Chapter 221
Surprisingly, the golem glaring at Zeke underwater didn’t have a typical form, but rather resembled an ancient fishman from the books.
KUGUGUGU!
While Zeke was slightly dazed in surprise, the golem charged at him wielding a trident.
WHOOSH!
As the golem thrust out its trident, the water currents swirled and wrapped around Zeke.
‘UGH!’
It wasn’t easy to move freely underwater.
He used his dragon body transformation to change his feet into dragon form.
KAGAGAGAK!
As he gripped the floor with dragon claws to hold steady, the golem rushed quickly toward Zeke with its trident.
GUOOOOO!
The golem brought down its massive trident toward Zeke.
KWANG!
Zeke returned his feet to their original form, then quickly spun his body to dodge the trident.
Zeke barely regained his balance and faced the golem.
That’s when Zeke realized something.
‘If I make my body heavier, it’s easier to maintain balance.’
He spread out his gold aura field to make his body heavier.
KUGUGUGUGU!
Instantly, the pressure around Zeke’s body increased, causing water spray.
Having found balance with the gold aura field, Zeke took the Infinite Chain Formation stance.
Then he took a step forward and used Strong Wave Force Resonance.
WOOOONG!
The mana vibrations felt even clearer underwater.
Zeke, now adapted to moving underwater through the gold aura field, aimed his fist at the golem.
Then he took a step forward and unleashed Bone Breaking through the Infinite Chain Formation toward the golem.
Infinite Chain technique
Forward Strike
Target Pierce
Powerful waves burst against the golem’s body.
KWAKWAKWAKWA!
The golem hit the wall from the wave impact. Zeke cut through the water current and flew at the golem.
KWAKWAKWANG!
And he unleashed Infinite Chain technique to prevent the golem from getting up.
KWAKWAKWAKWANG!
Due to the Infinite Chain technique strikes mixed with gold aura, the golem’s body gradually dug into the pile of stones.
KURURURU!
The buried golem’s eyes glowed.
At the same time, the runes embedded in its body began to shine.
KUGUGUGU!
The water current around the golem began to get rough.
‘This is?’
A huge whirlpool formed where Zeke was.
KWADUDUDUK!
Zeke tried to withstand the whirlpool by spreading his gold aura, but the power was too strong.
‘NNGH!’
Finally unable to hold on any longer, Zeke’s body floated up.
The golem tried to control the whirlpool to send Zeke outside.
Noticing this, Zeke drew Bahamut and felt the rough water current.
WOOOONG!
A faint sword sound resonated from Bahamut.
Zeke decided to naturally accept the water current gripping his body.
Soon, Zeke, who had been just tossed around by the current, could instead feel the flow of water comfortably.
‘Don’t fight force with force; flow with it.’
Zeke, who had realized this principle in the inverted tower, imbued it in his sword and swung following the water flow.
KUGUGUGU!
The fierce whirlpool’s power instead followed Zeke’s sword.
Rather than trying to cut the whirlpool with his sword, Zeke tried to follow its flow.
WOOOONG!
In the fierce whirlpool, Zeke felt an even more natural flow of the sword with his whole body.
The golem that created the whirlpool increased its output when Zeke started controlling the water flow with his sword.
KUGUGUGUGUGU!
An even stronger water flow came to pressure Zeke’s body.
‘Handle the strong with gentleness.’
Zeke spread out his water force field while feeling the flow of the whirlpool pressuring his body.
WOOOONG!
The water current began to move according to Zeke’s will.
Instead, Zeke controlled the whirlpool to send the rough current back toward the golem.
KWAKWAKWAKWA!
The golem’s body floated up, unable to withstand the rough current as it lost control of the whirlpool.
Zeke rode the current and swung his sword toward the golem.
Elemental Sword
Water Force Field
Spiral Sword
A secret technique Zeke hadn’t been able to use until now unfolded.
The spiral wave that burst from his sword pierced the golem’s body.
