Chapter 225
She took Zeke and Bill to a place connected to the sea inside the fortress.
Peter Pan asked Zeke.
“We need to go deep underwater , how long can you hold your breath?”
Then Bill said to Peter Pan.
“Captain! This knight’s a good swimmer! We swam together for quite a while earlier!”
“Bill! Be quiet! Didn’t I tell you not to use dialect because humans look down on us!”
Though scolding, she immediately jumped into the water with a splash and said to Bill.
“Bill, go hide with the other members. We can’t let those guys catch you again. I’ll come get you soon.”
“Yes, Captain!”
Peter Pan gestured to Zeke from the water.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get in. Weren’t you in a rush?”
Zeke nodded and jumped into the water.
Soon underwater breathing activated and he could breathe underwater.
Once breathing became possible, Zeke could properly see Peter Pan swimming underwater.
Though earlier she had human legs, her lower body had transformed into a shimmering fish tail.
She said to Zeke:
『Follow me this way.』
The buzzing sound transmitted clearly, perhaps using water vibrations.
Zeke followed Peter Pan into a cave where seawater was flowing strongly.
‘Another lava cave. The current is fast.’
The seawater was flowing rapidly as it passed through the cave.
Zeke increased his weight with gold force and swam using dragon wings to follow Peter Pan.
After passing through the narrow, long cave, a wide space appeared.
Below the seawater were traces of buildings, less destroyed than before.
Looking at another ruin, Zeke realized this wasn’t a temple.
‘This is… where the deep sea people lived.’
It was essentially an underwater city where the deep sea people had built their own civilization.
He remembered that the sky people’s sanctuary also had the temple deeper inside from where they had lived.
‘Is the sea god’s temple hidden deeper than this place?’
Just then Peter Pan gestured to Zeke.
Zeke followed her up to the surface.
“WHEW!”
Zeke took a deep breath as he surfaced.
Looking around, he saw a long lava cave stretching out.
Zeke climbed up to the cave first. Peter Pan, who had been in mermaid form underwater, had already transformed back to human legs as she came onto land.
Zeke said to Peter Pan:
“Fascinating. Can all deep sea people travel between sea and land?”
But Peter Pan shook her head.
“No, originally deep sea people couldn’t come onto land. Only descendants of the sea god among the deep sea people can do this.”
“Descendants of the sea god?”
Peter Pan didn’t answer Zeke’s question and gestured.
“It’s that way. Follow me.”
Zeke held back his curiosity and followed Peter Pan deeper into the cave.
Not long after entering the cave, Zeke sensed something suspicious.
He gestured to Peter Pan to stop and summoned ghost warriors.
TSSS!
Peter Pan was startled when two ghost warriors emerged from Zeke’s shadow.
The ghost warriors became ethereal and invisible as they went to scout ahead in the cave.
Zeke monitored the situation while sharing vision with the ghost warriors.
Soon after, through the ghost warriors’ vision, Zeke discovered Mein patrolling the area.
Looking closer, there weren’t just Mein but also mages.
And one of the mages with Mein suddenly turned their head toward the ethereal ghost soldier.
“Intruders!”
When the mage pulled out their staff and cast magic, surprisingly the ghost warrior’s ethereal form was dispelled, revealing its form.
The Mein rushed at the materialized ghost soldier.
CRACK!
As the ghost soldier blocked the Mein’s attack with its sword, Zeke ordered it to retreat and dismissed the summon.
‘To detect an ethereal ghost warrior. They seem to be Abyss mages.’
Even Zeke in stealth could be detected by Abyss mages’ detection abilities.
They seemed able to detect ethereal ghost warriors as well.
‘Need to be careful when sending scouts to the Abyss.’
Zeke organized the situation in his mind and said to Peter Pan:
“There are dark mages and knights using magic ahead. Can you block them with spirit magic?”
Peter Pan frowned and replied.
“You mean that black sticky energy? Spirits really hate that stuff.”
