Chapter 416
Chapter 416
Chapter 416
CRAAAACK!
When the hammer imbued with destructive will struck, the monster's body twisted and exploded.
Zeke began striking down the fallen monsters' bodies with his hammer.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
He kept striking until the monsters' bodies were shattered to pieces.
After striking for some time, the monsters' corpses twitched but didn't regenerate easily.
‘This should be enough.’
Zeke used absorption on the monsters' corpses.
The shadows rose and enveloped them, but surprisingly returned to normal without absorbing anything.
The absorption skill can consume objects or creatures with magical energy, but cannot consume humans or normal creatures.
'Even at this level, they're just humans and not corrupted by demonic energy?'
It was impossible for normal humans to have such self-healing abilities.
'Is the Abyss or Jiemens' people behind Salmak too? No, that makes even less sense.'
When he saw the dark magic clan Scorpion with Salmak, there was a high possibility.
They could be impossible living weapons created through the Dark mages' forbidden experiments.
However, most weapons created this way before were corrupted by demonic energy, so doubts remained.
But with no way to solve this mystery now, while contemplating how to deal with the still-regenerating monsters, someone appeared.
"Zeke Draker."
The Lord of Salmak revealed himself.
Zeke stood up and raised his hammer.
Then he spoke to the Lord of Salmak.
"Surprising you didn't run away."
"How could the lord of Salmak leave this place? Insolent fool."
The Lord of Salmak glared at Zeke with angry eyes and said:
"How dare you repay my kindness like this?"
Zeke smirked and replied:
"Let's speak properly. We made a contract because I saved your lover. I even paid money."
Zeke swung his hammer as he continued.
"Besides, you broke the contract first by ordering Shadia to assassinate me."
The Lord of Salmak bit his lip without responding.
After gathering his thoughts, he looked at Zeke and said:
"There's no point bringing that up now. Withdraw your forces immediately. Then I'll spare your life."
"Do you think that's appropriate in this situation? Let me make a proposal. Surrender now. I'll at least guarantee you a peaceful death."
Zeke had no intention of letting this troublemaker live.
The Lord of Salmak frowned at Zeke's words.
"Words are useless here."
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Three more monsters appeared from behind.
GRRRRRR!
Massive bodies, excessive muscles, disgustingly protruding tendons - they were the same as the ones Zeke just faced.
While examining them, Zeke was shocked to see one monster's face.
"You sacrificed even your lover?"
Even the Lord's beloved youngest disciple had become a mindless monster.
The Lord of Salmak licked his lips and said:
"My disciples willingly sacrificed themselves to protect me! Isn't this true love?!"
He must have injected suspicious drugs or performed rituals using the isolation within their bodies as an excuse.
'Should I have let him die by his disciples' hands like in his past life?'
Zeke clicked his tongue and grabbed his hammer.
Then he swung it at the charging monsters.
CRASH!
The monsters hit by Zeke's hammer flew into the air.
They were fast and strong, but that was all.
It might work against regular knights, but was useless against Zeke who had reached the level of a black knight.
BANG!
After Zeke slammed all three monsters into the wall, he approached the Lord of Salmak.
"Seems giving you a peaceful death is impossible."
But then.
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, Rahim appeared behind Zeke through spatial movement.
Next to Rahim stood a girl with closed eyes and a man with a masked mouth.
Rahim spoke to the girl:
"Masa, begin."
Following Rahim's order, the girl's eyes snapped open.
Unlike normal eyes, hers had a strange mix of red, purple, and gold colors.
ZIIIIING!
Masa, as she was called, stared at Zeke with her mysterious eyes.
Through them, she invaded Zeke's mind.
TZTZTZTZTZT!
Masa tried to break into Zeke's mind and suppress his spirit.
Even the strongest knight couldn't resist when their spirit was suppressed.
Masa instantly entered Zeke's Subconscious.
But at some point, Masa felt something strange.
'What is that?'
Something was crouching in Zeke's subconscious.
It slowly raised its head.
Masa was shocked when she recognized what it was.
'A Dragon?'
A huge, pitch-black dragon stared at her with glowing yellow eyes.
The dragon slowly opened its mouth and breathed massive flames toward Masa.
WHOOSH!
Startled by the flames flying toward her, Masa escaped the subconscious.
She regained consciousness and lifted her head.
THUD!
But she hadn't fully escaped - this wasn't the outside world. It was an old castle, and a bandaged man bound in chains sat on a throne, looking down at her.
Masa couldn't control her body from the massive, evil power emanating from him.
'Ahhh.....'
She couldn't even speak from terror.
The bandaged man's red eyes flashed as he looked at Masa.
[How dare you enter my domain without permission?... I'll bind your soul and imprison you as a slave forever.]
He slowly rose from the throne and tried to approach Masa.
Masa tried desperately to escape but couldn't move as Zeke’s Subconscious was sealed.
Just as the bandaged man tried to grab Masa.
"Return to your seat while I'm asking nicely."
Zeke suddenly appeared, standing in front of Masa and commanding him.
At the words of Zeke, master of this mental plane, Caligula's shadow returned to his throne trembling in fear.
He sat with his head down, endlessly muttering something.
Zeke looked down at Masa collapsed on the floor and said:
"This is what happens when you carelessly enter others' minds. Now leave."
Zeke snapped his fingers.
"Gasp!"
Instantly, Masa returned to her original consciousness.
As she staggered and collapsed, Rahim adjusted his glasses and said:
"What are you doing, Masa? You haven't suppressed Zeke Draker's mind."
With a pale face, Masa looked at Zeke and said:
"Im-impossible... Someone having such a mental world..."
