<w:bottom w:space="0" w:sz="0" w:val="nil"><w:right w:space="0" w:sz="0" w:val="nil"><w:between w:space="0" w:sz="0" w:val="nil"><w:shd w:fill="auto" w:val="clear"><w:spacing w:after="0" w:before="0" w:line="276" w:linerule="auto"><w:ind w:left="0" w:right="0" ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠w:firstline="0"><w:jc w:val="left"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Liberation Serif" w:cs="Liberation Serif" w:eastasia="Liberation Serif" w:hansi="Liberation Serif"><w:b w:val="0"><w:i w:val="0"><w:smallcaps w:val="0"><w:strike w:val="0"><w:color ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠w:val="333333"><w:sz w:val="24"><w:szcs w:val="24"><w:u w:val="none"><w:shd w:fill="auto" w:val="clear"><w:vertalign w:val="baseline"><w:r w:rsiddel="00000000" w:rsidr="00000000" w:rsidrpr="00000000"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Calibri" w:cs="Calibri" w:eastasia="Calibri" w:hansi="Calibri"><w:b w:val="1"><w:i w:val="0"><w:smallcaps w:val="0"><w:strike w:val="0"><w:color w:val="333333"><w:sz w:val="22"><w:szcs w:val="22"><w:u w:val="none"><w:shd w:fill="auto" w:val="clear"><w:vertalign w:val="baseline"><w:rtl w:val="0"><w:t xml:space="preserve">Chapter 344 The golem before Zeke's eyes greeted him with natural movements, like the automated golems that Hades had created.'Even more natural than the ones Lord Hades made.'At first glance, it looked as if there was a real person inside.The golem knight rose.『Successor. I shall guide you to the Sanctuary of Light.』Finding its archaic way of speaking fascinating, Zeke looked at the golem with renewed interest.Zeke followed the golem as it led the way into the ruins.Unlike the outside, the interior of the ruins was preserved through the system, maintaining its original form, with the Lubern Dynasty's distinctive style and rose patterns visible throughout.'I heard it's difficult to find ruins or relics with the Lubern Dynasty's style since most were destroyed after the Holy Empire. To think there's a site preserved in its original form like this. Scholars would drool over this.'Lubern Dynasty artifacts were highly valued because they were practical despite being decorated with elaborate and detailed craftsmanship.That's why undestroyed antiques from the Lubern Dynasty era were traded at very high prices even without magic enchantments.Zeke carefully observed the golem knight guiding him.'An automated golem moving this naturally. I didn't know the Lubern Dynasty's holy magic included such capabilities.'The Lubern Dynasty was known to have expanded its power led by the first Holy King, Geo Lubern's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠abilities and the Holy Knights enhanced by those abilities.Inheriting the power of the founder, Light Mage Claudia Lubern, Geo Lubern could use powerful holy magic and was able to create magic-imbued equipment for the Holy Knights with that power.Through this, the Lubern Dynasty expanded its territory and established the first Holy Empire.Zeke spoke to the golem."Guide, I have a question."『Please speak, Successor.』"Were you created by a Lubern Dynasty mage?"The golem answered Zeke's question.『While my form was created by Lord Hyperion, the Dawn Guardian of the Silver clan, my consciousness was awakened by Lord Geo Lubern, inheritor of the Brilliant Light.』After the Liberation War, dragons had disappeared from the central continent.So it was surprising that a guardian created by a dragon was protecting the Holy King's sanctuary.'The Dawn Guardian Hyperion. Is this dragon directly connected to the Holy King? I should ask Lord Hades later.'Then another question occurred to Zeke.'Come to think of it, why isn't the relationship between Holy King Geo Lubern and Terakan Draker known?'Records showed that the Holy King inherited Light Mage Claudia Lubern's bloodline.However, there were no records anywhere indicating the relationship between the Holy King and the Dragon Slayer Terakan Draker.Zeke recalled how the Draker family had intentionally erased records about Terakan.'Did they erase the relationship between the Holy King and Terakan to hide their shame? Why does the Draker family have so many secrets?'The Draker family, though his own, remained full of mysteries.After their founder Sethon Draker, they continued their history under the name of Absolute Swordsmen, but now they had erased that name and gained fame as the Dragon Slayer family established by Terakan Draker. Yet ironically, Terakan Draker, who achieved the Dragon Slayer legend, was a prodigal son expelled from the family.'I should be able to learn those secrets in the Forest of the Forgotten.'Zeke believed that the Secret Cave left behind by Sethon Draker might hold the long-buried secrets of the Absolute Sword.Then the golem knight spoke to Zeke.