543
Chapter 543
KUGUUUUU!
As the explosion of light subsided, light particles scattered everywhere.
When Zeke looked around, broken black knights were scattered everywhere with their armor shattered.
'Were the skull masks swept away in the explosion all at once?'
At that moment, black mist began creeping up from the floor.
TSUUUU!
And as the black mist touched them, the broken black knights' bodies began to recover.
Just like before, the immortal black knight corps rose again.
The difference from before was that their controller wasn't showing themselves.
Zeke calmly observed his surroundings while watching the recovering black knights.
'Something's different from before. It seems they're being supplied with demonic energy and recovering from somewhere else, not the skull masks.'
Jiemens's secret weapons could be hidden in Jupiter or elsewhere besides here. So to deal with them, he needed to know how to attack them.
For the allied forces to face these enemies directly without Zeke, they would need to attack and counter the method that injected the power of immortality.
The black knight corps, having fully restored their bodies, approached Zeke this time wielding great swords.
CHUK! CHUK! CHUK!
Dividing into units, they pressured him with guns from behind while brandishing swords from the front.
Then immediately, they unleashed a barrage of bullets at Zeke from the rear.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
The spot where Zeke had been instantly became tattered.
As he dodged to the side, the lined-up black knights rushed at him with their swords.
WHOOOONG!
Sword strikes filled with demonic energy descended upon Zeke.
PACHING!
Ascalon, wrapped in holy spirit energy, cut through the black knights' swords in one stroke.
As he dealt with the black knights, bullets flew from behind again.
DUDUDUDU!
Zeke jumped into the air to avoid them, and as a result, the black knights who had been facing him were hit by the bullets instead, their armor becoming riddled with holes.
GRRRR!
But as black mist surged up, the black knights who had been hit by bullets recovered immediately and swung their swords at Zeke again.
WHOOOONG!
Zeke tried to find the source of the demonic energy while nullifying the black knights' attacks with lightning of light.
At that moment, as he looked around with keen eyes, skull masks holding staffs appeared from all directions.
Zeke realized something as he saw this.
'Like the total boss of the Nostra family, the skull masks must also be split bodies.'
It seemed the source of power was separate, and the skull mask split bodies acting as intermediate beings were expanding the range of power.
Four skull masks held up their staffs and injected demonic energy into the black knights, making them feel even more powerful than before.
'I need to completely block the source of power - the demonic energy.'
Zeke stepped forward gripping Ascalon as he watched the black knights approaching him.
Then he unleashed one of the holy sword's powers - 'Great Purification'.
TSUUUUU!
Golden waves burst forth from around his body.
The demonic energy touched by the power of Great Purification decomposed and scattered into light particles.
The light of Great Purification, containing power stronger than holy spirit energy from the beginning of time, completely nullified the demonic energy.
The skull masks cautiously pulled back the black knights as Zeke emitted the power of Great Purification.
Then they directed them to fire bullets from long range for now.
CHULKEOK!
Hundreds of gun barrels aimed at Zeke.
Simultaneously, bullets with even more powerful force than before poured from the gun barrels.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
Not only were they simply fired, but they created explosions whose shockwaves engulfed Zeke.
Zeke blocked the shockwaves by equipping Hersion while searching for where the demonic energy was flowing most strongly with the power of Great Purification.
And at some point, Zeke discovered points supplying demonic energy from the floor and walls of the space itself.
'So there are pipes supplying demonic energy.'
Having found their location, Zeke drew Leviathan while maintaining the power of Great Purification.
And immediately stabbed Leviathan into the floor.
KUGUUUUU!
Through Leviathan, a field of golden power spread beyond the floor and walls.
DUDUDUDUDU!
The pipes installed throughout the labyrinth that supplied demonic energy began to twist and burst, unable to withstand the shockwaves Zeke had spread.
CHIIIIIIK!
Finally, the walls and floor cracked and demonic energy leaked from the gaps.
Then the light of Great Purification that Zeke emitted began to penetrate the gaps and nullify the demonic energy.
TSUUUUU!
As the supplied demonic energy gradually disappeared, not only the black knights but also the skull masks acting as intermediate beings rapidly lost their power.
But even during this, the eyes of the skull masks controlling the black knights had a strange light.
As if they had been programmed to move independently in emergency situations, they moved on their own while emitting demonic energy.
At this, Zeke raised Ascalon emitting the power of Great Purification.
WOOOONG!
Golden light particles surged from the sword wavering with the power of Great Purification.
He stepped forward and swung his sword horizontally.
CHWAAAAK!
A massive golden sword strike instantly cut through the waists of the black knights and skull masks in the space.
SRURURUK!
The black knights and skull masks fell to the floor with their upper bodies dropping as their waists were cut.
The light of Great Purification clung to their disabled bodies and began purifying them.
Finally, the immortal black knights were completely purified of demonic energy and began scattering into ashes, unable to endure any longer.
TUDUDUK!
The skull masks acting as intermediate beings, which had endured a bit longer, also eventually turned to dust and disappeared, leaving behind only the blood stones embedded in their heads.
Only after they had completely withered away did Zeke withdraw the power of Great Purification.
Then demonic energy began leaking again from the cracks in the broken walls and floor, spreading like black smoke.
But since the immortal legion was already all destroyed, the scattered demonic energy just aimlessly lingered in the space.
Zeke picked up the blood stones from the skull masks' heads and climbed up to the platform the black knights had been guarding.
'I see something here.'
As he examined the platform, Zeke discovered a magic circle engraved where the skull masks had been guarding.
He realized this magic circle was a portal leading to the center of the labyrinth.
'The Priest of the Abyss must be there.'
