Chapter 476
Chapter 476
Chapter 476
Zeke flinched at Bacchus's words and set down his teacup.
He looked at Bacchus and said:
"Arthur Draker is dead? The Continental Champion?"
Bacchus nodded.
"I couldn't believe it at first either... but it seems to be true."
Zeke's mind raced with complex thoughts.
Arthur Draker's death.
Though it happened in his past life too, it hit him with fresh shock.
Zeke asked Bacchus.
"What was the cause?"
"Natural death due to chronic illness. I heard he had been sick for quite a while."
Being a Black Knight didn't make one immune to illness.
Deaths from aging and chronic diseases weren't uncommon.
However, Arthur Draker was relatively young among Black Knights, and since he was regularly active in external affairs, no one thought he had a chronic illness.
Zeke fell into thought again after hearing Bacchus's words.
'In my past life, Arthur Draker also died from illness. And when Abel took the family head position, the continental war began.'
After Arthur Draker's death, the Central Continent fell into tremendous chaos.
As Zeke thought about that time, he formed a new hypothesis.
'What if Arthur Draker planned to use his death to throw the Central Continent into chaos?'
Just like in his past life, the ripple effects that would occur when Draker's family head died would be enormous.
First, there would be great confusion within the Draker family, and changes would occur in both Midland and the entire Central Continent's political situation.
Zeke looked at Bacchus and spoke again.
"What's the situation within the Draker family?"
"We haven't accurately grasped the information within the Four Seasons Castle yet. But one thing is clearly evident."
He paused before continuing.
"Baron Draker of the Black corps. He is up to something ."
Baron Draker was Arthur Draker's most loyal subordinate.
Hearing this, Zeke's suspicions deepened.
'Arthur Draker faking his death, and Baron controlling the resulting waves.'
It seemed there was some purpose, but he'd need to enter the Four Seasons Castle to know for sure.
"Do you know what Sister Kali and Sister Helen are doing?"
"Both are staying in lason’s territory. While neither has shown any special movement, it seems some elders are trying to make contact."
With the family head position vacant, there was a need to put forward the next generation's head.
It was natural for the elders to contact Kali Draker, who was a candidate for family head.
'They'll contact me soon too.'
Zeke thought he should head to the Four Seasons Castle as soon as he finished his business here.
Just as the conversation with Bacchus was wrapping up, Nicky entered the central tent.
Abandoning her previous languid attitude, she knelt with discipline and spoke to Zeke.
"My King, I have something to report."
"Speak."
"We caught some suspicious individuals who recently infiltrated the headquarters. I thought you should take a look, so I brought them."
"Suspicious individuals? Very well. Bring them in."
She nodded and whistled.
Then Nicky's subordinates dragged in individuals bound in chains into the tent.
Nicky spoke with a cold expression.
"You're before the King. Bow your heads immediately."
Zeke examined those Nicky brought.
'Huh? Those guys are.'
Surprisingly, those brought in were members of the Third Eye clan.
All four had weak Blood Eye power, though the youngest-looking one's power was barely enough to be called Blood Eye.
After making them kneel, Nicky spoke with cold eyes.
"These fools suddenly appeared in front of headquarters and caused a disturbance, demanding submission. Though weak, their aura seemed unusual, so I brought them to show you."
Zeke understood the situation from Nicky's words.
Like Titus, Tantra's successors revealed themselves in the Central Continent to reclaim the Blood King's power.
They planned to expand their power by subjugating the former servant races - the White Face tribe, Beast tribe, and Demon tribe - and find the Blood King's power.
'They tried to subjugate Red Eye's vampires but got captured instead.'
They had made the foolish mistake of provoking the progenitor clan of Royal Vampires without even being able to properly wield the power of the Blood-Eye.
Zeke slowly approached the Third Eye clan members.
Like Titus and Ulina, they had red hair and white skin, but the tattoos on their faces and bodies were different.
It seemed different families could inscribe different patterns.
WHISTLES!
The child in front stood at about Titus's age.
Though trying to appear composed, they trembled slightly upon feeling the Blood King's aura emanating from Zeke.
After contemplating them, Zeke spoke to Nicky.
"Go ask the Western Alliance if they've encountered similar ones."
Nicky bowed immediately and left the tent.
When she returned shortly after, she brought in another group of Third Eye clan members with bruised faces and tattered clothes.
They too had been captured after failing to subjugate the Western Alliance's therianthropes.
The Third Eye successors, kneeling before Zeke while captured by Red Eye and the Western Alliance, recognized each other and wore gloomy expressions.
Zeke looked down at them and summoned the Blood King's power.
TSSS! TSSS! TSSS! TSSS!
A third eye appeared on his forehead, swirling with red energy.
Unlike Caligula who was an evil tyrant, Zeke's third eye shone with mysterious red light rather than malevolent energy.
Seeing this, the Third Eye successors trembled.
Zeke spoke to them:
"You keep your heads raised even before the true king."
The Third Eye successors felt Zeke's eyes piercing through their entire being.
Unable to resist their fear and rising reverence, they finally bowed their heads and pressed their foreheads to the ground.
"We... we are in the presence of the true king!"
Over a dozen Third Eye clan members showed submission to Zeke who had unleashed the Blood King's power.
Zeke asked the apparent highest-ranking family successor:
"How did you cross over here from Tantra?"
