Chapter 420
Chapter 420
Chapter 420
WOOOOOONG!
The light aura completely absorbed into the totem and floated into the air.
Then a strong light burst forth from the totem.
Zeke turned his head away from the intense light.
'Has the seal been broken?'
As the light dimmed slightly, he turned his head back to look at the light aura and saw that the totem, which had looked like a small clay figurine, was multiplying.
KUGUUGUGUGU-
The mound of earth was rapidly expanding in size like a tower growing in reverse.
Watching this from behind, Arataso backed away, startled by the growing presence of the Earth God.
[W-what is that thing…?]
Stammering and continuously backing away, Arataso was so shocked by the Divine Dragon's power that he eventually returned to the Green Sword on his own.
Zeke put the Damascus Sword and Green Sword into his inventory and watched the growing mound of earth that was gradually taking shape.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
The massive mound of earth had nearly taken its complete form.
Zeke recognized what it was.
'It's the same form as that stone statue I saw in the Forest of the Forgotten.'
A figure with a deer's body and ox's hooves.
The divine status reformed at a size several times larger than the stone statue seen in the forest.
KUGUUGUGUGU!
As the earth mound completed forming its body, finally a dragon's face emerged with horns and eyes.
Light swirled in the eyes made of earth, and auspicious clouds began to float around the Divine Dragon's body.
Then messages appeared.
[The sealed Earth God's divine status is being liberated.]
[Earth God Gaia recovers divine power.]
[With Earth God Gaia's liberation, the continent's earth stabilizes.]
[The earth regains its power and spirits and fantasy creatures return to their homes.]
Zeke was shocked by these messages.
'So the spirits and fantasy creatures that vanished had lost their homes because the Earth God was sealed.'
Between the Sea God, Forest God, and Earth God being forgotten and sealed, the continent had lost many things.
Even more surprising was that most races in the material world, including humans, knew nothing of these facts.
'The Abyss, which has long manipulated the continent's history and instigated conflicts. They worked to ensure we wouldn't remember the gods and that the material world wouldn't regain its power.'
Only after the sealed gods returned could they realize what the material world had lost.
Then the Earth God descended from the air and slowly approached where Zeke stood.
It looked at Zeke with benevolent and brilliant eyes.
[Earth God Gaia gazes upon the Immortal.]
[Earth God Gaia expresses deep gratitude to the Immortal.]
The Divine Dragon's form bowed its head to Zeke.
When the Divine Dragon bowed to him, Zeke was flustered and bowed his head in return.
'I thought the Earth God would be extremely strict because of Ishtar's strict laws, but it actually feels more comfortable than the other Divine Dragons.'
[Earth God Gaia attempts to access the Immortal's Kabbalah System. Do you approve this access?]
Zeke was startled by the sudden message.
Though he was surprised since there had been no such approach from other Divine Dragons, he soon approved the access.
[Earth God Gaia's access has been approved.]
[Part of Earth God Gaia's memory data will be shared. Would you like to check the data?]
'Memory data?'
Though he didn't know what it was, Zeke sensed that Gaia wanted to convey something to him.
He answered that he would check the data.
[Playing Earth God Gaia's memory data.]
Suddenly the scene before Zeke's eyes changed.
'Huh? This is.'
He had experienced this several times before.
'Are these the Earth God's memories?'
Zeke, who possessed a dragon's heart, could feel himself becoming one with the Earth God, even though these were just memories.
As he felt deep, gentle, and comfortable energy spreading throughout his body, he slowly closed his eyes.
'So this is the Earth God's power. It feels like a power that could embrace everything.'
Zeke could sense the quiet yet powerful force contained within.
But then he felt an alien force that broke the tranquility.
It was a jarring and clamorous force that moved like dissonance interrupting a harmonious world.
When he opened his eyes again, a completely new view spread before him.
It felt entirely different from seeing with human eyes.
He could not only see in all directions but also understand everything that existed in that space.
And before him stood the dissonant being that broke the harmony.
[Gaia, now you're the only one left.]
The alien being wore pitch-black armor.
Zeke, who had become one with the Earth God, recognized the being's identity.
'Jiemens Apollion.'
The appearance of the Hersion covering the whole body was different from now, but it could clearly be felt as the Goddess Theia's Hersion.
At the same time, Zeke was surprised to feel a familiar energy from Jiemens Apollion.
'Abel?'
It was very similar to the energy that flowed from Abel's body when fighting him before.
Zeke realized that energy was from a dragon.
'Could it be... that the dragon heart transplanted into Abel and the dragon heart Jiemens Apollion transplanted into himself are the same?'
Jiemens Apollion stole the contracted dragon's heart and put it into his own body, transcending Human limits.
He became the first dragon kin.
And Abel too awakened as a demon dragon kin by putting a cursed dragon heart into his body through the Abyss's baptism.
'Those Abyss bastards. Did they keep the dragon heart that was transplanted into Jiemens Apollion's body to create a vessel for the Demon King?'
Their terrifying obsession with resurrecting the Demon King could be felt.
And then Jiemens Apollion raised his sword.
[Earth God Gaia. Once I seal your divine status, I will be reborn as the true king.]
Zeke recognized the sword Jiemens raised.
'That undrawn sword that was stuck in the Draker family's secret space I visited with the head of household before.'
Arthur Draker said it was the sword of the founder Sethon Draker, but the reality was different.
'That sword was Jiemens Apollion's.'
HWARARRRRK!
Black flames rose from the sword Jiemens Apollion held.
Zeke, who resided within Gaia's body, felt an ominous energy from the black flames that shot from the spear.
'What is that? It doesn't seem like dragon power. Is it some kind of authority?'
