Chapter 469
Chapter 469
Chapter 469
Zeke approached the glass tube where a child with purple hair was floating, curled up like a fetus in a womb.
‘This child was supplying magical power to the gate?’
An enormous amount of magical power is needed to maintain a gate connected to the land beyond the Eternal Barrier.
It defied common sense to extract such magical power from a child’s body.
He placed his hand on the glass tube and read the related information.
ZAP!
As strong sparks flew, fragmentary information appeared in Zeke’s mind.
Among various words and scenes, Zeke could pinpoint one important thing.
“Irregular?”
There remained faint information that the child trapped in the glass tube was an Irregular.
Zeke recalled how the Nostra Family had previously kidnapped children from Lubern and traded them with the Holy Kingdom.
‘So they weren’t just kidnapping Lubern’s children, but were searching for those with blood abilities and Irregulars.’
His expression hardened as anger rose against those who committed such horrible acts.
Since Zeke also had memories of being taken as a slave to the Southern Continent in his past life and being forced to commit terrible acts as a Cartel hitman, he was particularly sensitive to crimes targeting children.
He spoke using telepathy to Arataso and Nebilos.
-‘I’ll summon you, so draw attention near the outskirts of the supply depot.’
With Zeke’s voice sounding unusual, both Arataso and Nebilos followed his orders without question.
WHOOSH!
Through the vision of ghost warriors deployed in different locations, Zeke confirmed that Arataso and Nebilos were summoned from the Green Sword and Eastern Sword.
When the two demons suddenly appeared and attacked the supply depot, the surrounding magical beasts, monsters, and dark wizards showed signs of panic and confusion.
Zeke watched the chaotic situation at the supply depot through the eyes of the ghost warriors.
Then shortly after, he invoked the power of shadows to create shadow clones.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
The shadow clones, identical to him, shared his thoughts and already knew what plan he had devised.
“When we move to the coordinates, cut off the energy supply in one strike.”
The clones nodded as Zeke spoke emphatically once more.
Soon light flashed as the clones moved to different stone buildings of the energy supply depots.
Multiple screens appeared before his eyes, showing different battles.
“Demons are attacking!”
“W-why are demons here suddenly?”
“Stop them! Quickly report to the superiors!”
‘Good, Arataso and Nebilos are doing well. Now we just need the clones to infiltrate beneath the buildings.’
While the clones were approaching the inside of the energy supply depot, Zeke spoke to Titus and Ulina who were waiting behind.
“Go outside and use the Blood Eye to suppress the monster legion’s spirits, then create chaos outside. We’ll cut off the magical power supply and create a portal to move immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I will follow your orders.”
Titus and Ulina, who answered respectfully, immediately went up to the stone building.
At that moment, messages appeared in sequence indicating that the shadow clones had arrived at the basement of the stone building.
The clones, who entered by opening the door with the unlocking skill, were looking at children contained in glass tubes just like Zeke was.
‘They’re extracting magical power from Irregulars in other places too.’
As Zeke clenched his teeth and drew Leviathan, the other shadow clones drew out Caladbolgs made of shadows.
Zeke and the shadow clones took the same stance simultaneously in different locations.
WHOOSH!
Powerful aura energy rippled from the swords.
Zeke charged forward and unleashed a sword strike toward the glass tube containing the Irregular child.
CRASH!
As the glass tube shattered from Zeke’s sword strike, sparks flew throughout the basement.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The magical power being sent to the gate seemed to go berserk as it flowed backward.
Zeke carried the child who had been trapped in the glass tube in his arms and performed a magical power backflow technique.
WHOOSH!
Due to the backflow field Zeke created, the magical power began to flow backward into the storage where it had been kept.
He observed the flow of magical power and crouched down with the child in his arms, putting on Shadow Armor.
CRACKLE!
As electrical currents of magical power flew in all directions, an explosion occurred in the storage where the reversed magical power had flowed.
BOOM! BOOM!
The massive explosion occurred simultaneously at three energy supply depots, shaking the ground.
The dark mages guarding the depot were terrified when the energy storage exploded, following the sudden demon attack and rampaging monster legion.
"W-we must stop this immediately!"
The mages rushed in desperately trying to normalize the backflowing magical power from the storage, but it was useless.
Instead, the reversed magical power spread in all directions, wreaking havoc on the dark wizards' bodies.
"URGH!"
Far from normalizing the depot's magical power, the Abyss dark mages collapsed bleeding from their mouths.
Titus and Ulina, who had suppressed the monster legion's spirits to create chaos at the depot, watched the chaotic battlefield Zeke had created from afar.
"Ulina, do you see? This is a true king's battlefield."
Next to Titus, Ulina slowly nodded and skillfully controlled the monster legion using the Blood Eye power that appeared on her forehead.
Since Ulina's potential was stronger than Titus's, she had no trouble using Blood Eye despite it being her first time.
Just then, light flashed behind them.
WHOOSH!
Three Zekes appeared, each carrying young Irregulars rescued from the glass tubes.
Titus's mouth gaped open at this sight.
"Three kings?"
Zeke gestured toward the surprised Titus.
"There will be a secondary explosion. It's dangerous, let's quickly leave this place."
Immediately, Titus and Ulina grabbed Zeke's hands and disappeared into a portal with a flash of light.
* * *
"What did you just say?"
Anastasia asked in an unbelieving voice toward the lower demon reporting to her.
The reptilian lower demon fearfully opened his mouth again at Anastasia's presence.