Spirits were beings from another dimension made of pure energy. Thus they were naturally opposed to magic, the dark energy of the abyss.
“So it’s fine if you just block the magic?”
“Well yes, but…”
Just then the dark mages and Mein revealed themselves.
They seemed to have come out here after discovering the ghost soldier.
“There they are! Get them!”
Zeke put away Bahamut and drew the jeweled sword Roland.
Then he unleashed the Light veil skill.
SWOOSH!
A light barrier spread widely around Zeke.
Peter Pan showed a surprised expression as the light curtain seeped into his body.
“What is this? It feels really warm.”
“This should be enough to use spirits.”
Undine, hovering above Peter Pan’s head, fluttered her wings actively. Seeing this, Peter Pan nodded and created water droplets.
“Alright, let’s go!”
The droplets instantly multiplied and surged into water pillars toward the approaching Meins.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
The fierce water pillars enveloped and swallowed the approaching Meins as if they were alive.
CRACK CRACK!
Though they tried to resist by planting their feet on the ground, it was futile against the strong water current. Eventually, all the Meins were swept away by the water pillars.
Zeke watched Peter Pan’s spirit magic from the side with admiration.
‘Unlike the Elemental Sword that uses elemental power, spirit magic uses nature’s power directly.’
Zeke thought he could use the water field in a similar way.
While he created pure fire when using the fire field and wind when using the wind field, he had never thought of doing something similar with the water field.
‘Master Kaisir didn’t teach me that either. Perhaps he didn’t feel the need.’
As they tried to advance slowly again, a magician in black robes burst through the strong water pillars.
He had broken through the water stream while wrapped in a black barrier.
The magician pointed his staff at Peter Pan.
“Damn merfolk traitor! How dare you betray us!”
Black electricity sparked from his staff and black lightning flew toward Peter Pan.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
Perhaps due to the seawater’s influence, the black lightning struck from all directions along the cave walls, engulfing Zeke and Peter Pan.
That’s when Zeke charged toward the black lightning wielding Roland.
As he summoned the Holy Fire, intense light burst from his sword.
WHOOSH!
Brilliant light surged from the jeweled sword, and for a moment, Zeke swung his sword looking like a legendary knight.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The light of the Holy Fire that Zeke created neutralized all the black lightning.
Seeing this, the Abyss dark magician stumbled backward, stuttering in disbelief.
“Lu-Lubern’s light magic? H-how did you…”
After a moment, the retreating dark magician raised his eyes and shouted at Zeke.
“Y-you! Could it be Zeke Draker?!”
Zeke immediately flew toward the dark magician.
WHOOSH!
The Holy Fire surging from Zeke’s sword enveloped the dark magician’s body.
SIZZLE! SIZZLE!
The light of the Holy Fire burned away the black aura circling around the dark magician’s body.
He gritted his teeth and pointed his staff at Zeke.
“Zeke Draker! To think you’d crawl in here yourself! You fool! If I offer you and receive baptism, I too can become an apostle!”
The surprise in the dark magician’s eyes disappeared, replaced by burning greed.
Black smoke flowed from his staff.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The black smoke gathered and took the form of something massive.
A solid body with grotesque wings and two horns on its head.
Peter Pan gaped at the monster summoned by the dark magician.
“I-isn’t that a demon?”
She blurted out in dialect, seemingly surprised.
Zeke beside her was surprised for a different reason.
‘Isn’t that a Balrog?’
He didn’t expect to see the Balrog he had fought hard against in the Inverted Tower here.
Seeing Zeke and Peter Pan’s surprised expressions, the dark magician smiled confidently.
“No creature in this world can face Balrog, a warrior of the demon realm! Die a horrible death writhing in fear!”
As the dark magician waved his staff, Balrog moved with glowing red eyes.
ROAR!
The tremendous roar was enough to shake the entire cave.
Undine got scared and returned to the spirit realm, and Peter Pan’s face turned pale white.
But Zeke looked at Balrog with an indifferent expression.
‘The roar is a bit weak. The Slayer and Tyrant’s roars felt like they pierced to the bone.’
