansion. The banquet hall was the epitome of luxury. As expected in the Southern Continent, various beastmen could be seen everywhere. The fact that beastmen, who were rarely seen in the Central Continent, could be easily found in the Southern Continent created a sense of unfamiliarity. A sheep beastman approached and politely offered Zeke and Kay drinks. Kay picked up a ss of wine to rx. Zeke declined the offer and carefully examined the faces of the people gathered in the banquet hall. ''Most of them are familiar faces.'' Information about key figures that he had been forced to memorize during his time as a hitman unfolded once again, transcending time. Knowing the future, Zeke also knew exactly who would die and how. Then, Zeke spotted someone and nudged Kay''s arm. "Do you know who that person is?" Kay looked in the direction Zeke was pointing. She nodded. "Joaquin Fernandez. Also known as El Mencho. I know him as the second-inmand of the McCain Cartel." "You know well. Remember him well." "Why El Mencho?" Just then, the lighting in the banquet hall changed. Lively music started ying, and Mana mes of fantastic colors created by mages flew around the hall. Then, the floor in the center of the hall rose, revealing someone. Standing on the tform was arge man with curly hair and a typical Southern mustache. ''Don Juan.'' As Don Juan raised his hand, the band yed cheerful Southern music. Don Juan suddenly picked up a voice amplifier and started singing a Southern song along with the music. "In the Sea of Death, I saved a dying life, fought fear and moved forward. If you disobey, your life is forfeit, oh, refusal there leaves only traces of death. That noble virtue!" The guests at the banquet started dancing excitedly to Don Juan''s singing and the Southern music. Upbeat music, luxurious food, delicious drinks, and spectacr performances. Don Juan spared no expense on the banquet. After a few lively songs, Don Juan finally stopped the band''s music and grabbed the voice amplifier again. "My brothers! Thank you so much for attending this party today!" As Don Juan gave his greetings as the host of the party and stepped down from the tform, the band started ying music again. Kay then said to Zeke, "I got a message from the executives. It''s finally time to meet Don Juan." Zeke followed Kay to the back of the banquet hall. As they entered the conference room, Don Juan, as well as the key bosses of McCain and the executives of the Syndicate, were sitting and talking with each other. Zeke discreetly examined the conference room. Not only hitmen, but also notorious ouws from the border region, knights from the Central Continent, and runaway rangers from the Northern Continent were deployed throughout the room. ''Money is indeed good.'' If an assassin were to sneak in and reveal their intentions, arrows would fly from all directions, and the knights'' swords would strike, surely taking their head off in an instant. Just then, the chairman of the Syndicate, noticing Kay''s entrance, waved to her with a bright smile. "Don Juan. This is Kay, the working member from our side I mentioned." Kay bowed her head and greeted Don Juan. Don Juan puffed on his cigar and scanned Kay''s low-cut dress. "Nice to meet you. I heard you were a mage, but I didn''t know you were a woman." "It''s an honor to meet you, Don Juan." Don Juan kissed Kay''s hand and said, "A beautiful mage is more precious than any jewel." As if to start the meeting in earnest now that Kay had arrived, Don Juan looked around the conference room and opened his mouth. "Alright. I''m looking forward to hearing what wise words you have to share. Then, let''s begin." Kay opened her mouth with a nervous expression. "Don Juan. Do you remember the warehouse fire incident a few months ago?" At Kay''s words, the expressions of not only Don Juan but also all the cartel bosses hardened. It was that painful of an incident for the McCain Cartel. Don Juan stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray and said, "How could I not remember? But why are you bringing that up?" Kay swallowed hard and said, "I know who was behind that incident." Kay''s sudden statement surprised not only the cartel bosses but also the Syndicate executives. This wasn''t what she was supposed to talk about. ''Kay, what are you doing?'' The chairman gestured to Kay. But she didn''t stop. "Don Juan. That incident is rted to the Fav Cartel. And... the boss who colluded with them is in this room." One of the bosses listening to Kay''s words jumped up from his seat. "What is that crazy bitch babbling about! Drag her out!" Just as the cartel members rushed towards Kay to drag her out, Don Juan raised his hand and stopped them. "Can you take responsibility for what you just said?" Kay slowly nodded. Don Juan leaned back in his chair and said, "Tell me. Who is the traitor of the McCain Cartel?" Everyone''s eyes focused on Kay. That''s when it happened. "Ugh!" Someone groaned. The sicarios, hitmen, and guards around them instantly turned towards the source of the sound. To their surprise, Zeke was holding a dagger to the neck of El Mencho, the cartel''s second-inmand. He looked at Don Juan and said in fluent Spanish, "Nice to meet you, Don Juan. My name is Zeke Murray." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 49 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 49 Zeke and Manuel''s unit approached the main production camp of the Fav Cartel. Seeing smoke rising beyond the jungle, Zeke realized they were close and told Manuel, "Wait here." Manuel was surprised. "Huh? W-wait here? What do you mean?" Having witnessed Zeke single-handedly annihte the Werewolf unit, Manuel had be noticeably more respectful. Zeke stood up and said, "I''ll go in alone." Then he added, "Your only job is to urately report what happened up there." With those words, Zeke swiftly disappeared into the jungle alone. Manuel stood there dumbfounded, as did the other unit members. A short whileter, a tremendous explosion erupted from within the camp. Startled, Manuel looked back at his unit. "What was that?" "W-what should we do, Lieutenant?" Manuel pondered for a moment, then gestured to his unit. "Damn it. Let''s head towards the outskirts. We need to see what happened to at least make a report." *** Leaving Manuel''s unit behind, Zeke approached the camp, freely utilizing his Phantom Steps to swiftly advance. ''Hiding my strength has been suffocating.'' Due to his concealed identity, he couldn''t fully utilize his abilities. He nned to dismantle the camp using Southern martial arts, assassination techniques, and Elemental Sword, while sealing away his Dragon yer techniques. ''This should be more than enough for a cartel camp.'' Before his return, he often had to raid camps with his bare hands, without relying on these skills. Back then, every raid was a gamble with his life. It was no exaggeration when Kaisir said Zeke had walked on the edge of death. Zeke reached the thick palisade of the camp. He pulled out an ordinary ymore from his inventory and channeled his mana to draw out the power of fire. Fwoosh! The sword was engulfed in mes. Zeke immediately swung the fiery de towards the palisade. Boom! The power was greater than expected, causing not only the palisade but also the surrounding structures to copse. ''I need to control my strength a bit.'' Blindly destroying everything was easy, but he had a purpose here, so he needed to be careful. "Attack! Attack!" "There''s a mage! Watch out for magic!" It seemed they mistook Zeke''s me Sword for magic. Taking advantage of the chaos, Zeke infiltrated the camp and moved towards the central area guarded by Fav Cartel members. There, he found the factory facility where Soma leaves were refined into powder. Before reaching it, however, he was blocked. "Intruder!" Fifteen cartel members rushed towards Zeke. He pulled out daggers from his inventory. Swish! Holding daggers in both hands, he threw them at the charging members. Thud! The members, hit precisely between their eyes, copsed instantly. Zeke''s inventory held hundreds of cheap daggers, so he didn''t hesitate to throw them at the cartel members. "Ugh!" Soon, all the charging membersy dead with daggers embedded in their foreheads or hearts. Zeke immediately dashed towards the production facility. nk! nk! Something approached Zeke with a deafening roar. Surprisingly, it was a few tanks equipped with magic engines. ''They managed to acquire those expensive things that aren''t evenmonly used in the Central Continent.'' In the Central Continent, knights and high-ranking battle mages were preferred over magic weaponry. Magic weapons were not only expensive but also required significant maintenance. However, the cartel had an abundance of money and a scarcity of skilled knights and mages. It was no wonder they were the biggest customers of the Magic Tower and the Nirvana n. Looking at the tanks, d in iron armor and charging towards him, Zeke drew out Bahamut. In his previous life, Zeke would have had to avoid tanks at all costs, but now the situation was different. His sword was enveloped by the power of wind. A technique often used by his master, the King Kaisir, unfolded from Zeke''s sword. Elemental Sword Wind Chapter Storm Sword A sword imbued with the will of the raging wind was swung towards the tanks. Whooosh! A massive storm erupted around Zeke. Crash! The tanks, with their momentum to crush everything, were swept up by the storm and flipped over. nk! Not only were they flipped over, but the outer armor was also ripped apart, unable to withstand the force of the storm. "Aagh! Help me!" The cartel members operating the tanks crawled out from within, trembling in fear. The storm Zeke created formed a whirlwind, engulfing not only the tanks but also the surrounding production facilities, pulling them up into the sky. "Wow. That''s insane." Zeke was amazed by his own handiwork. He hadn''t realized its true power while just training, but witnessing it firsthand was overwhelming. In an instant, the camp''s production facility was devastated. The cartel members caught in the storm trembled, screaming in terror. "Ah, a demon has appeared!" Zeke beheaded the screaming cartel member and checked his minimap to confirm his location. "Let''s see. Where was the secret passage in this camp again?" This camp was also one of the ces Zeke had raided and destroyed in his previous life. Back then, he had captured one of the Fav Cartel bosses here and obtained various pieces of information. The fact that the Fav Cartel was originally a group of pirates was also information he learned from that guy. Examining the map, Zeke recalled the location of the secret passage. "Right. It was that cave over there." Zeke quickly ran towards the cave located at the back of the camp. As he approached the cave, several cartel members aimed their crossbows at him. But Zeke''s sword was faster. Before the crossbows could be fired, the cartel members'' heads fell to the ground. "You should have shot as soon as you aimed. Your training is terrible." Zeke collected the crossbows from the fallen members and entered the cave. Inside, more cartel members were guarding. "Intruder, ack!" The first member he encountered copsed before he could finish his sentence, struck by a bolt shot by Zeke. Aimed precisely at the lungs, the member would die in agony without being able to scream. Zeke showed mercy by swiftly cutting off his head, granting him a quick death. Zeke continued through the cave, killing all the Fav Cartel members he encountered, and found the secret passage. He descended down the passage. It was a tunnel connected to an old mine. With his Dragon Eye skill activated, Zeke scanned the tunnel''s surroundings. ''Was it like this back then?'' The walls and floor were well-preserved for a simple mine tunnel. In his past life, he must have missed this detail as he was focused onpleting his mission. Checking the map to locate the escaping cartel boss, Zeke leisurely entered the tunnel. ''The more I look, the less it seems like a mine. It''s more like an ancient ruin...'' At that moment, something flew towards Zeke. Whoosh! Zeke snatched the arrow flying towards his forehead. But that wasn''t the end. Suddenly, sharp needles sprang out from the arrow shaft, pricking his palm. [ck Mamba venom detected.] [The effect of the constitution "Poison immunity" negates the poison''s effect.] ck Mamba venom was a deadly poison with no antidote. It was an assassination technique used to deal with knights in the Central Continent, a method of concealing a deadly poison within an arrow, anticipating that the target would try to catch it. Knights who could use Aura often chose to catch arrows with their bare hands instead of dodging them, as a way of showing off their skills. This arrogant attitude was exploited in this Southern assassination technique, using poison to kill them. Zeke himself had used this method many times in his previous life. As Zeke caught the arrow and tossed it aside, someone appeared. "What? I thought it was a knight, but it''s just a brat. I wasted expensive poison." If Zeke hadn''t neutralized the ck Mamba venom, he would have bled from every orifice and died within five minutes. A man with thick hair all over his body slowly approached Zeke. "Who sent you guys?" Zeke looked at the man and replied, "Paulo Santos." Paulo was startled when Zeke said his name, and he backed away cautiously. "You... How do you know my name? And why aren''t you dead?" Zeke slowly walked towards Paulo. Sensing something amiss, Paulo immediately turned to escape. However, it was impossible to move faster than Zeke, who had mastered Gale Force. Whoosh! Zeke dashed past Paulo. He then drew a dagger and plunged it into Paulo''s thigh. "Aagh!" Paulo screamed, clutching his wounded thigh. Zeke tripped him, and as Paulo rolled on the ground, he said, "Paulo, I have a few questions for you." Paulo spat at Zeke. Zeke easily dodged the spit and then stepped on the dagger embedded in Paulo''s thigh. "Aagh!" As the dagger de dug deeper into his thigh, Paulo screamed and thrashed. Zeke pulled out another dagger and plunged it into his shoulder. "Ugh!" Looking at Paulo trembling in pain and fear, Zeke spoke again. "Paulo, I know you''re an executive of the Fav Cartel. And I also know that the Fav Cartel is a group of South Sea pirates." Paulo''s eyes widened in surprise at Zeke''s words. "W-what do you mean?" "Don''t act surprised. You wouldn''t make a living as an actor." Paulo was even more terrified than before.@@novelbin@@ Zeke took out a new dagger and held it to Paulo''s throat. "Listen to me if you want to live. Come with me to McCain. And tell the boss everything about the Fav Cartel. Then I''ll let you live." Paulo was shocked by Zeke''s words. "M-McCain! You mean Don Juan sent you?!" Zeke pressed the dagger closer to his throat. "Watch your mouth. Don''t carelessly call my boss''s name." "W-we never touched the McCain Cartel! We respected each other''s territories!" "Then why are you guys sniffing around the Syndicate, trying to interfere with their distributionwork?" "Th-that''s..." Paulo couldn''t help but be flustered as Zeke casually mentioned things that only executives in the Fav Cartel knew. Zeke pressed Paulo further. "The boss has no intention of keeping you guys alive. He''s going tounch a full-scale attack until Fav ispletely reduced to ashes, wiping out the filthy pirates. Understand?" Paulo''s eyes darted around. Then, as if he had something attached under his shoe, he quickly retrieved a hidden weapon and sprayed it at Zeke. "Ugh!" It was poison powder, and Zeke, hit directly, copsed sideways. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Paulo limped away. Zeke, hit by the poison powder, clutched his face and rolled on the ground. "Aagh!" He groaned and rolled around until Paulo disappeared down the passage. And only when Paulo waspletely out of sight did he get up. "This should be enough. That idiot, he must have forgotten that he didn''t get hit by the ck Mamba venom earlier." The reason he sought out Paulo was to give him information about the McCain Cartel. For both the McCain Cartel and the Fav Cartel to copse simultaneously, a fierce war had to break out between them. That was what Zeke was aiming for. ''If Don Juan thinks they''re going tounch a full-scale attack, Fav won''t just sit still.'' While McCain and Fav were engaged in a fierce war, Zeke intended to slip through the cracks. Zeke brushed off the poison powder and turned around. "Now, let''s finish this..." At that moment, he felt a chilling presence behind him. Whoosh! Something flew towards Zeke. Whirl! He hurriedly rolled to the side to dodge the attack. ''An Aura-infused sword strike.'' It was a Central Continent swordsmanship style, not a Southern one. He looked back. Several figures d in ck, wielding swords, had somehow appeared and surrounded Zeke from both front and back. Gritting his teeth, Zeke drew his sword. They were the ones he knew all too well. "Come on, you damn Imperial Hounds." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 50 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 50 Woooong! A clear sword cry resonated from the sword held by the Hound. It meant he was at least a Yellow Knight. In fact, in a head-on confrontation, a Southern Hitman could never defeat a knight from the Central Continent. There was a difference in the way they trained from the very beginning. However, Zeke was no ordinary Southern Hitman. He imbued his dagger with the power of wind and threw it at the Hound in the front. ng! The Hound deflected Zeke''s dagger with his Aura-infused sword and shouted to the others, "He has an artifact! His dagger is imbued with magical power, be careful!" It seemed they mistook elemental power for magic. Zeke pulled out more daggers and held them in both hands. Then, he swiftly dashed forward. Whoosh! Like a Southern Hitman, Zeke moved nimbly, aiming for the knight¡¯s vital points and openings. Thud! However, the Hounds were wearing hard armor under their clothes. Zeke realized that cheap daggers were not enough to deal with them. "Hmm. In this case, I''ll just have to kill them all." Zeke quickly made up his mind, discarded the daggers, and drew Bahamut from his back. Woooong! A powerful sword cry resonated from Bahamut. The Hounds were caught off guard by the unexpected situation. "That guy is not a Southerner. He''s a knight." Zeke changed his target, aiming for the one who had beenmunicating with the other Hounds. He infused his sword with the power of wind. Whoosh! The Hound trusted the strength of his armor. It was armor that could deflect ordinary sword strikes. However, that was a grave mistake. sh! Zeke''s sword cut not only through the armor but also through the Hound''s waist. Thud! Seeing theirrade''s bisected body, the other Hounds tensed up and became wary. Some of them tried to retreat, but they soon sensed something strange. Crack! An invisible barrier blocked the passage. When he drew Bahamut, Zeke had already torn a scroll to create a magical barrier. Zeke grinned at the Hounds. "I guess I can test the results of my training." Woooong! Bahamut''s vibration intensified, and an Aura de surged forth. The Hounds were stunned to see Zeke''s Aura de. "B-Blue Knight!"@@novelbin@@ Zeke held his sword and assumed the starting stance of the Dragon yer technique. Dragon ying Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 1, Verse 1 Sky Cleave The sword form itself was a basic Dragon yer technique, but it contained the profound principles of the True Dragon Sword Art. Zeke''s sword moved in arge arc. Crash! The energy of the Aura de Zeke created extended in all directions. The Hounds who came into contact with the energy tried to resist with their swords, but it was futile. "Aagh!" The Aura de cut through their swords, armor, and bodies. Thud! In an instant, a dozen knights were reduced to pieces, scattered everywhere. Those outside the range of the Aura de copsed on the ground, barely alive, gasping for breath. Zeke checked each of them with Bahamut and finished them off. Finally, he approached thest one alive and asked, "Why did the Imperial Houndse here?" The Hound remained silent. Zeke clicked his tongue and spoke again. "You must havee here to find ancient artifacts on the Emperor''s orders." Seeing the Hound''s surprised expression, there was no need to ask further. Zeke swung Bahamut and sent thest one''s head flying. He then summoned the power of fire towards the scattered corpses. Fwoosh! The pure power of fire incinerated the Hounds'' remains. "This should leave traces suggesting an attack by a Blue Knight and a mage." Hoping that the Fav Cartel would see the traces andunch a stronger counterattack against the McCain Cartel, Zeke left evidence to make it seem like arge number of knights and mages were involved. After cleaning up the scene, Zeke examined the inside of the tunnel. ''I didn''t know in my previous life that the Imperial Hounds were with the Fav Cartel.'' Zeke was sixteen years old when he arrived at this camp, whereas in his previous life, he was over eighteen, resulting in a time difference of about three years. Therefore, it was possible that the Hounds had already found what they were looking for and withdrawn by the time he arrived here in his past life. Zeke decided to investigate what the Hounds were searching for. Turning on his map to find the location connected to the tunnel, he quickly headed towards it using Phantom Steps. It seemed to be an underground ruin. After running for a while, a familiar dungeonndscape appeared. ''There was a dungeon in the South too.'' Usually, ordinary people who didn''t know much thought that dungeons only existed in the Giant Mountains, but in reality, they were scattered throughout the continent. Zeke freely scanned the dark dungeon with his Dragon Eye skill, searching for traces of the Hounds. Although the dungeon paths were intricately intertwined like a maze, it wasn''t a problem for Zeke with his map. Just then, he sensed something ahead. Zeke concealed his presence and focused on his hearing. "Did we lose contact with Patrol Unit 3?" It seemed the ones Zeke had eliminated were Patrol Unit 3. Starting with that, the other Hounds began to move busily. They spread out in all directions to search for the missing Unit 3, leaving the camp they had set up in the dungeon empty. ''Good. I''ll take this opportunity to find information.'' Concealing his presence, Zeke infiltrated the camp. It was muchrger than the camp he had seen in the Barbarian territory. Zeke examined the map of the Southern Continent attached to the wall of the situation room. In addition to the location of the Fav camp, there were codes indicating deployments in various parts of the jungle. It seemed that this was the headquarters that oversaw the Hounds searching for ancient ruins in the Southern Continent. Zeke shook his head after confirming that the Empire had extended its reach to the Southern Continent. ''What the hell is that crazy Emperor trying to find by doing all this? He doesn''t actually believe in immortality, does he?'' Zeke memorized the locations where the Hounds were deployed. [Recording the locations on the map.] To his surprise, the system automatically recorded the locations on his map. ''This is really convenient.'' Having secured the map, Zeke collected important documents from the situation room and stored them in his inventory. After taking everything he needed, he drew his sword. "Shall I leave some traces here too?" mes erupted from Zeke''s sword. Fwoosh! The situation room, as well as the entire camp, caught fire and burned fiercely. As the mes spread rapidly, the remaining Hounds inside were startled and rushed out. "Fire!" Zeke immediately dashed out and stabbed the bewildered Hounds with his sword. To make it seem like there were multiple knights involved, he left different kinds of wounds on each of them. "Aagh!" Confused by the mes, the Hounds fell victim to Zeke''s sword one after another. After dealing with all the remaining Hounds, Zeke tried to escape the camp. But then, he felt a strange presence behind him. ''What''s this?'' There was nothing marked on the map. Yet, he felt an incredibly distinct human presence behind him. Slowly, he turned his head. Thud! A young knight with red hair, wearing the Imperial Grand Magic Armor Hercyon instead of the regr Hound attire, was staring at Zeke. Zeke immediately raised Bahamut. ''Hercyon? Why is an Imperial Red Knight here?'' A full te armor that covered the entire body without any gaps. Not only was it engraved with all sorts of auxiliary magic, but it also had lightweight magic and automatic recovery magic cast on it, making it a treasure among treasures that repaired itself even if damaged. It was so expensive to make that there were no more than a hundred owners throughout the entire Empire. Therefore, Zeke was puzzled as he looked at the Imperial Knight approaching him. ''Who is it?'' If it was a knight with Hercyon, he should at least know their appearance and name. However, the young knight approaching him waspletely unknown in his previous life. Moreover, the Hercyon he was wearing seemed different from the standard Imperial ones. The Imperial Knight stopped in front of Zeke and spoke. "I thought several units of mages and knights hade, but it was just one person causing all thismotion." Judging by his ent, he was indeed an Imperial noble. Holding Bahamut, Zeke asked, "Who are you?" The Imperial Knight drew his sword and replied, "You seem young, but a knight as skilled as you deserves to hear my name." Raising his sword, he dered, "My name is Cain." In an instant, Cain charged forward with his sword raised. Crash! Whoosh! A heavy charge attack,bining the weight of the full te armor and the power of Aura, struck Zeke. Bang! Pushed back by the force, Zeke retreated. Seeing that it was much stronger than he expected, it seemed that the armor not only amplified his strength but also enhanced his Aura. Cain looked surprised as Zeke blocked his attack. "You blocked my attack. Truly amazing." He had an expression as if he had found an interesting toy. Seeing that, Zeke straightened his posture. Then, he raised Bahamut and unleashed his Aura. A clear Aura de surged forth. Cain smiled as he looked at Zeke. "To encounter a true knight like you in this remote ce! I couldn''t be more delighted." Without a word, Zeke dashed towards Cain, utilizing the Phantom Step. Swish! Zeke''s sword powerfully thrust towards Cain''s vital points. However, blocked by the Hercyon, the sword was deflected. Cain grinned at Zeke. "The Hercyon I possess is special. It even blocks Aura des." Looking at the confident Cain, Zeke gripped his sword again. Then, regting his breathing, he used the skill Mana Reflection. Crackle! The Mana Reflection skill unfolded around Zeke''s body. Fizzle! Fortunately, Cain''s Hercyon was also affected by Mana Reflection, as small sparks flew from its surface. His expression changed. "You... What have you done?" Zeke''s skills didn''t end there. He used the Discord skill stored in his quick slot. Screech! An irritating, strange sound resonated. Cain frowned. "Now I see you''re just a guy who relies on cheap tricks!" Instead of replying, Zeke charged towards Cain and used the shbang skill. sh! An intense light exploded right in front of Cain. "Ugh!" Cain couldn''t open his eyes properly due to the shbang. Zeke swung his sword at him. Bang! Even in that situation, Cain swung his sword and blocked Zeke''s attack. Then, with his eyes still closed, he swung his sword at Zeke again. Bang! Surprisingly, Zeke deflected Cain''s sword with his bare hands. He had strengthened his body with the Dragon Scale Armor, a Draconian skill. Zeke immediately closed in on Cain. Then, using the Pankration technique he learned during his time in the Cradle, he tried to grab Cain''s leg. At that moment, a dark, ominous energy erupted from Cain''s body. A de-like force shot out, spreading in all directions like a porcupine''s quills. Paching! Zeke instinctively rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it, and created some distance from Cain. Cain, with his eyes sunken and cold, stared at Zeke before speaking. "You''ve got quite a few interesting tricks up your sleeve." Zeke, his gaze now even more serious, adjusted his sword and aimed it at Cain. ''A warrior of this caliber has no alias?'' That could only mean one thing. ''A secret weapon of the Empire.'' One of the reasons the Rom Empire hadn¡¯t gone to full-scale war with Draker was due to the difference in the number of ck Knights they each possessed. Draker, as a single n, had five ck Knights. If you included allied families or nations, they could potentially summon up to ten ck Knights. However, officially, the Rom Empire only had three ck Knights. Even though Draker¡¯s numbers were overwhelminglyrger, if the ck Knights, often referred to as one-man legions, were deployed, even thergest number of regr knights would be useless. If a young knight from the Empire had this kind of skill but no known alias, it was highly likely he was being secretly trained as a ck Knight, a weapon hidden away by the Empire. Zeke decided to test Cain. "The Rom Empire is ridiculous. They treat a secret weapon like you as a Hound and send you off to dig up ancient relics." At Zeke¡¯s words, Cain smiled and shook his head. "You¡¯re good at provoking, I¡¯ll give you that." Taking a step toward Zeke, Cain spoke again. The sparks crackling around Hercyon had subsided, indicating that the effect of Mana Reflection had ended. Slowly opening his eyes, he said, "A knight like you is fully qualified to know my name." Holding his sword with a formal stance, Cain dered, "My name is Cain. Cain Siemens Constantine." Zeke was astonished. ''What?'' An unexpected name had emerged. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 51 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 51 ¡°Constantine? And Siemens?¡± Constantine was the family name of the Rom Imperial n. The fact that Siemens was included as a middle name meant that he was a blood rtive of that n. It didn''t make sense for Siemens, one of the main bloodline ns of Draker, to be a blood rtive of the Rom Imperial n. This was because only the elector ns, who had the right to vote in the election of the emperor, could be included as middle names among the noble ns that had maintained the Rom Empire for a long time. Cain took a stance and looked at Zeke. ¡°You''re a knight too valuable to kill here, but you''ve seen something you shouldn''t have, so it can''t be helped.¡± Woooong! An eerie aura de surged from Cain''s sword. KwaKwaKwaKwa! Unlike the blue knights, who only create aura des, the red knights can freely control them. The length could be extended, and the shape could be changed at will. Cain''s aura de surged and then took the form of a giantncer. Seeing that the surface was stably materialized, it was clear that he waspletely controlling the aura with his will. As Cain raised his sword, Hercyon activated and the helmet automatically covered his face. Cain, d in the great magic armor, aimed at Zeke with the giantncer made of aura de. Then he slid towards Zeke. KwaKwaKwaKwa! Perhaps due to the magical effect of Hercyon, he dashed in a straight line toward Zeke at a tremendous speed. At the same time, thencer-shaped aura de began to rotate. Kiiiiiiiiiing! The surrounding atmosphere was sucked into Cain''sncer. Zeke took a breath, holding Bahamut. ¡®I can''t counter it with ordinary techniques.¡¯ Zeke took the starting position of the Elemental Sword. The technique he had the most difficulty learning. The field of water power unfolded from Zeke''s hand. Elemental Sword Water Power Field Wave Sword Like a giant wave, Zeke''s sword created ripples and collided with Cain''s rapidly advancingncer. Kiiiiiiiiing! As he countered Cain''s swirlingncer head-on, Kaisir''s voice rang in Zeke''s ears. ¡®You fool! The essence of water power is gentleness! If strong and strong collide, all that remains is mutual destruction!¡¯ At that moment, Zeke rxed his body while still holding the sword. Recalling the rxation he learned while being beaten by Kaisir, he rxed his body as much as possible and gently deflected the strongly pushingncer. Whoosh! Like a surging wave, Zeke''s sword passed over thencer and struck Cain''s waist. Bang! Even though Bahamut struck, there was not a single scratch on Cain''s Hercyon. But Zeke, undeterred, stepped on the phantom light and went around to Cain''s blind spot. Then he swung his sword again towards Cain''s back. Bang! Again, the sword strike hit, but it couldn''t cut through anything. Cain had already distanced himself and aimed thencer at Zeke. Despite the short distance, he used sticity to thrust thencer strongly with his whole body. KwaKwaKwaKwa! It had the power to tear his whole body to pieces with a single graze. Zeke hardened his skin with the dragon skill Dragon Scale Armor to withstand the pressure of thencer. They fought each other at close range with thencer and sword, evenly matched. Zeke created distance and used the dragon skill Dragon''s w to aim for an opening. Chaak! But Cain''s Hercyon even blocked the Dragon''s w. At this point, he was curious what the armor was made of. Zeke circled around Cain, trying to find a gap. If they fought one-on-one, he would have the advantage in a long battle with his infinite stamina, but in the current situation, as time passed, other imperial knights would flock, and that would put him at a much greater disadvantage. At that moment, Cain slowly stepped back. He aimed thence at Zeke and said. ¡°Truly amazing. I never thought there would be a knight who could fight me like this at your age.¡± Cain raised thence upwards. ¡°But I think it''s time to end this.¡± Pazzzzzzzzic! Suddenly, red electricity sparked from Cain''snce. At the same time, an even more eerie energy surged from his body. Zeke caught his breath and gripped his sword again. Just then, a message popped up before his eyes. [Demonic energy detected.] [Bonus points can be acquired by defeating an enemy with demonic energy.] ¡®Demonic energy?¡¯ Before Zeke could fully grasp the message, Cain, his entire body wrapped in red electricity, charged towards Zeke with hisnce. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! Towards Cain, who was charging like a red meteor, Zeke also took a stance with his sword thrust forward, ready to charge. It was the True Dragon Sword Art left by Saturn Draker. Dragon ying Art, True Dragon Sword Art Style Chapter 8, Verse 2 Dragon Scale Thrust It was a finishing technique that aimed to subdue a dragon by piercing its vital point in a single strike. With his legs firmly nted on the ground, Zeke twisted only his upper body, adding a powerful rotation to his thrust. The aura imbued in his sword rotated and collided head-on with Cain''snce. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! As thrust met thrust, a massive shockwave shook the entire dungeon. ¡°Kugh!¡± Zeke gritted his teeth as he saw Cain''s aura pushing through his own thrust and flying towards him. The heart of Bahamut, nestled in his ether hall, throbbed fiercely, continuously emitting mana. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! But in the end, overwhelmed by the power of Cain''s aura, Zeke was thrown back and crashed into the burning camp. Kugugugu! The burning camppletely copsed from the force of the powerful aura. Step by step! Cain, who had deactivated the helmet of Hercyon, waved his hand towards the wreckage of the camp, and the ashes parted to both sides. And there, Zeke was slumped against the debris, bleeding with a gaping hole in his stomach. ¡°Kugh!¡± He tried to get up, but he couldn''t move because he had no strength in his body. Cain slowly approached Zeke. He looked at Zeke and said. ¡°It seems you''re a blood rtive of the Draker n.¡± Zeke frowned and looked up at Cain. ¡°How¡­ did you know¡­¡± ¡°The way you deflect mana, and the True Dragon Sword Art you use is simr to Dragon yer Art.¡± The sword techniques Zeke used from the True Dragon Sword Art Style were mostly from thetter part of the Dragon yer Art. This meant that Cain knew thetter part of the Dragon yer Art, which was prohibited from being leaked outside. ¡®Those damn Siemens bastards, could it be¡­¡¯ He didn''t know exactly what kind of plot Siemens was hatching, but it was certain that they were deeply connected to the Empire. Zeke coughed up ck blood and asked Cain. ¡°Are you¡­ a Red Knight of the Empire?¡± Cain looked at the dying Zeke and said. ¡°I haven''t officially been promoted, but you can say that. However, such a rank doesn''t mean much to me.¡± ¡°¡­What do you¡­ mean it doesn''t mean anything?¡± ¡°It''s literally what it means. The old, outdated aura cultivation methods are meaningless anymore. I will transcend the ck Knight with a new power, reaching a realm beyond.¡± Cain slowly raised his sword. ¡°I seem to have said too much. It''s been a while since I''ve had a decent opponent. I''ll give you an honorable death in tribute to our battle.¡± He approached Zeke, held his sword upside down, and aimed it at his heart. ¡°Rest in peace.¡± Puck! Cain''s sword pierced Zeke''s heart. After a while, seeing that Zeke hadpletely stopped moving, Cain pulled out his sword. Then, he sheathed his sword, turned around, and muttered. ¡°It''ll take some time to move everything to theb.¡± That was when it happened. Slice! The wind de grazed Cain''s neck. Cain instinctively turned his body, but he couldn''tpletely avoid the de. He covered the blood flowing from his neck with his palm and looked back with an incredulous expression. ¡°How?!¡± Zeke, having barely recovered from his shattered heart and stomach wound, ran towards Cain with Bahamut. Then, he thrust his sword into the gap in Hercyon, where he had finally managed to make a scratch after striking it repeatedly. Puck! Bahamut, coated with aura, pierced Cain''s side. Cain red at Zeke with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You! You bastard!¡± Zeke tripped Cain, sending him falling to the ground. Then, he straddled him, pinned his arms to prevent him from pulling out the sword, and with his remaining hand, grabbed a dagger he took out from his inventory. ¡°Haaaat!¡± Zeke stabbed the dagger towards Cain''s exposed neck. ¡°Kuaack!¡± Cain tried to activate Hercyon, but Zeke had already cast magic reflection, so the armor wouldn''t function as he intended. Zeke stabbed Cain''s neck repeatedly with the dagger. ¡°Ku, Cough!¡± Blood spurted from Cain''s mouth. Soon, he died with his eyes wide open. [You have eliminated the enemy eroded by demonic energy.] [300 Karma points will be awarded as a reward.] Only then could Zeke finally get off Cain''s body. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± The heart pierced by the sword had recovered to some extent, but the stomach wound inflicted by the aura was only superficially closed; the inside was still a mess. If he hadn''t put a potion in the quick slot, he might have died the moment he was hit by Cain''s technique.@@novelbin@@ Zeke staggered and tried to get up, but his body wouldn''t obey. And at that moment. [Due to excessive skill usage, fatigue has exceeded the critical level.] [The administrator''s consciousness will be blocked for safety.] Zeke was startled to see the warning message. ¡®Oh, no!¡¯ He couldn''t lose consciousness in the middle of enemy territory. He hurriedly tried to open the portal, but his consciousness was already hazy, and he couldn''t even properly see the open window. Just then, Zeke saw Cain in front of him. Immediately, he shouted the skill name with all his might. ¡°Gluttony!¡± Before his consciousness faded, a shadow stretched out from his body and absorbed Cain''s body. [You have devoured the fallen demon eroded by demonic energy.] [Consumed health, mental strength, and mana are restored.] [By absorbing the bloodline ability of the devoured demon, the active skill Static Electricity (C-rank) has been transformed into Electrocution (A-rank).] His consciousness, which was about to fade, slowly returned. Zeke took a deep breath and sat up. ¡°Damn it, I almost died.¡± He had absorbed Cain''s body in a hurry, and not only did he regain consciousness, but his skill also changed. ¡®The skill rank increased?¡¯ Zeke tried using the Electrocution skill, which had changed from Static Electricity. Pazzzzzzzzic! Although not as powerful as Cain''s, an electric shock strong enough to envelop the entire weapon urred. ¡®So, I can gain bloodline abilities by devouring not only monsters but also demons eroded by demonic energy with Gluttony.¡¯ Zeke sheathed his sword and tried to get out of there quickly. But he noticed something lying where Cain had died. ¡°What is this?¡± It seemed to be a breastte that covered the chest and abdomen. As Zeke picked up the breastte, a message window popped up again. [You have acquired the armor of ???.] [Would you like to register as the user of the armor?] ¡®Armor of ??? Why isn''t the name showing up?¡¯ Zeke chose to register for now. Then a strange pattern appeared on the breastte. At the same time, the breastte disassembled with a ttering sound and automatically attached itself to Zeke''s body. [You have been registered as the user of the armor.] [You can determine the open form of the armor ording to your will.] [Out of the 28 great magic circles engraved on the armor, 3 magic can be activated currently.] As Zeke activated the armor, the breastte transformed, enveloping his entire body in a full-te armor, just like the one Cain had worn. ¡°Wow, this is insane.¡± Despite being a full-body armor, it wasn''t heavy at all, and perhaps because of that, there was no difort in his movements. Zeke changed the armor back to its original breastte form. ¡°If I wear it as it is, the Imperial bastards will recognize it, so I''ll have to modify it or something. First, escape¡­¡± For now, escaping this ce before other knights arrived was the priority. Zeke opened the map and searched for a way out of the dungeon. He quickly left the cave where the camp was located, trying to get out of fav Cartel''s territory. But he sensed something strange ahead. ¡®This smell¡­¡¯ It was the smell of dried blood and filth. Zeke hesitated, but then decided that there must be something important, so he cautiously approached. Then he examined the scene, secretly hidden deep inside the dungeon. ¡®These goddamn bastards.¡¯ Seeing the scene, Zeke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. This wasn''t an ancient ruin. It was the Rom Empire''s human experimentation site. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 52 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 52 "Crazy..." The scene unfolding before his eyes was utterly horrifying. Traces of various human experiments, regardless of age, gender, or race, remained vivid. It was while Zeke was trembling with rage. "Who''s there!" A mage in ab coat shouted at Zeke. Perhaps having just finished an experiment, the mage''s robe was covered in blood and debris. Zeke opened his mouth towards the mage. "I''ll give you one chance. Tell me what you''ve been doing here, and I''ll at least grant you a painless death." The mage, realizing Zeke was an intruder, reached out his hand. "Poison Fog!" Perhaps a poison-type mage, he immediately created a poisonous fog and attacked Zeke. [Magically synthesized poison detected.] [This poison exceeds the effect of the constitution ''Poison Immunity''.] [Entering a poisoned state.] It seemed that magically synthesized poison couldn''t be blocked by Poison Immunity. However, Zeke''s Healing Factor recovered his body faster than the poison could take effect. Zeke drew Bahamut and dashed forward. Gasp! Before the mage could react properly, Zeke''s sword sliced through his body. Looking at the instantly dead mage, Zeke gritted his teeth. "I gave him too easy death." Thanks to the Healing Factor, he could move without any problems, but he couldn''t leave the poison unattended, so he took out an antidote potion from his inventory and drank it. As soon as the poisoned state was lifted and his body returned to normal, Zeke entered theboratory with his sword. Passing the experiment tables where the subjects were scattered, he went deeper inside, and a space filled with various reagents and experimental equipment appeared. There were also experimental mages there. "In.., Intruder!" Before the mages could finish speaking, mes erupted from Zeke''s sword. Whoosh! Pure mes engulfed the mages'' bodies. They didn''t even have time to scream. "I don''t need to show mercy to those who aren''t even human." Zeke turned around and set fire to the ce where the horribly dead test subjects were. Then he searched the ce where the mages had been and threw the experimental materials and records into his inventory. He even ripped out the sealed things and put them in. He was thinking of escaping this ce, going to a safe house, and examining them slowly. ''If the Red Flower gue was created through mana as Princess Melissa said, it might have been made here.'' Just as Zeke finished burning down theb and was about to leave the dungeon. Ssssss! Thick poisonous smoke billowed towards Zeke. [Magically synthesized poison detected.] Checking the system warning, Zeke immediately stepped back. At that moment, someone appeared from within the poisonous smoke. "Who dares touch myb?" It was an old man in a ck robe. Zeke examined the symbol and the number of rings drawn on the old man''s robe. ''A scorpion pattern with six rings. Is he an elder of the Scorpion n?'' The symbol on the robe indicated the mage''s affiliation, and the number of rings signified the circles they had achieved. If he had achieved 6 circles, he was a high-ranking mage, usually an elder of a famous n or a divisionmander of a mage corps. The old man raised his hand and pointed it at Zeke. "Who sent you?" Zeke didn''t answer and immediately charged forward with Bahamut. He knew well that there was nothing good to be gained by exchanging words with a mage during battle. Woooong! An aura de surged from Zeke''s sword. The old man was surprised and quickly cast a spell. Paching! The old man''s body crumbled like sand, dodging Zeke''s aura de. Then, he reassembled himself far away from Zeke. Zeke used the Mana Reflection skill before the old man could cast another spell. Jiiiiiiiiing! A mana reflection field unfolded around Zeke. The old man frowned as the mana didn''t move ording to his will. "Damn it! Could he be a Draker pureblood?!" A Draker pureblood Awakened with the ability to interfere with mana was the natural enemy of mages. The old man hurriedly took something out of his pocket and tore it apart. Then, a mana circle made of sand was drawn on the floor, and a synthetic chimera popped out from within. Zeke frowned as he looked at the synthetic chimera. ''Those Scorpion n bastards are always annoying to deal with.'' The Scorpion n, based in the desert, was a group of dark mages who specialized in forbidden mana that others avoided. Not only did they create synthetic chimeras and synthetic poisons, but they also researched forbidden methods to create golems and mana to control the dead. Because of such wickedness, in the Holy Kingdom, simply belonging to the Scorpion n was enough to warrant the death penalty. The fact that this Scorpion n and the Empire conducted human experiments together was a scandal that could turn the entire continent upside down. Krrr! The chimera, seemingly created bybining the tail of a desert ck scorpion, the Southern Jungle''s Shark Dragon, and the legs of a griffin, bared its teeth at Zeke. Its saliva seemed to be acidic, as smoke sizzled from the floor where it dripped. The old man looked at Zeke with a confident expression. "This is my greatest masterpiece! Even a Draker won''t be able to withstand it!" The chimera slowly approached Zeke. Zeke used the Dragon''s Majesty skill, which was effective against monsters. The chimera flinched in surprise. At that moment, a message window popped up. [You have instilled fear in an inferior dragonkin.] [Inherent Authority ''Dragonkin Domination'' is activated.] [Would you like to subjugate the target dragonkin?] It seemed that the Shark Dragon was used as the base when creating the chimera, which the system recognized as a dragonkin. Zeke chose to subjugate. [You have subjugated an inferior dragonkin.] It seemed that Zeke''s Inherent Authority worked. The chimera growled lowly and looked at Zeke. Unlike before, its eyes were filled with fear and respect. Zeke spoke to the chimera. "Bite that guy." As soon as the order was given, the chimera turned around and quickly lunged at the old man. The old man was flustered as the chimera suddenly went berserk. "Kyaaaak! Not me, him...!" The old man, unable to use mana properly due to Zeke''s Mana Reflection, was instantly killed when the chimera bit his neck. Thinking that he had dealt with it more easily than expected, Zeke searched the dead mage''s robe. An identification card indicating the mage''s identity and other belongings came out. "Gurab al Rumani? This guy was the second-inmand of the Scorpion n, wasn''t he?" It was a meaningless death for the second-inmand of an infamous dark mage n. Originally, mages of the Scorpion n mainly used mana effective forrge-scale battles or assassinations. They were skilled at initiating attacks, and usually had a lot of escorts. However, since it was a secretboratory where security was crucial, it seemed that only mages were gathered. Zeke took all of Gurab''s belongings and then burned the body as before. And the chimera, which had been watching Zeke, seemed to judge that the situation was over and came over to him, rubbing its head against him. Its actions were rather cute, and as Zeke was pondering, a message popped up before his eyes. [Would you like to name the subjugated dragonkin? A named dragonkin can be summoned at any time at the summoner''s call.] After some thought, Zeke named the chimera. "Since the original owner''s name was Gurab, let''s call it Gurab." Gurab didn''t seem to like its name very much. But there was nothing that could be done about what had already been decided. The chimera, registered under the name Gurab, turned into sand and disappeared into Zeke''s shadow. [Registering summon Gurab.] He had gained an unexpected subordinate. After carefully taking care of even the chimera, Zeke finally leisurely left the dungeon. *** Afterward, Zeke spent ten days evading the pursuit of the Fav Cartel and returned to the domain of the McCain Cartel. He returned to Don Juan''s mansion and faced Don Juan. "Truly amazing. Amazing." Don Juan marveled at Zeke standing before him with a cigar in his mouth. "Would you like a drink, Zeke Murray?" "I''m fine." Don Juan rose from his seat and looked at Zeke. ¡°To be honest, I didn''t think you''d seed in this mission.¡± ¡°I don''t make promises I can''t keep.¡± ¡°Indeed, you certainly proved that. These days, it''s hard to find someone so trustworthy.¡± ¡°Then will you believe me now?¡± Don Juan nodded. ¡°A brave warrior deserves respect. I have always cherished and valued warriors like my own children. I hope you understand that.¡± Zeke scoffed inwardly at Don Juan''s words. ''What a load of bullshit.'' At least a few thousand people must have died as cannon fodder in the McCain Cartel. Zeke knew the cruel nature of the cartel all too well, so Don Juan''s polite words sounded ridiculous to him. Don Juan patted Zeke''s shoulder and said. ¡°Zeke Murray, as a token of trust, I have prepared this.¡± Then Don Juan brought a box from the desk and handed it to Zeke. Just from the size and weight of the box, Zeke could guess what was inside. As he opened the box, it was indeed as he expected. ''The head of the Syndicate chairman.'' Zeke nced and saw five more boxes. There were a total of six executives who came to McCain to celebrate Don Juan''s birthday. ¡°Do you like the gift?¡±@@novelbin@@ Zeke closed the box and nodded. ¡°I have clearly seen the boss''s trust.¡± Don Juan gave a satisfied smile. Then he slowly walked back to his chair and put on a serious expression. ¡°But you see, there''s one problem.¡± ¡°What problem is it?¡± ¡°It seems the Fav Cartel has noticed that we attacked them. They''re spouting nonsense about us mobilizing knights and mages from the central continent.¡± It seemed that the Fav side had taken the bait Zeke had scattered around. Don Juan said to Zeke. ¡°Zeke Murray. I want to give a clearer warning to those filthy pirates. That the McCain Cartel is the master of this Southern Continent.¡± Hearing Don Juan''s words, Zeke nodded. ¡°I will go to Fav and convey the boss''s will.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± He was thinking of driving them there, but Don Juan was surprised when Zeke offered to go to Fav first. He never expected Zeke to volunteer to infiltrate. Zeke said to Don Juan. ¡°In return, please give your support to Kay. So that she can properly take over the Syndicate''s vacancy.¡± Don Juan nodded at his words. ¡°Yes, to properly deliver our goods, we need to tidy things up on that side as well.¡± ¡°With the boss''s help, the noise from the Syndicate will also disappear soon.¡± Don Juan nodded. ¡°Alright. Zeke Murray, I will take responsibility and be her guardian.¡± And then he pped his hands. Then, someone slid out from the wall where no one had been before. A man in an old military uniform with slicked-back hair and an eyepatch over one eye. Zeke knew him. ''Simon Zapatero.'' He was one of the top hitmen in the McCain Cartel and a famous ouw in the border area of the Southern Continent. Don Juan patted Simon''s shoulder and said. ¡°I''ll attach the cartel''s best hitman and a unit to you. It will be of great help in this mission.¡± Simon maintained a straight face and just nodded at Zeke. In his past life, Zeke had a connection with Simon. It was none other than him who taught Zeke Southern-style martial arts and assassination techniques. Zeke said to Don Juan. ¡°As soon as the unit is ready, I will go to Fav.¡± ¡°Right away?¡± ¡°The longer we wait, the thicker Fav''s defenses will be.¡± Don Juan nodded at his words. ¡°Good. Simon, make sure youplete your mission.¡± As usual, Simon responded to Don Juan''s words with a nod. Zeke, watching Don Juan,ughed inwardly with a sharp edge. ''Don Juan, you will gradually sink into the swamp. Without even realizing it.'' *** Step! Step! Someone walked into thepletely burned-down dungeon. A man with a mane of red hair. It was Abel Draker, the knight who shook the continent with the alias Lion Sword. He bent down and carefully examined the traces of the fire. Behind Abel, William, the heir of the Siemens family, appeared. ¡°Abel. The investigation is already over. The Imperial Intelligence Agency has thoroughly examined it. There''s nothing left to see.¡± Abel didn''t reply and headed somewhere. He looked for minute traces left on the floor and walls, picturing them in his mind. Then he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°There was one person here, William.¡± William was surprised at his words. ¡°What do you mean, one person? At least a unit of mages and knights¡­¡± ¡°No, it''s clear. At least those who are Red Knights or above had a confrontation here.¡± ¡°What? A Red Knight in this rural backwater of the South? That''s ridiculous.¡± William looked at Abel in disbelief. Abel grabbed the ckened soil in his hand and slowly stood up. ¡°There are traces of the Intelligence Agency stepping in and hastily cleaning up. This means that something we don''t know about is secretly going on in the Empire.¡± He scattered the soil he was holding back on the floor. Abel said to William. ¡°I need to find out what the Imperial Intelligence Agency is hiding.¡± ¡°Investigate the Intelligence Agency? How are you going to handle the aftermath?¡± His eyes shed as he said. ¡°There was something here that I couldn''t miss. My instincts tell me so, William.¡± Abel looked at the traces left on the floor and said. ¡°To hold both the Empire and Draker in my hands.¡± [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 53 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 53 Creak! Creak! The rowboat made a chilling sound. Zeke, Simon, and his twelve subordinates held their breath and approached the port area of Fav. Perhaps in preparation for an all-out war with the McCain Cartel, organization members were patrolling the city with weapons. Zeke used Dragon Eyes to pierce the darkness and examine the surroundings. Then, he brought up the map and docked the boat in a ce where there were no patrols. ''This way.'' Following Zeke''s hand signals, Simon and his subordinates scattered and hid themselves in the darkness. Soon, a Fav Cartel member patrolling the coast approached, swaggering. He lowered his crossbow, unzipped his pants, and started to urinate. ¡°Ahh¡­ what a stream!¡± At that moment, Zeke approached him from behind, swiftly slitting the cartel member¡¯s throat with a dagger. They threw the dead cartel member''s body under the breakwater. Simon''s subordinates caught it, weighed it down with stones stuffed in the clothes, and carefully threw it into the sea without making a sound. It was as natural as if they had been working together for a long time. After checking the surroundings, Zeke signaled them toe up, and Simon and his subordinates also climbed up to the shore. Hiding behind the cargo piled up in the port area, Simon asked Zeke. ¡°How do you n to approach the Fav Cartel''s headquarters? Troops are spread all over the city.¡± Zeke put on his mask and said. ¡°The territory upied by Fav was under the influence of the Holy Empire for a long time. That means the underground waterways, which the Holy Empire considers most important, are built there.¡± ¡°You''re going to find your way to the headquarters through the underground waterways? That''s ridiculous. How do you n to find your way through the maze-like waterways?¡± Zeke grinned. ¡°There''s a way for that.¡± Using the map''s guidance function, it was possible to move to the shortest distance, no matter howplicated the path. He had no intention of exining it to Simon, though. Anyway, Simon didn''t have a way either, so he didn''t say anything. Zeke found a sewer on the harbor side and led the group into it. Fav was still using the sewers built during the Holy Empire era. The sewers, which were no different from ancient relics, were full of filth and smelled terrible. However, Simon and his subordinates were veterans who had rolled around enough in the border areas, so no one was bothered by this level of stench. Zeke followed the map''s guidance towards the Fav Cartel''s headquarters. After walking along the waterway for a few hours, they arrived at the sewer connected to the headquarters. ''They''ve deployed personnel all over the front.'' From the confrontation with Cain, he realized that those above the Red Knight level were not disyed on the map, so he needed to be even more wary of his surroundings. Zeke signaled Simon and his group to nt explosives throughout the Fav Cartel headquarters. Zeke decided to separate from Simon and his group to assassinate key figures in the Fav Cartel and deliver the McCain Cartel''s warning. He climbed up from the sewer and slipped into the garbage disposal area. ''This brings back memories.'' An assassin had to infiltrate through ces where others were most reluctant to go. As a result, sewers and garbage dumps were one of Zeke''s favorite infiltration routes. He threw off the thin infiltration suit he was wearing and took out a purification scroll to erase the stench. Drawing his dagger, Zeke slowly made his way into the mansion. His target was Matteo, the second-inmand of the Fav Cartel. Bastian, the boss of the Fav Cartel, was currently staying on an ind in the South Sea. Rather than catching him, if he caught Matteo and gave a warning, Bastian would surely be enraged and engage in an all-out war with the McCain Cartel. ''Though Don Juan would have thought this mission would fail.'' Don Juan would have considered Zeke''s attack as a suicide mission and a warning to the Fav Cartel in itself. But Zeke was really going to infiltrate the headquarters, assassinate the second-inmand, nt bombs, and bring down the headquarters. If that happened, it would surely escte into a situation that even Don Juan couldn''t control. Zeke was aiming for that gap. Whoosh! Zeke stealthily killed the cartel members roaming the hallway with his dagger and made his way up towards where Matteo was. ''There aren''t as many people inside as I thought.'' Now that he knew that the Fav Cartel and the Empire were joining forces, he couldn''t rule out the possibility of knights being deployed. However, he couldn''t see any of the cartel''s hitmen or the Empire''s knights, only armed patrol troops were roaming around. Zeke felt something strange. ''Something''s weird.'' He turned on the map and looked inside. There were no marked people to be seen. He cautiously passed through the hallway, opened the door, and entered the mansion. A spacious banquet hall and a long staircase leading upwards were situated in the center. That was when it happened. sh! Suddenly, the lights turned on, and people who had been hiding rushed out. ''How?'' Zeke examined those who had surrounded him. Not only the cartel''s hitmen but also the Empire''s knights and mages were mixed in. ''Did they use invisibility?'' Using invisibility mana erases one''s presence. However, he didn''t know that erasing one''s presence with mana would also prevent them from being disyed on the map. At that moment, one of the Empire''s knights stepped forward and ordered the others. ¡°Capture him alive, don''t kill him.¡± With those words, the Empire''s knights rushed towards Zeke. Zeke grabbed the knight who was running at the forefront and stabbed him in the neck with his dagger. ¡°Cough!¡±@@novelbin@@ Then he snatched the sword the knight was holding. Zeke retreated backward and shed the cartel members guarding the rear with the sword. Slice! ¡°Shoot! Shoot him!¡± The cartel members frantically shot arrows at Zeke. However, Zeke''s movements were much faster, and the arrows were stuck in the walls and floor. Zeke took out daggers and threw them at the hitmen positioned throughout the hall. The daggers, imbued with the power of the wind using the Elemental Sword, pierced the hitmen''s vital points at tremendous speed. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± The cartel members, terrified, fired their crossbows haphazardly, and the randomly flying arrows identally hit others. The Empire''s knight shouted. ¡°Mages! Quickly bind his feet!¡± Only then did the mages hurriedly cast their spells. In an instant, the floor of the banquet hall rippled and transformed into a swamp. ''This won''t be enough to catch me.'' Zeke threw the daggers he was holding onto the swamp-like floor and then ran towards the Empire''s knights, stepping on the daggers. It was a trick utilizing the Gale Force skill. The knights, flustered as Zeke ran towards them, hurriedly took a defensive stance. But it was already toote. Thud! As Zeke fell backward, pushing the knights, the knights, losing their bnce and falling, were instead submerged in the swampy floor. ¡°Uwaaaaah!¡± Seeing the knights struggling in the swamp, the mages hurriedly canceled the spell. Zeke clicked his tongue, watching the Empire''s knights and mages with their poor coordination. ''They sent the newbies and took credit from the cartel.'' At that moment, the Empire''s knight who was giving orders stepped forward. Woooong! There seemed to be at least one decent one among them, as he created a faint aura de. Zeke charged at the Empire''s knight with his sword. ng! Zeke''s sword, imbued with Gravity Force, struck the Empire''s knight''s sword with tremendous weight. ¡°Ugh!¡± Even if an aura de was created, it was useless if it couldn''t be wielded properly. Zeke struck the knight''s sword repeatedly with his Gravity Force-imbued sword. Before long, the knight was pushed back, his hand holding the sword trembling. ¡°Gasp! Gasp!¡± Zeke didn''t stop and shed the knight''s leg, armor and all. Slice! ¡°Uaaack!¡± The knight, his thigh severed, screamed and rolled on the floor. Zeke then raised his sword and cut off the knight''s head. Seeing the Blue Knight die so pathetically, the hitmen and the Empire''s knights surrounding him faltered and retreated. Zeke used Dragon''s Majesty to instill even greater fear in them. Some of the faint-hearted knights and cartel members even wet themselves, overwhelmed by Zeke''s imposing presence. "Those who want to die,e! Those who want to live, get out now!" At Zeke''s shout, about half of them dropped their weapons and fled. The remaining ones, even in that situation, crept towards Zeke with their weapons raised. The sight of them forcing themselves forward with their bodiespletely stiff was almost pitiful. Suddenly, Zeke leaped into the air with his sword. Whoosh! He jumped onto the second-floor railing and struck down the mages above first. "Kyaaaak!" If he left them alone, they could cast mana at an opportune moment and even Zeke could be caught off guard. If another guy like Cain appeared, he could be in danger too. Once the mages were ughtered, the knights naturally came up to the second floor. ''Foolish bastards.'' Zeke was grateful that they came to a narrow terrain that was disadvantageous to them. One by one, he pierced their hearts with his sword as they came, like skewering meat on a skewer. "Uugh!" Zeke pushed the knight, who was groaning with a sword through his heart, from the second-floor railing. In no time, the banquet hall was filled with the corpses of dozens of knights, mages, and hitmen. Zeke shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it. "What the hell are the Empire guys doing in the South? I can''t get a read on them." That''s when it happened. Someone in a ck robe was standing on the balcony opposite Zeke. ''Who is that?'' He couldn''t be sensed, not even by Zeke''s senses, let alone the map. The suspicious figure, with his face hidden by the robe, opened his mouth towards Zeke. "A single loach hinders the great work." Zeke pointed his sword at the suspicious mage and remained vignt. "Who are you?" The ck figure then held out the ck gemstone ring on his finger. Suddenly, ck smoke billowed from the ring. Shushushushuk! The ck smoke dispersed into the bodies of the dead that filled the banquet hall. Simultaneously, those who had died rose again. ''A dark mage?'' Zeke quickly examined the opponent''s robe. However, he couldn''t see the Scorpion n''s symbol or rings. Meanwhile, dozens of knights, hitmen, and mages roared. ''Not even the Scorpion n? Even the Scorpion n wouldn''t have many who could create this many zombies at once.'' Not all necromancers belonged to the Scorpion n, but most high-ranking dark mages did. While Zeke was questioning the identity of his opponent, the ck figure who raised the dead shouted towards the zombies. "Seize him! I shall personally extract the soul of the one who interfered with the great work and make him confess the truth." From the moment he casually uttered words that seemed to belong in a ssical y, it was clear he wasn''t normal. "Kraaaagh!" The zombified knights rushed towards Zeke with their swords raised. "Get lost! You zombie bastards!" Zeke swung Bahamut. Thud! The heads of the zombies struck by the sword were smashed as if exploding. [You have defeated a zombie knight contaminated by demonic energy.] [You have earned 10 Karma points.] ''Huh?'' He unexpectedly gained Karma points. Zeke''s eyes lit up as he looked around. The zombies roaring towards him all looked like points. "Excellent!" Excited, he jumped down from the second floor and swung his sword. The zombies hit by the aura de were torn to pieces and scattered everywhere. "Kraaagh!" However, the ck smoke soon enveloped the fallen zombie knights, and their different limbs reattached. The zombies rose again and attacked. Zeke excitedly eliminated the zombies again and again. Even if they died and came back to life, Zeke immediately tore them to pieces, so at some point, there were no more corpses left to revive. The ck figure merely watched Zeke from the railing. After defeating all the zombies, Zeke shouted towards the suspicious robe. "Is that the end? No more?" The figure, as he had been doing so far, looked at Zeke and slowly retreated. Without another word, the mage dispersed into ck mist and disappeared. Zeke flinched but there was nothing he could do. He was disappointed that he couldn''t catch the suspicious mage. ''If I see you again, I''ll catch you then and turn you into points.'' Zeke quickly shook off his regret, sheathed his sword, and climbed up the central staircase. And he arrived at Matteo''s office. At that moment, a dagger emerged from the darkness and aimed at Zeke''s neck. As if he had expected it, Zeke calmly looked to the side and opened his mouth. "Simon." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 54 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 54 Simon pressed his de against Zeke''s throat. "I never thought you''d actuallye this far." Despite the knife at his neck, Zeke remained calm. "Seeing the trap you set with a mage, I had a hunch." Zeke''sposure made Simon uneasy. Zeke continued, "Don Juan''s orders, I presume? Eliminate me before things get out of hand." Simon pressed the knife harder against Zeke''s throat. "The Boss has ns to crush the Fav cartel. And that''s not something a Central Continent brat like you can interfere with." "That''s rich. If it weren''t for me, you would have lost your distributionwork to the Fav cartel without even knowing it." Simon spoke slowly, "The Syndicate will continue to transport the cartel''s goods through that woman, Kay. Of course, they''ll only handle McCain''s goods. Just like now." "So you only need the Syndicate''swork, and I''m expendable." Exactly as Zeke had predicted. Don Juan wanted to appear magnanimous and bold, but his true nature was cowardly. At the slightest hint of danger, he would either withdraw or eliminate the threat preemptively. Of course, this cautiousness was also the key to his rise to the top of the dangerous cartel world. Zeke taunted Simon, "Then why haven''t you killed me yet?" His boldness caused Simon''s hand to tremble slightly. "Simon Zapatero. No, the Shadow Ghost" Simon was startled to hear his old name from Zeke''s mouth. It was a name he used during his days as an ouw in the border region, a name almost no one knew now. He lowered his voice, "Who the hell are you? How do you know my name?" Zeke replied calmly, "I know more than just your name. I also know why the Shadow Ghost is working under Don Juan." "What are you talking about?" "Isn''t it to protect thest bloodline of the Cusco Kingdom?" Simon''s de wavered for a moment. Zeke seized the opportunity, reinforcing his neck with Dragon Scale Armor, grabbing Simon''s arm, and twisting it. Crack! In a swift maneuver, Simon dislocated his own shoulder to escape Zeke''s grip. Both men drew their daggers, facing off in the confined space. "Who the hell are you?" Zeke looked at Simon and dered, "My name is Zeke Draker. I am a direct descendant of the Draker n." Simon''s eyes widened. "No way... Are you the youngest Blue ranker on the continent?" "Well, that too." Simon''s expression darkened upon learning Zeke''s identity. Even the McCain cartel would be wiped out from the Southern Continent if the Draker n intervened directly. While it would be impossible to eliminate all drug traffickers in the South, they could easily eradicate the McCain cartel. Sensing Simon''s inner turmoil, Zeke spoke, "Don''t worry, Draker isn''t involved in cartel affairs. This is my personal business." Simon eyed Zeke warily. "Why are you revealing your identity to me?" Zeke slowly lowered his dagger. "Simon Zapatero. Join me instead of Don Juan. I promise to help you protect the Cusco bloodline and even restore the kingdom." Simon was taken aback by the unexpected offer. "You expect me to believe that?" "Wouldn''t Draker be more trustworthy than a drug dealer like Don Juan?" Zeke gestured towards the window. "Look, the Fav cartel members are swarming in like bees. After you kill me on Don Juan''s orders, how do you n to escape? Did Don Juan promise to send reinforcements?" There were none. As always, he would have to escape on his own. Zeke continued, seeing Simon''s silence, "If you follow me, I promise to get you and your men out of here safely." "Even if we escape, Don Juan''s pursuit won''t end." Zeke grinned. "You don''t know me very well. Do you think I''m afraid of the likes of Don Juan? Once we leave here, I''m going straight to McCain." Simon''s face hardened. "Don''t tell me... you''re targeting Don Juan." "My goal is to make McCain and Fav tear each other apart. I''ve wounded Fav, now it''s McCain''s turn." Zeke''s words filled Simon with confusion. The seemingly invincible McCain cartel was being yed by a single person. Zeke continued, "Simon, I''m serious. I want you to join me." During his past life in the cartel, Simon was the only person Zeke felt any genuine human connection with. They weren''t close enough to be called master and disciple, but they were trustworthyrades. Simon, thest captain of the Cusco Royal Guard, had escaped the kingdom ten years ago during a civil war, carrying the infant princess with him. He fled with the baby to the harsh bordends of the Southern Continent, where the military couldn''t find them, and survived as a contract killer while protecting the Cusco bloodline. His n was to gather wealth and manpower by working as Don Juan''s hitman, hoping to restore the princess to her rightful ce before she came of age. Before dying in his past life, Simon had confided all this to Zeke and entrusted him with the princess''s safety. However, Don Juan had already learned of Simon''s past. By the time Zeke went to find the princess, Don Juan had already sold her to the Cusco rebels for a ransom. As thest of the Cusco royal bloodline, she was executed by the rebels. Knowing this, Zeke wanted to get Simon out of the cartel. Simon slowly lowered his dagger. "Can you swear on what you just said?" Zeke nodded. "I swear on my honor as a knight." Simon knelt before Zeke. "Simon Zapatero, Captain of the Cusco Royal Guard, greets his master, Zeke Draker." He immediately pledged his allegiance to Zeke. Zeke nodded and helped Simon to his feet. "Let''s talk details after we get out of here. Where are Matteo and your men?" "Matteo is being held captive in the next room. My men are waiting for my signal to activate the explosive scrolls. Then they''ll scatter and meet at the extraction point." "Can you gather all your men?" "I can signal them." "Good. I''ll take care of Matteo. You signal your men to detonate the explosives and then head towards the sewer entrance we came from." "Understood." As Simon moved, Zeke headed towards the room where Matteo was held. Matteo was bound and gagged. Zeke removed the gag. "You damn bastards!" The moment Matteo started shouting, Zeke punched him in the face. Wham! "Ugh!" Matteo''s face caved in from the single blow. Zeke growled, "Where''s the ledger?" Even with his face caved in, Matteo tried to spit at Zeke. Seeing this, Zeke drew his dagger and activated his lightning skill. Crackle! Zeke''s dagger, charged with lightning, electrocuted Matteo. "Kraaagh!" Matteo convulsed in agony. Zeke, radiating Dragon''s Majesty, pressed him again. Trembling, Matteo revealed the location andbination of the secret safe. "This is what the end of the cartel looks like. Go to hell." With that, Zeke swiftly beheaded Matteo. He carved the McCain cartel''s mark onto Matteo''s forehead with his dagger. The man hadmitted so many evil deeds that his death was a positive for the world. Leaving Matteo''s corpse in in sight, Zeke went to find the secret safe. Click! Inside, it was filled with cash, ledgers, jewelry, and items. He swept everything into his inventory and returned to Matteo''s office, where Simon was waiting. "Boss, I''ve sent the signal. The explosives will detonate in ten minutes." "Good. Let''s go." Zeke and Simon stealthily left Matteo''s room. However, cartel members had already swarmed the area. "Intruders!" "Shoot them!" The cartel members, armed with repeating crossbows, fired relentlessly. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Dozens of bolts rained down on Zeke and Simon. Zeke drew his scabbard and pressed the button, expanding it into a shield. ng! ng! ng! The shield, crafted by the dwarven artisan Gorin, shone as it deflected every crossbow bolt. Zeke then drew his sword and activated the Field of Fire. Whoosh! mes engulfed the hallway. Simon, who was behind Zeke, was astonished to see the sword spewing fire. ''A magic sword?'' A magic sword with such firepower would be priceless. Zeke brandished the ming sword, clearing a path. Just then Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions erupted throughout the mansion. Simon''s men had activated the explosive scrolls. Zeke shouted to Simon, "Grab me!" Without hesitation, Simon grabbed Zeke. Zeke then sprinted towards the window and leaped out. It was a long drop, jumping without protection would have resulted in serious injury. But Zeke activated his wind power. Whoosh! The wind cushioned their fall, allowing Zeke and Simon tond safely. Simon''s eyes widened further at the sight of the sword that couldmand both fire and wind. Beeep! rm whistles shrieked from all directions. "Catch the intruders!" "Fire! Put out the fire!" Boom! Boom! Boom! More explosions followed in session. While the cartel members were in disarray, Zeke and Simon headed towards the sewers. Fortunately, all of Simon''s men had escaped safely. Seeing Simon with Zeke, they realized there had been a change of ns. Simon addressed his men, "This is our new boss. Greet him." Simon''s unit consisted of knights who had secretly joined him to protect the Cusco kingdom. At hismand, they bowed their heads to Zeke without resistance. "We greet our new master!" Zeke nodded in acknowledgment.