KWADUDUDUK!
The wave wrapped around the golem’s body leaving spiral traces.
As the pile of stones where the golem was collapsed, a hidden entrance appeared.
Zeke adjusted the spiral force to push the golem inside that entrance.
The whirlpool swept both the golem and Zeke together inside the entrance.
* * *
“WHEW!”
Zeke, who entered through the entrance riding the whirlpool, was finally able to surface above water.
As he caught his breath after coming out of the water, messages appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[You have gained insight into Elemental Sword Water Force Field.]
[Elemental Sword proficiency has increased.]
[Elemental Sword proficiency has become ‘Expert’.]
[Basic course of Elemental Sword has been completed.]
[Elemental Sword has changed to practical course.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Successor of the Hero King’.]
“Basic course? Everything I’ve done until now was just the basic course?”
Zeke checked the special skills category in his status window, unable to believe the message.
Special Skills: Elemental Sword [SS Rank (Beginner)] / True Dragon Sword Technique [S Rank (Expert)] / Soul Sealing Technique [A Rank (Beginner)] / Soul Divine Technique [S Rank (Beginner)] / Infinite Chain technique [S Rank (Skilled)] / Sacred Fire Technique [S Rank (Beginner)] / Giant God Hunting Technique [A Rank (Skilled)]
“SS Rank? So it grew beyond S Rank?”
Zeke focused elemental force while holding his sword.
WOONG!
The elemental force concentrated faster than before, and the power in the sword itself was different.
Zeke lightly swung his sword with gold aura.
KURURUNG!
The cave shook in response to the gold aura even without direct contact.
Zeke’s jaw dropped at the power of the SS Rank skill.
“Now I somewhat understand why Lord Sethon and Lady Tyr were so surprised when they said they learned Elemental Sword.”
It was embarrassing to think he had considered Elemental Sword just a supporting skill for True Dragon Sword Technique until now.
On top of that, he gained the title ‘Successor of the Hero King’.
‘Does this mean from here on is the real Elemental Sword?’
But there was one drawback.
“The mana consumption increased after changing to SS Rank.”
Previously, mana would be consumed only for big techniques, but now it was drastically reduced just from one sword swing.
He definitely needed to be careful until he got used to it.
To move again, Zeke took out stored monster corpses from his inventory and threw them to his shadow to replenish his depleted mana.
‘This barely registers.’
Thinking he would need to devour some monsters roaming the cave, Zeke sheathed his sword and examined the golem that came up with him.
“Let’s see. Could this be considered a guardian too?”
Usually, when the system recognized a relic site, guardians could be registered as summons just by obtaining their authentication code.
However, the Sea God’s Island wasn’t recognized by Kabbalah’s administrator system.
‘Maybe this isn’t a relic site yet.’
Zeke approached the golem that had the form of an ancient fishman.
Then he opened its chest area to look for its core.
“Huh? Why doesn’t this one have a core?”
Unlike normal golems, this one with ancient fishman appearance had no core.
Then a message appeared.
[Would you like to devour this entity?]
Zeke was surprised at the message.
“Devour? Can golems be devoured too?”
This message hadn’t appeared when defeating other golems.
Although Zeke thought something was strange, he decided to try devouring it.
TSUTSUTSU!
The shadow enveloped the golem and began absorbing it.
Messages appeared simultaneously.
[You have devoured a magical object imbued with Sea God’s power.]
[Consumed health, mental power, and mana are being restored.]
[Absorbed abilities from the devoured magical object increase proficiency in active skills Magic Reflection (A Rank) and Area Buff (A Rank).]
[Absorbed abilities from the devoured magical object increase proficiency in active skill Blood Eye (S Rank).]
[Acquired skill Underwater Breathing (C Rank) by partially absorbing Sea God’s power.]
Seeing the skills that increased proficiency from devouring the golem, Zeke realized something.
“So Area Buff and Magic Reflection were sorcery powers, not magic. No wonder their proficiency wouldn’t increase no matter how much I used them.”