『Successor, we have arrived at the sanctuary entrance.』Looking up ahead, he saw a massive door adorned with intricate and elaborate decorations.Zeke asked the golem knight."Is this where the first Holy King rests?"『The inheritor of the Radiant Light has waited long for the Successor's arrival.』The golem knight didn't give a precise answer to Zeke's question, perhaps only able to answer predetermined questions.But Zeke was satisfied with that and reached toward the door.[Accessing administrator system.][Verifying code.][Successor's code authenticated.][Opening Sanctuary of Radiant Light portal.]WOONGWOONGWOONG!Rather than the door opening, a white light rippled and formed a portal.‘'What's this?'’The golem knight standing beside Zeke spoke.『This is the true entrance that opens only for the genuine successor.』Zeke could sense that the Holy King had made these arrangements for someone, though he wasn't sure why.'For Lubern's descendants? Or the Draker family ?'He couldn't understand the Holy King's intentions.'I'll find out once I enter.'Zeke slowly entered the light portal.Light surrounded him completely, making it impossible to open his eyes properly.After a moment, a completely different space appeared through the portal.'Where is this?'It was an audience chamber decorated with brilliant five-colored lights.Zeke was startled by the sudden appearance of the audience chamber.'This isn't a space within the ruins.'He had experienced something similar before.He remembered being transported to the hall of Castle Creta when he met Tyr on the last floor of the Inverted Tower.Then someone entered the audience chamber.Zeke looked up at the person who entered.A knight who walked in with dignified steps and sat on the throne, wearing armor that gave off a mysterious radiance.The face couldn't be seen due to the full armor and helmet.But Zeke seemed to know who it was.'The first Holy King. Geo Lubern.'At that realization, Zeke's eyes trembled.The armor Geo Lubern was wearing looked familiar.'That's...'It was none other than Goddess Theia's Hersion.* * *Freed from brainwashing, Calito racked his brain trying to figure out how to escape this situation.Judging that joining the Emperor's side was the best option for now, he decided to quietly follow the hunting dogs' lead.As Calito's group descended to the catacomb through the underground passage, they suddenly felt the entire underground space shake.'D-damn it.'They had no way of knowing whether something had happened above or if the underground structure itself was weakening.With no immediate options available, Calito continued deeper inside with the knights, carrying various anxieties.During this time, some knights began to collapse from exhaustion.Having marched ruthlessly while brainwashed, and some having restored their damaged bodies at the cost of life force due to the cultists' magic, their bodies simply couldn't endure anymore."Weaklings! How dare you call yourselves Scorpion Knights? !"Calito ordered them to continue advancing, abandoning the exhausted knights.In the current situation, the only option was to quickly join the Emperor's side and secure an escape route.Once they reached a relatively safe area, it wouldn't matter if they escaped alone, leaving the Emperor behind.But then the hunting dog members flinched and raised their hands."What is it?!"A hunting dog member put his finger to his lips, whispering for silence."There's something behind us."At those words, Calito turned around and saw something approaching in the darkness.GRRRR!An eerie sound like that of a monster echoed through them underground space.What appeared were dead soldiers who had turned into monsters under the influence of the cultists' evil magic.While undead sometimes appeared on battlefields, this wasn't particularly surprising. The problem was that the dead soldiers had been cursed