@@novelbin@@ "Let''s celebrate with a drink once we get out of here safely." They nned to use the sewers to escape, just as they had entered. While that shouldn''t be a problem, the heightened security meant any dy could lead to the sewers being blocked. A swift escape was crucial. Zeke activated his map and navigated through the sewers. After hours of wading through filth, they finally reached the edge of the city. Woof! Woof! Woof! The sound of barking dogs echoed in the distance. Zeke signaled for everyone to stop. Using Dragon''s Eye, he saw that they were already surrounded by pursuers. Zeke said to Simon, "I''ll lure them away. Take your men and escape. Don''t go to McCain. Head to the Central Continent and join Kay at the Syndicate." Simon shook his head. "I can''t do that. The princess is still in McCain." "Don''t worry about that. I''ve already arranged for someone else to get her out." He had already contacted Reinhardt and instructed the Gorka Rangers to extract the princess. Simon was surprised. "Y-you knew this would happen?" "Why do you think Don Juan sent you and me here together? He already knew everything. He nned to eliminate the troublesome Cusco knights and hand over the princess to the rebels." Simon and his men gritted their teeth. "Don Juan... that bastard..." "I''ll protect the princess with my life. Don''t worry and go." Simon nodded. "Boss, please don''t die. I have so much to ask you." "Understood. Then, I''m off!" Zeke dashed forward. The scent hounds, catching his scent, charged towards him. Zeke shouted to his bracelet, "Bucephalus!" The dragon horse was summoned, and Zeke mounted it, leading the pursuers on a chase. Woof! Woof! Woof! The hounds and torch-bearing pursuers followed relentlessly. Once Zeke confirmed they were solely focused on him, he adjusted Bucephalus''s speed, luring the pursuers further away from Simon and his men. When a sufficient distance had been created, Zeke halted Bucephalus and drew his sword. The hounds and pursuers brandished their weapons and charged at Zeke. A massive storm erupted from his sword. Zeke grinned. "Now, let''s have some fun." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 55 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 55 Bang! Don Juan mmed his fist on the desk, splitting the solid hardwood in two. He breathed heavily, ring at the cartel bosses. "Do you think this makes any damn sense?!" A month after the Fav cartel raid, half of the McCain cartel bosses were found dead. Each corpse bore the mark of Fav. Don Juan gritted his teeth. "Wipe out everyst one of those Fav bastards! By any means necessary!" His murderous voice sent chills down the spines of the cartel bosses. "Th-this is a disaster!" Just then, the meeting room doors burst open. A panicked underling rushed in. "The harbor... it''s been hit!" With the border route blocked, the harbor was the only way to move goods in the Southern Continent. Don Juan''s face twisted into a demonic snarl. He grabbed the messenger by the throat. "Damn it! What happened to the goods in the warehouse?!" Choked by Don Juan''s grip, the underling could only sputter and foam at the mouth before copsing. Thud! Don Juan threw the unconscious man to the floor, gasping for breath. He stumbled to his desk and pulled out some Soma, snorting it furiously. "Hoo... Hoo..." One of the lieutenants approached him cautiously. "Boss... perhaps you should leave McCain until things calm down." Don Juan red at him. "Are you telling me to run away now?" The lieutenant spoke calmly. "Those mad pirates will surelye to McCain for you. We could use that to our advantage." Don Juan''s expression shifted. "You mean... lure them into a trap?" "Exactly. We capture them when they arrive, and youunch a counterattack. The Fav scum will be terrified and flee back to the South Sea." Don Juan pondered this, then nodded. "That makes sense. I like it." "You can direct the operation from Tahuani. Once the counterattack seeds, weunch a full-scale assault. Victory will be certain." "Tahuani..." Tahuani was the closest region to the border, where Don Juan had a safe house prepared. He looked at his lieutenants. "Adversity has always made us stronger." Don Juan had reverted to his usual pretentious tone. He decided to relocate to Tahuani immediately. *** That night, Don Juan and his men slipped out of the mansion in a covered carriage. They raced towards Tahuani without stopping. After two days of relentless travel, they finally reached the safe house. Don Juan grimaced at the sight of the modest dwelling, a far cry from his opulent mansion. While he sighed, his men carried his belongings inside. He had brought a considerable amount of luggage, as he would be staying here until the situation in McCain was resolved. ''Damn those pirates. I''ll wipe them all out.'' He went up to his room, put on some music, lit a cigar, and poured himself a drink. He closed his eyes and sat in silence for a while, but a strange feeling soon crept over him. Don Juan opened his eyes and saw a figure standing in the room. "I''ll call you if I need anything. Get out." The figure didn''t move. Just as Don Juan was about to yell, the figure stepped forward, revealing his face. Don Juan froze. "Zeke Murray." His face contorted in disbelief. Zeke, who he thought had died in the Fav raid, was standing before him. Zeke smirked. "Looking quite rxed, Don Juan. Even with everything falling apart around you." Don Juan downed his drink in one gulp. "Do you think I reached this position without facing threats? This is nothing. It doesn''t even register as a danger to me." Zeke nodded. "Good. I was worried you might beg for your life. That would spoil the fun of revenge." Don Juan mmed his fist on the table. "You insolent brat! A mere assassin dares to threaten me? Do you know who I am?!" Don Juan''s bluster was met with a chilling grin from Zeke. "Scared? Putting on a brave front, aren''t you?" Don Juan''s breath grew ragged. Despite his shouts, no one came to his aid. Zeke continued, "Don''t bother waiting for your men. None of them are alive." He drew a dagger and stepped closer to Don Juan. "In my past life... I didn''t have the time to make you suffer properly. I always regretted that. But now..." "What? What are you talking about?" Zeke''s expression hardened. "I toiled like a dog under you. To prove my loyalty, I killed without discrimination. Even now, they haunt my dreams. The people begging me not to kill them." Don Juan stumbled back. "I don''t know what you''re talking about! Stop spouting nonsense!" "Don''t y dumb. While you reveled in wealth and power built on blood and drugs, thisnd was consumed by corruption and despair. Because of you." Don Juan erupted. "I am the savior chosen by God! It''s thanks to me that the poor have jobs! Thanks to me that this city functions!" "Cut the crap, you piece of trash." Zeke advanced on Don Juan, his voice dripping with venom. "Don Juan, you''ll never be saved by God. Because you''re a damned son of a bitch who deserves to be erased from this world." Backpedaling frantically, Don Juan tripped and grabbed an axe from the wall, hurling it at Zeke. Zeke didn''t even flinch. He stood his ground and deflected the axe with his Dragon Scale Armor skill. Ting! The axe ricocheted and plunged into Don Juan''s thigh. "Ugh!" He staggered, clutching his leg. Zeke continued his advance, relentless. "This time, I''ll make your death slow and agonizing." Don Juan felt the cold, hard touch of the dagger against his skin. His screams echoed through the room for hours. *** When Zeke emerged, Simon ordered his men to dispose of Don Juan''s mutted corpse. "Throw it into the Shark Dragon farm. They''ll take care of it." Don Juan, who had boasted about his Shark dragons, would never have imagined that they would feast on his own flesh. Simon and Zeke approached Kay, who was smoking downstairs. "Is everything taken care of?" Zeke nodded and sat across from Kay. "What about the Syndicate?" Kay nodded. "Yes. I was handling the operations anyway. The executives who tried to side with Fav were killed by Don Juan, so there''s no resistance. Simon took care of those who tried to leave." "Good. Work with Simon for a while and absorb the power vacuum left by the McCain cartel." "You want us to be a cartel?" "No, the Syndicate continues as it is. Simon will take over the Southern organizations." Simon silently nodded in agreement. Kay, observing this, shook her head at Zeke. "You actually brought down the McCain cartel." "With Don Juan gone, the McCain cartel will descend into chaos. Now''s the crucial time." Kay nodded. Zeke handed her something. "What''s this?" "I made a deal with the Reinhardt Company. They''re starting a pharmaceuticalpany. With high-quality Soma as the raw material and skilled alchemists, we can process it into various medicines. The n is to legally export and import Soma, process it into medicine, and establish a legitimate distributionwork." "Huh?" Ignoring Kay''s bewildered reaction, Zeke pointed at Simon. "Once the organization is reorganized, Simon will drive out the rebels in the Cusco dynasty. With their permission, we legalize Soma production. Then Reinhardt can handle the official import procedures, and we can distribute it legally." "You want us to go legit?" "No, the Syndicate keeps doing what it does. We''ll find someone else to run the pharmaceutical business. Once the medicine is produced, the Syndicate just handles transportation. But you''ll need to set up a shell transportationpany, at least for appearances." Kay carefully considered Zeke''s n. Establishing a transportationpany to move legitimate medicine would provide excellent cover for the Syndicate''s other activities. She nodded in agreement. "Good. There might be some internal resistance at first, but we''ll manage." "Alright. Simon, stay with Kay until things settle down." "Understood, Boss." Zeke stood up. "I''ll be taking my leave." "Where are you going?" "I have an appointment." "What? What appointment?" Zeke simply shrugged, as if he had no intention of answering, and walked straight out of the mansion. He then activated his map and opened a portal. His surroundings shimmered as the portal opened. With a sh of light, Zeke vanished. *** "Whew." Zeke had traversed continents in an instant. ''It stings to lose 600 points at once, though.'' Appearing near the As Ruins, Zeke mounted Bucephalus and headed towards his destination. He arrived at a hotel in the heart of the city. Zeke dismounted in a discreet location, sent Bucephalus back to the spirit realm, and entered the hotel. He was then guided to the Sky Lounge on the top floor. "Oh! You''re here! Zeke,e in,e in!" Someone greeted Zeke boisterously from the VIP section of the Sky Lounge. It was none other than Carus Nerba Constantine, the fourth prince of the Rom Empire. The prince, who had been invited to the Four Seasons Fortress, was still in As and had summoned Zeke. When Zeke received the unexpected news from Decker that the prince had sent an invitation through the long-distancemunicationwork, he sensed something was up. ''Just as I suspected.'' Sitting next to the prince were Abel Draker and William Siemens. Abel rose from his seat and greeted Zeke. "It''s been a while, Zeke. I heard you were in secluded training. I hope we''re not interrupting." Zeke responded politely. "Not at all. I was actually feeling frustrated with theck of progresstely." As he replied, Zeke carefully observed Abel. He wondered if Abel suspected him of being involved in the current situation in the South. Zeke had deliberately used the portal to create an alibi. No matter how fast he traveled, it would be physically impossible to travel from the Southern Continent to the Central Continent the day after receiving the invitation. ''If it''s not about the South, then why did they call me?'' Carus, oblivious to Zeke''s thoughts, excitedly filled the sses with alcohol.@@novelbin@@ "Abel and William may be good at work, but they''re no fun to hang out with! I hope you''re not like that, Zeke." Zeke grinned and raised his ss. "To a pleasant time with Your Highness." Carus excitedly raised his ss high. "Cheers!" They both gulped down the expensive alcohol, which cost over 10 gold per ss, as if it were water. Carus was delighted to see that Zeke could hold his liquor surprisingly well. Several rounds of drinks went by. Thanks to his Healing Factor, Zeke could drink endlessly without getting drunk. In the end, Carus was the first to pass out. "Hmm... Hmm..." William helped the drunken Carus to his room, leaving only Abel and Zeke in the lounge. Abel took out a bottle of wine and elegantly poured himself a ss. He then took out a new ss, ced it in front of Zeke, and filled it with wine. Holding his ss, Abel looked at Zeke. "Zeke, I have a question for you." "Please, ask." Abel gazed at Zeke intently. "What do you think of the current state of Draker?" ''Why is he asking me this all of a sudden?'' Before Zeke could answer, Abel continued. "I intend to destroy Draker someday." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 56 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 56 "Destroy Draker" Zeke met Abel''s gaze, trying to discern his true intentions. Those sharp, crimson eyes... Zeke could sense the power of destruction and madness within them. ''Did he approach me knowing I sided with Cali, hoping to sway me?'' Zeke''s current power was insignificant. However, once he graduated from Valha and officially joined the n as a knight, his status as a pure-blood Awakened would grant him swift ess to the core of power. Moreover, as the formal disciple of Duke, the ck Knight, Zeke could potentially gain his support and bring him into the fold as well. Zeke''s potential value was greater than it seemed. When Zeke remained silent, Abel took another sip of wine and spoke. "Do you not believe me?" To further gauge Abel''s intentions, Zeke decided to y along. "I''m not sure how to interpret your statement about destroying the n." Abel chuckled. "I don''t know about my other siblings, but Zeke, I thought you would understand what I''m saying." He looked into Zeke''s eyes. "You have the same scent as me. The scent of blood and battle is deeply ingrained in you. Perhaps it''s because you inherited the strongest blood of the Dragon yer." ''That Dragon yer blood nonsense again'' Zeke decided to prod further. "Destroy the n... Is that why you''re building close ties with the Empire?" Zeke''s pointed question gave Abel pause. He then nodded slowly. "I can''t deny that. Zeke, have you ever been to the Empire?" Zeke shook his head. In his past life, he had infiltrated various cities on missions, but he hadn''t been to the Empire in this life. Abel continued, "Many consider As to be the greatest city on the Central Continent, but I disagree." He spoke slowly, "As is ultimately just a city with autonomy. Without Draker''s backing, it''s a sandcastle that could copse at any moment. But the Empire is different." "How so?" "Everything in the Empire is connected to Rom, the capital. The Empire is constantly building roads. They aim to create roads that traverse the Central Continent, reaching north to the Northern Continent, south to the Southern Continent, and even further to the Eastern Continent." "Why the constant need for road building?" "Zeke, that is the Empire''s unseen strength. Unifying the continent. Differentnguages, cultures, and resources have always gued thisnd. The Empire can connect everything through roads and create unity. And that will surely lead to a better world." Listening to Abel''s grand vision of the Empire, Zeke remarked, "Those are words fit for the Emperor himself." Abel''s eyes flickered for a moment. It was a fleeting instant, but Zeke''s instincts caught it, sensing something more. ''Cain, who had the Constantine surname. His middle name was Siemens. Abel has the backing of the Siemens n, his maternal side. There''s definitely a connection between Abel, Siemens, and the Empire.'' If that were true, it would exin why Abel offered to hand over Draker to the Empire. Abel looked at Zeke. "Zeke, I want to give worthy individuals the positions and rewards they deserve. You have the potential to be my closest confidante, wielding the finest sword and jewels." Second only to himself. He was promising Zeke a powerful position as his second-inmand if he joined his faction. Zeke saw the ambition burning in Abel''s eyes. Eyes filled with madness, befitting someone who would plunge the continent into the chaos of war. Zeke remembered the era of turmoil and war that Abel had created in his past life. He spoke slowly, "I apologize, but I don''t think that position is right for me." He sought to be the strongest on the continent, not a harbinger of death and destruction. Zeke rose from his seat. Abel spoke, "Are you sure you won''t regret this?" Zeke turned to Abel and replied, "I don''t think I will." He promptly left the room, leaving Abel alone. Abel, left at the table, turned to gaze at the night view outside and sipped his wine. A whileter, William entered. He was surprised to see Abel alone. "Why are you alone? Where''s Zeke?" Abel looked at William. "He chose a different path." Just then, the wine ss Abel was holding suddenly softened andpletely melted, its contents spilling onto the table. The hot, molten ss burned the table as it dripped onto the floor. Abel clenched his fist. "William, I think it''s best to nip this in the bud before it''s toote." Today was Abel''sst offer to Zeke. He turned his head and gazed at the elegant night view of As. The moonlight seemed particrly poignant tonight. *** Back in As, Zeke prepared for the new semester at Valha. Valha had only one semester per year, so he was already a sophomore. Unlike other students who usually graduated in five years, Zeke, at seventeen, was preparing for early graduation. He had already reached the Blue rank and held the title of Draker''s official knight. If he focused onpleting the required credits, there was no reason why he couldn''t graduate early. His unprecedented request for early graduation immediately led to a meeting with the headmaster. Zeke went to see Headmaster ubert after a long time. However, he wasn''t the only one waiting outside the headmaster''s office. There were two others. "Yo! Bro!" One was Diego, whom he knew well. But the other was a stranger. ¡®Who is that?'' He was a tall, thin young man with a tired look and a face full of freckles. Zeke, Diego, and the listless young man sat in front of ubert. ubert greeted them warmly. "It''s been a while. Zeke, Diego, and Aster." Zeke was surprised. ''Aster? Could it be Aster Eldolf, the Phantom Knight?'' There was a reason for Zeke''s surprise. Aster Eldolf, the Phantom Knight, was one of the Five Star Knights who demonstrated exceptional skills in the 3rd Continental War in Zeke''s past life. Apart from being a Valha graduate, his personal information was never revealed. His whereabouts after graduating from Valha were unknown, and the only known fact was that he was part of the Imperial Army. He always wore a full-te armor with a helmet, so Zeke never imagined he would have such anguid appearance. It was naturally surprising to see Aster, whom Zeke only knew as a powerful knight, slumped over with his head in his hands in front of the headmaster. "Ugh, I apologize, Headmaster. I haven''t slept properly in a week." "Oh dear. That chronic illness of yours is still troubling you, I see." Indeed. Aster Eldolf suffered from severe insomnia. He was highly strung, and his perfectionism exacerbated his anxiety, leading to insomnia that interfered with his studies. Diego gestured dramatically towards Aster. "Yo, bro! When you can''t sleep, just listen to some music, and you''ll doze right off!" Aster pressed his temples. "Ugh, hey. Sorry, but my head is pounding, so could you please be quiet?" The boisterous Diego and the sensitive Aster seemed like a mismatch. Zeke looked at Aster with pity. ''Insomnia... I suffered from that in my past life too. Because of that damned Don Juan, I had endless nightmares.'' Knowing the torment of insomnia, he empathized with Aster''s situation. Then, a good idea crossed Zeke''s mind. ''Maybe this could be a way to get Aster on my side.'' ubert addressed the three of them. "The reason I called you all together is that you have all applied for special early graduation at the same time." Despite Diego''s usual carefree demeanor and Aster''s listless appearance, they were among the most talented students in Valha. Diego wanted to focus more on music, and Aster, unable to attend sses properly due to insomnia, decided to graduate early. ubert tapped his desk with his finger. "Diego and Aster havepleted all the required courses up to the third year, and Zeke, you said you would fill in the remaining credits with a written exam." Zeke nodded. "That''s correct, Headmaster. I want to graduate as soon as possible and take on my n duties." Zeke yed the role of the polite student, saying only what ubert wanted to hear. The headmaster nodded and addressed the three students. "Good. I''ve spoken with the other professors, and they have no objections to all three of you taking the special early graduation exam. The question is how to evaluate you..." He pulled out a letter from his desk. "This is a cooperation document from Delfoa." Zeke realized what the headmaster was implying. ''He''s going to evaluate us through a real mission.'' Indeed, Valha graduates often participated in missions as apprentice knights in other kingdoms'' knightly orders. Furthermore, students who showed exceptional performance in those missions were often recruited directly into the knightly orders after graduation. Most of Valha''s partner organizations were prestigious knightly orders from the Central Kingdom. However, Delfoa, while being one of the five major kingdoms in the Central Continent, had a unique characteristic, due to its tradition as the origin of magic, mage orders held more power than knightly orders within the kingdom. This meant that life as a knight in Delfoa was rtivelyfortable, but in terms of prestige, it wasn''t a popr choice among Valha students. ubert spoke slowly, "Have you ever heard of the ck Yaksha ?" Zeke nodded. "I know him as a continental criminal who was once an ouw." "You''re well-informed about continental affairs, Zeke. That ck Yaksha has been absorbing mercenary groups in the Central Continent and has established a base in Delfoa." Ouws from the border region learned to use Aura differently from the knights of the Central Continent. Their methods weren''t proper Aura cultivation techniques, but they specialized in deadly skills effective in actualbat. There was a reason why cartels paid a lot of money to hire ouws. Zeke asked ubert, "Are we cooperating with the Delfoa Knights to subjugate the ck Yaksha''s group?" ubert nodded. "Most of the operation will be handled by the Delfoa Knights and Mages, but they''ve requested assistance from skilled knights of Purple rank or higher."@@novelbin@@ Considering that a knightly order of Delfoa''s size requested Purple rank knights, Zeke could imagine the situation. ''The battle mages will handle most of the fighting, and the knights will clean up afterward.'' It seemed like sending graduates was a bit excessive, but they couldn''tpletely ignore the request. So, they decided to incorporate it into the special graduation exam. ubert addressed the three students. "Simply returning safely after participating in the mission will be considered passing the first exam." "How many exams are there in total?" "Three in total. After the first, the second and third will involve carrying out missions with other graduation candidates." It seemed they were expected topensate for theirck of practical experience through these missions. Zeke nodded. "I''ll participate, Headmaster." Diego and Aster also expressed their willingness to participate. "Good. Departure is in a week, so prepare yourselves. Especially Zeke, as this will be your first official mission, be well-prepared." "Understood." In reality, Zeke was a seasoned veteran of countless battles, but ubert had no way of knowing that. After leaving the headmaster''s office, Zeke let Diego go ahead to the club room for a music session. Then, he approached Aster. " Aster Eldolf." Aster looked at him with his freckled face and vacant eyes. "Oh, my head. Huh? Are you talking to me?" With his dazed expression and exhausted appearance, it was impossible to imagine him as one of the Five Star Knights, the Phantom Knight. Zeke approached Aster and said, "Do you need any insomnia medication?" He grinned and whispered, "I have some good medicine." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 57 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 57 "M-medicine?" Aster was taken aback by Zeke''s words. He then drooped his head dejectedly. "Haa... Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I''ve tried every medicine out there, but nothing works." Looking at Aster''s worseningplexion, Zeke grinned. "Forget about it. Just follow me." Zeke dragged Aster to a nearbywn. Finding a secluded spot, Zeke pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small pouch that fit snugly in his palm. "Aster, how many hours do you want to sleep?" "Uh... well, if I could get even two hours of deep sleep, I''d be happy." Zeke held the pouch under Aster''s nose and gently opened it. Aster looked at Zeke and said, "Even if you do that, it won''t..." Before he could finish his sentence, Aster copsed onto thewn. Seeing Aster sprawled out, snoring softly, Zeke nodded. "Sandman''s Sleep Sand. It''s incredibly effective." Bing a mid-level manager had significantly expanded his item purchase options, including all sorts of peculiar items. There were items to cure insomnia, antidepressants, and even aphrodisiacs. He never thought he''d actually use something he''d only considered a novelty, but it seemed to work better than expected. Zeke left Aster sleeping on thewn, attended to some business, and returned two hourster. Aster was still fast asleep, so Zeke shook him awake. "...doesn''t work." Aster woke up, finishing his previous sentence. He sensed something was different and looked around. The persistent headache that had been bothering him was gone. Aster stared at Zeke in disbelief. "Did I... fall asleep?" "You slept soundly. The medicine worked well." After a week of sleeplessness, Aster felt refreshed despite only sleeping for two hours. He grabbed Zeke''s hand and eximed, "Oh my god, thank you so much! I can''t believe it... The world is such a beautiful ce!" Aster jumped up and down excitedly. Then he asked Zeke, "Where can I get that medicine? Tell me!" Zeke shook his head. "It''s a secret medicine I barely managed to get from an acquaintance. You can''t buy it anywhere." Aster''s face fell in disappointment. Then Zeke said, "There is one way to get this medicine." Aster''s eyes lit up as he leaned closer to Zeke. "W-what is it?" "Have you decided what you''ll do after graduation?" Aster shook his head. "No, not yet. I was nning to look around after graduation, but with my insomnia getting worse, I don''t know if I can live a normal life." Zeke grinned and pulled out a contract from his pocket. "If you sign a contract with me, I''ll provide you with the medicine regrly. Enough for you to sleep soundly every three days." Aster was astonished. "R-really? All I have to do is sign a contract?" He tried to sign the contract without even reading it properly. Zeke stopped him. "Hey, at least read the terms before signing. You might end up being sold to some shady organization." Ignoring Zeke''s warning, Aster hurriedly signed the contract. "I''ll do anything if I can just sleep properly." Zeke clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched Aster. ''Did this guy get sold to the Empire in my past life because of this?'' He had acquired one of the Five Star Knights more easily than expected. With a satisfied expression, Zeke took the contract and handed Aster some Sleep Sand. "This is a month''s worth. If you take too much at once, you might fall asleep forever, so use only the amount I tell you." "Oh, okay." Looking at Aster, who seemed somewhatcking despite his skills, Zeke frowned. ''Diego, too... All these Five Star Knights seem a bitcking.'' Among those he had met, Reina seemed the most normal. But Zeke shook his head. ''Get a hold of yourself. Don''t fall into this Draker-like way of thinking.'' "Aster." "Yes?" "Again, from now on, call me Master." "Oh, sorry. Master." "Let''s see your skills before we go to Delfoa." Zeke decided to properly educate Aster about hierarchyter. For now, he took him to the training grounds. He had heard many rumors about the Phantom Knight in his past life, but he had never faced him directly on the battlefield. He needed to assess Aster''s abilities properly. As Zeke drew Bahamut, Aster began assembling something he took out of his bag. A momentter, a considerably long spear was formed. "It''s been a while since I''ve seen a knight who uses a spear." "Ah, it''s because of n spear techniques. I mean, spear techniques, Master." Aster stood before Zeke, spear in hand. He had been walking listlessly just a moment ago, but his demeanor changedpletely once he held the spear. ''Oh? Not bad.'' Zeke said to Aster, "You can use your Aura freely." Aster flinched slightly. "R-really?" "Yes. Give it your all." Aster hesitated for a moment, then nodded.@@novelbin@@ He aimed his spear at Zeke. Woooong! Aster''s Aura infused the spear, and an ethereal energy rose from it like a heat haze. Zeke also gripped Bahamut and pointed it at Aster. Aster shifted his weight back and took a stance. Zeke had expected him to lunge forward with the long spear, but it seemed to be a defensive technique. Zeke charged at Aster first. Wheeik! Zeke countered Aster''s spear with the Basic Dragon ying Techniques. ng! ng! ng! Aster maintained his distance and effortlessly blocked Zeke''s sword with his long spear. The reach of the spear made it difficult for Zeke to get close. ''In that case...'' Zeke used the Phantom Steps to close the distance with Aster. At that moment¡ª Click! Aster''s spear separated, transforming from a long spear into a short spear. He struck Zeke''s sword with the shaft in his left hand and thrust the spear in his right hand towards Zeke''s unguarded spot. Whoosh! His spear technique, utilizing both hands, had excellent bnce between offense and defense. As Zeke stepped back, Aster reassembled his spear back into its long form. ''Interesting technique.'' Switching between a long spear and a short spear, adapting to the opponent''s distance with unpredictable techniques... An ordinary knight would be overwhelmed and defeated before they could even disy their full abilities. However, Zeke was no stranger to such unorthodox techniques. He suddenly drew a dagger and threw it at Aster. Aster reacted immediately and deflected the dagger, but the force behind it made him falter. Zeke seized the opportunity, aiming for Aster''s legs through a low, blind spot. Swish! Aster retreated, evading Zeke''s sword. But Zeke''s attack didn''t end there. He had been waiting for Aster''s bnce to break, and he immediately straightened up and unleashed a Dragon yer Technique. Dragon yer Technique, True Dragon Sword Skill Chapter 2, Verse 1 Earth Splitter The simplest yet most powerful technique. Caught off guard by Zeke''s Earth Splitter, Aster detached his spear shaft and channeled his Aura. Eldolf Spear Technique Counterattack Reverse Current Thrust Aster''s spear spun, attempting to deflect the force of Zeke''s attack. However, the power of Zeke''s Earth Splitter was too strong for the Reverse Current to take hold. Instead, Aster''s spear was dragged along by Zeke''s attack. "Ugh!" Aster tried his best to withstand the attack, but it was futile. Unable to deflect Zeke''s sword strike, Aster took the full brunt of Earth Splitter. Crash! Sent flying by the impact, Aster crashed into the wall of the training ground. "Gah!" The pain, as if his whole body had been pummeled, overwhelmed him. "Ugh..." Zeke approached Aster and offered him something. "Drink this." It was a diluted solution of a low-grade healing potion. The healing potions from the system shop were so potent that even when diluted, they were more effective than regr potions. After drinking the potion, Aster finally caught his breath. "Ugh... Master, are you a monster?" "It''s not that I''m a monster, you''ve just been toox in your training." Aster''s jaw dropped. Having lived his life as a genius, he had never been told so bluntly that his skills werecking. "You''ll need some training before we go on the mission." Zeke''s chilling smile sent shivers down Aster''s spine, but he couldn''t argue. *** Having sessfully shocked Aster, Zeke returned to the mansion in high spirits. He was slightly giddy as he nned Aster''s grueling training schedule. Just then, Decker approached him. "You have a visitor, Young Master." Gelion was waiting in the reception room. "It''s been a while, Gelion." "Greetings, My Lord." "How''s the cksmithing going?" Gelion replied with a sheepish expression. "Thanks to you, My Lord, I''m crafting weapons to my heart''s content. It''s nothing to boast about, but I''ve been getting a few customers from afartely." In his past life, Gelion was known as the Soul cksmith. Now that he had a magic forge, it was only a matter of time before his skills became widely recognized. ''I should bring him over to my side after he gains some more experience.'' Zeke nned to make Gelion his exclusive cksmith once he established his own base. "But My Lord, what is the reason for summoning me? Is there something wrong with Bahamut?" Zeke shook his head. "There''s nothing wrong with Bahamut. I wanted to see you about something else. Let''s go." Zeke led Gelion to his private training ground. He then said to Gelion, "Gelion, you must never speak of what you see here to anyone." Gelion nodded. "Of course, My Lord." Zeke stepped away from Gelion and transformed the armor he was wearing. nk! Hercyon enveloped Zeke''s entire body, changing its form into full-te armor. "M-my goodness!" Gelion gaped at Zeke equipped with Hercyon. Zeke approached Gelion and said, "Do you know anything about this armor? I couldn''t find any information about it, no matter how hard I looked." Although he had registered it in the system, even with Dragon''s Eye, he couldn''t glean any information about the armor. He had summoned Gelion hoping that identifying the armor might shed light on the identity of Cain, its previous owner. Gelion examined every nook and cranny of Hercyon with a serious expression. After a while, he seemed to have figured something out and clicked his tongue. "Do you know something?" Gelion nodded. "I''ve never seen anything like this. From its construction to the materials, I don''t recognize anything." Zeke was taken aback. If Gelion, a disciple of the dwarven master Golin, didn''t know, who would? Just as Zeke''s concern grew, Gelion corrected himself. "Ah, My Lord. When I said I don''t know, I meant that this artifact is beyond the scope of my knowledge. However, there''s something I can infer from that." "What do you mean?" "My master taught me everything about items made after the Golden Age." Zeke looked at Gelion. "Are you saying this armor was made before the Golden Age?" "That''s what I believe. Judging from thepletely new structure, material, and craftsmanship, this couldn''t have been made with modern technology. It could be from the era of mythical hero-kings or even an ancient civilization that existed long before." "Is it that different from the Empire''s Hercyon?" Gelion nodded. "It''s not evenparable. I once assisted my master in working on Hercyon, but this armor''s sophistication is unmatched. It''s on apletely different level." "Amazing. Even the Empire''s Hercyon costs hundreds of thousands of gold, and this is even more impressive." Zeke grew even more curious about the identity of Cain, who had possessed such armor. Gelion asked Zeke, "The material of the armor is truly unique... It''s neither mithril nor dragon bone, yet it has such strength and sticity. Do you know anything about it?" Zeke seemed to recall something and said to Gelion, "Oh,e to think of it, this armor deflected an Aura de." Gelion''s eyes widened in surprise. "I-is that true?" "It deflected the Aura de I created." "M-my goodness..." Zeke didn''t understand Gelion''s astonishment. "What''s wrong, Gelion? Is that so extraordinary?" Gelion replied in a trembling voice, "M-my Lord, there''s only one metal in the world that can deflect an Aura de." With an excited expression, he eximed, "Only Orichalcum, the metal of the gods!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 58 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] CHAPTER 58 "Orichalcum..." Gelion''s fingertips trembled as he caressed Zeke''s Hercyon. "Oh my god. To think I''d see Orichalcum in my lifetime..." "Is it that precious of a metal?" Gelion, startled, replied, "M-My lord! Orichalcum is said to be the most perfect material that God left in this world." "I see. So, what is the value of this Orichalcum?" "Orichalcum is said to have a far superior magical conductivity than any other metal. In other words, it can be inscribed with far more magic than a metal with the same surface area." Zeke recalled the information that had surfaced when he first registered the armor. ''Come to think of it, it was said to be engraved with twenty-eight grand magic circles.'' Zeke casually asked Gelion, "By any chance, how many grand magic circles can be engraved on ordinary armor?" At that, Gelion made a dumbfounded expression. "A few grand magic circles...? My lord, in the first ce,rge-scale magic circles cannot be engraved on ordinary armor." Gelion said it was as difficult as engraving an entire book onto a grain of wheat. Zeke marveled at the Hercyon he was wearing. ''Twenty-eight grand magic circles are engraved on it, which can''t even be engraved on ordinary armor... Just how was this made?'' To that extent, it seemed that even Cain, the original owner of this armor, did not fully understand its original function. Zeke asked Gelion, "Would it be possible to change this armor into a different form?"@@novelbin@@ Gelion waved his hands. "O-Orichalcum, you say? I-It''s impossible." "You say it''s impossible? Is it that difficult to handle Orichalcum?" "It''s called God''s metal, but it''s still metal, so it can be handled somehow. But the problem is that this armor is alreadyplete. If I touch it and the magic circles engraved in it get damaged, the armor itself may be unusable." Zeke understood Gelion''s concerns. ''Hmm, I have no choice but to use the armor only in emergencies.'' Then Gelion spoke cautiously, "Perhaps, Master might be able to do it." "Master Golin, you mean?" "Yes. I think Master would be able to change its appearance without affecting the functions of Hercyon." "I see. By any chance, do you know where Golin is now?" "As always, he''ll be in Himonas, diligently crafting whatever he wants to create." At the word Himonas, Zeke''s expression hardened. "Himonas..." Seeing his grave expression, Gelion said to Zeke, "You probably don''t know it well. It''s a region located far north." Zeke slowly opened his mouth. "It''s the region where the Northern Duke resides." Gelion was surprised. "How did you know? Even people from the Central Continent don''t know about the Northern Duke." "Just... I happened to know." At Zeke''s words, Gelion realized that he didn''t want to say more and, with an awkward expression, didn''t ask any further. ''Himonas.'' The ce he missed the most, yet hesitated to go. Zeke himself didn''t know how he would feel if he went there and saw her, so he didn''t want to go rashly. ''There''s still plenty of time. Later. It won''t be toote to go after I''ve achieved everything I want to achieve.'' Zeke gave Gelion a room and returned to his own. He was lost in thought all night and couldn''t fall asleep easily. *** The next day, Zeke headed to the secret branch of the Reinhardt Company. It was the ce where Princess Melissa secretly held meetings forpany matters, and Zeke, who had be a director of thepany, was also scheduled to attend. "Wee, Zeke." Cliff, the public face of thepany, greeted Zeke in the conference room. Princess Melissa had arrived early and was reviewing documents. "It''s been a while, Sir Zeke." She also greeted Zeke warmly. Zeke, Melissa, and Cliff sat at the round table and began the meeting. Cliff brought up the topic first. "The production of medicines using Soma, as you mentioned, Sir Zeke, seems to be proceeding without any problems. However..." He slowly brought up the difficulty. "At the very least, it will be difficult to build a factory within the Central Continent to process Soma into medicine." Initially, they considered building a factory in the Alencia Kingdom, but even Princess Melissa found it difficult to exert influence on this matter. As Melissa was renowned as a phnthropist, rumors of her supporting a pharmaceuticalpany processing the narcotic Soma would tarnish her reputation. Upon hearing this, Zeke said to Cliff, "What about medicine that has already been processed?" "Finished medicines can be imported without any problems if they pass the safety verification by the Magic Tower." "Then it''s settled. Let''s build a factory in the Southern Continent to manufacture the products, and have Reinhardt import and distribute them." Melissa shook her head at his words. "Sir Zeke, I apologize, but currently, the Reinhardt Company doesn''t have the capacity to build arge-scale pharmaceutical factory in the South. We barely managed to build a factory to produce the cure for the Red Flower gue." Zeke grinned. "We''ll build that on our side. Instead, when the products are made, please have Reinhardt talk to the Magic Tower and get the necessary permits." Melissa was surprised by Zeke''s words. "Sir Zeke, you''ll build the factory yourself? Is Draker going to be involved?" He shook his head. "I will proceed with my personal funds, so you don''t have to worry about Draker''s involvement." Although she wanted to know more, Melissa couldn''t pry into matters concerning his personal funds. She nodded. "Alright. If the factory in the South is built, we will take charge of importing the medicine and selling it in the Central Continent." "The import agency will contact you soon. Please discuss the details with the person in charge there." The import agency Zeke mentioned was a shellpany of the Syndicate. ''I also need to find a manager to be in charge of the pharmaceutical factory. It would be nice to have a trustworthy mage.'' Finding trustworthy people was always the hardest part. When Zeke was almost finished discussingpany matters with Melissa, he brought up another topic. "I have something to tell you, Your Highness." "What is it, Sir Zeke?" "I have obtained new information about the Empire." Zeke handed Princess Melissa a document summarizing only the necessary parts of the materials he had brought from theboratory in the Southern dungeon. Melissa''s expression hardened as she looked at the material Zeke had given her. "Oh my god. Is it saying that the Empire coborated with the Scorpion n to conduct live experiments with synthetic poisons?" Zeke nodded and said, "If the Red Flower gue is a magically engineered disease, the Empire may have conducted clinical trials of a new magical weapon on Alencia." Melissa gritted her teeth. "I couldn''t believe it, but to think they actually did this to our people..." Having contracted the Red Flower gue herself and survived thanks to the medicine Zeke gave her, the Empire''s evil deeds resonated even more deeply with Melissa. Zeke said to Melissa, "Your Highness, the reason I gave you this information is that we need to keep the Empire''s evil deeds a secret for the time being." Melissa frowned at Zeke''s words. "What do you mean, Sir Zeke? We need to inform the internationalmunity of the Empire''s evil deeds immediately so they can''t do this again." "I understand how you feel. But this information is not strong enough to be used as a diplomatic card." This was the conclusion Zeke had reached after thoroughly examining the materials. The Empire cleverly shifted the responsibility for the experiment to the Scorpion n. Since the Scorpion n was a notorious group of dark mages, human experimentation wouldn''t be a major issue for them. The Empire could simply deny any connection with the Scorpion n and express regret, and that would be the end of it. Understanding Zeke''s words, Melissa clenched her fists and trembled. He said to Princess Melissa, "Your Highness, this information can be a more advantageous card for us to hold onto than to announce publicly." "What do you mean, Sir Zeke?" "The Empire doesn''t know that you and I have this information. Since they are conducting experiments on arge scale, there must be evidence somewhere that directly links them to it." Princess Melissa understood what Zeke meant. "You''re saying it''s better to use that evidence and this information together to firmly pressure the Empire." "That''s right. Nevertheless, the reason I showed you this information first is to prepare in advance." "Prepare?" "If they used the Red Flower gue as a clinical trial in the Alencia conflict zone, it''s highly likely that they will experiment with other poisons there as well. Before that, we need to develop antidotes for these poisons." Princess Melissa nodded vigorously at Zeke''s words. If these weapons were used in the conflict zone, Alencia''s forces would have to fight while poisoned. However, if they prepared antidotes in advance, they could turn the tables on the Empire. "If we catch those who use this poison, the Empire won''t be able to deny its involvement in these illegal human experiments." "That''s right. In that case, we can bring the conflict between the Empire and Alencia to the attention of the entire Central Continent." The princess was convinced by Zeke''s words. At the same time, she once again felt that bringing Zeke into thepany was the right decision. ''My choice wasn''t wrong.'' After delivering all the necessary information, Zeke rose from his seat. "I don''t think I''ll be able to attend the meetings for a while." "I see. If there''s a chanceter, I''d like to invite Sir Zeke to Alencia. Alencia is a ce with beautiful mountains and peaceful, tranquilkes." Zeke nodded. "I know." "Have you ever been to Alencia?" Zeke hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I''ve heard many stories about it being a good ce. Please show me around the beautiful sights when I visit next time." Princess Melissa nodded with an excited expression at Zeke''s words. He left the secret meeting ce and immediately entered Valha. When he went to the training ground, Aster and Diego, whom he hadn''t called, were there. "Diego? Why are you here?" "Yo, bro! It''s not cool to have fun just the two of you without me, yo!" "I thought you hated training." "Of course, I hate training. I''m just here to cheer, yeah!" Diego said brightly, but Zeke wasn''t going to fall for that. In the end, Diego was also dragged by Zeke to join the training. "Zeke! You devil, yo! As expected, Draker''s blood runs deep, yo!" "Stop talking nonsense and swing your sword one more time, Diego." Grumbling, Diego swung his sword as if dancing. The three continued their training. Diego had acted quite cocky in front of Zeke on the first day of training, but after being sent flying into a wall like Aster, he became obedient. ''He only listens after experiencing my power.'' Thus, after a week of hellish training under Zeke''smand, Aster and Diego were gradually being molded in his image. The day of the mission arrived, and the three headed to As Central Station to move to Delfoa. With just their Valha student IDs, they were able to sit in the specialpartment. Right after the three upied the spacious specialpartment, Diego sprawled on the sofa and groaned. "I''m going to die before we even start the mission, yo." When Zeke threatened to make him sit on an invisible chair for the entire trip if he didn''t quiet down, Diego immediately shut his mouth. Just then, someone entered the specialpartment. A knight with a gentle face, wearing a perfectly tailored Draker uniform. It was someone Zeke knew well. ''Andrei?'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 59 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 59 Andrei entered the privatepartment. Since Andrei was an assistant professor at Valha, Diego and Aster stood up when they saw him. "Hello, Professor," Diego greeted. Zeke, still seated, asked Andrei, "What brings you here?" Andrei put down his bag, sat across from Zeke, and replied, "Dispatch." "Are you joining us on the ck Yaksha mission?" "Yes. Did you think they would send only students on a continental public enemy subjugation mission?" Andrei currently held the rank of intermediate knight in Draker. Even that alone was more than enough to be the vicemander of most knight orders. Andrei crossed his legs and looked at Zeke, "Do you know what kind of ce Delfoa is?" Of course, Zeke knew very well, but since he had never been there in this life, he shook his head. "I only know what I learned in ss. I heard it''s a ce where mages are the highest authority, unlike other ces." Andrei nodded, "Yes. It''s a ce with a very unique system." Aster, who was next to them, interjected, "Ah, Professor. Usually, when knights take the lead and push the enemies back, mages provide support, right? But in Delfoa, is it the other way around?" Andrei looked at Aster and answered, "That''s a very good question. To answer your question, no, it''s not." "No? Then do the knights still lead the charge?" "Yes. But unlike other ces, the knights of Delfoa mainly use shields. The knights push the enemies with their shields, and then the battle mages behind them use ranged attacks to neutralize the enemy. This is their main tactic." Aster frowned and said, "Uh, then wouldn''t the allies fighting alongside the enemy suffer great losses?" "Sharp observation, Cadet Aster." Andrei''s expression softened, as if his liking for Aster had increased. "Because of that, it is said that the knights of Delfoa practice running around the battlefield with shields more than they practice using swords." This was the reason why the Delfoa Knights were not popr among Valha graduates. In the end, the Delfoa Knights were only there to act as a protective wall for the Mage Corps. Diego, who was listening to this from the side, scoffed and said, "Even ordinary soldiers can run around with just shields, yo!" Zeke clicked his tongue and said, "Ordinary soldiers wouldn''t be able to run around in a melee with heavy armor and shields. To buy time for the mages to prepare their spells and get out of the way when the spells are flying, they need to be at least at the level of formally trained knights." Andrei nodded at Zeke''s words. "Yes. The reason I brought this up is to let you know in advance so you won''t be too surprised when you get to Delfoa." Zeke knew exactly what Andrei meant. ''Those Delfoa mage bastards are incredibly arrogant.'' Mages from Delfoa, with their strong pride as the originators of magic, were known for their arrogance. Moreover, there were far more famous battle mages from Delfoa than from the Magic Tower or Nirvana. That''s how familiar Delfoa mages were withbat magic, and how well-organized their system was. However, because of this, they treated knights worse than dirt. They thought of knights as nothing more than servants who took the hits until they could use their magic. It was obvious without even seeing it, considering that 80% of the knights who joined the Delfoa Knights transferred to other ces because of conflicts with mages, and 20% because of harassment from mages. However, Andrei''s warning didn''t quite register with Diego and Aster. Zeke inwardly clicked his tongue as he looked at the two. ''Just wait until you experience it. It''ll be a culture shock.'' *** "Are you the dispatched personnel from Valha?" Arge man with a full beard greeted Zeke and his party at Delfoa''s central station. He extended his hand towards Andrei with an arrogant attitude. "I am Jorge Outer,mander of the 8th Knights of Delfoa." Andrei, as the leader, shook hands with Jorge. "I am Andrei Draker, assistant professor at Valha." Jorge was surprised to hear that the young Andrei was a professor at Valha and a full-fledged Draker, and he grasped the hand he shook with his other hand. "I-I didn''t know that the Draker n sent a dispatch directly." Andrei shook his head. "I came as the leader of the students participating in the mission this time." The bearded man nced at Zeke, Diego, and Aster behind him. He looked slightly disappointed at the sight of Zeke, who looked young, Diego, who looked like a delinquent, and Aster, who seemed sickly. Andrei, noticing his thoughts, opened his mouth. "The cadets who came with me are some of Valha''s most talented individuals. They will not hinder the mission." Jorge, hiding his dubious look, led Andrei and his party. "This way, please. Themander is over there." Diego, who was behind them, tilted his head. "Commander? Didn''t that bearded guy say he was themander?" Although he whispered softly, Zeke nudged Diego''s side and said, "Just stay quiet, Diego." Diego was really clueless. As they exited the central station, a luxurious carriage stood before them. As Jorge approached the carriage, the window slid down. Inside the carriage sat a pale man with beady eyes, who silently scanned Andrei and Zeke''s group. Then, he gave some instructions to Jorge, closed the window, and had the carriage depart. Diego nudged Zeke and whispered, "No way, is that the magemander?" Zeke nodded. After the magemander left first in his carriage, Jorge guided the group to a prepared carriage. The prepared carriage was clearly much more crude and of lower quality than the one the magemander had been riding in. However, Andrei and Zeke''s group got into the carriage without a word. Soon, the carriage departed. Only then did Diego start chattering. "What the! I''m not saying I want to be treated like a Valha student, but! This is, shh! This is too much! We even came here on a cooperative dispatch mission!" Zeke kicked Diego''s shin. "Ouch! Zeke and Professor Andrei are official Drakers, why aren''t you saying anything, yo!" Zeke looked at Diego and said, "Didn''t you hear what the professor said earlier? Delfoa is originally like this, so just ept it. At least because it''s a Valha dispatch, themander came out to see us. If it were knights from somewhere else, he wouldn''t have even shown up." Andrei also nodded. "Cadets, after you graduate, as you live your lives as knights in the Central Continent, you will encounter many unexpected situations. Delfoa has a very different atmosphere from the cities of Mind, so keep in mind what you see and learn here." After saying that, he looked at Zeke with renewed interest. He was the youngest here, but he seemed to know Delfoa''s atmosphere very well. ''Zeke Draker. Even when I see him up close, I still don''t understand him. He''s truly full of mysteries.'' Andrei had listened to Zeke and abandoned his stubbornness, which allowed him to receive teachings from Duke. Perhaps because of that, Andrei now felt curiosity and fondness towards Zeke. He had a desire to see his unbelievable growth up close. That''s why he applied first to be the leader of this dispatch mission, but he wasn''t aware of it himself. The carriage traveled for quite a long time, moving to the outskirts of Delfoa. They got off the carriage and looked around, it seemed to be a military camp. However, the training equipment was unique. Most of it was just training facilities forbat magic. "This way, please." Jorge guided Zeke and his party into the barracks. The Valha students were given facilities used by ordinary soldiers, and only Andrei was given a private room to use. ''It seems like they prepared that in a hurry too.'' It felt like they had hurriedly emptied one of the knights'' quarters, as they hadn''t expected an official Draker knight toe as the leader. Diego grumbled as hey down on the old camp bed, and Aster, who seemed to have not slept at all, had a dazed expression. Zeke, who had wandered around and carried out missions since his previous life, had experienced much worse treatment than this, so he wasn''t particrly affected. However, what he was worried about was the ck Yaksha subjugation mission itself. ''That ck Yaksha bastard, I remember he survived for quite a long time and even advanced to the Northern Continent.'' This period in Zeke''s previous life was when he was actively working as a hitman in the South. Even after he destroyed the McCain Cartel and came to the Central Continent in his previous life, he asionally heard news about the ck Yaksha, so it seemed he had survived this subjugation without dying. Recalling the attitude of the Mage Corpsmander he had seen in front of the central station earlier, Zeke thought that this might be a natural consequence. ''It would be fortunate if we don''t get counterattacked.'' However, in this life, since Zeke had applied for early graduation, he didn''t know what kind of influence it would have, so he thought he would have to experience it firsthand at the scene. Just then, Andrei entered. "They said they''re holding a briefing in the situation room, let''s go in." Under Andrei''s guidance, Zeke and his party headed to the situation room. When they entered, they saw a magical image of a map of the area where the ck Yaksha had set up camp and was holding out. Zeke clicked his tongue as he looked at the expensive magical image device. ''They wasted money on this kind of facility.'' Looking at the map, the mages nned their strategy and tactics. The knights, including Jorge, stood behind and listened quietly to the tactics devised by the mages, focusing only on when and where they should charge with their shields. The beady-eyed mage from the carriage earlier gestured towards Zeke and his party with an arrogant attitude. As Zeke and his party approached, he spoke in a voice as unpleasant as his appearance. "There won''t be anything for you to do from Valha. Don''t get in the way and get injured by the magic, just stay quiet and go back." Zeke and his party almost retorted with "Then why did you request cooperation?", but they held back. At the same time, listening to the magemander''s words, Zeke immediately noticed that their organizational system was a mess. ''It seems like there are hardly any purple knights among them. Maybe just Jorge, themander.'' It was absurd that there was no blue knight in the knight order, but if it was the 8th Knight Order, it seemed like they were more of a supplementary force than a formal knight order of Delfoa. Just then, the magemander turned his head and was startled when he saw the ck gloves Zeke was wearing. He got up from his seat and said to Zeke, "No way, are you a pure-blooded awakened of Draker ?" Zeke looked at themander and said, "Yes, but is something wrong?" The magemander''s expression distorted at Zeke''s tone. In Delfoa, it was impossible for a knight to speak to a mage with such an attitude. However, Zeke wasn''t just any knight, so he gritted his teeth and said to Zeke, "...It would be best not to take off those gloves here. If you want to finish the mission safely and return, that is." Pure-blooded awakened of Draker had the power to interfere with magic, so there was no way the mages would like them. ''How sensitive.'' Zeke didn''t bother to reply and just let it slide. After some time, the briefing in the situation room ended, and everyone started to disperse. Zeke and his party had to wait in the barracks until they embarked on the mission the next morning. As they were about to return to the barracks, someone approached Zeke and called his name. "Zeke!" Turning his head, he was surprised to see a familiar face. "Professor Paynun?" He wondered why someone who had moved to the Delfoa Royal Magic Research Institute was in this remote military camp. "Zeke, it''s been a while! How have you been?" "I''ve been fine. But why are you here...?" Paynun made an awkward expression. Zeke felt like he knew what was going on without even hearing it. ''He must have lost in the power struggle.'' For mages, it was especially important to be on the right side to get promoted.@@novelbin@@ However, Paynun was a born schr. There was no way he could have properly endured the political battles of Delfoa, which were notorious for their ferocity. "Zeke, wait a moment." Paynun pulled Zeke to the side and took him somewhere. "What is it, Professor?" Paynun said to him with a serious expression, "Zeke, about the mission tomorrow. Don''t go out there." "What do you mean?" Paynun whispered with a grim face, "This mission... is set up to fail. So... you absolutely must not go." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 60 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 60 "What do you mean by ''set up to fail''?" Paynun made a troubled expression. "It''s difficult to exin the details. If you have no choice but to go on the mission, try to stay in the rear guard." Paynun gave the cryptic warning and hurriedly disappeared. ''A subjugation mission that''s set up to fail.'' Something smelled fishy. Zeke returned to the barracks and pondered Paynun''s warning. Based on his experience, there were usually two possibilities in cases like this. ''Either there''s corruption within the higher-ups of the subjugation force, or there''s a deal with the subjugation target.'' The former was due to corruption stemming from conflicts of interest entangled in the upper echelons, such as military supply fraud. They would intentionally fail the subjugation and then calcte the amount of damage as the amount of the budget they had embezzled beforehand. They could also be failing in order to embezzle military funds in various other ways. The second case was collusion between the subjugation force and the subjugation target. If the subjugation force stayed in the area for a long time and maintained power, they would have to return to the center once the subjugation target disappeared. So, they would intentionally leak information and prolong their stay. ''Even though Delfoa is a ce where mages abuse their power, I don''t remember there being any military corruption.'' If that was the case, the second possibility was more likely. Zeke decided to wait and see the situation. *** The next day, Zeke and his party moved to the area where the ck Yaksha was located, along with the Delfoa subjugation force. The ce where the ck Yaksha group was hiding was a mountain branching off from the Giant Mountain Range. The surrounding mountains were treacherous, and monsters appeared everywhere, making it a ce rarely visited by people. The ck Yaksha had built a fortress here and wasmitting all sorts of crimes. Moreover, he had been staying here for three years, absorbing other mercenary groups and bandits, further increasing his forces. When they arrived at the scene, the magemander gave instructions to the knights. "Groups 1 to 3, go up along the sides of the mountain. Groups 4 to 6, go straight ahead." This meant that the knights and soldiers would be in charge of the dangerous areas, while the mages would slowly advance from the rear and attack from a distance. A tactic for the mages from beginning to end. Despite this, the Delfoa knights couldn''t say a word. Just then, Zeke, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand. The magemander''s eyebrows twitched. "What is it?" Zeke said to themander, "What should we do?" Themander didn''t like Zeke''s subtly irritating tone. He shouted in an annoyed tone, "Didn''t you hear me say yesterday to stay quietly in the rear?" Zeke then said to themander, "I am a blue knight, and Diego and Aster behind me are purple knights. Since we came here for cooperative dispatch, I was asking if there was anything we could do to help." The magemander was momentarily taken aback by the young-looking Zeke''s words that he was a blue knight. The surrounding mages and knights also stirred. As the atmosphere became disrupted, themander decided to take a step back. "...Jorge. Assign them a scouting mission." Then he turned around and went back inside the carriage. Jorge, the knightmander, approached Zeke and stammered, "W-Would a scouting mission be alright?" Zeke nodded. Jorge told them about the path on the opposite side of the direction they were going. It was a route that could get them up the mountain faster, although the terrain was rough. Just then, Andrei approached Zeke and whispered, "Why did you do that all of a sudden? There''s no way Zeke would provoke themander for no reason." Zeke replied to Andrei, "There''s something suspicious about this mission." "What do you mean?" "I suspect there''s collusion between the subjugation force and the ck Yaksha." Andrei was startled by Zeke''s words, but he soon regained hisposure and nodded. He said to Zeke and his party, "From now on, we will carry out a scouting mission to the ck Yaksha''s camp. We will go up in a single-file formation, with Zeke at the front and me at the rear. Zeke will be inmand of the unit." As soon as Andrei finished speaking, Zeke, Diego, and Aster immediately formed up and entered the mountain along the route. The Delfoa knights could only stare with their mouths agape at their disciplined appearance as they disappeared. Zeke, at the front, disyed the map, recorded the route Jorge had told them, and ran through the mountain path. After running along the mountain path for a while, something appeared ahead. Zeke signaled to the back to stop. ''Trolls.'' A group of monster trolls were devouring wild animals. Zeke tried to slip past the trolls, but he saw a suspicious figure in the back. He paused and focused his gaze on it. It seemed to be a ck Yaksha patrol. Zeke immediately threw daggers at the figure. Swoosh! Three daggers, imbued with the power of wind, flew swiftly and urately pierced the legs of the ck Yaksha patrol. "Aagh!" The patrol''s screams alerted the trolls that were devouring the wild animals. "Roar!" The trolls, smelling blood, ran towards the patrol. "Graaagh!" Just then, Zeke and his party, who had been hiding in the bushes, jumped out. sh! Zeke beheaded the troll at the forefront, and Diego and Aster attacked the other trolls. At the same time, Andrei cut down the troll charging at them. Thud! Zeke and his party, who had instantly killed all the trolls, quickly erased their traces. Then they took the patrol, who had copsed after being hit by the daggers, to a nearby cave. Zeke began interrogating the ck Yaksha patrol with a dagger in his hand. "Is the ck Yaksha inside the fortress now?" "You bastards! Go to hell!" Perhaps because they were mostly mercenaries and bandits, theirnguage was rough. But Zeke was a veteran at dealing with these kinds of guys. Zeke deliberately separated the three and began to gently "massage" their fingers, one by one. They soon started screaming and spilling everything. After interrogating all three, hebined the information and filtered out the false information. Andrei''s jaw dropped as he watched Zeke''s interrogation skills. "If the ck Ops saw this, they''d want to scout you right away." "I don''t really want to go there, so please don''t spread rumors." Zeke, who had suffered because of the Draker ck Ops in his previous life, didn''t want to get close to them. After finding out everything they needed, they cleanly disposed of the patrol and continued up towards the fortress. As they approached the fortress, they noticed quite a few patrols. Moreover, the fortress was built with solid natural stones in a rugged terrain, making it seem unlikely to be easily breached. ''This doesn''t seem like something that can be solved with knights as meat shields and ranged attacks.'' It seemed like they would need to bring in a siege unit or infiltrate with a spy unit to find a solution. If it were Zeke alone, he could easily infiltrate and take out the ck Yaksha''s head without a trace, but since he was on an official mission, he had to be cautious. Zeke and his party decided not to go any further and went down to the rendezvous point with the Delfoa Knights. However, no matter how long they waited, the Delfoa Knights were nowhere to be seen. They waited a long time before the knights finally arrived at the rendezvous point. "Huff... huff... Have you already arrived?" Jorge was clearly exhausted even before the battle started. If theirmander was like this, the other knights were probably in no better shape. Zeke asked Jorge, "Where is the Mage Corps?" Jorge wiped his sweat and said, "They will start supporting fire from the rear after we clear the area around the fortress." Zeke was surprised and asked, "What do you mean? You''re going to clear the fortress with these numbers? Are you saying you want to die?" "Th-that''s..." Jorge, who had nomand authority, was in a difficult situation. Andrei said to Zeke, "The situation is a bit unfavorable. The fortress is much stronger than we thought." Zeke also nodded. "It seems we have no choice but to wait until the Mage Corps arrives. We need a new tactic." Just then, Diego pointed behind them. "Something''s flying!" Zeke was the first to react to Diego''s words. He used his Dragon Eyes to enhance his vision and identify the object flying in the sky. Zeke shouted in surprise, "Everyone scatter!" He wrapped his arms around Jorge and rolled to the side. A giant iron ball fell from the sky with a heavy thud where Zeke and his party had been standing. And immediately exploded. KwaKwaKwaKwaang! The surrounding area waspletely devastated by the massive explosion. Jorge, who barely survived by rolling to the side, was utterly pale. "O-Oh my god." Zeke immediately got up and shouted at him, "Commander Jorge! Get a hold of yourself! Check for survivors and retreat! There will be moreing!" Jorge looked dazed even at Zeke''smand. Zeke pped him across the face. "Gasp!" "Pull yourself together! Do you want to get all your men killed?!" "N-No, sir!" Jorge quickly got up and led the knights, who were disoriented by the explosion, to the rear. Just as Zeke had said, more iron balls came flying. KwaKwaKwaKwaang! Along with the tremendous explosion, the surroundings were engulfed in mes.@@novelbin@@ Zeke unfolded Golin''s shield to block the fragments. "Diego! Aster! Over here!" They came behind Zeke and moved to the side together. And at that moment, the ck Yaksha group descended from above, wielding their weapons and charging. "Kill them!" Zeke and his party faced the ck Yaksha group that was rushing at them with weapons in hand. sh! Every time Zeke swung Bahamut, two or three people were knocked down simultaneously. "There are too many! Diego! Aster! Conserve your Aura!" His experience leading troops in his previous life came flooding back. In the chaotic battle, Diego and Aster moved ording to Zeke''s charismaticmands. "Die!" The ck Yaksha group, their eyes bloodshot, rushed towards Zeke and his party like madmen. Zeke calmly cleared the surroundings. ''No matter how I look at it, these guys are in a strange state.'' He grabbed one of the charging men and threw him to the ground. "Uwaaaagh!" The man screaming like crazy was clearly not normal. And upon closer inspection, he could understand the situation more urately. Zeke had seen many of these guys in his previous life. ''These bastards are all Soma addicts.'' The Soma distributed from the Southern cartels to the Central Continent had spread throughout the continent. The biggest consumers of Soma were none other than mercenaries. Although mages used it in moderation for a temporary increase in magical power, mercenaries had no such restraint. Since they lived only for today, they would take more Soma than the allowed amount, or even consume the concentrated extract of processed Soma. Zeke gritted his teeth as he looked at the messed up mercenary. ''In this state, it''s difficult to subdue them with just the Knights.'' Ordinary mercenaries would usually be intimidated when faced with a group of well-equipped knights. But those intoxicated by drugs would rush in like madmen without any regard for their own safety. Even with their arms cut off and legs severed, they would attack like zombies, not distinguishing between friend or foe, simply killing anyone in sight. It was a cruel tactic that saw subordinates as mere expendables. Zeke gritted his teeth and red at the fortress. ''Mission or not, should I just wipe them all out?'' It was then. KwaKwaKwaKwaang! A huge fireball flew from behind towards the ck Yaksha group. "Kyaaagh!" Fireballs, ice balls, and light missiles swept through the battlefield. Zeke shouted to Diego and Aster, "The Mage Corps has arrived! Fall back!" Zeke led his party to the rear to avoid getting caught up in the magic. The power of the Delfoa Battle Mage Corps was tremendous. Mages lined up in a row, unleashing their memorizedbat spells, and when they were done, other mages waiting behind would step forward and cast their spells, creating a continuous barrage of magic. They would devastate the battlefield with this continuous magic. Even the drug-crazed mercenaries were no match for the Mage Corps'' magic. "Halt!" At themander''s order, the Mage Corps stopped their advance and turned back. Zeke looked puzzled as the Mage Corps suddenly stopped. ''What''s going on?'' If theyunched a full-scale attack when the mercenaries poured out of the fortress, the inside would be left empty. It was a good opportunity to avoid a siege, so he didn''t understand why they stopped the attack. Just then, the Mage Corpsmander approached Zeke. Then he shouted at Zeke, "You ruined this mission! Do you even know what you''ve done?!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 61 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 61 Zeke''s mind went nk at themander''s unexpected words. ''What nonsense is this guy spouting?'' The Delfoa Knights had practically zerobat power. Without the Mage Corps'' ranged attacks, the Delfoa Knights were literally nothing more than sturdy targets. It didn''t make sense that they would deliberatelyete and then pick a fight like this, knowing the situation. In front of the dumbfounded Zeke, themander''s face turned red as he yelled at the top of his lungs. "I told you to carry out a scouting mission, who told you to provoke the enemy! Is that what they teach you at Valha?!" Zeke listened silently to themander''s words. Andrei, who hade as the leader, also watched the situation quietly without saying anything, observing Zeke''s reaction. After venting for a while, themander panted and turned to Andrei, shouting, "Take your students and leave the site immediately! I will report this matter directly to Valha!" Andrei was also dumbfounded by the unreasonable reaction, but he decided to wait and see how Zeke would react. The reason he hade along as the leader was to assess Zeke''s abilities, so he was curious to see how he would respond in this situation. Just then, Zeke slowly opened his mouth. "Then can we consider the cooperative rtionship between us and Delfoa to be over?" Themander was momentarily flustered by Zeke''s words. "W-What?" "If that''s the case, then it''s not a troop dispatch, so we don''t have to listen to themander anymore."@@novelbin@@ Themander''s eyes wavered intensely. Zeke took a step closer to themander and said, "From now on, we will carry out the mission on our own here. So I would appreciate it if you wouldn''t interfere." "W-What! This is Delfoa territory! How dare you..." Just then, Andrei stepped forward. "The ck Yaksha is registered as a continental public enemy. Zeke and I have received official knight status from the Draker n, so we can carry out the mission on our own with a report afterpletion." Themander broke out in a cold sweat as the conversation went in apletely different direction than he had anticipated. However, it was difficult for him to take back what he had said. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Damn it! Do whatever you want with your mission!" Then he took the mages and retreated to the rear. Originally, he had intended to withdraw with his troops, but it seemed he was staying put and making camp without going down the mountain to keep an eye on what Zeke''s side would do. With the situation like this, it was Jorge''s 8th Knights who were in a predicament. Without the mages, it was impossible to attack the fortress in the first ce, and it was difficult for them to do anything on their own. Just then, Zeke approached Jorge. "Commander Jorge, I have something I want to ask." Jorge tensed up at Zeke''s words. "W-What is it?" "I''m curious if you have any desire to catch the ck Yaksha." Jorge closed his mouth tightly, and after a long pause, he answered, "We may not beparable to the knights of the Draker n, but we are knights too. What knight would want to leave a viin who torments their own people alone?" Jorge and the other knights clenched their fists. Zeke could sense the sincerity in their reaction. He said to Jorge, "If that''s how you feel, I''d like to ask for a favor." "A-A favor?" "Yes. I intend to infiltrate the fortress and capture the ck Yaksha." Jorge was surprised. "O-Oh my god. Without the help of mages?" "It seems like the Mage Corps doesn''t really want to catch the ck Yaksha." Jorge was speechless at Zeke''s words. Indeed, for several years, the subjugation forces led by the Mage Corps had only engaged in small-scale skirmishes in front of this fortress. Moreover, the mages only cast magic a few times from a safe distance in the rear, and even then, they weren''t proactive, so the only ones who got hurt or died were Jorge''s subordinate knights. Zeke said to Jorge, "If you help me, we can get rid of that ck Yaksha bastard from Delfoa today." Jorge and the other knights looked at each other. They came to an agreement and nodded. Jorge said to Zeke, "What should we do?" *** As the night deepened, silence fell upon the fortress. And at some point, the 8th Knights, holding thick shields, took their positions in front of the fortress. Then they drew their swords and began to strike their shields. ng! ng! ng! The loud ng of swords and shields echoed throughout the mountains. Perhaps due to the sudden noise, the fortress became busy. Following Zeke''s instructions, Jorge and the knights continued to change positions and make loud noises. After a while, mercenaries holding torches appeared from the top of the fortress. "Are those guys crazy?!" Then they started shooting arrows at the knights. ng! The knights blocked the iing arrows with their sturdy shields. The 8th Knights hadpletely mastered shield techniques after years of fighting the mercenaries on top of the fortress. While the knights were drawing attention at the front of the fortress, Zeke and his party moved to the back of the fortress. They had learned about a passage leading inside the fortress when they interrogated the patrol. Zeke led his party and stealthily approached the passage. Then, he nimbly climbed the fortress wall, took out his dagger, silently killed the mercenary on top, and opened the gate. Diego and Aster were stunned to see the mercenaries cleanly dispatched. ''Bro Zeke, you''re scary, yo!'' ''Ugh, I should''ve just stayed and graduated normally.'' Each with their own thoughts, they followed Zeke into the fortress. It was then. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! A figure on horseback quickly emerged from within the fortress. Zeke, his vision enhanced by his Dragon Eyes, checked the face of the figure on horseback. ''ck Yaksha!'' It matched the description of the ck Yaksha he had seen before the mission. Zeke said to Andrei, "I''ll chase after him. You stir things up inside, open the front gate, and fire a signal re. Then those mages won''t be able to hold out any longer." Andrei nodded at Zeke''s words. Zeke immediately chased after the ck Yaksha who had ridden out on horseback. Wheeik! Outside the fortress, Zeke summoned Bucephalus. "Bucephalus, let''s catch that guy." The speed of Bucephalus, a divine beast, the king of the dragon horses, was unimaginablepared to an ordinary horse. Bucephalus ran through the mountains as if they were t ground and quickly chased after the ck Yaksha. As Zeke closed the distance, the ck Yaksha turned around and shot a crossbow at him. ng! Zeke simply deflected the arrow with his dragon scale armor. Then, he took out Bahamut, moved next to the ck Yaksha, and swung his sword. Bang! Unable to withstand the weight of Bahamut infused with the power of gold, the ck Yaksha fell off his horse. Whoosh! Zeke also dismounted Bucephalus and approached the fallen ck Yaksha. "Where are you going in such a hurry at thiste hour?" The ck Yaksha immediately got up and drew his sword. It was a deformed sword with a serrated de. Ouws mostly used these kinds of deformed weapons and mainly employed unorthodox techniques. Zeke, well aware of this, remained unfazed, gripped Bahamut, and provoked the ck Yaksha. "Come at me." Wheeik! The ck Yaksha dashed in with a low stance, swinging his deformed sword. ng! Zeke''s sword, imbued with the power of gold, deflected the ck Yaksha''s sword. The ck Yaksha winced, his wrist seemingly numb. "...You don''t seem like one of those Delfoa guys. Who are you?" Zeke said to the ck Yaksha with an indifferent expression, "What difference does it make if you know?" Just then, the ck Yaksha spat something at Zeke. Shhh! Poisonous sand poured towards Zeke''s face. [Desert scorpion poison detected.] [The effect of the constitution''s poison immunity negates the poison''s effect.] The desert scorpion''s poison paralyzed the body upon contact and was mainly used by assassins in desert areas. As expected of an ouw, he had many dirty tricks. Zeke brushed off the poisonous sand and slowly approached the ck Yaksha. The ck Yaksha was flustered when Zeke didn''t react at all to the poison he had prepared. "Where are you from? The Death Corps? Or the Southern border region?" "You''re quite the curious one." Zeke, as if he had no intention of answering, swung his sword at the ck Yaksha. ng! Pushed back by Zeke''s strength, the ck Yaksha lost his bnce and tumbled. ''If he''s registered as a continental public enemy, he should at least have the skills of a blue knight or higher. Is he hiding his true abilities?'' Zeke slowly approached the ck Yaksha who had fallen to the ground. It was then. Whoosh! Hidden weapons shot towards Zeke. Dozens of needles, almost invisible to the naked eye, poured towards him. Zeke, who had already donned his dragon scale armor, deflected all the needles but pretended to be hit. "Ugh!" As Zeke stepped back, the fallen ck Yaksha sprang to his feet. Then he took apletely different stance than before. Woooong! An aura de surged from the ck Yaksha''s sword. As expected, he had been hiding his true abilities. Seeing the ck Yaksha''s movements, Zeke immediately recognized the identity of the swordsmanship. ''Imperial swordsmanship. And it''s from those Intelligence Agency bastards.'' Wheeik! The ck Yaksha dashed towards Zeke to behead him, swinging his sword. It was the moment when the sword was about to reach Zeke''s neck. Crackle! The ck Yaksha couldn''te to his senses due to the electric shock that surged through his body. "Kugh!" Zeke, who had cast an electric shock skill on Bahamut, had thrust his sword into the ck Yaksha''s body. Crackle! The ck Yaksha rolled on the ground, electricity sparking from his entire body. The human skin mask covering his face burned from the electricity, revealing his true face. ''He was younger than I thought.'' Zeke slowly got up. But something was wrong with the ck Yaksha. He was foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolled back, and his body was trembling violently. "Damn it!" He had momentarily forgotten how ruthless those Imperial Intelligence Agency bastards were. Zeke immediately took out an antidote potion and poured it into the ck Yaksha''s mouth. "Cough!" Fortunately, the antidote neutralized the poison before it couldpletely circte through his body. Zeke even took out a healing potion and poured it into the ck Yaksha''s mouth. When the forcibly recovered ck Yaksha tried to take his own life, Zeke pulled out his jawbone to prevent him from biting his tongue. "Ugh..." Zeke looked at the ck Yaksha and said, "I''m curious why an Intelligence Agency guy would pretend to be a continental public enemy and cause such amotion in Delfoa." At the mention of the Intelligence Agency, the ck Yaksha''s face turned pale. His identity as a secret agent of the Intelligence Agency was a top secret. He had to take his own life as soon as possible. Zeke shook his head as if he knew everything, looking directly at his face. "You can''t die just because you want to. When you tell me a story that satisfies me, then I''ll let you die." The ck Yaksha looked into Zeke''s eyes and despaired. Those with eyes like that were professionals in this field. Zeke dragged the paralyzed ck Yaksha into a nearby cave. Then he took out a dagger. "You must be used to ordinary torture." Zeke imbued the dagger with electricity. "But this will be your first time experiencing this." Crackle! Zeke carved into the ck Yaksha''s body with the electrified dagger, healed him with a potion, and then repeated the process. He couldn''t die even if he wanted to, and if he seemed about to lose consciousness, Zeke would wake him up again with a potion. It was truly hell. In the end, the ck Yaksha couldn''t withstand Zeke''s interrogation and surrendered. "Are you ready to talk now?" The ck Yaksha nodded. After Zeke put his jawbone back in ce, the ck Yaksha moved his jaw a few times and slowly spoke. "...What are you curious about?" "Let''s start with your identity and what you were doing here." The ck Yaksha hesitated, then seeing Zeke''s dagger crackling with electricity, he broke out in a cold sweat and opened his mouth again. "I''m an agent from the Imperial Intelligence Agency''s 13th Division." "13th Division? I thought the Imperial Intelligence Agency only had 12 divisions. I guess there''s a separate ce to manage undercover agents like you." The ck Yaksha was surprised by Zeke''s words. Few people within the Empire knew that the Intelligence Agency had 12 divisions in the first ce. Zeke continued to press the ck Yaksha without pause. "So, what were you doing here, Mr. Intelligence Agent?" The ck Yaksha replied, "I was conducting experiments." "Experiments? What kind of experiments?" He caught his breath and said, "...Experiments on stimnts." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 62 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 62 "Stimnts?" Zeke recalled the mercenaries who had rushed at the knights with crazed eyes. "So they weren''t just ordinary Soma addicts." "It''s true that they were made with Soma ingredients." "Why did they make stimnts?" "To create warriors who know no pain or fear." Hearing the ck Yaksha''s words, Zeke realized that this was also a type of human experimentation conducted by the Empire. ''They engaged in a war of attrition with Delfoa for several years, observing thebat patterns of the mercenaries on stimnts and experimenting with the drug.'' At the same time, Zeke recalled that the ck Yaksha had held out in the fortress for three years, absorbing bandits and mercenaries and continuously increasing the size of his organization. He had wondered how such things were possible tucked away in a corner of Delfoa, but it was possible because of the Empire''s backing. ''What are those Imperial bastards doing all over the continent?'' Zeke said to the ck Yaksha, "You know that if things go on like this, you''ll be killed by the Empire first, right?" The ck Yaksha clenched his teeth, then said, "...I''ve answered honestly, so have mercy and kill me now." Zeke shook his head. "What if there was a way to live?" The ck Yaksha''s eyebrows twitched. "There''s no escape from the Imperial Intelligence Agency." Zeke said to him, "What if Draker''s power protected you?" At the mention of Draker, the ck Yaksha''s expression changed. The only force on the continent that surpassed the Imperial Intelligence Agency. "...Draker? What do you mean?" Zeke took off the glove he was wearing and used the mana reflection skill. The magicmp he had turned on started flickering. The ck Yaksha looked at Zeke with a hardened expression and said, "You''re a pure-blooded awakened of Draker?" "Yes. I received the official knight status of the n." The ck Yaksha''s mind raced. No one wanted to die, even if they were an intelligence agent. He had done a lot of dirty work, and his patriotism had faded considerably. Moreover, if he didn''t die here and it was revealed that he had divulged information, the Imperial Intelligence Agency would surely kill him in the most painful way possible. In that case, it might be a better choice to receive Draker''s protection and be a key witness. The ck Yaksha said to Zeke, "Can you guarantee that you willpletely change my identity?" "There''s a better option." Zeke looked at the ck Yaksha and said, "I''ll introduce you to a new job. There must be many ces where someone from the Intelligence Agency''s 13th Division can be useful." The ck Yaksha felt an inexplicable chill from Zeke''s smile. *** Zeke, who had hidden the ck Yaksha in the cave and returned to the fortress, noticed something strange. ''Didn''t they capture the fortress?'' If it was a fortress with only bandits and mercenaries without the ck Yaksha, Andrei and his party would have been able to subdue it. However, the front of the fortress was still tense. Zeke left the fortress and returned to the camp where the knights were. As soon as he arrived at the camp, the mages pointed their staff at him. Zeke red at the Mage Corps and said, "What is the meaning of this?" Then, themander walked out from among the Mage Corps. He shouted at Zeke, "Zeke Draker! Because of you, the ck Yaksha escaped. You will be taken to the barracks to be held ountable for your crime!" The ck Yaksha escaping because of Zeke? That was nonsense. Zeke looked at themander and said, "How is it my fault that the ck Yaksha escaped?" Themander frowned and shouted, "Because of your clumsy attack, the ck Yaksha, who we had captured, escaped from the fortress! You idiot!" Zeke tilted his head and asked themander, "Did you confirm that the ck Yaksha wasn''t in the fortress? When I looked from above, the fortress still seemed heavily defended." Themander hesitated, then said, "Shut up! I confirmed it with the others earlier. They said someone hurriedly escaped from the fortress." "It could have been someone who escaped to call for reinforcements. What evidence do you have to specifically im it was the ck Yaksha?" Zeke''s logical refutation made themander''s face turn crimson. Seeing themander''s reaction, Zeke became certain. ''That bastard must have told the ck Yaksha to escape.'' He was a man who had only cared about his own gains while engaging in a war of attrition here for three years. He probably didn''t know that his actions had helped the Empire''s experiment, but he was still trash nheless. Themander also pointed his staff at Zeke and said, "Don''t say another word and follow me. I will report your crimes to the higher-ups in detail. Don''t expect to get away with it just because you''re from Valha." Zeke decided toply with themander''s words for now. As he was led by the mages towards the barracks, he saw Jorge and the 8th Knights kneeling on the ground with their hands tied. Zeke looked towards Jorge. "Why are they restrained?" Themander shouted with an irritated expression, "Shut up! If you say another word, I''ll cast a spell to seal your mouth shut!" There was no such spell amongbat magic. Zeke clicked his tongue at themander''s hysterical reaction. Just then, Jorge got up and shouted, "Sir Knight! We do not regret helping you! We also want to remain honorable knights!" At his words, the other knights also rose and echoed Jorge''s sentiment. Themander gritted his teeth and gestured to the mages. Crackle! The mages around them immediately channeled electric magic into the chains binding the knights. "Ugh!" The electrocuted knights writhed in pain. Seeing this, Zeke said to themander, "Isn''t it a bit too much to treat your allies like that? You wouldn''t even do that to prisoners." Unable to tolerate it any longer, themander approached Zeke. "One more word... just one more word and I''ll execute you on the spot!" It was then. Bang! A barrack waspletely destroyed, and Andrei emerged from within, sword in hand. Behind him stood Aster and Diego, who immediately aimed their weapons at the mages upon appearing. Andrei approached themander who was threatening Zeke. "Delfoa Magic 8th Division Commander Ingrid Haxen. Your current actions can be interpreted as a threat to kill Zeke Draker, an official knight of Draker. In this case, I inform you that Draker will shift to wartime response posture against Delfoa effective immediately, and I, Andrei Draker, a knight of Draker, will respond ordingly." Themander''s face turned pale at Andrei''s response. It was a warning from Draker, of all ces. Moreover, it was a warning to shift to wartime response posture against the entire Delfoa, not just him. He broke out in a cold sweat and stepped back. "W-Wait! A sudden shift to wartime response posture! Isn''t that an overreaction?!" Andrei red at themander with cold eyes and said, "Ingrid Haxen, listen carefully. The name of Draker is not to be taken lightly." Themander gulped. In fact, he had never truly felt the weight of the name Draker before. So he had scoffed inwardly whenever themanders of other divisions trembled at the mention of the name Draker. But actually receiving the killing intent of a knight first hand made his knees weak. "H-Hold on. There seems to be some misunderstanding." Themander took a step back and tried to calm Andrei down. He quickly continued, "J-Just now, I misspoke. I was just nervous from the continuous battles. I only meant to escort him to the barracks for a proper investigation." Andrei nced at Zeke. Zeke nodded as if to say it was alright. Andrei withdrew his killing intent and sheathed his sword. "It seems there was a misunderstanding between the two sides." Themander breathed a sigh of relief as Andrei readily backed down. Then, as if preparing for a counterattack, he gestured for the mages who had stepped forward to retreat. Zeke said to themander, "Can I talk to my colleagues for a moment?" Themander gritted his teeth and replied, "...I''ll give you 20 minutes." Zeke nodded. Then, he entered the barracks guided by the mages with Andrei and the others. As soon as he entered the barracks, he took off his gloves and used the mana reflection skill. nk! The magic devices installed around the barracks all malfunctioned and made noises. Zeke said to Andrei, "I''ve captured the ck Yaksha." Andrei asked in surprise, " You mean you captured the ck Yaksha alone?" "Yes. He used poison, so I lured him into a false sense of security and then ambushed him." Andrei''s jaw dropped. Although he was an ouw, the ck Yaksha had been a continental public enemy for a long time, wandering the continent andmitting heinous acts. It was no wonder he was surprised that Zeke had captured him alone, an opponent that even experienced knights had difficulty dealing with.@@novelbin@@ Zeke hid the ck Yaksha''s true identity and told Andrei about his secret rtionship with Ingrid. Andrei''s eyes widened as he listened. If Delfoa''s high-ranking officials were involved in corruption, things could get quiteplicated. "What are you going to do?" Zeke got up from his seat. "It''s best to let Delfoa handle Delfoa''s problems." He ryed the necessary information to Andrei and left the barracks. Then, he was loaded onto a carriage and taken down to the barracks. When he arrived at the barracks, the mages didn''t confine Zeke in an ordinary detention cell, but instead emptied an officer''s quarters and locked him there, cing guards in front of the door. Surprisingly, knights more skilled than Jorge and his knights were inside the barracks, guarding other mages. ''If they had these kinds of troops, they should have deployed them to attack the fortress.'' Zekey in the quarters with a bored expression. After lying there for some time, someone knocked and entered the quarters. "Zeke." Professor Paynun visited Zeke with a grim expression. ''As expected, he came.'' Zeke had Professor Paynun in mind from the moment the situation unfolded, so he wasn''t surprised. Paynun approached Zeke. "Zeke! What in the world happened?" "I guess this is the result of not heeding your warning, Professor." "Oh my..." Paynun was actually already aware of Commander Ingrid''s corruption. Not only that, but all the high-ranking mage officers were aware of it to some extent. In Delfoa, mages needed military experience to rise to high positions. Zeke thought Paynun had failed in the power struggle, but in fact, Paynun had volunteered for the military because he felt limited by his ordinary research position. Moreover, he had been assigned to this unit because the director of the Royal Research Institute, who was his mentor, had pulled strings for him. Apparently, this unit was famous for being a ce where one could umte military experience without any trouble. As a frontline unit facing the ck Yaksha, a continental public enemy, the Mage Corps suffered almost no casualties, making it the perfect ce to build up experience and leave. Knowing this, they turned a blind eye to Commander Ingrid''s corruption. That was why Paynun had warned Zeke separately. Zeke said to Paynun, "I have a favor to ask of you, Professor." "What is it?" He whispered to Paynun what he had learned about the ck Yaksha. "Oh my god...!" Paynun was startled by the part about the Empire''s stimnt experiments. If this was true, the situation could no longer be ignored. Zeke said to Paynun in a low voice, "Although it''s the right thing to expose this corruption, there will surely beints among the Delfoa mages." Paynun agreed with Zeke. Exposing the corruption of a fellow mage was taboo in Delfoa''s mage society. No matter how righteous the cause, he might have to give up on rising to the ranks of high-ranking mages. Zeke said to Paynun, "I''ll leave the choice to you, Professor." Paynun fell into deep thought at Zeke''s words. He slowly raised his head, looked at Zeke, and said, "Zeke, I''m really sorry, but... I can''t do that." "Is it because of the power as a mage?" Paynun shook his head. "Power... It could be because of that. I need to attain the title of mage, a high-ranking mage, to pursue the research I want to do." Paynun finished his words and slowly got up from his seat. "I''m truly sorry, Zeke." Paynun left the room as if fleeing. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 64 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 64 "Wee, Zeke." President ubert greeted Zeke warmly. The president personally poured tea and ced it in front of Zeke. "I heard you like tea, but I''m not sure if it will suit your taste." Zeke wondered how far the fact that he liked tea had spread. While Zeke was thinking about this, the president smiled and said to him, "The reason I called you here separately is none other than because of this mission." Zeke tensed up slightly at ubert ''s words. As someone with battlefield experience, Zeke actually thought that his actions in this mission wouldn''t be evaluated very favorably. Because once you''re on the battlefield, no matter what happens, it''s right to follow the orders of your superiors. Individual actions that disregard the orders of superiors could harm the entire unit, so they were strictly prohibited. Zeke waited for ubert''s next words. "You were excellent." "Yes?" Zeke reflexively asked back at the unexpected answer. ubert held his teacup with a satisfied expression. "Professor Andrei kept very good records. The Delfoa Inspection Unit also sent a separate thank you note and situational data." Zeke breathed a sigh of relief at ubert''s words. ''It seems that the scope ofmand for Draker knights is wide enough to allow for this.'' In his previous life, the North where he stayed had such a harsh environment that even a small mistake could cost him his life. Therefore, military discipline was stricter, and the scope ofmand was very narrow. ubert looked at Zeke and said, "It''s a shame that the ck Yaksha died during the transfer." Zeke felt a slight pang of guilt at ubert''s words. This was because the ck Yaksha wasn''t actually dead. As he had nned during the initial capture, he had the Syndicate make it look like the ck Yaksha died during the transfer and smuggled him to the South. He intended to give him a new identity there and bring him back to the Central Continent. Currently, the only person who knew that the ck Yaksha was an agent of the Empire''s Intelligence Agency was Paynun. But he had also be Zeke''s man, so there was no way the secret would leak out. Since he had intended to bring the ck Yaksha in the first ce, he had Paynun exclude any documents rted to the Empire from the ck Yaksha-rted documents in Delfoa and hand over only those rted to corruption to the Inspection Unit. Along with the data on the Empire''s human experiments found in the South, the stimnt experiment discovered this time and the ck Yaksha as a witness could be enough to pressure the Empire. While Zeke was thinking about the ck Yaksha, ubert said, "Zeke, considering the various qualities you showed in this mission, the professors'' council has proposed a different kind of test." "What kind of test is it, President?" "A beast hunt." Zeke was a bit doubtful at the president''s words. He thought it was a bit easy for a Valha special graduation exam. Hunting beasts wasn''t easy, but Valha''s graduation missions were famous for their high difficulty, so it felt rtively easy for a special exam for early graduation to be a beast hunt. Just then, the president added, "It''s not a simple hunt, it''s an unsolved case. And you have to do it alone." Zeke finally nodded at those words. Unlike monsters, beasts had no set species or types. Therefore, it was difficult to identify their characteristics or understand their movements through their habits. Ordinary beasts were highly aggressive and attacked indiscriminately, but there were also beasts that didn''t. The unsolved cases that President ubert just mentioned were mostly problems caused by intelligent beasts. asionally, humans caused problems and then med them on beasts, but there was a clear difference between what humans did and what beasts did. "In which region did the incident ur?" "In the Duchy of Troy." The Duchy of Troy was directly under Draker''s control and was also where the Draker n''s main house was located. But if there was an unsolved case in such a ce, it was likely no ordinary beast. ubert continued to Zeke, "If you pass this test, you will be exempted from all other types of exams required for graduation. In effect, this test alone fulfills the graduation requirements." In fact, one of the things Zeke did in his previous life was to investigate and track down unsolved cases caused by these kinds of beasts. It was practically his specialty, and with the condition that he could graduate quickly, there was no reason to refuse.@@novelbin@@ "I swear on my honor as a knight that I will solve the case as soon as possible so that the people of the duchy who are living in fear can rest assured." ubert looked pleased with Zeke''s answer. After scoring points with the president, he returned to his mansion. ''Departure is tomorrow.'' Recalling the schedule he received from the president, Zeke packed his bags lightly and intended to depart for the Duchy of Troy immediately. As he was organizing his ns and entering the mansion, someone was waiting for him. A slender young man with narrow eyes, wearing light armor. He greeted Zeke. "Sir Zeke Draker. It is an honor to meet you. I am Felix, dispatched as a guide for this mission." Zeke looked at Felix and said, "No surname?" "Valencia." He slowly went over the name Felix Valencia, but it was a name he had never heard of in either his past or present life. Zeke tilted his head at the energy he felt from Felix. Unlike other knights, Zeke could sense mana because his dantian was open, making his senses much more acute. Felix''s energy felt different to him. ''I feel an unusual energy within his body, but it doesn''t seem quite right. It''s subtle.'' For a young knight who wasn''t a Draker blood rtive to have this level of energy meant there was something special about him. ''I''ll need to look into this separately.'' Zeke asked Felix, "If you''re a guide, are you from the Duchy of Troy?" "Yes. I''m a native of that ce. I learned family swordsmanship from a young age, thenpleted the Swordsmanship Guild course, and now I work for the As Guard." "I see." If he was from the Duchy of Troy and a member of the As Guard, he would certainly be of great help in solving the unsolved case. The reason for Felix being sent as an assistant made perfect sense. Zeke said to him, "We''ll depart for the Duchy of Troy early tomorrow morning, so I''ll see you at the central station." "Understood, Sir Zeke." *** The next day, Zeke boarded the train to the Duchy of Troy with Felix. Once again, he was able to use the specialpartment thanks to his authority as a Valha student. Felix said to Zeke with an excited expression, "Wow. I didn''t even know there was such a ce on the train." His expression and gestures seemed innocent, but Zeke wasn''t fooled by appearances. ''Even the information the Syndicate sent didn''t reveal anything special.'' If even the Syndicate couldn''t find any information, it meant one of two things. Either he was an As guard who hadn''t awakened his talent yet, or his identity was created by an intelligence organization superior to the Syndicate. ''Thetter is more likely than the former.'' Zeke thought that as long as he was with Felix, whose background was currently unknown, this mission wouldn''t be as easy as thest one. When the train arrived at the Duchy of Troy, Zeke and Felix immediately took a carriage from the station and headed to the northern part of the duchy where the incident urred. It was close to where the Giant Mountains began. Although smaller than As, the Duchy of Troy, where the Draker n''s main house was located, was safer than any other city. For an unsolved case to ur in such a ce was a blow to Draker''s pride. As soon as they arrived in the northern part of the duchy, Zeke and Felix went to the sheriff''s office. The sheriff in charge weed Zeke with a bright smile as soon as he saw him. "Sir Zeke! I was informed that you wereing. Oh my, it''s truly an honor to have a pure-blooded awakened personally visit this remote ce!" In the Duchy of Troy, the bloodline of the Dragon yer was no different from the bloodline of God. With the arrival of a direct descendant, a rare and precious pure-blooded awakened among the Dragon yer bloodline, the gloomy atmosphere of the vige seemed toe alive with his presence alone. Zeke realized that this was also part of ubert''s n. ''He''s not an easy old man to deal with.'' Zeke listened to the sheriff exin the circumstances of the case. "It started happening a few weeks ago. At first, livestock started disappearing little by little, and now people who go into the mountains don''te back." Livestock, children, women, adult men. As time passed, it was targeting bigger prey. "I''d like to see the scene of the incident." The sheriff nodded and brought horses, leading Zeke and Felix to the farm that was first attacked. Currently, the farm was under ess control, with the surviving livestock moved to other locations. Zeke skillfully examined the surroundings of the farm. Then he found bloodstains on the fence leading to the mountain. Zeke used his Dragon Eyes to look around. Something caught his more refined eye. ''Footprints?'' Traces of marksrger than human footprints were left on the ground. Zeke crouched down and carefully examined the traces left on the ground. He tried to figure out the identity of the beast through his memories of his past life. ''The footprints are deep. It seems to be quite heavy. It didn''t break through the fence but climbed over it. The bloodstains must havee from the livestock it was carrying as it climbed over.'' Zeke imagined the scene based on the traces of the footprints. It secretly climbed over the fence of this farm, snapped the sheep''s neck, slung it over its shoulder, and climbed back over the fence to return to the mountain. Zeke tilted his head. ''This isn''t the usual pattern of a beast.'' No matter how intelligent it was, the beasts Zeke knew wouldn''t move this stealthily, nor would they bother to jump over a fence. Just then, the sheriff approached Zeke. "Did you find anything?" Zeke stood up and said, "Is there a continuous mountain range up there?" The sheriff nodded. "Yes, that''s right. If you climb the mountain in that direction, the terrain is quite rough. Sometimes wild monsters appear, so even the vigers don''t go up that far." Zeke nodded and said to Felix, who was standing next to him, "Felix, lead the way. I need to take a look up there." Felix hesitated and said, "Sir Zeke, are you sure it''s alright to climb the mountain right away? As far as I know, the northern mountains are quite treacherous, so I think it would be better to prepare before going." "I have everything I need for camping in this bag with subspace magic, so it''s fine." Actually, he had everything in his inventory, but he couldn''t exin that, so he vaguely deceived him. Felix was surprised by Zeke''s words. "Oh my. You''re more thorough than I am, even though I''m the guide." The two sent the sheriff back first and started climbing up the mountain, following the traces. Felix was quite skilled at navigating the mountain paths, so his im of being a Duchy of Troy native wasn''t a lie. It was then. "Felix." Zeke called out to Felix. "Yes?" He raised his hand to stop Felix and slowly entered the forest. Zeke, holding his dagger, slowly approached arge tree that was blocking his view. There was something behind the tree. ''Oh my...'' That something was a corpse, shriveled like a mummy with its bodily fluids sucked dry. Zeke looked around for the beast, but he couldn''t sense any presence. He gestured to Felix. Felix, following Zeke''s gesture, frowned at the sight of the corpse. Zeke slowly approached the corpse. The first ce he checked was the nape of the neck. If it was done by a vampire, all the blood in the body would be drained, and if one was unlucky, they would be a mummy like this. However, there were no marks on the corpse''s neck. Zeke examined the corpse''s skin, but there were no bite marks anywhere that indicated the bodily fluids had been sucked out. His expression distorted. ''I thought it wouldn''t be a vampire since most of them don''te down from the north... But could this beast be...?'' Felix, standing behind Zeke, shook his head and said, "Oh my god, I''ve never seen a corpse like this before." Zeke stood up and said, "It seems we''ll have to camp here today. We''ll resume tracking when the sun rises." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 65 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 65 At Zeke''s words, Felix immediately began searching for a suitable campsite. Once they found a spot, they were able to set up a surprisinglyfortable camp using the equipment Zeke pulled from his inventory. Felix, who had fetched water, built a fire under the soil and boiled the water. Then, he added the jerky and spices Zeke provided, along with mushrooms he had gathered nearby, and created a rather impressive meal. "Sir Zeke, it''s ready. Please have a taste." Zeke slurped the soup Felix handed him. Even if it was poisoned, Zeke''s poison immunity could filter out most toxins, so he put the soup in his mouth without hesitation. Fortunately, it wasn''t poisoned, and the soup tasted good. "Your skills are excellent, Felix." Felix gave a sheepish smile and said, "Haha, I worked in a restaurant for a while, so I''m quite confident in my cooking." "Good. There''s no betterpanion in the field than a good cook." Then Felix said to Zeke, "Sir Zeke, you seem quite ustomed to the field. I guess Valha provides this kind of training separately." "Well, something like that." Zeke vaguely answered and focused on eating the soup. After finishing their meal, the two decided to take turns keeping watch. "I only need to close my eyes for a bit, so wake me up in two hours. I''ll take the next watch." Zeke, who had the infinite stamina passive skill, didn''t need to sleep, so he justy down and rested. While doing so, he closed his eyes and checked Felix''s movements, but there was nothing unusual. Two hourster, Zeke woke up and kept watch, guarding the surroundings. He thought about the beast that had sucked all the bodily fluids from its victims. ''A beast that can absorb bodily fluids without a trace.'' Zeke had seen a simr corpse in his previous life. He and his teacher had followed and tracked it for days, but eventually lost it. It was very difficult to catch because it was intelligent and cautious. Zekepared the traces of the beast he had seen back then with the footprints he found by the fence and continued to ponder. ''The traces don''t match that beast. Perhaps another species of beast has appeared at the same time.'' It wasn''tmon, but it wasn''t entirely unheard of. Zeke considered all possible scenarios and thought about how to track the beast. It was then. Crack! He heard the sound of a tree falling beyond the forest. Zeke immediately got up and checked the direction of the sound. ''2 kilometers west.'' He woke Felix up. "Felix." "Hmm! Yes? Yes, Sir Zeke!" "There''s something beyond the forest. Stay here. I''ll be back soon." Leaving those words with Felix, Zeke dashed towards the western forest. Wheeik! Zeke, who ran with Gale Force, arrived at the location of the sound in an instant. He hid behind a tree and observed the situation. And he encountered a race he never expected. ''Is that a barbarian?'' Barbarians lived deep within the Giant Mountains. They resembled humans in appearance, but their physical strength was unmatched. Said to be descendants of the giants who were once the masters of the mountains, the barbarians'' physique and strength surpassed even ogres. Such a barbarian warrior was fighting something. "Graaagh!" A beast, its form difficult to discern in the darkness, swung its tail at the barbarian. Wheeik! The barbarian rolled to avoid the beast''s tail. Then he uprooted a nearby tree and swung it at the beast. Whoosh! The beast quickly dodged the tree, the barbarian swung and retreated. Seeing the beast''s movements, Zeke realized it was the same one he had failed to catch in his previous life. ''Master called that one "Gaguk".'' Among the beasts, there were special ones like Gaguk. Zeke''s master called such beasts "Ancient Species" and warned him to be especially careful. They were strong and intelligent beyondparison to ordinary beasts. It was fast and cautious, moving like a monkey. And if one touched its long, tentacle-like tail, their life force would be sucked out. They would be a mummy in an instant, just like the corpse he found earlier. ''It seems the barbarian took the livestock, and the Gaguk took the people.'' He had grasped the general situation, but he couldn''t figure out why the barbarian and the Gaguk were fighting here, so he decided to observe a little longer. "Kyaaaagh!" The Gaguk bared its sharp teeth, threatening the barbarian. Then, its neck suddenly bulged, and it spat something at the barbarian. Shhh! What shot out of its mouth with incredible speed was a sharp, skewer-like tongue. The barbarian warrior crossed his arms to block the skewer. Thud! But the Gaguk''s tongue pierced through the barbarian''s tough flesh, through his stomach, and out his back. Thump! The barbarian copsed to the ground. The Gaguk, seeing the fallen barbarian, let out a gruesomeugh, its mouth splitting wide open. It slowly started to approach the barbarian. As it got close and was about to wrap its tail around the barbarian to absorb his life force, Flinch! The Gaguk, as if sensing an unseen danger, retreated. Then it raised its head and started looking around the forest. But it seemed to find nothing, and soon tried to approach the fallen barbarian again. At that moment, Zeke''s sword, hidden in the shadows, grazed the Gaguk''s neck as it approached the barbarian. "Kieeek!" The startled Gaguk quickly fled, blending into the darkness. Zeke was disappointed to see the Gaguk disappear in an instant. "Damn, it''s fast." Even when he and his master joined forces in his past life, they couldn''t catch it. Although it was smaller than the one he remembered, it seemed even more sensitive. "Ugh..." Zeke looked down at the barbarian warrior lying on the ground. His face was pale, as if poisoned. After a moment of consideration, Zeke hoisted the barbarian warrior over his shoulder. Carrying the barbarian, who was over two meters tall, he entered a nearby cave. Then he examined the barbarian warrior''s wounds. "Hmm." The area where the Gaguk''s tongue had pierced through was turning ck. As expected, it was venomous. ''It''s a dangerous one, all right.'' Zeke took out his dagger, heated it with the power of fire, and stabbed the barbarian warrior''s wound. Sizzle! ck blood gushed from the wound. He took out an antidote from his inventory and poured it onto the barbarian warrior''s wound. "Ugh!" The barbarian warrior, with his strong endurance, writhed in pain. It was thanks to the barbarian''s strong physique that he was still alive. If it were an ordinary human, they would have already melted into a pool of poison, that''s how deadly the venom was. Zeke took out another bottle of antidote and poured it evenly over the wound. Bubbles started to form as the antidote neutralized the poison. The poison seemed to be neutralized to some extent, so Zeke took out a healing potion and poured it into the barbarian''s mouth. Strangely, however, the healing potion didn''t work on the barbarian. "Is it because he''s not human that the potion doesn''t work?" Even if the poison was neutralized, if he was left alone with his vital organs damaged, he would likely die of shock. After pondering, Zeke decided to use a skill he had never used before. "Area of Effect Buff skill... I wonder if this will work." Zeke ced his hand on the barbarian''s wound and used the Area of Effect Buff skill. [Which skill would you like to cast as a Area of Effect Buff ?] Zeke chose the Healing Factor. A bright light spread widely from Zeke. Swoosh! Golden waves swept through the surroundings like waves, and at the same time, the barbarian''s body in front of him began to glow gold. Then, the barbarian''s wounds gradually began to heal. "Oh, it works. It has a simr effect to when I used Healing before." In his previous life, he could use Healing not only on himself but also on others. In this life, with the system, and with the skill changed to Healing Factor, he had forgotten that he could heal others. Perhaps because the barbarian warrior himself had high regenerative abilities, his severe wounds were almostpletely healed, leaving only scars. Zeke pressed on the barbarian''s wounds, checking to see if his organs had also recovered. "You were lucky. You would have died if it weren''t for me." It was then. "Ugh!" The barbarian warrior regained consciousness, perhaps because the Healing Factor had taken full effect. However, it was practically impossible for him to regain consciousness so quickly even with healing mana, so Zeke flinched, then nodded. ''Ah, well, barbarians are beyondmon sense.'' In his past life, the barbarians Zeke had seen also did things that were unthinkable for humans without a second thought. Suddenly, the barbarian warrior''s eyes flew open. He jumped to his feet, looked around, and spotted Zeke. "Graaagh!" He let out a war cry as a threat and immediately backed away, wary. Zeke calmly spoke to the barbarian warrior. "Calm down." The barbarian warrior was surprised that Zeke spoke hisnguage. "You... understand?" The barbarians''nguage was very simple, so it wasn''t very expressive. Zeke nodded and replied, "Understand. I saved you." The barbarian examined the wound he had received from the Gaguk. He had clearly been pierced and poisoned, but the wound was cleanly healed. The barbarian was surprised and approached Zeke. "You saved me?" Zeke nodded. "Yes. I saved you." The barbarian warrior, with tears in his eyes, suddenly hugged Zeke. "Thank you." Once the barbarian warrior calmed down, Zeke asked him, "My name is Zeke. What''s your name?" "Me Big Fist. Nice to meet you, Zeke." "Nice to meet you, Big Fist. Why are you here? Your home is that way." "Me on warrior trial." "Hunting?" "Yes. Must seed in hunting to be a warrior." Zeke was surprised to hear the barbarian warrior''s words. He was so big that Zeke assumed he was already an adult warrior who had passed the warrior trial, but it seemed he hadn''t reached adulthood yet. "How old is Big Fist? Thought you were already a warrior." "Me sixteen years old. Stronger than vige warriors." "Me seventeen. Older brother." From what he gathered, Big Fist, who was already stronger than the warriors, was given the trial of hunting the Gaguk, a powerful beast even in the barbarians'' territory, as a suitable test. The problem was that although he was stronger than adult warriors, he hadn''t yet learned the tricks of hunting. So, although he had driven the Gaguk away, he couldn''t catch it, and ended uping all the way down to the Duchy of Troy while chasing it. ''He came all the way from the barbarian territory to the Duchy of Troy just by climbing the mountains.'' As expected, barbarians were beings beyond the realm ofmon sense. Just then, Big Fist made a gloomy expression. "Hunting is too difficult. Me likely to fail." Zeke said to Big Fist, "Want help with hunting?" Big Fist was surprised. "Really?" "I want to catch that thing too." Big Fist, with tears in his eyes again, hugged Zeke. "Zeke, thank you." Zeke patted Big Fist on the back and said, "I''m your older brother." "Ah." *** Zeke, who had decided to hunt the Gaguk with Big Fist, first returned to the campsite where Felix was with Big Fist. Felix, who had been waiting for Zeke, was startled when he saw him bringing a giant over two meters tall. "S-Sir Zeke, t-that...!" As Felix reacted intensely, Big Fist was about to let out another war cry, but Zeke quickly stopped him. "He''s my subordinate." "What''s a subordinate?" Barbarians were all equal warriors, and there was no hierarchical rtionship except for the chieftain. Zeke pondered how to exin "subordinate" in the barbariannguage. But since there was no suitable word, he just said, "Foot-washer?" Big Fist seemed to understand and nodded. Zeke briefly felt sorry for Felix, who instantly became a foot-washer, but since there was no better word, he let it slide. Big Fist started rummaging through the campsite, looking for something to eat. Seeing this, Zeke took out jerky from his inventory and gave it to Big Fist to eat. However, the amount was too small for a barbarian, and it was gone in an instant. ''No wonder he came down to the vige and stole livestock.'' Felix, who had approached Big Fist, looked pale and said to Zeke, "S-Sir Zeke, i-is that a b-barbarian?" "Yes." "Oh my god, a barbarian. I-Is it alright?" "I saved him from dying to a beast, so he''s following me well. We decided to hunt the beast together." Felix looked bewildered by Zeke''s words that were beyondmon sense. Zeke closely observed Felix''s reaction. ''When he first saw the barbarian, he didn''t draw his sword but froze. If he''s acting to that extent, he must have received some special training.'' If it weren''t for the aura he sensed, Felix would seem like an ordinary guide. ''Am I being too sensitive?'' Zeke became even more curious about Felix''s identity. Just then, Big Fist suddenly stood up. He said to Zeke, "Zeke brother. Smell."@@novelbin@@ Zeke asked Big Fist, who was suddenly talking about smells, "What smell?" Big Fist''s eyes gleamed with madness. "That thing''s smell." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 66 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 66 Zeke followed Big Fist towards where he smelled the Gaguk. As expected of a barbarian who ran through the Giant Mountains as if it were his backyard, Big Fist swiftly moved through the trees like a wild animal. Then, he suddenly stopped and crouched low to the ground. Zeke also crouched next to Big Fist. Big Fist pointed somewhere. Zeke enhanced his vision with Dragon Eyes and looked where Big Fist was pointing. ''A cave.'' His master had said that the Gaguk hated light and preferred dark, humid ces, and it just so happened to be sunrise. It seemed the Gaguk had fled into the cave to avoid the sunlight. Zeke asked Big Fist in a low voice, "Have a way to catch it?" Big Fist opened his palm and mmed his fist into it. It meant he nned to just go in and grab it without any n. Zeke inwardly clicked his tongue. ''That''s why you keep missing it.'' He quickly surveyed the surroundings and exined the n to Big Fist. However, Zeke''s exnation was difficult for Big Fist to understand, as barbarians didn''t have much concept of strategy. Zeke decided to just move on his own. "Big Fist. Go and hit the prey. Then I''ll hit it from behind together." When he spoke simply, Big Fist finally nodded with a satisfied expression. Barbarians'' bodies didn''t need any strategy. They would swarm and smash everything, ending the fight as soon as it started, so what need was there for strategy? Big Fist slowly entered the cave in a low stance. Blessed with a barbarian''s physique, he could see clearly even in the dark cave. He followed the Gaguk''s scent deeper inside. It was then. Thud! The ground beneath Big Fist''s foot copsed. "Whoa!" Big Fist let out a shout and jumped into the air using the sticity of his body. He jumped over the trap andnded on the other side. Looking down at the copsed ground, he saw sharp animal bones and human weapons densely embedded in the bottom. The clever Gaguk had set a trap in preparation for intruders. Big Fist continued deeper into the cave, following the scent. And at some point, he reached a dead end with no further path. Big Fist noticed the Gaguk''s scent was strong at the bottom of the wall. Looking closely, he saw something ck curled up in a ball. Big Fist took a deep breath and quickly ran towards the Gaguk. Then, he grabbed the Gaguk with his thick arms like a log and tried to rip its head off. Crack! The head dide off, but something was strange. Looking closely, Big Fist realized it wasn''t the Gaguk, but a dead bear curled up in a ball. The Gaguk had covered the dead bear''s body with its own scent. As Big Fist was startled and about to turn around, something wrapped around his ankle. Rustle! "Ugh!" The Gaguk, which had been hiding underground with its scent masked, stretched out its long tail and wrapped it around Big Fist''s ankle. When Big Fist tried to jump at the Gaguk, it used its camouge to hide itself in the darkness. At the same time, it continued to suck Big Fist''s life force through its tail. "Ugh!" Even a barbarian couldn''t withstand having his life force continuously drained. Conversely, the Gaguk''s body grewrger as it absorbed Big Fist''s life force. Big Fist gritted his teeth, lifted the dead bear''s body, and threw it at the Gaguk. Crash! But the Gaguk easily dodged the bear''s body that Big Fist threw. Then, it split its mouth wide open and mocked Big Fist, who was gradually losing his life force. At some point, the Gaguk emerged from the darkness, stretched its body, and walked towards Big Fist. "Keureureuk!" The Gaguk was a beast that looked like a pitch-ck ape. Its arms were longer, and its ws and teeth were sharper than those of an ordinary ape. The Gaguk approached Big Fist, extending its sharp ws. "Keureureuk!" With a chillingugh, the Gaguk swung its ws at Big Fist. sh! The Gaguk expected Big Fist''s body to be torn apart by its sharp ws, but the result waspletely different. "Keureureuk?" The Gaguk made a strange expression as it looked at its severed wrist. It was then. Whir! A barrier unfolded around the cave. As the Gaguk was startled and tried to flee by blending into the darkness, "Water Sword." Zeke''s sword cut through the Gaguk''s body as it tried to melt into the darkness. "Kieeek!" The Water Sword was a sword that could even cut through formless things. The Gaguk was surprised and tried to escape, but it was blocked by the barrier Zeke had already set up and couldn''t get out. Seeing Zeke who suddenly appeared, the Gaguk bared its sharp teeth. Then, as if realizing it couldn''t escape, it swelled up its entire body and transformed into a giant ape. "Graaagh!" Zeke held up Bahamut as he looked at the erged Gaguk. ''Cornered, it swells up its body, just like in my past life.'' The Gaguk charged towards Zeke, shaking the ground with its heavy footsteps. Zeke swung his sword and cut the Gaguk''s leg. "Kaaagh!" But even though its leg was cut, it quickly reattached itself, blending with the darkness and returning to its original state. He hadn''t realized it when he was using Healing Factor, but facing an enemy that continuously regenerated was starting to annoy Zeke. ''What a nuisance.'' As Zeke and the Gaguk faced each other, looking for an opportunity, Big Fist, who had copsed on the ground, suddenly got up and grabbed Gaguk''s waist. "Kugh!" Gaguk mmed its elbow into Big Fist''s head. But Big Fist held on and didn''t let go. It seemed it couldn''t blend with the darkness while being held. Zeke didn''t miss this opportunity. Wheeik! Zeke leaped into the air and swung his sword at the Gaguk. Dragon yer Style, Dragon''s Sword Technique Second Stance, First Verse Earth Splitter Zeke''s sword drew a long horizontal line. At the same time, a red line appeared on the Gaguk''s neck. "Gurg!" A gurgling sound came from the Gaguk''s neck, and then its head fell to the ground. Before the Gaguk could regenerate, Zeke used Gluttony. Rumble! Zeke''s shadow crept up and sucked in the Gaguk''s head that had fallen to the ground. At the same time, the Gaguk''s body, still held by Big Fist, slowly sank into the shadow. [You have devoured a corrupted Ancient Speciespletely eroded by tainted energy.] [Your consumed stamina, mental strength, and mana are restored.] [You have absorbed the bloodline ability of the devoured corrupted Ancient Species and gained the active skill Camouge (A-rank).] ''Camouge skill?'' It seemed to be the Gaguk''s ability to blend with darkness. Zeke cut off the Gaguk''s arm, which was still sticking out of the shadow before beingpletely absorbed, with his sword. He took one of the fingers from the severed arm and put it away, then handed the rest to Big Fist. "Proof of the hunt." Big Fist, holding the Gaguk''s arm in hisrge hand, had tears in his eyes again. He looked up at Zeke and said, "Sob. Zeke brother. Thank you!" Big Fist hugged Zeke. After wiping his tears, he said to Zeke, "Zeke brother. Come visit our vige. I''ll catch a delicious ogre and grill it for you." Come to think of it, barbarians lived by hunting the monsters around them. The toxins in the monsters'' bodies had no effect on the barbarians'' physiques. Zeke, in his past life, understood the barbarians'' culture and sometimes traded monster hides and food with them. As if remembering something, Zeke asked Big Fist, "Big Fist, which tribe are you from?" Big Fist proudly patted his chest and said, "Strong Rock Tribe." Zeke was a little surprised to hear the name Rock Tribe. This was because the Rock Tribe was thergest and fiercest of the barbarian tribes, with many powerful warriors. ''It wouldn''t hurt to befriend a Rock Tribe warrior.'' Zeke warmly grasped Big Fist''s hand and said, "Hunting. Awesome." He wanted to say something cool and impressive, but the barbariannguage was limited in its expressiveness. However, it seemed to have gotten through to Big Fist, who teared up again. As if remembering something, Zeke used his Area of Effect Buff to cast Healing on Big Fist. Woooong! Big Fist watched in wonder as his body was enveloped in golden light. Then, as if deciding it was time to move, he said to Zeke, "Zeke brother. Must visit our vige!" "Okay!" Big Fist ran out of the cave with the Gaguk''s arm. Zeke also exited the cave, but Big Fist was already out of sight. It seemed like there was no creature in the forest that could properly deal with a barbarian. Zeke put the Gaguk''s finger he had taken earlier into his pocket for safekeeping and headed towards the campsite where Felix was. He arrived at the campsite soon after, but Felix was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go?" Just then, Felix emerged from the nearby forest. "Sir Zeke!" He ran towards Zeke, panting.@@novelbin@@ His hair was covered in fallen leaves, and his legs were covered in dirt. Zeke scanned Felix with sharp eyes. "Where were you in such a hurry?" Felix awkwardly scratched his head and said, "W-Well, I was in a hurry and slipped while... taking care of business..." Zeke looked at the shape of the dirt on Felix''s knees and feet and felt something was strange. ''Did he watch my fight with Big Fist?'' During the battle, he couldn''t sense any presence from afar, so even if Felix had been hiding near the cave, it would have been difficult to notice him. And if he had received special training to hide his presence, it would have been even more difficult to detect him. Felix brushed the fallen leaves off his head and shoulders and casually asked, "Did you catch the beast? But what about the barbarian who went with you...?" Zeke, still suspicious of Felix, answered the question. "I caught the beast. The barbarian took the body back to his vige." Felix''s face brightened at Zeke''s words. "Oh my! You caught the beast in one day! That''s amazing, Sir Zeke!" "It''s not over yet. We''ll search the area as we go down the mountain, just in case there are other beasts around." Felix admired Zeke''s preparedness, even though he could have boasted about his achievement. But Zeke only looked at him with suspicion. *** After that, Felix had to spend a few more days searching the mountain with Zeke. Thanks to this, they were able to achieve the feat of catching a few monsters hiding here and there. After thoroughly searching the mountain, Zeke finally came down to the vige. The vige was in a festive mood at the news that the beast and monsters had been caught. The joyful vigers stopped Zeke, who was about to leave for As immediately. In the end, Zeke decided to stay for a day and participate in the feast. The vige headman set a table at the vige hall,den with food until the legs almost broke, and seated Zeke at the head of the table before giving a toast. "To the knight who protected our vige!" "Cheers!" The vigers ate and drank to their hearts'' content. Zeke also drank to match the mood, and the vigers were amazed to see that he didn''t get drunk at all. The heaviest drinkers in the vige came to challenge Zeke, but they all fell one by one. Zeke kept up with the mood for a while, then excused himself, saying he was tired, and returned to the prepared lodging. But then someone followed him. Zeke already knew who was following him. "Felix." Felix, who had been following Zeke from the vige hall, flinched and revealed himself. Zeke spoke to Felix in a sharp voice. "Why are you following me?" "W-Well, that is..." Suddenly, Felix knelt before Zeke. Zeke said to Felix, "What are you doing?" Felix suddenly shouted towards Zeke, "Please ept me, Sir Zeke!" Completely unexpected words burst out from Felix''s mouth. Zeke looked at Felix with a suspicious expression and said, "What do you mean, ept you?" Felix looked at Zeke with a serious expression and said, "Please take me as your s-squire, Sir Zeke!" "Squire?" Felix nodded and stood up. Then, he suddenly drew his sword. Woooong! A clear ringing sound came from the sword. With a determined look, Felix began to swing his sword. Wheeik! Zeke was surprised to see the swordsmanship Felix disyed. ''That''s... the Holy Kingdom''s Pdin inherited swordsmanship?'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 67 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 67 Wheeik! Felix, who had been swinging his sword with a flurry of movements, finally stopped. "Whew." Zeke said to Felix, "You said youpleted the Swordsmanship Guild course, so how do you know the Pdin inherited swordsmanship?" Felix''s eyes widened slightly in surprise at Zeke''s words, then he nodded. "I somehow knew that Sir Zeke would recognize this swordsmanship." Within the Holy Kingdom, a Pdin referred to a knight of the Holy Knights, who had extremely limited contact with the outside world. Since it was a secret swordsmanship passed down only to them, there were few who could wield it, let alone recognize it. But Zeke recognized the identity of the swordsmanship as the Pdin inherited swordsmanship just by looking at the sword forms. Felix felt that Zeke was different from other Draker knights. "I disyed this swordsmanship to show you everything about me without hiding anything, Sir Zeke." Zeke looked at Felix with sharp eyes and said, "Go on." Felix held up the ne he was wearing and showed it to Zeke. Zeke recognized the ne Felix had. ''An official Pdin insignia. Quite old.''@@novelbin@@ The insignia with the sun emblem, symbolizing the Holy Kingdom, was given only to Pdins who passed a strict test. Felix put the insignia back inside his clothes and said, "My grandfather was a Pdin." "I understand that Pdins are forbidden to marry." Felix nodded. "You''re right, Sir Zeke. My grandfather... was defrocked." "Hmm." Originally, a defrocked Pdin had to live within strict rules, spending his entire life in a monastery, praying to God for his sins. Naturally, it was impossible for him to marry and live like an ordinary person outside the Holy Kingdom. ''Did he break the precepts and escape from the Holy Kingdom to live in hiding?'' Then Felix clenched his fists and said to Zeke, "Sir Zeke, my grandfather was defrocked after being caught up in a conspiracy and falsely used within the Holy Kingdom." Zeke was slightly taken aback by Felix''s sudden words. ''This is gettingplicated.'' Felix continued, "My grandfather, who risked his life fighting internal enemies to uncover corruption within the Holy Kingdom, was eventually framed and defrocked. After that, he was in danger of being dishonorably executed, but with the help of his colleagues, he barely escaped the Holy Kingdom and has been living in hiding in the Duchy of Troy." Felix clenched his fists, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion. He looked at Zeke and said, "Before he died, my grandfather told me what he couldn''t set right in the Holy Kingdom and passed this swordsmanship on to me." Zeke had a question after hearing Felix''s story. "Felix." "Yes, Sir Zeke." "Did your grandfather try to pass on his Aura to you before he died?" Felix tilted his head. "Aura transfer? W-What''s that?" Zeke approached Felix. "Give me your hand." Just as Decker had checked Zeke''s internal Aura state before, Zeke also wanted to check Felix''s Aura. Since it involved epting Aura from an external source without resistance, it was an act that should never be allowed withoutplete trust. However, Felix extended his wrist to Zeke without any hesitation. ''Seeing this, it doesn''t seem like he''s a spy.'' Zeke held Felix''s wrist and slowly channeled his mana into him. Zeke''s mana circted through Felix''s body, examining his condition. ''As expected. His Aura conductivity is highpared to his skill level. His Aura circuit is also open.'' After examining Felix''s condition, Zeke released his wrist. Felix looked at Zeke and said, "S-Sir Zeke, is something wrong?" Zeke shook his head. "On the contrary. Felix, thank your deceased grandfather." "Yes? What do you mean all of a sudden?" "It seems your grandfather was an Arc Pdin." "Arc Pdin? Is there such a thing?" "Yes. It''s the equivalent of a ck Knight." "Gasp! Is that true?" Zeke continued his exnation. "The Pdins of the Holy Kingdom have a unique technique passed down from the Imperial era called Aura transfer. It''s a technique that allows for faster growth by transferring one''s Aura to their disciple." "So that''s why you asked about Aura transfer earlier." "Yes. But your grandfather didn''t just transfer his Aura, he opened your Aura circuit and increased your body''s Aura conductivity. This is a technique that only Arc Pdins can do." "I-I didn''t know that at all." Zeke observed Felix''s reaction. He seemed genuinely unaware. ''I''m confused whether he''s a spy who received special training or a true sessor of an Arc Pdin. Maybe he''s both.'' Zeke asked Felix, "Felix." "Yes! Sir Zeke." "Is the reason you want to be my squire to clear your grandfather''s name?" Felix made a subtlyplicated expression. "W-Well, of course, there''s that reason. But more than that, I want to serve you by your side, Sir Zeke." "How can you make such a decision after seeing so little of me?" "T-To be honest, I secretly watched you fight, Sir Zeke. I haven''t seen many knights, but I''ve never seen anyone like you! If you''ll allow me, I want to serve you as a squire, no, even as a servant." Zeke looked at Felix and pondered. ''If he''s a spy, I can keep him by my side and find out who my enemies are. And if he''s not, I guess I''ll have gained a promising squire.'' To be honest, Zeke had grown fond of the quick-witted Felix after spending a few days with him. He was too talented to just let go. After pondering, Zeke said to Felix, "It won''t be easy following me." "I-It''s alright! I''ll even jump into the fires of hell!" "Don''t exaggerate. We''re returning to As tomorrow, so get ready." At those words, Felix bowed deeply to Zeke. "Th-Thank you, Sir Zeke! I will devote myself to you." Zeke decided to take Felix as his squire and returned to his lodging. ''Felix Valencia. I''ll have to dig into him properly.'' *** The next day, Zeke immediately returned to As. Before returning to Valha, he said to Felix, "Felix. I''ll let the As Guard know, so prepare to move your residence." "Yes! Understood." After sending Felix off, Zeke went up to the president''s office to see ubert. But then, he ran into Diego and Aster, who wereing out of the president''s office. Both of them looked terrible. "What kind of mission did you two receive to end up like this?" Diego said with a dying voice, "Ugh, don''t even ask! I was with the Northern Border Defense Force, and all we did was shovel snow!" Aster also trembled as he said, "I realized that snow is scarier than monsters, Master." In war, there are things that are actually harder to endure than enemies or monsters. Namely, the environment. The humid climate and insects of the jungle, the cold of the north, the intense heat and sunlight of the desert. These were things that knights often overlooked. Zeke realized that ubert''s test had given the two of them valuable experience. ''I understand why the lord made old man ubert the president of Valha.'' The two grumbled that they had to go on a dispatch mission to the desert this time. "Let''s see each other alive, bro!" "I''ll be back, Master." After parting with Diego and Aster, Zeke went straight to the president''s office. ubert greeted Zeke with a big smile. "Wee!" From ubert''s perspective, he couldn''t help but be fond of Zeke, who brought back incredible results every time he was given a mission. He personally prepared tea. ''The grade of tea is higher thanst time.'' As expected, sess was the key. Zeke ced the pouch containing Gaguk''s finger in front of ubert. ubert smiled with satisfaction at the sight of the beast''s finger. "I saw the report you submitted, it was amazing. You treated the injured barbarian and joined forces to catch the beast." "I was lucky." ubertughed heartily and said, "Keeping a talent like you at Valha feels like a loss for the continent." He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Zeke. "This is a temporary graduation certificate. It''s difficult to graduate immediately because the semester isn''t over yet, but this will allow you to do what you want without inconvenience. It''s proof that you''ve already acquired the qualifications to graduate." Zeke received the graduation certificate that ubert handed him with a respectful posture. "Thank you for your consideration, President." "I''m proud to have an excellent student like you as a graduate of Valha." ubert looked at Zeke and asked, "So, have you decided on your career path after graduation? Will you be going to Draker, as expected?" Zeke nodded. "First, I want to gain experience as a knight of the n and grow into a true knight." ubert looked satisfied with his exemry answer. "Good. I look forward to seeing your further growth, Zeke." "Thank you, President." It was then. Knock knock! Someone came to the president''s office. It was none other than Andrei. ubert asked Andrei, "What is it, Professor Andrei?" Andrei politely greeted the president and said, "I received a message from the Four Seasons Castle to bring Zeke in." ubert nodded as if he understood. "It seems the lord already knows about your graduation. He''s always quick on the uptake." Zeke nodded and rose from his seat. "I''ll excuse myself, President." "Yes. Come visit often." Zeke followed Andrei out of Valha and got into the Draker carriage heading for the Four Seasons Castle. He asked Andrei, "Do you know why I was called in?" Andrei shook his head at Zeke''s question. "I don''t know the exact reason. Maybe it''s a graduation celebration or something." "It''s hard to imagine the lord congratting me on my graduation." "You achieved the feat of graduating from Valha in two years, so it''s possible." "Whatever it is, I hope it''s nothing serious." The carriage carrying Zeke and Andrei crossed through downtown As and soon entered the Four Seasons Castle. Andrei waited outside, and only Zeke entered the Summer Castle, where the lord''s office was located. The Summer Castle was where all matters rted to the Draker n throughout the continent wereprehensively managed. Perhaps because of this, knights, administrative staff, and mages belonging to the n were all busy moving around, focusing on their respective tasks. "What''s happening with the Northern issue!" "J-Just a moment. There''s been an incident in the South Sea!" "Ugh! Damn it, who''s in charge of this budget report!" The entire office was like a battlefield. ''I''d rather be on field duty.'' Zeke quickly passed by the hectic office work and headed towards the lord''s office. When he arrived in front of the office, the secretary checked Zeke''s identity. Only then was he allowed inside. Arthur Draker''s office was more modest than he expected. Bookshelves lining the office walls were packed with books, and in front of arge window with good sunlight, there was only a desk for work, and a sofa and table for guests. Just then, the door to the room next to the office opened, and Arthur Draker appeared with a teapot. "Oh, you''ve arrived. Come, sit down." Arthur Draker sat down and personally poured a cup of tea for Zeke. "Zeke, I specially obtained this tea from the Eastern Continent to give to you when you came. Try it." Zeke drank the tea Arthur gave him. Indeed, the aroma and taste were different from ordinary tea. "I''ve heard that Eastern tea is of high quality, and this is very good." "I''m d you like it. I''ll pack some for you to take when you leave." Tea from the Eastern Empire was more expensive than the same weight in gold. Zeke thanked the lord. Arthur looked at Zeke and said, "You must be curious why I called you." Zeke nodded. "Yes, Lord." "I called you to see your face after a long time and to congratte you on your graduation." "Thank you, Lord. It''s all thanks to the family''s teachings." Arthur grinned and said, "You don''t have to pretend to be a model student in front of me like you do with old man ubert. Draker doesn''t want exemry knights that old fogies would like." As expected, Arthur Draker was sharp. He looked at Zeke and said, "Zeke, I intend to enter you in this Draker Martial Arts Tournament." He continued, "And I want you to win it." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 68 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 68 Draker Martial Arts Tournament. As the name suggests, it refers to a martial arts tournament hosted by the Draker n. However, it wasn''t limited to those belonging to the Draker n. Any young knight who had been promoted to purple rank for less than five years could participate. It could be considered apetition to identify the next generation of rookies who would lead the continent. Zeke nodded after hearing the lord''s words. "Understood." The lord looked at Zeke and asked, "Are you saying you''ll win?" "Yes." It was a short answer, but Arthur could feel Zeke''s determination within it. He grinned and said, "Good. I hope to be able to award you the winner''s medal on thest day of the tournament." Zeke nodded. Arthur got up from his seat with a satisfied expression. "And I''ve prepared a graduation present for you." He brought a box from his desk. "Open it." Zeke opened the box Arthur had prepared. His eyes widened as he checked the contents. ''This is...?'' Inside the box was a metal te and a document. Zeke was surprised to see the metal te. It was none other than and ownership right te. Zeke asked in surprise, "Are you giving mend?" Arthur nodded. "Yes. I''ve decided to grant you the northern territory of the Duchy of Troy where you caught the beast." ''Land as a graduation present.'' Even receiving a knighthood was on a different level from obtainingnd. No matter how small the territory, a knight who owned it could use the title of "Lord." It effectively meant gaining a title as a noble. Even among the Draker knights, one had to be at least a high-ranking knight to receivend. Grantingnd to Zeke, who had just be an official knight, was quite exceptional. Zeke expressed his gratitude to Arthur. "I will live up to your expectations, Lord." "A steward will visit you soon regarding the management of the territory, so listen to him for details. Actually, professional managers will take care of the management, so you don''t have to worry too much about it." "Thank you for your consideration, Lord." Zeke finally left the lord''s office with the Eastern tea that Arthur had prepared for him. ''I never thought I''d be a lord at this age.'' As expected of Draker. Feeling a bit dazed, he came out of the Summer Castle, and someone approached him. "My busy disciple." It was Duke, who looked somewhat tired. "Master. What are you doing here?" Duke grumbled. "Ugh. I came to As to rxfortably by your side, but Arthur caught me and made me work for nothing." "Aren''t you retired, Master?" "I only retired as a knight, but my position in Draker is still active, so I got caught." "You''ve been resting for ten years, so it''s okay to work a little, isn''t it?" "Look at you talk. You''re just like Arthur''s son. Anyway, let''s go home quickly before those leeches catch us." Duke took Zeke and hurried back to the mansion. As soon as he arrived, he took off his boots and uniform and sprawled on the sofa. "Whew, I feel alive again. Home is the best." "This is my house, though." "What belongs to the disciple also belongs to the master." Duke took a sip of the liquor the servant brought and said, "So, why did Arthur call you? I heard it was because of your graduation celebration, but he wouldn''t have called you just for congrattions." "I received a graduation present." "A graduation present? Well, he does take good care of things like presents. Sometimes I wonder if he''s a knight or a politician." Duke filled his ss with liquor and asked, "So what did he give you? Usually, it''s a sword or armor." "I receivednd." "Yes,nd is good... What? What did you receive?" "I received the northern territory of the Duchy of Troy." Duke was so surprised that he didn''t even notice the liquor overflowing from his ss. He finally regained hisposure. "Huh, to receivend at your age. Arthur must be very pleased. And if it''s the Duchy of Troy, even the north wouldn''t have bad tax revenue." "It was the area where I carried out this mission. The vigers were all good people, and the atmosphere was peaceful." "Well, it''s good, isn''t it? It''s apletely different level from just having a knighthood to bing a lord." Zeke nodded and said, "There''s one more thing." "You received more presents?" "No. It''s more like a mission. I was told to participate in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament and win." Duke''s face darkened at Zeke''s words. "Draker Martial Arts Tournament." As Duke silently drank his liquor, Zeke asked, "Why, Master? Is the level of the tournament that high?" Duke shook his head. "No. Considering your skills alone, Zeke, winning wouldn''t be difficult." "But why do you look so grim?" "If it were just about skills, there wouldn''t be any problem." Duke put down his ss and said, "Have you ever seen the Draker Martial Arts Tournament, Zeke?" "All I''ve heard is that it''s held every five years. I''ve been busy with my studies and training, from the cradle to the academy and Valha, so I haven''t had a chance to see it." Duke nodded. "Then you might not know. Zeke, the Draker Martial Arts Tournament isn''t just a simple martial arts tournament." "What do you mean it''s not just a martial arts tournament?" Duke said with a serious expression, "It''s a battlefield for ns disguised as a martial arts tournament." Zeke looked bewildered at Duke''s words. "Are you saying there''s corruption in the tournament?" "The concept of corruption itself doesn''t apply. All possible forces that can be mobilized are allowed. The winner is determined including all that." "Oh my god." Zeke pondered the true nature of the Draker Martial Arts Tournament. At first, he thought it was just a matter of winning somehow, but seeing Duke''s expression, it didn''t seem to be that simple. ''The lord didn''t just give me this order for no reason.'' Then Duke said to Zeke, "Zeke, I''ll be blunt. To be honest, it''s difficult to survive in the tournament without a supporting n." At the mention of supporting ns, Zeke''s expression also darkened. It didn''t make sense that he had achieved these results without a supporting n within Draker. Zeke asked Duke, "Are your connections not enough?" Duke shook his head. "Even if I can somehow manage the practical matters, the political aspects of the tournament are beyond me. For one thing, I''ve been away from the n for a long time." It meant that he needed to have a supporting n somehow. To begin with, Duke himself started as amoner and rose to the rank of ck Knight, achieving the Draker rags-to-riches myth, so he was far removed from supporting ns. With a problem arising in an unexpected area, Zeke felt a headacheing on. ''This is my weak point.'' He had rolled around and fought to his heart''s content in his previous life, but he had no experience with politics. Duke took a long sip of his liquor and said, "I''ll look into some families I know, so let''s see. There''s still some time left before the tournament." Zeke nodded. He decided to go to his room and rest for a while before going back to training. But as he entered his room, someone else came in. "Decker?" Decker, his attendant, approached Zeke. "Young Master, I have something to tell you." Zeke was taken aback by Decker''s sudden appearance and serious expression, but he decided to listen first. "Yes. What is it?" "I overheard your conversation with Duke earlier. You said you were going to participate in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament." Zeke nodded. "That''s right. But Master said it would be difficult without a supporting n." Decker pondered for a moment, then said to Zeke, "Young Master. Please take a look at this." Decker suddenly drew his sword. Woooong! A clear Aura de formed on his sword. Zeke knew that Decker was a blue-rank knight, but he pretended not to know. "D-Decker, you''re a blue-rank knight?" Decker replied, "I know you already noticed." Zeke made an awkward expression at Decker''s words. ''He''s always so quick-witted.'' Decker bowed his head to Zeke. "Thank you for trusting me without suspicion even though you knew I was a blue-rank knight, Young Master." Zeke felt a slight pang of guilt at Decker''s words. He had once suspected that Decker might be a spy sent by one of his other direct siblings. Decker slowly opened his mouth. "Actually, I was a knight belonging to Draker." ''As expected. He wasn''t just an ordinary attendant.'' "Why are you suddenly telling me this, Decker?" "To talk about your mother, Young Master." Zeke frowned at Decker''s words. ''Mother.'' Zeke had almost no memories of his mother. This was because she died as soon as he was born. He grew up in the care of a nanny and entered the Cradle at the age of seven, where he spent his childhood training with other Draker blood rtives. There was no way Zeke could have any memories of his mother. "This is the first time anyone has brought up my mother. It was no use even when I whined to my nanny as a child. No one else ever told me about my mother." Decker replied, "I was a guard knight protecting Madam." "You were my mother''s guard knight?" "Yes. It was the mission I received after bing a high-ranking knight of Draker." Zeke was surprised to hear that Decker was a high-ranking knight of Draker. He had thought Decker was quite skilled, but he hadn''t known that he had even attained the rank of a high-ranking knight. Decker continued slowly, "There''s a reason why no one within Draker talks about Madam." "What''s the reason?" "Because of Madam''s n." "My mother''s n? Wasn''t my mother amoner?" Decker shook his head. "Madam''s n... was once the most powerful among Draker''s blood alliance. Even more so than the current Turunn or Siemens."