Barely containing his fear, the successor answered:
"Mages who found us worked with Tantra's sorcerers to create a gate using mandala."
Zeke showed surprise at the successor's words.
"You're saying they created a gate connecting beyond the Eternal Mountains to here using Tantra's mandala?"
The successor nodded.
"Y-yes. Since mandala has amplification and sustaining effects, it can be used in various ways as long as magical power is supplied. However... the larger the power being handled, the more complex mandala must be drawn, taking more time. Even blood-level mages are needed to activate it..."
As the successor explained everything he knew, Zeke recalled the mandala Ulina had drawn on the ground.
Though far more intricate and complex than Central Continent's magic circles, it had created a barrier strong enough to contain Morgant, a mid-level demon.
'If used properly, there could be quite many applications.'
While too time-consuming for immediate battlefield use, it seemed useful for establishing defense lines and fortifications.
After brief consideration, Zeke decided to take the Third Eye clan to Mycenae where Hades was.
Hades, who inherited Hyperion's book, might be able to develop something more by adapting their mandala.
Zeke spoke to Nicky:
"Treat their wounds and arrange lodging for them."
"Yes, my King."
He decided to leave the Third Eye clan at the central tent and move to the treehouse where Nigel was.
He planned to check on Nigel's condition before returning to Four Seasons Castle to assess the situation.
Zeke used the system portal to instantly move to Nigel's treehouse.
Surprisingly, inside the treehouse, the purple-haired triplets were playing marbles with Ulina in the front yard.
'Master must have healed the children.'
As he watched contentedly, the playing children noticed Zeke and showed frightened expressions.
They were so startled they unconsciously dropped their marbles.
Seeing the frightened children, Zeke thought of a way to reassure them.
"Raven."
At Zeke's call, Raven with its magnificent feathers appeared on his shoulder with a phoenix cry.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Raven's mystical phoenix cry calmed the triplets.
The children stared in wonder at the beautiful phoenix.
Receiving their gazes, Raven proudly fluttered its wings.
As Raven spread its wings and soared into the sky, the children followed excitedly.
"Pretty bird!"
"Let's play together!"
"Come here!"
Looking at the triplets and Ulina playing around with Raven again, Zeke showed a satisfied expression.
At that moment, the door of the tree house opened, and Nabu came out with a tired face.
"You're here."
Zeke approached Nabu with a smile and said.
"Hermit, you look terrible."
"Ugh, I stayed up all night with Manna fixing broken barriers here and there."
"Thank you for your hard work. How is Master?"
"They said they were going to take a walk around earlier."
"I'm glad they seem to be okay."
Zeke nodded and asked Nabu.
"How is Anastasia?"
Nabu pointed toward the warehouse as if telling him to see for himself.
Zeke opened the warehouse door and went in.
However, there was nothing inside.
"Anastasia."
When he called her name, two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
Then suddenly something rushed toward Zeke.
GROWL!
Zeke quickly turned his body sideways, then grabbed the neck of whatever had pounced at him.
Surprisingly, what Zeke caught was a fierce-looking cat.
The cat was struggling while being held by Zeke.
He spoke while looking at the cat.
"Seems like you're enjoying your new body?"
At Zeke's words, the cat made an aggressive expression and snarled.
But it only looked like a cat's playful behavior.
This ordinary-looking cat was actually Anastasia, the Demon Realm's Princess.
Through a deal with Anastasia, Zeke gained ownership of her soul.
To control the unpredictable Anastasia, he used the Blood King's power to manipulate souls.
First, he captured her soul with Solomon's chains, then combined the Blood King's power with Nabu's power to turn her into a cat.
Reminded of the story of a cursed princess who turned into a cat, Zeke turned Anastasia, the Demon Realm Princess, into a cat.
When Zeke snapped his fingers, along with a HUMMING sound, Anastasia's voice could be heard.
[GROWL! Damn human! I'll kill you! Get me out of this lowly creature right now!]
She was so noisy that he had blocked her from speaking, but as soon as he lifted it, Anastasia started shouting loudly again.
Zeke looked down at such Anastasia with cold eyes and said.
"Then would you prefer to be sealed in a ring or cease to exist?"
At Zeke's words, Anastasia flinched and then went limp.
Then she trembled, internally vowing to find a way to escape from this place somehow.
Zeke took the transformed Anastasia out of the warehouse and carelessly threw her to the ground.
Though thrown carelessly, Anastasia landed gracefully with cat-like agility.
Zeke looked at her and said.
"You must know why I kept you alive."
At those words, the transformed Anastasia raised her tail and said.
[You're planning to use me as bait to lure my sisters and father. You cunning human.]
Anastasia was the adopted daughter of the Demon Duke, an Arch demon.
The Arch demon, who stood at the apex of the six demons ruling the Demon Realm, was cooperating with the Abyss to resurrect the Demon King.
Zeke realized that to free the mortal realm from the threat of the Demon King, they needed to deal with the Arch demon and the demons following him.
That's why he kept Anastasia, the most beloved daughter of the Archduke, to prepare a trap to draw them in.
"As the beloved daughter of the Archduke, they'll come to rescue you soon. Isn't that right, Anastasia?"
Anastasia looked at Zeke and said.
[Zeke Draker, there's something you don't know.]
"What don't I know?"
Anastasia, in her cat form, glared at Zeke with a sharp expression and said.
[The Demon Realm is currently in the midst of a fierce war.]