603
Chapter 603
Zeke was taken aback by the Great Sage's words.
"Make you into a shadow guardian... you, Great Sage?"
Although Zeke had turned Caligula, the master of Shambhala, and Lilith, the demon and the Angels of Twin Palace, into guardians, he had never considered making the Great Sage into a shadow guardian.
The Great Sage pointed to the broken homunculus and spoke, responding to Zeke's surprise.
[The soul I summoned with the key of Chronos's report won't last long. I will inject my remaining power into this homunculus, so please absorb it and make it your shadow guardian.]
Zeke looked at the Great Sage with a serious expression and said:
"Do you know what that means? Even though it's only part of your soul, it means you'll be eternally subordinate to me."
The Great Sage nodded at Zeke's words.
[I know.]
He placed his hand on his chest and spoke respectfully to Zeke.
[Most of my soul is currently sealed in the Book of the Dead along with the Demon King. Having part of my soul remain as a spirit in Dowonhyang was also one of the preparations made by my main body.]
Zeke was shocked by the Great Sage's words.
"So you mean your soul's main body is sealed together with the Demon King's soul?"
The Great Sage's spirit nodded.
[That would be correct. Jiemens Apollion, where the Demon King manifested for the second time, was a perfect vessel. My soul's power was needed to separate that body from the Demon King's soul.]
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
At that moment, a causality aftershock arose from the Great Sage's spirit.
He slowly approached the broken homunculus with his staff.
Then he placed the tip of his staff against the homunculus's core.
SCREEEEEECH!
The soul's power flowing from the staff began to pour into the core.
The homunculus that had stopped moving showed signs of movement again.
WOOOOOONG!
The homunculus's eyes soon turned golden.
When the light flowing from the staff seemed to have been fully transferred, the spirit's body became much fainter than before.
Zeke could feel the weakened spirit beginning to disappear.
The Great Sage's spirit spoke to Zeke.
[Due to causality restrictions, there are limits to what I can tell you.]
The now translucent spirit of the Great Sage continued regretfully.
[When the Demon King last came to the physical realm, when the Demon King possessed Bahamut... find out... who... did it...]
The Great Sage's spirit didn't properly finish his words and scattered into particles of light.
SCREECH!
The broken homunculus was crawling across the floor while Zeke was lost in thought.
"Noble will... follow. Break the wheel of fate. Tune, tune the world."
SWOOSH-SWOOSH-SWOOSH
The broken homunculus began to sink into Zeke's shadow.
"Harmony , harmonize . The world must be harmonized."
The homunculus repeated the same words even as it sank into the shadow.
Soon, as the homunculus was fully absorbed into the shadow, a message appeared.
[You have absorbed ‘The Blind Clone of the Great Sage,’ part of the Great Sage’s soul.]
[The ‘Blind Clone of the Great Sage’ has succumbed to the full dominion of the unique power of the ‘One Who crossed the Wall.’]
[The ‘Blind Clone of the Great Sage’ has been restructured as a shadow incarnation with the power of recreation.]
[The restructured shadow incarnation is now registered as your guardian.]
KUGUGUGU!
RUMBLE!
Soon, a shadow incarnation wearing a black robe emerged from Zeke's shadow.
THUD!
The shadow incarnation wearing a black mask was holding a black staff.
[Would you like to name this guardian?]
Looking at the message that appeared, Zeke contemplated a name for the new shadow incarnation.
After a moment, he slowly spoke.
"Let's call it Innocent."
He gave the guardian a name meaning purity in ancient language.
When Zeke bestowed the name, Innocent's eyes flashed behind its black mask.
As a shadow incarnation created from the Great Sage's soul, it would undoubtedly wield great power.
Zeke stood up and spoke to Innocent.
"Innocent, guide me to where the Book of the Dead and Black Star are hidden."
At Zeke's words, Innocent raised its staff.
WOOOONG!
A portal made of white light opened in front as vibrations emanated from the staff.
It seemed to be a portal connecting to where the Book of the Dead was located.
'Master, please hold on a little longer.'
Zeke took a deep breath and jumped straight into the portal.
* * *
RUMBLE!
Nigel, Nabu, and Manna stood in triangular formation, opposing the storm of power flying toward them.
"URRRGH!"
Nabu, who was supporting the barrier while holding open a book from behind, groaned in pain.
"UGHH! Manna! Do something!"
At Nabu's cry, Manna tried to strengthen the barrier while chanting prayers with clasped hands.
However, as the storm of power flying at them grew increasingly fierce, it became difficult to concentrate.
RUMBLE!
Nigel, who was at the front blocking with her sword, clenched her teeth.
Then she barely opened her mouth to speak.
"I'll block that. Manna, complete the barrier no matter what during that time."
Nabu was shocked at Nigel's words.
"Old hag! How will you block that alone?!"
Ignoring Nabu's words, Nigel raised her sword and took another step forward.
The power of her soul technique could be felt concentrating in her sword.
Seeing this, Nabu also took a breath and stepped in front of Manna.
Then he opened his book and read the passage to summon a defensive wall.
RUMBLE!
A virtual wall appeared in front of Nabu, creating a protective shield so Manna could concentrate.
