Chapter 247
Whoosh!
As Zeke threw a punch toward the charging golem, a powerful shockwave burst forth.
Boom!
The golem, made of solid materials, shattered and scattered in all directions.
Zeke furrowed his brows as he sifted through the debris.
"Once again, there's no core in the golem."
Ordinarily, a golem would require a core to function. However, the golems encountered inside this labyrinth lacked such a core.
Zeke recalled the golem he had faced on the Deep Sea Tribe’s island—it, too, lacked a core, as it was a shamanic construct created through sorcery.
"Something’s off. I even tried Devour just in case, but it didn’t restore anything."
Neither his Karma Points nor his stamina or mental energy were replenished. From this, Zeke drew a conclusion.
“Lady Yellin, I don’t believe these are real entities.”
Yellin looked startled by his words.
“What do you mean? How could they not be real?”
“These bizarre monsters and golems are all illusions with no physical substance.”
Zeke had reason to suspect this.
Even though the golems lacked cores and couldn’t be devoured, one could still argue they were artificial constructs, potentially explained by their creator’s skill. That much variation was to be expected.
But monsters were different. No matter how many he killed or devoured, the system showed no response—an inexplicable phenomenon.
If these were spiritual forms like those in the Inverted Tower, he should at least be gaining experience, but even that wasn’t happening.
Yet these monsters acted completely real, and when they attacked, the wounds inflicted were very real too.
"Such vivid illusions… Could this be the power of dragons?"
While trying to analyze the nature of these illusions, a loud sound echoed.
Thunk!
Behind him, Yellin had dozed off and accidentally hit her head against the wall.
Embarrassed, she snapped back to attention.
Three days had already passed since they entered the labyrinth.
With his infinite stamina, Zeke remained unaffected by sleeplessness, but Yellin was different.
Normally, she could endure just as well, but fending off constant golem and monster attacks had kept her on edge, draining her stamina quickly.
Zeke stood and said,
“We should set up a temporary camp and rest a bit.”
Yellin shook her head stubbornly.
“T-There’s no need! I’m fine!”
“To keep pressing forward in the labyrinth, proper rest is essential. I’ve found a suitable spot nearby. Let’s go.”
Yellin followed him reluctantly.
The labyrinth resembled the Inverted Tower.
Endless corridors walled in on all sides led to occasional chambers.
Zeke laid out a campsite in one of the secluded rooms where a golem had previously appeared.
He summoned ghost soldiers and had them stand guard in spiritual form, then began setting up camp.
As he efficiently unpacked field gear, Yellin looked on curiously.
“W-Where is all of that coming from?”
“These are artifacts I found in ancient ruins. They have a large subspace capacity.”
It was a practiced lie—Zeke had said it so many times it came out naturally now.
He laid out a field bed and told Yellin to rest first.
After multiple refusals, she finally lay down reluctantly—and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Watching her sleep so soundly, Zeke couldn’t help but smirk as he thought of the Ishtar warriors he’d known.
"So not everyone from the Ishtar Clan is uptight after all."
The Ishtar warriors Zeke had known in his past life resembled assassins or southern hitmen—masters of poison and martial weaponry whose surprise attacks were genuinely dangerous.
They were called "Mystic Warriors" because they trained their bodies from childhood using special herbal elixirs, not illegal stimulants or human experimentation like the Empire’s awakening drugs.
The Ishtar warrior who taught Zeke about poisons and ancient Eastern language had said the process helped "unlock the chakras" in the body.
At the time, Zeke hadn’t fully grasped the meaning, but now, as a Black Knight, he felt he understood at least part of it.
"Through special training, the body becomes like that of a martial god, enhancing its mana adaptability and reflex speed…"
Even Tyr, the Knight of Valor, had reached a level beyond a Black Knight without relying on specific aura cultivation techniques.
Perhaps the Ishtar Clan had discovered another path—one through bodily discipline and altered constitution, reaching new heights outside conventional aura techniques.
While Zeke mulled over these thoughts, Yellin awoke.
“Mmm… How long have I been asleep?”
“About two hours, I believe.”
Looking refreshed, Yellin sat up.
Zeke handed her a prepared ration.
The two sat facing each other, eating their simple meals.
Then, Yellin looked at Zeke and asked:
“Sir Zeke, may I ask you something?”
Zeke looked up to meet her gaze.
With a serious expression, Yellin asked:
“As a knight, what is your goal?”
It wasn’t an easy question to answer—especially coming out of the blue.
Zeke hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
“As a knight of my House, I’m content with faithfully fulfilling my duties.”
Yellin shook her head in response.
“I’m not asking as a member of your House, Sir Zeke. I want to know your personal goal.”
