Chapter 376
Zeke followed the Sage into the inner room.
However, the room was completely empty.
Just as Zeke was wondering about this, the Sage raised his hand toward the room, and surprisingly, a magic circle rose from the floor, emitting light.
‘A portal?’
A portal had been hidden in the floor.
The Sage moved the chair onto the magic circle and gestured for Zeke to come up as well.
Zeke stepped onto the magic circle and stood beside the Sage.
Soon, the characteristic vibration of the portal was felt.
WOOOONG!
Light flashed before their eyes, and the surrounding scenery completely changed.
From an ordinary room, a space appeared that was completely covered with trees on all sides.
Zeke could feel the dragon’s power much stronger in this space than before.
‘Where is this?’
At that moment, mesSages appeared before his eyes.
[Advanced Administrator System detects secure zone ‘Forgotten Forest God’s Domain’.]
[Advanced Administrator System attempts to connect.]
[Domain recognizes Advanced Administrator.]
[Verifying ‘Dense Silent Forest’ access code.]
[Security zone seal released, entry permitted.]
Along with the messages, the intertwined trees moved on their own, making a path for them to proceed forward.
The Sage beside him showed a surprised expression at this sight.
“Huh, to think the sealed area’s access code would be granted before I even mentioned it. It’s been thousands of years since this place was opened.”
The Sage shook his head and gestured for Zeke to follow.
The two went inside along the pathway made by the intertwined trees.
Zeke asked the Sage.
“Sage, the system showed this place as the Forgotten Forest God’s Domain… is this perhaps… the Divine Dragon’s domain?”
He asked this remembering that when he went to find Poseidon before, it was called ‘Forgotten Sea God’ before the seal was broken.
The Sage nodded at Zeke’s words.
“I don’t know how you know about the Divine Dragon, but if you do, this will make things faster.”
The Sage moved forward and slowly opened his mouth.
“As you say, the sealed Divine Dragon’s main body exists here.”
Zeke was surprised at the Sage’s words.
“Do you mean the Divine Dragon’s main body sealed by the Immortal’s Spear, like Lord Poseidon, is here?”
This time the Sage was even more surprised.
“How do you know about that?”
Zeke hesitated for a moment, wondering where to start explaining, then opened his mouth.
“I released the Sea God’s seal. So I was able to hear related stories.”
At those words, the Sage stopped his chair and turned his body completely toward Zeke.
“What? Are you saying you broke Poseidon’s seal?”
Zeke nodded.
The Sage made a complicated expression, then turned back around and started moving forward again.
After that, the Sage fell into deep thought and didn’t say much else.
Soon the long corridor ended, and a huge cavity appeared.
The cavity was also made entirely of trees, with a ceiling so high that even looking up, the end couldn’t be seen.
‘Huh? The size is enormous. Is this near the roots of that giant tree?’
At that moment, the Sage extended his hand forward.
In response, the trees in the cavity began to move.
KUGUUUU!
Soon something shot up from the floor.
When Zeke stepped back to look, it was none other than a massive fossil.
‘A dragon?’
The huge crouching dragon fossil was connected to the trees on the floor.
It felt as if the trees had spread out from this dragon fossil.
Zeke recalled the giant turtle where the Sea God’s sealed form had been hidden upon seeing this.
“Could this enormous tree be the avatar of the Forest God?”
The Sage nodded at Zeke’s words.
“You know quite a lot about the Divine Dragons. Yes. Before the Forest God’s consciousness was completely cut off, it created this massive tree and had me, its avatar, protect this place.”
Only then did Zeke realize the Sage’s true identity.
‘Like Lord Poseidon, he was an avatar of the Divine Dragons.’
The Sage opened his mouth while looking at Zeke.
“My name is Hermes. I am the Lord of the Green clan and the avatar of the Divine Dragons who inherited the name of the Forest God.”
Zeke remembered hearing Hermes’ name from Hades before.
As briefly mentioned, Hades had said that except for the Elder Dragons, he was one of the longest-living dragons and was respected as the wisest among dragons.