Zeke was internally critiquing Balrog’s roar.
The dark magician saw Zeke’s expression and misunderstood that he was completely terrified.
“Go! Crush him completely!”
Balrog dragged its massive body and charged at Zeke.
Zeke watched Balrog, then stuck Roland in the ground and ran forward empty-handed.
Peter Pan was shocked at this sight.
“W-what are you doing!”
Zeke took the Infinite Chain stance and drew upon the power of Strong Wave Resonance.
ROAR!
Soon Balrog charged toward Zeke.
Zeke planted his feet and released a Strong Wave Resonance.
BOOM! BOOM!
Balrog broke through Zeke’s wave with its arms crossed, charging with great force.
But Zeke had already moved to Balrog’s blind spot using Shadow Step.
GROWL!
When Balrog tried to swing its claws at Zeke, he was already gone.
Instead, he appeared at its side and immediately thrust out a leg strike.
BOOM!
Zeke’s kick struck Balrog’s flank.
GROWL!
Balrog’s massive body twisted sideways from Zeke’s impact.
Zeke didn’t stop there and activated Infinite Chain.
Infinite Chain technique
Consecutive Strike
Four-Way Strike
Zeke’s strikes, empowered with Wave Force Resonance, targeted Balrog’s openings.
Balrog could only defend against Zeke’s relentless attacks.
Then suddenly, Zeke jumped into the air.
WHOOSH!
Zeke rotated his body and extended his knife hand toward Balrog’s weak point – its horns.
Infinite Chain Technique
Rotating Strike
Knife Hand Slash
Zeke’s knife hand instantly split Balrog’s solid horn.
ROAR!
Balrog retreated in agony after losing its horn to Zeke.
But Zeke wasn’t finished.
He raised his knife hand and unleashed Holy Fire.
Infinite Chain unfolded from his hand imbued with Holy Fire’s power.
His light-wrapped hand drove into Balrog’s chest.
CRACK! CRACK!
Fine cracks appeared on Balrog’s body from the Holy Fire’s power. Then its body shattered completely, and Balrog disappeared into black ashes.
After instantly dispatching Balrog, Zeke picked up the fallen horn and said to the dark magician:
“Balrog, huh. You summoned something interesting.”
After storing the horn in his inventory, Zeke slowly walked toward the dark magician.
To the dark magician, Zeke who defeated Balrog bare-handed didn’t feel human.
“M-monster…”
The dark magician tried to flee, but Zeke was faster.
He had already used Shadow Control to grab the dark magician’s shadow.
“UGH!”
Zeke held the dark magician and tried to read information through his shadow.
“Hmm, let’s see. Seems they haven’t found Sister Kali yet.”
It seemed they were pursuing Kali who had fled somewhere in the ruins while injured.
Zeke asked the dark magician.
“How did you recognize the spirit form?”
Since it was difficult to find out through memory reading, when he asked through Blood Eye, one of the dark magician’s eyes suddenly turned red.
Zeke read the dark magician’s information seeing the red eye.
“Magic Eye… So you can see souls with this. Is it different from Spirit Eye? Then it could be somewhat tricky to deal with.”
While Zeke was extracting information from the dark magician, there was a loud noise from deep in the cave.
CLANG!
It was the sound of swords clashing.
Zeke immediately killed the magician he was holding by breaking his neck.
Then he completely dissolved the magician’s body with Decay..
Watching Zeke, Peter Pan felt confused.
‘Earlier he seemed like a knight sent by god, but now he’s like a demon without blood or tears.’
Unaware of such thoughts, Zeke said to Peter Pan.
“A battle broke out over there. Follow me.”
With those words, Zeke launched himself forward, flying rapidly through the lava cave.
CRASH!
A fierce battle was taking place inside the cave.
Knights wearing Hersion were swinging their swords attacking someone.
Zeke identified who was being intensively attacked among the knights.
“Sister Kali!”
Kali Draker was there, swinging her sword while injured.
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