Chapter 495
Chapter 495
Chapter 495
A platform rose high into the sky, seemingly piercing the heavens.
Demonic statues with ominous faces supported the platform from all directions.
Ramon Jiemens was climbing the hundreds of steps built between the statues leading to the platform.
He reached the top and stood before the altar, staring intently at it built on the highest level.
The altar, created by the Priest of the Abyss for the second baptism, was made of dark red bloodstone.
Suddenly, an Apostle appeared across from him.
Ramon Jiemens could instinctively sense the Priest possessing the Apostle's body.
He spoke to the Priest.
"I heard there wasn't enough bloodstone for the altar."
A humming voice emanated from the Apostle.
[It doesn't matter - we had planned to add more as backup. This amount is sufficient to open the gate and summon Ajitahaka.]
Ramon Jiemens wore a displeased expression at the Priest's words but said nothing more and looked up at the sky.
In one hour, a total lunar eclipse would begin, revealing the red moon that appears once every five hundred years.
'I've waited so long for this day.'
In truth, the second baptism ritual could have been performed at any time.
The reason for specifically timing it with the red moon was to fully receive Ajitahaka's divine power into his body.
After receiving the evil god's power and devouring Abel, who held the Dragon Heart, he could be reborn as an entirely new being.
He was confident that neither Zeke Draker who had troubled him, nor even Arthur Draker if he were alive, could face him after the baptism.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The Ground of Extinction in Baranaon where the altar was installed responded to the approaching red moon with faint tremors.
Baranaon, a place steeped in ancient mysteries, was once the capital of the Chronos Kingdom, and going further back, it was also the ritual site where the Flesh-Eating Emperor Ajitahaka held his flesh-eating ceremonies.
Thus, it was the optimal location to best draw out the power of the ominous red moon.
As Ramon contemplated the upcoming event, the Priest spoke:
[Ramon Jiemens, don't forget our contract after the baptism is complete.]
Ramon Jiemens looked at the Priest with contempt and said:
"How brazen, speaking through a subordinate's body while hiding your true form. If I fail the baptism, will you keep the contract?"
The Priest gave no particular response to Ramon Jiemens's words.
Ramon Jiemens narrowed his eyes and said:
"You may not know this, but the Jiemens do not break contracts. So stop with the useless talk and start preparing for the ritual."
The Priest nodded at Ramon's words.
SNAP!
When he snapped his fingers, a black portal appeared.
Other dark mages of the Abyss emerged from it, dragging Abel's body bound tightly in chains.
Ramon also raised his hand in the air to summon the box containing the heart of the Mad Dragon Zeus.
He opened the sealed box and took out Zeus's pulsating heart.
When the Priest nodded, the mages undid the chains binding Abel's body.
CLATTER!
As soon as the chains were loosened, Abel, half-transformed into a monster, bit off the neck of a nearby mage.
"AAAARGH!"
Abel bit the mage's neck and gulped down the flowing blood.
The mage, instantly drained of blood, transformed into a mummy and collapsed to the ground.
Abel, feeling the thirst for fresh blood, tried to reach for the other mages.
That's when Ramon snapped his fingers.
SNAP!
In an instant, Abel's body floated up and became fixed in place with his limbs spread, as if held by giant hands.
The Priest approached Abel and reached out his hand.
His chest split open on its own.
Inside Abel's chest was the Red Knight's heart, beating while stained black.
It was gradually losing its power, unable to withstand the blood of the Evil Dragon.
The Priest reached in and removed the Red Knight's heart from Abel's chest.
HISSSSSS!
As soon as it was removed, the heart turned to poisonous water, dripping down while emitting black smoke and a foul stench.
Ramon then placed the Mad Dragon Zeus's heart into the empty chest cavity.
The moment it was inserted, the heart perfectly restored itself as if finding its rightful place and began beating fiercely.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
As the heart returned, Abel's eyes began to glow with dragon pupils.
His skin, which had been covered in hideous scales, returned to normal, and words with proper linguistic form flowed from Abel's mouth again.
"Zeke, Zeke Draker... kill... kill."
Perhaps the grudge against Zeke Draker was most deeply embedded in his mind, as Abel kept repeating those words once he started speaking properly.
With a wave of Ramon's hand, Abel's body floated and settled onto the altar.
Abel was fixed to the altar, lying straight as if pressed down by an invisible force.
Ramon lifted his head to look at the sky.
The full moon hung in the sky, and the moon and the cursed land of the evil god created small vibrations as if resonating with each other.
That's when it happened.
Gradually, the moon began to be obscured by a slowly spreading shadow.
The Priest spoke to Ramon:
[When the moon is completely swallowed by shadow, the red moon will appear.]
A phenomenon occurring once every five hundred years.
When the red moon rises, the walls between dimensions weaken, and malevolent beings hidden in invisible realms reveal themselves.
After the constellations left the physical realm, these malevolent beings could no longer maintain physical form and became 'floating entities.'
These formless beings slumbered across the continent as nameless mysteries.
The ground of Baranaon where the altar stood was itself one of these realms of nameless mystery.
As the full moon began to take on a red hue, the formless floating entities started to gradually reveal themselves.
Flickering black shadows could be seen around the demonic statues supporting the altar.
Ramon, having received Ajitahaka's power, knew the identity of these beings.
'Maras.'
Corrupted souls who became malevolent beings by borrowing the evil god Ajitahaka's power.
Even after Ajitahaka lost his power and was trapped in the isolation realm, the Maras didn't disappear but waited in invisible realms to return to the physical world, having only lost their physical form.