Hermes pointed to the fossilized sealed form of the Divine Dragon.
“If you’ve heard the explanation from Poseidon, you probably already know what happened.”
Zeke nodded.
“Yes. I heard that Jiemens Apollion sealed the divine status of the Divine Dragons with the God-Slaying Spear.”
“Do you know why Jiemens Apollion did such a thing?”
“I heard that at the Great Sage’s request, the Divine Dragons combined their powers to create a homunculus of the Hero King who could stop him. When Jiemens Apollion learned that the Divine Dragons had intervened in the war, he sealed the dragons’ hearts with the God-Slaying Stone.”
Hermes remained silent for a while after hearing Zeke’s words, then spoke.
“His attack on the Divine Dragons was partly revenge for creating the Hero King’s homunculus, but there was actually another reason.”
Hermes brought up a story that Poseidon hadn’t told.
“At that time, there were three Divine Dragons. I, the Forest God, Poseidon, the Sea God, and the Earth God. These three.”
He continued slowly.
“Strictly speaking, the Divine Dragons can be seen as taking over the roles of the gods after qualifying to receive divine status and inheriting the power of each god.”
Zeke carefully spoke up, having noticed something from Hermes’ words.
“Is the Earth God you mentioned perhaps the same Earth God worshipped by Ishtar’s elves?”
Hermes nodded.
“Yes, unfortunately, I heard that after those children lost communication with the Earth God, only strict laws remained. Anyway, the Forest God, Sea God, and Earth God who gave power to the Divine Dragons were given the role of maintaining the power of this physical world by the Creation God. The Divine Dragons who inherited that role had to perform the same duty.”
Zeke recalled how the Death Sea, which had been teeming with monsters and rough waves, stabilized when Poseidon, the forgotten Sea God, regained his divine status.
“Does that mean… Jiemens Apollion sealed the divine status of the Divine Dragons to weaken those gods’ powers and break the balance of the physical world?”
“That’s right. When the Divine Dragons were sealed, more chaos occurred in the physical world. Above all, as conflicts between humans grew larger, the entire continent became a battlefield.”
Zeke questioned with doubt.
“What is the connection between the sealing of the Divine Dragons and human wars?”
Hermes slowly opened his mouth.
“When the balance of the physical world was disturbed and difficulties and confusion struck, the Fallen Constellations tempted and deceived humans in various ways. How many dynasties do you think have changed and how many people have died throughout thousands of years of history? While feeling great despair, frustration, and fear.”
Zeke’s face hardened upon hearing Hermes’ words.
“Are you saying that all those wars and conflicts between humans were because of the temptation of the Fallen Constellations?”
“Of course, not everything was like that, but their influence likely existed at crucial moments.”
Zeke’s expression became confused.
“Intervening with humans to cause wars. Why would they do such a thing…?”
“Don’t you know? For the Fallen Constellations, war is no different from an excellent banquet hall. They can absorb the negative energy flowing from there to grow their power, and the souls of humans who have fallen and dropped into the abyss become good prey for them.”
The Fallen Constellations encourage not only their subordinates but all things to cause conflict, struggle, and be exposed to despair and madness.
This was because it was a way for them to strengthen their power and gain greater status.
Zeke finally realized why the Abyss and Jiemens were recklessly waging war on the continent and committing massive massacres.
Until now, he had thought it was just part of plotting to resurrect the Demon King. However, all of this was ultimately a process to strengthen the power of the Fallen Constellations and resurrect the Demon King.
The Sage looked at Zeke, whose face had hardened as if he had realized something, and said.
“When I heard you had released the Sea God again, many thoughts came to mind.”
At his tone that didn’t seem relieved, Zeke asked him with a puzzled face.
“According to your words, if we release the sealed Divine Dragon and restore the balance of the phenomenal world, won’t we be able to stop the Fallen Constellations?”
At those words, the Sage slowly opened his mouth.
“That’s one way to look at it, but what’s more important are the various signals appearing behind it.”
“Signals…?”
The Sage raised his hand and pointed at Zeke.