@@novelbin@@ Zeke was surprised at those words. "But why doesn''t anyone remember them now? No, it''s more like no one wants to talk about them." "That''s because... bad rumors spread about that n." "What? Bad rumors? Just because of that?" Zeke was dumbfounded. He couldn''t understand how such a powerful n could have been virtually erased just because of bad rumors. But Decker said with a serious expression, "To be precise, they were afraid. They avoided them, calling them a cursed n." "Cursed?" Curses certainly existed. Even the Scorpion n he encountered in the South used curse magic to kill or torment people. But the curse Decker was talking about wasn''t that kind. "What kind of curse was it?" "The children of the n died." "The children?" Decker nodded with a grave expression. "Yes. Pregnant women gave birth to stillborn babies, and the children who were born died before they reached the age of five." "Without exception?" "Only one person, your mother, Madam, survived and grew up." Zeke made a dumbfounded expression. ''They were afraid because of a curse... Well, it was worse when I was in the north. The people there are especially susceptible to superstitions.'' Sometimes, such superstitions could exert more power than the magic of a dark mage. It would start with simple curiosity, then as strange things piled up, people would be suspicious. Suspicion would turn into fear over time. Then Zeke looked at Decker and said, "Decker, are you suggesting that I take that cursed n as my supporting n?" Decker nodded. "They were once the most prestigious n in the central region. And Young Master, you are qualified as the sole sessor of that n." "Hmm." The most powerful of Draker''s blood alliance ns, but now no one remembers them. It was the perfect fit for Zeke, who only needed the justification of a supporting n. Zeke asked Decker, "So, what''s the name of my mother''s n?" Decker slowly opened his mouth. "The name of that n is..." He said in a clear voice, "The Agamemnon n." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 69 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 69 Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Zeke and Felix were in a carriage, leaving As and heading to another city. Felix, sitting across from him, said in a slightly excited voice, "Master, this is my first time going to Mycenae!" But Zeke couldn''t be in a tourist mood like Felix. ''The Agamemnon n of Mycenae.'' Mycenae was one of the cities in Mind sponsored by Draker. It wasn''t one of the five major cities of Mind, but it was said that fifty years ago, it was arger city than As. Like Thebes, the oldest kingdom, it was a city steeped in tradition, with traces of the Golden Age and the Holy Empire remaining throughout the city. The Agamemnon n was a historical noble n that had ruled Mycenae and its surrounding territories for a very long time. There were even rumors that they were descendants of an ancient kingdom that existed in the same era as the Cronos Kingdom. As the owners of the territory, with a long-standing tradition and umted wealth, the Agamemnon n wielded strong power within Draker, centered around Mycenae. However, starting fifty years ago, a curse fell upon the n, and children began to die one after another. As a result, rumors of the cursed n spread, and no one wanted to associate with the Agamemnon n. With the fall of the Agamemnon n, Mycenae''s reputation also faded, and their name became difficult to find within the Draker n. With various thoughts in mind, Zeke arrived in Mycenae. *** "Whoa, Master! Look over there. It''s like we''ve traveled back to the Holy Empire era." Unlike the modern city of As, Mycenae retained the atmosphere of the Holy Empire from 500 years ago. Buildings built in the Gothic style,monly used in the Holy Empire, made up the entire city. Zeke felt a sense of wonder at the unfamiliar and exotic appearance of Mycenae. ''Come to think of it, I''ve never been to Mycenae in my past life either.'' Back then, he mainly traveled to strategically important cities, so there was no need for him to visit a city like Mycenae. Zeke said to Felix, "Felix, let''s find a ce to stay first." "Understood, Master." Although Zeke could use the n facilities located throughout Mind as an official Draker knight, he decided to get a room at an inn in the city. This was because he wanted to experience the atmosphere of Mycenae firsthand. Felix quickly searched for a decent-looking inn in the city.@@novelbin@@ Zeke entered the inn that Felix guided him to. It was like a scene from a storybook. As it was nearing evening, people were crowding into the dining hall, drinking beer, and the innkeeper brought out a whole roasted chunk of meat for the guests. Zeke and Felix decided to have a simple meal after renting a room. Therge innkeeper approached Zeke. "What would you like to eat?" Zeke and Felix, who were concealing their identities, appeared to be just ordinary tourists visiting Mycenae for the first time. Felix asked the innkeeper with his characteristic friendly smile, "What''s the most popr dish here?" The innkeeper replied in a confident voice, "If you don''t need a side dish, the special soup is the best. It''ll fill you right up." Zeke and Felix ordered the soup he rmended, along with bread and beer. The food came out faster than expected and tasted quite good. Zeke listened to the conversations of the people around him as he ate. They were mostly ordinary stories of ordinary people. ''The city itself seems fine.'' For people to be leisurely drinking and chatting in a tavern at a time when the sun hadn''tpletely set meant that the city''s economy and public order were good. Zeke, who had imagined that the city ruled by the cursed Agamemnon n would be somewhat gloomy and depressing, was surprised by the unexpected sight. Just then, one of the men drinking at a nearby table ced a roasted chunk of meat on a te and set it down next to Zeke and Felix. "You seem like tourists, and it would be a shame to leave without trying Mycenae''s famous grilled beef ribs." The man''spanions agreed, saying it was true. Zeke spoke to the man in a friendly voice, as if it was just what he wanted. "Thank you for your kindness. The citizens of Mycenae are truly kind." The man nodded with a proud expression. "Of course, I''m a Mycenae native. There''s no ce like this." Another man chimed in. "That''s right! I went to As or whatever it''s called, and there were just so many people, it was too hectic to stay. The buildings were all crammed together and white, it wasn''t impressive at all." The other men nodded in agreement. Zeke told Felix to buy more beer. "Oh dear, what is this?" The men, enjoying the free beer Zeke had ordered, were even more cheerful and boasted about the city of Mycenae. Zeke became even more confused as he listened. ''Public order is good, welfare policies are well-established, and the city is being managed perfectly.'' There were many cities on the continent, but few were managed well enough to truly satisfy their citizens. Even looking at the Southern Continent, the cartels, drug organizations, had taken over the cities and were running them as they pleased, rendering the existence of the kingdoms meaningless. Compared to that, Mycenae was practically a paradise. When the men were a bit more drunk, Zeke slowly brought up the topic. "Just listening to what you''ve said, I can see how great Mycenae is. But who is the current mayor of Mycenae? I didn''t see a city hall building when I looked around today." The men, who had beenughing and chatting excitedly, suddenly fell silent. The sudden silence was awkward even for Zeke, who had brought up the topic. The man who first came to Zeke''s table drained his beer ss and stood up. "I seem to have taken up too much of your time. Enjoy your stay." The man returned to his original table, and the other men also started talking amongst themselves, not looking at Zeke and his party. Zeke realized from the men''s sudden reaction that they didn''t want to talk about the Agamemnon n. ''Do they think even mentioning the cursed n will bring bad luck?'' Zeke thought he needed to look into this further. After finishing their meal, Zeke said to Felix, "I''m going to look around some more, so you rest first, Felix." The quick-witted Felix understood what Zeke meant. "Understood, Master. Be careful." Zeke, who left the inn alone, wandered around the city and headed towards the Syndicate branch. Every city had its dark side, and the Syndicate had a presence there. Zeke found the branch run by the Syndicate, just like he did in As, and went inside. The atmosphere waspletely different from the tavern at the inn. A tough-looking man stood in front of Zeke and said, "This isn''t a ce for a kid to be." Zeke quietly took out a card he had received from Kay. This magically crafted card was provided only to VIP clients within the Syndicate. The man, recognizing the card, was surprised and bowed his waist. "I apologize for not recognizing your esteemed self." "I want to see the branch manager." The man immediately guided Zeke inside, and they started walking down a passage leading underground. ''Looking at this, it''s not much different from the Thieves Guild.'' The Thieves Guild would prepare such secure passages to store stolen goods. The Syndicate was also an organization that valued security, so there wasn''t much difference from the Thieves Guild in that regard. After passing through several forks in the path, Zeke was led to the branch manager''s location. He entered a private room in a high-ss bar, where someone was waiting for him. It was a young man in a neat suit. He seemed quite young to be a branch manager, but considering the major reshuffling and reorganization of the Syndicatest year, it was somewhat understandable. As soon as the branch manager entered the room, he dropped to his knees. "I apologize for my rudeness in not knowing that you wereing." This wasn''t the usual reaction to an ordinary client. Zeke asked the branch manager, "Do you know who I am?" "Not in detail. But I was told that you are someone I must never offend." It seemed there was some kind of mark on the card Kay had given him. Zeke nodded and gestured for the branch manager to sit down. As the branch manager sat down, he offered Zeke the tea he had prepared. "I heard you like tea." "..." Zeke took a sip of the tea the branch manager had prepared and opened his mouth. "How long have you been in Mycenae?" "I''ve been here for about 20 years." "Quite a long time." "I''m a native here, and I started working for the organization when I was young." "Good. Then you must be well-versed in the affairs of Mycenae." "Yes. Unlike how it appears, Mycenae has an active ck market. Most of the stolen goods thate through unofficial channels are handled here in Mycenae, so..." "Unfortunately, I''m not interested in stolen goods." The branch manager looked slightly disappointed at Zeke''s words. "What''s the atmosphere of Mycenae like?" "It''s a good ce to live. Public order is good, and there are plenty of goods. The only downside is that there''s no railroad, so it''s inconvenient to travel to other cities." It was strange to hear a member of a criminal organization say that good public order was a good thing. Zeke nodded and asked another question. "Do you know anything about the ruler of Mycenae?" At that moment, the branch manager''s face turned pale. Seeing that, Zeke recalled the reactions of the men at the inn. He decided to drive the point home and uttered the name to the branch manager. "The Agamemnon n." As soon as Zeke said the n name, the branch manager visibly trembled. ''I wonder what kind of rumors about the curse are spreading for him to be this afraid.'' The branch manager, trying his best to suppress his fear, said to Zeke, "W-Where did you hear that name?" "That''s none of your business. It seems that mentioning that n name is taboo in Mycenae. Is there a reason?" Suddenly, the branch manager started making the sign of the cross and reciting prayers. It was typical of a city with strong remnants of the Holy Empire. He slowly opened his mouth. "My lord, that n is cursed." "I know that. I heard it''s a curse that kills children." The branch manager vigorously shook his head. "N-No, that''s not it." "It''s not? Is there a different curse?" The branch manager slowly opened his mouth. "A-Anyone who g-goes to the c-castle d-dies." "What?" This was something he hadn''t heard from Decker. Zeke asked the branch manager again, "So you''re saying that anyone, regardless of who they are, dies if they go to the Agamemnon n''s castle?" "Y-Yes. A-And if you s-say the name too many times, you c-could also d-die." Seeing the branch manager''s trembling lips, it didn''t seem like he was lying. ''There must be something to it.'' Superstitions had the power of magic, so if many people believed in them, curses or strange things could actually ur. "Have people actually died after going to that castle?" At that question, the branch manager made the sign of the cross again and prayed before slowly opening his mouth. "Y-Yes. I heard that a long time ago, during my grandfather''s time, people who went to the castle were cursed and all died. My grandfather said that one of his brothers died that way too." "Has anything like that happened recently?" The branch manager shook his head. "The citizens of Mycenae don''t go near the castle in the first ce. We''ve blocked all the roads leading to it in case any tourists try to go there." "Hmm." After hearing everything the branch manager had to say, Zeke came to his own conclusion. ''It seems the Agamemnon n isn''t actually cursed.'' His eyes shed. ''The Agamemnon n must have intentionally spread the rumors of the curse.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 70 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 70 Wheeik! Zeke and Felix were heading to Agamemnon Castle. As the Syndicate branch manager had said, all the roads leading to the castle were blocked, so they had to get off the carriage midway and walk towards the castle. "M-Master, this ce is so creepy." The path to the castle was overgrown with strangely shaped trees, and thorny vines were tangled here and there, making it impossible for people to pass through. In the end, Zeke and Felix had to cut through the thorny vines with their daggers to make a path. After struggling to climb the deste hillside, the two finally stood in front of Agamemnon Castle. Zeke nodded, and Felix knocked on the castle gate. Thump! Thump! Dust fell from the gate, showing how long it had been since it wasst opened. When there was no response, Felix shouted while knocking, "Sir Zeke Draker, the pure-blooded awakened of the Draker n, the continent''s youngest blue-rank knight, and the youngest to receive the official knight status, hase to visit the Agamemnon n!" After Felix knocked a few more times, they finally heard a sign of life from inside. Creak! The gate opened, and an old woman in a maid outfit emerged. She had ashen hair, cloudy eyes, and withered skin like a tree bark. "Cough. Did you say Sir Zeke Draker?" The old woman spoke in a voice that sounded like nails scratching on a steel te. Felix was slightly frightened by the eerie appearance of the old woman. Zeke, who was behind him, stepped forward. "I am Zeke Draker. I wish to meet the head of the Agamemnon n." The old woman approached Zeke and caressed his face with her long, dry hands. Felix tried to stop the old woman, but Zeke raised his hand and stopped him. After a moment, the old woman let out a strangeugh. "Hee hee hee hee!" It was a sound like a donkey about to breathe itsst. The old woman said to Zeke and Felix, "Hee hee,e in." Zeke and Felix followed the old woman through the castle gate. Inside the castle, dust was piled up thick, and cobwebs were everywhere, as if it hadn''t been cleaned in a long time. All the furniture was covered with cloth, giving it an eerie feeling. Felix, seemingly getting goosebumps, clung to Zeke''s side and whispered, "M-Master, there''s something strange about this ce." "I know. But Felix, I''d like it if you would walk a little further away from me." The old woman lit an oldmp and went up the narrow spiral staircase. Zeke followed the old woman, observing the structure and materials of the castle. ''This is a very old castle. It seems to be at least a thousand years old.'' Perhaps it was even older than that. Following the old woman up the stairs and through a narrow corridor, they came to a door. When they were led inside, they saw arge room with a long dining table, where faint figures were gathered. Old people with white hair, pale faces, dark circles under their eyes, and vacant eyes were sitting at the table, dressed in old aristocratic clothes. Felix, seeing them, was startled and tried to step back. "M-Master, g-ghosts!" Zeke stomped on Felix''s foot to make him stay put. Zeke approached the old people and greeted them. "Zeke Draker greets the elders of the Agamemnon n, the masters of Mycenae." Even at Zeke''s greeting, the ghost-like old people remained silent. Then, the old maid with the candle brought something. nk! The old woman began cing a strange-smelling soup in front of the ghost-like old people. Then she ced portions for Zeke and Felix at the empty seats at the table. The old woman said to Zeke, "Hee hee hee! Hee hee! Please enjoy your meal." Zeke looked at Felix, who sat down with a terrified expression, unable to refuse. When he stirred the soup the old woman had prepared with a spoon, he saw that it was a thick mixture of unidentifiable ingredients. The ghost-like old people silently ate the soup. Zeke also picked up his spoon and started eating the soup. Felix looked around, then slowly scooped up some soup and put it in his mouth. "Ugh!" It was a taste he couldn''t swallow. He looked to the side and saw Zeke diligently eating the soup with a straight face. Seeing Zeke like that, Felix reflected on himself. ''This too is an ordeal to be a great knight.'' He steeled himself and took arge spoonful of the soup. ''Ugh.'' It still tasted awful. After Felix also finished the soup, the old woman came back and took the bowls away. The elder sitting at the head of the table looked at Zeke with vacant eyes. Zeke spoke to the elder. "I have a request for the head of the n." The elder remained silent.@@novelbin@@ Zeke continued, "As a direct descendant of the Agamemnon n, I would like to receive your support." At those words, the eyebrows of the elder at the head of the table and the other ghost-like elders twitched subtly. Then, a bizarreugh came from the old woman behind them. Hee hee! Hee hee! Hee hee! Suddenly, the elder at the head of the table abruptly stood up. "Gasp!" Felix was startled by the sight. The ghost-like elder was much taller than he expected. He stared intently at Zeke with vacant eyes, then turned around and walked away. Zeke also got up from his seat and followed the elder. Felix followed behind Zeke, trembling. The tall, ghost-like elder walked through a dark hallway and entered a room at the end. Zeke followed him inside. Perhaps magicmps didn''t work here, as oilmps and candles were lit. The room seemed to be used as a study, as it was filled with an enormous number of books. Just then, Zeke spotted a painting hanging on one of the walls of the study. "Felix, shine themp on that wall." At Zeke''s words, Felix shone themp on the wall. "Gasp!" Felix was so startled by the painting on the scroll hanging on the wall that he almost dropped themp. It was a gruesome depiction of countless people vomiting blood and dying. The dead were piled up like a mountain, and in front of them, people writhing in agony were kneeling. To hang such a painting in a study was quite the macabre taste. Then, the tall, ghost-like elder appeared before Zeke. But in his hand was a long, sharp skewer. Felix was startled and stood in front of Zeke. "M-Master! I-I''ll block him, so please run!" Felix''s trembling figure, standing in front of Zeke, was pitiful. Zeke patted Felix''s shoulder and stopped him. "Felix, it''s alright. Step aside." The ghost-like elder approached the scroll with the gruesome painting, holding the skewer. Then, he used the skewer to pick up the scroll and flipped it over. Another painting appeared on the back of the scroll. Zeke carefully examined the painting. ''What''s that?'' It seemed to be a scene of people dumping corpses by akeside. Thekeside was red like blood. And someone was depicted holding something to their chest and throwing themselves into theke. Theke was bubbling around that person. The ghost-like elder, flipping the scroll back over, looked at Zeke with vacant eyes. He suddenly opened his mouth wide. A dried, ck tongue was visible inside his mouth. Wheeze! Wheeze! A wheezing sound came from the elder''s mouth. At the same time, a bizarre, tearing sound came from his throat. "n symbol! Gone! Cursed! No qualification to inherit! Curse! Everyone dies here! Die!" Felix''s legs gave way at the eerie sound that didn''t seem human. The ghost-like elder red at Zeke and Felix, wheezing. Zeke looked at the elder and said, "Are you saying that the n symbol is gone, so I have no qualification to inherit?" The elder nodded as if affirming Zeke''s words. Seeing that, Felix''s eyes widened. ''How did he interpret those words like that?'' Zeke, as if realizing something, left the study with Felix. "M-Master, this ce really seems cursed. Let''s just go back to As..." Just then, the old woman appeared in the hallway. "Hee hee hee! Hee hee!" Zeke asked the old woman who was making strange noises, "I have one question. Did the n symbol sink to the bottom of theke?" The old woman, who had been making strange noises, nodded. Zeke opened his map and checked the locations around the castle. He found argeke behind the castle. ''Lake Nahuel. This is it.'' "Guide me to theke." The old woman''s expression changed. From a hee hee hee-ing,ughing expression to a stiff one like a ster statue. Zeke said to the old woman, "It''s alright. Don''t worry and lead the way." The old woman stared intently at Zeke''s face with a stiff expression. Then, at some point, a strange sound came from her mouth. "Cough, cough! Hee hee hee! The child with ck eyes will hee hee hee! Restore the n to its former glory hee hee hee!" The old woman abruptly turned around and walked away. Zeke said to Felix, "Let''s follow her." Felix followed behind Zeke, sweating. After walking for some time through the maze-like corridors, following the old woman, the three of them stood in front of a small door leading out of the castle. The old woman opened the door. Zeke said to her, "I can find my way from here." The old woman bowed her head to Zeke. As Zeke and Felix went outside, the door mmed shut. "Ugh. Master, this ce is really strange." Zeke quietly replied, checking the map for the way to theke, "Stop nagging and follow me, Felix." Zeke, looking at the map, led Felix through the rough terrain covered with bizarre-shaped bushes and thorny vines, and climbed up the hill. After climbing for a while, they saw a hugeke above. Felix''s jaw dropped at the sight of theke. "Wow, I''ve never seen such a bigke before." He hadn''t expected to find such a ce on the hill. Zeke bent down and examined theke water. Theke water was foul-smelling and murky. Zeke recalled the painting he had seen earlier. And he remembered the image of the person holding something and jumping into theke in that painting. Since the elder had specifically shown it to him, Zeke guessed that there must be some connection between the painting and the curse of the Agamemnon n. ''I''ll have to go in and see for myself.'' Zeke thought for a moment and opened the item shop. And among the potions, he purchased ''Breath of the Whale,'' which allowed him to breathe underwater. Zeke said to Felix, "Felix, I''m going into theke. It might take a while, so wait here." Felix was terrified and tried to stop him, but he couldn''t change Zeke''s mind. Zeke gave Felix camping equipment from his inventory, drank the potion, and jumped straight into theke. Theke was as deep as it was vast. Zeke used his Dragon Eyes skill to secure his vision. ''Let''s see what''s there.'' Zeke swam deep into theke. Theke was so deep that he couldn''t see the bottom even after swimming for a long time. Only when he was surprised by the depth of theke did Zeke finally reach the bottom. ''Whew, it''s deeper than I thought.'' As Zeke began to walk along the bottom of theke, he found something. ''Skeletons.'' An enormous number of skeletons were submerged at the bottom of theke. Zeke examined the condition of the skeletons. ''It seems they''ve been here for quite a long time. At least fifty years, it seems.'' Zeke passed through the skeletons, carefully searching for anything that stood out. It was then. He saw something shining white among the skeletons. ''What''s that?'' Zeke slowly approached the light. The light was emanating from between the piled-up skeletons. Zeke moved the skeletons aside and examined the area. Surprisingly, there was a skeleton, still intact unlike the others, holding something shiny in its two hands. It was a delicately crafted golden mask. ''Is this the symbol of the Agamemnon n? It doesn''t seem like an ordinary artifact.'' He took the artifact from the skeleton''s hand. Then, the skeleton''s body suddenly shattered into pieces and turned to dust. At the same time, the light emanating from the artifact disappeared. ''What is this?'' At first, he thought it was just something rted to the Agamemnon n, but the energy he felt was somehow familiar. Zeke carefully examined the mask, now devoid of its glow. And he found a sun-shaped symbol drawn on the forehead of the mask. ''It''s simr to the Holy Kingdom''s insignia.'' It was then. Rumble! Something approached Zeke from behind at high speed. A message window popped up in front of Zeke. [Ancient dragon species corrupted by tainted energy detected.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 71 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 71 ''Ancient dragon species?'' Zeke quickly turned around. Graaaaaaaaagh! A giant beast opened its maw wide and swallowed Zeke whole. Crack! Zeke hurriedly dodged and drew Bahamut. He then pointed his sword at the giant beast. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! A huge vortex began to swirl around Zeke''s sword. Elemental Sword Water Sword Wave Sword A massive tsunami arose in the calmke. KwaKwaKwaKwa! The energy of the Wave Sword flew towards the giant beast, swirling in a vortex. Gaaaaaaaaaaah! Despite being underwater, the beast''s roar echoed. Zeke adjusted his grip on the sword and charged towards the beast. Woooong! The surging Aura de cut through the beast''s hard scales. sh! Unbeknownst to Zeke, the beast had never encountered an enemy who could pierce its scales. In the pain it felt for the first time, the beast red at Zeke with bloodshot eyes and opened its maw. Then, a huge ssh erupted from its mouth. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! The immense water pressure pressed down on Zeke''s body as if to tear him apart. ''Ugh!'' Zeke gritted his teeth to withstand the tremendous water pressure. It was too disadvantageous to fight like this. Then he remembered something. ''Hercyon!'' Zeke immediately activated the Hercyon he had taken from Cain. nk! The Hercyon, which was in the form of a breastte, unfolded and transformed into a full te armor that enveloped Zeke''s entire body. Wearing the armor, Zeke could feel the effect of the water pressure lessen. Now able to move more freely, Zeke nted his feet on thekebed, held up Bahamut, and gathered his energy. Woooong! Strangely, when he gathered his energy while wearing the Hercyon, a much stronger power condensed at the tip of his sword. Powerful Aura rampaged like a storm. Zeke pointed his sword at the beast. Dragon yer Style, True Dragon Sword Skill Eighth Stance, First Verse Dragon Scale sh A huge Aura surged from Zeke''s sword. The Aura de, surging over ten meters, shed and struck the charging beast. nk! The beast, directly hit by Zeke''s Dragon Scale sh, momentarily stopped moving. And then the sword attack exploded btedly. KwaKwaKwaKwa! The beast screamed and roared in pain as its whole body was torn. Zeke didn''t miss this opportunity. He regained his stance. Woooong! Energy gathered in his sword once again. A huge vortex swirled around Bahamut. Zeke aimed the tip of his sword at the beast''s neck. He focused all his strength on the tip of the sword. Dragon yer Style, True Dragon Sword Skill Eighth Stance, Third Verse Dragon Scale Thrust A tremendous energy enveloped Zeke''s sword and shot towards the beast like a powerful spear. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! The giant spear made of Aura de pierced right through the beast''s body. Thud! Thud! Thud! The beast barely managed to twist its body and avoid a fatal blow, but the powerful energy tore through its scales and flesh. The beast finally faltered and retreated. Zeke, thinking he had to finish it here, chased after the beast. And as it tried to flee, he used the Dragon w skill from behind. sh! The ferocious dragon ws tore through the beast''s back. The beast writhed and screamed, but it didn''t stop trying to escape. Zeke used Gale Force to quickly chase after the beast. As soon as he got close, he thrust his sword into the beast''s neck. Crack! Zeke, who had plunged his sword into the beast''s neck with the power of gold, pushed down with force, sinking them both to thekebed. Thud! As the giant beast sank to the bottom, mud billowed upwards, obscuring the surroundings. Zeke used his Dragon Eyes skill to secure his vision and then used Dragon Fear to threaten the beast. A message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have instilled fear in the ancient dragon species corrupted by tainted energy.] [Innate ability Dragon Domination activated.] [Would you like to subjugate the target dragon species?] Zeke had previously subjugated the chimera created by the dark mage, Gurab, and turned it into a summon. ''Can such arge beast be subjugated?'' The beast Gaguk he had caught recently wasn''t a dragon species, so he just devoured it with Gluttony and obtained a skill. Zeke pondered whether it would be better to devour the beast with Gluttony or subjugate it. ''I''ll try subjugating it, and if it doesn''t work, I''ll just devour it with Gluttony.'' Zeke responded to the message that appeared, saying he would do so. Woooong! Unlike with the chimera, a magic circle-like pattern appeared from Zeke''s ether hall. A magic circle of the same pattern spread around the beast''s body. Crackle! Sparks flew from the magic circle, and the beast screamed as if in pain. Kyaaaaagh! But surprisingly, the beast''s appearance was changing little by little. ''What''s this?'' Crack! Like hardened y peeling off, the ck energy that had been covering the beast''s body fell away. Whoosh! The beast, freed from the ck energy, now had the appearance of a dragon species with a mystical aura, not a monstrous beast. As soon as the ck energypletely disappeared, the magic circle began to shine. Rumble! The light from the magic circle seeped into the dragon species. Then, a message appeared. [The demonic energy that had corrupted the ancient dragon species has been purified, and its former divinity has been restored.] [You have subjugated the ancient dragon species.] [Would you like to name the subjugated dragon species? A named dragon species can be summoned at any time by the Authority user.] Zeke looked at the ancient dragon species, now purified of demonic energy. It had been a monster just a moment ago, but now, free from the demonic energy, it had a mystical appearance with blue scales that shone with five colors. After some thought, Zeke named the ancient dragon species. ''Nahuel.'' Zeke named it after theke, Nahuel. Nahuel, seemingly pleased with its name, raised its long neck and roared. Roar! Unlike when it was a beast, it was a clear and mystical roar. [You have acquired the divine beast Nahuel.] [The divine beast Nahuel can only be summoned in ces with water.] At the same time, information about Nahuel appeared. Nahuel Information Description: A divine beast with auspicious water energy Innate ability: Can control water Special note: Corrupted by demonic energy right before evolving into a holy beast. Can evolve into a holy beast under certain conditions. ''It can evolve into a holy beast?'' However, the information didn''t specify what the conditions were. Nahuel gracefully extended its head towards Zeke. It wasn''t as openly affectionate as Gurab, but it seemed quite dignified. ''Is it telling me to get on its back?'' Zeke thought to himself, and as if reading his mind, Nahuel nodded. The summoned beast, subjugated to the master of Authority, was connected by the soul, allowingmunication through thoughts alone. Zeke climbed onto Nahuel''s back. Then, Nahuel ascended to the surface of theke at high speed. Ssh! Nahuel cut through the water and emerged above theke. Roar! The sun had risen, and the clear sunlight warmly illuminated theke. Zeke rode Nahuel towards the shore. When they reached the shore, he stroked the scales on Nahuel''s neck. "I look forward to working with you, Nahuel." Whoosh! Nahuel let out a long cry and then returned to theke. Unlike the chimera Gurab, it seemed Nahuel would stay in thiske and be summoned when needed. As Zeke climbed onto the shore, Felix stared at him with his mouth agape. "M-Master, what was that just now?" Zeke said with an indifferent expression, "It was the beast in theke. The curse was lifted, and it transformed like that." "Yes? The curse was lifted?" "I don''t know exactly. I''m hungry, so prepare something to eat, Felix." Felix was still bewildered, but he followed Zeke''s instructions and built a fire to prepare food. Zeke sat at the campsite and examined the golden mask he had retrieved from the bottom of theke. "Hmm. The engraving on the forehead is simr to the Holy Kingdom''s insignia." Although the shape and form were different from the Holy Kingdom''s insignia that Felix had, the basic format was the same. As Zeke fiddled with the mask, he recalled how the relic of Terakan Draker had reacted to mana. He subtly channeled mana into the mask. Woooong! Surprisingly, it reacted to mana this time as well. He channeled more mana into the mask. At the same time, a message appeared. [You have acquired the Mask of ???] [Would you like to register as the user of the mask?] A window simr to the one that appeared when he acquired Cain''s Hercyon popped up. ''This one also has question marks.'' ording to Gelion, the Hercyon that Cain had was made before the Golden Age. This mask could also have been made in a simr era. With various questions in mind, Zeke registered himself as the user of the mask. Then, more message windows popped up. [You have been registered as the user of the mask.] [Would you like to activate the mask''s function?] Although the function of the mask wasn''t exined, and he didn''t know what it was, Zeke decided to activate it. ''What is this? Is it like the Hercyon?'' The moment Zeke chose to activate it, the mask suddenly began to emit light. "What, what''s this?" The mask emitted a strong light, just like when he first found it at the bottom of theke. At the same time, the mask unfolded and automatically wrapped itself around Zeke''s face. ''What, what is this!'' Then another message window appeared. [Activating the function of the Mask of ???] [Linking with the Intermediate Administrator system and functions.] [Confirming ss: Immortal] [Activating skill ''Purification''] [Skill ''Purification''bines with the Immortal ss to transform into the Unique ss exclusive skill ''Grand Purification''] [''Grand Purification'' function linked with the user''s skill Area of Effect Buff] [Confirming the range of Grand Purification] [Conducting purification of demonic energy that has corrupted thend] Zeke was startled to see the messages that appeared. ''Unique ss exclusive skill?'' Woooong! An enormous golden light surged from Zeke, who was wearing the mask. "Gasp!" Felix, who was preparing the meal, was startled to see Zeke, wearing the golden mask, bathed in golden light. And at that moment, the golden light emanating from Zeke''s body began to spread out like waves in all directions. Whoosh! The first thing the golden light from Zeke''s body touched was the thick thorny vines. The ck dust that had clung to them fell away, and the thorny vines began to transform into beautiful rose vines. "Oh my god." Not only Felix but also Zeke stared nkly at the sight. As the golden waves slowly spread, the area where the thorny vines had been turned into a rose garden, and the grotesquely twisted trees also transformed into beautiful ornamental trees. Whoosh! The ckke water became clear, and the barrennd sprouted fresh green shoots, turning into vibrantnd full of life. The spreading golden waves reached the castle. At the same time, a new message window appeared. [Connecting to the management system of ???] [Changing the mode of ???] [Emergency defense mode deactivated] Rumble! The castle was literally transforming. The walls moved, the towers that made up the castle changed positions, and the crouched castlepletely unfolded, transforming into a grand and elegant appearance, unlike before. "M-Master... th-the c-castle..."@@novelbin@@ Felix, seeing the gloomy ghost castle transform into a beautiful castle with a rose garden, was speechless with disbelief. The golden waves didn''t stop there but spread further, transforming the entire hill where the castle stood. The deste hill turned into a garden full of roses and beautiful trees. [Purificationplete.] nk! The golden mask detached from Zeke''s face and returned to its original form. Zeke stared at the golden mask in wonder. ''What in the world is this?'' It was then. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Something came running at a tremendous speed. People on horseback were galloping towards Zeke. Felix, flustered, drew his sword and took a defensive stance. But Zeke stopped Felix. "Felix, calm down. They''re not enemies." Whoosh! The riders on therge horses dismounted and walked towards Zeke and Felix. They wererge and imposing, all dressed in old aristocratic attire. Surprisingly, despite theirrge builds, they were all old men with white hair. One of them approached Zeke and shouted, "The prophecy has been fulfilled! The child with ck eyes has restored the n to its original state!" The other elders also echoed his words. "The child with ck eyes!" "The savior of the n!" Felix looked at the elders who suddenly appeared and said to Zeke, "M-Master, w-who are these people?" Zeke replied to Felix, "Didn''t we meet and greet them earlier?" Felix asked back in surprise, "Yes? A-Are they those ghosts from before?" "They weren''t ghosts, but they were deeply ill due to the curse. Now that the curse is lifted, they''ve returned to their original forms." The elder at the forefront approached Zeke and knelt on one knee. At the same time, the other elders also knelt. "Rufus Agamemnon, head of the Agamemnon n, expresses his gratitude to the savior of the n!" "We express our gratitude!" The other elders also expressed their gratitude in loud voices. After a moment, Rufus Agamemnon rose from his position and approached Zeke. He ced hisrge hand on Zeke''s shoulder and said, "Zeke Draker! My grandson with ck eyes! You have lifted the curse on the family and saved us!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 72 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 72 "Grandfather." Zeke tightly grasped Rufus''s remaining hand. Rufus then embraced Zeke. "I finally get to hold you." Because of the curse, Rufus had suppressed his emotions and couldn''t properly hug Zeke even when they first met, for fear of harming him. The other elders of Agamemnon also approached and hugged Zeke. They were all sorge that Zeke was soon buried among them. But as everyone looked at Zeke with eyes full of affection, he didn''t feel the slightest difort. Rufus finally ended the hug with Zeke and said, "This isn''t the time for this. Let''s quickly go to the castle. We must properly treat the benefactor of our n." Then, another elder next to him shouted with joy, "That horrible herb soup is finally over!" "Damn it, we ate that stuff for 50 years because of that damn curse." Felix, who was behind them, breathed a sigh of relief at those words. ''So it wasn''t just me who found that soup strange.'' Thus, Zeke and Felix headed to the castle with the elders of the Agamemnon n. The atmosphere of the castle hadpletely changed. The cramped and old castle now had wide corridors decorated with elegant ornaments. Felix''s jaw dropped as he looked at the castle. "N-No way, Master. H-How could the castle... in just one night..." He couldn''t believe he was witnessing a legendary situation where the castle regained its original beauty after the curse was lifted. Unlike Felix, who was amazed as he looked around the castle, Zeke recalled the message window that had appeared earlier. ''It definitely said ''Emergency defense mode deactivated''.'' It seemed that, like the Dragon yer''s Sanctuary and Kaisir''s Sanctuary, it could use various functions by linking with the system. Zeke thought that the ability of his system was rted to the Elder Dragon artifact he had discovered before he died in his past life. ''Could Cain''s Hercyon and this mask also be rted to the Elder Dragon?'' Lost in thought, Zeke arrived at the ce where they had eaten the soup yesterday. Like other parts of the castle, the dining hall waspletely different from yesterday. Beautiful stained ss adorned the walls, and bright sunlight streamed through the windows, giving the entire dining hall a refreshing atmosphere. As Zeke, Felix, and the elders took their seats, the maids brought in the food. "Young Master Zeke with ck eyes! We have put our skills to use for the first time in 50 years for the savior of the n." It wasn''t the hunched old woman from before, but a gentle-lookingdy in a neat maid uniform, speaking in an elegant voice. Felix was surprised again. "I-Is that the same person from yesterday?" "Hee hee! Hee hee! Of course." The head maid said yfully and began serving the food. Their bodies had been copsing due to the demonic corruption, but Zeke''s Grand Purification had cleansed the demonic energy and restored their bodies to their original state. This time, instead of the thick soup, elegant aristocratic dishes filled the table. Rufus looked at the food and said, "Under the curse, we couldn''t see the sunlight and couldn''t even eat proper food. As a result, our conditions worsened, our tongues stiffened, and we couldn''t even speak properly." The elders nodded in agreement. They were able to eat warm food for the first time in 50 years. Zeke, following etiquette, focused on eating without speaking. The elders also enjoyed the food that the head maid had carefully prepared. After the meal, they moved to the garden to have tea. Zeke, sitting across from Rufus, took out the golden mask from his pocket. Rufus''s face was filled with emotion at the sight of the mask. "The Golden Mask of Agamemnon. I can''t believe the symbol of the n has returned." Zeke asked Rufus, "Lord, can you exin what happened?" Rufus nodded. "Yes. Zeke, you have the right to hear all the secrets of our n." He stroked the Golden Mask and said, "Fifty years ago, a great gue swept through Mycenae." "This is the first time I''ve heard that there was a gue 50 years ago." Rufus nodded. "That''s to be expected. Our n used every means possible to prevent the gue from spreading outside of Mycenae. Back then, I was just a young man who had juste of age." Rufus looked into the distance, recalling the past. Then he continued, "The elders of the n gathered those infected with the gue and brought those who weren''t into the castle, trying to thoroughly quarantine them. But the gue spread too quickly to be contained." "Do you remember what kind of disease it was?" Rufus nodded. "It was a terrible disease. Those infected suffered from high fever and red spots on their faces, and most of them vomited blood and died within three days." Zeke was surprised to hear Rufus''s words. ''Could that gue be the Red Flower gue?'' Although the time it took to die was different, the symptoms were very simr to those of the Red Flower gue spreading in the Alencia border region. In his past life, the Red Flower gue spread, and the countries of the Central Continent had to pay a heavy price. Fortunately, a cure was developed and the disease was contained before it spread further, but if it hadn''t been, a disaster would have urred. Rufus continued slowly, "But the problem wasn''t the gue. When the sun set, terrible things happened." "What do you mean?" Rufus''s hand trembled slightly. "At night, those who died from the gue rose up and started attacking the living." Zeke''s expression hardened as he heard the unbelievable story. "You mean they became zombies?" "It was different from the zombies summoned by dark mages. When the risen dead bit the living, that person also rose and attacked the living." "So it was contagious, like the gue." "Yes. We could only exin it as a curse on Mycenae. During the day, people died from the disease, and at night, the dead rose and attacked the living." The scene Rufus described was truly horrifying. "So what happened?" "Wepletely isted Mycenae from the outside, fortified the castle, and waited for the gue to pass with the living. But the number of dead only increased." Rufus''s voice trembled slightly. Then, he stroked the Golden Mask and said, "Zeke, this mask is a sacred object passed down through our n for generations. From the ancestors of the ancestors of the ancestors of Agamemnon. It has been passed down from the oldest ancestor." "Do you know who made this mask?" Rufus shook his head. "That wasn''t passed down. Most of the records from before the Golden Age have disappeared." Zeke was disappointed to hear Rufus''s answer. He had hoped to get a clue about the Hercyon. Rufus continued his story. "This castle and the Golden Mask have been symbols of the Agamemnon n for generations. Perhaps because of the sacred power it holds, the dead couldn''t enter this ce. But even holding out inside the castle had its limits. In the end, my aunt, the head of the n at the time, made a decision." "What decision?" Rufus swallowed and replied, "To sink the dead into the sacredke and purify the unholy energy. The head of the n and the elders of the n at the time volunteered to be bait." "The painting you showed me earlier was about that." "Yes. With the sacrifice of the head of the n and the elders, they seeded in luring the dead to theke and drowning them. But a problem arose."@@novelbin@@ Zeke had a hunch. "The unholy energy of the dead tainted even the sacredke." Rufus nodded. "You''re right. The sacredke turned into a swamp, and even the guardian deity of theke turned into a monster due to the unholy power." Zeke understood why Nahuel, who was a divine beast, had turned into a monstrous beast. Rufus said with tears in his eyes, "So, the head of the n took the Golden Mask, which held sacred power, and jumped into the unholyke herself. To purify the unholy power, no matter how long it took." Zeke recalled the Golden Mask that was emitting light at the bottom of theke. ''She used the Golden Mask''s purification skill. To purify the demonic energy.'' Even after her death, the head of the Agamemnon n had been activating the power of the sacred object for 50 years, continuously purifying the demonic energy of theke. But the demonic energy was too strong, overwhelming the purification and even eroding the surrounding territory. If Zeke hadn''te, the Agamemnon n might have beenpletely consumed by the demonic energy, turning thend into a lifeless wastnd. Zeke looked at Rufus and said, "You spread the rumors of the curse to protect the citizens, didn''t you?" Rufus nodded. "Yes. It was a measure we came up with in case any remnants of the gue remained." "The curse that killed children must have also been the influence of the unholy power." "That must be the case. Even our trained bodies couldn''t withstand the power, so the frail children wouldn''t have been able to." The truth behind the curse on the Agamemnon n was revealed. The Agamemnon n, who had nobly sacrificed themselves and shouldered the stigma of the curse for the sake of the people of their territory and countless others on the continent, deserved respect. Zeke was relieved that his mother''s n was such a noble one. He bowed his head to Rufus with sincerity. "I express my respect and admiration for the honorable sacrifice of the Agamemnon n." At Zeke''s sincere greeting, not only Rufus but also the other elders looked at him with warm expressions. Rufus looked at Zeke and said, "The more I see you, the more you resemble your mother." Zeke looked up at Rufus and asked, "Grandfather, I want to hear about my mother." Rufus''s expression hardened. "Didn''t Arthur tell you about your mother?" Zeke shook his head. "I don''t even know my mother''s name. Everyone in Draker was reluctant to talk about her." At those words, Rufus clenched his fists and trembled. He shouted with an angry expression, "That Arthur bastard, I should have stopped Laura from marrying him!" ''Laura Agamemnon.'' Zeke learned his mother''s name for the first time. He asked Rufus, "I heard that the Agamemnon n was once the strongest of all the Draker blood alliance ns." Rufus scoffed. "Draker''s blood alliance! Ha, Zeke. Originally, the Draker n was an allied n of our Agamemnon." "An allied family, not a blood alliance?" "During the Holy Empire era, the Draker n was a rural knight n that only held power in the corner of the western continent. They wouldn''t have been able to advance to the Central Continent with the Dragon yer legend without the help of the Agamemnon n, the ruler of the Central Continent and a n with a tradition that continued from the Holy Empire era." Rufus continued his exnation. "Mind also originally started as a city alliance centered around Mycenae after the copse of the Holy Empire. But Draker took advantage of Mycenae''s copse due to the gue, swallowing up Mycenae''s blood alliance ns and growing in size." Rufus''s voice didn''t sound deceitful or boastful. Zeke, who knew the political nature of the Draker n, which pretended to be a knight n that only knew swords, found Rufus''s words more credible. ''Those Draker bastards are capable of that.'' Zeke asked Rufus, "My mother must have known all about the Draker n''s behavior, so why did she marry Arthur Draker and give birth to me?" Rufus let out a deep sigh. "Laura was my daughter, but she was a child I couldn''t understand. As children continued to die in the n due to the unholy power, my now-deceased wife and I had given up. But then, miraculously, Laura was born." "That''s amazing. That only your mother was born and grew up unaffected by the unholy power." Rufus nodded and said, "There''s a reason for that." He lowered his voice and said, "Zeke, your mother was a Healer ss." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 73 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 73 ''My mother was a Healer ss?'' As Zeke expressed his surprise, Rufus nodded and said, "You might not understand what that means. The concept of sses has disappeared these days." Zeke knew what a ss was through his master in his past life, but he pretended not to know. "This is the first time I''ve heard the term ''ss''." "As a pure-blooded awakened of Draker, you must remember the blessing ceremony you received at the Cradle." "Of course. I could never forget it." "Draker calls it a blessing ceremony, but in reality, it''s just a ss awakening ceremony. Most Drakers awaken to the ''Swordsman'' ss." Surprisingly, Rufus urately grasped the Draker bloodline''s ss. "Swordsman ss. Are there other sses then?" "Of course. In ancient times, people''s talents were discerned, and they were assigned sses that matched their talents, systematized to draw out higher abilities. However, with the advent of the age of knights, most people simply divide sses into knights and mages." "Assigning and awakening sses ording to talent. That''s quite a rational concept." "Indeed. Those with talent in swords walk the path of the swordsman, those with talent in bows walk the path of the archer, and those with talent in spears walk the path of the spearman. That''s the meaning of sses." Zeke nodded at Rufus''s words. Just thinking about how he had suffered in the Swordsman n of Draker simply because he had the talent of a Healer still made him shudder. ''Wait, if my mother was a Healer ss, doesn''t that mean my father knew about it too?'' Zeke asked Rufus, "If my mother was a Healer, would Arthur Draker have known about this ss concept?" Rufus nodded. "He probably would have known." Zeke was puzzled by those words. ''He would have known that I had a different talent than that of a Swordsman, so why did he expel me from the n?'' If his mother was a Healer, Arthur would have known the effects of a Healer, so Zeke couldn''t understand why he was neglected. Zeke asked Rufus, "Do you know anything about the Healer ss?" Rufus slowly opened his mouth. "I don''t know much either. It''s such a rare talent that there are hardly any records left, even in the inherited records. One thing is certain, though, my aunt, the previous head of the n, also had the Healer talent." As Zeke expected, the previous head of the Agamemnon n was a Healer ss. Considering that only the previous head of the n, who had the power of a Healer, and Zeke were able to activate the Golden Mask, it was highly likely that this sacred object was an artifact that could only be used by those with the Healer talent. "Were there many Healers in the Agamemnon n?" Rufus shook his head. "It was rare. Most were swordsmen with innate bravery, like me and the elders of the n. But the position of head of the n was traditionally held by someone with the Healer talent." "Then my mother could have also held the position of head of the n." "She was certainly qualified. But Laura left this castle and went to the Holy Kingdom before she even came of age." Zeke was surprised by the unexpected words. "The Holy Kingdom? Why did she go there?" "Laura didn''t tell me the details. She just left, saying that she was going to find a way to save the n. Later, she left again, saying she was going to marry Arthur Draker." The more he heard, the more questions Zeke had about his mother. Zeke looked at the symbol on the forehead of the Golden Mask, simr to the Holy Kingdom''s insignia, and fell into thought. ''Perhaps my mother went to the Holy Kingdom to investigate the Healer ss. To purify the demonic energy that was eroding the n with her own power.'' There was only one person who knew the exact truth about this. It was his father, Arthur Draker. ''Would he even answer if I asked him?'' Circumstantially, it was as if Draker had neglected the cursed Agamemnon n to consolidate their own power. Moreover, Arthur Draker in his past life had known Zeke''s true nature but still left him alone until he was expelled from the n. So, in his past life, the Agamemnon n would have beenpletely consumed by the demonic energy and disappeared without a trace. Zeke realized that things were moreplicated than he thought. ''There are many things I need to investigate step by step.'' "Zeke, there''s something I want to give you." Rufus unfastened the ne he was wearing and ced it in Zeke''s hand. Zeke examined the ne Rufus gave him. The pendant attached to the ne could be opened, and inside was an old picture of a woman. Zeke''s eyes wavered as he saw the woman''s face. "Lord, this picture..." "Laura Agamemnon. Your mother." Zeke had never seen his mother, not in this life or his past life. The mother in the picture was around Zeke''s age. With her beautiful, silky long hair swept to the side, she was a beautiful woman with an elegant yet strong impression. Looking at the picture, Zeke asked Rufus, "...Were my mother''s eyes also ck like mine?" Rufus shook his head. "No. Laura''s eyes were a beautiful emerald green." "I always thought my eyes resembled my mother''s." "Except for the color of your eyes, you''re the spitting image of Laura. When I first saw you yesterday, I thought Laura hade back." The other elders behind him nodded in agreement. Zeke closed the locket and put the ne around his neck. "Thank you, Lord. I will treasure it." Rufus looked at Zeke and said, "After Laura left the n, one day, she returned after a long time. And then she left again after saying just one thing." "What did she say?" "The child with ck eyes will restore the n to its original state." Zeke''s expression hardened. "My mother made a prophecy?" Rufus nodded. "Laura was a Healer ss, but she was also an Irregr. She was extraordinary from a young age." In the Central Continent, Irregrs weren''t viewed favorably. During the Holy Empire era, there were even religious trials and witch hunts for Irregrs. ''My mother was an Irregr...'' Rufus held Zeke''s hand and said, "More than that, you said you needed the support of the n. What do you need support for, Zeke? You are the sole sessor of this Agamemnon n." *** "Whew." Zeke stood in the training hall of Agamemnon Castle, holding Bahamut, adjusting his breathing and swinging his sword. Because the head of the n had designated Zeke as the n''s sessor, he decided to stay longer at the castle to handle various procedures. Since there was still time before the martial arts tournament, Zeke decided to follow the head of the n''s words. And during his stay, Zeke learned the Agamemnon n''s secret swordsmanship, the ''Golden Swordsmanship.'' He first familiarized himself with the sword forms by looking at the Agamemnon n''s inherited swordsmanship records. As befitting a n with a long tradition, the Agamemnon n had a deep history of swordsmanship. The inherited swordsmanship that direct descendants had to learn was a shield swordsmanship that used both a shield and a sword simultaneously. While learning the sword forms, Zeke felt that this swordsmanship was simr to both the Pdin inherited swordsmanship and the Imperial swordsmanship. ''Could it be that all three swordsmanships have the same roots?'' In particr, the Golden Swordsmanship, Agamemnon''s shield swordsmanship, was created on the premise of wearing full te armor and wielding arge kite shield. Zeke thought he understood why the members of the Agamemnon n were sorge. He recalled something while learning the Golden Swordsmanship. ''The Golden Swordsmanship is a technique with a good bnce of offense and defense. If Ibine it with the Desperation Strike I learned from my former master...'' He couldn''t use theplete Desperation Strike yet because his dragon-rted skill, Dragon Language, hadn''t been unlocked. Once Dragon Language was unlocked and hebined the Golden Swordsmanship with theplete Desperation Strike, he might be able to create a new weapon, following the Elemental Sword and the True Dragon Sword Skill. After familiarizing himself with the sword forms to some extent, Zeke activated Hercyon, wore it in full te armor form, and held Gelion''s shield and Bahamut before disying the Agamemnon''s Golden Swordsmanship. Whoosh! He struck with the shield, retreated, stabbed with the sword, turned around, and swung the sword again. He used Gale Force to increase his agility and Aura to strengthen his attacks. Wheeik! Even without creating an Aura de, Zeke''s attacks were fast and powerful enough that ordinary knights wouldn''t be able to easily withstand them. Thud! "Whew." Zeke, who had removed his helmet, smiled with satisfaction at his movements. He looked down at Hercyon and licked his lips. "This is really good, but I can''t use it properly for fear of being tracked by those Imperial bastards." If he could just change its form, he would actively use it. Zeke thought he should make time to meet Gelion in person and modify Hercyon. Deciding to end his training here, he deactivated Hercyon and left the training hall. When he went out to the garden, he saw the elders of Agamemnon surrounding Felix and watching his swordsmanship. Wheeik! "You shouldn''t turn there!" "Hold your stance better!" "Keep your center of gravity firm!"@@novelbin@@ The Pdin inherited swordsmanship and the Agamemnon''s Golden Swordsmanship had many simrities, so it was clear that learning from the elders would be beneficial for Felix. However, Felix, who was actually receiving the teaching, was miserable. "Ugh, Master, please save me." Felix looked at Zeke with a tearful expression, but Zeke turned his head away, ignoring the distress signal. ''Work hard, Felix. It''s definitely not because I''m toozy to teach you.'' For the elders who had been cooped up in the castle for 50 years, Felix was a good target for their pent-up energy. Zeke left Felix to be tormented by the elders and went inside the castle. Just then, the head maid approached Zeke. "Young Master, the lord summons you." The head maid, who had lost the gloomy old woman appearance from their first meeting, became more elegant with each passing day. ''Although it''s still a bit scary when she sometimes goes ''hee hee hee'' when sheughs.'' Zeke followed the head maid''s words and headed to the lord''s office. When he arrived at the office, he saw documents piled up like a mountain on Rufus''s desk. With the Agamemnon n emerging from seclusion after 50 years, there were countless matters to deal with. "Grandfather." Rufus had asked Zeke to call him grandfather instead of lord when they were alone. Rufus saw Zeke through the pile of documents and got up from his seat. "Whew, it''s a headache to do paperwork after such a long time. Let''s go out and have some tea." As Rufus and Zeke went out to the terrace, the maids brought out tea. Zeke asked Rufus, "Then how have you been managing the city all this time?" Rufus stroked his neatly trimmed beard and said, "We entrusted it to agents outside the territory and sent important decisions by letter." "So there were agents." Rufus put down his teacup and said, "Actually, that''s why I called you." He looked at Zeke and said, "The Agamemnon n has protected this ce for a long time as the guardians of Mycenae. At the same time, three ns have helped us manage Mycenae and the surrounding territories." "You mean vassals." "Zeke, to be the official sessor of Agamemnon, you need to be recognized by them." It was a kind of safety device to prevent the person in power from bing a dictator. Zeke nodded at Rufus''s words. "That''s good timing. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you, Grandfather." "What is it? Tell me anything." Zeke''s eyes shed at Rufus''s words. "I would like you to invite the heads and lords of those three vassal ns, as well as all the ns rted to Agamemnon, to the castle." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 74 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 74 Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Dozens of carriages entered the peaceful city of Mycenae. They were all extraordinary carriages bearing n crests. The citizens of Mycenae murmured as they watched the carriages heading towards Agamemnon Castle. "Huh, could the rumors be true?" "Is the curse on the castle really lifted?" "Otherwise, why would those ns suddenly gather in one ce?" The citizens recalled the divine golden wave that engulfed Agamemnon Castle a few weeks ago. The eerie and gloomy hill was now covered in beautiful roses. Thanks to this, the rumor that the long-standing curse on the Agamemnon n had finally been lifted was spreading among the citizens. Of course, the rumors Zeke spread through the Syndicate also yed a role in the rapid dissemination. And with the lords'' carriages flocking to the castle, the rumor gained even more credibility. *** Agamemnon Castle, having regained its original appearance, was elegant and graceful. With the return of the servants who had left long ago, as well as their descendants, the castle quickly regained its former glory. The lords of the Agamemnon blood alliance ns and the surrounding territories were surprised to see Agamemnon Castle restored to its original state. Some shed tears of emotion, while others, whose generations had changed, showed no particr reaction. But most of them shared onemon thought. ''Is the n curse really lifted?'' The lords whispered among themselves. It was hard to believe at first that the Agamemnon n, who had locked themselves in the castle for 50 years and prevented anyone from approaching, suddenly summoned all the blood alliance ns. Some of the bewildered lords had grim expressions, unsure of what was happening. Some ns had prospered due to the benefits gained from the Agamemnon n''splete withdrawal from external activities due to the curse, and they were afraid of losing their vested interests.@@novelbin@@ The banquet hall was filled with a strange atmosphere, with those who genuinely weed the return of the Agamemnon n and those who didn''t mingling together. It was then. Fanfare! A lively fanfare sounded, and Rufus Agamemnon, the host of the banquet, appeared. The lords were surprised to see Rufus Agamemnon, who had regained his original appearance after the curse was lifted. Rufus, with his sturdy physique and tall stature, looked very impressive in traditional aristocratic attire. The lords flocked to Rufus. Through Rufus, everyone realized that the curse on the Agamemnon n had been lifted. The only thing left was to decide what attitude to take. "Oh my god, Lord! To see you return so healthy... I can''t believe it!" Whether they truly felt that way or not, most of the blood alliance ns tried to win Rufus''s favor with exaggerated words and gestures. It was a glimpse of the potential of the great n that once stood at the center of Mind. The lords all approached Rufus and kissed the back of his hand. Rufus naturally epted their kisses with an aristocratic posture and restrained movements. When everyone had finished kissing his hand, Rufus opened his mouth to address them. "I express my gratitude to the blood alliance ns who have filled the void left by the Agamemnon n for so long!" Those who had other thoughts in mind flinched at Rufus''s resounding voice. ''Is the ruler of the Central Continent being resurrected?'' Just as those gathered in the banquet hall were gulping nervously, Rufus spoke again. "The reason I invited you all here today is to announce that the curse on the Agamemnon n has ended!" As soon as he said those words, expressions of emotion and sighs of relief came from the lords. At the same time, Rufus continued, "Furthermore! Today, the Agamemnon n will introduce the official sessor of the n to the blood alliances gathered here!" At the mention of the official sessor of the n, the lords began to murmur amongst themselves again. The return of the Agamemnon n and the designation of an official sessor were matters ofpletely different levels. Even if they were once the rulers of the continent, they had been a n practically sealed off for 50 years. It would inevitably take time for them to regain their power. But to suddenly have a sessor... The lords waited nervously for Rufus''s next words. Then, Rufus pped his hands. The fanfare sounded again, and someone walked into the banquet hall. Thump, thump. Zeke, dressed in the official Agamemnon n attire, appeared. Zeke, who had grown considerably since turning seventeen, looked no different from an adult on the outside. Just then, one of the lords shouted at the sight of Zeke, "Z-Zeke Draker!" It was the noble who had attended Zeke''s promotion party. As Zeke Draker''s name was mentioned, the lords murmured. "Zeke Draker? Is he the youngest blue-rank knight on the continent?" "Is he the genius who recently graduated from Valha at the youngest age?" As the banquet hall became noisy, Rufus raised his hand to calm everyone down. After everyone fell silent, they looked at Zeke standing on the tform. Zeke opened his mouth. "My name is Zeke Draker. As a direct descendant of the Agamemnon n, I am qualified to be the official sessor." Sighs of admiration were heard once again at Zeke''s words. A direct descendant of the Agamemnon n and a pure-blooded awakened of the Draker n. On top of that, he held the titles of the youngest blue-rank knight on the continent and the youngest Valha graduate. If Zeke Draker was the sessor of the Agamemnon n, which had lost its power, it would only be a matter of time before they regained their lost power and status. Just then, someone raised their hand. Rufus''s eyes shed. It was the Achilles n, one of the oldest vassal ns of the Agamemnon n. They were his most reliable friends, and sometimes his most formidable enemies. The head of the Achilles n said to Rufus, "Respected Rufus Agamemnon, as your longtime friend and loyal vassal, may I have a word?" "My oldest friend, Arnold Achilles. Your advice always brightens my ears. Speak." Arnold Achilles stepped forward in front of the others. He pointed at Zeke and said, "It is a joyous asion that the official sessor of the Agamemnon n has been decided. However, ording to the Law of Representatives, the Achilles n has a duty to verify the qualifications of the Agamemnon n''s sessor." Then, the heads of the other two ns stepped forward and stood beside him, saying, "The Hector n is of the same mind." "The Aegis n also wishes to fulfill its duty." Rufus nodded after hearing the words of the three ns. "I fully understand your duty and right as my longtime friends and loyal vassals. Very well. How will you verify the sessor''s qualifications?" Arnold Achilles stepped forward as their representative and said, "We will follow the old tradition." The old tradition they were referring to meant a knightly duel. A knightly duel was a duel passed down from the Holy Empire era, where the participants wore full te armor and fought with shields and swords to determine the victor. Rufus then said to Arnold, "Very well. ording to your will, we shall verify the sessor''s qualifications through a knightly duel." At the mention of a knightly duel, the faces of the other lords were filled with anticipation and excitement. Rufus dered, "The champions of the three ns participating in the knightly duel shall prepare themselves and gather at the dueling grounds in one hour!" As soon as he finished speaking, the entire banquet hall was filled with cheers. *** Exactly one hourter, people flocked to the dueling grounds prepared in Agamemnon Castle. The champions prepared by the Achilles, Hector, and Aegis ns entered the dueling grounds, wearing full te armor and equipped with kite shields. Rufus had informed the three ns about the sessor beforehand, so they had prepared for the knightly duel in advance. Those who appeared in the dueling grounds were official knights of each n, familiar with knightly duel-stylebat. Each of the three ns brought champions who were skilled in knightly duels and could represent their ns. This was to break the spirit of the young sessor, Zeke, from the start. Finally, Zeke appeared in the dueling grounds. Thump, thump. Zeke arrived, equipped with full te armor and a kite shield prepared by the Agamemnon n, not the Hercyon. Seeing Zeke, the champion of the Hector n said, "Will that sword be alright?" He was giving Zeke a piece of advice, seeing the ymore-shaped Bahamut, which was longer than ordinary swords. Instead of answering verbally, Zeke responded by closing his helmet visor. The first duel began immediately. The first to face Zeke was the champion of the Hector n. As if familiar with knightly duels, the Hector champion showed off, turning his sword this way and that for the spectators. The lords and heads of ns in the audience cheered. On the other hand, Zeke simply held his shield forward, minimizing his exposed area, and calmly prepared for the duel with his sword at the ready. The champion of the Hector n gestured towards Zeke. "Sessor of Agamemnon! Show me everything you''ve got!" He spread his arms wide, provoking Zeke. It was then. KwaKwaKwaKwa! Zeke quickly charged towards the Hector champion. And with his heavy shield carrying momentum, he struck the Hector champion''s full te armor head-on. Bang! With a tremendous sound, the Hector champion was sent flying with a single blow. The nobles, who had been cheering, couldn''t grasp what had just happened. They stared nkly at the Hector champion, crumpled against a wall. The Hector champion, seemingly unconscious from the shield charge, showed no signs of getting up. The referee, who had also been gaping, finally came to his senses. "Z-Zeke Draker wins!" Despite the victory being dered, there were no cheers or apuse from the audience, still in shock. "Ahem! Ahem!" The head of the Hector n, embarrassed by thepletely unexpected result, just coughed awkwardly. Amidst the shock, the second duel began immediately. This time, it was the champion of the Aegis n who stepped forward. He was determined not to be careless like the Hector champion and to take the duel seriously. He slowly approached Zeke with his shield and sword. It was then. Whoosh! Zeke''s sword struck the champion''s shield. Bang! Despite raising his shield, the Aegis champion couldn''t withstand the tremendous force and lost his bnce. "Ugh!" He hurriedly regained his bnce and stood firm. But Zeke didn''t give him a chance. Bang! The heavy kite shield struck the champion''s side. The Aegis champion was sent flying. Crash! Wearing heavy full te armor that was difficult to put on and take off, it wasn''t easy to maintainposure once bnce was lost. The Aegis champion, however, was a veteran knight with a lot of experience in knightly duels, so he immediately got up. "Whew. Whew." He was gradually being overwhelmed by the pressure emanating from Zeke. ''Is this really the spirit of a seventeen-year-old?'' He had heard that Zeke was the youngest to be promoted to blue-rank knight, but he thought Zeke would be a young and inexperienced boy. But facing him in person, Zeke showed no openings, like a seasoned veteran. Zeke moved again, stepping with the Illusion Step. Despite wearing heavy armor and carrying a kite shield, his movements were agile, as if he was wearing light armor. "Ugh!" The Aegis champion couldn''t keep up with Zeke''s swift movements. Zeke engaged in a back-and-forth exchange with the Aegis champion using the Golden Swordsmanship, the Agamemnon''s shield swordsmanship. ''I''m finally getting used to the armor.'' He had intended to engage in a proper exchange in the first duel as well, but he hadn''t been able to control his strength properly due to the unfamiliar armor and shield, so he ended up sending his opponent flying with a single blow. Zeke moderately controlled his strength, parrying the Aegis champion''s attacks and exploiting his openings. His excellent senses from the Heavenly Body and Bones physique were disyed to their fullest, showing agile movements even in close-quartersbat. "Oooooh!" The spectators cheered at Zeke''s almost magical movements. Zeke felt the time to end the duel approaching. Wheeik! Zeke took the stance of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship, shifting his center of gravity backward. Then, he swung his shield to break his opponent''s bnce. "Ugh!" The Aegis champion''s center was wide open. Zeke thrust his sword. KwaKwaBang! Just like the Hector champion, the Aegis champion was also sent flying. This time, unlike before, cheers and apuse erupted. And the champion of the Achilles n, thest in line, entered the dueling grounds. