Chapter 499
Chapter 499
Ramon's decapitated body collapsed to the ground with a thud.
His fallen face was contorted with anger and shock.
Only in his dying moment did he realize.
That Harvey West, the priest of the Abyss, had deceived him.
He had plotted to resurrect Abel using Ajitahaka's power and use him to eliminate Ramon.
But by the time he realized this, it was already too late.
Ramon, who dreamed of becoming the ruler of the continent, met an unexpected death at the moment of his aspiration.
Abel quietly studied Ramon's face on the ground.
His head felt fuzzy, as if he had been asleep for a long time.
But one thing he could clearly feel.
The unprecedented power he felt in his body.
Somehow, the power that Ramon Jiemens had kept hidden for so long had flowed into his body.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Abel slowly turned around.
Ajitahaka, with only parts of his body remaining, conveyed something to Abel.
Abel accepted the evil god's will flowing into his mind.
He slowly nodded.
"So that's how it was."
The evil god Ajitahaka had chosen Abel Draker, not Ramon Jiemens, as his avatar.
When he was human, Ajitahaka had shown unbelievable madness under the name of the Flesh-Eating Emperor.
To handle such power required comparable madness.
Abel, who maintained his sense of self even inside the Dragon's Heart and refused to break his twisted mind, was
sufficient to become Ajitahaka's avatar.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The blood moon rose more clearly in the sky.
Abel felt Ajitahaka's authority flowing in more strongly.
He awakened another power he had gained.
The power of Flesh-Eating.
Suddenly, the ground split open and a horrific mouth with sharp teeth appeared.
The mouth Abel created moved toward Ramon's fallen body and head.
Then the mouth opened wide and swallowed Ramon whole.
Through the power of flesh-eating, Abel could absorb Ramon Jiemens's memories and abilities.
As he scanned through Ramon's memories, he nodded with cold eyes.
"So this is how it happened."
Though he appeared calm, deeper madness than before swirled in the depths of Abel's eyes.
WHOOSH!
At that moment, an ominous energy was felt behind Abel.
Abel slowly turned around.
What allowed him to maintain his sense of self in the hell known as the Dragon's Heart was his unbearable rage and
hatred.
And the target of those emotions stood right before him.
Abel held up Zahak and spoke in a leisurely voice.
"It's been a while."
Abel smiled with an even brighter expression than before as he said.
"Zeke, I've really missed you."
* * *
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Zeke's heart beat frantically.
Holding Leviathan, Zeke stared at Abel with an unbelieving expression.
'How did this happen?’
He thought Ramon Jiemens would be doing something to reclaim Ajitahaka's power and resume his descent.
But what happened here far exceeded Zeke's expectations.
Abel had been resurrected.
And after killing Ramon Jiemens, he used Ajitahaka's flesh-eating power to devour him.
The worst possible scenario that he hadn't anticipated had occurred.
Abel held up Zahak and spoke to Zeke.
"It's been a while."
Zeke stared at Abel's terrible smile that he had forgotten for so long.
He said to Zeke.
"Zeke, I've really missed you."
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Before Abel finished speaking, he immediately rushed at him wielding Leviathan.
CRASH! CRASH!
Intense sword strikes flew toward Abel.
Abel lightly swung Zahak.
CRASH! CRASH!
Crimson energy surged up and negated Zeke's sword strikes.
Dust clouds rose as their sword strikes collided.
Zeke continued moving toward Abel without stopping.
But then Abel emerged first from the dust clouds and swung his sword at him.
CRASH! CRASH!
Zeke blocked Abel's attack with Leviathan.
BOOM!
When Abel emerged from the dust clouds, he was already wearing the crimson ancient Hersion.
Though Zeke had recovered it after Abel's death and given it to Feinan and Golin to research, it was now equipped on
Abel's body again.
'Is it armor engraved on the soul?'
Abel, equipped with Jiemens Apollion's Hersion, boldly swung his sword at Zeke.
CRASH! CRASH!
Crimson energy exploded every time he swung his sword.
Though Zeke blocked with Leviathan, maintaining the chaos energy for so long was putting strain on his mind and body.
Looking at Zeke like this, Abel said.