Zeke's mental world, containing both dragon and blood king powers, was beyond what humans could handle.
Seeing Masa lose her fighting spirit, Rahim clenched his teeth and spoke to the man beside him:
"Nazim."
At Rahim's words, the man called Nazim nodded and stepped forward.
Blades had already emerged from Nazim's hands.
Surprisingly, he wasn't holding swords - the blades were protruding through his palms.
SWOOSH!
Nazim attacked Zeke, swinging the blades protruding from both arms.
WHOOSH!
When Zeke blocked and deflected the attack with his hammer, Nazim jumped back and leaped into the air.
But then, huge blades suddenly protruded from both his shoulders.
Nazim threw the shoulder blades at Zeke.
WHOOOOSH!
The two massive blades spun rapidly as they flew toward Zeke.
'Huh?'
Zeke made a bewildered expression seeing blades emerge from a human body.
He deflected the incoming blades with his hammer, but they changed direction and flew back toward him.
'How annoying.'
Just then, the monsters that had been hit by Zeke's attack recovered and charged at him.
GRRRRRR!
The monsters roared loudly as they threw punches at Zeke.
Zeke decided to handle them one by one calmly.
CLANK!
Chains shot out from Zeke's left hand.
Zeke tied the chains to his hammer and swung it at the charging monsters.
CRASH!
The hammer flew and struck the monsters' bodies, then the chains wrapped around them.
CLANK!
Though the monsters bound by the chains could heal their wounds, they couldn't move due to the soul Sealing technique.
After restraining the monsters, Zeke swung Bahamut at Nazim's flying blades.
WHOOOOSH!
Zeke, using the water field of the Elemental Sword, caught Nazim's blades with his sword and sent them back.
SWISH!
The blades, combined with the reverse wave sword's rotation, seemed to fly toward Nazim but suddenly changed direction under Zeke's control and shot toward the Lord of Salmak at the throne.
"UGH!"
The Lord of Salmak urgently stretched out his hand.
Thin silver threads shot out from his sleeve to block the incoming blades.
PING!
However, the blades imbued with the power of rotational force cut through even the Lord's silver threads.
SLASH!
The blades grazed the Lord's shoulder before embedding in the wall.
"ARGH!"
The Lord of Salmak grabbed his shoulder, staggered backward, and shouted at Rahim:
"Damn it! Kill him quickly!"
The Lord's eyes were bloodshot.
Hearing the Lord's shout, Rahim adjusted his glasses and glared at Zeke.
"Time's up. Zeke Draker, stop interfering with our work and die."
Rahim raised his hand after finishing his words.
TZTZTZTZT!
A magic circle appeared where Zeke stood.
Zeke realized they had been stalling for time to activate this trap.
RUMBLE!
But a familiar energy flowed from the magic circle on the ground.
'Oh, this is...'
It was the same energy he felt from the Bottomless Pit that Nebilos had opened.
The energy from the magic circle was pulling Zeke in.
TZTZTZTZT!
Zeke slowly sank into the magic circle. Watching this, Rahim smiled faintly.
"Not even demons can escape once pulled into the Bottomless Pit beyond. Even you, Zeke Draker, won't be able to escape from there."
Sunken to his knees, Zeke glared at Rahim and asked:
"Are those monsters and this magic circle all created by the Nostra Family?"
After briefly tensing at Zeke's question, Rahim adjusted his glasses and answered:
"Well, I'll tell you as a final farewell. The Nostra Family has been conducting many secret experiments for a long time. We invested much manpower and capital to create immortal soldiers, superhumans with powerful blood abilities, and tactical magic."
"These are what was created?"
"This is just a part. No one knows the true nature of the Nostra Family."
Zeke had now sunk to his waist.
Watching this, the Lord of Salmak ground his teeth and shouted:
"Rahim! What are you doing?! Kill him quickly!"
But then.
The chains on the ground moved and caught the shouting Lord of Salmak's legs.
"UGH!"
The Lord was quickly dragged and fell into the Bottomless Pit swamp.
"HUH! HUHK!"
The Lord reached toward Rahim.
"Sa-save me...!"
CRACKLE!
Zeke grabbed the chains and unleashed light lightning.
Struck by the lightning, the Lord foamed at the mouth and slowly sank into the Bottomless Pit.
It was a pathetic and insignificant end for the ruler of the desert Salmak.
Startled by the sudden situation, Rahim was shocked to see Zeke's body stop sinking.
"You couldn't have..."
Then Zeke put on the mask of Agamemnon and Hersion and emitted light of purification.
WHOOSH!
The golden aura neutralized the Bottomless Pit’s corrupting energy that bound him.
Rising into the air after escaping the Bottomless Pit in one go, he looked down at Rahim.
GROWL!
The bound monsters screamed at Zeke.
Their wounds seemed fully healed.
"Perfect timing. Thanks for opening something useful."
Zeke pulled the chains and threw all the bound monsters into the Bottomless Pit entrance.
"GRRRRRR!"
The monsters were also sucked into the endless Abyss.
Seeing this, Rahim shouted at Zeke:
"Zeke Draker!"
Simultaneously, the Bottomless Pit entrance slowly began to close.
TZTZTZTZT!
Zeke landed on the restored ground in his armor.
He looked at Rahim and said:
"Seems like a waste after all your preparation."
Zeke approached Rahim.
Nazim stood in front with drawn blades, trying to protect him.
After briefly looking at Rahim, Nazim, and Masa, Zeke sheathed his sword and spoke:
"Rahim, was it?"
He glared at Rahim and continued.
"Tell me everything you know about the Nostra Family. Then I'll consider it and give you a peaceful death."