[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 112
Kugu gugu gugu!
Cracks appeared on the walls of the lair, and fragments of rock from the ceiling began to fall.
At the same time, the magic stones covering the floor of the open space turned red.
Woooong!
Zeke was flustered as he watched the blinking magic stones.
“Th-this...!”
Seeing the rapidly decreasing countdown, Zeke hurriedly summoned Bucephalus.
Hieeeing!
Mounted on Bucephalus' back, Zeke shouted,
“System! Open the escape route!”
[Unable to activate the lair's emergency escape portal function.]
[Accessing the protective base's administrator system and opening the sky path.]
Drrrrrr!
The ceiling of the lair began to crack and open.
Dodging the falling debris, Zeke urged Bucephalus to climb the wall and soar towards the ceiling.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Bucephalus moved at high speed, galloping from the lair to where the protective base was located.
Zeke arrived back above the base where he had found Terakan Draker's legacy earlier.
'So this is how the path was connected.'
[Opening the ceiling of the 4th Protective Base.]
Drrrrrr!
Just as he had seen in the holographic image, the ceiling of the protective base split open.
Like Terrakan, who flew up on his Pegasus, Zeke also flew up through the ceiling on Bucephalus.
Hieeeing!
As Bucephalus soared into the air, the situation on the ground became clearly visible.
With the dragon lair beneath the ruins collapsing, the excavation site above it was also crumbling down.
He could see the mages, hounds, and excavation slaves inside hurriedly escaping from the dungeon.
Kurururung!
A huge explosion erupted from the dungeon.
Simultaneously, the place where the temple had been shook with a roar as if an earthquake had occurred, and then collapsed inward.
“Oh my god.”
Zeke, who watched the whole scene from atop Bucephalus, broke out in a cold sweat.
If he had been even a little late, he might have been buried there.
Then, Zeke noticed the mages who had escaped from the dungeon.
Seeing the mages fleeing with the security-sealed boxes, Zeke spurred Bucephalus and overtook them.
If the mages risked their lives to bring these materials in this critical moment, they must be crucial data related to the biological experiments conducted within the dungeon.
Zeke unsummoned Bucephalus and jumped down from the cliff, blocking the mages' path.
Thud!
The mages were taken aback and stepped back as Zeke suddenly appeared and blocked their retreat.
“An enemy! Kill him!”
At one mage's shout, the hounds behind them lunged towards Zeke.
Chaaaak!
Zeke’s sword, sliced through the hounds' swords and necks in one swift motion.
Seeing this, the mages quickly chanted spells.
“Firewall!”
A massive wall of fire arose between Zeke and the mages.
However, the armor automatically generated a shield, defending against the magic.
With Zeke blocked by the wall of fire, the mages bombarded him with spells.
Kwarururung!
Papapapapat!
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Powerful magic spells poured towards Zeke, accompanied by deafening roars that seemed to shake the canyon itself.
However, Zeke activated his Mana Reflection skill and deflected all the incoming magic.
Hwarururuk!
Without taking any damage, Zeke walked through the wall of fire towards the mages.
The mages' faces turned pale when they saw that their magic had no effect.
“N-no way!”
Seeing Zeke unharmed after being bombarded with a barrage of magic that could wipe out an entire knight order, they quickly decided to flee.
While the hounds rushed back to hold Zeke off, the mages chanted spells and slowly rose into the air.
Then, they flew over the canyon, bypassing Zeke.
Slice!
Zeke quickly finished off all the hounds and turned his head to look at the mages flying away.
He had to capture them with minimal damage, as any harm to the security boxes could destroy the data within.
Zeke took out a dagger from his inventory, and threw it towards the fleeing mages.
The dagger, infused with the will of pursuit, chased after the flying mages.
Thud!
“Keugh!”
Hit by Zeke’s dagger, the mages plummeted down into the canyon.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Half of the dozen mages died instantly, their necks broken or heads crushed upon impact.