"Are you alright, Zeke? It saddens me to see you staggering during our long-awaited reunion."
Zeke glared at the leisurely Abel and adjusted his grip on his sword.
'Was Abel's resurrection and Ramon Jiemens's death a plot by the Abyss?'
Ramon Jiemens tried to absorb Abel's body using Ajitahaka's power, and use that power to descend the sealed demon king
into his own body.
And from the perspective of the Abyss, which dreams of the Demon King's resurrection, Ramon was always a dangerous
presence that could turn into an enemy at any time.
Harvey West, the priest of the Abyss, had succeeded in executing the perfect scheme to eliminate Ramon and turn the
situation in their favor.
Zeke trembled in anger at the foolish decision of the Abyss as he watched Abel approaching him.
‘To kill Ramon and awaken the worst madness that is Abel again... These lunatics.’
From the Abyss's point of view, having Abel rampage across the continent and escalate the flames of war was more
beneficial to the Demon King's resurrection, which is why they had done this.
Even in his previous life, Abel had stood at the center of every war.
Zeke recalled the horrific devastation Abel had caused as the head of House Draker, leading the Third Continental War.
The Knight of Madness, Abel Draker.
He had returned once more.
ZZZZZZZT!
The gray vortexes floating in the sky began to subside.
Zeke could no longer maintain the Chaos Zone, which placed a heavy mental burden on him while facing Abel, who had
gained Ajitahaka authority, so the walls of the gray-covered domain inevitably began to crack and collapse.
WOOOOOOOM!
At some point, the Blood Moon had fully revealed itself.
RUMBLEEEEE!
The scattered remains of Ajitahaka body reacted to the fully revealed Blood Moon.
Ajitahaka eyes moved.
KEEEEEEEEE!
At that moment, an eerie sound echoed from Ajitahaka body.
In response to that sound, the Spirits and Maras appeared beyond the shattered walls of the Chaos Zone.
The Spirits and Maras bowed their heads toward Abel, assuming a posture of sworn loyalty to him.
Seeing this, Abel smiled and spoke.
"The Flesh-Devouring Emperor, Ajitahaka. Continuing his path and building a new empire might not be a bad idea."
Abel’s body slowly began to rise into the sky.
Looking down at Zeke, he spoke.
"Do you know what one of the common traits of mythical heroes is, Zeke?"
Abel spoke in an exceptionally benevolent voice.
"Resurrection. The power of immortality. Zeke, I have finally acquired the qualifications to become this era's hero."
Abel had indeed died. His soul had left his body.
However, a portion of his soul had been dormant within Zeus' heart, and the priest had hidden this fact.
While only the priest knew the secret, Abel’s soul had been gradually recovering inside the heart of the Mad Dragon.
Eventually, his body had devoured the flesh of the Calamity God Ajitahaka, inheriting his authority, and through
Authority Reversion, Abel had regained his original divine essence.
RUMBLEEEEE!
The resurrected Abel was far stronger than before.
The once incomplete Mad Dragon’s heart had fully stabilized, and with the authority of the Calamity God, he had
transcended human limitations.
Looking at the revealed Maras and the grotesque Phantoms, Abel spoke.
"Tear everything apart and devour it all."
BOOOOOOOOM!
The Maras and Spiritscharged at Zeke.
KIIIIIIII!
They swung their razor-sharp fangs and claws, trying to shred Zeke apart.
Zeke switched his sword to the Holy Sword Ascalon and unleashed his Divine Aura.
WOOOOOOOOOOM!
A Divine Aura imbued with the light of the Beginning poured out from Zeke’s sword.
He unleashed a barrage of holy lightning at the approaching enemies.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Bolts of divine lightning rained down everywhere, shattering and dispersing the bodies of the Maras and Spirits.
Zeke immediately raised his shadows to absorb them.
But the shadows failed to absorb them.
There was only one reason why that could happen.
‘Could it be... These things are human?’
The shadows could only absorb entities tainted by demonic energy or spirits.
Shockingly, the Maras and Spiritsbelonged to neither category.
Zeke recalled the experimental subjects of the Nostra Family, who had been transformed into monsters by enhancement
drugs.
