700
Chapter 700
The face hidden behind the veil was none other than Arthur Draker's.
The King in Yellow, said to be resurrected with the advent of destruction.
Arthur Draker, wearing yellow ceremonial robes and holding the divine sword imbued with Apollion's power, looked at Zeke with a relaxed smile.
"Excellent, Zeke."
Zeke's gaze turned to the divine sword Arthur Draker was holding.
"I wondered what it meant that the sword itself was Apollion... To think Apollion escaped the celestial realm and placed his soul within the sword."
In today's world where knights and wizards were the centers of power, priests' roles were closer to healers.
Even the Sun Order, which still wielded some power, merely used flame magic of a different system rather than divine authority.
Zeke realized why the priests of the Sun Order couldn't receive the sun god's power directly, unlike demons who bestowed powers upon their followers.
Just as Zeke was realizing the answers to his past questions, Arthur Draker raised the divine sword and said,
"Yes, Apollion wanted to directly rule the material world through his avatar Adam. That's why he sent down a sword containing his soul to escape Karma's sanctions. However, he underestimated the limitations created by the Primordial Light."
WOOOONG!
A powerful sound resonated from the divine sword Arthur Draker was holding.
"Karma's sanctions used the power of the chaos god to divide the divine sword into multiple shadow swords. As a result, Apollion's soul contained in the sword was unintentionally sealed. He could only indirectly intervene in the material world through the bloodline of his avatar Adam."
Hearing Arthur Draker's words, Zeke realized the true identity of the Absolute Sword Family Draker.
"So that's why the Draker family, descendants of the avatar Adam, receive Aura's blessing. To carry out Apollion's orders and intervene in the material world?"
Arthur Draker smiled at his words.
"That could be said. But as time passed, Adam's blood thinned, and only the name 'Absolute Sword Family' remained, forgetting the purpose of wielding the sword."
Zeke frowned slightly as he looked at Arthur Draker and spoke.
"So that's why you sought out pure-blooded Awakeners and tried to maintain that bloodline. The stronger Adam's blood flowed, the easier Apollion's voice could reach them."
Arthur Draker laughed loudly at Zeke's words.
"HAHAHA! Yes, and among the many Drakers, Apollion chose me, and I answered that call. My father may not have acknowledged me, but I was the one who inherited the purest bloodline."
In the ancient temple, Arthur Draker had died and been resurrected, gaining the Sacred Sun Body and demonstrating talent surpassing anyone else.
And now Zeke finally understood why Arthur Draker had been obsessed with swords since his youth, and why he had willingly entered the dangerous ancient temple that no one else knew about.
Then Arthur Draker looked at Zeke and said,
"And in the process of completing the divine sword, I realized one thing."
Soon, madness flickered in Arthur Draker's eyes.
"If the divine sword is the Sun God himself... then through that sword, I could become a god myself."
RUMBLING!
Divine power flowed from Arthur Draker's body as he gripped the divine sword, and the power of the sun god Apollion surged.
A halo in the form of the sun shone brightly as Arthur Draker's voice once again changed to a different level of divine language.
"I am Arthur Draker, and also Apollion. I will destroy the old world and create a new one, becoming the god of the new world."
RUMBLING!
As he emitted powerful divinity as the King in Yellow, the solar halo behind him burned even brighter.
"Zeke, I’m giving you an opportunity."
He said, his eyes glowing toward Zeke.
"Become my avatar. Then you can become the one true god of the new world with me."
Zeke snorted after hearing his words.
"One true god of the new world, huh? That sounds more like you want to take over my body instead of your crumbling one."
"That is not so. This is an opportunity to become one with me and become the great one true god of the new world."
Zeke looked at the King in Yellow and said mockingly,
"Not very tempting. I prefer things as they are now rather than the new world you're trying to create."
The King in Yellow slowly raised his divine sword at Zeke's answer.
"Think carefully, Zeke. Nothing is more foolish than refusing a glorious position of your own accord."
RUMBLING!
Immense pressure emanated from the King in Yellow holding the sword.
But despite this powerful force, Zeke faced him without wavering and said,
"I'm just not interested in positions that are simply handed over. And..."
Zeke's eyes flashed for a moment.
"What I desire is not to rule the material world."
As he spoke, Zeke lifted his foot high and stomped it hard on the ground.
WHOOOOSH!
A massive shockwave spread from where he stomped, causing the space formed of demonic energy to ripple.
The King in Yellow, surrounded by the solar halo, also stepped back at the sudden wave.
"What are you doing?"
Zeke looked at the King in Yellow and said,
"Instead of the choice you're forcing on me, there's another option."
Something could be felt rising from the shockwave Zeke created.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The condensed demonic energy surged upward between Zeke and the King in Yellow, becoming a massive pillar.
"This is...!"
The Demon King's soul, sealed within the mutant angel's body, was released due to Zeke's provocation, revealing its original power.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The King in Yellow stepped back, his solar halo glowing, as the massive pillar of demonic energy rose from the void.
RUMBLE!
The demonic energy, transformed into tentacles, tried to wrap around him.
But the sunlight flowing from the King in Yellow' sword instantly turned the demonic energy to ashes.
The demonic energy surging from the void formed a massive tree-like shape between Zeke and the King in Yellow.
The King in Yellow looked at Zeke who had summoned the Demon King's power and said,
"Meaningless struggle. Stop resisting and become my avatar. Then you will enjoy eternal glory by becoming one with me."
"I've told you many times I don't need that kind of glory."