by the cultists' magic and transformed into ghouls.Ghouls were monsters stronger and faster than ordinary zombies.The ghoul soldiers, who had been wandering around to feast on corpses, seemed to have found another entrance besides the collapsed one.Over dozens of ghoul soldiers approached Calito's group with crazed eyes.GRRRR!Calito shouted at the ghoul soldiers."Damn it, how dare these monster bastards?!"As he drew his magic sword to shoot at the ghoul soldiers, a hunting dog member stopped him in panic."If you use explosion magic here, it could cause a dust explosion and collapse the cave!"At those words, Calito gritted his teeth and shouted."Then what are you doing?! Get rid of those things right now!"At Calito's shout as he stepped back, the Scorpion knights and Hounds had no choice but to confront the ghoul soldiers.KWAAAK!Soon after, the ghoul soldiers attacked them with bizarre movements, climbing up the walls.KAAAK!The ghoul soldiers rushed at the Scorpion knights, who had been their fellow Imperial soldiers, sinking their teeth into their necks and swinging their sharp claws."KWAAAK!"The Scorpion knights tried to fend off the ghoul soldiers, but no matter how much they stabbed or cut off limbs, the ghouls only clung more tenaciously.The Hounds managed better, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blocking the ghouls' movements by throwing daggers before striking them down with swords.Then a grotesque sound came from above.GRRRR!More ghouls appeared, crawling on the ceiling.These new ones wore knight's attire rather than soldier's uniforms.The transformed knight ghouls ambushed them from unexpected angles."KWAAAK!"As the Scorpion knights and Hounds were overwhelmed, Calito drew his magic sword again.'D-damn it. If they get this far, I'll blast them with magic without mercy.'If necessary, he could remove Gillian's restraints to eliminate them all.But he wasn't sure if Gillian would listen to him now that he was free from the Emperor's brainwashing.Even under the cultists' brainwashing, Gillian had refused to properly follow the Emperor's orders, leading to his restraints - he might attack Calito instead.KWAAAK!More ghouls could be heard approaching.Just as Calito was about to draw his magic sword...THUD! THUD!Footsteps approached from behind.'Those footsteps?'A knight in blood-stained brass armor emerged from the darkness.Brass armor was worn exclusively by the Imperial Guard.The Imperial Guard knight, carrying a sword in one hand and buckler in the other, passed by Calito and raised his sword.TSUTSUTSUTSU!A brilliant aura blade rose from his sword.With one swing, he sliced through not only the ghouls but also the knights and Hounds they had grabbed, scattering them to pieces.THUD! THUD!The ghouls were eliminated instantly with the Imperial Guard knight's appearance.Calito was startled by the knight's sudden appearance.'At least Blue Knight class. Maybe even Red Knight level...'As he warily wondered why an Imperial Guard knight suddenly appeared, the knight sheathed his sword and approached Calito."Vice Commander Calito."Calito composed himself and stood straight at the knight's words.Still pretending to be brainwashed, he shouted."Where is His Majesty now?! Take me to His Majesty at once! While I, Calito, am here, those villains shall never harm His Majesty!"The Imperial Guard knight showed no reaction to Calito's exaggerated voice.He spoke to Calito in a monotone voice."His Majesty summons you. Bring Commander Gillian and follow me."After saying this, the knight turned and headed forward.Calito's eyebrows twitched at the knight's words.'The Emperor called for me?'It was hard to understand why he was being summoned again after being abandoned.After quick consideration, Calito concluded he had no choice but to follow the knight and join the Emperor's side.'Whatever this is about, I'll stick with the Emperor's side to escape this place. At least I won't die from monsters if I stay near the Imperial Guards.'Calito's eyes flashed as he looked at the restrained Gillian following him.'If the Emperor tries anything strange again, I'll release the Commander's restraints and escape alone in the chaos.'Calito was someone specialized in survival, willing to do anything to stay alive.He followed the Imperial Guard knight with the surviving Scorpion knights.