399
Chapter 399
WHOOSH!
Zeke pierced through the thick ice wall with the power of flame and headed toward where the key's light pointed.
Since the eternal ice was as hard as steel and very difficult to handle, Zeke couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that he could use the power of flame.
It is said that in ancient times there was a technique to make weapons by processing this eternal ice, but now that tradition has been broken and passed down only as a legend.
Zeke entered deeper into the eternal ice cave along with Carmilla's group.
Though the sharp ice embedded in the ceiling and walls looked beautiful, there was a risk of getting cut or stabbed if one wasn't careful.
It was very dangerous because if you got injured here, the tissue would immediately necrotize due to the terrible cold and the body part would have to be amputated.
Nevertheless, the light of the key kept pointing downward into the cave, so they couldn't stop walking.
As Zeke carefully descended down the ice cave, he soon discovered a long corridor.
'These are traces of ancient ruins.'
It was an artificially created corridor, not a naturally formed cave.
What was unique was that they used eternal ice to create structures instead of stone or wood.
It was amazing technology that processed and stacked eternal ice like bricks.
'With this level of technology, it would have been possible to make weapons from eternal ice.'
Though it was unknown how long eternal ice could be maintained in hot regions, it seemed it could be used effectively at least in the north.
While looking around at the mysterious sight, Zeke sensed something ahead as he walked along the corridor made of ice walls and floor.
'Is it a Guardian?'
If this was Caligula's tomb made by the Elder Dragon, he expected there would be guardians to block outsiders.
But what appeared before Zeke wasn't a guardian.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Something like white snowflakes began to fly chaotically around Zeke.
Seeing this, Carmilla said in surprise:
"Snow spirits... These are rare to see these days. How fascinating."
Learning that they were snow spirits, Zeke observed them carefully. However, the snow spirits particularly circled around Zeke.
When Nicky approached trying to touch them out of envy, the snow spirits avoided her touch.
Seeing this, Carmilla shook her head.
"They don't really like us since we deal with necromancy. But it seems the spirits are particularly fond of Zeke Draker. It's quite rare for humans to be loved by spirits."
Hearing Carmilla's words, Zeke had some idea why.
'It must be because of the Elemental Sword. Since I can handle elemental power, which is a force of nature.'
But Zeke didn't say anything particular and continued forward.
As they advanced, snow spirits appeared throughout the ruins, and Zeke was welcomed by spirits wherever he went.
Nicky looked at Zeke with envious eyes, but there was nothing she could do.
As they walked along the corridor encountering snow spirits, a massive door appeared before Zeke's group.
Zeke could feel strong dragon energy from the door.
'Is this the Elder Dragon's power?'
Carmilla stepped forward to stand in front of the door and reached out her hand.
She muttered something in ancient language while drawing upon the power of blood magic.
However, the tightly sealed door didn't move at all.
Carmilla frowned and said:
"It seems this door was made by beings other than vampires."
Bacchus looked at Carmilla and asked:
"Mother, even your power cannot open it?"
Carmilla nodded.
"Apart from being completely different systems... the level of magic itself is different. I'm not sure if all the mages of Nirvana together could decipher the magic cast on this door."
Bacchus's expression hardened at those words.
"If it's magic of that level, isn't it dragon magic?"
Carmilla nodded.
"If it was sealed by the Elder Dragon as Zeke said, then it must be magic cast by him."
While Carmilla and Bacchus were seriously discussing magic in front of the door, Zeke accessed the system.
'System, open that door.'
[Superior Administrator System detects secure zone 'Caligula's Tomb'.]
[Superior Administrator System attempts to connect.]
[Area recognizes Advanced Administrator.]
[Access denied from secure zone 'Caligula's Tomb'.]
Zeke confirmed the access denied message and took out the key he had put back in his inventory.
'System, try connecting again using this.'
[Advanced Administrator System attempts to reconnect.]
[Secure zone 'Caligula's Tomb' confirms authentication key.]
[Confirming access code for 'Caligula's Tomb'.]
[Confirming user's title 'One Blessed by the Great Dragon'.]
[Removing seal from secure zone.]
[Access granted to secure zone 'Caligula's Tomb'.]
As soon as the message announced permission, the tightly sealed door began to split open sideways.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
A massive wave of cold air could be felt rushing out from inside.
When Zeke approached, Carmilla gaped in disbelief at the suddenly opened door.
"H-how did you open that door...?"
Zeke scratched his head and said:
"It just opened when I touched it."
Carmilla's eyes shook violently at his words.
"It opened when you touched it? What does that... Wait, could this be related to the Fairy King's blessing? Perhaps the door itself recognizes the blessing and automatically opens and closes..."
Thinking it would just waste time and become tiresome if Carmilla dug deeper, Zeke gestured to her.
"For now, we should go in since the door is open. It might close again soon."
At Zeke's words, the group quickly entered through the door.
The inside of the ruins was even colder than outside.
Even the vampires, who were resistant to cold, felt chills.
Like the outside, Caligula's tomb was constructed using eternal ice.
The walls were decorated in ancient style, similar to the golden city Blanca where Hades was imprisoned.
'Was this made during the era of constellations?'
If it was from the constellation era, it made sense that they had the technology to process eternal ice.
Zeke's group went deeper inside while looking around Caligula's tomb, which was beautiful as if made of crystal.
Then a chamber appeared with a massive altar erected in the center.
Everyone's attention was captured by its appearance, like a beautiful temple.
Zeke said to Carmilla beside him.
"It would be better if just the two of us go from here."
Carmilla nodded at Zeke's words.
After leaving Icarus with Bacchus, Zeke climbed the altar stairs with Carmilla.
After climbing hundreds of steps to reach the altar, they found a coffin tightly bound with chains in the center.