Zeke ran towards where the mages had fallen.
“Kugh!”
One of the mages who survived the fall was seen trying to escape with a security bag.
Zeke drew his sword and pointed it at the mage.
“Leave the security bag and I’ll spare your life.”
Ignoring Zeke’s words, the mage immediately cast a spell.
“Ice Arrow!”
Hundreds of sharp ice arrows flew towards Zeke.
Paching!
However, the ice arrows shattered without penetrating the shield and armor.
With the Dragon Scale Armor skill layered beneath his armor, Zeke was completely unharmed by this level of magic.
The mage had a frustrated look on his face when even the Ice Arrow, which he tried thinking Zeke might be immune to fire magic, failed to work.
Zeke swung his sword towards the wrist of the mage holding the security bag.
Slice!
“Kyaaaak!”
The mage screamed as his wrist was severed.
Zeke removed the mage’s hand from the handle of the security bag and put it directly into his inventory.
He approached the mage with the severed wrist and made an offer.
“Tell me what’s inside the security box. Then I’ll give you a healing potion.”
Since mages had to form hand seals to cast magic, their hands played a crucial role.
Gritting his teeth, the mage shouted at Zeke.
“Damn you! How dare you interfere with the Empire’s great undertaking! The Empire’s hooves and swords will tear you to shred—!”
Slice!
Zeke didn’t listen further and cut off the mage’s head.
He could find out everything anyway once he opened the security box. He just wanted a chance to learn more details, so there was no need to waste any more time.
It was more important to get out of this place quickly.
It was then that Zeke tried to summon Bucephalus.
Fwoosh!
Zeke instinctively turned his body sharply and dodged something flying towards him.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
An explosion occurred where Zeke had been standing.
‘This is…?’
One of the things that had troubled Zeke the most when he participated in the 3rd Continental War.
‘A special sniper from the Imperial Magic Corps.’
They were specialized mages who used magic specifically for sniping, rather than general offensive magic, to assassinate knights.
Because so many knights died in battle due to them, they were nicknamed ‘Knight Killers’.
Having lost countless comrades to Knight Killers, Zeke couldn’t help but be tense.
‘I can’t believe there were Knight Killers even in this era.’
Zeke tried to use Dragon Eye to locate the sniper.
Since Knight Killers could snipe from up to 3km away, it was difficult to spot them with the naked eye.
Zeke looked around, searching for an escape route.
Whoosh!
Zeke threw himself towards another cover.
Kwa kwa kwang!
A sniping spell flew from afar and exploded, precisely targeting where Zeke had been.
The sniping magic used by Knight Killers wasn’t very powerful in destroying terrain or objects, but it inflicted fatal wounds on knights.
Even after the 3rd Continental War ended, the nature of the special magic used by Knight Killers remained unknown, so Zeke sharpened his senses more than usual.
‘I’ll have to trust in the shield magic and make a run for it.’
The more time he wasted, the more disadvantageous it would be.
Even if they failed to kill their target, Knight Killers would usually continue sniping and holding knights back like this, buying time until the main force arrived.
Knowing this well, Zeke tried to escape this place as soon as possible before encountering the main force.
Chaaaaak!
Zeke channeled the will of defense throughout his body and ran towards the escape route.
Kwa-kwang!
The sniping magic was so fast that it hit Zeke's armor before the shield magic could even activate.
'Kugh!'
The impact penetrated his armor.
If he hadn't been wearing the Dragon Scale Armor, he would have been knocked down by the shock.
Zeke didn't stop and continued running to escape the canyon.
He considered summoning Bucephalus, but taking out such a conspicuous spirit beast might reveal Zeke's identity later.
'Damn it, there's nowhere to open a portal here.'
He didn't have enough points to open a portal to a farther location.
Hiding behind cover again, Zeke caught his breath.
Just then, a message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[Malice is consuming your body.]
Zeke was bewildered by the message.