Abel, who commanded foes that Zeke’s shadows couldn’t absorb, was the most troublesome enemy Zeke could face.
ZZZZZZZT!
The shattered Phantoms and Maras suddenly reverted to their original forms through Abel’s Authority of Reversion.
With a relaxed expression, Abel looked at Zeke and said,
"Use more of your strength, Zeke."
As he raised his hand, a massive mouth appeared in the sky.
The mouth opened wide, and countless other Phantoms poured out from within.
Abel was becoming more adept at wielding Ajitahaka power.
As Zeke continued battling the unending waves of Spirits and Maras, exhaustion started to weigh on him.
When fighting Beasts and Demons, he could always replenish his strength by absorbing them with shadows, but since he
couldn’t do that now, the fatigue was twice as overwhelming.
‘Damn it…’
Then, something caught Zeke’s eye.
The severed body of the Calamity God, Ajitahaka.
Since Ajitahaka had transcended humanity and become a Celestial, Zeke would be able to absorb him.
Zeke immediately pulled out an Ice Elemental Stone from his inventory.
Then, using his Water Force Field, he activated the Elemental Stone’s power.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A storm of ice raged around Zeke.
The Spirits and Maras rushing toward him were instantly frozen solid.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zeke grasped Ascalon and activated Spirit Manifestation.
Entering a dimensional rift, Zeke moved toward Ajitahaka while avoiding Abel’s gaze.
The moment he emerged at his target location, something flew at him.
A blast of black flames, unleashed by Abel, shot toward Zeke.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Zeke donned Theia’s Hersion and activated a plasma barrier to block Abel’s attack.
Abel shouted toward Zeke.
"Zeke! What are you doing?! We are brothers reunited after so long! Shouldn't we clash more violently?!"
Ignoring Abel’s arrogant provocation, Zeke extended his shadows toward the severed half of Ajitahaka head.
ZZZZZZZT!
The shadows surged from Zeke’s body and wrapped around Ajitahaka head.
Sensing something unusual, Abel felt an ominous premonition.
"Zeke Draker! What are you trying to do now?!"
At that moment, a massive black lightning bolt erupted from Abel’s body.
It was Divine Punishment, the Authority of the Mad Dragon Zeus, which he had previously been unable to use.
As he raised Zahak, black lightning gathered around it.
Abel unleashed his Authority toward Zeke.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A deafening roar that seemed to split the sky accompanied the descent of the black lightning toward Zeke.
Zeke immediately raised his plasma barrier and maximized his Shadow Armor.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
However, as the former strongest dragon before Bahamut, Zeus' Authority was too powerful for even the Shadow Armor to
completely block.
"UGHHH!"
As the energy of Divine Punishment seeped in, an abnormal reaction occurred in Theia’s Hersion.
ZZZZZZZZT!
Hersion's activation ceased, returning to its original armor form.
Even the Shadow Armor, which had taken the form of a shield, gradually distorted under the power of Divine Punishment.
Abel looked at Zeke and shouted.
"Zeke! Look at this! With this, I have reclaimed my true power!"
Drunk on his own power and consumed by madness, Abel drew even more strength from Zeus’s heart.
KWOOM! KWOOM! KWOOM!
In the end, the Shadow Armor could not withstand the power of Divine Punishment and collapsed.
Everywhere the black lightning struck was completely scorched.
RUMMMBLE!
The place where Zeke had stood was now charred black, forming an unfathomably deep crater.
Abel looked upon it with a satisfied smile.
"Zeke, you can't go so easily. You have a duty to entertain me further."
Descending from the air, he approached the crater, peering into the scorched pit in search of any trace of Zeke.
As he looked inside, he suddenly sensed something off.
'Ajitahaka’s head?'
At that moment…..
SHUSHUSHUUSH!
Black blades shot up from beneath the ground.
Abel quickly retreated, dodging the blades.
The earth trembled, and from within the swirling black shadows, Zeke emerged.
Seeing that Zeke was still alive, Abel let out a crazed smile.
But only for a moment soon, smile disappeared from his face.
RUMMMBLE!
From Zeke’s body, the same power as Ajitahaka’s could be felt.