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 75 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 75 The champion of the Achilles n announced his name as he stepped into the dueling grounds. "Farel Achilles." Zeke also stated his name in response. "Zeke Draker." Stating one''s name before a duel was an act of respect and courtesy towards the opponent. Zeke felt a different aura from the Achilles championpared to the previous two. ''His spirit is unwavering.'' It meant he had deep mental discipline. Zeke slowly approached Farel with his shield and sword raised. Then, Farel charged forward first. Whoosh! The giant shield mmed into Zeke''s front. The heavy shield attack shook Zeke''s body. Bang! Zeke angled his shield to deflect Farel''s attack and lessen the impact. Nevertheless, a considerable shock prated through. As he had sensed earlier, Zeke realized that Farel was a formidable opponent. Farel didn''t miss the opening. He circled to the side and swung his sword towards Zeke''s waist. Whoosh! The sword cut through the air and flew towards him. ng! Zeke parried Farel''s sword with Bahamut. Farel frowned as his sword was deflected by Zeke''s strike. The tremendous rebounding force made his wrist ache. Farel admired Zeke''s swordsmanship. ''His basics are solid. And he has a wealth of practical experience.'' Zeke maintained his bnce against any attack, defending firmly, and when an opening appeared, he counterattacked with the most appropriate sword path. Zeke and Farel engaged in close-quartersbat, their bodies almost touching. ng! nk! Whoosh! Their shields shed, they dodged, and their swords met in a tense back-and-forth exchange. The lords and heads of ns, witnessing the unexpectedly high level of the knightly duel, gaped in awe. "Oh my god, there''s actually a knight who can fight Farel Achilles on equal footing!" "The undefeated Farel Achilles has finally met his match!" Farel Achilles was the champion of the Central Region Knightly Duel League, holding an undefeated record. As a direct descendant of the Achilles n and a champion representing the n, he had greatly contributed to raising the n''s honor and achievements. Whoosh! As people were expressing their admiration, Farel''s sword narrowly grazed Zeke. Zeke stepped back half a step, then elerated forward, deflecting Farel''s sword with his shield, and spun around, swinging his sword. KwaKwaBang! A sound like an explosion came from Farel''s shield. At the same time, Farel''s body shook violently. "Huff... Huff..." Rough breathing could be heard from inside his helmet. On the other hand, Zeke''s movements were no different from the beginning. Farel couldn''t deny that Zeke was physically superior to him. ''What a monster.'' He decided to stake everything on one final blow. Whoosh! Farel stepped forward with his left foot. All his strength was concentrated in his foot. Bang! With tremendous jumping power, Farel''s body shot forward like a projectile. A ultimate move that pierces the enemy with a firmly held sword while using the shield to cover the body. Achilles-style Shield Spear Technique Ultimate Charge Skill ck Spear''s Fury It was as if Farel''s body itself had transformed into a giant ck spear.@@novelbin@@ Zeke, aiming his sword at Farel, who had transformed into a spear that could pierce anything, also used his ultimate move. Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship Ultimate Counter Skill Golden Sword''s Majesty Zeke thrust his shield forward and raised his sword above his head. At the same time, he met Farel''s ultimate move with his shield. Crack! ck Spear''s Furypletely shattered Zeke''s shield. Zeke spun around and brought down the sword he had raised above his head towards Farel. Farel also raised the shield he had been holding close to his body to block Zeke''s Golden Sword. Crack! Farel''s shield was alsopletely shattered by Zeke''s sword strike. KwaKwaBang! With a tremendous roar, both of them were thrown back simultaneously. Thud! The two of them stood facing each other in the middle of the arena, their swords pointed at each other. Their shields were both shattered. It was then. "Stop!" Rufus stood up and stopped the match. He said to the lords and heads of ns, "I dere this match a draw! It seems meaningless to decide a winner and loser in such a magnificent match!" Those who had been watching the match stood up at Rufus''s words. And they sent a tremendous wave of cheers and apuse. "Farel! Farel!" "Zeke! Zeke!" They chanted the names of the two, praising the excellent skills shown in the match. Zeke and Farel took off their helmets and approached each other. "That was a great match, Sir Farel." Farel took Zeke''s hand and said, "...I admit defeat, Sir Zeke. Thank you for your consideration." Farel had sensed that Zeke had pulled back his strength at thest sh, destroying only his shield while dodging his attack and counterattacking. And that was the truth. Zeke felt that there was no need to inflict defeat on an excellent knight like Farel in a setting that was closer to a friendly match than an official one. Farel was greatly impressed to see that Zeke, despite his young age, possessed such generosity and broad-mindedness. At the same time, the heads of the three ns sitting in the audience stood up. "The Aegis n acknowledges Sir Zeke Draker''s qualifications as sessor." "The Hector n also acknowledges Sir Zeke Draker''s qualifications." Finally, the head of the Achilles n spoke. "The Achilles n also acknowledges Sir Zeke Draker''s qualifications as sessor." The three ns unanimously acknowledged Zeke''s qualifications. Zeke had now officially qualified as the sessor of the Agamemnon n. "Blessings to the new sessor of the Agamemnon n!" The arena was filled with excitement and cheers. *** "Whew, I''m tired." After the match, Zeke was finally able to take off his armor and rest. Felix brought him a cold drink. He was also incredibly excited. "Master, that was an amazing match! I didn''t know you had learned traditional duels. Oh my god, a draw with the league champion!" Zeke said to Felix, "Don''t make a fuss." "Sir Farel Achilles is a famous champion that even I know! He has a lot of fans in As too." "Sir Farel went easy on me to save face. Besides, the Achilles n is famous for spears, not swords." "Spears? But Sir Farel only used a sword in every match." "That''s why he''s a great knight. Learn from him, Felix. Don''t just think about running away every time the elders try to train you." "R-Run away, what are you talking about!" "Stop talking nonsense and go make me some tea." Felix grumbled and brought the tea. But he was scolded by Zeke again because the water temperature wasn''t right. ''At first, I thought he was quite quick-witted, but he''s bing more and more cunning. At least I know that Felix isn''t a spy.'' While Zeke was drinking the bad tea that Felix had made, one of the attendants approached him. "Young Master, Sir Farel of the Achilles n has requested to see you." Farel Achilles, who had just had a match with him, hade to see him. "Sir Farel? Show him to the reception room right away." Zeke changed back into his formal attire and headed to the reception room. Farel, dressed in a central region aristocratic outfit instead of his armor, sat with aposed posture. He was a handsome man with a strong jawline and thick sideburns. He greeted Zeke with a polite bow. "Sir Zeke, I apologize for my boldness in requesting a meeting like this." Zeke looked at Farel and said, "It is an honor to have such an excellent knight as Sir Farel visit me. Please, have a seat." A maid soon brought in tea. Farel spoke first. "Sir Zeke, I learned a great deal from today''s knightly duel." "As do I." Farel said in a solemn voice, "I have a request." "Please tell me what it is. I will grant you anything I can." "Although I amcking, please allow me to assist you." Zeke was surprised by those words. "What do you mean, Sir Farel?" Farel''s eyes gleamed as he said, "I heard that you will be participating in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament soon." As expected, news traveled fast in Mind. Zeke nodded. "That''s correct. I thought it was simply apetition of skills, but I heard it''s not." Farel nodded. "You''re right, Sir Zeke. The Draker Martial Arts Tournament is practically a battlefield." "My master, Duke, also described it that way. He said it would be difficult without a supporting n, but I didn''t hear the details. May I ask why?" Farel answered Zeke''s question. "The Draker Martial Arts Tournament is quite unique. The events and rules change every time." "The events and rules change?" "Yes. It is the Tournament Preparation Committee that decides them, and themittee is made up of preparation members. These members also change every time, and most of them are elders from influential families in the Central Continent." Zeke''s expression changed at those words. "So you''re saying that those elders be members and decide the events and rules?" "That''s correct. It will soon be announced what events will be held for the preliminaries and finals. And from the round of 16, the events and rules will be announced the day before the match." "Then, if those members support a specific candidate, they could set events and rules that are advantageous to that candidate." "That''s right. For those with simr skills, the more advantageous the event is to them, the higher their chances of winning. In an extreme case, if a rule is set that ''Aura cannot be used in this martial arts tournament,'' then it has to proceed that way." ''What kind of tournament is this?'' In his previous life, he was expelled from the Draker n and didn''t even qualify to participate in the tournament, so he didn''t know such an absurdpetition existed. Zeke finally understood why Duke had said it would be difficult to win the tournament without a supporting n. ''If they collude with each other and set the events and rules to check the winning candidates, I could even be eliminated in the preliminaries.'' Farel said to Zeke in an earnest voice, "Sir Zeke! If you''ll allow me, I will assist you in preparing for the tournament by your side!" Zeke was surprised by those words. "Are you saying you''ll be my assistant, Sir Farel?" Farel nodded with a determined expression. ''Wait, why is he suddenly acting like this?'' Zeke, who had suffered and been betrayed by others in his past life, was always suspicious when someone showed him kindness. He looked into Farel''s steadfast eyes. ''It''s a bit burdensome, but it would certainly be advantageous to have a famous knight like Farel help me.'' Zeke nodded towards Farel. "It would be an infinite honor to have an honorable knight like Sir Farel assist me." Farel''s face brightened at Zeke''s words. As soon as he received permission, Farel began taking out what he had prepared. A tremendous amount of documents piled up on the table. "What is this, Sir Farel?" "It''s the basic manual for the Draker Martial Arts Tournament. The in-depth strategy guide is at my n home, so I''ll have my attendants bring it over soon." He had never heard of a manual, let alone a strategy guide, for the tournament. ''Maybe I shouldn''t have entered the tournament.'' Zeke thought that if he had known about this, it would have been better to refuse even if it meant getting on Arthur Draker''s bad side. Just then, Farel said to Zeke in a serious tone, "Sir Zeke, to be honest, it''s quitete to start preparing for the tournament with only a month left. Usually, preparations begin two years, or at the earliest, three years in advance." "I-Is that so?" Farel nodded. "In this situation, the most necessary thing is a broker." "A broker? Do you mean a broker in the sense that I know?" "Yes. Or more elegantly, a lobbyist." Broker or lobbyist, it was all the same. Farel took out a file from the pile of manuals and opened it. On the page was a person''s profile. "It is said that no debutante in the central region makes their debut without going through this person. She has a firm grip on the central social circles." Zeke checked the photo in the profile and read the name. ''Catherine Graham. The mistress of the Graham Dukedom.'' Farel said to Zeke, " To prepare for the martial arts tournament, we must bring Duchess Catherine to our side." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 76 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 76 The Graham Dukedom was the ruler of Phantasia, one of the three major cities of Mind. In the past, during the Holy Empire era, it was a n that boasted strong power, ruling the entire eastern region where Mind is currently located. Even after the decline of the Holy Empire, the Graham n continued to exert a powerful influence, leading the financial and real estate industries of the Central Continent. Zeke, along with Farel and Felix, headed to Phantasia to visit this Graham n. Felix, riding in the carriage, was excited about the prospect of visiting the Graham n. "The Graham n! Master, this isn''t a dream, is it?" Zeke clicked his tongue at Felix. "We''re not going there to y, Felix." "B-But it''s the Graham n! The n with the most handsome men and beautiful women on the continent!" The Graham n was famous for their outstanding appearance in addition to their wealth and power. There were even rumors that they had the blood of the elf race, which had now disappeared, mixed in their lineage. Zeke looked at Felix with a disapproving gaze. Farel, who was next to them, said with a good-natured smile, "Haha, the Graham n''s outstanding appearance is quite famous. Not only Felix but everyone who visits the Graham n has such expectations. Don''t be too hard on him, Sir Zeke." Felix nodded in agreement with Farel and said to Zeke, "See? It''s strange that you''re so indifferent to this, Master." "Tsk. Stop talking nonsense and focus on your training." Although Felix was four years older than Zeke, their conversation sounded like that of a naive squire and a stern knight. Actually, there was another reason why Zeke didn''t have any particr expectations for the Graham n. ''I saw quite a bit of the Graham n in my past life.'' The Graham n, who had been involved in the financial industry for generations, fled to the Northern Continent after the Continental War broke out to avoid the Rom Empire''s invasion. They were in charge of supplying war materials from the rear, supporting the Northern Continent. And in the process, Zeke had quite a few encounters with the Graham n. ''They may have a pretty appearance, but if you knew how greedy those misers were, you wouldn''t say a good word about them.'' The Graham n never invested in anything that would put them at a disadvantage. As a result, in his past life, they first sought refuge in the Northern Continent, but as the Imperial army advanced, theyter sided with Nirvana to secure their safety. Zeke, who had been betrayed by the Graham n at thest minute, didn''t have good feelings towards them. ''They''re not a n I''m particrly fond of, but they''re certainly good with calctions, so I''ll have to use them well.'' *** "Wow!" Felix marveled at the scenery of Phantasia outside the carriage window. If As had a modern sophistication and Mycenae had an ancient elegance, Phantasia had apletely different charm. "Wow, Master, this is the first time I''ve seen a city with so many different races." Phantasia was a transportation hub, connecting to the Northern Alliance in the north and the Central Kingdom in the east. Anyone traveling from the north to the center or from the center to the north would inevitably pass through Phantasia. As a result, with the mixture of various races and cultures, Phantasia developed into a city with a unique and eclectic charm. Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling! In the city square, dwarves were attracting the attention of travelers by performing their traditional dances, and in another area, dwarves were disying and selling goods they had made themselves. Nagas, a snake-human race rarely seen in other cities, and the mystical bird-people were also asionally seen. Felix gaped at the wondrous sights, different from As. The carriage passed through downtown Phantasia and headed towards the Graham n''s castle. With Zeke and Farel, who had clear identities, they were able to enter Graham Castle without difficulty. The problem was that even meeting Duchess Catherine Graham was an obstacle. As a prominent figure in social circles, her schedule was packed, and it wasn''t possible to meet her immediately. Farel returned to the reception room after speaking with the head servant. His expression wasn''t good. "It seems the Duchess is very busy, as it''s the start of the debutante season. I apologize, Sir Zeke." Zeke nodded at Farel''s words. "Thank you for your efforts, Sir Farel. I''ll try talking from here." Zeke rang the bell to summon a servant. A servant of the Graham n immediately entered the reception room. "Do you need anything?" Zeke said to the servant, "I''d like to meet His Excellency the Duke." "May I ask what business you have with His Excellency the Duke?" Zeke replied, "Tell him that I''m interested in investing in the mithril mine." The servant, surprised by the unexpected words, asked back, "I-Investment in the mine, you say?" "Yes." The servant tried to hide his bewildered expression and left the reception room. And exactly 30 minutester, instead of the Duke, a young man appeared in the reception room. "My name is Albert Graham." He seemed to be the banker in charge of investments for the Graham n. As expected of a Graham blood rtive, he was incredibly handsome. Zeke said to Albert, "I said I wanted to meet the Duke." Albert replied with a stiff expression, "The Duke is away on an external meeting, so I came instead. If it''s about investment consultation, you can speak with me. I heard you''re interested in investing in the mithril mine." Albert only said what he wanted to say. Zeke said in a calm voice, "I heard that the exploration work for the mineral veins in the northern mountain range is in full swing." "That''s correct. We''ve practically found the mineral veins, so if you invest now, you can be guaranteed a stable profit." Zeke grinned and said, "That''s a bit different from what I heard. I heard that you''ve been working on mineral exploration for three years, but there are no results yet, and the initial investment funds have almost dried up." Albert''s eyes trembled slightly at Zeke''s pointed words. Zeke inwardlyughed as he looked at Albert. ''The mithril vein will be discovered around next year. I remember the Graham n almost went bankrupt before the vein was finally found and they narrowly escaped, but I didn''t know I''d be using this information like this.'' Albert Graham regained hisposure and asked Zeke in a somewhat arrogant voice, "What level of investment are you considering? Mine development is an investment that requires arge amount of funds, so we are not currently epting small investments." Zeke took out a check issued by the Northern Bank from his pocket. Albert''s eyes widened as he nced at the amount on the check. "F-Five hundred thousand gold?" Albert was surprised to see Zeke present an amount far exceeding his expectations. Even Farel and Felix were speechless at the astronomical figure of five hundred thousand gold. Zeke said to Albert, "Would this be enough for an investment?" Albert, who had been wearing an arrogant expression, took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "O-Of course. Will you be investing the entire amount?" "That''s what I intend to do." Albert''s expressionpletely changed as he received the check. "S-Sir Zeke, would it be alright if I confirm the check with the Northern Bank first?" "Of course." Albert wrote down the check information and left the reception room for a moment. And ten minutester, Albert returned to the reception room with Duke Graham. Duke Graham offered Zeke a handshake. "Sir Zeke! I apologize. I''ve just finished my external meeting and have kept you waiting. My name is Brian Graham." As rumored, Duke Graham was incredibly handsome. Zeke knew he was in his fifties, but judging from his appearance alone, he looked no older than thirty. After shaking hands with Duke Graham, Zeke asked Albert, who was standing behind him, "Have you confirmed the check?" "I-It''s been confirmed. There''s no problem with the investment." With the Graham n short on funds, Zeke, who brought arge sum of 500,000 gold, was like a savior. Duke Graham immediately drew up an investment contract without dy. By investing 500,000 gold, Zeke was able to secure a 38% stake in the mining project. It was the highest percentage of individual ownership. The Duke''s attitude towards Zeke, who became a major shareholder in the mithril mine, was very polite. "Sir Zeke, we have other good investment opportunities, would you like to take a look?" Zeke shook his head at the Duke''s offer. "I have to participate in the uing Draker Martial Arts Tournament, so I don''t have time to consider other investments." The astute Duke Graham immediately understood Zeke''s implication. He smiled at Zeke and said, "The Draker Martial Arts Tournament! It''s a dream stage for young and capable knights. Ah,e to think of it, there''s a way I can help you, Sir Zeke." "What kind of help?" "I''ll arrange a meeting with my wife, Catherine. My wife is well acquainted with the central region nobles, so she might have heard some information about this Draker Martial Arts Tournament." "It would be a great help if you could do that." "Let''s have dinner together tonight. My wife will be delighted to have a chance to get to know such an excellent knight as Sir Zeke." After promising to have dinner together that evening, the Duke and Albert Graham left the reception room. They then gave Zeke and his party the best room in the castle and had the most beautiful servants attend to them. Farel was dumbfounded by the dramatically changed treatment.@@novelbin@@ "I-I never imagined such a method, Sir Zeke." "Sometimes, money is the quickest solution, Sir Farel." Zeke had learned from bitter experience in his past life that although there were things money couldn''t solve, there were actually more things it could. And that evening, Zeke and his party were able to meet Catherine Graham at the dinner table. Catherine Graham smiled and greeted Zeke. "I''ve heard a lot about you from the Duke. He says you''re the most talked-about knight on the continent right now." Catherine Graham, with her gorgeous blonde hair, was the epitome of a central region noblewoman. In addition to her morous appearance, her every word and gesture exuded the refinement of a central region aristocrat. "You tter me. I still have much to learn." The dinner proceeded formally. Appropriate greetings and polite conversations about various issues on the continent were exchanged. After dinner, Catherine rose from her seat and said, "It would be a shame not to have tea after a meal like this." Duke Graham subtly excused himself, and Catherine, Zeke, and Farel moved to the tea table on the balcony. Felix stood behind them, guarding their seats. Catherine sipped her tea with an elegant posture and said to Zeke, "I heard you''re participating in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament." Zeke nodded. "That''s correct." "I''ve heard that the Draker Martial Arts Tournament is different from otherpetitions, with events that surprise people every time. Do you happen to know what events have been decided for this tournament?" Zeke shook his head. "I haven''t heard any news yet." Catherine covered her mouth and smiled slightly. "I see. I''ll give you a little hint about what I''ve heard from others. I''d like to see you achieve good results in the tournament, Sir Zeke..." "Lady Catherine." Catherine''s eyes widened as Zeke interrupted her. Zeke said to her, "I didn''te here just to hear some simple information." Catherine''s eyebrows twitched slightly. "I don''t quite understand what you mean, Sir Zeke." "I would like you to help me, Lady Catherine." Zeke didn''t beat around the bush and directly conveyed his intentions. Catherine closed her fan and slowly rose from her seat. "It''s getting quitete. Sir Zeke, Sir Farel, I had a lovely time. I hope we can have another pleasant conversation next time." As Catherine tly expressed her refusal, Zeke said to her, "I want to make a deal." Catherine turned her head to look at him. Zeke slowly opened his mouth. "If I can cure your daughter, Lady Angelina''s, illness, would you agree to the deal?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 77 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 77 Catherine''s expression hardened at Zeke''s words. She said to Zeke in a cold voice, "Sir Zeke, you are truly rude." Catherine''s voice wasced with anger. Her daughter, Angelina Graham, was once rumored to be the most beautiful woman on the continent. However, Angelina did not appear in society even after she turned 16, the age for debutantes, and various rumors arose because of this. Rumors spread that she hadn''t grown up as beautiful as expected, or that she had contracted a terrible disease that disfigured her face. Since no one had seen Angelina after she turned ten, these rumors were considered somewhat credible. Despite the rumors, no one had ever dared to directly mention Angelina in front of the Graham Dukedom, a prestigious and influential n. Everyone kept silent, avoiding any mention of Angelina Graham''s existence. Catherine felt insulted by Zeke and said in a cold voice, "I will remember your rudeness. I would like you to leave the castle now." She explicitly ordered Zeke to leave, even though he had invested arge sum of money in the mine. This clearly showed how sensitive Angelina''s situation was to Catherine. But Zeke remained calm and said to Catherine, "If you neglect Lady Angelina''s illness any longer, it will be irreversible." Catherine was startled by Zeke''s calm voice. She looked at Zeke and opened her mouth. "You speak as if you know what Angelina''s illness is." "Yes, I know." Catherine''s eyes widened at those words. "All the famous healers on the continent have examined her, but none of them could even figure out what the disease is. Are you saying that you, Sir Zeke, know what it is and can even cure it?" Zeke said to Catherine, "The affliction tormenting Lady Angelina is not an illness, but a curse." Catherine''s face turned pale. "A c-curse, you say?" Zeke nodded. "As time passes, blisters appear all over her body, and her skin rots, doesn''t it?" Catherine was surprised. "H-How did you..." "At first nce, it seems like an illness, but it can''t be cured with ordinary medicine. It''s a terrible curse cast with forbidden magic." Tears welled up in Catherine''s eyes. "A curse, a curse, you can''t be serious..." "Is there any reason why you think it''s not a curse?" "The first person I called when Angelina copsed was a mage from Nirvana. The Graham n has many enemies, so we always take thorough measures against curses. Especially with Angelina, who receives a lot of attention, we were even more careful. The Nirvana mage said they couldn''t find any traces of a curse on Angelina, so I thought it was just an illness..." Zeke shook his head. "Curses are closer to shamanism than magic. Many exist in the realm of mystery, difficult to interpret with ordinary magic." Catherine''s expression changedpletely. "A-Are you saying that you can lift the curse, Sir Zeke?" Zeke took out the Bible he had prepared from his pocket. He made the sign of the cross and said, "You must have heard about the curse on the Agamemnon n." Catherine nodded. "O-Of course. I recently heard that the curse was lifted. Ah! Come to think of it, the newly appointed sessor of the Agamemnon n is..." "With the help of the Sun God, I was able to recover the sacred object of the n and lift the curse." Catherine felt her heart waver as she looked at Zeke holding the Bible with a pious attitude. She approached Zeke and took his hand. "S-Sir Zeke, c-can you really lift the curse on our Angelina?" "Everything depends on God''s will. But one thing is certain, the more you dy, the more danger Lady Angelina will be in." At Zeke''s words, Catherine''s face turned pale, and she began to pray, her hands trembling. Zeke held Catherine''s hand and recited the Lord''s Prayer with her. Farel, who was behind them, also sped his hands and prayed with them. Only Felix, the descendant of an Arc Pdin, stood nkly, watching the three praying. *** Farel and Felix returned to their room, and only Zeke followed Catherine deeper into the castle. They headed towards the north tower, where outsiders were forbidden to enter. Knights in full te armor were guarding the entrance to the tower. Catherine held amp and began to climb the narrow passage of the tower. "We removed all the magic-powered objects because magic is not good for the sick." Perhaps because of that, the passage was pitch ck without a single magicmp. The two climbed the spiral tower and entered the room at the top. As soon as he entered, Zeke frowned at the putrid smell. ''It seems the situation is worse than I thought.'' Kyaaaaaaaaagh! A sound like a beast roaring came from inside the room. Catherine bowed her head and began reciting the Lord''s Prayer again. Zeke held Catherine''s hand, calmed her down, and asked, "Is Lady Angelina inside?" Catherine nodded. "The caregiver wipes away the pus and changes the bandages every day." "Please ask the caregiver, as well as yourself, to leave." Catherine flinched at Zeke''s words, but then nodded. She had no choice but to trust Zeke at this point. Soon, the caregiver came out of the inner room, and Zeke slowly went inside. The stench he smelled earlier was even stronger. ''This is serious.'' Zeke closed the door and looked towards the bed in the corner of the room. There, tied to the bed, was a monstrous creature in the shape of a human, covered in pus-soaked cloths that couldn''t even be called bandages. "Kyaaagh!" The creature, with its arms and legs tied, screamed, making a sound like scraping metal. "Lady Angelina." Zeke slowly approached the bed. Seeing her condition, it was a wonder she was even alive. The skin all over her body was festering and filled with pus, and her hair had all fallen out, leaving only patches here and there. She was so emaciated that her bones were visible. Zeke tried to talk to Angelina. "Lady Angelina, can you hear me?" Even when Zeke spoke to her, Angelina didn''t answer. Then, after a while, she started to move her lips slightly and say something. Zeke slowly brought his ear to her mouth. "...Please... kill... me." She was living every day in agony worse than death. Zeke, looking at Angelina, took out the Bible from his pocket and ced it on the table next to him. Then, he took out the Golden Mask of Agamemnon from his inventory. He looked at Angelina and took a deep breath. ''I hope this works.'' Zeke knew about Angelina''s curse from an incident in his past life. He had once received a mission from his master to track down and capture a shaman who used evil ancient curses. And while interrogating the shaman, he learned that one of the shaman''s past requests was to curse the daughter of the Graham n. At that time, Angelina was already dead, and the shaman didn''t reveal his client before he died, so Zeke didn''t inform the Graham n. ''It was a curse using ancient forbidden techniques, so even if the Graham n had known, they wouldn''t have been able to do anything.'' Ancient curses required incrediblyplex procedures to cast and had a high risk of failure, but once sessful, they were that difficult to lift. There were quite a few cases where even the shaman who cast the curse couldn''t lift it. In fact, the curse on Angelina was one of those kinds. ''A curse that causes more suffering the more beautiful the victim is. Who knew such a crazy curse existed.'' Zeke clicked his tongue and channeled mana into the Golden Mask. As it had by theke, the Golden Mask activated and transformed into a helmet, covering his face. [The function of the mask is linked to the system.] [You can use the Grand Purification function.] After purifying the curse on the Agamemnon n, Zeke was able to acquire ownership of this sacred object as the sessor of the n. Since then, he had activated the mask and experimented with it. As a result, he found out that when he simply held the mask, he could only use limited functions, but when he activated it and wore it on his face like this, he could use the ''Grand Purification'' skill. "Whew." Zeke, wearing the Golden Mask, slowly approached Angelina. He used the Grand Purification skill and the Area of Effect Buff skill, designating Angelina as the target. Woooong! Golden waves emanating from his body seeped into Angelina''s body. "Aaagh!" As the golden light enveloped her body, Angelina screamed in agony as if she were on fire. Catherine, hearing a different sound than before, grabbed the doorknob and shook it. "Sir Zeke! Are you alright? Angelina! O-Open the door!" Since Zeke had previously cast a spell on the door to prevent it from opening, Catherine couldn''t enter. Zeke continued to infuse Angelina''s body with the energy of Grand Purification. Sizzle! Suddenly, ck smoke rose from Angelina''s body. "Ugh!"@@novelbin@@ A momentter, she convulsed and vomited ck liquid from her mouth. "Aaagh!" Angelina screamed and writhed in agony. The ck smoke emanating from her body grew thicker. Zeke watched for a moment, then took out a potion from his inventory and sprayed it on Angelina''s body. Sizzle! As the potion touched Angelina''s festering skin, new flesh began to grow. ''It''s not enough yet.'' This time, he took out a top-grade potion, grabbed Angelina''s mouth, forced it open, and made her swallow it. "Ugh!" Angelina tried to resist the potion, but Zeke held her throat and forced her to swallow, making her absorb it. Her body was weakened from being cursed for so long. If he only lifted the curse, her body might go into shock from the sudden change, and her heart could stop. "Ugh!" Angelina writhed in pain on the bed. Bang! Bang! Bang! A loud noise came from outside, as if Catherine was having the knights break down the door. Zeke concentrated the power of Grand Purification on Angelina once again. Woooong! Angelina''s body twisted at a grotesque angle. Then, she suddenly opened her mouth wide and vomited ck smoke. KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! Unable to withstand it, the source of the curse was expelled from Angelina''s body. Zeke immediately used Gluttony on the source of the curse. Tsst! The ck shadow that emerged from Zeke''s body swallowed the source of the curse. Soon, a message appeared. [You have devoured an ancient cursed wraith.] [Your consumed mental strength and mana are restored.] [You have absorbed the ability of the devoured wraith and gained the Curse Reflection (A-rank) skill.] By devouring the wraith with Gluttony, he gained the Curse Reflection skill. ''An unexpected gain.'' Zeke used the Healing Factor skill as a Area of Effect Buff to regenerate Angelina''s body. Crack! Heal! Angelina''s damaged body began to recover with the power of Healing Factor. Since it was the Healing Factor that had even restored the bodies of the Agamemnon n members who were copsing from demonic corruption, Angelina''s cursed body also returned to its original state. Whoosh! Confirming that even her lost hair had started to grow back, Zeke watched Angelina recover and put the Golden Mask back into his inventory. Then, he slowly approached Angelina. He held her wrist, which was no longer making any sound, and checked her pulse. Fortunately, her pulse was beating. With the curse lifted, Angelina had regained her original form. Zeke took off his coat and covered Angelina''s naked body. It was then. Bang! The door opened as the scroll magic Zeke had cast wore off. Catherine entered the room with the knights. Catherine, realizing that Angelina was no longer making any sound, covered her mouth. She thought Angelina was dead. Catherine shouted at Zeke, "Sir Zeke! How, how could you do this! My, my daughter..." She had entrusted Angelina to Zeke with a sliver of hope, but she mistakenly thought the worst had happened. Zeke scratched his head and watched Catherine grieve. ''I missed the timing to tell her that the treatment went well.'' He was wondering how to exin the situation, as it seemed she wouldn''t listen to anything he said right now. "Mother...?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 78 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 78 "A-Angelina!" Catherine rushed to the bed in surprise. Angelina''s skin, which had been covered in foul-smelling pus, was now clean. Catherine shed tears of joy at the sight of Angelina''s thick, lustrous golden hair. "Angelina! Are you, are you alright?" Angelina slowly opened her eyes, sat up, and looked at Catherine. "Mother, what happened?" Catherine hugged Angelina, who had regained consciousness, and sobbed. "My daughter! Our Angelina!" The Duke, hearing the news, also rushed into the room. He, too, was surprised to see Angelina healed and burst into tears. Zeke quietly left the room, watching Catherine and the Duke. ''With this, I can consider the Graham n secured.'' *** Early the next morning, Catherine visited Zeke''s room. "Sir Zeke, how can I ever repay this kindness..." Catherine''s attitude towards Zeke, who had lifted the curse on Angelina, hadpletely changed. Zeke grinned at Catherine. "Can you help me with the martial arts tournament?" Catherine smiled and said, "Oh, Sir Zeke, is that all? I will do everything I can for you in the name of the Graham n." Farel couldn''t believe Catherine, who reigned with absolute charisma in social circles, was acting like this. After Catherine left, Farel approached Zeke and asked, "Did you really lift the curse on Lady Angelina?" Zeke smiled faintly, made the sign of the cross, and said, "It was all the will of the Sun God." The central and eastern regions of the Central Continent were deeply rooted in the influence of the Holy Empire. Most of the nobles were believers in the Sun God, and Farel was also a devout believer. ''Not only does he have outstanding skills, but he also has such devout faith that he can even dispel curses. He is a role model for all knights.'' Farel''s respect for Zeke grew even greater. Later, Zeke and his party were invited to lunch by Catherine. Farel and Felix, upon entering the dining hall, almost had their hearts stop at the sight of an unfamiliar beauty. Golden hair cascading like the twilight, fair and smooth skin like porcin, and mystical purple eyes that seemed to hold stars. She looked like a beautiful goddess from mythologye to life. "Oh, God..." Farel unconsciously called out to God at the sight of her breathtaking beauty. As Farel was expressing his admiration, Felix was equally shocked. His mind was filled with dozens, hundreds of verses to praise her beauty. ''No, such words cannot express her beauty!'' Unlike Felix, who was in despair, Zeke simply bowed his head slightly in greeting without any change in expression. Then, she approached Zeke. "Sir Zeke Draker, Angelina Graham expresses her gratitude to you." The shockingly beautiful woman was none other than Angelina. Completely freed from the curse by Zeke''s power, she had regained her original appearance and her stunning beauty. Zeke looked at her and said, "I''m d to see you in good health." Farel and Felix looked at Zeke with disbelief. ''To remain so calm in front of a woman who is like the reincarnation of the Goddess of Beauty. Sir Zeke is truly a knight among knights.'' Felix had a slightly different thought from Farel. ''Master, could he be impotent?'' Just then, the Duke, Catherine, and the other members of the Graham n gathered. They approached Zeke, kissed the back of his hand, and expressed their gratitude. Zeke and his party were treated with the utmost hospitality as the most honored guests of the Graham n. After the meal, Angelina asked Zeke to take a walk with her in the garden. He epted without much thought and walked with Angelina in the garden. Even just walking with Angelina made the surroundings seem brighter, but Zeke didn''t have any particr thoughts. ''I don''t see any side effects of the curse.'' He was only worried that there might be remnants of the curse that could cause problems with the deal. As they walked through the garden, Zeke observed Angelina for any signs of difort, and she said to him, "How old are you this year, Sir Zeke?" "Seventeen." Angelina was inwardly pleased to know that there wasn''t much age difference between her and Zeke. ''Two years apart is nothing insurmountable.'' To her, Zeke looked like a prince charming on a white horse. A knight among knights who saved her from a curse with his divine power. Moreover, he had a good n background, was the best on the continent in terms of skill, and was handsome to boot. Angelina, with a shy expression, calmed her pounding heart and started walking again next to Zeke. Just then, Zeke looked at Angelina and said, "Do you have any idea who it might be?" Angelina was taken aback by the sudden question. "Yes?" Zeke said with a cold expression, "The person who might have cursed you." Angelina was startled by Zeke''s cold gaze. Then, she was lost in her own thoughts, her heart fluttering with excitement. ''Could it be... that Sir Zeke is angry at the scoundrel who cursed me?'' Angelina, who had been sick since childhood and had little experience with the world, had a limited understanding of rtionships between men and women, confined to the stories of knights and princesses in fairy tales. Therefore, shepletely misunderstood Zeke''s intentions, who was solely focused on finding the person who cast the curse and bringing the Graham npletely to his side. Angelina,pletely misinterpreting Zeke''s words, looked at him and said, "Sir Zeke, I''m fine. It''s all in the past. Your feelings for me are enough." Zeke was surprised and asked, "Yes? You''re not going to take revenge?" Angelina said with a calm smile, "Revenge only breeds more revenge." She thought she was giving a benevolent and beautiful smile, but it actually lost her points with Zeke. ''Seriously, she almost died from a curse, and she''s saying such carefree things.'' To others, Angelina might be the most beautiful person in the world, but to Zeke, she was nothing more than a victim of a curse who had been screaming in pain. He inwardly clicked his tongue as he looked at Angelina, who seemed oblivious to the world. ''Tsk tsk. How is she going to survive in this harsh world with that attitude? Oh, I guess it doesn''t matter since her n is rich.'' Angelina, unaware of Zeke''s thoughts, was dreaming of a rosy future with him. *** "Javelin throw?" Farel was surprised by the unexpected choice of event as he listened to Catherine''s exnation of the tournament preliminaries. Zeke, who was sitting next to him, asked Farel, "Sir Farel, is it strange that javelin throw was chosen as a preliminary event?" Farel shook his head. "No, it''s just that I was surprised because it''s such an ordinary and simple event." Although most knights used swords, spears were also one of the basic weapons they learned. Moreover, javelin throw was a popr sport among the central region nobles. However, it was amon event that wasn''t particrly advantageous to anyone, so it was rarely seen in the Draker Martial Arts Tournament. Catherine, hearing Farel''s words, nodded and said, "As Sir Farel predicted, it''s not just a simple javelin throw." Farel was surprised by Catherine''s words and asked back, "If it''s not a simple javelin throw... is it a mountedpetition?" Catherine shook her head. "It''s a javelin throw, but the distance is different from the usual case. You have to throw it incredibly far." "Incredibly far?" Catherine nodded and replied, "Yes. From what I''ve heard, the target will be ced beyond the mountain." "Beyond the mountain?" "Beyond the mountain?" Farel and Felix eximed simultaneously at the absurd event. Zeke nodded as he listened to Catherine''s words. "You wouldn''t even be able to reach the target without considerable strength and uracy."@@novelbin@@ Farel''s expression darkened at those words. He said to Zeke, "Sir Zeke, just by looking at the preliminary event, I think I know which n has secured the majority of themittee votes." "Which n is it, Sir Farel?" He said with a serious expression, "It''s highly likely to be the Siemens n." Zeke nodded at Farel''s words. "Siemens. That''s certainly possible. Their main n trait is Aura control." "That''s right. Moreover, Edward Siemens, the second son of the Siemens n participating in this tournament, is a spear knight who primarily uses a spear." "Edward Siemens..." Zeke remembered that knight. In his past life, Edward was one of those who led the Imperial army alongside the Butcher Knight, Abel Draker, and drenched the continent in blood. Unlike his older brother, William Siemens, Edward was known for his cruel nature and eagerness to take the lead. ''That madman is entering the tournament, huh?'' Then something shed through Zeke''s mind. ''Edward Siemens and javelin throw...?'' Zeke asked Catherine, "Catherine, could you tell me who gave you this information?" "I heard it from the Bronze n. One of their elders was selected as a member of the Tournament Preparation Committee this time." ''Information directly from amittee member, and it''s the Bronze n...'' Zeke also knew about the Bronze n. They had close ties with the Siemens n. Zeke got up from his seat. Farel asked him, "What''s the matter, Sir Zeke?" "Now that we''ve heard about the preliminary event, shouldn''t we practice?" At Zeke''s words, Catherine immediately had the servants set up a javelin throw target on a nearby mountain. As soon as the setup wasplete, Zeke, Farel, and Felix prepared their javelins, stood in the open field, and threw them towards the target beyond the mountain. Whoosh! Felix''s javelin didn''t even reach the mountain, let alone the target, and Farel''s reached the mountain butnded far from the target. Finally, Zeke threw his javelin. Whoosh! The javelin soared high into the sky andnded near the target. Unfortunately, itnded just in front of the target. Farel said to Zeke with an excited expression, "Sir Zeke! With this, I think we can prepare for the preliminaries in time." However, Zeke only examined the javelin with a serious expression. After a while, he asked Farel, "Sir Farel, the other participants who learned about this preliminary event in advance must have started practicing earlier, right?" Farel nodded. "Of course. The other participants must have already finished their practice, focusing solely on javelin throwing." "Are there any restrictions on weapons?" "You use the weapon you registered before the preliminary match." "You can''t change it in the middle?" "Usually, that''s the case. But why do you ask?" Zeke looked at the javelin and said, "If this javelin could be made longer, with a shape more suitable for throwing, and a form that could urately hit the target, what would you do, Sir Farel?" Farel looked as if he had been struck on the head. "Oh my god, I didn''t think of that. To prepare a javelin suitable for long-distance throwing in advance. That''s something the Siemens n would do." In throwing events, the shape of the weapon could significantly affect the oue. If someone prepared a javelin specifically for throwing, they would have an advantage in achieving a good score. Ordinary knights would likely focus on throwing the javelin and not think about modifying its shape to improve its performance. Zeke examined the javelin and nodded. Then he approached Catherine, who was sitting in the shade, fanning herself. "I have a favor to ask." "Ho ho, I''ll dly grant any request from Sir Zeke." Zeke showed Catherine the javelin and exined how he wanted it modified. Catherine tilted her head after hearing Zeke''s exnation. "Are you sure you want to modify it into that shape? I don''t know as much about weapons as you do, but still, this is..." "Please, I must ask you this favor." Catherine reluctantly agreed at Zeke''s firm request. "If that''s what Sir Zeke wants..." "Thank you." Zeke turned and looked at the target beyond the mountain. ''With this, all preparations for the preliminaries areplete.'' Zeke thought of the Siemens n and smiled coldly. ''No matter what you do, you''re still within my grasp.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 79 [Trantor - Peptobismal]@@novelbin@@ [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 79 Zeke and his party returned to As from Phantasia, where the Graham n resided, by train. Lady Catherine decided to gather more information about the martial arts tournament by meeting with the central region nobles and then rejoin them in As. Farel, getting off at the central station, looked around As and said, "It''s been a while since I''ve been here since graduating from Valha." "You were also from Valha, Sir Farel?" "Yes. It''s rare for central region nobles to attend Valha, but I admired Sir ubert so much that I wanted to enroll." It was usible, considering that ubert, who was from Thebes, located in the heart of the central region, was a respected knight even among the central region nobles. Zeke and his party headed to the mansion in As. When they arrived, a familiar face was waiting for him. "Master!" It was Liam Stone, who was about to graduate from the academy. "Liam, it''s been a while." Liam was taller than thest time they met, and his face was much more mature. From a distance, he looked as old as Farel, who was in his thirties. Zeke told Farel and Felix to rest, and he went out to the garden with Liam. "So, how have you been, Liam?" "Thanks to Master, I was able toplete the academy graduation exam without any problems." "I heard you were promoted to purple rank before graduation. Well done." Liam was recognized as a purple-rank knight this year and was about to graduate from the academy. Among his peers, the only other one was Reina, one of the pure-blooded awakened. Zeke asked Liam, "I heard you refused the rmendation to enroll in Valha with Reina. Why?" Liam pounded his chest and said, "I want to be of help to you as soon as possible, Master." Zeke pondered Liam''s words. ''Liam in my past life didn''t go to Valha and became a red-rank knight after gaining experience in the field. Would he grow faster if he gained experience by my side?'' Zeke, lost in thought, felt a bit pressured by Liam''s burning gaze. ''Well, it wouldn''t hurt to have one more squire.'' Zeke epted Liam''s request. "Thank you, Master!" He sipped his tea and asked about the other cousins. "Leon Conrad ended up taking an indefinite leave of absence from the academy, and Owen Siemens skipped a grade but didn''t pass the graduation exam this time. Reina Draker is graduating this time and will be enrolling in Valha. Jakenn Vardec failed to skip a grade and is now acting like a king among his peers." Zeke nodded as he listened to Liam''s report. "So Leon finally had his spirit broken." Leon, who had been bullying Liam, had his ear cut off by Zeke. Leon, who had always been the perpetrator, couldn''t ept the situation where he became the victim. In the end, he couldn''t ovee the shock of what Zeke did to him and chose to take an indefinite leave of absence. "I think it''s his just deserts." Zeke, who had also suffered at the hands of Leon Conrad in his past life, agreed with Liam''s thoughts. Just then, Decker approached them in the garden. "Young Master, I brought what you asked for." "Thank you, Decker. Put it here." Decker, following Zeke''s gesture, ced a ratherrge box in front of Liam. Zeke looked at Liam and said, "Liam, this is your promotion gift." Liam was flustered at those words. "A-A gift? What I''ve already received is enough, Master." "Stop grumbling and take it." Liam opened the box with trembling hands. And he was surprised. "M-Master, this is?" Inside the box was a set of new sword and light armor that Zeke had specially ordered from Gelion for Liam. Zeke grinned and said, "I hope it fits you well." Liam was so moved that he couldn''t speak properly. He took out the gauntlets, boots, and breastte from the box and put them on. "It fits perfectly, as if it was tailored!" It was only natural that Liam liked it, considering it was specially ordered from Gelion based on the armor Liam used in his past life as the mercenary king. Finally, Liam slowly drew the sword from its scabbard. nk! It was a sword carefully crafted by Gelion, the craftsman of the soul. Liam was captivated by the sword and stared at his reflection in the de for a while, speechless. "Do you like it, Liam?" Liam, snapping back to reality, immediately knelt before Zeke. "Thank you for your grace. I will strive to not bring shame to your name." Seeing Liam on the verge of tears, Zeke chuckled and said, "I''ll look forward to it." Zeke, thinking that the reunion hade to a close, immediately called Felix and established the hierarchy between the two. "Liam is the first subordinate to pledge loyalty to me. And Felix, you are my squire. Felix, you will treat Liam as your senior." Felix was surprised and asked, "What? Master, why am I below him?" Zeke looked at Felix and said, "Do you have aint?" "N-No, I was just asking." Zeke grinned at Felix. "Alright, Felix, I''ll give you a chance." "W-What kind of chance?" "If you can defeat Liam, I''ll change the hierarchy." Felix said with an excited expression, "Really, Master? No take-backs." With that, their spar was decided. A momentter, Felix and Liam stood facing each other. Felix thought he could easily defeat a young boy who had just graduated from the academy, even if his face looked mature. He took his sword and assumed his stance. Liam also took his stance at the same time. But something was strange. ''A young boy who just graduated...?'' Woooong! A clear ringing sound echoed from Liam''s sword. Wheeik! Liam''s powerful sword strike, extending from his characteristically long reach, struck Felix. "Ugh!" Felix barely blocked Liam''s sword and regained his bnce. He changed his mind. ''Damn it, what young boy!'' Pride and everything else were gone. Felix immediately used the Pdin inherited swordsmanship. Wheeik! Liam retreated from Felix''s heavy attack and looked for an opening with an unorthodox attack. Zekeughed in amusement as he watched their contrasting swordsmanship. ''It''s ironic that Felix, who looks light, uses the ssical traditional swordsmanship, and Liam, who looks heavy, uses the unorthodox swordsmanship.'' As he expected, the two were almost equal in skill. But since their swordsmanship styles werepletely opposite, they seemed to be good stimnts for each other. "Hiya!" Felix, despite his frivolous shouts, skillfully disyed formal sword strikes like the Pdin inherited swordsmanship and the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship. Liam, who had slightly underestimated Felix because of his lighthearted attitude, was also inwardly surprised. ''His sword is solid.'' It meant his basics were strong. Felix, who had been trained by his grandfather, an Arc Pdin, since childhood and even received an Aura transfer, had solid basics. ng! After exchanging hundreds of blows, both of them were visibly exhausted. "Huff... Huff..." "Pant... Pant..." Their Aura and everything else were depleted. The two held their swords and prepared for their final gambit. Wheeik! It was then. Liam, who was charging forward, feinted a strike at Felix''s sword, then let go of his sword and rushed into Felix''s arms. "Gasp!" Felix, who had mainly trained in traditional swordsmanship, had never thought of letting go of his sword during a duel. Liam grabbed Felix''s legs and used a Pankration technique to trip him. Then, he grabbed Felix''s back and choked him. "Gah!" Felix, who had never learned Pankration techniques, struggled as his carotid artery was pressed, causing him pain. Seeing this, Zeke shouted, "Stop!" At Zeke''smand, Liam immediately released the chokehold. "Cough! Cough!" Felix coughed violently and finally regained his senses. Zeke looked at Felix and said, "Felix, you lost." "Ugh..." Felix, exhausted,y sprawled on the garden floor. Zeke was convinced that Felix and Liam wouldplement each other''s shorings. Just then, Farel approached Zeke. "Sir Zeke!" "Sir Farel, what''s the matter?" Farel handed Zeke a note. "What''s this?" "It''s news from a friend in As." Zeke unfolded the note Farel gave him and read it. He nodded. "So Reina Draker is also participating in the tournament." "Anyone with a purple rank or higher can participate, so it seems the Turunn n hurriedly applied for Reina Draker''s participation." Zeke looked at Liam, who was standing behind him, and said, "You heard that, Liam? Reina is participating in the tournament." He then said to Liam, "Liam, you''re also entering the tournament. Aim to defeat Reina." Farel was surprised at those words. "Sir Zeke! Reina Draker is from the Turunn n and a pure-blooded awakened. She''s young, but she''s one of the strongest contenders..." Zeke grinned and said to Liam, "You heard that, Liam? Work even harder." Liam bowed his head to Zeke with a determined look in his eyes. "Understood, Master!" Felix and Farel were speechless, staring nkly at Liam. ''As expected of Sir Zeke. His way of thinking is different from ordinary people.'' ''Why did I say I''d be this guy''s squire? I want to Turunn back time.'' *** Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The day of the Drake Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries arrived. Young knights and their n members gathered noisily at the assembly point set up on the outskirts of As. They tried to intimidate each other by wavingrger and more colorful gs, as if trying to show off their n status. It was then. Thud! Thud! There was a group of horsemen leading enormous warhorses. A crest with a giant bull engraved on it. "T-The Turunn n!" The most belligerent n among Draker''s blood alliances, known for their strong physiques. In the midst of the Turunn n horsemen, Reina Draker, the genius and pure-blooded awakened, arrived at the assembly point, riding a giant warhorse. As she appeared, the horsemen from other ns exchanged nces and held their breath. The pressure emanating from the Turunn n knights, with their massive physiques reminiscent of barbarians, was suffocating. Then, following the Turunn n, carriages and horsemen from another n entered. Two snakes biting each other''s tails formed their crest. "It''s Siemens!" The carriage bearing the Siemens crest stopped, and a young man with ash-gray hair and sanpaku eyes stepped out. He looked around and said, "Hmph, a lot of insignificant rabble have gathered." He didn''t hesitate to utter arrogant words, but the horsemen from other ns couldn''t say anything and just flinched back at the sight of Edward Siemens. Just then, Edward spotted Reina and approached her. "Reina! It''s been a while." As Edward approached, the Turunn n knights standing behind Reina became wary. Edward chuckled and said, "Can''t you even greet someone? How dare the Turunn n''sckeys re at a direct descendant of Siemens." Reina raised her hand and had the knights step back. She bowed her head to Edward in greeting. "It''s been a while." "It''s a shame you bothered toe all the way here. Because I''ll be taking the championship of this tournament." Reina said to Edward, "Edward, you''d better be careful. I heard that guy is also participating in this tournament." "What? Are you talking back to me?" "Yes." Edward twitched one cheek and red fiercely. "Who here dares to stop me? You, Reina, who just became a purple-rank knight? With just your measly pure-blooded awakening?" "It''s not me. That guy is..." Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Just then, a few people rode into the assembly area on horseback. They arrived with only four riders, without any n crests or escorts. The one leading the group dismounted. "Whew. We barely made it in time." Following him, Liam, Felix, and Farel dismounted as well. Zeke raised his hand and greeted Reina, who was facing Edward. "It''s been a while, Reina." Reina''s expression hardened as she saw Zeke after two years. Edward, seeing Reina''s reaction, cracked his neck and approached Zeke. "Huh. So this good-for-nothing with no backing is the guy I should be careful of, huh?" Edward stood in front of Zeke. "Brat. I''m Edward Siemens." Edward leaned closer to Zeke and said, "A worthless piece of trash like you with no backing has no ce here. Just scram quietly." It was then. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! A sound that shook the ground could be heard approaching from afar. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 80 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 80 It was a group of horsemen of an overwhelming scale. Seeing them, the faces of the other participants, including Edward, turned pale. "W-What''s that?" There were the insignias of the Agamemnon n with the golden mask, the Achilles, Hector, and Aegis ns, all influential ns of the central region, and even the Graham n, the defacto rulers of Phantasia. Whoosh! Not just one n, but a dozen influential ns stood behind Zeke and his party. Edward, who was in front of Zeke, was flustered and speechless. ''N-No way.'' Although the Draker Martial Arts Tournament was a microcosm of the continent where the power of each n could be measured, it was unprecedented for so many horsemen to gather at once. The horsemen of each n stood before Zeke and bowed their heads respectfully. "Following the order of Sir Zeke Draker, sessor of Agamemnon, the Achilles n has answered the summons!" "Following the order of Zeke Draker, sessor of Agamemnon, the Hector n has answered the summons!" "Following the order of Zeke Draker, sessor of Agamemnon, the Aegis n has answered the summons!" Following them, the other ns also reported their summons to Zeke. Finally, the horsemen of the Graham n, d in gold-decorated armor, stood before Zeke. "For Sir Zeke Draker, benefactor of the Graham n and eternal friend, Duke Graham has ordered us to escort you during the tournament." He offered Zeke something. "Lady Angelina of the Graham n asked me to convey this handkerchief, imbued with her wishes for your victory." The mention of Angelina Graham caused a stir in the surroundings. Angelina Graham, who had recently made her debut in society, was already considered the most beautiful woman on the continent. Zeke, who received a handkerchief from Angelina Graham, who had almost no contact with the outside world, was the envy of other young knights. Zeke epted the handkerchief from the captain of the Graham n''s guards, put it in his pocket, and bowed his head in gratitude. "Please convey my thanks to His Excellency the Duke. And also tell Lady Angelina that I will surely bring her victory." The horsemen behind Zeke alone were enough to overwhelm an entire knight order. Edward, sweating, retreated to where his horsemen were. He gritted his teeth as he looked at Zeke. ''Zeke Draker. No matter what you do, you''re just a sideshow to my debut.'' It was then. A dozen figures appeared in front of the assembly area where the participants were gathered, waving the Draker banner. Among those wearing Draker uniforms, someone rode forward on horseback. Everyone fell silent at his appearance. A middle-aged man with a face full ofrge and small scars. Zeke looked at the man on horseback. ''The Scarred Knight, Gareth Draker.'' Gareth was one of Draker''s guardian knights and a red-rank knight, leading the ck Wolf Unit, one of Draker''s three major knight orders. Zeke remembered his face because Gareth had been active on the front lines during the Third Continental War in his past life. However, after Draker waspletely incorporated into the Empire, Gareth broke his own sword and went into seclusion to preserve his pride as a knight. He was a man of strong character and pride as a knight. Gareth looked at the gathered people and said, "We will now begin the Draker Martial Arts Tournament preliminaries. Participants,e forward with one weapon each." At Gareth''s words, the tournament participants stepped forward with the spears they had prepared. Felix, standing behind Zeke, examined the spears the other participants were carrying. Although most of them were covered with cloth, making it impossible to see their exact shape, it was clear that they had brought javelins with long shafts. Felix nodded and whispered to Zeke, "Master, as you expected, they seem to have modified their spears for javelin throwing." Just then, Zeke handed Felix something heavy. Felix tilted his head. "What is this, Master?" "It''s the weapon you''ll be using in thepetition." "What? Where am I participating?" Zeke gestured towards the area where the preliminaries would be held. Felix shook his head at those words. "No way, I didn''t even apply for the tournament, what are you..." At the same time, Zeke pulled out an application form with Felix''s name on it. "Huh?" Felix, who hade along thinking it was just an outing, realized only after arriving that he was a participant. Zeke and Liam grabbed Felix, who was trying to escape, and dragged him inside. The horsemen waited outside the stage, and only the participants lined up to prepare for the preliminaries. Just then, a loud noise came from backstage. Rumble! A giant target that looked like a siege weapon was installed in the middle of the stage. The participants tilted their heads as they looked at the target, which was made of severalyers of thick steel tes. ''Did they install that beyond the mountain?'' Then Gareth spoke. "The preliminary event is the strongest thrust. The more steel tes you pierce, the higher your score." Most of the participants were surprised and looked dumbfounded. They had been told that it was a long-distance javelin throw, but the preliminary event had suddenly changed. "N-No way!" "The strongest thrust! We can''t properly exert force with these javelins!" The participants had brought javelins that had been modified to be light and long for throwing long distances. Seeing this, Edward and the participants rted to the Siemens n grinned. They knew the preliminary event in advance, so they could prepare the appropriate spears. ''You''re all just my stepping stones anyway.'' Edward whistled and took out the spear he had prepared in advance. It was a modified spear with a heavy shaft made of iron and a sturdy de, designed to maximize force. Edward expected an easy victory. It was then. "W-What''s that?" The other participants eximed in surprise as they looked towards Zeke and his party. They had also brought spears with heavy shafts and sturdy des, just like Edward. What Zeke had asked Catherine for was not a javelin for throwing, but a spear for thrusting. Felix, holding the heavy spear, asked Zeke, "M-Master, did you know about the preliminary event?" Zeke shook his head at his question. "I just thought those Siemens bastards wouldn''t tell us the preliminary event so easily." Moreover, Zeke had encountered Edward Siemens in his past life. Edward, with his sadistic personality, preferred to kill enemies by directly wielding a spear rather than throwing it. Zeke didn''t think such a person would choose javelin throwing as a preliminary event. He naturally ignored Edward''s re. Gareth raised his hand. "Come forward with your weapons as your names are called!" The participants who had prepared javelins for throwing had no choice but to take the spears they had brought and stand in front of the target. Since the qualification for participation was purple rank or higher, everyone could imbue their weapons with Aura. However, simply coating a weapon with Aura didn''t mean it could pierce the steel tes. Thud! As excessive Aura was imbued to add strength, the spear shafts often broke instead, and the force couldn''t be transferred to the target. The participants who had only practiced throwing for distance couldn''t even make a scratch on the target made of solid iron. "Hup!" ng! The best they could do was pierce one steel te, and that was only if the participant had decent Aura control. After a while, it was Reina Draker''s turn. The spear Reina had prepared was an ordinary one. This was because the Turunn n didn''t distinguish between javelins for throwing and spears for thrusting. Reina stood in front of the target with her spear. Then, she channeled her Aura. Woooong! A clear vibrating sound echoed from the spear. She stepped forward powerfully with her front foot and thrust the spear. Crack! The spear, coated with Aura, pierced through four thick steel tes. "Hmm..." Although it was the best result so far, Reina had a dissatisfied expression. Next was Felix''s turn. "Whew." Felix, standing in front of the target, held the spear with a serious posture. Felix, who had mainly learned traditional swordsmanship, had also been taught spearmanship to a high level by his grandfather. Felix put all his weight into the spear and thrust it deep into the target. Crack! The spear, imbued with Aura, pierced through three and a half steel tes. "Ugh..." Felix returned to his usualnguid posture and slumped down next to Zeke, seemingly drained of energy. It was soon Liam''s turn, and he immediately stood in front of the target with his spear. He pierced three tes, slightly less than Felix. Seeing that he lost not only to Reina but also to Felix, Liam resolved to train harder. The next participant stepped up. "Is it finally my turn?" Edward Siemens, who had been looking at the others with an arrogant attitude, stood in front of the target with his spear. "Hmph, a measly steel te like this." He held the spear and channeled his Aura. Woooong! The Aura gathered in the spear was so dense that it was visible to the naked eye. It was proof that he was on the verge of being promoted to a blue-rank knight. "Haaaaah!" With a tremendous shout, Edward thrust his spear into the steel te. Crack! With a roaring sound, Edward''s spear pierced through six steel tes. He retrieved his spear and put on an arrogant expression again. "My condition isn''t very good. If it were my usual self, I would have pierced all ten tes." Edward nced at Zeke, smirked, and returned to his original position. Zeke didn''t pay much attention to Edward. He was more concerned about another participant. ''Elin Sabrina.'' While scanning the participants after arriving at the arena, Zeke noticed one participant in particr who stood out. It was a young female knight with her face hidden by a hood and cloak. ''Just by looking at her breathing, gait, and the aura she exudes, she''s no ordinary knight.'' For a knight with that level of skill, he should have heard of her name at least once, but it was his first time seeing her. ''Could she be participating in this tournament under an alias?'' "Zeke Draker." Finally, it was Zeke''s turn. Zeke took his eyes off the female knight named Elin and stood up. Then, he took out the spear shaft he had prepared. But something was strange. "There''s no spearhead?" Literally, there was only the shaft. Zeke attached his sword, Bahamut, to the prepared shaft. Click! There was no problem with the attachment, as it had been specially ordered to bepatible with Bahamut. Edward sneered at the spear Zeke was holding. "Kekeke. Can you even lift that spear properly?" Bahamut was a ymore, so it wasrger and heavier than ordinary swords. With the shaft attached to Bahamut, it became a long spear that was difficult to even lift properly. As Zeke stood in front of the target, the examiner asked, "Are you sure you want to use that spear?" Zeke nodded and took his stance facing the steel tes. Then he channeled his strength and took the stance of the Dragon yer Style. Woooong! Dragon yer Style, True Dragon Sword Skill Eighth Stance, Third Verse Dragon Scale Thrust KwaKwaKwaKwaKwa! With a tremendous roar, Zeke''s spear pierced the steel tes. It was surprising that he could execute such a powerful thrust with a heavy and long spear. Moreover, Zeke wasn''t even using an Aura de. The examiner counted the number of steel tes Zeke''s spear had pierced. "A-All ten tes have been pierced!" Despite the disadvantageous conditions, he had pierced through all the steel tes. Edward had an expression of disbelief, and Reina red at Zeke with sharp eyes. Zeke shrugged and returned to his seat with Bahamut. The tournament officials removed all the pierced steel tes and reced them with new ones. Just then, Elin Sabrina, whom Zeke had been paying attention to, stepped forward. It was her turn.@@novelbin@@ But she wasn''t holding a spear in her hand. The examiner asked Elin, "Where is your spear?" Elin then drew the sword that was hidden under her cloak. The examiner looked at Elin and said, "Are you going to thrust with a sword?" It wasn''t impossible, but it was certainly disadvantageouspared to using a spear. Generally, swords were weapons for shing, not thrusting. But then, Elin suddenly started walking backward instead of towards the target. The examiner, flustered, called out to Elin. "Elin Sabrina! Are you forfeiting the match?" At that moment, Elin turned around and threw the sword she was holding towards the target. Crack! The sword pierced the steel tes and embedded itself deeply. The examiner, surprised, checked the steel tes and shouted, "E-Eight tes pierced!" If it had been a spear instead of a sword, it might have pierced all ten tes like Zeke''s. Elin turned her head, looked towards Zeke, and took off her hood. Zeke was surprised to see her face. It was a face he knew. ''Helen Draker.'' The fourth direct descendant of Draker. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 81 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 81 During the journey back to the mansion after the preliminaries, Zeke''s mind was filled with thoughts of Helen. ''Helen Draker participated in the martial arts tournament...'' Helen was Zeke''s immediate older sister, only about five years older than him. Since she had also been promoted to Purple Knight less than five years ago, she was eligible to participate in the tournament. However, remembering Helen from his previous life, Zeke hadn''t imagined that she would actually appear in thepetition. ''The Steel Knight.'' After the tinum Knight, Cali Draker, was killed by the Pirate King in the South Sea, the Draker n fell into chaos. Before the current head, Arthur Draker, died and Abel became the head, the Draker n was divided into two factions, and at the center of it all was the Steel Knight, Helen Draker. After Abel became the head and the Draker n merged with the Empire, Helen, wanting to uphold the Draker n''s will, formed a rebel army and held a sit-in protest in the Duchy of Troy. The Northern Camp reached out to Helen Draker, proposing an alliance to fight against the Empire, but she refused. Instead, she conveyed her desire to remain a pure Draker until the very end. In the end, Helen died fighting against the Imperial army led by Abel. Zeke, who was carrying out missions on other battlefields, learned of Helen''s death btedly. ''Still, Helen was one of the better Drakers. She had the qualities of a true knight.'' Among the Drakers, who used all sorts of schemes and tricks to seize power on the continent, Helen was closer to a traditional knight. Therefore, he couldn''t understand why Helen would participate in the Draker martial arts tournament, which was rife with all kinds of conspiracies. ''Is there a reason?'' Like Zeke, she might be participating under Arthur''s orders. He felt the need to learn more about Helen. When he returned to the mansion, Catherine from Phantas was waiting for them. She nodded after listening to Zeke. "Sir Zeke, your prediction was correct." "If it weren''t for Catherine''s help, we wouldn''t have noticed Siemens'' shallow tricks." Farel said to Catherine with a smile. "Fortunately, all three of us from our side have advanced to the finals." In the Draker martial arts tournament, the more people from the same faction, the better. This was because there might bepetition events that required cooperation. Then Catherine said with a smile, "I found out about the first round event. This time it''s really confirmed." Zeke and hispanions focused on Catherine''s words. She slowly opened her mouth. "The first round of the finals is a race." Felix looked incredulous at the evaluation being a race. "A-a race? Can there be a race in a martial arts tournament?" Farel, who was next to him, said with a serious expression, "A race... It''s actually one of the events that often appears in the Draker martial arts tournament." Zeke nodded, recalling the Draker martial arts tournament manual and pastpetitions that Farel had given him.