'Malice?'
He felt increased pain coming from the area where the sniping magic had hit him.
Even with his Healing Factor activated, the pain didn't subside.
Zeke immediately equipped Agamemnon's Mask and used the Purification skill.
Woooong!
Only after a golden aura spread throughout his body did the pain subside.
Zeke realized the secret of the Knight Killer's sniping magic, something he couldn't figure out even in his previous life.
'They were firing magic imbued with malice to destroy the knights' bodies.'
If it had been known that the Empire used such a forbidden technique in war, the Magic Tower and Nirvana, which had remained neutral in the Continental War, would surely have joined the fight.
Unless one had the Purification skill that only healer classes could use, there was no way to cure malice. It was practically a poison with no antidote.
Zeke clenched his teeth.
'Those bastards. So they were doing this kind of thing.'
When he didn't know the nature of the sniping magic, it was a source of fear, but if it could be cured with the Purification skill, there was no need to be afraid.
Zeke emerged from his cover, wearing Agamemnon's Mask under his helmet.
Fwoosh!
Sniping magic flew towards Zeke again.
Zeke faced the magic head-on.
He felt a terrible pain where it hit him.
Zeke immediately used the skill of the golden mask and started running to escape the canyon.
'Purification.'
Woooong!
With the aura, the malice that had permeated his body was purified and disappeared.
Confirming that the effect of the sniping magic was gone, Zeke used Phantom Steps and ran even faster.
Zeke's current speed was comparable to a cavalryman riding a horse.
Fwoosh!
The sniping magic struck Zeke's body, but he used the Purification skill and continued running without slowing down.
It was then.
Dudududu!
He saw hundreds of knights rushing into the canyon.
Perhaps he had delayed too long, as the Imperial garrison finally appeared.
Zeke recognized the knight leading the charge.
'Morgan Bupon.'
One of the Thirteen Zodiac Knights, the Knight of the Serpent Bearer.
Morgan Bupon, the commander of the Imperial army, personally led his knights towards Zeke.
“Capture him alive!”
Dudududu!
The knights swung their swords at Zeke.
Paching!
Zeke swung his sword and struck the flanks of the horses the knights were riding.
Hieeeing!
The horses, feeling the strong impact, collapsed sideways with their flanks caved in.
At the same time, the knights' formation was disrupted.
Morgan shouted to his knights.
“Block the escape route! Don't let him get away!”
Knight Killers were positioned above the canyon, and both sides of the canyon were blocked by knights and mages.
Zeke was completely trapped within the canyon.
He held his sword and glared at the commander, Morgan.
'Since it's come to this... I'll break through head-on.'
Zeke summoned Gurab towards where the knights were.
Kaaaaak!
The summoned Gurab spewed poisonous smoke towards the knights.
The knights were momentarily flustered at the sight of the giant chimera breathing poison.
“It's a monster, block it!”
Taking advantage of the opening, Zeke activated the Wind Barrier and charged towards Morgan.
Pachiing!
Zeke's sword clashed with Morgan's.
“Haaaat!”
The strength of Morgan, the Knight of the Serpent Bearer, was by no means insignificant.
Kaboom!
He pushed back Zeke's sword, leaped from his horse, and struck down with his sword.
The sword, enveloped in Aura, attacked Zeke.
Zeke quickly dodged using Phantom Step'.
Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Morgan's Aura Blade collided with the ground, creating a huge explosion.
A cloud of red sand rose.
Morgan chased after Zeke with his sword and shield.
'Where is he?'
It was then.
Zeke's sword emerged from the sand cloud.
Pzzzt!
Zeke's sword struck Morgan's body.
However, Zeke's sword was bounced back.
'What is that...?'
In an instant, a helmet automatically covered Morgan's face, and full plate armor equipped his entire body.
The constellation of Ophiuchus was engraved on the chest of the armor.
Morgan Bupon's Hercyon had revealed itself.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]