Carmilla trembled slightly at the sight of the coffin.
"Caligula's coffin. The legend was true."
Zeke approached the coffin with Carmilla.
She looked at the chain-bound coffin and nodded.
"I can definitely feel vampire power from here."
Speaking softly, she took out a dagger.
She cut her palm with the dagger and let blood drip onto the coffin.
As she closed her eyes and chanted in ancient language, the blood that fell on the coffin moved on its own and transformed into geometric patterns.
It gradually spread wider across the entire coffin.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
When Carmilla's chant intensified, at some point, the coffin began to vibrate.
CLANK! CLANK!
The chains wrapping the coffin moved noisily.
But besides the vibration, there was no other change in the coffin.
Beads of sweat formed on Carmilla's forehead as she chanted.
Making hand seals, she concentrated all her power to try to break the coffin's seal.
But then something sudden happened.
CRASH!
Carmilla, who was making hand seals, was thrown back by the recoil.
WHOOSH!
Zeke immediately jumped up and caught Carmilla who was floating in the air.
Then he landed safely on the ground.
Bacchus and Nicky, who were watching, rushed over.
"Mother!"
Zeke held Carmilla's hand and used Healing Factor while checking her condition.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to be seriously injured.
Carmilla slowly opened her eyes.
She spoke with a trembling voice:
"The, the being inside the coffin is not the king of vampires, not anything like that."
Bacchus asked Carmilla in surprise:
"What do you mean, Mother? How can Caligula not be the vampire king?"
Carmilla barely raised her body and said:
"It was something else beyond vam-vampires. I understand why they sealed it in a place like this. Just looking at the sealed being felt like it would destroy my mind..."
Carmilla lost consciousness after barely finishing those words.
When Zeke quickly checked Carmilla's condition, she had just fainted from receiving too great a mental shock.
Bacchus and Nicky's already pale faces turned even whiter.
After watching them for a moment, Zeke slowly got up.
Bacchus said to Zeke in surprise:
"You're not planning to break Caligula's seal, are you?"
"We can't just turn back after coming this far."
Bacchus jumped to his feet.
"Even Mother a True Blood couldn't withstand Caligula's power! How do you, a human, think you can handle such power?!"
Zeke turned to Bacchus and said:
"What do you think would happen if this power fell into the hands of Jiemens or Arthur?"
Carmilla had already seen through dreams what would happen if someone else obtained Caligula's power.
What she saw in her dreams was horrific.
After obtaining Caligula's power, Cain revealed himself fully and massacred the humans of the Central Continent.
Zeke hadn't known because his identity was hidden, but the numerous massacres in his past life must have originated from him.
Bacchus couldn't bring himself to answer Zeke's words.
Zeke took this as another kind of answer and turned to climb back up to the altar.
Unlike before, the coffin was quietly sleeping.
'A being beyond vampires.'
Zeke slowly approached the coffin.
Then he drew upon the power of the Blood Eye.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
A third eye made of red appeared on his forehead.
Zeke tried to break the coffin's seal with the power of the Blood Eye.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Like when Carmilla performed her ritual, the coffin began to vibrate strongly.
Zeke forcibly broke the coffin's seal using the power of the Blood Eye.
CLANK! CLANK!
The chains thrashed much more violently than before.
Realizing the chains were wrapped around the coffin preventing the seal from breaking, Zeke drew Bahamut.
Then he swung it at the chains wrapped around the coffin, infusing it with his soul energy.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Though the chains tried to resist Zeke's soul energy by constricting the coffin even tighter, they couldn't overcome Zeke's sword imbued with the energy of 'Cutting'.
Finally, Bahamut cut through the chains wrapping the coffin.
WHOOSH!
The cut chains were all sucked into the coffin.
After a moment, the coffin began to vibrate even more strongly.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
At the same time, not just the altar but the entire tomb began to shake.
Zeke drew upon more power from the Blood Eye.
But then:
HISSSSSS!
Black smoke poured out from inside the coffin.
The smoke instantly enveloped Zeke.
Everything went dark and he couldn't see anything.
'This feels similar to the barrier used by the Knights of the Abyss.'
His vision was blocked and all his senses felt sealed off.
Zeke activated the Blood Eye to find a gap in the barrier.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
When Zeke's consciousness penetrated inside the barrier after finding a gap through the Blood Eye, the surrounding environment changed.
'Where is this?'
A massive hall decorated in an unfamiliar style.
But it was extremely old and broken in many places.
It looked like the palace of a fallen kingdom.
CLANK.
When Zeke, whose attention had been momentarily captured by the strange sight, turned his head toward the sound, he saw someone sitting on a massive throne.
A man with chains wrapped around his hands and feet.
A very dangerous aura emanated from the man.
Zeke slowly approached the throne.
The man sat on the throne with his long hair hanging down and his head bowed, showing no reaction even as Zeke approached.
Zeke instinctively felt he knew who this man was.
'Caligula.'
Zeke had directly entered into the consciousness of the sealed vampire king.
Zeke spoke to Caligula:
"King of Vampires."
CLANK!
The sound of chains clashing rang out again.
Caligula, who had been hanging his head, slowly raised it.
Zeke was startled when he faced Caligula.
'That thing on his forehead...'
On Caligula's forehead was another eye.
Caligula looked down at Zeke with a languid yet arrogant expression.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
[You dare call me the king of those gloomy pale-faced creatures?]
Just him opening his mouth created an overwhelming pressure that weighed down Zeke's entire body.
He slowly opened his mouth again.
[I am the king of the great Shambhala, and ruler of all wicked things.]
Caligula's eyes glowed red as he looked at Zeke.
[I am the Blood King Caligula, the true master of the Three-Eyed clan.]