@@novelbin@@ "There was almost a 64% chance that the first round of the finals was a race." Felix looked even more dumbfounded. "It''s a bit strange that a race is a main event, Master." Zeke shook his head. "The race they''re talking about isn''t an ordinary race, Felix." "Yes? What''s different about it? A race is just a race." Farel exined to Felix. "It''s called a survival race, and it''s actually a famous event in the Draker n. I''m not from the academy, but I heard that those from the academy have all experienced it at least once." Zeke nodded. "That''s right, Sir Farel." Felix asked Zeke. "A survival race? What is it that makes it so famous?" "A survival race is apetition where you have to run and reach the destination." "Then isn''t it just a race?" Zeke shook his head. "There''s one key difference. During the race, any act of hindering your opponent is allowed." Felix''s jaw dropped at Zeke''s words. He realized why it was called a survival race. "A-anything is allowed...?" "Ambushes, poison, openbat, it doesn''t matter. You just have to reach the destination within the allotted time." Liam and Felix could understand why the Draker martial arts tournament was a miniature version of a faction war. If the survival race was indeed the first round of the finals, as they had just heard, the more allies they had, the greater their advantage in the survivalpetition. Moreover, it would give them a significant advantage in preparing for the second round of the finals. Zeke said to Felix and Liam, "The finals start tomorrow. Manage your condition well." Felix trudged back to his room like a zombie, and Liam went up to the training room, saying he would train more. Zeke returned to his room and meditated, calmly organizing his thoughts. ''Looking back on my past life, Helen Draker wouldn''t have been on the same side as Abel. She was one of Cali''s people.'' After Cali''s death, Helen seeded her faction and served as a guardian knight. He wasn''t sure about the present, but for now, she could be considered an enemy of Abel and the Empire. ''I need to find out what Helen Draker wants.'' *** Whoosh! Helen swung her sword repeatedly in the training room until she was drenched in sweat. Then someone entered the training room. "Helen." Helen lowered her sword and turned around. Cali Draker was standing at the door. She lowered her sword and politely greeted Cali. "Greetings, Cali Draker." Cali shook her head as she looked at Helen. "Call me sister when we''re alone." Despite repeated reminders, Helen never oncefortably addressed her as "sister." Unlike Zeke, who immediately called her "sister" when she told him to speakfortably. Compared to Cali, with her long tinum blonde hair that made her look like a Valkyrie from legend, Helen had a simpler appearance with a brown short cut. Cali asked Helen, "What was your impression of Zeke after seeing him in person?" Helen tightly gripped her sword. Seeing that, Cali nodded. "Zeke, that child has something that stirs up apetitive spirit. It makes you want to test your skills as a knight." Helen silently nodded in agreement with Cali''s words. ''That thrust he showed in the preliminaries was amazing.'' Dragon ying Art, Dragon Scale Thrust. Naturally, Helen, as a Draker, also knew that technique. However, the Dragon Scale Thrust Zeke disyed was somehow different. ''Should I call it wild? It felt like that thrust could actually y a dragon.'' Helen had already been promoted to Blue Knight a year ago. Although they were both Blue Knights, she thought that she, with her greater experience, would still have an edge over the young Zeke. However, the moment she saw Zeke in person, Helen abandoned that thought. ''He''s definitely not below me.'' Cali approached Helen, who was lost in her own thoughts, and patted her shoulder. "Zeke will be a great asset to our side. Helen, test him with all your might until you can acknowledge him." Helen nodded at Cali''s words. Discussions about granting Zeke the position of Abel''s guardian knight were soon to be held within the n. The Draker n was changing rapidly every day. Being by Cali''s side, even though she was a Blue Knight, Helen realized that there was not much she could do by simply wielding a sword. But she couldn''t stop wielding her sword. As she swung her sword again, she thought of Zeke. ''Zeke, I look forward to seeing your skills.'' *** The first round of the finals was held in the city of Maraque, not far from As. As Catherine had informed them, the first round was a survival race. Once again, Gareth delivered thepetition announcement to the participants. "Nothing special. Just reach the destination at the top of As Mountain within 48 hours." After the announcement, the Draker knights handed each participant a backpack and a dagger. These were the only items allowed in thispetition. Zeke, Liam, and Felix put on their assigned backpacks and stood at the starting line. A momentter, when all the participants were lined up, the examiner raised his hand high and shouted, "The race begins!" The 48-hour countdown started. About a hundred participants quickly set their course towards As Mountain and started running. Since most of them knew that it was a survival race, they were prepared with their chosen routes to reach the summit. Most of them moved with participants from the same faction. Zeke said to Felix and Liam, "Let''s move." Zeke wasted no time in choosing the most treacherous path. As Mountain was known for its rugged terrain, and Zeke was ascending the steepest route among them. Edward, observing Zeke and hispanions, smirked. "Tsk, tsk. They seem to have no idea what a survival race is." He leisurely opened the front pocket of his backpack. Unlike other participants, his pocket contained a map. It was a map that marked all the traps and the locations of necessary supplies. He grinned as he looked at the map. ''Struggle all you want, you fools.'' Edward, leading the other participants who followed the Siemens n, started moving ording to the route marked on the map. *** "Liam, Felix. Empty your backpacks." Zeke spoke to Liam and Felix after they had climbed for a while. Inside the backpacks were a water bottle, dried food, and simple camping gear. Zeke took a small sip of the water and a bite of the food. [A small amount of red fly agaric poison has been detected.] [The effect of the constitution "Poison immunity" negates the poison''s effect.] As he expected, the water and food were poisoned. ''It''s not enough to kill, but if I eat this, I''ll need a week to recover.'' Even for a Purple Knight, being poisoned was troublesome. Zeke took out Agamemnon''s Golden Mask from his inventory, held it in his hand, and used the Purification skill. [Removes poison with the power of purification.] Although he couldn''t use the power of Greater Purification without wearing the mask, he could still use the Purification skill. After securing the purified water and food, Zeke activated his map and used the navigation function to check their route. Then he examined the traces left on the ground. ''Judging by the traces of excrement and footprints, they should be over there.'' Zeke deliberately delved deeper into the mountains. And he found a cave hidden in the mountains. He unceremoniously sent Felix inside the cave. "Eek!" Felix, who had gone inside, suddenly screamed in surprise and ran out. "Roar!" Soon, a giant grizzly bear emerged from the cave. While Felix was panicking with his dagger, Zeke threw his dagger and hit the grizzly bear precisely between the eyes. Thud! The bear copsed at once, shaking the ground. Up close, it was sorge that it felt like a small hill. Zeke pulled his dagger from the bear''s forehead. Then he said to Liam and Felix, "Liam, hold that side. Felix, go gather some fresh branches. We''re going to skin it and tan the hide." Zeke skillfully used his dagger to skin the bear. Then he divided the bear hide into three pieces, ced them on poles, and started smoking them. Felix, who was following his instructions, asked Zeke, "M-Master, what are you doing?" Zeke looked at Felix and said, "Have you ever climbed to the top of As Mountain?" Liam and Felix shook their heads. Zeke recalled his experience from his past life. He had taken As Mountain lightly and climbed it casually, only to almost lose his hands and feet to frostbite. ''If it weren''t for the healing skill, I would have surely died.'' As Mountain wasn''t cold at the bottom, but the temperature dropped sharply as you climbed higher. The summit was always covered in snow, and most people thought they could just prepare near the top, but the cold was harsh even before reaching the summit. Seeing that there were no cold-weather gear in the backpack, Zeke immediately decided to hunt a bear, skin it, and make cold-weather gear. ''It would be a big mistake to just climb up there.'' Moreover, there were ''those things'' on the upper parts of As Mountain. Zeke started tanning the smoked hide by applying bear fat to it. "What are you doing? Hurry up and apply it, Felix." The three sat side by side, tanning the bear hide. *** As Mountain was a considerably rugged and tall mountain. However, for trained knights, climbing the mountain itself wasn''t very difficult. Reina climbed the mountain with the participants who followed the Turunn n, using a pre-nned route. As the cold set in, they took out the cold-weather gear that had been prepared in advance along the route and put it on before continuing their ascent. Despite their preparations, the group was momentarily taken aback by the sudden expanse of snow they encountered as they climbed higher. They had heard about it, but seeing it in person was different. The chill pierced through their cold-weather gear. Just then, something approached Reina and herpanions from the snowy field. "What is that...?" Reina was startled when she realized what it was. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 82 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 82 "A Yeti?" A Yeti, a snowy mountain monster with thick fur and hide, appeared. Reina and herpanions all drew their weapons. However, the Yeti that appeared from the snowy field wasn''t alone. A dozen Yeti were approaching Reina and her group. Thergest Yeti among them stepped forward, opened its mouth wide, and roared. "Raaaaaar!" It was a roar as if to warn them not toe any closer. Reina and her group couldn''t turn back, as they had to pass through this path to reach their destination. They didn''t know any other way. Confronting the Yeti, Reina wondered, ''Why would a Yeti, which rarely reveals itself, suddenly appear...?'' At that moment, Edward came to her mind. She had thought it strange that there were no attacks from the Siemens side while they were climbing, but she hadn''t imagined that they would have ced a Yeti group near the summit. As Reina and her group didn''t back down, the Yetis'' eyes turned red. They slowly approached, baring their sharp teeth and puffing up their bodies. Reina and her group tensed up, holding their swords cautiously. Just then, something whizzed past from behind. Crash! One of the Yeti behind them had thrown a giant snowball at Reina''s group. It wasn''t just a simple snowball. Realizing that the snowball had transformed into a hard ice rock, Reina shouted, "Dodge!" At Reina''s shout, the group quickly scattered. Crash! The ice rock crashed into the ground and shattered, sending sharp ice shards flying in all directions. "Ugh!" One of thepanions was grazed by an ice shard. The problem was that even a small wound could quickly freeze and lead to frostbite. Reina ran towards herpanion and poured a potion on the wound. Sizzle! Thanks to the potion, the wound healed, but that wasn''t the end. Rumble! The Yeti started throwing simr ice rocks from all directions. Crash! Bang! As the ice rocks, like ice bombs, fell incessantly, Reina and her group had to keep swinging their swords to dodge and deflect the shattered ice shards. "Huff... Huff..." In the high altitude and sub-zero temperatures, their stamina drained with every small movement. Finally, Reina gripped her sword and turned towards the leader of the Yeti. "Haaa!" Reina kicked off the snow and leaped towards the Yeti leader. Turunn Style Dragon Sword Skill Charge Skill Bull Horn Strike A charge skill, developed from the Dragon Sword Skill into a technique unique to the Turunn n, unfolded. Reina''s sword, imbued with Aura, swiftly descended towards the Yeti leader. The Yeti leader raised its arm to block Reina''s sword. Thud! The Yeti''s thick, abundant fur and tough hide deflected the Aura-infused sword. "Ugh!" With her charge skill failing, Reina suffered internal injuries and had to retreat. The Yeti leader didn''t miss the opportunity. "Raaaaar!" It lunged towards Reina, baring its sharp teeth. Whirl! Reina rolled to dodge the Yeti and swung her sword again. Thud! It was the same with its side. Her sword, unable to pierce the thick fur and hide, was deflected. "Huff... Huff..." Reina caught her breath and retreated as far as possible. Even then, the other Yeti continued to throw snowballs at herpanions. The snowy field was like a siege weapon for the Yeti. ''At this rate, we''ll all be wiped out.'' To save those who followed the Turunn n, she had to retreat from here. Reina gritted her teeth and shouted to herpanions, "I, Reina Draker, will hold them off here! Everyone, escape this ce!" Herpanions hesitated at Reina''s words, but as more Yeti approached, they had no choice but to turn back and start escaping the snowy field. Reina continued to swing her sword to prevent the other Yeti from chasing herpanions. Thwack! The Yeti struck by her sword immediately retreated and rubbed its wound with snow, and soon the bleeding stopped. "Raaaaaar!" Having diverted their attention from Reina''spanions, the Yeti slowly surrounded her, maintaining a distance. They had no intention of letting her go easily after seeing blood. Reina was already exhausted. She gripped her sword and steeled her resolve. ''Even if I die here, there''s nothing I can do.'' A momentter, one of the Yeti charged towards Reina. She tried to swing her sword at the Yeti. But she no longer had the strength in her hands. "Raaaaaar!" That was when it happened. Thud! Something flew towards the charging Yeti and plunged straight into its heart. ''What?'' She looked back. A person wearing a bear hide stood on the snowy field. Even so, Reina could recognize who he was. ''Zeke Draker?'' Zeke, who was searching for Yeti to earn points, had spotted the Yeti attacking Reina. Zeke drew Bahamut and stood before the Yeti. "Come on." The Yeti hesitated as an unusual aura emanated from Zeke. However, the leader of the Yeti had no intention of forgiving the intruders who had invaded their sacred snowy field. "Raaaaaar!" As the leader roared, the other Yeti, driven by fear, charged towards Zeke. "Kiaaaaa!" "Kaaaa!" Zeke''s sword cleanly beheaded the charging Yeti. Thud! As the head of the foremost Yeti fell, the other Yeti were startled. Zeke didn''t miss the opportunity. Whoosh! His sword shed again, and another Yeti''s head fell. With two Yeti dead, the leader at the back bared its teeth and slowly walked towards Zeke. Looking at the leader Yeti, he said, "The leader, huh? You must be worth quite a few points." "Raaaaaar!" The leader Yeti charged towards Zeke. Zeke swung Bahamut, enveloped in an Aura de. sh! Unlike Reina''s sword strike, Bahamut pierced through the Yeti''s fur and hide, inflicting a wound. "Kaaaa!" The leader Yeti lunged at Zeke, baring its sharp teeth. Whoosh! Zeke swiftly leaped andnded on the leader''s arm. Then, like an acrobat, he swung his sword from that position. sh! Zeke''s sword grazed the leader''s neck. "Kaaaa!" The leader roared even louder as its neck was wounded. Itmanded the other Yeti to attack Zeke. However, the Yeti just watched the duel from behind without moving. Only by killing Zeke himself could the leader maintain his authority. "Grrrr!" The leader rubbed its eyes to stop the bleeding and stood before Zeke. Zeke pointed his sword at the leader and said, "Come on." Provoking the Yeti leader, he assumed the starting stance of the Dragon Sword Skill. Dragon''s Sword Technique Chapter 6, Verse 2 Dragon Heart Thrust The tip of Zeke''s sword aimed for the leader''s heart. The leader dodged the sword tip and swung its long arms to grab Zeke. That was when it happened. Whirl! The tip of Zeke''s sword momentarily swayed and changed direction. It had instantly shifted from Dragon Heart Thrust to Dragon Head Beheading. Although it was a basic Dragon sword technique, because it contained the secrets of the True Dragon Sword Art, it could create countless linking moves. The sword tip, having changed direction in an instant, aimed for the leader''s neck. Dodging the leader''s attack, Zeke dug into its chest and swung his sword with great force. sh! The sword pierced through the thick fur and hide, cleanly beheading the leader. Thud! The leader''s head fell to the ground. [You have in the Chieftain Yeti. You have earned 50 Karma points.] Screech! The Yeti went into a frenzy as their leader died. They approached Zeke, baring their teeth. This was because the one who devoured the Yeti that killed the leader would be the next leader. Zeke smiled as he looked at the charging Yeti. "Come on, points." Screech! Sword light emanating from Zeke''s sword filled the snowy field. sh! The Aura de enveloping his sword pierced through the Yeti''s thick fur and hide, beheading them and severing their limbs. The Yeti, who had been charging recklessly, finally realized that they couldn''t defeat this human. They abruptly changed their strategy and started to create distance. Zeke turned around and shouted, "Felix!" Felix threw the wooden spears he was holding towards Zeke. Zeke stuck several wooden spears into the ground and, pulling them out one by one, threw them at the Yeti. Whoosh! The spears, imbued with tremendous force, pierced through the Yeti''s bodies. "Kaaaa!" They had created distance to throw snowballs, but the snowballs couldn''t reach what they considered a safe distance. On the other hand, the wooden spears Zeke threw urately struck the Yeti. "Keeek!" As if realizing they would be annihted at this rate, the Yeti started to flee. But Zeke''s spears were merciless. The spears struck the fleeing Yeti in their backs. [You have in a Yeti. You have earned 20 Karma points.] [You have in a Yeti. You have earned 20 Karma points.] Messages popped up every time he killed a Yeti. ''Not bad.'' After annihting the Yeti in no time, Zeke secured arge number of points and wore a satisfied expression. It was more than enough topensate for the points he had spent on scrolls and ancient potions during thepetition. After dealing with all the Yeti, he slowly approached Reina. Then he took out a potion, poured it on Reina''s wounds, and fed it to her. "Zeke Draker. How did you get here...?" Zeke said to the surprised Reina, "Let''s make a deal." It meant that she had to repay him for saving her life. The Turunn n, as straightforward as they were, were also clear about favors and grudges. She believed she had to repay Zeke for saving her. "...The Turunn n never forgets a favor. What do you want?" Zeke grinned at Reina. "We''ll think about thatter. Let''s go for now. We''re almost out of time." Zeke had Felix and Liam support Reina. After walking for a while, they passed through the snowy field and reached the finish point at the mountain summit. There were already people who had arrived at the summit. Edward, along with those who followed the Siemens n, and Helen Draker were already there waiting. Edward gritted his teeth as he saw Zeke and hispanions entering the finish point, supporting Reina. ''How did this happen?'' He had assumed that only those from the Siemens n would survive the survival race, making it easier to proceed from the second round of the finals. As soon as Zeke and hispanions entered, the sand in the hourss signaling the end of the 48 hours ran out. Simultaneously, Gareth and the Draker examiners appeared. "The first round of the finals is over. Thirty-four participants have passed." Apart from Zeke and hispanions, Reina, and Helen Draker disguised as Elin Sabrina, no one else had made it through the Siemens n''s sabotage. Edward, grinding his teeth at the sight of Zeke''s group, descended the mountain. Zeke simply chuckled at Edward''s reaction. Just then, Helen approached Zeke. "Zeke Draker." Surprised that Helen initiated contact first, Zeke responded to her. "Elin Sabrina." Zeke pretended not to know her. "I''ve never heard of that name, but you''re quite skilled. To have ovee all of Siemens'' obstructions and climb all the way here."@@novelbin@@ Elin scrutinized Zeke with a gaze that seemed to pierce through him. Then she spoke. "I have no interest in such childish games." She looked at Zeke with an intense gaze. "Zeke Draker. I want to test your limits and skills." Leaving those words behind, Helen turned and descended the mountain. Hearing Helen''s words, Zeke felt like he understood her purpose a little. ''To test me... So she has indeed joined Cali''s faction.'' It was highly likely that she had entered the martial arts tournament herself to test his qualifications, having learned that he had chosen Cali''s side instead of Abel''s. ''In a way, it''s a very Steel Knight-like action.'' Just then, Reina, having finally recovered, approached Zeke. "Zeke Draker. I owe you my life." Zeke looked at Reina and said, "Since things have turned out this way, how about joining us for the second round? It''s obvious that the Siemens guys must have done something again." Reina nodded at Zeke''s words. Although the Turunn n was rough around the edges, they were by no means foolish. She also knew that it was rational to participate in the second round with Zeke. Reina decided to join forces with Zeke and hispanions for the second round. Having made her decision, Reina said to Zeke, "I know what the second round of the finals is." Zeke and hispanions, who hadn''t heard anything about the second round yet, were surprised. Felix eximed excitedly, "R-really? W-what is it?" Liam also focused on Reina. Reina slowly opened her mouth. "The second round is... tightrope wrestling." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 84 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 84 Rumble! The shockwave shook the connected ropes, causing several knights to lose their bnce and fall. Zeke and Helen were thrown to opposite ends,nding on the pirs where the ropes were tied. Helen took a stance with her sword. Then, she immediately leaped into the air and swung her sword at Zeke. Dragon yer Art, Applied Form Steel Technique Armor Splitter Helen swung her sword down with the force to split Zeke in half.@@novelbin@@ Zeke raised Bahamut to block Helen''s sword. ng! Bahamut and Helen''s sword shed with a sharp sound. Zeke gritted his teeth at the force he felt from Helen''s sword. ''If it wasn''t for Bahamut, my sword would have been cut.'' It was only because Bahamut had the Indestructible attribute that it could withstand Helen''s Armor Splitter. "Haaa!" Zeke shouted and deflected Helen''s sword. Then, he immediately kicked off the pir, lunged towards Helen, and swung his sword. Dragon yer Art, Applied Form Gale Force Technique Wind Cutter The Gale Force Technique he learned from Duke wasn''t just a movement technique. It was a swordsmanship technique thatbined footwork with the applied form of the Dragon yer Art, unleashed with the power of a body trained to its limits. That was the true secret of Gale Force. Helen, airborne, twisted her body and channeled Aura throughout her body to meet Zeke''s sharp sword. Dragon yer Art, Applied Form Steel Technique Wall Covering The Helen Draker that Zeke remembered from his previous life was famous for her swordsmanship that specialized in defense rather than offense. As if to prove her fame, Zeke''s Wind Cutter couldn''t prate Helen''s solid defense and dissipated. Both Zeke and Helen stood on the ropes again, facing each other with their swords drawn. All the spectators were focused on the high-level duel between the two. "As expected of Zeke Draker. He has the skills befitting the continent''s best genius." "Who is Elin Sabrina? Was there another female knight besides Reina Draker with such outstanding skills?" Ignoring the murmurs of the spectators, Zeke and Helen closed the distance between them. Just as they were within sword''s reach... ng! A loud gong rang out. The match time was over. Gareth entered the arena and dered the end of the match. "This concludes the second round of the finals. The third round will proceed with the remaining eight participants." A total of eight participants ¨C Zeke and his threepanions, Helen, and three from the Siemens side, including Edward ¨C wouldpete in the quarterfinals. Zeke and Helen lowered their swords, which were pointed at each other. After a moment of thought, Zeke spoke to Helen. "I look forward to seeing you again in the third round, Helen Draker." Helen was surprised that Zeke knew her real name. "...You knew?" "Well, we''re siblings. I should at least know your face." Actually, he didn''t. If he hadn''t seen a portrait of Helen Draker in his previous life, he wouldn''t have recognized her. Helen, looking at Zeke, nodded and sheathed her sword. She said to Zeke, "See you in the third round." Zeke and Helen came down from the wrestling arena to the cheers of the spectators. The Agamemnon faction chanted Zeke''s name and cheered. "Zeke! Zeke!" Zeke waved to the audience and left the arena. *** After the second round, Zeke and hispanions gathered at the mansion and took a long-awaited break. The next day, Catherine brought news about the third round. "It''s a tournament, as expected." Farel nodded as if he had expected it. Zeke also agreed with Farel''s words. "With eight people remaining, it seems they''ll have a quarterfinal, then a semifinal, and finally the final." Catherine nodded. "That''s right. The third round will be open to the general public, so a tournament format is the best for attracting an audience." Farel smiled at Zeke. "If it''s a tournament, Sir Zeke''s victory is almost certain. There''s no participant who can defeat a Blue Knight like Sir Zeke in a one-on-one match." Zeke tilted his head at Farel''s words. "That''s a bit puzzling. I thought the Siemens side would choose an event that was more advantageous to Edward." Catherine then said to Zeke, "Actually, there''s one rule in this tournament." Zeke nodded, with an "as expected" expression. "What''s the rule?" Catherine said with a slightly troubled expression, "Well... the basic rule is that the use of Aura is prohibited, and the matches are to be fought with pure physical strength." Farel jumped to his feet. "What! What kind of absurd rule is that! Prohibiting the use of Aura?!" Since Purple Knights were eligible to participate, there was an unspoken rule not to use Aura de, but there was no case where the use of Aura itself was prohibited. However, Zeke wasn''t surprised. Catherine said to him, "It seems Sir Zeke expected this." He nodded. "I didn''t think the Siemens side would hold an ordinary tournament. But I didn''t know they would bring up the prohibition of Aura as a rule." It was a tant check against Zeke, a Blue Knight. Edward was six years older than the seventeen-year-old Zeke, so in terms of physical growth and maturity, he was considered to be far ahead. It was the result of Edward''s calction that he would have an advantage in the match if only physical abilities were considered, excluding Aura. Zeke calmed down the disgruntled Farel and rose from his seat. "Sir Farel, don''t worry too much. Even if I can''t use Aura, if I apply the traditional swordsmanship I''ve learned within my past life, I''ll be able to ovee Edward''s spear skills sufficiently." Farel''s expression brightened, and he jumped to his feet. "Sir Zeke, I''ll help you train as much as you want before the match! Just leave it to me!" "Thank you, Sir Farel." *** After the meeting to prepare for the martial arts tournament, Zeke secretly left the mansionte at night. This was because he had received an urgent message from Kay. He secretly went to Kay''s hidden residence in As. The residence was a mansion of enormous scale. Kay, the boss of the Syndicate that controlled the Southern Cartel, had reached an even higher position much faster than in Zeke''s previous life. The first person to greet Zeke upon his arrival was Paynun. "Wee, Master." Zeke shook hands with Paynon warmly. "Are you getting used to your new environment?" Paynon gave an awkward smile at Zeke''s words. "I''m a bit overwhelmed because I''ve suddenly been given such a big role, but I''m learning hard so as not to be a burden." Paynon had been appointed the head of the pharmaceuticalpany that Zeke was newly preparing. Kay would run the Syndicate in the shadows, while Paynon would handle external activities in the open. "Are there any difficulties in the preparation process?" Paynon said with a smile, "Probably Kay is having more difficulties than me. Pleasee in." Zeke entered Kay''s office with Paynon. The office was, in a word, a mess. All sorts of documents were piled up everywhere in her office. And inside, Kay was reviewing the documents with a haggard face. "Kay, what''s all this?" Kay looked up at Zeke. "Ugh..." Meeting Zeke''s eyes, Kay made a strange sound and slumped down. Paynon approached her familiarly and handed her a fatigue recovery potion. Kay drank the potion in one gulp and caught her breath. "Ah... Thank you, senior. If it wasn''t for this, I would have already died from overwork." "It''s a good thing my minor was alchemy." Since they were both mages, Paynon and Kay seemed to have decided to address each other as senior and junior. Kay took another sip of the potion and said to Zeke, "You must be busy with the martial arts tournament, how did you find the time?" "I came as soon as possible because you said it was urgent." "Ugh... Okay. Let''s take a break. I''ll have them bring some tea soon." Zeke, Kay, and Paynon moved to the drawing-room and sat on the sofa. Savoring the aroma of the tea, Zeke asked Kay, "Did you send the urgent message because of the paperwork?" Kay shook her head. "That''s a problem too, but there''s a bigger problem." "Is there a problem with the cartel?" "No, Simon is managing the cartel well. The reconstruction of the Cusco Kingdom is also going smoothly." "Then what''s the problem?" Kay pointed at Zeke. "It''s you." Then she handed him a document. Zeke''s expression hardened as he unfolded the document. "...The Empire''s Intelligence Agency and Draker''s ck Stage are both investigating the south?" Kay nodded. "To be precise, the Intelligence Agency is looking for the one who destroyed the Pave Cartel''s camp, and the ck Stage is looking for the one who destroyed Don Juan." In the end, both groups were after Zeke. Zeke had an idea why the Imperial Intelligence Agency was looking for him. ''Cain Siemens Constantine.'' The suspicious Imperial prince who possessed the ancient Hercyon. Zeke had killed him and taken Hercyon from the Imperial human experimentation facility he found in the Pave camp. Considering he used the Imperial family name and possessed a special Hercyon, he was likely an important figure in the Empire, and that would be enough reason for the Imperial Intelligence Agency to chase after Zeke. However, Zeke had no clue why the Draker ck Stage was after him. ''Why is the ck Stage after me?'' As Zeke carefully examined the ck Stage''s data, Kay said, "There''s no need to think about why the ck Stage is after you. That''s just how the Draker ck Stage is." Zeke nodded at Kay''s words. The ck Stage, the eyes and ears of the Draker family, was a relentless group that sought and unearthed all information on the continent. Zeke frowned upon learning that the Intelligence Agency and the ck Stage were after him. ''This is a bit troublesome.'' He hadn''t left any traces of himself, but there might be evidence he identally left behind if they dug deep enough. Using that as a clue, they might eventually reach him. Kay said to Zeke, "If you''re worried, should I tell Simon to kill any spies we find in the south?" Paynon looked a bit surprised by Kay''s words, as if he wasn''t used to it yet. Zeke clicked his tongue as he looked at Kay. "Are we some kind of cartel? Killing everyone just because they''re following us." Paynon sighed in relief at Zeke''s words. He had a weak heart for someone who became friends with the queen of the underworld. Kay also nodded at Zeke''s words. "Well, that''s true. Even if we consider the Intelligence Agency, the ck Stage won''t back down so easily just because we kill a few of them." They would be even more determined to chase after him. "Leave them alone for now and just keep me updated on the situation. If any evidence that could identify me specifically emerges, we can act then." "Okay, I''ll let Simon know." "How''s the ck Yaksha? Is he adapting well to the south?" "Actually, he''s the one who brought this information. Maybe because he''s from the Intelligence Agency, he''s good at gathering information leaked from the Empire. Simon is happy with his work." "Oh? It was worth saving him instead of killing him." Just then, Kay said to Zeke, "And there''s one more problem." "What problem?" Kay nudged Paynon''s side. Paynon said to Zeke with a troubled expression, "Well, there''s some trouble with the alchemists we hired this time." "With the alchemists?" "Yes, they''re the ones we invited for the new drug development using Soma, but they suddenly dered a strike and aren''t doing any research at all." "Huh?" He knew alchemists were difficult, but he didn''t expect them to go on strike. Zeke asked Paynon, "Is there a reason why they suddenly went on strike?" Paynon carefully replied, "Actually, I invited new alchemists this time, and their personalities are a bit..." Zeke shook his head. "No, what are these alchemists dissatisfied with?" Paynon replied, looking troubled, "Well, first of all, it''s not alchemist, but alchemists." "Alchemists?" Something urred to Zeke at Paynon''s words. "Are those alchemists twins by any chance?" "How did you know?" At Paynon''s answer, Zeke made a subtle expression. ''It''s them. The genius twin alchemists, the brothers Al and Jeff.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 85 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 85 There was a reason why Zeke remembered the Al and Jeff brothers. ''In my past life, those entric guys created the cure for the Red Flower gue.'' The continent was thrown into chaos as the Red Flower gue spread and many people died. While no one could create a cure for the Red Flower gue, it was none other than the Al and Jeff brothers who seeded in developing a cure. What was even more surprising was that these entric twins released the form for the cure for free, spreading it widely throughout the continent. Thanks to this, the Red Flower gue was quickly eradicated. Zeke had also taught Melissa Allencia the cure for the Red Flower gue that he remembered from that time. He recalled the information about the Al and Jeff brothers that he had heard in his past life. ''After the Red Flower gue cure, they received a lot of support and developed many things, but because they were so entric, there was hardly anything useful in the end.'' The Al and Jeff brothers were entrics who only focused on research they enjoyed, so they only developed new drugs that were closer to pranks rather than practical potions. A potion that stopped hups immediately, eye drops that instantly removed eye mucus, medicine that prevents stomach aches after drinking milk, and so on. They were all like that. Although they created hundreds of new drugs, only a handful weremercialized. Zeke asked Paynun, "Those twins, how are their skills?" "Their personalities are a bit peculiar, but they''re definitely excellent alchemists." For Paynun, who recognized their skills, to say this, their alchemy itself must be genuine. He said to Paynun, "So, what are their demands?" "They requested various alchemy ingredients, but there were too many that seemed unrted to this new drug research. I''m not an alchemy major, but I can distinguish which ingredients should bebined, and there were quite a few unrted ingredients." If it was Al and Jeff, they would definitely make the drugs they wanted to make under the pretext of developing new drugs. "Do you have any idea what they''re trying to make?" Paynun shook his head at Zeke''s question. "I have no idea. So I cut the budget for purchasing expensive ingredients that seemed unnecessary, and they immediately went on strike." Zeke roughly grasped the situation. He said to Paynun, "Provide Al and Jeff with the ingredients they requested." Paynun was surprised. "Really? It will be quite expensive." Zeke flinched at Paynun''s intense reaction and asked, "...How much will it be?" "Roughly, it will be about a hundred thousand gold..." "A hundred thousand gold? What kind of ingredients did they request to cost that much?" "Various things. The droppings of the golden eagle that only lives in the northern ice mountains, the droppings of the golden Komodo dragon from the swamp, the droppings of the Kraken King that only lives in the South Sea''s Death Zone..." Zeke''s expression distorted at Paynun''s words. ''Why are they all droppings?'' Zeke pondered for a moment and then nodded. "For now, provide them with everything you can get. But make sure to tell them toplete the new drug using Soma." Paynun''s face brightened at Zeke''s permission. "Okay, Master." Kay, who was next to him, said with a worried expression, "Are you sure you can invest a hundred thousand gold in those entric guys?" "If they produce a proper new drug, a hundred thousand gold is nothing." Zeke clenched his fist, making a cracking sound. "If they don''t produce proper results, I''ll have to go and warn them myself." Kay broke out in a cold sweat at his reaction, and Paynun gave an awkward smile. *** "Let the Draker martial arts tournament quarterfinals begin!" Therge arena prepared in As was packed with spectators. The front was filled with gs of patron ns cheering for the participants. Among them, therge banner of the Agamemnon n and the incredibly shy banner of the Graham n, both supporting Zeke, stood out the most. On the other side, the allied ns of the Siemens n, who had gathered their connections, cheered for Edward along with a marching band. In the midst of the boisterous arena, the participants appeared. The eight participants who advanced to the third round, including Zeke and hispanions, went up to the arena and greeted the audience. Felix, who had initially refused to participate, was the most excited, waving his hand towards the audience. A momentter, Gareth appeared and announced the first match. "Felix Valencia, Morton Heros." Felix, realizing that he was first, was startled and his eyes darted around. Zeke smacked Felix on the back. "Ouch! Ouch! That hurts, Master." "Don''t dawdle and get up there quickly. If you lose, you''ll be in closed-door training, you know." At Zeke''s threat, Felix grumbled and went up to the arena. His opponent, Morton Heros, sneered at Felix. Heros was one of the vassals of the Siemens n, and his n was considered one of the prestigious ns in the eastern region. Morton inwardly rejoiced at having the unknown Felix as his opponent. ''I''ll win the quarterfinals without lifting a finger.'' "Begin the match!" ng! The tournament match began with the examiner''s gong. Morton slowly approached Felix with his sword raised. He grinned and swung his sword at Felix. Whoosh! A clean swing befitting a prestigious family unfolded. Felix slightly moved back and dodged Morton''s sword. Morton smirked. ''So he''s not aplete pushover.'' He adjusted his grip on the sword and charged towards Felix. "Haaaa!" With a shout, Morton swung his sword powerfully, as if to cut Felix''s waist in a single blow. ng! But Felix deflected Morton''s sword too easily. Morton stepped back and gave a smirk. "You got lucky." Felix didn''t respond to his mockery and took a step towards Morton. Unlike the lighthearted Felix they had seen outside the arena, Felix holding a sword exuded an unknown pressure. Morton flinched involuntarily and stepped back. ''W-what? Am I being intimidated by this guy...?'' Suddenly, Felix dashed forward. And he raised his sword and performed a vertical sh. It was a clean sh as if it hade straight out of a swordsmanship textbook. "Gasp!" Morton barely managed to raise his sword and block Felix''s sword. His wrist throbbed from the heavy blow. Felix didn''t stop and swung his sword in all directions. Vertical sh, horizontal sh, diagonal downward sh, diagonal upward sh, and so on. Although they were simple shing movements, Morton was overwhelmed by the continuous barrage of attacks without any gaps. "Huff, huff." He caught his breath and regained his stance. His hand holding the sword was trembling. ''I-I''m being pushed back by this idiot...?'' Meanwhile, Felix took another half step forward. Morton, unconsciously frightened, stepped back. As he retreated, he was cornered in the arena. Confirming Morton''s position, Felix raised his sword, his body bent like a bow, and shot forward. Then, he swung his sword powerfully at Morton. Whoosh! Morton tried to block Felix''s sword with his own. But Felix''s sword sent Morton flying along with his sword. "Cough!" Morton flew out of the arena and fell out of bounds. "Felix Valencia wins!" As the end of the match was dered, Felix immediately lowered his sword and returned to his usual expression. "Whew, it''s a good thing the opponent was weak. I almost ended up in closed-door training." In fact, Morton Heros was by no means a weak opponent. Felix, who had been training unconsciously among strong individuals while following Zeke, hadn''t realized how strong he had be. The next match was between Reina and Liam. The two, who hadpeted for first and second ce at the academy, were now facing each other in the martial arts tournament. "I look forward to a good match, Reina Draker." Reina responded to Liam''s words with a nod. After the gong signaled the start, the two faced each other with their weapons raised. However, they just stared at each other without moving. They had constantly fought each other since their academy days, so they already knew how the other would move. The audience also watched the confrontation between the two with bated breath. In the midst of the silent standoff, Liam broke the bnce first. Thud! He lowered his stance and attacked Reina''s legs. Swoosh! Reina leaped into the air, attempting to strike Liam''s back. However, Liam''s long arms bent at an odd angle, swinging his sword to block Reina''s attack. ng! The two created distance again and began to observe each other cautiously. Since they couldn''t use Aura, they had to swing their swords with only physical strength. Reina possessed the strength and sticity unique to the Turunn n, while Liam couldunch unpredictable attacks with his long reach and flexibility. This time, Reina initiated the attack first. As Zeke had advised her, sheunched an attack utilizing her whole body''s sticity. Whoosh! An incredibly sharp sword strike, unbelievable for someone not using Aura, unfolded from her sword. Liam retreated and quickly swung his sword to block Reina''s attack. Then, he swung his long leg for a low kick. Thwack! Reina was hit by the sudden kick attack. As her bnce faltered, Liam seized the opportunity and pressed his advantage. Swoosh! He swung his sword as if to cut Reina''s waist. That was when it happened. Reina''s eyes shed momentarily, and all her muscles pulsed, exceeding her physical limits. Reina felt as if time had stopped. ''What is this sensation?''@@novelbin@@ Liam''s sword seemed to approach her slowly. Reina dodged Liam''s sword and turned her body, digging into his chest. Then, she tripped Liam''s leg, making him fall. Whoosh! The stopped time returned to normal. Liam, lying on the ground, had an expression of disbelief, unable to understand why he had fallen. Reina felt pain as if all the muscles in her body were screaming. She endured the pain and held her sword to the neck of the fallen Liam. "Reina Draker wins!" Reina breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. ''I''ve found a new path.'' The duel with Liam had be a stepping stone for Reina''s growth. Zeke, who was watching this, gave a wry smile. ''sh Step. As expected of a genius.'' He could see that Reina''s Applied Form, which earned her the title of sh Knight in his past life, was gradually taking shape. Just then, Felix said to Zeke, "Master, Senior Brother Liam lost, so he''ll be in closed-door training, right?" Without answering, Zeke smacked Felix on the back and slowly went up to the arena. It was his turn next. "Zeke Draker, Edward Siemens!" Zeke looked at the spear that Edward Siemens, who had entered the arena, was carrying. ''Ha, this bastard. He brought a magic spear.'' While preventing the use of Aura, he had sneakily brought a spear imbued with magic to the duel. Zeke, who could sense mana, the source of both Aura and magic, could recognize the magic cast on the spear. Edward said to Zeke, "Remember this well. Strategy ultimately trumps power." Edward was spouting nonsense, rationalizing his own petty actions. Zeke said nothing and raised Bahamut. Soon, the gong signaling the start of the match rang out. Edward shouted and charged at Zeke with his spear. "Haaa!" Perhaps due to the Haste and Strength Enhancement magic cast on the spear, his charging speed and the force of his spear thrust were no different from when using Aura. However, Zeke swung Bahamut towards the iing spear with an indifferent expression. sh! "Huh?" The spearhead was cut off with a single blow. Edward couldn''tprehend what had just happened. And immediately after, Zeke swung his sword at him. Whoosh! Edward tried to block Zeke''s sword with the remaining spear shaft. But Zeke''s sword was faster. He struck Edward with the t of his sword instead of the de. "Quack!" Trying to dodge, Edward was hit squarely on the back with the t of the sword, let out a strange cry, and copsed. The audience gaped at Edward, who fainted from Zeke''s single blow. The examiner also barely managed to regain hisposure and shouted, " Z-Zeke Draker wins!" The paramedics carried out Edward Siemens, who was foaming at the mouth and unconscious. Edward was eliminated without even being able to use the various strategies he had prepared. Zeke sheathed Bahamut and leisurely descended from the arena. "Waaaaaaa!" "Zeke! Zeke!" The arena was filled with cheers. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 86 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 86 As Zeke returned to the waiting room, Farel eximed excitedly, "Sir Zeke! The semifinals! Just two more wins and you''ll be the champion!" Zeke nodded at Farel''s words. "It''s all thanks to you, Sir Farel." Smiling, Zeke looked at Felix and Liam, who were slumped next to him. "Why are you both acting like that?" He understood why Liam was gloomy after losing to Reina, but he couldn''t understand why Felix, who had advanced to the semifinals, was also acting that way. Felix looked up at Zeke and said, "Ugh... Master, my next opponent is Elin Sabrina. How can I fight someone who was almost on par with the Master?" Felix groaned about having to face Elin. Zeke smacked Felix hard on the back. "Ouch! Master, your hand seems to be getting spicier day by day!" Zeke clicked his tongue and said to Felix, "Go and show them all your skills. If you do it half-heartedly, it''s closed-door training for you." Felix jumped at Zeke''s words. "No! Senior Liam lost, but you''re not making him do closed-door training! You''re only making me do it! Master, aren''t you being too biased?!" Felix, who received another smack on the back instead of an answer from Zeke, writhed in pain. After the designated break time, Zeke and Felix went back to the arena. The semifinals were about to begin. The first match of the semifinals was between Zeke and Reina. Zeke and Reina faced each other in the arena, swords in hand. The cheers were tremendous as the two entered the arena. The standard-bearers of the Turunn family beat a huge drum and cheered for Reina. In response, the Agamemnon and Graham families frantically waved their n banners, praying for Zeke''s victory. Zeke looked at Reina and said, "It''s the first time since we faced each other in the Cradle evaluation." Zeke had surpassed Reina many times over since then. The continent''s youngest Blue Knight and the youngest graduate of Valha. Reina silently gripped her sword and pointed it at Zeke. Zeke also drew Bahamut and pointed it at Reina. As soon as the match started, Reina charged towards Zeke. Whoosh! Using her tremendous sticity, Reina swung her sword at Zeke like a sh of lightning. ng! Reina''s sword and Zeke''s sword shed, sparks flying. "Haaaa!" Reina unleashed a fierce attack on Zeke, exuding tremendous spirit. Even without using Aura, the force of each sword strike was enough to shake the surrounding air. Zeke calmly parried Reina''s sword and defended firmly. He deflected her powerful downward strikes, sometimes softly, sometimes strongly, and counterattacked whenever he saw an opening. Whoosh! As Zeke''s sword flew towards her side, Reina jumped back and retreated. Zeke didn''t miss the opportunity. Dragon yer Art, Applied Form Gale Force Atmosphere Splitter Zeke''s Gale Force unfolded towards Reina. Reina gritted her teeth and also unleashed an Applied Form. Turunn Style Dragon yer Art Counter Skill Bull Horn Breaker After deflecting Zeke''s Atmosphere Splitter with all her might using a two-handed sword technique, Reina rotated her body and immediately swung her sword towards Zeke. It was an application of the Dragon yer Art, mimicking the counterattack of deflecting a charging bull''s horns and immediately digging inside to pierce the bull''s heart. Zeke''s body momentarily flickered at Reina''s powerful counterattack. Gale Force Phantom Step Shapeshifting It was an upgraded version of the high-speed movement skill he had acquired before. As Shapeshifting unfolded, Zeke''s figure disappeared, leaving only an afterimage, and Reina''s sword cut through empty air. ''W-where?'' Even as Reina looked around, Zeke was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, Zeke''s shadow loomed over her. Reina hurriedly raised her sword to block Zeke''s attack. Crash! However, Zeke didn''t strike Reina with his sword and simply descended. As a result, Reina''s sword, raised above her head, stopped in mid-air. Zeke, crouching low to the ground, exploited her opening. Lowering his stance, he pointed Bahamut at Reina''s exposed neck. It was aplete defeat for Reina. "Zeke Draker wins!" Reina failed to surpass Zeke once again. She lowered her sword, looked at Zeke, and said, "Next time, I will definitely not lose." She sheathed her sword and walked down from the arena with dignity. Zeke grinned as he watched Reina. ''Just like the sh Knight. Perhaps she''ll be even stronger than in my past life.'' Amidst thunderous apuse, Zeke descended from the arena. And soon, the next match began. Felix went up to the arena with a mournful expression. Helen was looking not at Felix, but at Zeke, who was sitting in the waiting area behind him. Seeing Helen''s gaze directed at him, Zeke inwardly chuckled. ''Now''s not the time to be looking at me.'' Despite always nagging Felix, his potential was extraordinary. If he could use Aura, it would be difficult for him tost more than ten seconds against Helen, but with only swordsmanship, an unexpected result could ur. "Felix Valencia! Elin Sabrina!" The two pointed their swords at each other and prepared for the duel. The gong signaling the start of the match rang out. That was when it happened. Surprisingly, Felix was the first to charge towards Helen. Whoosh! Helen, who hadn''t paid much attention to Felix''s skills, was taken aback by the sudden sharp sword strike and hurriedly swung her sword. ng! Helen was surprised by the unexpectedly heavy blow. Felix''s swordsmanship, which she had seen in the previous quarterfinal match, was fundamentally sound. However, she had thought he wouldn''t be able to use it properly against her. But after actually shing swords with him, her thoughts changed. ''If that hadnded properly, my wrist might have been injured.'' She had only been thinking about her match with Zeke and assumed she would easily defeat Felix. Helen corrected her posture after the unexpectedly strong attack. At the same time, Helen''s atmosphere changed. Seeing Helen''s stance, reminiscent of a solid steel wall, Felix also pulled his sword towards his chest and regted his breathing. Both Felix and Helen were skilled in orthodox swordsmanship, so their bnce between offense and defense was excellent. This time, Helen was the first to strike. Whoosh! A heavy sword strike flew low towards Felix''s lower body. Felix, without breaking his basic stance, shifted his position clockwise, dodging Helen''s attack, and charged forward, swinging his sword. As expected, it was a clean movement, like something out of a textbook. Zeke could sense traces of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship in Felix''s swordsmanship. ''He may haveined, but he properly absorbed the elders'' techniques.'' Helen regained her stance and parried Felix''s sword strike. Both Felix and Helen''s wrists throbbed from the intense impact. "Huff..." Felix caught his breath and regained his stance. Helen frowned as she saw Felix''s stance, which was as solid as her own defense. ''Now I understand a little how my opponents must have felt.'' A sharp counterattack was hidden within the seemingly monotonous defense. If she recklessly charged in, her attack was likely to be blocked, and she would be vulnerable to a counterattack. If she could use Aura, she could break through that defense with her Steel Technique, but it seemed difficult with only swordsmanship. Helen also held her sword and regted her breathing. ''I myself shall be a strong steel sword that pierces through walls.'' Zeke, who was watching this, was surprised. ''Helen Draker is already aiming for the realm of Sword-Body Unity?'' Bing one with the sword meant opening the gateway to ascend from Blue Knight to Red Knight. Helen tried to break through Felix''s defense by bing a steel sword herself. Her body shot forward in an instant. Whoosh! It was as if a giant sword was flying towards Felix. Felix concentrated and extended his sword towards Helen. Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship Counter Skill Rainbow Reflection It was the most powerful counter skill he had learned from the elders of the Agamemnon n. Seeing Felix''s sword deflecting her own and pushing through, Helen gritted her teeth and unleashed a counter skill. Dragon yer Art, Applied Form Steel Technique Armor Overturn ng! A counter to a counter. "Cough!" There was no time to control his strength. In the end, Helen''s sword struck Felix''s side. Felix copsed, bleeding, still gripping his sword. The paramedics outside the arena quickly rushed up. They immediately poured the potion they were carrying onto Felix''s wound. Sizzle! Thanks to the highly effective potion, the wound inflicted by Helen''s sword quickly foamed and healed. Helen felt her hand holding the sword trembling as she looked at the fallen Felix. ''If I had made even a small mistake, I would have been the one who fell.'' That''s how sharp Felix''s counterattack was. Felix was soon carried out by the paramedics, and Helen became the victor of the semifinal match. Even though the match was over, the arena was filled with cheers calling out Elin and Felix''s names. "Elin! Elin!" "Felix! Felix!" The audience was moved by the incredible match the two had shown. Gareth stepped onto the heated arena. He shouted towards the audience, "The final match of the Draker martial arts tournament will be held next week at the Grand Stadium!" The Grand Stadium, which hosted the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament every year, was filled with not only key figures from the Draker blood alliance ns but also thousands of spectators. Gareth pointed at Zeke and Helen and called them up to the arena. He pointed at Zeke first. "Zeke Draker!" As soon as he called out his name, cheers erupted from the families supporting Zeke. Then, Gareth pointed at Helen. "Elin Sab..." At that moment, she raised her hand and stopped Gareth from speaking. She stepped forward and shouted to the audience in the arena, "My name is not Elin Sabrina." The audience began to stir at her sudden words. She spoke again. "My name is Helen Draker. I am one of the pure-blooded Awakened of the Draker n, a member of the direct bloodline, and one of the Blue Knights of Draker." One of the spectators stood up and shouted, @@novelbin@@ "Helen Draker! The Steel Knight!" "Oh my god, you mean the Steel Knight who wiped out all the ouws in the central region?" "The Steel Knight, famous for not revealing her face, appeared in the martial arts tournament!" The audience buzzed with excitement at the appearance of Helen Drake. She drew her sword and shouted, "I, Helen Draker, will put all my effort into the duel with Zeke Draker in the Draker martial arts tournament. To this end, I ask that you reconsider the rule prohibiting the use of Aura in the final match!" The audience cheered at Helen Draker''s words. It didn''t make sense to prohibit Aura in a duel between two pure-blooded Drakers who shook the continent. Zeke inwardly admired Helen as he looked at her. ''Huh, I thought she was just a rigid practitioner, but I didn''t know the Steel Knight had this side to her.'' After Cali died in his past life, Helen was the one who seeded her. She had the qualities of a politician hidden within her, which even she herself didn''t know. The audience shouted at Gareth, "Allow Aura! Allow Aura!" "Give the Aura prohibition to the monsters!" As the atmosphere heated up, an urgent meeting was held by the organizers of the martial arts tournament. The rule was created to give Edward Siemens an advantage, and since he was eliminated, there was no need to maintain the Aura prohibition rule. Themittee decided to follow public opinion. Gareth, receiving the news from themittee, nodded and made an announcement. "The use of Aura will be allowed in the final match!" The audience erupted in cheers. Zeke and Helen exchanged sharp nces. "It won''t be easy." "I''m looking forward to it." The semifinals ended with the audience''s fervent enthusiasm. And there were those who quietly watched all this from the corner of the arena. "So, who do you think will win, Arthur?" Duke asked Arthur Draker, who was deeply buried in his robe. Arthur rose from his seat and said, "It doesn''t matter who wins. Only the one who wins matters." Duke clicked his tongue as he watched Arthur walk away. "The corners of his mouth are twitching, he''s happy as can be, but he''s putting on an act." Duke grinned as he looked at Zeke in the arena and then followed Arthur. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 87 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 87 The Grand Stadium, one of thendmarks symbolizing As. Thousands of people flocked to this ce. They were spectators who came to see the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament. This final match, in particr, attracted attention from all over the continent, as it was a duel between pure-blooded Awakened Drakers and those who had achieved the rank of Blue Knight. Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n, appeared in the stadium filled with thousands of spectators. He shouted to the audience, "We will now begin the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament!" Tremendous cheers erupted, and brilliant lights illuminated the arena. At the same time, Zeke Draker and Helen Draker entered the arena. Zeke wore light armor, while Helen wore heavier-looking armor. What was unusual was Helen''s sword. She was carrying a long, massive sword on her back. The audience murmured as they saw Helen''s armament. "Is that the famous Dragon Buster of the Steel Knight?" The promotion gift Helen received from the head of the n when she became a Blue Knight was the Dragon Buster. Made from dragon bone from the de to the hilt, it was shaped more like a Japanese sword than a typical Western sword. Heavy armor and a sword as massive as an adult''s body. It was no wonder her title was Steel Knight. Arthur Draker descended from the arena, and Zeke and Helen faced each other. Zeke drew Bahamut, and Helen drew the Dragon Buster. The tension between the two was palpable, even reaching the audience. Soon, the gong signaling the start of the match rang out. ng! Simultaneously, Zeke and Helen swung their swords. Crash! Instead of the sound of swords shing, it sounded like an explosion. Zeke and Helen gritted their teeth, their swords locked, and red at each other. Crack! The floor of the arena cracked from the sheer force of their struggle. ng! A momentter, they both deflected each other''s swords and jumped back. Zeke tightly gripped Bahamut and assumed the starting stance of the Dragon ying Art. Dragon ying Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 3, Verse 2 Half Moon sh A half-moon-shaped Aura flew from Zeke''s sword. Helen held the Dragon Buster vertically and met the half-moon attack head-on. Crash! The half-moon Zekeunched was neutralized. It seemed the Dragon Buster served not only as a sword but also as a shield. ''As expected, her defense is solid.'' Zeke changed his stance and unleashed Gale Force Technique. Dragon ying Art, Applied Form Gale Force Technique Wind Control Zeke started circling Helen at high speed. Combined with the Phantom Step, it looked as if multiple Zekes were surrounding Helen. Helen closed her eyes, holding the Dragon Buster. Then, she held the Dragon Buster horizontally and shouted. "Haaaa!" There was no technique or anything. She simply swung the Dragon Buster and cut through Zeke''s afterimages. Crash! The surroundings were instantly devastated. Whoosh! At that moment, Zeke leaped onto the Dragon Buster and dashed towards Helen. Swish! Zeke swung his sword at Helen. Helen let go of the Dragon Buster, drew the arming sword she was wearing at her waist, and blocked Zeke''s attack. ng! After blocking Zeke''s attack, Helen lowered her stance, picked up the Dragon Buster again, and swung it. Whoosh! A strange sound echoed as the Dragon Buster tore through the air with its power. Screech! Zeke leaped into the air and dodged the Dragon Buster''s attack. As the two faced each other from a distance, the audience, who had been holding their breath, finally erupted in cheers. "Zeke! Zeke!" "Helen! Helen!" From the Agamemnon n, Rufus Agamemnon, the n elders, and even the head maid came to cheer for Zeke. "The true sessor of Agamemnon! Zeke Draker!" Zeke pointed Bahamut at Helen. ''Her defense is solid. I need to shake her up a bit.'' Zeke''s stance changed. He took the stance of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship instead of the Dragon ying Art. The Agamemnon n, recognizing this, waved their banners even more vigorously in support. Zeke charged towards Helen with his sword raised. Whoosh! As Zeke thrust forward like ance, Helen tried to block his attack by holding the Dragon Buster to the side. Whoosh! But Zeke suddenly changed direction mid-charge. He shifted his stance andunched a high kick towards Helen''s head. Bang! Helen barely managed to turn her body and avoid the kick, but the shoulder te of her armor was sent flying. A knight''s body, strengthened by Aura, was no different from a weapon. Even a kick could inflict a fatal wound. Helen caught her breath, disrupted by Zeke''s unorthodox attack. ''Zeke, you''re truly strong.'' She hadn''t expected to be pushed back this much by her younger brother. After catching her breath, she gripped the Dragon Buster and gathered her strength. Woooong! A clear Aura rose from Helen''s body. The Aura enveloped the Dragon Buster, and soon an Aura de was formed. Seeing this, Zeke also activated an Aura de on Bahamut. The two, having created clear, blue Aura des, simultaneously leaped into the air. sh! Blue light filled the air of the arena. Woooong! ng! sh! The Aura des shed, creating a loud impact and shockwaves. The two, who had been engaged in aerialbat,nded back on the arena floor. Immediately, they charged towards each other and shed swords again. Woooong! Crash! A powerful vibration and shockwaves tore through the arena floor. Crash! Thanks to the defensive barrier installed around the audience, the shockwaves were neutralized and dispersed, but the audience could still feel the intensity of the sh. Zeke and Helen stood on the devastated arena floor, pointing their swords at each other. However, unlike Zeke, Helen was breathing heavily. "Huff... Huff..." A prolonged battle against Zeke, who had infinite stamina, was meaningless. Helen also noticed that Zeke''s stamina was far superior to hers. ''Unbelievable.'' But this was reality. Helen realized it was time to make her final gambit. She gripped the Dragon Buster and raised her energy. Woooong! The Dragon Buster vibrated intensely. Zeke also noticed that Helen was about to make her final move. He also assumed the stance of the Dragon ying Art. Woooong! An immense tension filled the air between the two. That was when it happened. Helen raised the Dragon Buster high and swung it towards Zeke. Dragon ying Art, Applied Form Steel Technique Wall Splitter Terakan Draker, the founder of the Draker n, was said to have split a giant wall in two with a single sword strike. As if replicating the legendary Terakan Draker, a powerful energy surged towards Zeke like a tsunami, threatening to split the wall. Zeke took a stance towards Helen''s Wall Splitter and swung his sword horizontally. True Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique Tri-Junction Form Great Roc Rising from the Water Whoosh! A massive energy in the shape of a bird emanated from Zeke''s sword. The energy split Helen''s Steel Technique, which was surging like a tsunami. As if it still had power left, the energy extended towards Helen, who was holding her sword. Crack! "Ugh!" Helen tried to block Zeke''s True Dragon Sword Art with the Dragon Buster. But Helen, already exhausted from using Wall Splitter, couldn''t hold on any longer. That was when it happened. Woooong! Zeke charged towards Helen with Bahamut raised. He leaped into the air and unleashed the Dragon ying Art. Dragon ying Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 8, Verse 2 Dragon Scale Thrust The technique that pierced through all ten iron tes was unleashed towards Helen. Crash! The arena was devastated, and a cloud of dust rose. The audience stood up in surprise. "W-what happened?" A momentter, the dust settled, and the scene in the arena was revealed. Zeke was pointing his sword at the fallen Helen. It was Zeke Draker''s victory. ng! The gong signaling the end of the match rang out. At the same time, cheers erupted from the audience. Rufus Agamemnon and the elders shed tears of joy. Zeke extended his hand towards the fallen Helen. Helen took Zeke''s hand and stood up. "I lost." "I was just lucky." Helen knew better than anyone that it wasn''t just luck. She said to Zeke, "Cali Draker said she has something to tell you, so she''ll be looking for you soon." Leaving those words behind, Helen briefly greeted the audience and left the arena. The audience cheered for Helen, who, despite losing, had shown incredible skill. She had proven her strength worthy of the title Steel Knight, and the cheers were well-deserved. A momentter, Arthur Draker entered the arena. He stood next to Zeke and spoke to the audience. "The winner of this year''s Draker martial arts tournament is Zeke Draker!" The arena was filled with cheers and excitement. Arthur personally ced the winner''s medal around Zeke''s neck. He held Zeke''s shoulder and said, "You carried out the mission splendidly." "I simply followed your orders, sir." Arthur chuckled at Zeke''s words. Although he was the head of the Draker n, who held sway over the continent, he found it difficult to grasp his youngest son''s inner thoughts, as Zeke always remained calm and unafraid of him. Arthur said to Zeke, "There are various privileges for the winner of the Draker martial arts tournament. I''ll give them to youter, but as a father, I want to give a gift to my proud son. Is there anything you want?" Zeke looked at Arthur and said without hesitation, "I want to hear about my mother." Arthur''s expression subtly changed at Zeke''s words. "Your mother... Did you hear something from the Agamemnon n?" "I heard less than I didn''t hear. That''s why I want to hear it from you, sir." "I''m curious why you want that out of all the many gifts you could have." Zeke looked at Arthur and replied, "I want to know about the prophecy of my mother, who was an Irregr." Arthur''s expression hardened slightly at those words. After a moment of silence, Arthur nodded and said to Zeke, "Laura often surprised me, just like you. There''s rarely anything in life that hasn''t gone my way, but Laura was the only one I could never control." He looked at Zeke and said, "Come to Four Seasons Castle. There''s something I want to show you." Zeke nodded at Arthur''s words. Arthur smiled at Zeke and said, "Hold up your medal and smile. That''s the only way this tournament, which cost thousands of gold, will have meaning." Following Arthur''s words, Zeke held up his medal and waved to the audience. The audience chanted Zeke''s name and cheered. It was a warm gaze and response that he had never experienced in his previous life. *** "So Zeke won in the end." Abel said to William while sipping his ck tea. William said with a displeased expression, "That ipetent Edward only brought shame to the n." William was greatly dissatisfied with Edward being knocked out by Zeke in one blow. Abel put down his teacup and said with a smile, "He''ll be stronger once he receives the baptism anyway, so why are you so dissatisfied?" William shook his head. "Edward, that guy is hopeless. I''d rather have the youngest. At least he knows how to use his head." Abel chuckled and said, "By the way, how is the guardian knight matter going, William?" William changed his expression and slowly spoke. "It seems Cali Draker''s side is continuing to persuade the elders. They''re desperately trying to prevent you from receiving the guardian knight position." "Can''t we bring it to a vote now?" "We''re still about two votes short. There are many elders who im neutrality, so we need to secure two more votes to safely put you in the position." Abel tapped the table with his finger. "Two votes... William, I''m tired of waiting. You know how long I''ve waited for this moment." William nodded at Abel''s words. William said to Abel, "If only the guardian knight matter and the Karus matter are resolved, things will go your way. Just be patient a little longer." Abel slowly rose from his seat. He looked at William with madness-filled eyes and said, "I''m counting on it. But keep in mind, if the wait gets any longer, you''ll have to be prepared as well." With those words, Abel entered the torture chamber.@@novelbin@@ Soon, terrible screams leaked from the torture chamber. Torture inflicted not to obtain information, but simply for pleasure. William broke out in a cold sweat as he heard the screams leaking from the torture chamber. The Knight of ughter was bing a terrifying monster that didn''t belong in this world. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 88 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max]@@novelbin@@ Chapter 88 "Congrattions on winning the martial arts tournament." Wherever Zeke went, the knights of Four Seasons Castle greeted him. Their attitude was incredibly friendly, unlike what one would expect from the usually harsh Draker knights. When Zeke first received his official knighthood, there were quite a few within Four Seasons Castle who didn''t approve of him. However, the atmospherepletely changed after the martial arts tournament. Thanks to this, Zeke could personally experience the authority of the Draker martial arts tournament. Receiving greetings from the knights, Zeke headed towards the lord''s office. At the door, the secretary weed Zeke warmly. "The lord is waiting for you." Guided by the secretary, Zeke entered the office. As the secretary had said, Arthur Draker was waiting for him. "Zeke,e in." Once again, Arthur had prepared precious tea from the Eastern Empire. Zeke sat down and savored the aroma of the tea. Arthur looked at Zeke and said, "I thought you would enjoy the winner''s banquet ande back monthster. My prediction waspletely off." Usually, when someone won the Draker martial arts tournament, they would hold a grand party with their sponsor ns and other rted people. After that, it was customary to tour the entire continent, participate in parties hosted by invited ns, and enjoy immense poprity. However, Zeke didn''t hold a separate banquet and didn''t respond to invitations from other families. "I''m not really the type to enjoy parties." Arthur nodded at Zeke''s words. "I was the same at your age. I only focused on rigorous training for faster growth and thought parties and banquets were just entertainment for those whocked training." Putting down his teacup, Arthur continued, "But remember this. Even if you be a ck Knight, you can''t face the entire continent alone. If even two other ck Knights join forces, you won''t be able to escape death." Zeke didn''t expect to hear such words from Arthur Draker, one of the strongest individuals on the continent. ck Knights were called one-man armies. But even ck Knights had limits to their power. At that moment, Zeke suddenly thought of the Hero King Kaiser. ''If it were King Kaisir, I don''t think it would matter how many ck Knights there were.'' The power of ck Knight was close to that of a Sword Master during the Hero King era. But the Hero King was at the Grand Master realm, surpassing Sword Master. ''If I surpass ck Knight and be a Grand Master...'' He would be an absolute ruler who could look down on everything. Arthur looked at Zeke and said, "Well, my words probably won''t reach your ears right now." Zeke raised his head, looked at Arthur, and said, "No, sir. I will engrave your words deep in my heart, that rtionships with others are as important as individual strength." Arthur chuckled at Zeke''s model answer and said, "Stop with the insincere ttery ande here." He rose from his seat and gestured to Zeke. Arthur took Zeke to an exhibition hall where he kept his personal belongings. Rare items Arthur had collected from each continent were disyed in ss cases. With his Dragon Eye, Zeke could see what each item was. ''Most of them are from before the Golden Age. They seem to be from the Hero King era.'' Arthur was collecting ancient artifacts like the Rom Emperor. Walking between the disys, Arthur stopped at one spot. It was in front of an old box. He slowly opened the box. An unexpected item was ced inside. ''A pocket watch?'' Arthur carefully took out the old pocket watch from the box. Then, he looked at Zeke and said, "This is the only thing Laura left me." Zeke was surprised by Arthur''s words. "Are you saying it''s my mother''s memento?" Arthur nodded. "Yes, Laura always carried this with her." Zeke looked at the expression in Arthur''s eyes as he gazed at the pocket watch. The man of steel, who seemed devoid of emotion, was looking at the watch with a wistful gaze. After a moment, he turned his head, approached Zeke, and handed him the pocket watch. "Are you giving this to me?" "Didn''t you say you wanted to know about Laura?" "This watch doesn''t contain everything about your mother." "Laura used this watch to peek into realms we couldn''t see. She said she found it in the Northern Continent. I don''t know much more than that. She was always a secretive person." Laura Agamemnon, an Irregr with the talent of a healer. It seemed that even Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n and her husband, didn''t know everything about her. Zeke, holding the watch, looked at Arthur and asked, "There''s one thing I want to ask." "What is it?" Zeke clenched his fist. "Have you ever considered that I might have the talent of a healer?" Arthur closed his mouth for a moment at those words. Then, he slowly answered, "Yes." Zeke''s hand trembled slightly. Arthur looked at Zeke and slowly spoke. "But Zeke, you weren''t a healer. You''re a proud, pure-blooded Awakened of the Draker n." Zeke gritted his teeth at Arthur''s words. ''If I weren''t a pure-blooded Awakened, were you going to abandon me?'' Zeke swallowed those words with difficulty. The moments of hardship he went through in his past life shed through his mind. Arthur said to Zeke, "Zeke, I''ll tell you one thing. Don''t delve too deeply into your mother, Laura Agamemnon." Zeke raised his head at those words. "What do you mean?" "Laura was a healer, but she was also an Irregr. You know what that means, right?" In the Central Continent, Irregrs were treated as cursed beings. So being born with the blood of an Irregr wouldn''t be advantageous for Zeke. There was a reason why Duke initially mistook Zeke for an Irregr and then deliberately hid that fact. Zeke bowed his head to Arthur and replied, "I''ll follow your orders, sir." Arthur ced his hand on Zeke''s shoulder. "You are a proud, pure-blooded Awakened of the Draker n. Don''t forget that." Zeke nodded and tightly gripped his mother''s pocket watch. *** Returning to his mansion from Four Seasons Castle, Zeke went up to his room and examined the pocket watch. "Why did Mother leave this watch as herst memento?" At that moment, Zeke suddenly felt that this watch was quite familiar. ''Where have I seen this before?'' As he pondered, a spark suddenly ignited in Zeke''s mind. "Saturn Draker!" He remembered the time when Bahamut''s memories awakened while he was learning the True Dragon Sword Art. It matched the shape of the pocket watch that Saturn Draker was holding when he visited Bahamut, the Ruler of Sunset. Recalling that memory, Zeke looked at the watch. ''I remember this watch clearly had the power of Chronos dwelling within it.'' His mother, Laura Agamemnon, used this watch to foresee the future. And in his memory, Saturn Draker used this watch to show Bahamut what would happen in the future. ''Could the power of Chronos be the power of prophecy?'' Zeke examined the watch''s exterior, turning it over and over. There were no inscriptions or markings on the surface. However, despite being old, the surface was still smooth. Opening the lid and looking at the watch face, he saw arge clock in the center and smaller clocks densely packed around it. The hands of the clocks were stopped. Zeke looked at the watch and slowly activated his mana. ''Will this work too?'' The ancient Hercyon and Agamemnon''s Golden Mask had also awakened in response to mana. If this watch was also an ancient artifact, there was a high chance it would react to mana. Woooong! Zeke infused mana into the watch. However, unlike Hercyon and the mask, the watch showed no reaction. "Hmm, is this not enough?" At that moment, something urred to Zeke. Among ancient artifacts, there were often those that reacted to the user''s blood. Zeke took out a dagger, cut his finger, and let a few drops of blood fall onto the watch. Still, there was no reaction, so he tried channeling mana again. Woooong! Suddenly, the blood Zeke dripped began to seep into the watch. At the same time, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Detecting the soul of an Elder Dragon dwelling in the user''s blood.] [The dormant state of the ancient artifact is being lifted.] [The ???''s Clock has been temporarily activated.] [The title ''Blessed by the Ancient Dragon'' unlocks the security of the ???''s Clock.] [The ???''s Clock is connected to the system.] [An authentication key is required to activate the ???''s Clock.] [You must enter the Temple of Chronos and renew the authentication key.] "Authentication key?" At the same time, a window popped up before Zeke''s eyes. ¨DMain Quest Mission¨D [Renew the authentication key and activate the ???''s Clock. (No time limit)] [Quest Mission Reward: Granting the power of Chronos] "The power of Chronos, you say?" Zeke knew the power of the Dragon Control, which was Bahamut''s power. ''Chronos, the contracted dragon of the Hero King, must have power as strong as Bahamut''s.'' Zeke opened the map to check the location of the authentication key renewal mentioned in the quest. "This is...?" The renewal location was none other than ''Aten'', located in the eastern part of the Northern Continent. "Hmm, Aten of all ces." The reason for his uneasy reaction was that Aten was the territory of the Nirvana n, one of the three Transcendent ns. If the Drakers controlled Mind and Ishtar exerted influence over the southern border and desert regions, Nirvana held great influence over Aten and the Stormy Seas. "Well, it''s not a ce I can''t go. There are many things to collect there, and I''ll renew the authentication key while I''m at it." In his past life, Zeke had been active in the Northern Continent longer than the Central Continent. So he remembered various treasures and opportunities hidden there. He recalled the hidden dungeon of the Archmage in Aten. ''It will take some time before that ce is discovered.'' He had to be even more diligent, as he had to find not only the Seal of Chronos but also the authentication key for the watch. Zeke carefully stored the pocket watch in his inventory. Just then, Decker entered the room. "Young Master, you have a visitor." "If it''s another banquet invitation, just send them away." Decker shook his head. "Cali Draker and Helen Draker are here." "My sisters?" Zeke rose from his seat and went to the drawing-room. Unlike before, Cali and Helen were sitting on the sofa in casual clothes. Zeke approached and greeted them. "Wee. I didn''t expect you both toe in person." Cali smiled and said, "It''s fine. We can''t just summon the busy winner of the martial arts tournament whenever we want." Zeke smiled back and sat across from them. Cali then said to Zeke, "As you might have expected, Helen is on our side. She participated in the martial arts tournament because she wanted to test your skills herself." Zeke nodded at Cali''s words and said to Helen, "Thank you for your consideration, Lady Helen. If you had used your bloodline ability, I would have surely lost." Helen flinched at Zeke''s words. "You even know about my bloodline ability. Zeke, you''re starting to scare me." Zeke grinned and said, "Please consider it a personal interest in the Steel Knight." Cali, who was watching the conversation between the two siblings with a warm smile, continued, "The reason we came here is because of the current situation in Four Seasons Castle." Zeke nodded as he listened to Cali''s words. "You''re talking about keeping Abel Draker in check, right?" "Yes, the elders will soon hold a meeting to discuss Abel''s guardian knight position." Zeke''s expression hardened at those words. Unlike ordinary knights, Draker''s guardian knights could directly intervene in the n''s operations. This was because the Council of Elders, who presided over the meetings, the Cross Society, which had internal audit rights, and the Guardian Knight Society, which was the executive body, were the main powers that moved the Draker n. If Abel received the guardian knight position, his influence within the n would undoubtedly increase significantly. Cali looked at Zeke and said, "Abel is persuading the elders to obtain the guardian knight position at this meeting." Persuasion was just a euphemism; it was no different from lobbying with the Empire''s power behind him. "Zeke, there''s something I want to ask you." She continued slowly. "Go to the Dorta Republic and stop the deal between Abel and the Empire." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 89 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 89 Zeke looked surprised at Cali''s words. "A deal between Abel and the Empire?" She nodded. "Yes, we received intel. It seems Abel is going to make a big deal with the Empire. I don''t know exactly what kind of deal it is, but it seems to be rted to the card he''s going to present to the elders to obtain the guardian knight position." After listening to Cali, Zeke asked, "Are you sure it''s alright to entrust me with such an important mission?" "Abel is already wary of our faction. If any of us leave, he might cancel the deal immediately. But it''s difficult to entrust such an important task to an ordinary knight." Zeke fell into deep thought at Cali''s words. ''If I take on this mission, I''ll officially be Cali Draker''s person.'' As the winner of the martial arts tournament, Zeke was scheduled to enter Four Seasons Castle. Four Seasons Castle was the gathering ce of all the Draker blood alliance ns. It was a ce filled with nobles from various kingdoms, lords of ns, and high-ranking politicians from all over the continent. To survive in this ce, he needed strong connections. In that sense, Cali Draker, the first in line to seed the lordship and with the guardian knight position, was more than enough to be a strong shield to protect Zeke. ''The problem is that Sister Cali will be killed by the Pirate King in a few years.'' Since he had regressed to the past, there were already many things that were different from his previous life. Considering the circumstances, Zeke decided that he could intervene in the confrontation between Cali and the Pirate King and save her. ''If Sister Cali stops Abel and safely inherits the lordship, we might be able to prevent the Third Continental War that the Empire is instigating.'' If that happened, Zeke could focus on training to be the strongest on the continent more stably. The cleanest way was to gain power beyond that of a ck Knight, formally challenge Cali, receive the lordship, and be the absolute ruler. ''I don''t want to rule over As, which will be ruined by the war with the Empire.'' Zeke finished his contemtion and answered Cali. "Okay, Sister. I''ll take on that mission." Cali was surprised by Zeke''s calm eptance. It wasn''t a mission to be epted lightly, but contrary to her expectations, Zeke gave her an immediate answer. "Are you really going to take it?" Zeke nodded. "Yes, when should I leave?" Caliposed herself and said, "The deal will take ce at a casino in the Dorta Republic in a week." "Then it''s better to leave quickly. Okay, but I have a favor to ask for this mission." "What is it? Tell me." "I need someone from the Dorta Republic to invite me. Under the pretense of a winner''s tour party for the martial arts tournament." Cali nodded at those words. "You mean to hide the mission under the guise of an official invitation." "Yes, it will be difficult to enter the casino in the Dorta Republic in secret. And if I make a move, as the winner of the martial arts tournament, it will eventually reach Abel''s ears anyway. In that case, it would be better to openly receive an invitation and then go to the Dorta Republic. However, since I''ve rejected all invitations so far, I need an invitation from a key figure in Dorta." "Okay, I''ll contact Dorta and have them select a suitable person to send an invitation." "Thank you, Sister." Helen, who was next to them, said to Zeke, "Zeke, Dorta may seem morous and full of pleasure on the surface, but it''s filled with demons inside. You must always be wary of your surroundings." Zeke inwardly chuckled at Helen''s words. During his time as a hitman for the Southern Cartel in his past life, Zeke had experience running a casino in the Dorta Republic. Tounder the McCain Cartel''s funds, he took over several hotels in the Dorta Republic and ran auction houses and arenas there,undering the money earned from selling Soma. Zeke, who was deeply involved in the underworld, knew better than anyone what Helen''s concerns meant. "Thank you, Lady Helen. I''ll keep that in mind." "One more thing." "Please speak." Helen said to Zeke, "...Speakfortably to me as well." Perhaps embarrassed after saying that, Helen blushed slightly. Zeke grinned and nodded. "Okay, Sister Helen." Only after hearing his answer did Helen make a satisfied expression. *** The very next day, an invitation arrived for Zeke from the Dorta Republic. Zeke was surprised when he saw the invitation. "The Zayed n? Oh my god, a direct invitation from the wealthiest n in the Dorta Republic?"@@novelbin@@ The Dorta Republic was famous for its auction houses and casinos, but it was also renowned as a production site for magic stones. The Zayed n owned the underwater magic stone mines in the Dorta Republic, and 70% of the magic stones supplied to the continent came from this ce. To think that they could mobilize the Zayed n, it showed the immense influence of Cali Draker. Zeke nodded as he looked at the invitation. "If it''s an invitation from the Zayeds, the other ns I rejected will understand." Just then, Decker approached Zeke. "Young Master, all the necessary documents for using the portal have been issued." Zeke received the Draker Knight exclusive entry and exit permit that Decker handed him. "Thank you, Decker. When did you say I have to go to the terminal?" "It''s operational this evening, so you have to leave soon." Therge-scale portal only operated twice a day. Moreover, if he missed tonight''s portal to the Dorta Republic, he would have to wait another three days. If he was unlucky, it would take longer than going by ship. ''Thinking about it like that, the system''s portal function is really a cheat.'' Of course, there were various restrictions and it required arge amount of Karma points, but being able to move to any desired location at any time was a huge advantage. Zeke marveled at the system once again and moved towards the waiting carriage. When he went outside, Farel was training Liam and Felix in the garden. "Again! One more time!" Farel was an official knight of the time-honored Thebes Kingdom, a candidate for Blue Knight, and a direct descendant of the prestigious Achilles n. As a famous master of traditional swordsmanship, he was perfect for teaching the two Purple Knights. Zeke had specifically asked Farel to train them. Felix gasped for breath, groaning. "Ugh... Sir Farel, I think I''m going to die if I do any more." Liam then stepped forward with his sword raised. Felix shuddered at the sight of Liam and wailed, but he followed him. "Ugh! Senior Liam! Please stop now!" Zeke watched the two and then said to Decker, "Tell Sir Farel to push Felix a little harder." "Yes, Young Master." Zeke stared at Decker, who answered politely, and then said, "And Decker, reconsider returning as a knight. I need a reliable and talented person." Decker bowed his head and replied, "Thank you for your words, Young Master. But I''m already too rusty to be called a knight." "Hmm." Far from being rusty, Zeke could see that his skills were still sharp. But Zeke nodded as he looked at Decker, who had once again declined his request. "Okay, but when things get urgent, Decker will have to step up too." "Yes, sir." With that conversation, Zeke bid farewell to Decker and boarded the carriage. Perhaps because Decker had practically raised him since his past life, he couldn''t help but act a little spoiled in front of him. ''By the way, I wonder why he''s so stubborn about not being a knight when he seems to have lingering feelings for the sword. Is there something I don''t know?'' Zeke pondered various thoughts in the carriage as he headed towards the terminal. When he arrived at the terminal, someone was waiting for him. "Wee, Master." It was Paynun, dressed in a suit. This was because Zeke had chosen Paynun as hispanion for this mission. The two went through the VIP procedure at the terminal and waited in the lounge for a while. "Mr. Paynun, is this your first time in the Dorta Republic?" Paynun shook his head. "I often go to Dorta to obtain items needed for research. This is my first time going through a portal, though." Just then, an announcement came on. "The portal to the Dorta Republic will be opening soon. Passengers, please proceed to the portal shuttle and take your seats." Zeke and Paynun used the passage connected to the lounge and sat in the first-ss seats of the portal shuttle. Top-quality leather seats, wine, and various other services were provided. While munching on the peanuts provided, Zeke felt the surrounding magic surge. ''Oh, this is interesting.'' Soon, magic spread through the magic circle surrounding the shuttle, and arge-scale portal opened. The shuttle slowly entered the portal. Rumble A slight vibration was felt. And soon, the shuttle stopped, and the portal slowly closed. "We have arrived in the Dorta Republic. We hope you have a pleasant trip." People started moving busily, and Zeke and Paynun also got off the shuttle and exited the terminal. Stepping out of the terminal, Zeke saw an incredibly luxurious carriage prepared for him. It was a golden carriage pulled by six twin-humped camels adorned with various ornaments. Zeke''s expression darkened at the sight of the carriage. ''No way...'' "Sir Zeke Draker!" Just then, a typical Dortan man, wearing a turban and white clothes with all sorts of ornaments made of expensive magic stones dangling from him, approached Zeke. He recognized Zeke and embraced him. "Wee! Wee!" His Continental Common Tongue was quite natural. Zeke replied in Dortan, ¡® "Thank you for your hospitality." The Dortan man was surprised that Zeke spoke Dortan. "Oh my! You speak Dortan! The God of Earth will bless you, Sir Zeke!" He prayed loudly and led Zeke inside the golden carriage. Only after sitting in the carriage did the Dortan man introduce himself. "I apologize for thete introduction. My name is Muhammad bin Abu Da Zayed, the second son of the Zayed n." Zeke was surprised. He had guessed as much from the luxurious carriage, but he didn''t expect a direct descendant of the Zayed n toe and wee him personally. Muhammad looked at Zeke and said, "First of all, congrattions on winning the Draker martial arts tournament. It is an honor for our n that you, the winner, Sir Zeke, have epted the invitation of the Zayed n." "Everyone on the continent knows the shining reputation of the Zayed n." "As expected of Sir Zeke, you are an honorable knight. I, Muhammad, am deeply moved." After the formal greetings, Muhammad''s expression suddenly changed. "I''ve heard from Cali Draker." Zeke also straightened his posture at those words. "Then I don''t need to make a long speech. It would be great if you could arrange a casino where the deal will take ce in advance, Mr. Muhammad." Muhammad smiled and shook his hand. "Sir Zeke, with all due respect, there''s no need for that." "What do you mean?" Muhammad said with a slight smile, "No casino in the Dorta Republic can escape the influence of the Zayed n." Zeke understood Muhammad''s words to some extent. ''Well, even when I was running a casino during my cartel days, I had a lot of trouble because of them. Because those who were instructed by the Zayeds attacked us so often.'' In fact, this was the reason why Don Juan sent Zeke to the casino in Dorta. After Zeke was deployed and killed those who attacked them one after another, hanging their bodies in front of the Zayed mansion, they finally proposed a truce. Considering the Zayed n was richer than the Emperor of the Empire in terms of wealth, he could understand why they showed such confidence. Zeke said to Muhammad, "Alright. Mr. Paynun here is an excellent mage. He will ce a wiretapping spell on the meeting ce where the Empire''s side will be." Zeke hadn''t brought Paynun for nothing. He wanted to obtain evidence that Abel was trying to break the Draker n''s neutrality pledge by making a deal with the Empire. To do this, he nned to install a wiretapping device in advance and leave it as evidence. Muhammad smiled, revealing his white teeth. "That''s not a problem at all. Don''t worry." "And I have one more favor to ask." "What is it? Just say the word." Zeke whispered to Muhammad in a low voice. Muhammad was surprised to hear Zeke''s request. "Th-that''s..." "Please." Muhammad made a slightly troubled expression, but then nodded. "Okay. Since it''s your request, Sir Zeke, I''ll do my best." "Thank you, Mr. Muhammad." Zeke turned his head and looked out the carriage window. The luxurious carriage was passing through the roadid out in the wastnd of the Dorta Republic and entering the morous city. The dazzling lights of Dorta, known as the city without night, were overflowing. Zeke sharpened his mind as he looked at the splendid scenery. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 90 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 90 The Altara Casino, where Muhammad led them, was famous for being thergest and most luxurious casino in the Dorta Republic. Zeke and Paynun were guided to a suite room in the Altara Casino Hotel. "Sir Zeke, please make yourself at home and use itfortably," Muhammad said with a smile. Then he whispered to Zeke, "I''ve also taken care of what you mentioned earlier, Sir Zeke." Zeke expressed his gratitude to Muhammad. The next morning, someone came up to Zeke''s room. It was none other than the ck Yaksha, who had crossed over from the south to the Dorta Republic. What Zeke had asked Muhammad was to allow the ck Yaksha, who was currently unidentified, into the Altara Casino. Despite the strict identification requirements of a top-tier casino, Muhammad made a special exception for Zeke''s request. The ck Yaksha greeted Zeke and said, "It''s been a while, ck Yaksha. No, I should call you Boris now. How are you finding the south?" Zeke called the ck Yaksha by his new identity''s name. Boris replied with a haggard face, "It''s fine." He seemed to be having a harder time under Simon than when he was a public enemy of the continent in Delfoa. Zeke said to Boris, "You''re roughly aware of the situation, right?" Boris nodded. "Yes, I heard there will be a deal between the Empire and Abel Draker." "Yes, has there been a deal of this scale before?" Boris shook his head. "Not that I know of." Zeke''s eyes changed. "That means the rtionship between Abel Draker and the Empire is unusual." "It''s more than that. Even allied nations rarely make deals like this." It was surprising that the Empire, which rarely made deals even between nations, was making such a big deal with an individual like Abel Draker. ''Not only Abel, but Siemens must also be involved in some way.'' Zeke was still concerned about Cain having both the Siemens surname and the name of the Imperial n. "Does the Siemens n have separate connections with the Imperial n?" "I''m not sure about the Imperial n, but I know there are quite a few joint ventures between Siemens and the Empire." "Hmm." Zeke exined the operation n to Boris. "There will be a celebratory banquet at the casino starting tomorrow. You attend the banquet and blend in. And if you see anyone from the Empire, keep an eye on them." "Okay." After Boris joined, Zeke began the operation in earnest. Paynun and Boris installed wiretapping magic circles throughout the casino. It took a lot of time to install them with double and triple security measures so that the Imperial mages wouldn''t discover them. And starting the next day, a luxurious banquet hosted by the Zayed n was held at the casino. Thump, thump, thump, thump! Muhammad knew how to have fun. He rented out the entire club in the basement of the hotel and invited all the young wealthy people in the Dorta Republic. Zeke, as the main character of the banquet, mingled with them, drinking and having fun. Although he pretended to be drunk, he wasn''t drunk at all thanks to his Healing Factor. While dealing with the children of influential ns in the Dorta Republic who wanted to get close to him, Zeke kept an eye on the movements of Abel and the Empire. It was the second day since the banquet began. -"Master, the Imperial Intelligence Agency Special Forces have appeared." Zeke, hearing Boris''s report throughmunication magic, tensed up and looked around. Using his Dragon Eye, he could clearly see a few people who were different from the others. The Imperial Special Forces were elite agents who had undergone special training in the Intelligence Agency. ''The fact that the Special Forces have appeared means that the Empire''s consuls are involved.'' The consuls were the real power behind the Empire, directly moving it under the Emperor. The Imperial Special Forces only moved under the orders of these consuls. ''This might be a bigger deal than I thought.'' Zeke pretended not to care about the Special Forces and continued tough, chat, and drink with the young wealthy people. *** "I hear Zeke Draker is down there." William said to Abel. Abel looked at William and said, "Do you think he came because of our deal?" William shook his head. "I heard he was invited by the Zayed n. It''s usible since he''s the winner of the martial arts tournament." Abel sat down in front of William and said, "The Zayed n... Zeke doesn''t have the power to mobilize that n. Cali might be able to, though." William was surprised at those words. "No way? Even so, it''s the Zayed n. Even Cali Draker can''t handle them so easily." Abel red at William and said, "William, as I always say, youck imagination. That''s why you can''t deal with Cali Draker." William closed his mouth at Abel''s words. Abel tapped the desk and asked, "Is it possible to change the meeting ce?" William made a troubled expression. "If we suddenly change the meeting ce, it will offend the Empire. It might make us look unprepared." Abel wanted to move the meeting ce to another location, but as William said, considering the Empire''s disposition, it was likely to cause a negative reaction. Moreover, the other party in this deal was none other than Julius, one of the most powerful consuls in the Empire. ''It''s not easy dealing with that stubborn old man.'' As Abel made a troubled face, William looked at his watch and said, "There''s not much time left before the consul arrives. It''s practically impossible to change the meeting ce now." Abel nodded at William''s words. "We''ll proceed with the meeting as scheduled. But deploy more guards around the area and tell the mages to thoroughly check for wiretapping devices." Abel felt an unusual sense of anxiety. As William said, it wasn''t strange for the winner of the martial arts tournament to be here, but the fact that Zeke was at the casino at this time made him feel uneasy. ''It''s hard to see it as a mere coincidence...'' Just then. "The consul has arrived." The consul''s arrival was earlier than expected. Abel and William went down to the conference room they had prepared in advance. As they waited, Julius entered, escorted by the Special Forces. Julius, dressed in the Empire''s characteristic attire, was an old man with a hooked nose and a sharp expression. Despite his age, he had arge build and exuded an aura of dignity. Abel admired Julius. ''As expected of the Empire''s war hero.'' Julius wasn''t a ck Knight, but he was a great general of the Empire with excellent tactics and leadership. At the same time, he was known as the only person who could currently control the Emperor in the Empire. Julius approached Abel and offered his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you. It''s an honor to meet the Lion Sword of Draker in person." Abel also shook Julius''s hand and greeted him. "I''ve heard a lot about your reputation, Consul. It''s an honor to meet a hero." After exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down. As soon as he sat down, Julius immediately brought up the main topic. "I believe the Lion Sword is well aware of the situation. Concerns about Karus are growing." Abel nodded at those words. "I''m well aware. Although I have a deep friendship with Prince Karus, I believe it''s time to make a big decision for the sake of the Empire''s safety and future." *** Zeke, who was enjoying the banquet, signaled to Muhammad. Muhammad pretended to bepletely drunk and dragged Zeke into the VVIP room. There was a separate secret passage in the VVIP room, allowing them to go up to the guest room without being noticed. ''This should be enough of an alibi to avoid Abel''s suspicion.'' Zeke, who came up to the room through the secret passage, listened to the wiretapping device with Paynun. Zeke''s expression gradually hardened as he listened to the contents of the deal. The consul and Abel were talking about theplex power rtions within the Empire. It was about the matter of electing the next emperor after the current emperor died, and it seemed to be a problem because the votes for the first and second in line to the throne weren''t much different. Moreover, there were concerns that the votes for the second prince, whom Julius supported, would be divided with Karus. In the end, Karus was a troublesome existence for Julius and the other supporters of the second prince. The problem was that Karus had the most legitimacy among all the princes. If they directly intervened to deal with Karus, it could lead to internal conflict within the Empire, so Julius decided to take the risk and meet with Abel to make a deal. Paynun looked at Zeke with a hardened expression and said, "Master, this... this is no ordinary matter..." Zeke put his finger to his lips, signaling Paynun to stop talking. ''This is bigger than I expected.'' It was a matter that the consul himself hade forward for from the Empire''s side. The consul was offering Abel resources to persuade the Draker elders in exchange for taking care of an Imperial prince. If this were revealed, it would surely cause a huge scandal. Zeke quickly asked Boris, "Did Prince Karuse here as well?" Boris replied, "I''m not sure if it''s the prince, but there is a ce heavily guarded by the Special Forces." Zeke recalled the 3rd Continental War from his previous life. ''Certainly, Karus didn''t die and led the battlefield alongside Abel.'' In his previous life, he thought Karus was a man driven mad by bloodlust, but seeing this situation, he wondered if Karus might have been brainwashed after being taken to Abel and Siemens'' side. He said to Paynun, "Mr. Paynun, take these records to Muhammad right now and go to Iason. I''ll ask the Agamemnons for an escort. This record must be delivered directly to Cali Draker." "Okay. Aren''t youing with me, Master?" "I''ll take Prince Karus with me." Paynun''s face hardened at Zeke''s words. He sensed that this could escte into an incident that would shake the entire continent. "Please be careful." After Paynun left, Zeke contacted the Agamemnons. Then, he stored Bahamut in his inventory and took out other swords and daggers. He put on a mask and exited through the hotel window.@@novelbin@@ Whoosh! Using the power of wind to climb down the hotel wall, Zeke used his Dragon Eye to find where Prince Karus might be. He found a VIP room where arge number of people presumed to be Special Forces were gathered. ''That seems to be the ce.'' Zeke went up to where the VIP room was and entered through the window. Then, he used the Concealment skill he obtained when he captured the Gaguk. Just as the Gaguk blended into the darkness and hid its form, Zeke''s body melted into the darkness. ''It''s a good thing I devoured the Gaguk back then.'' Zeke, clinging to the ceiling and concealed, passed the Special Forces and entered the room. Soon, he could hear a loud voice from inside the room. "You insolent fools! Get out of my way!" Karus shouted at the Special Forces. Despite this, the Special Forces agents were blocking Karus from leaving. Karus gritted his teeth and threw things in the room at the Special Forces agents. "How dare you stop me! Get out of my way! Can''t you hear the call of the casino?!" He was throwing a tantrum because he wanted to go to the casino and gamble. Zeke looked around the structure of the room. ''I don''t see an escape route.'' He didn''t know when the deal between Abel and the Imperial consul would end. This was the only chance to escape with Karus. Zeke took a deep breath. And he waited for the enraged Karus toe further inside the room. "You rude fools! As soon as we return to the Empire..." Whoosh! Zeke, descending from the ceiling, snatched Karus. Then, he drew his sword, imbued it with strength, and struck the wall. Crash! Arge hole was sted into the hotel wall. Zeke jumped through the hole with Karus in his arms. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± Karus, tucked under Zeke''s arm, screamed. Whoosh! Zeke, using the power of wind to slow their descent,nded in the hotel garden. ¨D"Boris! Detonate the smoke bombs in the casino and get out!" Following hismand, Boris activated the smoke bomb scrolls he had installed in advance. Fwoosh! Not only the casino but the entire hotel was filled with smoke. ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± Others, thinking there was a fire, panicked and tried to escape outside. Thanks to this, the Special Forces were also blocked by the crowd and couldn''t easily get outside. Zeke, wearing a mask, held Karus. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± ¡°Your Highness, listen carefully. Julius and Abel are trying to kill you right now.¡± Karus said in surprise, ¡°W-what do you mean? Julius is my loyal subject, and Abel is my friend!¡± ¡°If that''s true, Your Highness, why would the Special Forces be forcibly holding you?¡± Karus''s face hardened at Zeke''s words. He, too, had felt something strange since arriving in Dorta. He felt more like he was being held captive to prevent him from escaping rather than being protected. ¡®Could it be that Julius and Abel really...?¡¯ Zeke said to Karus in an urgent voice, ¡°If you stay here, you''ll surely be killed or brainwashed. We need to move to a safe ce, so follow me.¡± Karus still had an expression of disbelief, but he decided to follow Zeke for now. Just then, Boris came outside, riding a horse. ¡°Boss! We need to get out of here now!¡± As Zeke and Boris joined forces and were about to leave the hotel, knights who had been waiting outside rushed towards Zeke. They were none other than Abel''s knights. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 91 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 91 "There they are! Stop them!" The Red Lion Knights, who followed Abel, drew their swords and blocked the way. If they were dyed here, the Special Forces and even Abel woulde after them. Zeke shouted to Boris, "When I clear the way, take the prince and get out of here!" Zeke put the prince on Boris''s horse. As Boris rode out of the hotel, Zeke drew his sword. Woooong! Elemental power surged into Zeke''s sword. He concentrated the power of wind. Whoosh! A huge storm erupted around Zeke, and he swung his Storm Sword towards the Red Lion Knights. Crash! The knights couldn''t see anything due to the fierce gust of wind. Boris, carrying Karus, took this opportunity and dashed forward along the path Zeke had opened with the wind. Zeke followed, swinging his sword at the bewildered Red Lion Knights. Bang! The knights, struck by Zeke''s sword imbued with strength, were sent flying. "Kyaaaak!" Zeke took out the ''Deep Breath of the me Giant'' potion from his inventory. Whoosh! As soon as he threw the potion, white mes erupted from it, creating a huge wall of fire in front of the hotel. The knights were bewildered and stumbled about, unable to cross the wall of fire. "Damn it! Unleash your Aura des!" The Blue Knights gathered at the front and tried to control the mes with their Aura des. However, the Deep Breath of the me Giant, an ancient potion, wouldn''t be extinguished so easily. The knights hesitated, unable to advance further, as the mes seemed to char their entire bodies if they got too close. That was when it happened. Whoosh! Abel suddenly leaped into the air towards the mes. At the same time, he swung his sword at the Deep Breath of the me Giant. Crash! The wall of mes split apart as if a waterfall was being divided. Abel stood in front of the split wall of fire and shouted to the knights, "Divide the Red Lion Knights into two groups. One group wille with me to the terminal and the harbor! The other group will chase after the attackers with the Special Forces!" *** Thud, thud, thud! Zeke and Boris dashed into the forest, evading their pursuers. When the morous cityscape was no longer visible, Zeke asked Boris, "Is there a way to cross directly to the Central Continent from here?" Boris shook his head at the question. "It''s difficult to find a route that goes straight while avoiding Abel Draker and the Imperial Special Forces." "Are there any other routes?" Boris pondered and slowly spoke. "There are two. The first is to go north of the kingdom, cross the Central Sea, and detour to the Northern Continent. However, this method requires going along the coast, which has a high risk of being discovered by the enemy." "What''s the other method?" "Going south of the kingdom through the Forest of monsters and crossing the Sea of Death to reach the Southern Continent. From the Southern Continent, we can take a portal to the Central Continent. However, this method has the threat of monsters." "We''ll go south." Zeke chose to enter the Forest of monsters without hesitation. He judged that it was better to deal with monsters than knights. Boris let out a low groan and nodded. "Okay." He turned his horse and guided Zeke towards the Forest of monsters. Karus, sitting behind Boris, was pale and silent. Zeke approached Karus and handed him a potion. "Drink this. It will warm you up a bit." Karus took the potion Zeke offered with trembling hands and drank it all at once. After drinking the health recovery potion, Karus''s face regained some color. "...I feel much better than before. Thank you, Sir Zeke." Zeke was surprised by Karus''s words. "How did you know I was Zeke Draker?" Karus caught his breath and said, "I never forget what I''ve seen once. Your voice and unique ent can''t be hidden even if you try." ''Did he willingly follow me because he knew I was Zeke Draker?'' He thought Karus was just a dissolute prince, but it seemed that wasn''t entirely the case. Zeke said to Karus, "Your Highness is in a very dangerous situation." Karus nodded at Zeke''s words. "Indeed, if Julius and Abel are both targeting me, I must consider the entire Central Continent my enemy." Zeke shook his head at those words. "That''s not necessarily true. If you go to Mind and enter Cali Draker''s territory, your safety can be guaranteed." "Cali Draker, the Silver Knight, you say. Is she helping me?" "Cali Draker is the one who sent me here." "If it''s the Silver Knight, I can trust her. Sir Zeke, can you take me there safely?" Zeke nodded. "I''ll do my best. It will be difficult for you, Your Highness, but you must follow my instructions carefully." Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. "Take His Highness and stand back. I''ll take the front." Zeke stepped forward with his sword drawn. At that moment, something fell from the tree. "Kaaaaak!" A monster that looked like a giant flying squirrel lunged at Zeke. Zeke swung his sword and cut down the flying squirrel. [You have in a creature corrupted by magic.] [You have earned 10 Karma points.] As Zeke expected, he earned Karma points for defeating the monster. ''Good, I can earn some points here.'' Boris said to Zeke, "Boss, we can''t go further in on horseback from here." As Boris said, Zeke dismounted and decided to walk into the forest. Kyaaaak! The deeper they went into the forest, the more monsters attacked. Zeke deflected all the monsters that lunged from the trees with his sword and headed deeper into the forest. It was a distance that would take at least two days to walk, so it was important to conserve their stamina. Zeke took out the food and water he had stored in his inventory and shared them with Boris and Karus, while he endured by devouring the dead monsters with Gluttony. Just then, an ominous sound echoed through the forest. Kyaaaaaak! A flock of sinister-looking birds circled above the forest, letting out screams that sounded like tearing cries. "The atmosphere of the forest has changed." Boris replied, "It seems the pursuers have followed us into the forest." It seemed the knights were rummaging through the forest noisily to find Karus. Boris''s expression worsened as he finished speaking. "Boss, we need to get through the forest quickly. If the Master of the Swamp appears, we''ll be in big trouble." "Master of the Swamp?" At that moment, a huge roar was heard from deep within the forest. Goooooooooooo! The entire forest seemed to shake with just the roar. Boris''s face turned pale. "Th-that''s the Master of the Swamp. The Dortans never go deep into the Forest of monsters for fear of incurring the wrath of the Master of the Swamp." Judging from Boris''s reaction, it seemed to be no ordinary monster. Zeke nodded. "Boris, take His Highness and go further in first. I''ll lure the pursuers elsewhere." "Okay." *** "What are you doing?" Low Siemens, one of the lieutenants of the Red Lion Knights, said to the Special Forces agent in a chilling voice. The agent replied to Low, "I told you it''s dangerous to go through this forest, it''s better to take a detour." Low said to the agent, "And if they get there first and escape on a smuggling ship, will the Special Forces take responsibility?" The agent couldn''t answer Low''s question. He said sharply to the Special Forces agent, "If you don''t want to report to the consul that you lost Karus, we need to chase after them quickly." The Special Forces agents gritted their teeth at Low''s words and looked for a way to enter the Forest of monsters. Since this incident urred before they could hand Karus over to Abel''s side, the responsibility stilly with the Empire. Because of this, even though the Red Lion Knights were acting arrogantly, the Special Forces agents had no choice but to follow their lead. ''Damn it. Of all ces, the Forest of monsters.'' The Forest of monsters wasn''t as well-known as the ''Forest of the Forgotten'' in the Central Continent, but it was just as dangerous. As an intelligence agency, the Intelligence Agency conducted research on the area before carrying out missions, so they knew very well how dangerous the Forest of monsters was. Unlike the Special Forces agents who were moving cautiously, the Red Lion Knights led by Low were rummaging through the forest recklessly. The Special Forces agents were worried that the Master of the Swamp might awaken, but they couldn''t stop the Red Lion Knights. Just then, monsters appeared in front of the pursuing group. Roar! It was a huge monster that looked like a bear, but it was definitely not a bear. "It''s a Devil Bear! Scatter and engage!" The Special Forces agents tried to keep their distance and deal with the Devil Bear. However, the Red Lion Knights drew their swords without hesitation and plunged them into the Devil Bear''s body. The Devil Bear copsed instantly. Seeing this, the Special Forces captain broke out in a cold sweat. ''To deal with a Devil Bear so easily... The Draker knights are truly fearsome.'' They continued deeper into the forest, defeating monsters along the way. And then, at some point... Goooooooooooo! A roaring sound was heard from afar. The Special Forces captain''s face turned pale. "D-damn it. The Master of the Swamp has awakened." Low asked the captain, "To be so frightened by a mere beast, it''s a shame to the Special Forces'' reputation." Low ignored the Special Forces captain''s warning and went deeper inside. But strangely, the further they went in, the fewer monsters attacked. The Special Forces captain felt something was amiss. ''There''s no way the forest could be this quiet.'' Just then, one of the knights touched an installed scroll. Crash! The explosion scroll detonated, sending vibrations throughout the forest. Low was startled and shouted to the knights, "Prepare for an ambush!" Hidden in the smoke, Zeke held a dagger and cut the knights'' ankles. "Kyaak!" The knights, caught off guard, were helpless against Zeke''s attack. Low shouted, "Fall back and secure your vision!" But it was toote. Zeke''s sword was faster. sh! His sword cut through the necks of the knights. Low gritted his teeth and unleashed his Aura de. "Haaa!" Zeke threw a strength-imbued dagger at Low. ng! Low deflected the heavy dagger, but he didn''t stop and charged towards Zeke. Zeke unleashed the Water Chapter towards Low. Elemental Sword Water Chapter Wave Sword Zeke''s sword strike, surging like a tsunami, deflected Low''s sword, created a huge shockwave, and pushed Low back. Crash! Low, pushed back, crashed into a tree. The forest was swept away by the shockwave. "Cough!"@@novelbin@@ Low coughed up blood from the huge impact and couldn''t regain his bnce. The Special Forces agents, who were keeping their distance behind, threw chains at Zeke. nk! The Special Forces agents, sessfully binding Zeke''s arms and legs with chains, tried to restrict his movement by pulling him from all directions. However, as Zeke d his body in strength, they could no longer restrain him with the chains. On the contrary, when Zeke pulled on the chains, the Special Forces agents were almost dragged along. "Ugh! What power!" Just as Zeke quickly subdued all the Red Lion Knights and Special Forces agents... Suddenly, the forest floor became strange. Sizzle! The solid ground turned into a swamp. The Special Forces captain shouted in surprise, "Climb up the trees, now!" The Special Forces agents, realizing what was happening, quickly regained theirposure and climbed up the trees, but the Red Lion Knights couldn''t. "Uwaaaak!" Most of them floundered and fell straight into the swamp. "H-help me!" The knights who fell into the churning swamp tried to escape using their Aura, but it was no use. The more they struggled, the stronger the swamp sucked them in. "Uwaaaak!" In the end, all the knights who couldn''t climb the trees disappeared into the swamp. Low, leaning against a tree, regained his senses and barely managed to climb up a nearby tree. Seeing his subordinates all fall into the swamp, he broke out in a cold sweat. "Wh-what is this?" The Special Forces captain gritted his teeth and shouted, "The damned Master of the Swamp has appeared! We need to get out of here now!" Thump! Thump! Thump! The sound of something huge approaching was heard from deep within the forest. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 92 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 92 ''What is that?'' Zeke also looked at the creature appearing from beyond the forest, standing on a tree. Goooooooooooo! A giant monster, as if molded from filthy mud and sewage, revealed itself. Sizzle! The trees that came into contact with the bodily fluids flowing from the monster melted, emitting smoke. The area around the monster turned into a bubbling swamp. The swamp sucked in all moving creatures. Zeke observed the monster with his Dragon Eye. [A corrupted ancient dragonkinpletely eroded by magic.] ''A corrupted ancient dragonkin?'' Like the Hydra he encountered in Kaisir''s resting ce, the Master of the Swamp also seemed to be one of the dragonkin corrupted by magic. The Master of the Swamp raised its head and opened its mouth wide towards those on the trees. Kaaaaaaaaaa! Suddenly, a sticky liquid sshed out from the beast''s mouth. Ssh! The Special Forces agents, who were on high alert, jumped to other trees to avoid the liquid that sshed from the beast''s mouth. However, the knights, who had been relieved to climb the trees and failed to avoid the liquid in time, were drenched in it. Sizzle! "Kyaaaaaak!" The knights who were covered in the acidic liquid screamed as their bodies melted away. Even the Draker knights'' uniforms, which effectively blocked physical and magical attacks, were useless against the beast''s acidic liquid. Low, who luckily avoided the acidic liquid, broke out in a cold sweat and moved to another tree. "Huff... Huff..." But the beast was relentless. Suddenly, the beast''s back wriggled, and tentacles covered in sticky bodily fluids emerged. Ssh! Dozens of tentacles sprang out and wrapped around the Special Forces agents and knights on the trees. "Kyaaaak!" The bodily fluids on the tentacles were also acidic, as the entangled bodies began to melt. And the beast''s back split open, swallowing the knights and agents wrapped in its tentacles. Low, on the tree, wielded his sword and cut down the tentacles that sprang out from the beast. "Haa!" The tentacles were cut down by Low''s Aura de, as he was a Blue Knight. However, he couldn''t maintain the Aura de indefinitely. A tentacle, sneaking in from his blind spot, swiftly snatched Low''s arm. "Ugh!" Low managed to swing his sword and cut off the tentacle once again. However, the acidic solution on the tentacle melted half of his arm. He cut off his increasingly melting arm with his sword. "Huff... Huff..." Low''s face turned pale as he severed his own left arm. ''I need to escape from here somehow.'' There was no time to think about knightly honor or anything like that. Facing the Master of the Swamp, Low felt a tremendous sense of despair, as if he were facing an irresistible force of nature. "Haaaa!" Low concentrated Aura in his legs and leaped from tree to tree. The tentacles chased after the quickly escaping Low. Just as he was about topletely escape the beast''s territory, deflecting the tentacles with his sword... Ssh! Acidic solution sprayed like ck rain from the sky. "No! No!" Low, hit by the solution, couldn''t dodge and his whole body melted. The tentacles grabbed the half-melted Low and dragged him away. Low disappeared into the beast''s body. Goooooooooooo! The beast roared even louder, shaking the entire forest. Zeke, using his Concealment skill, observed the movements of the beast''s tentacles and analyzed its attack range. ''This is incredible.'' Dozens of tentacles stretched out in all directions. They moved freely and sprayed acidic solution, making even a graze fatal. Seeing the acidic solution prate his Dragon Scale Armor and slowly recover even with his Healing Factor, Zeke made a serious expression. ''Now I understand why it''s called the Master of the Swamp.'' It was unbelievable that in Terakan Draker''s era, they fought dragons with power even greater than this dragonkin. However, if he ran away now and the monster chasing him caught Karus, all his efforts would be in vain. He discarded the sword corroded by the beast''s acidic liquid and took out Bahamut from his inventory. Then, he activated Hercyon. nk! Hercyon covered his entire body. Since the Special Forces and the Red Lion Knights were already annihted, there was no reason to hide it anymore. With Bahamut, which had the Indestructible attribute, and Hercyon, made from the divine metal Orichalcum, he could withstand the acidic liquid. Woooong! Holding Bahamut and equipped with Hercyon, Zeke summoned Bucephalus. "Bucephalus! Let''s go!" As he climbed on its back, Bucephalus leaped into the air. Ssh! The beast''s tentacles persistently chased after Zeke and Bucephalus, who were moving freely in the air. ''It''s difficult to find an opportunity to attack because of those damn tentacles.'' That was when it happened. Neigh! As if reading Zeke''s mind, Bucephalus suddenly changed direction and charged towards the tentacles. Then, it started generating lightning from the horn on its head. Crackle! Suddenly, powerful lightning poured out from Bucephalus''s horn. Zap! White streaks of lightning struck the tentacles. Tsssss! The tentacles hit by the lightning burned ck and turned to ash. Kaaaaaaaaaa! The beast writhed in pain. Zeke was surprised by the powerful lightning that Bucephalus generated. "Wow, Bucephalus, you''re the Dragon King, you''re amazing!" Bucephalus freely leaped through the air, showering the approaching tentacles with lightning. Zap! The tentacles burned by the lightning fell to the ground with a thud. Zeke grinned. "Good! Bucephalus, keep blocking the tentacles! I''llunch a big one!" Zeke stood on Bucephalus''s back and raised his sword. "Haaaaaaaaap!" As Zeke gathered energy into his sword, an Aura de over 3 meters long appeared. He jumped off Bucephalus''s back and swung his sword towards the beast. True Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique Dual Junction Form Giant Dragon sh One of the secret techniques of the True Dragon Sword Art, which could cut through the body of a giant dragon. Zeke''s Aura de shed the beast''s back. sh! The beast, struck by Zeke''s attack, twisted its body and opened its mouth wide. Kaaaaaaaaaa! At the same time, ck acidic liquid was shot towards Zeke, who was in mid-air. Zeke used the Wind Chapter to change direction in mid-air. "Herees another big one!" Then, he gathered the power of fire into his sword. Woooong! The power of fire gathered in Zeke''s sword. The gathered mes turned blue. Zeke swung the burning me sword towards the beast. Elemental Sword Fire Chapter Blue me Dance Dozens of blue me swords poured out from Zeke''s sword and pierced the beast''s body. Kaaaaaaaaaa! ck smoke rose as the me swords burned its body, and the beast screamed in pain. Then, tentacles poured out from its entire body. Ssh! Hundreds of tentacles covered in strong acidic solution flew towards Zeke. Ssh! The tentacles wrapped around Zeke''s body, which was equipped with Hercyon. Then, several messages popped up. [External erosion and attack attempt detected.] [Automatically activating avable defense magic among activable magic circles.] [Supplying mana through Dragon Heart connected to the system.] [Activating 6th Circle magic ''sma Field''.] Woooong! Purple and blue sma emanated from Hercyon. Tsssss All the tentacles that came into contact with the sma lost their form and disappeared, turning to ash. Hundreds of tentacles were scattered in an instant. Zeke was surprised to see the sma emanating from Hercyon. ''They said it has an Archmagic Circle engraved on it, and it automatically activates 6th Circle magic?'' A battle mage who could activate 6th Circle magic without chanting during battle had to be at least 7th Circle. Considering that the current master of the Magic Tower was 8th Circle, the power of this Hercyon was truly tremendous. The beast, hit by the sma Field, roared in pain. Soon, the effect of the magic ended, and Zeke, who was floating in the air, began to fall. "Bucephalus!" Bucephalus circled in the air and caught Zeke as if scooping him up. Gooooo! The Master of the Swamp stretched its neck out and roared even louder. The entire forest shook. The forest shook quietly as if the hidden monsters were terrified and hiding deeper. That was when it happened. A strange sound came from the beast. ¡º...Cursed... Dragon yer... Hate...¡» It seemed to be speaking through vibrations. Zeke realized that this sound was thenguage of the Chronos era that Kaisir had mentioned before. The system automatically tranted the beast''snguage. ''It knows about Dragon yers? Could it be a dragonkin that survived from the Dragonyer era?'' Seeing that it could speak, it seemed to be no ordinary dragonkin. Perhaps it was a real dragon corrupted by magic. ''I didn''t expect there to be a dragon still alive... It would be nice if we couldmunicate, but it doesn''t seem like the situation allows for that.'' That was when it happened. Kaaaaaaaaaa! The beast roared and raised its upper body. Then, something suddenly sprouted from its back. Ssh! A pair of wings emerged from its back. The sticky, mud-like organism also wriggled on the wings. The beast pped its wings. Whoosh! The sticky organic matter started sttering everywhere. Sizzle! The corrupted organic matter contaminated not only the trees and grass but also the ground. Bucephalus dashed through the air, dodging all the decaying matter that the beast sprayed. At the same time, it shot lightning towards the beast. Zap! White streaks of lightning struck the beast''s body directly. The beast opened its mouth wide and spewed ck poison smoke towards Bucephalus. Crash! Poison smoke, far more threatening than the acidic liquid, filled the air. Bucephalus flew higher to avoid the poison smoke. [Detected deadly poison emitted by the ancient dragonkin.] [The ???''s Armor automatically purifies the deadly poison.] Surprisingly, Hercyon also had the function of automatically purifying poison. ''The more I see it, the more amazing it is.'' He thought that if he didn''t have this Hercyon, it would have been much more difficult to deal with the Master of the Swamp. Zeke stroked Bucephalus''s mane and said, "Bucephalus! Burn that guy with lightning!" Neigh! As if responding to Zeke''s words, lightning surged from Bucephalus''s horn again. Zap! Dozens of streaks of lightning pierced the rampaging beast''s body. At the same time, Zeke took the stance of the Dragon yer Art with his sword drawn. A giant Aura de soared with majestic power. "Haaaaaaaaaa!" Zeke jumped off Bucephalus''s back and charged straight towards the beast, whose movements were halted by the lightning.@@novelbin@@ Then, he swung Bahamut, imbued with the Aura de. Dragon yer Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 7, Verse 1 Dragon Head Beheading Crash! Zeke''s sword cleanly beheaded the beast. Ssh! The beast''s head fell onto the swampy ground. The head slowly sank into the swamp. At the same time, the severed area wriggled, and like the Hydra, a new head started to regenerate. It seemed that the swamp on the ground was connected to the beast. Zeke realized that beheading it was useless. ''Since it''s a dragonkin, I have to destroy its core, the Dragon Heart.'' Zeke activated the Wind Chapter, leaped into the air, climbed onto Bucephalus''s back, and circled in the air again. This was his chance, while the beast hadn''t fully regenerated its head and regained its senses. ''I''ll aim urately and finish it in one blow.'' Zeke aimed his sword at the beast''s heart. Woooong! Bahamut roared fiercely as power concentrated within it. As the heart of Bahamut, located in Zeke''s ether hall, moved, light emanated from the pattern engraved on his chest. Zeke gripped his sword and assumed the starting stance of the Dragon yer Art. Aura swirled and gathered in Bahamut. Crash! The Dragon yer Art that Zeke unleashed contained the secrets of the True Dragon Sword Art passed down by the Sword Saint Saturn Draker. As the inheritor of the Sword Saint, Zeke revived the true form of the Dragon yer Art in this era. Rumble! A storm of Aura erupted around Zeke''s sword. "Haaaaaaaa!" Zeke powerfully thrust his sword from Bucephalus''s back. Dragon yer Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 6, Verse 2 Dragon Heart Thrust Piiiiing! Like a giantnce piercing the heart of a dragon, Zeke''s sword strike urately pierced the beast''s heart. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 93 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 93 Crash! The spear of Aura that Zeke thrust urately pierced the beast''s heart. The beast, whose head had almostpletely regenerated, was about to regain consciousness when it let out a long roar in pain as its core was pierced. Goooooooooooo! A hole was blown through where its heart was. The wings that had sprouted from the beast''s back melted away and disappeared. Kaaaaaaaaaa! The beast let out a death rattle, staggered, and copsed on the ground. Zeke, watching the beast from Bucephalus''s back, cautiously descended. "Attacking the core was the right answer." At the same time, a message popped up before Zeke''s eyes. [The skill level of True Dragon Sword Art (S) has increased from Beginner to Skilled.] The True Dragon Sword Art left by Saturn Draker was a secret technique designed to relentlessly target a dragon''s vital points. On the other hand, the Dragon yer Art currently taught by the Drakers was modified for battles against humans, not dragons. After Terakan Draker, many ns created their own secret techniques and applied forms based on the Dragon yer Art, leaving the original form only as the basic Dragon yer Art. As the Drakers and their blood alliance ns focused on the modified applied forms and secret techniques, they considered the basic Dragon yer Art as merely an introductory swordsmanship technique. However, while learning Saturn Draker''s True Dragon Sword Art, Zeke realized that the true essence of the Dragon yer Arty within the basic Dragon yer Art. The sword forms and techniques were important, but the core of the True Dragon Sword Art was how tobine and utilize Aura with those techniques and how to link each form. Zeke was able to grasp the essence of the True Dragon Sword Art through the battle with the Master of the Swamp. ''I clearly understand the meaning of the True Dragon Sword Art, which is to y dragons.'' As the beast copsed, the area that hadpletely turned into a swamp was slowly returning to its original form. Zeke rode Bucephalus andnded on the ground. Then, he approached the fallen beast. It wasn''tpletely dead yet, as the mud-like substance on its skin was still wriggling slightly. That was when it happened. The mud-like skin slid down, revealing the beast''s eye that had been covered. The eye was simr in shape to Bahamut''s, which Zeke had seen in the video of Saturn Draker in the past. ''Is it really a dragon?'' At that moment, something was transmitted to Zeke''s mind. ¡º...Dragon yer... Thank you...¡» Unlike before, when its words were cut off with a groan, its intentions were clearly conveyed this time. Zeke was bewildered by the beast''s words of gratitude. "Thank you? What do you mean? And... are you a dragon? But why are you in this form...?" As Zeke poured out his questions, the beast closed its eyes, seemingly taking itsst breath. The mud-like organic matter covered the beast''s face again, and the traces of the dragon-like eyes could no longer be found. Zeke looked at the dead Master of the Swamp. It felt different from the other monsters he had caught in both his past and present lives. ''A dragon thanking a Dragon yer. And Bahamut, known as the Evil Dragon, being Terakan Draker''s contracted dragon... It seems there''s something unknown going on.'' The records about Terakan Draker were also restricted by the Draker n. The Draker n held many secrets, including the unknown legend of the Dragon yer. ''If I take control of the n, all these secrets will be revealed as well.'' Zeke pondered what to do with the corpse of the dead monster, or perhaps dragon, and decided to absorb it with Gluttony. He couldn''t be sure of its true identity, but it was definitely a dragonkin, so he judged that he could gain a lot from devouring it. ''But will I be okay after devouring this?'' There hadn''t been any problems so far, so he thought it would be fine, but he couldn''t help but feel uneasy remembering that the beast had sprayed not only acidic solution but also poison. "Well, it''ll be fine. Come on, good skills." Zeke used Gluttony on the Master of the Swamp. Sizzle! Zeke''s shadow spread widely and engulfed the beast. Soon, the beast''s body was absorbed into Zeke''s shadow. Perhaps because it was sorge, it took quite a while to absorb. Finally, the shadow of Gluttony swallowed the entire beast. At the same time, a message window popped up. [You have devoured a corrupted dragonkinpletely eroded by magic.] [Your consumed stamina, mental strength, and mana are restored.] [You have devoured a designated creature, and as a reward, the skill level of Gluttony has increased.] [As the Gluttony skill grows, you can devour items and acquire abilities.] [You have acquired the ability ''Decay'' from the devoured creature.] [By absorbing the dragonkin''s Dragon Heart, the seal on Bahamut''s heart has been partially released. The currentpression seal level is 80%.] [You have earned 1000 Karma points.] [You have acquired 3 Random Boxes.]@@novelbin@@ "Oh?" When he devoured the Hydra, he only absorbed one head and gained the Immunity to All Poisons constitution, but after absorbing the entire ancient dragonkin, the rewards were tremendous. Zeke was surprised to see one of the messages that popped up. "I can devour items too?" He wanted to test out this function, but considering the situation, he decided to try itter. "I gained an ability, arge amount of points, my True Dragon Sword Art skill level increased, and I even got Random Boxes. It was tough, but I gained a lot." With a satisfied expression, Zeke climbed onto Bucephalus''s back. Then, he quickly ran towards Boris and Prince Karus. *** "Your Highness, this way." Boris led the prince and hid deeper into the forest. Perhaps because of the Master of the Swamp, no other monsters were in sight. However, this also meant that the pursuers could chase them without being hindered by the monsters. "Ugh!" Boris gritted his teeth as his wound reopened. He tore his clothes to stop the bleeding and caught his breath. The Special Forces agents were relentlessly chasing after Karus. ''Damn it, even though this was where I used to work, they''re really persistent.'' The Special Forces, who had split from Low''s group, were chasing them deep into the Forest of monsters. Boris was also a special agent from Division 13 of the Intelligence Agency and a Blue Knight, but he was no match for the Special Forces agents while carrying Karus. ''Can I hold out until the boss arrives?'' His new boss, Zeke, was a truly monstrous person. So he believed that if Zeke came, they would definitely be able to escape this ce. Just then, one of the Special Forces agents approached where Boris was hiding. "I don''t know who you are, but you''re quite skilled. Even we had a hard time." The Special Forces agent began to persuade him. "You won''t be able to escape this ce with the prince anyway. I''ll make you an offer. Hand over the prince, and I''ll guarantee your life." Boris knew better than anyone that the Special Forces agent''s words were a lie. They wouldn''t let him go after he learned about the Empire''s secrets. He held his sword and cautiously observed his surroundings. ''They''ll surely say that and then stab me in the back.'' Boris drank the potion Zeke had given him and took out a scroll from his pocket. He didn''t have many left, as he had used them several times to escape pursuit. ''I wonder how long I can hold out with this.'' Just then, the Special Forces agent shouted again. "I''m not lying! I''ll really guarantee your life!" Boris was about to throw the smoke scroll and escape. But that was when it happened. "I''ll go! Let this person go!" Unexpectedly, Karus stood up first and tried to go towards the Special Forces. Boris was surprised. "Your Highness! What are you doing?!" Karus said with a bitter expression, "You''ve done enough. I''ll surrender, so you escape from here alive." Karus had naively fallen for the Special Forces'' persuasion. That was when it happened. Whoosh! The Special Forces agents from behind rushed in and immediately subdued Boris and Karus. "We''ve secured Prince Karus." The Special Forces agent who was trying to persuade them grinned. Thud! Suddenly, a dagger was plunged into the agent''s temple. He copsed without even screaming. The Special Forces agents who had subdued Karus and Boris were startled. "There''s an enemy hiding! Be on guard!" Thud! Before he could finish his sentence, daggers were plunged into the necks of two Special Forces agents. Boris got up and grabbed Karus. "Get up! We have to escape from here!" Karus, with a bewildered expression, ran after Boris. The Special Forces chased after them again. But something jumped out from the forest and blocked the Special Forces. Whoosh! Zeke, with his sword drawn, confronted the charging Special Forces agents. Woooong! A shield automatically unfolded from his armor, deflecting all the attacks of the Special Forces agents. "N-no w..." Before he could even finish saying "No way!", the Special Forces agent''s head was severed. After dealing with all the Special Forces agents, Zeke chased after Boris. Boris and Karus looked relieved as Zeke caught up with them. "Boss!" "Boris, how long will it take to reach the smuggling ship?" "We have to cross that mountain and go to the coast." "The pursuers might have bypassed the forest. We can''t be sure even if it takes longer. Let''s hurry." *** Zeke and his party traveled for a whole day, crossing the Forest of monsters and heading towards the southern coast. Fortunately, there were no more pursuers sent by the Special Forces. As they crossed the mountain and escaped, the sea came into view. "Boss, this way." Zeke and his party moved towards the southern coast where the smuggling ships docked. The southern part of the Dorta Republic was close to the Sea of Death, with rough waves and a basalt terrain, so people rarely approached it. Because of these geographical conditions, smugglers from the Southern Continent used it as a base when entering the Dorta Republic. The safer route was through the north of the kingdom, but considering the situation, they had no choice but to choose the south. Zeke said to Boris, "Do smuggling ships always dock there?" "Most of the smugglers who use the southern route bring in drugs. Since there is a high demand for Soma in the casino city, small smuggling ships are constantlying and going." "I see. But will they willingly take us to the Southern Continent?" "If you tell them you''re from the Syndicate, they won''t be able to refuse." The Syndicate, which controlled the Southern Cartel, was not something that small-time smugglers could handle. Zeke nodded in understanding at Boris''s words. Zeke and his party passed through the basalt terrain and headed towards the cave where the smugglers had set up camp. As they almost arrived, they heard the sound of fighting from inside the cave. ng! Crash! Zeke raised his hand and signaled them to retreat. "It seems they''ve found the smuggling ship dock." Boris gritted his teeth at the enemies'' persistence. If they couldn''t board a smuggling ship here, it would be difficult to find an escape route. "Boris, protect His Highness. I''ll go check it out." Zeke used his Concealment skill and slowly approached the basalt cave where the battle was taking ce. Looking inside, he was surprised to see Draker knights fighting with smugglers. ''Those are the Red Lion Knights.'' As Zeke expected, it seemed to be the pursuers who had bypassed the coast and chased after them. Fortunately, Abel and William were nowhere to be seen. Just then, someone from the Red Lion Knights shouted, "Catch all those bastards!" As the knights charged into the cave, the smugglers hid behind the cover they had set up inside and shot crossbows and military magic bombs at the knights. Crash! Although they were Draker knights with skills above Purple Knight level, the power of the magic bombs was considerable, and they could be seriously injured if they were careless. The knights, who had underestimated the smugglers, were caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack. The smugglers'' defense, armed with military magic weapons circting among the Southern Cartel, was stronger than expected. ''I need to divert the Red Lion Knights'' attention and create an opening.'' Zeke, observing the situation, took out the explosive magic scrolls he had purchased from the shop from his inventory and started moving stealthily and quickly. Meanwhile, Donner Rapelt, one of the lieutenants of the Red Lion Knights leading the knights, had an annoyed expression. "Damn it, can''t you even handle those bastards?" The Red Lion Knights wereposed of young knights who followed Abel. Most of them had mainly hunted ouws in the Central Continent or massacred poorly armed rebels, so theyckedbat experience in chaotic battles in narrow spaces like this. Donner was annoyed that his subordinates couldn''t sweep away the enemies as smoothly as usual. He raised his sword and shouted, "Get out of the way! I''ll go in and sweep them all away!" But just then, something flew from behind. Crash! It wasn''t the sound of military magic bombs thrown by the smugglers, but the explosion of real magic. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 94 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 94 "D-damn it, it''s magic! Dodge!" Crash! In reality, it was just the explosion magic scroll that Zeke had detonated, but Donner mistook it for real magic due to its power. "A mage! Find the mage!" The knights, caught off guard by the sudden magic attack from the rear, retreated and searched for the mage who had attacked them. But that was a wrong choice. Zeke had already set up explosion scrolls in ces they were likely to dodge to. Crash! The hidden scrolls detonated, causing explosions. "Ugh!" If it had been other knights, they would have been wiped out by this explosion, but these were Draker knights. They quickly protected themselves with Aura and rolled to ces where the explosion wouldn''t reach them. The Draker knight uniforms, which effectively blocked magic, also yed a role in protecting them. Donner drew his sword and shouted, "Damn it, who is it?!" A tremendous gust of wind blew towards the knights who were disoriented by the continuous explosions. Donner shouted at the sight of the gust, "Dodge!" Some knights jumped into the sea, and some rolled and hid behind rocks. The gust of wind that Zeke created swept through the surroundings, obscuring their vision. Meanwhile, Zeke, using his Concealment skill, crept up behind the knights hiding behind the rocks and slit their throats. "Cough!" Even Draker knights were helpless as he covered their mouths and stabbed them in their vital points in a single blow. As the gust subsided, Donner, the lieutenant, finally regained his senses and tried to gather his subordinates. But when he looked around, all his subordinates were already dead and copsed. "H-how..." Just then, someone stood behind Donner. He felt the sharp touch of a dagger against his neck. "Where''s Abel?" Donner stealthily looked around, trying to find an opening to swing his sword. sh! Zeke cut off Donner''s arm with the sword he was holding in his other hand. "Kyaaaak!" Zeke held up Donner''s severed arm and asked again, "I''ll give you a potion if you answer now. The faster you answer, the higher the chance it will reattach." Donner gasped, clutching his severed arm. A knight with a severed arm was worthless. His lips trembled as he spoke. "T-themander is at the terminal..." sh! Zeke cut off Donner''s head before he could finish his sentence. He had no intention of letting him live in the first ce. Zeke signaled to Boris, who was hiding. While Zeke protected Karus, Boris was to enter the cave and negotiate with the smugglers. A momentter, Boris came out with a few armed smugglers. The wary smugglers came out of the cave with their weapons drawn. Zeke asked the smuggler who seemed to be the leader in the Southernnguage, "Do you have a ship? We need to go to the Southern Continent right now. We''ll pay you." The smuggler replied to Zeke, "You saved our lives, so no payment is necessary. However, it''s difficult to set sail right now." "Is there a storming?" The smuggler shook his head. "It''s because the big onees out when the weather is like this." Boris, who was next to him, added, "He means a sea monster appears." Zeke said to the smuggler, "If a sea monster appears, I''ll take care of it, so don''t worry and set sail." The smugglers whispered among themselves. Then, they soon nodded. "A Southerner repays a favor even if it costs them their life. We''ll set sail, but we can''t guarantee your arrival." "Okay." The smugglers went back into the cave. Then, surprisingly, theyid rails all the way to the coast and pulled the ship out from inside the cave. The ship soon floated on the sea, and Zeke boarded it with Karus. Zeke first checked the ship for any other traps with his Dragon Eye, but fortunately, there were no hidden assassins or explosive devices. "Please rest here for a while." Surprisingly, Karus had kept up well with Zeke and Boris''s forced march. He was given potions whenever his stamina dropped, but he was better than most soldiers. Zeke asked Karus, "Your Highness, have you received military training before?" Karus nodded at the question. "Yes, I received field training. How did you know?" "Those who only received knight training often have a hard time enduring marches or field situations." Karus nodded in agreement. "There are such guys among the dandy noble knights. But I served my full three-year term and was honorably discharged." Zeke was even more surprised by Karus''s words. "You mean you responded to the conscription even though you''re royalty?" The Rom Empire had adopted a conscription system. All young men and women had to serve in the military for three years. However, most nobles avoided their military service with various excuses. The same went for the royal family. As a result, it became quite natural for royalty and nobles not to join the military. Under such circumstances, it was naturally surprising that Prince Karus, who had the right to inherit the throne, hadpleted his military service as an active soldier. "Is it strange that I''m a reservist?" "It''s unexpected. I thought you only liked alcohol and gambling." "That''s quite a rude remark, but I''ll let it slide since you saved my life. Sir Zeke, I am an artist. An artist should know how to enjoy life, but they should also have various experiences. Wasn''t Paris, the famous minstrel of the Holy Empire, a legendary bard, an excellent soldier, and a swordsman representing his era?" Zeke was a little impressed by Karus''s unexpected side. In his past life, he had been involved in several rescue missions, and each time, dealing with immature nobles was more difficult than facing ten knights. While talking about various things with Karus, the preparations were finished. "Boss, they say we''re departing now." "Okay. Boris, you can rest now." Soon, the ship set sail, and the Dorta Republic gradually became distant. Just then, the captain of the smuggler ship approached Zeke. "With this wind, it will take about ten days. However, as I said before, I can''t guarantee that we''ll arrive safely in the Southern Continent." "Is it because of the sea monster you mentioned?" "That, and it''s difficult to predict how the pirates will act if it''s not the designated day and time." "Pirates? I heard that the Fave Cartel was disbanded and scattered." The captain shook his head. "They abandoned their honor as pirates and went ashore, so we don''t consider them pirates anymore." "So you mean there are other pirates besides them?" "Yes, there are fearsome pirates operating around the Sea of Death. We usually pay tolls toe and go, but if we''re unlucky, we be fish food." In short, it meant that it was up to the pirates. Zeke nodded. "Okay, if we encounter pirates, I''ll deal with them." The captain bowed his head and went back to the deck. He was worried that Abel''s side might chase them by ship, but fortunately, there were no ships in pursuit.@@novelbin@@ ''I hope Mr. Paynun arrived safely. I have to hope Muhammad did his job properly.'' Zeke sat in the cabin and opened his status window for the first time in a while to check his current stats. [Intermediate Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Titles: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker, Inheritor of the Sword Saint Abilities: Dragon Control, Decay Constitution: Divine Body, Poison immunity System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap (Portal Movement) / Intermediate Quest Book / Skill Shortcut Slot / Potion Quick Slot / Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Steadfast Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Senses Special Skills: Gale Force [A-grade (Skilled)] / Elemental Sword [S-grade (Skilled)] / True Dragon Sword Art [S-grade (Skilled)] Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-grade (Expert)] /Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] /Lightning [A-grade (Beginner)] /Electrocution (A-grade)]/ shbang [C-grade (Skilled)] / Discord [C-grade (Skilled)] / Mana Reflection [A-grade (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff [A-grade (Beginner)] / Concealment [A-grade (Beginner)] / Curse Reflection [A-grade (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (2nd stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Expert) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Expert) / Dragon ws (expert) Karma Points: 2410 ''I''ve grown a lot since I first saw this.'' Zeke checked the information on the newly acquired ability ''Decay''. ¨DAbility Information¨D Decay: Can cause anything thates into contact with it to decay. ''Anything can be decayed...'' Since it was an ability he couldn''t quite grasp yet, he decided to slowly learn about the Decay ability. Zeke looked at the over 2,000 Karma points with a satisfied expression. Next, Zeke opened the three Random Boxes he had received. ¨DUpper Body Armor Information¨D Description: Upper body armor made using sturdy and lightweight Wootz steel Unique Ability: None Special Note: Unique ability activates when the full Wootz steel set is equipped ¨DHelmet Information¨D Description: Helmet made using sturdy and lightweight Wootz steel Unique Ability: None Special Note: Unique ability activates when the full Wootz steel set is equipped ¨DLongsword Information¨D Description: Longsword made using sturdy and lightweight Wootz steel Unique Ability: None Special Note: Unique ability activates when the full Wootz steel set is equipped All three were equipment made of Wootz steel. ''The gauntlets, boots, and lower body armor I got before were also made of Wootz steel.'' Just then, a message window popped up. [The full Wootz steel set has been assembled.] [When equipped with the full Wootz steel set, the unique ability ''Magic Shield'' will automatically activate.] "Magic Shield? Does that mean a barrier will be formed automatically? It''s lucky that I got the full set right away." Zeke immediately equipped the full Wootz steel armor set. Since the Wootz steel armor itself was tightly woven like cloth rather than te mail, it was veryfortable to move in. "Good, I''ll use this when I need to hide my identity and move around." *** During the voyage, Zeke taught Karus basic survival skills on the ship. Perhaps because he had received knight and military training, he followed along better than expected. Zeke mainly taught Karus how to use a crossbow and a shield. "Other knights only focus on sword training, but Sir Zeke is different." "Those idiots are the ones who usually get hit by arrows and die." Karus nodded at Zeke''s firm words. In reality, the most threatening thing to knights in battle was a sudden arrow. If he could maintain his Aura at all times, arrows wouldn''t be a threat at all, but when exhausted, even a single arrow could be fatal. This was the reason why, even though the armor gradually became lighter after being promoted to Purple Knight, they still covered vital points. Perhaps because his life depended on it, Karus diligently learned survival skills. It was possible because they were having a fairly leisurely voyage since the Empire''s warships weren''t chasing them. But soon, a problem arose. On the third day, the sea suddenly became rough. "What''s happening?" The smugglers shouted in a panic. "Th-the big one... The big one ising!" It seemed the sea monster they were worried about before they left was approaching. Zeke drew Bahamut and looked out at the sea. But despite the rough waves, nothing was visible. In his past life, he had encountered sea monsters a few times. But back then, he lured the monsters tond and hunted them using various equipment. Despite being in a more difficult situation than before, Zeke calmly took out the ''Whale''s Breath'' he had purchased in advance from his inventory and drank it. Thanks to this, he could now breathe even if he fell into the sea. That was when it happened. Rumble! A huge sound echoed from the bottom of the sea. The sailors started praying in fear. Just then, something approached from under the sea. Crash! A powerful wave struck the side of the ship. The smuggling ship rocked violently, almost capsizing. Zeke shouted to Boris, "Take His Highness inside!" Boris immediately took Karus to the inner cabin, and after confirming this, Zeke drew his sword and swung it at the wave. Crash! The wave shattered from Zeke''s sword strike. But another wave surged in. At the same time, a giant monster appeared within the wave. Rumble rumble rumble! A colossal kraken stretched out its tentacles, attempting to ensnare the ship. Its size was so massive that each sucker was the size of a human. As the terrified sailors froze in ce and began to pray, Zeke shouted, "Get inside the cabin, now!" Simultaneously, Zeke swung his sword at the kraken''s tentacle. sh! As he severed the tentacle with the Dragon yer Art, the colossal kraken roared and retreated. Kraaaaaaaaa! Along with a long cry, more tentacles attacked the ship. Zeke realized he had no chance of winning while on the ship. He hesitated for a moment, then shouted towards the sea, "Nahuel!" The subjugated dragonkin responded to Zeke''s call. A giant magic circle appeared on the sea, and Nahuel was summoned from within. Rumbling! Nahuel let out the same mystical cry as when Zeke saw him at theke. Zeke immediately jumped onto Nahuel''s back. He held onto Nahuel''s neck and raised Bahamut. "Nahuel, let''s go catch that damn squid." Rumbling! As the monster cry echoed, Zeke felt his mind rx. Seeing Zeke riding the mystical beast, the kraken''s tentacles surged towards him. The colossal tentacles, looking like towers, attacked Zeke. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 95 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 95 Crash! As the colossal kraken mmed its tentacles down, a tsunami-like wave surged. The wave seemed to be about to swallow the ship whole. Zeke, riding on Nahuel''s back, pointed his sword at the wave. Woooong! The sword vibrated intensely. Zeke held his sword horizontally and unleashed the secret technique of the True Dragon Sword Art. True Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique Tri-Junction Form Great Roc Rising from the Water The Tri-Junction Form, which had split Helen''s sword strike, was now unleashed towards the tsunami. Crash! Zeke''s sword split the giant wave horizontally. The tsunami, which had soared like a mountain, shattered into pieces. The smugglers on the deck, witnessing this scene, were awestruck by Zeke''s feat of fighting the colossal kraken and shattering the tsunami. "Oh my god! He''s the Sea God, the Sea God incarnate!" Most Southerners were followers of the Sun God religion that spread from the Central Continent, but many sailors still worshiped the ancient indigenous Sea God. Zeke, riding a sea dragon and defeating a giant monster, looked every bit like the legendary Sea God. The colossal kraken, bewildered as Zeke split the tsunami it had created with his sword, started iling its thick tentacles in confusion. This created a massive whirlpool in the sea. Nahuel, carrying Zeke, tried to escape the whirlpool by swimming through the current. Rumbling! At the same time, Nahuel roared, and the rough sea gradually calmed down. It seemed to be controlling the flow of the sea with its unique ability as a monster. Then, giant water bubbles floated around Nahuel''s body. Whoosh! The water bubbles, seemingly created by Nahuel, flew towards the colossal kraken and clung to it. After attaching to the kraken, the water bubbles gradually grew in size. This prevented the kraken from moving the tentacles with the bubbles attached. Zeke shouted to Nahuel, "Well done, Nahuel! Hold it tight!" Rumbling! As if answering Zeke, Nahuel raised its head and cried out. Zeke used the power of wind to lift his body and leaped over the sea. Ssh At the same time, Zeke concentrated the power of wind into his sword. Woooong! The power of the storm raged at the tip of Zeke''s sword. The power of the wind, capable of creating a huge gust, waspressed andpressed, forming a hard sphere. The colossal kraken was still unable to move due to the water bubbles created by Nahuel. Zeke aimed the tip of his sword at the kraken and shouted. Elemental Sword Wind Chapter Storm Orb The orb of the storm at the tip of his sword shot towards the kraken. Crash! The Storm Orb, creating a huge ssh of water, shot towards the kraken''s head. The moment the orb touched the monster''s body, thepressed power within exploded. Crash! A huge gust of wind erupted, engulfing the kraken''s entire body. Boom! The colossal kraken''s body was torn to shreds. Half of the kraken''s body was blown away by the explosion of the Storm Orb, leaving it tattered. Kraaaaaaaaa! The colossal kraken, seemingly realizing it couldn''t defeat Zeke, let out a monstrous cry and tried to escape back into the sea. However, Zeke took the stance of the Dragon yer Art towards the kraken trying to flee into the sea. Dragon yer Art, True Dragon Sword Art Chapter 4, Verse 2 Full Moon sh Zeke''s sword drew a giant full moon. The full moon, made of Aura, floated on the surface of the sea and cut through the kraken''s body and tentacles. Crash! The kraken, its tentacles all cut off by the full moon, floated on the sea, tattered. Just then, a message popped up before Zeke''s eyes. [You have in a menacing ancient sea creature.] [You have earned 300 Karma points.] [Experience points are automatically distributed to the summoned beast Nahuel.] [When a certain number of points are umted, the monster Nahuel will evolve into a divine beast.] ''Nahuel will evolve if it receives points? Could summoned beasts also receive points?'' This was something he hadn''t expected. He had thought Karma points were only for him. ''If it works for Nahuel, can I use it for other summoned beasts as well? Perhaps even for Bahamut, which is a growth-type item...?'' Bahamut, a growth-type weapon, currently had most of its power sealed. He didn''t know how to make it grow, so he just left it as it was, but if he could use Karma points to grow items, it seemed like it wouldn''t take as long as he thought to unlock Bahamut''s sealed power. ''I''ve learned something good.'' Zeke sent Nahuel back to its originalke and climbed back onto the ship. But then, the smugglers suddenly started bowing to Zeke. "What are you doing all of a sudden?" Boris, who came out of the cabin, answered instead. "They seem to think you''re the Sea God incarnate after seeing you defeat the kraken." Zeke chuckled at those words. "If I were the real Sea God, that kind of monster wouldn''t have appeared in the first ce." Regardless of what Zeke thought, the smugglers treated him like a god and worshiped him. Since it wasn''t particrly ufortable, Zeke decided to just let it be. As they were about to set sail on the calm sea again, Zeke noticed the smugglers tying one of the kraken''s tentacles, which was floating on the sea, to the ship with a rope. "Why are you taking that?" The smugglers replied with excited expressions at Zeke''s question. "The meat of the big one sells for a very high price, and it''s also a source of pride. It tastes good too." It seemed that the colossal kraken wasn''t a monster corrupted by magic, so there was no problem eating it. When he tried the kraken roast that the smugglers brought, it was indeed much more chewy and vorful than ordinary squid. Just in case, he tried eating another kraken tentacle with Gluttony, but unlike monsters or other ancient species, he didn''t acquire any separate bloodline abilities. ''I''ll just have to be satisfied with the delicious taste.'' With the kraken tentacle hanging from the ship, they crossed the center of the Sea of Death. The captain of the smuggling ship said to Zeke, "We''ll have to stay on the ind tonight, replenish our water and food, and depart tomorrow." As Zeke nodded, the captain turned the ship towards the ind. The ship reached the ind in the evening, and Zeke and his party were able to set foot onnd for the first time in days. The smugglers skillfully docked the ship and unloaded the water tanks and boxes for loading food. Zeke asked the captain, "It looks like an uninhabited ind, is there a ce to replenish supplies?" "Yes, this is an ind that all ships traveling through the Sea of Death stop at. Even pirates don''t plunder here and just quietly exchange water and food." It seemed there was a code of conduct among seafarers. After the exnation, the captain took a few smugglers and went to procure supplies. Zeke was taking out camping equipment from his inventory and preparing a camp to spend the night. That was when it happened. The smugglers who remained on the ship shouted, "P-pirates! Pirates!" A dozen pirate ships appeared in the distance. Zeke, who was contemting how to apply Karma points to Bahamut, got up at the smugglers'' shouts. Boris approached Zeke and said, "Boss, we have a problem." "The pirates? The captain said this ind was a neutral zone without conflict." "It usually is... but those pirates are notorious for their ruthlessness. The ship in the middle is the captain''s ship." "You mean the leader of the pirate forces?" "Yes, the captain leading them is a pirate named Hook, and he''s currently called the man closest to the Pirate King." Zeke''s expression hardened at the mention of the Pirate King. ''Pirate King...'' Hook''s pirate ship soon reached the shore. Then, dozens of pirates boarded a small boat and approached the coast. The pirates who appeared all had ferocious looks and rough scars and tattoos all over their bodies. Even among these intimidating pirates, there was one man who particrly stood out. "It feels damn good to step onnd after a long time." He was a man with arge build that seemed to be over 2 meters tall and a distinctive hook-shaped beard. He was the infamous pirate of the Sea of Death, Captain Hook. Hook and his pirates spotted the smuggling ship and Zeke''s group on the coast. Hook stroked his beard and grinned. "Who the hell are these guys? Smugglers, kids, and even andlubber mixed in?" As Captain Hook spoke in a threatening voice, Boris stepped forward. "Captain Hook, I''ve heard a lot about your reputation. We''re on a mission for the Syndicate. I''d appreciate it if we could each take care of our business quietly and leave." Hook and the other pirates burst intoughter at Boris''s words. "Bwahahaha! Take care of our business quietly and leeeeave? What a load of Central Continent crap. You think we''d just back down because you''re with the Syndicate?" Boris''s expression hardened at Captain Hook''s words. It seemed the rough pirates had no intention of letting them go quietly. Just then, Zeke, who was watching, stepped forward. He said in a low voice, "We don''t want to see any bloodshed." Hook''s smiling expression changed instantly at Zeke''s sharp voice. He felt an unusual aura emanating from Zeke, whom he had thought was just a young kid. One of the pirates next to Hook raised his weapon and stepped forward. "You arrogant brat. Who do you think you''re talking to? Did you get some knight training somewhere?" Then, he swung his giant axe at Zeke. Zeke didn''t dodge the axe falling towards his head and caught it with his bare hands. Crush! Not only did he catch it, but he also crushed the iron de of the axe. "Huh?" The pirate who swung the axe was startled and stepped back. Seeing this, all the pirates drew their weapons and assumed a fighting stance. Captain Hook raised his hand to stop his subordinates. He spoke to Zeke. "You''re no ordinary knight. Are you really with the Syndicate?" "I can show you my membership card if you want." "What the hell would we know by looking at a damn Syndicate card? So, little brother, what will you do if you don''t want to see any bloodshed?" Zeke looked at Hook and said, "I''ll have the opportunity to treat the renowned Captain Hook to some fine liquor." Hook looked nkly at those words. Then, he burst into heartyughter. "Damn it, hell yeah! Put your weapons down, boys. I''m going to have a good drink with this cheeky little brother today!" At Captain Hook''s words, the pirates lowered their weapons. The atmosphere changed instantly. Hook approached Zeke. "Little brother, let''s make a proper introduction. My name is James Hook. As you know, I''m better known as Hook." "Nice to meet you, James. I''m Zeke Murray." "Murray, huh? It''s a name I''m hearing for the first time, but it seems like you''ll be shaking things up soon." "Thank you for the generous assessment. If you''d like, would you like a drink here? I have some kraken roast and hidden whiskey, though it''s nothing fancy." At those words, Hookughed heartily and moved to Zeke''s camp without hesitation. Boris made a fire and roasted the kraken tentacles, and Zeke took out the whiskey the smugglers had and offered it to Hook. "Whew! This is some good whiskey. Central Continent guys sure know how to make whiskey." Zeke poured more whiskey into Hook''s ss and asked, "Why has the great pirate who shakes the Sea of Deathe all the way here? I heard this ce is mainly used by smugglers." Hook drank the whiskey in one gulp and said, "It''s all because of those damn merfolk." "Merfolk?" "Yeah, a while ago, those merfolk started acting like pirates in groups. And their forces have grown quiterge. I wondered why those m-eating bastards were suddenly acting like that, and it turned out some guy was instigating them, damn it." "You mean there''s someone who''s rallying the merfolk into pirates?" Hook nodded as he took another sip of whiskey. "Yeah. Hey, little brother, have you ever heard of Treasure Ind?" "This is the first time I''m hearing about Treasure Ind." "It''s a famous story among us pirates. Captain Kidd, the legendary pirate, hid all the treasure he collected throughout his life on an ind somewhere in the Sea of Death." "I didn''t know there was such a legend." "Little brother, that''s not all. There''s a legend that whoever finds Captain Kidd''s Treasure Ind bes the Pirate King." Zeke''s eyebrows twitched again at the mention of the Pirate King. ''Pirate King... If I remember correctly, the name of the Pirate King who drove Sister Cali to her death wasn''t Hook. That guy was...'' Hook chewed on the roasted kraken tentacles and shouted, @@novelbin@@ "That damn Peter Pan is after that Treasure Ind! How dare he, while I, the great Captain Hook, am still alive!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 96 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 96 ''Peter Pan.'' The captain of the Nevend and the Pirate King in Zeke''s previous life. Hook gritted his teeth and said, "Just you wait, little brother. I''ll find Kidd''s Treasure Ind before that arrogant merman and be the Pirate King. Captain Hook! Doesn''t that have a damn good ring to it?" Zeke gave a suitable response to Captain Hook''s words and thought about Peter Pan. ''The Pirate King appears two years from now. That''s also around the time when Sister Cali goes to subjugate the Pirate King.'' In this life, he had to protect Cali Draker no matter what. Only then could he maintain a force within the Draker n to stop Abel. Just then, Hook, slightly drunk, smiled and took something out. "Little brother, take a look at this. This is proof that I, Hook, will im Captain Kidd''s treasure before that Peter Pan bastard and be the Pirate King." What Hook took out was a piece of old parchment. He unfolded the parchment. "This is the map to Captain Kidd''s Treasure Ind." Zeke, quite curious, looked at the parchment Hook had unfolded. However, most of the contents were erased, and it was written in characters he had never seen before, so he couldn''t even tell what it represented. ''It must be written in code because it''s a treasure map.'' Since even Zeke couldn''t understand it, Hook must have shown it to him confidently. But then, absurdly, the system activated on its own. [Ancient nautical chart detected.] [Scanning and analyzing the nautical chart.] [Analyzing and supplementing the erased parts of the nautical chart and re-editing it. Marking the location on the map.] ''Huh?'' Unexpectedly, the system analyzed the nautical chart as soon as it saw it. Captain Hook, unaware of this, continued to chatter excitedly. "No one can read this nautical chart right now. I know it''s somewhere in the Sea of Death, but I still don''t know the exact location. That''s why I''m searching all over this area." While Captain Hook was chattering, the system finished analyzing the nautical chart. And on the map that appeared before Zeke''s eyes, it showed the exact coordinates of Treasure Ind. ''...Once again, I realize that the system''s capabilities are limitless.'' Zeke had inadvertently obtained the opportunity to be the Pirate King. Just then, a quest window popped up. ¨DAchievement Quest (Advanced Mission)¨D [Find the Forgotten Sea God''s Ind. (No time limit)] [Quest Mission Reward: Title Sea God''s Blessing / Sea God''s Treasure] ''Sea God''s Ind?'' It wasn''t a nautical chart pointing to Captain Kidd''s Treasure Ind, but to an ancient ruin. Considering the mission rewards were the Sea God''s Blessing and the Sea God''s Treasure, it seemed that the legend of bing the Pirate King by finding this ind wasn''t entirely false. ''If Peter Pan found this ind and gained the power of the Sea God, I can somewhat understand why Sister Cali was defeated.'' Judging from the system''s activation, it seemed impossible to find the way to this ind through ordinary means. Zeke closed the quest window and responded to Hook''s words while thinking about the Sea God''s Ind. ''I need to obtain the power of the Sea God before Peter Pan takes over this ind.'' Zeke thought that it would be difficult to take Karus to the ind, so he would have to take Karus to safety first and thene back. Captain Hook only returned to his ship after finishing the entire box of whiskey that the smugglers had hidden. For Zeke, who learned about the Sea God''s Ind, it was a meeting without any losses. *** The next day, Zeke and his party loaded up the supplies and set sail again towards the Southern Continent. True to its name, the Sea of Death was rough, with many reefs. Fortunately, the smuggler captain was quite skilled and navigated through the Sea of Death without any problems. They encountered pirate ships a few times, but nothing happened as Zeke and Boris went over and quietly persuaded them to leave. After a week, Zeke and his party finally arrived in the Southern Continent. However, just before docking at the harbor, the captain asked if they could dock the ship somewhere else. "My lord, do you really have to dock the ship directly at Golpa Harbor? Smugglers like us will be killed as soon as we enter Golpa." Zeke reassured the captain. "Don''t worry, I''ll guarantee your safety." With Zeke''s persuasion, the smuggling ship reached Golpa Harbor. However, Golpa Harbor was in a state ofmotion. Rough-looking men were spread all over the harbor. Seeing this, the smugglers were terrified. "M-my lord, it''s the McCain Cartel." Although Don Juan was dead, the McCain Cartel still boasted strong organization, despite its reduced size. Without answering, Zeke, wearing his Wootz steel helmet, jumped off the smuggling ship. The cartel members, seeing Zeke, assumed a defensive stance. That was when it happened. "Boss!" Simon and his subordinates were seen running from afar. The cartel members were surprised to see Simon, put away their weapons, stood at attention, and lined up. Simon knelt before Zeke. "Wee, Boss. We''ve been waiting for you." The smugglers gaped at the sight. Simon Zapatero, the new boss of the McCain Cartel and the guardian of the Cusco royalty, who controlled the northern region of the Southern Continent, was kneeling before Zeke. At the same time, the other cartel members also knelt towards Zeke. Zeke approached Simon. "It''s been a while, Simon. How have you been?" "Thanks to you, Boss. Did you have any troubleing here?" "It was a decent voyage. I''m indebted to the captain and crew, so please reward them." "I''llpensate them sufficiently in the name of Simon Zapatero." Meanwhile, Boris and Karus, with their faces covered, disembarked from the ship and immediately boarded the carriage Simon had prepared. Zeke also boarded the carriage, and only after Simon got on did Zeke take off his helmet and say, "Can we move to the portal immediately?" Simon shook his head. "Boss, I''m sorry to say, but the portal in Tahuani is currently unavable." "What do you mean the portal is unavable?" "The terminal is crawling with Imperial soldiers." Zeke was surprised by Simon''s words. "The Imperials havee all the way here?" "I think they anticipated that you woulde to the south, Boss." Behind Abel Draker was the Siemens n. They weren''t called the Siemens of Strategies for nothing. Zeke fell into thought. "We can''t keep His Highness in the south. It''s such an unstable ce, we don''t know what might happen..." The Southern Continent was a ce teeming with assassins and ouws. Zeke couldn''t stay by Karus''s side and protect him indefinitely. He could prepare to some extent, but it was impossible to stop all the assassins who woulde at them with various methods. He had to get to the Central Continent somehow and ce Karus under Cali Draker''s protection. Simon carefully said, "Boss, there''s one way." "What is it? Tell me." "We go through the border region, cross the desert, and head to the Holy Kingdom. The Empire''s power doesn''t reach the Holy Kingdom." Zeke pondered Simon''s words. If they couldn''t use the portal, they had no choice but to travel bynd for now. Once they entered the Holy Kingdom, there would be many ways to get to Mind, whether bynd or sea. Zeke looked at Simon and said, "It seems that''s the only way for now. But can we pass through the border region, which is a den of ouws? The Imperial knights will be guarding that ce too." "Since it''s awless zone, we might be able to find a way through. If we go up to the northern border region, there''s a tunnel that connects to the desert. Because it''s operated illegally, even if the Imperial army chases us, their speed will be hindered." It was a method Simon could suggest because he used to be an ouw. Zeke thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay, let''s do as you say." "Alright, Boss. Please rest from your journey at the hideout today, and we''ll leave tomorrow." *** The next day, Zeke and his party changed into Southern clothes, mounted their horses, and headed towards Tahuani. Since Simon and his subordinates were escorting them, there was no trouble from small-fry. The problem started from the border region above Tahuani. This area,monly called thewless zone, was an extraterritorial region consisting of several towns built in the wastnd. The reason this ce became awless zone was because a huge ck market city had formed. Stolen goods, items rted to crimes, and money that couldn''t reach the Dorta Republic all flowed into this ce, and all sorts of criminals tried to hide their identities, find jobs, ormit other crimes to make money. Naturally, this ce became a ce wheremon sense andw didn''t apply. If Dorta was a city of morous pleasure, this ce was a city of desire and pleasure built in the lowest depths. Since it was such a dangerous ce, after crossing the wastnd and entering thewless zone, Simon warned Zeke and his party. "We have to be very careful from here on. Consider everyone but our group an enemy." Zeke nodded at Simon''s words. Karus was a little nervous, but he also seemed quite excited to go to the ck market city in thewless zone, which he had only heard rumors about. Zeke and his party slowly walked towards a ce where a fence was made of wire in the wastnd. There was a checkpoint there, which was one of the entrances to thewless zone. Simon approached and showed something to the organization members guarding the checkpoint. They whispered among themselves after seeing the card Simon presented, then went inside the checkpoint and contacted someone. Soon, they came back out and handed the card back to Simon. "Things are a bit dangerous these days, so take care of yourselves." Simon received the card and entered the wire fence with hispanions. Walking straight down the road after entering, they saw a small vige. Simon said to Zeke, "Boss, it''s better to stay here today. We''ll go to the ck market city tomorrow, meet the tunnel broker, and move immediately." Zeke nodded. This was a vige at the entrance to thewless zone, so it was rtively less dangerous. The moment they entered the ck market city, they had to consider their lives at stake, so it wasn''t bad to have some time to prepare. Zeke and his party entered the lodging Simon had arranged and unpacked their luggage. Zeke decided to share a room with Karus to protect him. But as Zeke was unpacking, Karus approached him and showed him something. "Zeke, look at this. What do you think?" Karus, who had spent quite a long time with Zeke while escaping, now spokefortably to him. Zeke also spokefortably to Karus. "It''s a drawing. Did you draw this, Karus?" "I told you I''m an artist. When the drawing is finished, I''ll add a poem that matches it. Then it''ll beplete." "A minstrel. Is that your dream, Karus?" Karus put the drawing back in his bosom and said, "If I were an ordinary prince, that would be the case. But with the situation like this, I don''t know if I can be an ordinary minstrel. I''ll probably spend my life on the run, or live as an exiled royal." Zeke gave a wry smile at Karus''s self-deprecating remark. Just then, Karus asked Zeke, "What about you, Zeke? Do you have a dream?" Zeke was momentarily speechless at Karus''s question. He had told Arthur Draker that his goal was to be the strongest on the continent. His goal was to be the strongest on the continent, take control of the Draker n, and be the absolute ruler. ''A dream. Is that a dream?'' Zeke, who had died and returned to life, was putting all his effort into achieving what he couldn''t achieve in the past. He looked at Karus and said, "To be the strongest on the continent. That''s what I dreamed of." Karus nodded at Zeke''s words. "The strongest on the continent. That certainly won''t be easy to achieve." But just then, Zeke''s senses picked up a suspicious movement. ''What''s this?'' He told Karus to be quiet and hide under the bed. Karus did as Zeke said without arguing. Zeke clung to the wall and used his Dragon Eye to observe the surroundings. He sensed a suspicious movement from behind the building across the street. ''This isn''t just the movement of ordinary ouws. These are trained individuals.'' They could be assassins raised by the cartel, but he could tell they weren''t approaching with good intentions. Zeke knocked on the wall of the next room to send a signal. Soon, Boris entered the room. Zeke said to Boris, "Boris, tell Simon to prepare to leave this ce immediately." "Okay, Boss." After Boris left, Zeke quickly packed his things and was about to leave the room with Karus. Just as he finished packing and was about to leave the room...@@novelbin@@ Whoosh! An arrow flew in through the window. "Duck!" As soon as he finished speaking, the iing arrow exploded. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 97 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 97 Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang! The arrows were fitted with magic bombs. Fortunately, Zeke''s armor activated its shield, blocking the damage from the explosion. "Are you alright, Karus?" Karus coughed out the dust from his mouth and nodded. Zeke led Karus out of the room. Boris and Simon were ready and waiting for his orders. "Simon, there''s a sniper! Protect Karus. I''ll take care of it!" Boris and Simon took Karus and went outside. Zeke immediately went to the window and climbed onto the roof. He expanded his senses to find the sniper. ''Where is he?'' Just then, another arrow flew towards Zeke. He drew his sword and split the arrow in two. Chwa-a-a-ak! This time, instead of a bomb, it was poison powder that scattered. However, the poison powder was useless against Zeke, who was immune to all poisons. Zeke identified the sniper''s location by tracing the direction the arrow hade from. ''Rooftop of the building 500 meters to the left, right below the edge.'' He used Gale Technique to dash between the buildings. Arrows rained down on him as he ran. Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang! Explosions erupted around him, but Zeke ignored them and ran straight towards the sniper. Kwang! Zeke crashed through the building wall and rolled inside. The startled sniper shot an arrow at Zeke. Ting! But the arrow couldn''t prate Zeke, who was wearing armor with the Dragon Scale Armor skill activated underneath. Zeke charged straight at the sniper. Kwang! He struck the sniper with a shoulder charge infused with Golden Power, sending him crashing into the wall. "Keuhuk!" Having subdued the sniper in one blow, Zeke grabbed him and interrogated him. "Who sent you?" The sniper clenched his teeth and tried tomit suicide with poison. But such a method wouldn''t work on Zeke. Kwadeuk! Zeke dislocated the sniper''s jaw, opened his mouth, and pulled out the poison-filled mr. Deolkeok! After putting the jaw back in ce, Zeke asked the sniper again. "Speak quickly. Who sent you?" The sniper red at Zeke and shouted, "The ghosts of Fav will haunt you forever!" Zeke kicked the sniper in the stomach. "Keuhuk!" Zeke grabbed the sniper''s hair and tilted his head back. "Who are you trying to fool? Since when did Fav raise snipers? You reek of Salmak. Didn¡¯t they tell you to say that when you catch Salmak?¡± The sniper, his trickspletely seen through by Zeke, was flustered. ''What kind of person is this?'' He had seen all sorts of people while working as an assassin, but he had never met anyone like this. Zeke struck the sniper''s throat. "Keuhuk!" "Don''t roll your eyes, you bastard. If you''re from Salmak, you couldn''t havee alone. How many of you are there? Tell me quickly." Before he could even get an answer, Zeke took out a dagger and used the lightning skill. Jijijijik! "Kuaaaak!" Despite being an assassin trained to withstand all kinds of torture, the electric shock caused unbearable pain, like his muscles were contracting. "Th-three! Three!" As soon as Zeke heard the assassin''s words, he stabbed him in the neck with the dagger and killed him. There was no point in interrogating him further; Salmak assassins never revealed their clients. ''This is troublesome if Salmak is involved.'' Salmak was a long-established assassin group based in the desert region. Along with the Scorpion n, a n of ck mages, they were infamous in the underworld. Zeke exited the building, heightened his senses, and searched for other Salmak assassins. Just then, something caught his senses. It was the direction Simon and his group were escaping with Karus. ''The Salmak assassins are after Karus. As expected, the Empire must have requested the assassination.'' Zeke chased after the Salmak assassins, leaping over buildings with incredible speed. Hweeek! As if sensing Zeke''s pursuit, one of the Salmak assassins stopped and turned around. Shweeek! A throwing star flew towards Zeke. Pak! Zeke caught the throwing star between his fingers. Seeing the blue hue on the de''s surface, it seemed to be coated with poison. Zeke imbued the throwing star with Golden power and hurled it back at the assassin. Peok! "Keuk!" Unable to dodge the throwing star, the assassin was hit in the thigh and tumbled onto the rooftop. Zeke immediately approached the assassin and stepped on his neck.@@novelbin@@ Ududuk! With one blow, the assassin''s neck was broken. After confirming the assassin''s death, Zeke immediately chased after the other assassin. *** Ping! Kwa-kwa-kwang! Every time an arrow flew, an explosion followed. Boris and Simon''s group, riding on horseback with Karus, couldn''t escape the assassin''s attacks. Simon shouted to Boris, "Boris! Protect the Prince! We''ll hold them off!" Boris nodded and sped up with Karus. Simon and his men slowed down and searched for the assassin chasing them from the rooftops. ''Where the hell is he?'' Being a high-ranking assassin, he was difficult to spot with the naked eye. Just then, a bead rolled under Simon''s feet. "Dodge!" Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang! An explosion muchrger than before erupted. Simon''s ears were ringing from the explosion, and he couldn''t regain his senses due to the tremors that shook the surroundings. He barely managed to steady himself and shouted to his men, "Take care of the wounded! I''ll chase after him." Simon drew his dagger and climbed up the wall of the building. As soon as he reached the rooftop, an arrow flew towards him. Pak! He deflected the arrow with his dagger, but a cloud of poisonous powder suddenly spread. "Keuhum!" Simon, who had inhaled the sudden burst of poison powder, felt his breath bing short. ''Damn it.'' He decided that he had to take down the assassin before he died. Lowering his stance, Simon charged towards the approaching assassin. Hwik! As he swung his dagger, the assassin kept his distance and shot arrows. Even though they were both assassins, Salmak''s methods werepletely different from those of the South. Salmak assassins considered it the highest form of assassination to kill their targets without them even realizing they were dying. This was a stark contrast to the Southern style of assassination, where they would confront their targets, inform them of the reason for their death, and brutally kill them. "Keuk!" Simon felt his strength gradually draining away. Just then, something approached. Hwik! Blinded by the poison, Simon swung his dagger in the direction he sensed the presence. Teok! But the approaching figure grabbed Simon''s arm and threw him to the side. "Eueuk!" Then, he forcefully shoved something into Simon''s mouth and poured something into his eyes. "Heok!" His vision and breathing returned in an instant. When he came to, Zeke was looking down at him. "Are you alright, Simon?" "B-Boss... I apologize. I must chase after the assassin right away..." Zeke shook his head. "I caught thest one." Looking up and ncing around, Simon saw the assassin, already captured by Zeke. Zeke and Simon took the assassin and went downstairs. Fortunately, there were only injuries, no casualties. Zeke asked Simon, "It seems the Empire has ced a request with Salmak." At the mention of Salmak, Simon''s expression darkened. "If it''s Salmak, this won''t be the end. The ck Market is practically Salmak''s home ground." Zeke nodded. "Is there any other route through the border besides the ck Market?" Simon pondered for a moment. "There is one. It''s a bit further from here. And the exit of that tunnel is close to Ishtar''s territory." At the mention of Ishtar, Zeke contemted for a moment, then nodded. "Let''s go that way. If it''s close to Ishtar''s territory, neither the Empire nor Salmak will dare to act recklessly." In the worst-case scenario, Zeke considered crossing Ishtar''s territory, passing through the forbidden Forest of the Forgotten, and entering the Duchy of Troy. It would take a considerable amount of time, but ensuring Prince Karus'' safety was the priority. Simon instructed his subordinates to return to the cartel with the captured Salmak assassin and the wounded. Thus, the four of them - Zeke, Boris, Simon, and Karus - decided to traverse the wastnd of thewless zone. "We have enough food and water. Let''s depart immediately." Zeke had already amply stocked his inventory with necessities for survival. Quickly finishing their preparations, the four men left the vige and galloped towards the wastnd. The scorching sun beat down relentlessly, and the barren wastnd stretched endlessly. Karus, with the weakest stamina, was naturally the first to tire. "Ugh... Zeke. Shouldn''t we rest for a bit?" Although Karus rarely suggested resting first while they were together, the wastnd of thewless zone was that brutal. Zeke opened the map to find a suitable resting spot. Finally finding a shaded hill, Zeke and hispanions took a short break. Zeke took out food and water from his inventory and handed them out. Boris, watching Zeke, remarked, "I feel this every time I see it, but Boss''s subspace artifact seems to hold a lot of things." Zeke remembered vaguely exining his inventory as an ancient relic with spatial magic, as he couldn''t reveal its true nature. Zeke replied nonchntly to Boris''s remark, "That''s why money is good, Boris." "Indeed." Boris nodded in agreement with Zeke''s words. As they were taking a short rest, they saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. Zeke and Simon stood up, wary. Zeke used Dragon Eye to examine the approaching group. ''Are they ouws?'' When he described the appearance of the group he saw, Simon''s expression hardened. "They are famous bounty hunters in thewless zone. It seems the Empire has spread information about the Prince not only to Salmak but also to the ouws." At Simon''s words, Boris took a stand Karus, who was behind them, also held his crossbow and kept watch. Dudududu! A dozen people on horseback were seen approaching Zeke''s group, weapons drawn. "A hundred thousand gold is right there! Get them!" The bounty hunters charged excitedly. Just then, Zeke shouted to Simon and Boris, "Close your eyes!" Then, he used the shbang skill towards the bounty hunters. sh! An intense light shed, attacking the bounty hunters'' corneas. "Kuaaak!" While Zeke protected Karus, Boris and Simon stepped forward to deal with the bounty hunters. Chwaak! As Boris was a Blue Knight and Simon possessedparable skills, they could easily handle the ouws who had lost their sight. After Simon and Boris returned from dealing with all the ouws, Zeke said, "We need to hurry. With a bounty of a hundred thousand gold, most of the ouws in thewless zone wille running." Zeke''s party started galloping through the wastnd again. As he anticipated, ouws chasing them appeared throughout the wastnd. Most of them were small fries, easily dealt with by Boris and Simon. Zeke checked the map while watching Boris and Simon return from handling the ouws. ''We still have half a day to go to the tunnel, but I''m not sure if Karus'' stamina will hold up.'' Karus was already mentally and physically exhausted. Simon and Boris, who had been constantly on the move without proper sleep, were also in a bad state. Zeke, judging that it would be difficult to move any further, looked for a ce to rest. "Let''s set up camp here." Zeke dug out a space under arge rock and pitched a tent to create a shelter from the sunlight. Karus, already exhausted, immediately copsed and fell asleep. Zeke said to Boris and Simon, "I''ll take the first watch, so get some sleep." Boris and Simon, marveling at Zeke''s incredible stamina,y down next to Karus and closed their eyes, pretending to be persuaded. Zeke consumed the Kraken leg, which he had kept separately, using Gluttony to replenish his mental and physical strength, and mana. Then he summoned the Chimera, Gurab. Gurab, summoned from Zeke''s shadow, seemed excited to be out after a long time, scurrying around restlessly. "Gurab, y around here and if you find anyone suspicious, bite them. If they''re not dead, bring them to me." Kieeee! Gurab excitedly ran around the wastnd. But then, "Kuaak!" Not long after being released, Gurab brought back a suspicious person, having bitten them. Zeke examined the person Gurab had brought. "Uhhh..." As ordered, the person was still alive. Zeke checked the suspicious person''s belongings. And he discovered the person''s identity. ''It''s one of the Empire''s hounds.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 98 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 98 The hound bitten by Gurab soon breathed itsst. Zeke wondered why the Empire''s hounds were roaming around this area. ''It''s possible they''re chasing Karus, but there could also be ancient ruins here.'' The mad emperor of the Rom Empire was scouring the entire continent for any ancient ruins he could find. Zeke wasn''t sure if Consul Julius had the authority tomand the hounds, but if they were indeed pursuing Zeke''s group, crossing the border would be even more difficult. Soon, Boris and Simon woke up and were startled to see the hound''s corpse. "Simon, are there any ancient ruins near here?" Simon nodded at his words. "Yes. There are quite a few hidden dungeons near the border." Zeke was somewhat relieved by Simon''s answer. But he couldn''t let his guard down. The hounds were also knights of the Empire. There was no telling when they might be fully mobilized to cast a dra. ''It''s best to get out of here as soon as possible.'' Zeke woke Karus up and immediately moved towards the tunnel. The tunnel Simon mentioned, which could be used to cross the border, was an old smuggling route. When Ishtar hadn''t issued the expulsion order, the cartel used to send all of their Soma through here. Back then, it wasn''t the Syndicate, but ouws who acted as guides for the route. Simon knew about this tunnel because he had helped transport the cartel''s drugs through here when he was an ouw. "We''re almost there." A small vige made of earthen walls could be seen beyond the wastnd. Zeke entered the vige, cautiously observing his surroundings. Simon went deeper into the vige, saying he would meet with a broker. Zeke and his party entered a restaurant that Simon had guided them to. Karus, sitting at the table, slumped over and said, "Ugh. I''d like to eat something warm, not just dry rations." He was tired of eating only dry food while crossing the wastnd. Soon, the food they ordered arrived, just as Karus had wished. Although the spices were strong, the food was edible. Karus, throwing aside his imperial dignity, devoured the food voraciously. ''He''s a hundred times better than those nobles who fuss about their food.'' Zeke thought it was fortunate that Karus was an easygoing royal. After finishing their meal and resting for a while, Zeke felt an unsettling atmosphere forming around them. ''This isn''t good.'' As he expected, a group of men entered the restaurant. Judging from the shape of their swords, they seemed to be from the Central Continent. ''They''re hounds.'' It seemed the hounds, who had been searching for ruins in the area, had entered the vige to find a meal. Zeke gestured to Boris and Karus to cover their faces and look away. Just as they were about to quietly get up from their seats, "Hey, you." Suddenly, someone called out to Zeke. ncing back, he saw that it wasn''t the hounds who had just entered, but one of the ouws sitting in the restaurant, approaching Zeke. "I haven''t seen your face before. Where are you from?" Zeke, with his face covered, spoke to the ouw in the Southern dialect. "I''m from the Syndicate. And where do you belong?" At the mention of the Syndicate, the ouw flinched for a moment. Then he grinned and approached Zeke again. "These days, everyone ims to be from the Syndicate. You little punk. Did you think I''d be scared by that?" He was clearly just a thug who preyed on travelers entering the vige. Zeke was more concerned about the hounds sitting at the inner table. "I don''t want to cause a scene. What do you want?" The ouw, with a confident expression, said, "Show me everything you have. I''ll see how much you offer and think about what the boss will do." Zeke nodded as if he had no choice. "Alright. Most of my belongings are on my horse. Let''s go there." The ouw happily followed Zeke to the stable. Zeke threw one of the bags hanging on his horse to the ouw. "Ooh. This is quite heavy. Let''s see what''s insi..." Before he could finish his sentence, Zeke struck the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious. He led the horse towards where Karus and Boris had already exited. But the hounds, who had been eating quietly, were now approaching Zeke. "Hey. You, wait a minute." Zeke pondered the hound''s words for a moment, then approached him with his face still covered. "What can I do for you?" "I heard you were from the Syndicate earlier. What brings smugglers all the way out here?" Fortunately, it seemed they hadn''t been discovered. Zeke slowly fabricated a story. "The road to the Central Continent was suddenly blocked, so we came here to detour through the desert and go up north." One of the hounds looked at Zeke suspiciously, then approached Karus, who had a different aura than the other two. "You, take off your robe." The hound reached out to remove Karus''s robe. It was then. Thud! Zeke took out a dagger and threw it at the hound''s hand. And he immediately drew his Woonchul sword and beheaded the hound in front of him. Slice! The hounds were momentarily stunned as theirrade was killed in an instant. "Get them!" Boris, who was next to him, drew his sword and stabbed the shouting hound from behind. Zeke threw a dagger at the hound trying to escape. Three hounds died in the blink of an eye in the restaurant. Boris approached Zeke. "Boss, it''s only a matter of time before we''re discovered." "Let''s abandon the horses and go to where Simon is. We need to get through the tunnel quickly." Zeke took Karus and ran to where Simon was. But just then, other ouws started chasing Zeke''s group. "A hundred thousand gold is getting away!" It seemed the bounty hunters had barged in here as well. Zeke used the shbang skill towards the pursuing ouws. sh! "Kyaaaak!" The ouws exposed to the shbang rolled around on the market floor. Just as they were about to cross the market and head towards the tavern Simon had mentioned, "Boss!" Simon ran towards Zeke. "What happened?" "The bounty hunters are already chasing us. The hounds caught our scent too. Can we enter the tunnel right now?" "We can enter, but there''s no guide." "I can find the way, so let''s hurry." Zeke followed Simon and ran towards the tunnel. Since the vige had originally been built around this tunnel, the entrance to the tunnel was closer than expected. The entrance was inside an old well. A guard stood watch in front of it. When Simon showed the token he had received from the broker, the guard nodded and told them to enter the well. They entered the well one by one, starting with Simon. Whoosh! Looking down, they saw a narrow tunnel leading down from the bottom of the well. It was so shabby that it was hard to believe that just a few years ago, drugs from the South had been transported through this tunnel to the Central Continent. Zeke turned on the map and examined the tunnel route. "I''ll take the lead. Simon, protect Karus from the rear." Thanks to the map, Zeke could navigate theplicated tunnel without getting lost. Soon, the narrow path ended, and a fairly wide passage appeared. Simon said to Zeke, "Boss, if we go straight this way, we can cross the border." Zeke''s party walked along the long tunnel path. It was unbelievable how people could have built such a long tunnel. After walking for a while, There was a loud noise from behind. "They''re over there!" Apparently, there was more than one entrance to the tunnel. Ouws with weapons drawn were chasing Zeke''s group. Simon, observing them, said to Zeke,@@novelbin@@ "The man in front is called the Yellow Wind Messenger, a fairly renowned ouw." "Simon, protect Karus. Boris, follow me!" Zeke immediately drew his Bahamut sword and charged forward. Wheeik! He had to deal with the ouws using only swordsmanship, as using powerful skills risked copsing the tunnel. Zeke swung his sword. Thwack! The Yellow Wind Messenger, struck by Zeke''s sword, flew back and crashed into the wall. Boris also wielded his sword against the ouws, taking on several at once. Zeke shouted to Boris, "Boris! Cover your ears and step back!" At Zeke''s words, Boris rolled back. Simultaneously, Zeke used the skill Discord. Jiiiiiiiiing! A strange sound resonated around Zeke, and the ouws, in agony, retreated. Discord disrupted their bnce. "M-Magic?" Although it was a skill Zeke used, from their perspective, it seemed like magic. Zeke''s sword swept through the bewildered ouws. "Keuhuk!" Even the renowned Yellow Wind Messenger was no match for Zeke, being far weaker from the start, and the rest were mere small fries. Zeke personally beheaded the Yellow Wind Messenger, and Boris finished off the remaining ouws. Sheathing his sword, Zeke said, "Boris, let''s hurry." Zeke''s party quickly moved further into the tunnel. However, the ouws continued to attack them relentlessly. Chwaak! Zeke''s sword cut through the ouws, clearing a path. The tunnel floor was soaked with the blood of the ouws. Boris, who had been swinging his sword continuously, seemed quite exhausted, but Zeke, thanks to his infinite stamina, could continue to fight them off. ''It would have been a disaster if I didn''t have infinite stamina.'' Zeke handed out health potions to hispanions and continued towards the tunnel exit. And when they finally reached the tunnel exit, Zeke felt an ominous presence. ''This is... magical energy.'' As expected, magic flew in from outside the exit. Jijijik! Kwakwakwakwang! Lightning and fireballs rained down on Zeke''s group. "Get down!" Zeke shielded Karus and activated Dragon Scale Armor. When the explosions ended, he got up and said to Simon, "Protect Karus. I''ll go out and take care of the mages." Zeke, equipped with his armor, dashed out of the tunnel. "He''s out! Attack!" As soon as Zeke emerged, the mages began to bombard him with attacks. Perhaps because there were all sorts of people among the ouws, battle mages were also amon sight. Fireballs, lightning, and energy bolts poured down, just like before. But the shield activated, automatically defending against the magic. Woooong! As soon as the shield''s effect ended, Zeke ran towards the mages with his sword. Then, he stretched out his hand and used the Magic Reflection skill. As the mana field distorted, the mages were inevitably flustered as their magic casting was disrupted. "W-What''s happening?" Zeke immediately swung his sword and defeated the mages. After quickly finishing them off and looking around, he saw the ouws, who had been waiting behind the mages, were bewildered. "Those bastards! They said they were mages from Delfoa, but it was all a lie!" The battle mages Zeke had killed seemed to be deserters from the Delfoa magic battalion. He took his sword and swept away all the ouws who had been waiting. "Whew." Even though he had infinite stamina, Zeke had his limits. He, too, was starting to feel fatigue. He hadn''t been able to properly utilize Gluttony because they had been moving quickly, so he couldn''t resolve his mental exhaustion. ''It would be even more dangerous if I suddenly lose consciousness.'' Zeke signaled his party toe out. Boris brought the horses that the ouws had been riding. Simon said to Zeke, "Boss, if we ride for about two days, there''s a vige we can stop by before entering the Forest of the Forgotten, near Ishtar''s territory." "It would be better to go there, reorganize, and then enter the Duchy of Troy along the outskirts of the forest." "That would be preferable to entering the desert region." "Alright. Let''s change the route." It was a more roundabout way, but with even Salmak targeting Karus, entering their home ground, the desert region, was practically suicidal. Just as Zeke''s party was about to leave the border area on horseback, They felt something fiercely chasing them from behind. Zeke used Dragon Eye to enhance his vision and examine the pursuers. A curse word immediately escaped his lips. "Damn it, the Empire''s hounds are on our tail." It seemed they had been caught because of the three he killed at the restaurant. Zeke''s party spurred their horses faster. However, the horses they had taken from the ouws were no match for the Empire''s military horses. Soon, the hounds caught up to Zeke''s group. Whoosh! One of the hounds fired a crossbow. Zeke, who was at the rear, swung his sword and deflected the arrow. He shouted towards Simon, "Keep going! Once we get closer to Ishtar''s territory, those hounds won''t be able to follow us!" Zeke fell slightly behind the others and threw daggers at the pursuing hounds. Piting! The hound''s speed gradually decreased due to the obstruction of the daggers infused with Gold power. But then, another cloud of dust rose from the side. Another group of ouws was approaching them from behind. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 99 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 99 "These crazy bastards!" Zeke gritted his teeth as he saw the ouws popping up endlessly like cockroaches. He urged his horse forward and rejoined Karus and the others. Zeke cast an Area of Effect Buff and activated Healing Factor. Woooong! Everyone, including the horses, recovered temporarily. Due to the urgent situation, the others didn''t notice and just continued to gallop forward. Just then, a massive sandstorm began to blow in front of them in the wastnd. Simon shouted, "Boss! It''s Ishtar''s territory ahead!" "Keep going!" Zeke''s party entered the sandstorm. The pursuing ouws, recognizing Ishtar''s territory, gradually stopped their pursuit. However, the hounds did not cease their chase. They also dashed into the sandstorm. Zeke gritted his teeth as he watched them. "Those persistent bastards..." Zeke had nothing but bad experiences with the hounds, even in his past life. He shouted to Simon, "I''ll take care of them! You guys keep going without stopping!" Zeke turned his horse around and charged towards the hounds in the sandstorm. The wind blew more fiercely, making it difficult to see clearly. However, Zeke, using the Dragon Eye skill, could see the hounds through the sandstorm. ''About twenty Purple Knights. There seems to be a Blue Knight mixed in as well. How can the Empire produce so many knights?'' The Draker n surpassed the Empire in the number of Blue and ck Knights, but the Empire had an overwhelminglyrger number of Purple Knight level troops. Zeke had even encountered a group of hounds in his past life that consisted entirely of Blue Knights with a Red Knight mixed in. Whooong! Zeke unleashed a gale towards the charging hounds using the Wind Force Field. Kwakwakwakwa! The gale, mixed with the swirling sandstorm, swept over the hounds. Themander leading the hound unit shouted, "Damn it! That bastard is using magic!" To the people of this era who didn''t know about Elemental Sword, it undoubtedly looked like he was using magic. Zeke cut down the hounds who had fallen from their horses amidst the gale. "Kyaak!" Blinded by the sandstorm, the hounds couldn''t avoid Zeke''s sword. Just then, a sword sh gleamed behind Zeke. Whooong! A Blue Knight swung his aura de. Whoosh! Zeke dodged the sword with Phantom. Then, he immediately concentrated mana throughout his body and charged into the knight''s horse with a body m. Crash! Hieeeing! The horse, struck by Zeke''s attack, toppled over. The knight riding the horse immediately got up and charged at Zeke again. "Haaaat!" Zeke, with his sword imbued with aura, deflected the hound''s sword, which was enveloped in an aura de. "Keuk!" His wrist stinging from the tremendous shock, the Blue Knight retreated instead of attacking again. He shouted to the other hounds, "Catch him! I''ll chase after the prince!" Then, he quickly turned around, mounted another hound''s horse, and galloped towards Karus. Zeke, in his urgency, had no choice but to assume the Dragon yer Style - Horseman stance. Woooong! A crescent-shaped aura shot out from his sword. Chwaaaaak! The Blue Knight, galloping on horseback, was struck by the crescent aura Zeke had unleashed from behind and fell from his horse. He didn''t die, probably because he was wearing armor underneath. "Keuk! That bastard! He''s a Draker!" The hound recognized Zeke''s Dragon yer Style instantly. Zeke clenched his teeth. If even one of them escaped here, there was a risk of his identity being exposed. Zeke concentrated and raised Bahamut. Woooong! Aura surged from the sword. Zeke''s body moved like a gale. Dragon yer Art - Applied Form Gale Technique Wind de Like the wind transforming into a de, sharp sword attacks poured out from Zeke''s body as he ran like the wind. Chwa-rak! Weaving through the hounds, Zeke''s sword, bing one with the wind, beheaded them, pierced their hearts, and severed their limbs. "Kuaaak!" The hounds couldn''t defend against Zeke''s attacks, which had be one with the sandstorm. After a gust of wind passed, all the houndsy fallen. Zeke approached the Blue Knight, who was still alive, with his sword raised. The Blue Knight gritted his teeth as he looked at Zeke. "Damn Drakers. The Empire''s mes will burn you all...!" Slice! Before he could finish his sentence, Zeke''s sword beheaded him. Zeke contemted how to dispose of the knights'' bodies, which bore traces of the Dragonyer Style, then gathered them in one ce and ced his hand on them. "Power of Decay." He tried using the power he had gained from consuming the ancient dragon species. Then, starting from the body touched by Zeke''s hand, decay slowly began to set in. Tsssss The bodies decayed at a rapid pace, and in the end, even the armor and swords they were wearing werepletely corroded and scattered with the sandstorm. Zeke was astonished to see the bodies disappear in an instant. "So this is the Power of Decay... If used well, it could be a formidable weapon." Zeke disposed of the hounds'' bodies with the Power of Decay, mounted a surviving warhorse, and galloped towards Karus and his party. He quickly moved through the raging sandstorm towards hispanions, and when he almost reached them, Something felt strange. ''What''s that...?'' Simon and Boris were copsed, bleeding, with swords in their hands, and Karus was pointing a crossbow at someone. Zeke jumped off his horse and activated Gale Technique. Whoosh! Zeke swung his sword at the enemy approaching Karus. Kwaching! The enemy deflected Zeke''s aura-infused sword with a dagger. Zeke stood in front of Karus and pointed his sword at the enemies. The two people standing before Zeke had slender figures, wore clothes made of in cloth, and their faces were covered with chadors. There was only one ce with such unique attire. ''Ishtar''s Mystics.'' Zeke threw a potion to Simon and asked, "What happened?" Simon applied the potion to his wounds, then used the rest on Boris, who had deeper injuries, before answering, "They suddenly appeared and attacked us." Zeke, with his sword still pointed, asked the Ishtar Mystics, "Why did you attack us?" One of them stepped forward and said, "You have vited Ishtar''s expulsion order and entered our territory." It was an unspoken rule that when the Ishtar n issued an expulsion order, no one could enter their territory. Zeke red at them and said, "So you''re saying you attack without even listening to our circumstances?" "We prioritize the n''s expulsion order above all else. Those who ignore the sacred sandstorm''s warning and enter cannot have good intentions. There is only the judgment bestowed by the Earth God." The Ishtar n was known for being stubborn and inflexible, so there was no point in further conversation. Zeke took a deep breath and slowly spoke. Ancient Eastern words flowed from his mouth. "In the name of the Earth God, I wish to determine the validity of the transgression against the expulsion order through an honorable duel." The Ishtar warrior was surprised by Zeke''s words. "Y-You! How... How do you know the sacred Earth Law!" The Ishtar n strictly adhered to their long-standing nws. Among thews of the Ishtar n, there was one that was prioritized above all else. Sacred Judgment by Warrior''s Duel. The Earth God they worshipped was also the god of warriors. Therefore, there was aw stating that when someonemitted a sin or a problem arose, an honorable duel between warriors would be held, and the result would reveal the Earth God''s judgment. Since Ishtar was the most secluded ce on the continent, naturally, no one outside knew about thisw. However, Zeke knew about Ishtar''sw due to his experience in a special organization in his past life. The Ishtar warriors were visibly flustered by the sudden mention of the warrior''sw. Just then, the person who had been quietly watching from behind stepped forward. The other warriors were surprised. "M-My Lady, are you going to participate in the duel?" The warrior nodded and stood before Zeke. The Ishtar warrior soon held uniquely shaped daggers in both hands. The des were wavy, like ripples in water. Zeke knew those daggers were unique weapons of the Ishtar n. ''To think they''re using those daggers. It seems they''re a warrior of considerable status within the n.'' Ishtar, one of the three Transcendent ns. They were a n of Mystics, different from the knights of the Central Continent. They strengthened their bodies using mystic arts, and then disyed a unique fighting style thatbined martial arts, hidden weapons, and poison techniques. As Zeke was recalling information about Ishtar, the Ishtar warrior took a stance with their daggers. Zeke also took the Dragon yer stance with Bahamut. He couldn''t let his guard down for even a moment when facing an Ishtar Mystic. Whoosh! The Ishtar warrior charged towards Zeke first. Paching! The warrior swung their daggers with animalistic agility. Zeke was pushed back by the force imbued in the daggers. ''What tremendous power.'' Zeke also concentrated his powers in his sword and shed with the warrior''s daggers. ng! ng! The sound of metal colliding rang out as the sword and daggers shed. The warrior''s attacks were relentless, wielding their daggers in a dance-like flurry of movements and disying sharp hidden weapon techniques. Zeke also swung his sword with all his might. ''They''re strong.'' Central Continent swordsmanship had evolved to be optimized for aura cultivation. However, the Ishtar n''s mystic arts focused on efficient killing techniques. As a result, the warriors of the Ishtar n were all undoubtedly experts in killing. They were specialists in killing, on a different level from mere assassins. Paching! With the ceaseless barrage of attacks, Zeke couldn''t find a proper opening to use the Dragon yer Art. Zeke stepped back and changed his stance. "Whew." Taking a breath and assuming the Elemental Sword stance, Zeke activated the Water Force Field. Whoosh! Among the techniques he had learned from Kaisir, the Water Force Field was the most difficult to master. Zeke''s sword moved as smoothly as flowing water. Paching! The Ishtar warrior was taken aback by the sudden change in the flow of the sword. Unlike the knights of the Central Continent, they couldn''t find the timing to use their aura, so they focused on defense, but now Zeke was wielding apletely different swordsmanship. Chwak! Although the speed was slower than the sword Zeke had been wielding until now, it was even more wless than before. The Ishtar warrior felt the flow of their sword dance being disrupted by Zeke''s sword. In the end, the Ishtar warrior, unable to properly execute their hidden weapon techniques due to Zeke''s sword constantly piercing through the gaps in their movements, had to retreat. Wheeeing! A sandstorm blew between Zeke and the Ishtar warrior. They red at each other, unmoving. They appeared to be standing still, but in reality, a fierce exchange of attacks and defenses was taking ce. Another Ishtar warrior, observing this, was astonished.@@novelbin@@ ''Oh my god. To think there was a warrior who could fight My Lady on equal footing.'' She was called the greatest genius in the history of the Ishtar n. Even the most skilled warriors in the n were no match for her sword dance. No one in the n could defeat her in martial arts, so it was surprising to see an outsider who had invaded their territory fighting her as an equal. It was then. Whoosh! The two dashed towards each other simultaneously. Zeke''s sword swept through the sandstorm, drawing a massive wave. Whooooong! The Ishtar warrior, running towards the wave-like sword attack, spun their body with their daggers and rode the wave. Chwak! The warrior, riding the wave, smoothly spun their body once more, leaped into the air, and unleashed their hidden weapon techniques towards Zeke. A whirlwind kick carrying immense power descended upon Zeke. Kwakwakwakwang! A massive explosion erupted where Zeke was standing, sending sand flying in all directions. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 100 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 100 *hoooo! The sandstorm subsided. The figures of the two were revealed, and surprisingly, Zeke had Bahamut pointed at the Ishtar warrior''s neck. Zeke said to the warrior, "It seems the Earth God has given their judgment." The Ishtar warrior silently nodded at Zeke''s words. When Zeke withdrew his sword, the warrior slowly got up. As the two emerged from the pit, another Ishtar warrior rushed over with a surprised voice. "My Lady!" The tall Ishtar warrior who had fought Zeke conveyed something with hand gestures. The approaching warrior''s expression then turned to one of shock. "M-My Lady lost?" They seemed quite surprised. Zeke sheathed his sword and said, "The Earth God has given their judgment. You can no longer use us of viting the expulsion order, so open the way. We must go to the Central Continent as soon as possible." The tall warrior then gestured again, conveying something to the other warrior. The shorter warrior was once again surprised. "Y-You''re inviting them to the n?" Even Zeke, who was standing next to them, was surprised by those words. ''Was it 150 years ago that the Ishtar nst invited guests?'' That''s how closed off the Ishtar n was. Then the shorter warrior said to Zeke, "...My Lady says she will open a portal for you to move quickly to the Central Continent, so follow me." Zeke was once again surprised by those words. "A portal? Does the Ishtar n possess its own portal?" The short warrior didn''t answer Zeke''s question. Just then, the tall warrior gestured for Zeke to follow them. After some thought, Zeke said to Simon and Boris, "They don''t seem hostile, so let''s follow them for now." From his experience in his past life, Zeke knew that the Ishtar n valued theirws and the Earth God''s judgment above all else. Zeke helped the severely injured Boris onto a horse and followed the Ishtar warriors on foot with Simon and Karus. Karus was excited with a strange thrill. "Zeke, to think we can actually visit the Ishtar n. We''re really lucky." "...I''m d you think so." Karus seemed oddly carefree despite almost dying. As they passed through the harsh sandstorm and delved deeper, they entered a desert area instead of a wastnd. The sight of the vast desert with its white star sand created a mystical atmosphere. The Ishtar warriors headed into the desert. Zeke turned on his map and recorded the Ishtar warriors'' route. Strangely, even though they seemed to be walking straight ahead, the route marked on the map was erratic. ''Is this a mystery of the desert?'' It seemed like there was a path that only the Ishtar n knew. It was then. Although there had been nothing but empty desert just moments ago, something appeared in the distance. "Ohhh." Karus eximed from beside him. He was excited at the prospect of seeing the main house of the Ishtar n, which he had only heard of in stories. Just then, the shorter warrior snapped, "Outsiders cannot enter this ce no matter what they do, so don''t wander the desert trying to find this ce again." As Zeke had expected, there seemed to be a special way to enter the main house. Zeke and his party slowly entered the Ishtar city built in the middle of the desert. *** "Oh my god, there''s such a big city in the middle of the desert!" Karus continued to express his admiration as soon as he entered the city. The Ishtar city, with itspletely different atmosphere from the Central Continent, looked more simr to the Eastern Empire style. Most people were wearing in clothes and had their faces covered with chadors. Only those who weren''t followers of the faith had their faces uncovered, and they looked like Central Continent people. ''The Ishtar n are all fervent believers in the Earth God. It seems only those who aren''t followers are showing their faces.'' He had expected a very solemn and quiet atmosphere in this closed-off city, but he was surprised that it wasn''t much different from any other city. The market was abundant with goods and bustling with activity. Zeke was curious how such goods entered this isted and independent city. ''They probably won''t tell me even if I ask.'' Zeke''s party followed the Ishtar warriors, sightseeing the market and heading towards the main pce in the city center. When they reached the main pce, the gatekeepers guarding the entrance became wary upon seeing Zeke''s party, who were outsiders. The shorter warrior then said to the gatekeepers, "They are My Lady''s guests. I will report to her directly." The gatekeepers bowed respectfully and returned to their original positions. Unlike the city, the inside of the pce was, as expected, very quiet and solemn. The people walking around made no sound, and there were hardly any signs of human presence within the pce. It was like looking at the scenery of a monastery. The shorter warrior said to Zeke''s party, "I will guide you to your rooms, so please rest there for a while. We will decide what to do after reporting to the elders of the n." It seemed they couldn''t use the portal immediately. Zeke''s party entered the rooms guided by another attendant. As soon as they entered the room, Zekeid Boris down and checked his condition. Thanks to the potion, he was no longer in critical condition. Zeke took out an ancient potion from his inventory. It was an item far more effective than a regr potion. He sprinkled the potion on Boris''s wounds and had him drink the rest. He could have healed him quickly with Healing, but he was reluctant to show his Healing talent in front of others, so he used the potion instead. "Ugh..." "Boris, how are you feeling?" "Boss... I''m dying." "You''re not dead yet, so stop exaggerating." Boris slowly sat up. "Ugh. But where are we?" "The main pce of Ishtar." "Huh?" Boris was surprised and looked around cautiously. Zeke reassured him. "It''s alright. We''ve been invited as guests of the Ishtar n, so you can rx." Despite Zeke''s words, Boris couldn''t let his guard down, knowing they were in the heart of the Ishtar n, who were experts in assassination mystic arts. Just then, servants entered and prepared a meal. The food was simple, like monastery food, but it was light and brought out the natural vors of the ingredients. After finishing the meal, Zeke drank the tea that the servant had brought. "...Hmm? This is a vor I''ve never tasted before. Does the Ishtar n cultivate their own tea?" The servant nodded at Zeke''s words. "You have a deep knowledge of tea. This is made by improving a variety that grows in the desert region. It''s a tea that can only be tasted here." Zeke nodded and savored the tea''s aroma. It was as if the precious Eastern tea''s fragrance had been concentrated many times over, yet it wasn''t overpowering, giving him great satisfaction. ''I wonder if they sell it as a local specialty in the market. I want to buy some and take it with me.'' Zeke slowly savored the tea he was tasting for the first time. Zeke regained hisposure and looked around at hispanions. Karus was taking out a small sketchbook and drawing the scenery of the Ishtar city he had seen. Zeke, looking at Karus, said, "If you leak that carelessly, Ishtar''s Mystics mighte looking for you, Karus." Karus was so startled by those words that he huped, then quietly closed his sketchbook. He then closed his eyes and tried to engrave the city''s scenery in his mind. It was then. Someone entered the room. It was the two warriors who had brought Zeke''s party to the pce. The shorter warrior, abandoning her previous overbearing attitude, bowed politely and said, "The elders of the n have officially invited you as guests. There will be a banquet for the guests this evening, so please be sure to attend."@@novelbin@@ Zeke rose from his seat and bowed to the warriors, saying, "We are pleased to ept the Ishtar n''s invitation. May the Earth God''s blessings be with the protectors of the desert." The shorter warrior replied, "May the Earth God''s blessings be with the travelers of the desert. Please forgive my previous rudeness. My name is Ezgi Ishtar. And this is Yellin Ishtar." Zeke looked at Yellin and said, "It seems Yellin Ishtar is undergoing a vow of silence." Yellin nodded slightly at his words. Zeke said to the two, "My name is Zeke Draker." Yellin and Ezgi were surprised. "D-Draker...? Oh my goodness." Yellin and Ezgi looked at Zeke with curiosity. "...Why are you so surprised?" Ezgi said in a dubious voice, "Well, I heard that Drakers all have horns on their heads, sharp teeth, and when theyugh, they alwaysugh like demons, ''Khehehe.''" Zeke, with a dumbfounded expression, retorted, "In the Central Continent, they say that the Ishtar n drinks poison like water with every meal." Ezgi eximed in indignation, "How can we drink poison with every meal! Do you know how expensive that is? We barely drink it once a day. Oh, but My Lady might drink it with every meal." Anyway, the point was that they did drink it. Zeke let out a smallugh at the unexpected remark. Having finished the necessary conversation, Ezgi, checking Zeke''s head for horns until the very end, was dragged out by Yellin. Simon, watching this, chuckled. "I thought the Ishtar n was a ce with no blood or tears, but it seems like a ce where people live after all." Zeke nodded. "Indeed. But why are there rumors that Drakers have horns on their heads...? And that theyugh like ''Khehehe.'' Is there anyone whoughs like that?" Karus, who was next to them, chimed in, "Zeke, that''s a metaphor. It''s a figurative expression that the Draker n is like demons. The Draker n has made a lot of enemies and has a ruthless side, you know." "...Right. Thanks for the kind exnation, Karus." Karus looked pleased with Zeke''s words. As evening came, the attendants handed Zeke''s party clothes made of in cloth. Boris, who hadn''t yet recovered from his injuries, decided to stay in the room, and Simon stayed behind to watch over him. Only Karus and Zeke, excited to be invited to the Ishtar n banquet, changed into the in clothes and followed the attendant to the banquet hall. In the banquet hall, arge round table was prepared, and people dressed in in clothes were sitting around it. Yellin and Ezgi, who had invited Zeke, greeted them and guided them to the round table. Zeke and Karus awkwardly sat down at the round table. Just then, one of the people sitting at the table slowly rose from their seat. Although their face was covered, a clear and elegant voice resonated. "We have guests visiting our n after 153 years. As the head of the n, I want to convey this joy to the Earth God." Then, everyone sped their hands and offered their gratitude to the Earth God. The head of the n said to Zeke, "Sir Zeke Draker, who has found our n under the guidance of the Earth God. We wee you as a guest of Ishtar. Please rise from your seat and offer words of blessing for this wondrous encounter." Zeke slowly rose from his seat. Then, he spoke in ancient Eastern tongue, "The Earth God, who governs mystery and wonder, has arranged this meeting. We offer our gratitude for their wisdom and divine power, and we wish to engrave the order of thew, which is above all else." The Ishtar n members were impressed by Zeke''s fluent ancient Easternnguage and formal congrattory speech. They nodded with satisfaction and looked at Zeke. When Zeke finished speaking and sat down, the head of the n said, "Since it is a joyous asion, let us all remove our chadors and wee our guests." Then, all the Ishtar n members excitedly removed their chadors. Zeke and Karus were shocked to see the faces of the Ishtar people. ''They''re all so beautiful...!'' Even the Graham n, known for their beauty in the Central Continent, couldn''tpare to the Ishtar n. The people had various hair colors, and some had white skin while others had dark skin. However, they all had delicate features and were handsome or beautiful. Judging from their appearance alone, it was hard to imagine that this was the Ishtar n, famous for their assassination mystic arts. Zeke turned his head and looked at Yellin, who had fought him in the duel. Her mystical emerald hair flowed like waves, and her face was like a perfect sculpture made of marble. Karus also gaped at Yellin. However, Zeke was shocked for a different reason. He had spotted Yellin''s pointy, long ears. ''An elf?'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!