“Immortal.”
The Sage, who was an incarnation of the Divine Dragon, knew Zeke’s true nature.
The Sage opened his mouth while looking at Zeke, whose expression had hardened.
“The existence of an Immortal is dangerous. The very appearance of an Immortal is also a sign that the Demon King’s resurrection is not far off.”
Whenever the Demon King appeared, there was always an Immortal.
In the age of the Hero King, there was an Immortal named Jiemens Apollion, and in the Liberation War, there was an Immortal named Terakan Draker.
Zeke asked the Sage.
“The Holy King passed me the Holy Spear and said I inherited the destiny to annihilate the Demon King. He said I must carry out the mission that Terakan Draker, who was an Immortal, couldn’t finish.”
At the mention of the Holy Spear, the Sage’s eyes widened.
“The spear held by the first one who killed a god… is that what you’re talking about?”
Instead of answering, Zeke took out the Holy Spear from his inventory.
Looking at the Holy Spear that was entirely black from body to tip, the Sage said to Zeke.
“It seems to have taken form influenced by your soul.”
“Yes. After I inherited it, its shape changed.”
The Sage nodded upon hearing this.
“An Immortal is a being who can kill gods, and also become a god.”
Zeke was shocked at those words.
“I understand being able to kill gods since there’s the God-Slaying Stone, but what does it mean to be able to become a god?”
The Sage thought for a moment and slowly opened his mouth.
“Immortals themselves exist outside the influence of karma. Who do you think would most desire such an Immortal?”
Zeke’s face hardened at the Sage’s words.
“Could it be…?”
The Sage nodded.
“An undying body is bound to be the vessel the Demon King covets most.”
Suddenly, Zeke’s mind rang as if struck by something.
The first God-Slayer who killed a god ultimately became the king of the Fallen Constellations himself.
Jiemens Apollion, who had the power of an Immortal, had the Demon King descend into his own body.
Terakan Draker didn’t become the Demon King, but he couldn’t ultimately kill Bahamut, his lover who had the Demon King descend into her.
Then Zeke realized something and was startled.
‘During the Liberation War, the body the Demon King tried to descend into wasn’t the Twilight Dragon Bahamut, but the Immortal Terakan!’
It could be that Bahamut, upon learning this, sacrificed herself to trap the Demon King in her own body, and asked Terakan, who uniquely had the power of God-Slaying, to annihilate both herself and the Demon King.
However, Terakan ultimately couldn’t annihilate Bahamut, his beloved lover, and the Demon King’s soul was sealed in the Book of the Dead in a tower beyond the Dark Sea where no one could reach.
Only now that he realized an Immortal was both one who could kill the Demon King and one who could become the Demon King, could Zeke understand why the Lake Fairy had been reluctant to give him the Holy Relic because he was an Immortal.
‘If I were to change my mind and use the Holy Relic to call the Fallen Constellations to the phenomenal world and unleash the Book of the Dead containing the Demon King’s soul to have it descend into my body…’
No one could stop the Demon King who had descended into the phenomenal world.
The Sage looked at Zeke and said.
“That’s why the appearance of someone who can break the Divine Dragon’s seal can also be seen as a sign that the Demon King will be resurrected.”
Zeke nodded at the Sage’s words.
“I understand what you mean, but I have absolutely no intention of letting the Demon King descend into my body.”
The Sage shook his head.
“The descent of the Demon King isn’t something to think about so simply. Even Terakan Draker probably didn’t know he would throw away his chance to annihilate the Demon King at the last moment.”
The Demon King looks into the deepest and darkest parts of the soul and seeps in from the weakest points.
That’s why the Demon King’s whispers can’t be blocked, and it’s impossible to overcome that temptation.
‘The Demon King’s temptation…’
Since he had never thought he would become the Demon King’s vessel, Zeke’s mind couldn’t help but become complicated.
Then the Sage, who had been silent for a moment, said to Zeke.
“I have a request for you.”
The Sage pointed to his heart and said.
“Please annihilate me with the Holy Spear.”