"Th-three supply depots were destroyed simultaneously and the gate was closed..."
CRASH!
Suddenly an invisible force pressed on the lower demon and lifted him up.
"URGHHHH!"
The lower demon struggled in pain from the powerful force compressing his entire body.
Murderous intent flowed from Anastasia's eyes as she watched him.
"Three supply depots suddenly exploding. Why? How? How did such a thing happen? Tell me. Tell me now. Tell me!"
THUD!
When the invisible force disappeared, the lower demon fell down.
But he had already died from the excessive pressure of the force.
Seeing this, Anastasia's eyes suddenly changed.
"What? Dead? Oh no! Hey, get up again. I was just trying to scare you because I was a bit angry! What am I supposed to do if you just die here!"
Anastasia hurriedly grabbed and shook the lower demon, but there was no way the dead demon would come back to life.
Anastasia's expression changed again as she stood up and kicked the dead lower demon lightly.
"Kids these days have become too weak since coming to the physical realm. There's a problem here."
When she snapped her fingers with a sharp sound, other demons appeared.
"Clean this up. And call the Apostle. The gate is destroyed, why hasn't he said anything?"
The rat-like demon beside her spoke to Anastasia.
"Th-that is. He's been waiting outside since earlier."
"What? Then why hasn't he come in?"
"Si-since My Lady hadn't said anything..."
Anastasia shouted with an annoyed expression.
"If it's urgent, you should say so quickly! Tell him to come in!"
At her rebuke, the other demons hurriedly dragged out the dead lower demon's corpse.
Anastasia looked at Nigel lying in the stone coffin beside her while breathing heavily.
'Just a little more and something seemed about to show...'
Nigel's defenses were so strong that using all keywords had been useless.
But surprisingly, there had been a different reaction to the keyword ‘Zeke Draker’.
The excited Anastasia was about to dig deeper into her mental world using Zeke Draker. She was quite irritated at being interrupted at such a crucial moment.
Stroking the sleeping Nigel's hair, Anastasia smiled and said.
"To think such a beautiful and strong being exists in the physical realm. Though I had to put you to sleep since you might go berserk if handled carelessly... Ahhh, I want to have you. I want to have you. I want to make you mine and keep you by my side to play with every day..."
As Anastasia shuddered while looking at Nigel, the door opened and the Apostle entered.
Anastasia frowned as if annoyed at having her pleasant time interrupted and stood up from her seat.
She spoke to the Apostle with an overbearing attitude.
"I heard the gate was closed, what exactly happened?"
The Apostle knelt before Anastasia and said.
"It seems the Three-Eyed clan members we stationed in the supply depot have betrayed us."
Anastasia tilted her head at the Apostle's words.
"You're telling me two members of the incomplete Three-Eyed clan simultaneously destroyed three supply depots? Are you asking me to believe that?"
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
Invisible energy swirled around the Apostle's body.
Anastasia looked at the Apostle with sharp eyes and said.
"You, what are you hiding from me right now?"
"URGH! M-My Lady. Please calm down for a moment..."
The Apostle floated into the air by Anastasia's power and trembled.
However, the Apostle's eyes suddenly turned black and black haze began rising from his entire body.
CRACK!
The energy pressuring the Apostle's body was negated, and instead the rising black haze threateningly spread in all directions.
Seeing this, Anastasia frowned.
"You're still emitting that disgusting energy. High Priest."
The Abyss High Priest, Harvey West, had possessed the Apostle's body.
The High Priest, borrowing the Apostle's body, bowed to her.
『Please forgive my rude appearance, as I came directly to explain seeing that My Lady seemed displeased.』
"Your very existence is rude. You're annoying to look at, so say what you need to say and get lost."
The High Priest nodded at Anastasia's irritated words.
『As you said, My Lady, the energy supply depot's destruction wasn't simply due to the Three-Eyed clan's rebellion.』
Anastasia frowned at the High Priest's words.
"I knew it. But why did you have them report false information to me?"
『There was confusion in the orders. Because a being I had placed under a disclosure restriction appeared, the Apostle ended up being discourteous to My Lady.』
Anastasia became curious at the High Priest's words.
"A being under disclosure restriction? What is that?"
『Zeke Draker.』
The High Priest possessing the Apostle's body slowly continued.
『He appeared here, defeated thousands of magical beasts, and destroyed the gate's energy supply depot.』
Anastasia's eyes widened at hearing the name Zeke Draker.
"Zeke Draker? Is he truly Nigel's only human disciple?"
The High Priest nodded.
『Yes. Though it remains a mystery why the proud and reclusive Guardian took a human as a disciple... He is that special of a being.』
Anastasia's expression changed at his words.
She smiled seductively, purely delighted like a child receiving a new toy.
"Since he destroyed the supply depot, that means Zeke Draker is coming here, right?"
『Yes. He will try to completely destroy the gate and defeat all the magical beasts here.』
He paused briefly and pointed a finger at Nigel lying in the stone coffin.
『And he will try to rescue his master.』
At the High Priest's words, Anastasia screamed.
"No! Nigel is mine!"
She blocked Nigel's front while breathing heavily.
The High Priest spoke to Anastasia.
『If My Lady can capture Zeke Draker, you'll have one more special doll added to your collection.』
Anastasia's expression changed at the words ‘special doll’
"Hmm, a special doll."
She looked down at Nigel, then turned her head to look at the High Priest.
"So, where is this Zeke Draker right now?"