After recovering his power by absorbing the collected blood stones, he reached his hand toward the magic circle.
WHOOOONG!
As Zeke forcibly opened the portal by interfering with the system through the magic circle, a black hole appeared, and Zeke slowly entered it.
TSUUUUU!
Passing through the black hole, a completely new space appeared.
An underground dungeon made of red stone spread out before his eyes.
Zeke realized that the energy he felt in this space was different from the thick demonic energy from before.
'This energy... is the power of the Outer Beings.'
Sensing the alien energy of the Outer Beings spread through the atmosphere, Zeke immediately raised his holy spirit energy to protect himself.
Having prepared to some extent, he slowly walked forward.
Soon an arched entrance appeared, and a huge cavern appeared inside it.
As Zeke entered the cavern and looked up, he saw a high platform at the end of the cavern and an altar built on top of it.
On that altar stood a black magician wearing a black robe.
"Zeke Draker."
A voice of real flesh, not a possessed voice.
Zeke realized that the one standing on the altar was none other than the Priest of the Abyss, Doctor Harvey West.
He raised his sword as he looked at the priest.
"Harvey West."
Zeke's eyes flashed.
"Today I shall finally erase you from this world."
The priest raised his hand as if responding to Zeke's words.
Then he slowly spoke as if chanting.
"Let us look forward to it."
With his words, the priest gestured and something burst out as the empty space rippled.
KUGUUUUU!
What emerged opening the gaps in space were knights with grotesque appearances.
Their basic appearance was similar to the black knights, but their armor writhed as if it were a living organism.
The armor moved constantly, dripping viscous fluid from within, and tentacles rose from their bodies moving about like snake heads.
Zeke felt a familiar energy from the grotesque knights summoned by the priest.
'Various things are mixed. Not only the power of Outer Beings but also the power of the Herald of Blood and Madness and even the demonic energy of magical beasts...'
These grotesque knights were the final experimental beings created using all the technologies of Jiemens, the Nostra family, and the Abyss.
As the grotesque knights reached out, their armor writhed and created strangely shaped swords.
Saw-like swords reminiscent of creature's teeth or bones extended from their hands and pointed at Zeke.
Hundreds of such grotesque knights approached Zeke.
Zeke drew the holy sword Ascalon, raised his holy spirit energy, and summoned all four high-grade elemental spirits.
KUGUUUUU!
The high-grade spirits of fire, water, wind and earth appeared behind Zeke.
The priest spoke with a voice filled with surprise as he saw Zeke summon all four elemental spirits of the four attributes.
"To handle the four attributes of elements. You become more and more surprising the more I see you, Zeke Draker."
He reached his hand toward the grotesque knights.
"So all the more, I cannot let you live."
With his words, the grotesque knights rushed at Zeke.
KWADUDUDU!
The grotesque knights kicked off the ground, jumped into the air, and swung their saw-like swords at Zeke.
Then the four elemental spirits standing behind Zeke stepped forward and unleashed their power toward the grotesque knights.
KWAKWAKWAKWA!
Flames, wind, earth wind, and water arrows imbued with spirit power poured toward the grotesque knights.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
Through previous experience, Zeke knew that spirit power was effective against Outer Beings.
Indeed, as the four elemental spirits' attacks swept through the grotesque knights, they fell before they could reach Zeke, either burning, having their limbs twisted, or being pierced with holes.
Even though the demonic knights all fell without reaching Zeke, the priest on the altar remained motionless.
Seeing this, Zeke realized something was amiss.
'Could it be?'
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Shortly after, the fallen demonic knights began to rise again.
The bodies of the demonic knights that were thought to be completely destroyed started bubbling as organisms multiplied, quickly returning them to their original form.
Seeing this, Zeke recalled what Harvey West, the priest of the Abyss, had researched during his time in Nirvana.
'The power of immortality.'
All the experimental subjects of the Abyss shared a common trait.
They possessed the power to restore themselves to their original form even after being destroyed.
The black knights that Zeke had just annihilated were also an immortal legion that wouldn't die as long as they were supplied with demonic energy.
Yet the demonic knights before him now regenerated and returned to their original form even without demonic energy.
It was similar to Zeke's power of the immortal body.
'The power of undeath, immortality... Is this the power the priest ultimately seeks to obtain?'
The demonic knights, now reformed in formation, looked even more horrific than before.
Some had four arms instead of two, while others had two heads.
GROWL! GROWL!
The armor of the demonic knights in formation split open, revealing huge mouths within.
Long tongues like tentacles shot out from those mouths filled with sharp teeth.
But then…..
BOOM! BOOM!
Powerful demonic energy began flowing from the serrated swords the demonic knights were holding.
They took up stances like knights while holding their swords imbued with demonic energy.
These beings not only possessed the power of external species, but could also use demonic energy like the demon race, wield swords like human knights, and had immortal bodies that couldn't die.
'Just how did they create something like that?’
Zeke faced off against the approaching demonic knights who were emitting demonic energy, holding Ascalon.
The demonic knights launched sword attacks toward Zeke.
WHOOSH!
Dozens of crescent-shaped attacks flew at Zeke.
Zeke swung his sword to negate all the crescents.
Then other demonic knights swung their swords down at Zeke as if to pierce him.
Their swords filled with powerful demonic energy clashed with Zeke's Ascalon.
CRASH!
Zeke pushed back the demonic knights' serrated swords and stepped back to take stance.
But surprisingly, the demonic knights took the exact same stance as Zeke.
Zeke clenched his teeth as he watched the demonic knights.
He realized what swordsmanship they were using.
'Dragon-slaying technique.'
Zeke frowned.
The demonic knights were displaying perfect dragon-slaying techniques.