Nabu shouted to Nigel.
"Old hag! We're ready here!"
With those words, Nigel charged forward as if springing ahead and swung her sword at the storm of power.
Soul Technique
Double Spell
Will of Reflection
The storm of power that collided with Nigel's Soul Technique Double Spell began to reverse back.
RUMBLE!
As the storm of power reversed due to the will of reflection, the identity of the hidden presence was revealed.
RUMBLE!
Surprisingly, Ivan of the High Table stood at the center of the storm.
Nigel shouted toward Ivan.
"Ivan! Get out of there right now!"
But Ivan didn't move from his spot despite Nigel's warning.
He had activated the defensive magic circle that was placed there to prevent Nigel and her companions from reaching where the Book of the Dead was located.
'He really doesn't listen at all.'
Thinking Ivan wouldn't back down, Nigel had no choice but to raise her sword again.
WOOOONG!
Nigel's sword strike imbued with soul technique power flew toward Ivan.
CRASH!
Seeing Nigel's sword strike flying toward him, Ivan raised both his left and right hands simultaneously to draw magic circles in the air.
Magic activated as ancient rune characters were engraved in the air.
Black forms that sprang from the two rune characters each created shapes.
One took the form of a death god wielding a giant scythe, while the other was a half-man half-beast with a jackal head holding a hook.
The death god and half-beast swung their scythe and hook toward Nigel's incoming sword strike.
CRASH!
With a huge collision sound, Nigel's sword strike was nullified and shockwaves scattered in all directions.
At the same time, the absolute barrier that Manna had cast began to spread and envelop the entire stone chamber space.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
The powerful storm of power that tried to swallow Nigel's group was nullified by Manna's absolute barrier and regained stability.
"WHEW! Thought I was going to die."
Nabu sighed heavily while sprawled on the floor.
But Nigel still stood firmly holding her sword while glaring at Ivan and his summons.
She opened her mouth again toward Ivan.
"Move aside, Ivan."
Ivan still didn't move despite Nigel's warning.
Behind him was a tightly closed door.
The Book of the Dead and Black Star were sealed together behind that very door.
Nigel spoke to Ivan again.
"We must destroy the Book of the Dead and Black Star before they enter this place. If they fall into enemy hands..."
At that moment, Ivan spoke in an emotionless tone.
"The Book of the Dead is not something to be tampered with carelessly. If mishandled, the seal could break and the Demon King's power trapped inside could leak out."
Nabu, sitting behind, shouted at Ivan.
"But you said the Demon King can't manifest without a vessel! So what if some power leaks out!"
Ivan shook his head.
"That's not true. The Demon King's power is dangerous in itself. Just the minimal leakage from the seal created numerous demon beasts. What do you think would happen if the seal broke and the Demon King's power flowed out directly?"
Nabu's jaw dropped with a troubled expression.
"Oh, hadn't thought about that."
Nigel spoke to Ivan with furrowed brows.
"Don't change the subject, Ivan. Aren't you planning to incompletely overlay that power onto Zeke Draker and then completely extinguish the Demon King's power according to the leader's plan? That would leave only half of the Book of the Dead, making the Demon King's complete revival impossible."
Ivan slowly responded.
"Sometimes sacrifice is necessary for a noble will."
Nigel clenched her teeth at his answer.
"You bastard. Why force that sacrifice on my disciple?"
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
As the enraged Nigel drew out her true power, a causality storm arose around her body due to karma's restrictions.
Her appearance showed just how angry she was.
She took another step toward Ivan.
"Move aside. Even if you're a fellow High Table member, I won't hesitate to cut you down if you keep blocking me."
But then…
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH
Dark red portals opened all around the stone chamber, and Black Corps members wearing Draker uniforms walked out in formation.
In the center of those who had fully emerged from the portals stood a stern looking man with no eyebrows or hair, wearing black gloves.
It was Baron Draker, the Black Corps commander of Draker.
"What are those things?!"
Nabu was flustered seeing Draker's Black Corps appear suddenly.
While keeping watch on Ivan, Nigel also turned toward Baron and the Black Corps members.
Even Ivan's previously expressionless face was slightly furrowed, suggesting this was unexpected for him too.
Then a woman wearing an eye patch standing next to Baron Draker stepped forward.
She was Ingel, the left wing commander of Black Corps.
As the center of Black Corps' intelligence division, she handled all information coming into the Draker family.
Ingel shouted toward the High Table members.
"The great Draker's new era will soon begin! Old ghosts of the past era, stop struggling and follow the flow of change!"
Ingel's remaining eye was filled with fanatical loyalty to Draker.
Nabu's jaw dropped in disbelief at those words.
Nigel spoke to Ivan with a frown.
"Do you really intend to let such people take the Book of the Dead?"
Instead of answering Nigel, Ivan merely surveyed the Black Corps members.
Just then.
Baron Draker, who had been standing in the back, stepped forward.
Then he pointed at the door behind Ivan.
"Drakers. Break through and bring the Book of the Dead."
At Baron's words, all the Black Corps members' eyes changed to those of fanatics.
His voice echoed in their ears.
"Our Lord desires it."