Seeing them increase together with the sorcery Blood Eye confirmed that these two skills were also related to sorcery.
Zeke closed his status window and looked around the space the golem had been guarding.
It felt different from the lava cave the hounds were guarding.
“This place… doesn’t seem to have formed naturally.”
Zeke went closer and touched the cave wall.
The wall was heavily eroded, perhaps due to the passage of time.
Zeke tilted his head while examining the wall.
“It’s not natural, but it doesn’t seem like humans made it either.”
It felt completely different from the Dragon Slayer’s Haven or Hero King’s Haven.
Rather, it felt similar to the Birds Tribe’s Haven and the relic site in Death Valley where the ark was.
“Most likely… this place was made by ancient fishmen, not humans.”
The ancient fishmen described in the legends of the Hero King era were portrayed as quite a mysterious race.
They were as secretive as the forest druids, quietly living with their own civilization under the sea.
In the legend of the Hero King, there’s a story of Kaisir saving the ancient fishmen who were suffering from fierce sea monsters. No sea monster, no matter how strong, could have stood against Kaisir.
Zeke recalled the contents of Kaisir’s chronicles.
‘There wasn’t much about the fishmen… Master Kaisir said he got seasick and quickly finished the job before returning to Chronos in an irritated state.’
Though it was hard to believe a Grandmaster who made dragons tremble suffered from seasickness, Kaisir was such a unique being that Zeke had simply accepted it.
Setting aside thoughts of Kaisir, Zeke examined the space again while thinking about the fishmen.
The fishfolk race, descendants of ancient fishmen, still lived in small numbers throughout the southern islands, away from human contact.
Peter Pan united these fishfolk to create the Fishermen Pirates, rising to lead the southern pirates.
Zeke thought Peter Pan’s abilities might be similar to the ancient fishmen’s sorcery.
‘It’s probably different from ghost-handling sorcery. I’ll need to face him to know for sure.’
Zeke entered deeper into the space while staying alert.
The space grew wider as he went deeper.
Everywhere, walls were eroded and reliefs were damaged.
‘From the traces, this seems to have been an ancient fishmen temple. Who destroyed it like this?’
As Zeke explored the temple and went inside, he found a new space at the end of the path.
“This is…”
The space preserved traces of the long-lost temple.
There was a circular space filled with seawater in the center, with remnants of a broken garden beside it.
Zeke examined the circular space where seawater rippled.
“Is it connected to the sea?”
Zeke examined various spaces of the ruined temple.
That’s when it happened.
Ripples formed in the water-filled space.
PUSHUSHUK!
Water burst up violently, and fishmen wielding harpoons emerged.
The fishmen threw nets at Zeke.
CHWARALARAK!
Zeke stepped back using Shadowless Step.
Then other hidden fishmen appeared and threw hooks tied with ropes at Zeke.
Zeke drew Bahamut and deflected the fishmen’s hooks.
PACHING!
The hooks deflected by Zeke’s sword returned to the fishmen.
The fishmen who emerged from the seawater aimed their weapons at Zeke.
‘Glowing skin and gills on the neck. Are these the Fishmen Pirates?’
Zeke asked the fishermen.
“Are you Peter Pan’s subordinates?”
Instead of answering Zeke’s question, the fishmen charged at him.
CHWARALARAK!
Four nets spread out from all directions toward Zeke. Zeke drew Bahamut and unleashed Wind Strike.
Dragon Slaying Technique
Wind Storm
Wind Strike
As a gust arose, the nets trying to cover him were swept back by the wind. Then other fishmen charged at Zeke again.
KWADEUK!
Zeke blocked the attack of a fishman thrusting a harpoon at him.
But up close, Zeke noticed something strange.
The eyes of the fishmen charging at him were bloodshot, and foam was forming at their mouths.
Zeke knew what this was.
‘This is the awakening drug those Empire bastards were experimenting with!’
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