Sneering at him, Zeke reached his hand toward the tree made of demonic energy.
He looked at Apollion and said,
"I've been wondering all along, what exactly is the Demon King?"
Apollion's eyes flashed at Zeke's words.
"I couldn't understand why the Sun God Apollion, who supposedly had absolute power, would go through the trouble of using the Demon King's soul to bring about the end."
Zeke still glared at Apollion while extending his hand toward the black tree of demonic energy, raising his divine power.
WHOOOOSH!
The black tree began to ripple and resonate with the waves flowing from Zeke's body.
"There's only one thing Apollion cannot touch."
WHOOOOSH!
The black tree resonated with Zeke and then began to split.
From within, an elegant black light rippled nobly.
WHOOOOSH!
Zeke knew the identity of this noble and sacred-feeling light.
It contained the same energy as the light that flowed from the fragment of the Primordial Light, the creator god, which he had received from the Distorted Constellation.
The difference was that the fragment of the Primordial Light contained within the black tree was incomparably larger than the broken debris, and it emitted black light instead of brilliant light.
Zeke murmured the identity of the source of the Demon King and the noble black light.
"The corrupted Primordial Light. So this was the true identity of the Demon King."
RUMBLE!
It was said that the Primordial Light, the creator, had been completely destroyed by the Sun God Apollion and the thirteen zodiac constellations.
But the hidden truth was different from what was known.
Zeke looked at the corrupted Primordial Light emitting demonic energy and said to the King in Yellow,
"This is why the Sun God Apollion kept trying to destroy the material world using the Demon King's soul. You planned to completely corrupt the remaining fragments of the Primordial Light through the apocalypse and absorb them."
Apollion, who gained the ability to manipulate distorted causality by borrowing the power of the chaos god, tried to corrupt the remaining fragments of the Primordial Light with that power.
He intended to swallow the corrupted Primordial Light to become a true creator, creating his own world instead of the world it had created.
For that ambition, he had brought about countless apocalypses to the material world and sacrificed numerous civilizations.
Even as Zeke became enraged upon discovering his scheme, black energy continuously flowed from the corrupted Primordial Light buried inside the black tree.
That black energy created by the corrupted Primordial Light was the source of the demonic energy that brought calamity to the material world.
The King in Yellow looked at Zeke and said,
"Knowing the truth changes nothing."
Zeke shook his head at those words.
"Is that so?"
Zeke opened his mouth toward the black tree.
"Demon King, no, corrupted Primordial Light, you said you've waited for me for ages and that only I could save you."
Zeke shouted toward the black tree,
"I accept your will! Demon King, come to me! I will accept you!"
Surprisingly, Zeke had permitted the Demon King to take his physical body.
At this unexpected situation, the King in Yellow shouted, emitting the power of the sun,
"Zeke Draker! What are you doing?! Your body belongs to me, the god of the new world!"
Zeke sneered at the enraged King in Yellow and said,
"Anyone watching would think you'd entrusted your body to me. Arthur Draker, I have not the slightest intention of becoming one with the likes of you."
In response to his answer, the King in Yellow rose in anger.
WOOOOONG!
The power of Apollion's sun blazed and surged from the divine sword.
The King in Yellow swung his sword, which emitted intense heat and light, toward Zeke who was accepting the Demon King's power.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
The power of the sun flew toward the black tree.
HWARARARARUK!
The intense flames of the sun engulfed the black tree and burned, and the King in Yellow shouted at the surging demonic energy.
"Remnant of the Fallen Creator! Abandon your greed and withdraw! That is not for you to take!"
Then the corrupted primordial light embedded in the black tree emitted a noble light again as if to answer and created a wave.
Along with that wave, a strong resonating sound rose from the black tree enveloped in the sun's power.
WOOOONG!
The enormous resonating sound instantly extinguished the sun's flames that had engulfed the black tree.
At the same time, the Demon King's voice that had whispered in Zeke's ear echoed throughout the void space.
"One who crossed the walls, accept me. Through this, I shall be saved again."
Zeke heard the Demon King's voice and spread his arms toward the black tree.
"I have no intention of saving you. I only desire your power as well."
The Demon King's whisper responded to Zeke's words.
"I will devour everything. Thus, imperfection shall return to nothingness."
With those words, demonic energy soared from the black tree.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
Darkness so thick it covered the sun's light flowing from the black tree and enveloped Zeke's body.
The corrupted primordial light embedded in the black tree was sucked into Zeke's body as he spread his arms.
The demonic energy that formed the world of void poured into Zeke's body.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!
After a moment, the void world shook and disappeared.
The world of complete darkness vanished and the scene of Eden, the broken city, appeared.
As they escaped the void world, the King in Yellow returned to the form of Arthur Draker holding the divine sword.
In front of Arthur Draker was a void vortex that absorbed everything.
WOOOOONG!
Arthur Draker, gripping the divine sword, gritted his teeth as he glared at Zeke who was accepting the Demon King's soul.
Just as he was about to take a step toward Zeke, Arthur Draker vomited blood.
His unstable physical body couldn't fully accept Apollion's power.
He clenched his teeth, staring at the massive void storm, then flicked his finger.
The air split open and a huge mouth appeared.
Arthur Draker muttered as he put his body into the mouth.
"...Zeke, it's useless anyway. You are destined to become one with me regardless."
With those words, Arthur Draker painfully moved his body and disappeared into the mouth.
KWADUDUDUDUDU!
Eden, the abandoned city with only traces and ruins of the past, was slowly absorbed into the void vortex and gradually vanished.