In the hidden world, they had been eagerly awaiting the return of their master Ajitahaka, the lord of all evil, to the physical realm.
The number of Maras drifting around the demon statues was gradually increasing.
As time passed, the Maras, who had existed only as shadows, were becoming more distinct.
As the red moon's power weakened the dimensional boundaries, it seemed Ajitahaka's imprisoned power was reaching beyond the isolation realm to affect the physical world.
Ramon watched the Maras gathering around the demon statues, dancing and muttering incomprehensible ominous words.
The Maras were part of one of his contracts with the Abyss.
The condition was that after bringing the imprisoned Ajitahaka into the physical realm with the Priest's help and becoming his complete avatar, he would hand over the Maras trapped in the hidden world to the Abyss.
From Ramon's perspective, he thought he could easily give the Maras to the Abyss since he believed controlling the entire continent would be possible once he had Ajitahaka's power.
But now, seeing the numerous Mara shadows gathered beneath the demon statues, he understood why the Abyss had proposed such a condition.
Unlike ordinary magical beasts or monsters, Maras possessed both spiritual and physical properties.
They were versatile, able to move stealthily in the hidden world and materialize to attack.
Although Ramon felt it was a waste to hand all the Maras over to the Abyss, he decided not to dwell on them since the important thing now was properly summoning Ajitahaka.
'I can create more Maras after becoming the avatar.'
By now, half the moon was covered by shadow.
The vibrations emanating from the ground were growing stronger.
The Priest, sensing this, began preparing to conduct the ritual.
[Bring out the divine object of the evil god.]
At the Priest's words, Ramon took out an old ceremonial dagger from his chest.
The dagger, engraved with a malevolent demon, was the divine object that connected Ramon to the sealed Ajitahaka and granted him power.
The Jiemens family had preserved this ancient relic of Ajitahaka, and it wasn't until Ramon's generation that its power could be properly used.
The dagger Ramon took out floated in the air and reached above Abel's left chest.
The Priest reached out his hand and said:
[The divine object of Ajitahaka and Draker's blood will meet the power of the red moon to open the isolation realm where the evil god is sealed.]
Abel, a pure-blooded awakened Draker possessing the Light Dragon's heart.
It was Solomon King, ancestor of the Drakers, who sealed the evil god Ajitahaka in the isolation realm.
The Priest planned to use this fact to create a connection pathway to the imprisoned Ajitahaka through the corrupted pure blood of a Draker.
The Priest approached Abel, who lay on the bloodstone altar, and extended his hand.
WHOOSH!
A strange pattern appeared on Abel's left chest where the Light Dragon's heart was.
As black energy rose from the strange pattern, the Priest began chanting an incantation in an eerie voice.
The red bloodstones embedded in the altar responded by emitting a sinister energy and light.
HISSSSSS!
Along with the Priest's ominous chant, strange whispers could be heard from all directions.
It sounded like both snakes slithering and demons whispering temptations right beside one's ear.
The ominous voices gradually grew louder, filling the surroundings.
Simultaneously, the black energy flowing from the bloodstone altar and Abel's body merged and enveloped Ajitahaka's divine object.
TSSSSSS!
Black and red energy surged from the dagger, forming a circle that enveloped the full moon in the sky.
The moon within the circle continued to be covered by shadow while gradually turning red from the energy surging from the dagger.
Ramon watched this magnificent sight in a daze.
The Priest spoke to him:
[Infuse the evil god's power. Then the pathway will open.]
Snapping back to attention at those words, Ramon stretched his hand toward the floating divine object.
WHOOSH!
Ajitahaka's power burst forth from Ramon's hand.
The dagger resonated with his power and vibrated.
The gate leading to the evil god took form.
But then…..
SCREECH!
Suddenly, Ajitahaka's power flowing from his hand began to dissipate.
'What's happening?'
Ramon hid his bewildered expression and reached out again to activate the power.
SCREECH!
The same thing happened again.
The power wouldn't manifest.
The Priest said to Ramon.
[What are you doing? The moon's shadow is about to rise to create the red moon. We must complete the gate before then.]
Ramon couldn't understand why the power suddenly wouldn't activate.
He clenched his teeth and raised both hands this time.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Terrifying evil god energy burst forth from Ramon's entire body.
He could exert this much power just by borrowing a portion through the divine object.
Even Ramon himself couldn't predict how strong he would become if he could use all of Ajitahaka's power as his avatar.
Unlike before, when he released the power strongly, it didn't scatter.
Just as Ramon was about to pour power toward the dark red ring with relief….
BOOM! BOOM!
Golden light spread across the sky, surrounding the entire area including the altar and demon statues.
The primordial light that purifies evil energy.
It was the ‘Will of Light’ activated by Zeke using the holy sword Ascalon.
SCREECH!
Affected by the Will of Light, the bloodstones' output decreased, and the black energy flowing from Abel's heart also dimmed.
The Maras dancing and singing ominous songs beneath the demon statues let out terrible screams when touched by the purifying light and hid inside the statues.
Ramon looked up at the sky, grinding his teeth.
WHOOSH!
A figure emitting massive golden waves floated in the sky.
It was Zeke, riding Bucephalus, wearing the Hersion of goddess Theia, and wielding the holy sword Ascalon.
Seeing Zeke, Ramon shouted:
"ZEKE DRAKER!"
Ramon's rage-filled voice echoed throughout the Ground of Extinction.