Jiemens Apollion shot the ominous black flames toward Gaia.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
The black flames swirled and everything was dyed black.
Gaia raised the clouds wrapping their body to try to subdue the black flames.
But that wasn't enough to block Jiemens Apollion's black flames.
Gaia twisted their body to try to avoid the black flames, but Jiemens Apollion's flames persistently clung on.
The black flames that stuck to that body sank their teeth into Gaia's form like fierce beasts and tore at their body.
Zeke, who resided within Gaia's body, felt the pain as if his soul was being torn apart.
'KEUUK!'
Helplessly unable to do anything, Zeke could only grit his teeth and endure the pain.
Gaia tried to avoid the flames somehow but it was useless.
Due to the black flames, Gaia's form gradually hardened.
And at some point, Jiemens Apollion rose into the air.
Looking at the hardened Gaia, he said:
[Gaia, you are certainly different from the other Divine Dragons. But it doesn't matter. Not even the Earth God can defy my authority.]
As he finished speaking, a black box appeared before Jiemens Apollion.
TSUTSUTSUTSUTSU!
And Gaia's hardened form began to be sucked into the black box.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
The broken earth clumped together inside the box and soon changed into the form of an earth-molded totem.
When Jiemens Apollion stretched his hand over the box, a lid formed by itself and Gaia's divine status was sealed inside.
Jiemens Apollion turned his head and spoke to the light cluster floating before him.
[Though I cannot destroy your soul now, once I obtain the power of the king, I will annihilate the souls of you and the other Divine Dragons and return you to dust.]
WOOOONG!
Having lost their divine status, Gaia's soul could not move under the pressure Jiemens exerted.
And shortly after, Jiemens Apollion came closer and stretched his hand toward Gaia's soul, saying.
[Sleep, Earth God. Sparing you from pain is the best consideration I can give you.]
With those words, Zeke's vision went dark and he could see nothing.
"Huh?"
Soon Zeke regained consciousness.
Gaia's form, having regained their divine status, was looking at him.
Zeke felt dizzy after looking into the Divine Dragon's memories.
Then Gaia blew out a breath.
WOOOONG!
The clouds wrapping Gaia's body gently enveloped Zeke.
Zeke smelled a mysterious and soft fragrance from the clouds.
And thanks to that scent, he felt his head clearing and his dizziness improving.
Zeke bowed his head looking at Gaia.
"Thank you, Lord Gaia. I'm alright now."
As his words ended, five-colored glowing clouds gathered and seeped into Zeke's body.
[Earth God Gaia delivers rewards to the Immortal.]
[Earth God Gaia bestows the title 'Guardian of Earth' upon the Immortal.]
[All fantasy creatures and spirits will think fondly of the Immortal and try to help.]
[Due to the influence of the title Guardian of Earth, active skills 'Lightning Strike (A+Grade)' and 'Lion's Roar (A Grade)' combine to transform into 'Thunderbolt (S Grade)'.]
[Achievement quest mission successful.]
[Obtained Earth God Gaia's sacred relic as quest mission reward.]
[As quest mission reward, received Earth God's blessing that transforms authority Fate into authority Luck.]
[One special random box awarded as reward.]
WOOOONG!
Gaia slowly bowed their head while looking at Zeke.
[Earth God Gaia prays for the Immortal's safe journey.]
As the message appeared, Gaia's body turned to light and seeped into the earth.
Unlike other Divine Dragons, Gaia seemed to exist everywhere by dwelling within the earth rather than staying in a divine realm.
Zeke examined the rewards received from Gaia.
'Two A-grade skills combined into an S-grade skill. And authority fate changed to Luck...'
Zeke looked at the information for authority Luck.
-Authority Information-
Luck: Helps fulfill the user's strong will and desires when they have them.
Zeke tilted his head looking at the Luck information.
'I don't really understand what kind of authority this is.'
With authority Coincidence, since it activated at important moments regardless of Zeke's will, it wasn't easy to utilize with any intention.
Though Luck seemed more advanced, its usage still wasn't clearly understood.
Zeke took out Gaia's sacred relic received as mission reward.
"It's that totem that was in the box."
Zeke felt the auspicious energy dwelling within the totem.
The Dragon Pearl from Poseidon, statue from Hermes, and finally the totem from Gaia.
He had received sacred relics from all three Divine Dragons.
'I know how to use the Dragon Pearl but how and where should I use the statue and totem?'
While pondering, Zeke decided to ask Hades later and first put the sacred relics in his inventory.
Then he checked the final message once more.
"Special random box. That makes all five."
With five special random boxes, it was possible to enhance them into a gradeless random box.
Since gradeless random boxes produced legendary items, they were very helpful for strengthening one's power.
Zeke opened the crafting window and put in the five special random boxes and other materials.
"Phew."
When Zeke pressed craft, a crafting in progress message appeared and after a few minutes, the special random boxes had changed into a gradeless random box.
"Success!"
Zeke took the gradeless random box out of his inventory.
"Now, let's open it."
Zeke took a deep breath and slowly opened the box.
Then a message appeared.
[User's strong will activates authority Luck.]
[Due to Luck's influence, the random box's result value changes.]
[Deriving optimal result value suitable for user.]
Along with authority Luck's activation, brilliant five-colored light and pink smoke flowed from the box.
'Wonder what legendary artifact will come out.'
Getting anxious, Zeke waved his hand through the smoke trying to see what was inside the box.
Shortly after, what revealed itself from the random box was a sword.
Zeke's eyes shook greatly upon confirming the sword.
"This is...?"
The sword that Jiemens Apollion held in Gaia's memory had appeared before Zeke's eyes.