Zeke pondered for a moment before replying.
“To become the strongest on the continent.”
He looked her directly in the eyes.
“That has been my one and only goal for a long time.”
At his words, Yellin unconsciously clenched her fists.
She nodded slowly.
“As I thought... my instincts weren’t wrong.”
She looked at Zeke and spoke sincerely.
“I’m glad to have met someone who shares the same goal. If I could just break free of the Oathbound Shackles… I, too, would like to embark on a warrior’s pilgrimage with the dream of becoming the strongest on the continent.”
“A warrior’s pilgrimage? What do you mean by that?”
“It means wandering the continent to broaden one’s horizons—seeking out renowned warriors, testing one’s strength, and discovering new paths through exchange and battle.”
“I didn’t know that was a tradition in Ishtar.”
“Our ancestors, I’ve heard, migrated from the Eastern Continent to the North long ago. Back then, this kind of exchange was how they connected with other tribes.”
“Indeed. Back then, travel wasn’t as easy as it is now, so such exchanges must’ve been rare and highly valued.”
“Now, with the Oathbound Shackles, even leaving our borders is nearly impossible. But if that ever changed... I would absolutely undertake the pilgrimage. And one day... I’d like to challenge you, Sir Zeke, for the title of the continent’s strongest.”
Zeke couldn’t help but admire the clear, unclouded determination in Yellin’s eyes.
For him, growing stronger was a matter of survival.
His pursuit of becoming the continent’s strongest was also about attaining freedom—freedom from the chains of subjugation.
But Yellin’s desire to grow stronger stemmed from a pure martial spirit.
A High Elf dreaming of becoming the continent’s strongest... how odd.
At that moment, a signal came from one of the ghost soldiers—an alert that something unusual had been detected.
Instead of replying, Zeke quickly stood.
“Lady Yellin, something’s coming.”
Yellin swiftly drew her weapons and readied herself at his words.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Zeke and Yellin moved to the side of the room’s entrance, hiding their presence.
—Let me go check it out first.
Zeke spoke telepathically. Yellin was startled but quickly composed herself and nodded.
Crouching low, he crept forward, honing in on the sound coming from down the corridor.
But this presence—it was different from the monsters or golems they’d encountered earlier.
A Black Knight?
A massive figure clad in pitch-black armor that covered every inch of their body, including a helmet that concealed their face, was walking forward with a massive greatsword in hand.
Suddenly, a glow flickered within the knight’s helmet—eyes lighting up.
The knight abruptly swung his greatsword toward Zeke’s concealed position.
Boom!
Zeke narrowly dodged the strike with his Phantom step and saw the spot where he had stood utterly obliterated.
The strike had a dense, crushing force—just like when Zeke used his own physical energy.
Screech!
Dragging the greatsword along the floor, the Black Knight charged toward him.
Sparks flew as the sword scraped against the hard ground.
Then the knight’s blade arced upward from below.
Whoosh!
Zeke dodged the heavy upward slash, eyes scanning for an opening.
Is this another illusion?
But the way it moved—and the raw power behind its strikes—was far too real for a mere illusion.
Then it happened.
“Hyaaaah!”
Yellin, suddenly emerging from cover, spun toward the Black Knight with both blades drawn and slashed at its back.
Clang!
Her blades struck true—but the Black Knight didn’t so much as flinch.
A moment later, it slowly turned to face her, then raised its greatsword again and swung.
Crash!
Yellin flipped backward in a nimble roll, narrowly avoiding the blow.
But then, with its sword still raised, the Black Knight extended a hand toward her.
Vwoom...!
Suddenly, Yellin’s body was pulled toward him by an invisible force.
Yellin, momentarily startled, quickly gathered her wits and tried to escape—but she was already within range of the greatsword.
Clang!
Just in time, Zeke had rushed in and blocked the Black Knight’s sword with Bahamut.
He summoned a field of golden light, deflecting the Black Knight’s blade upward.
Whoosh!
Without pause, Zeke launched forward and unleashed his Infinite Sword Art against the Black Knight.
His sword slashed and stabbed at vital points from every direction.
Boom!
As Zeke’s blade struck, magic circles began to glow across the Black Knight’s armor.
Vooooom...!
It seemed to be a spell that absorbed the attacks—despite being struck multiple times, the armor remained intact.
At the same time, a magic circle appeared on the Black Knight’s greatsword, and light surged from the blade.
The Black Knight swung the glowing weapon toward Zeke.
Zeke, too, summoned an Aura Blade, striking back with his sword.
CRASH!
The light of the greatsword and the Aura Blade collided, neutralizing each other.
Zeke didn’t miss the opportunity—he lunged forward again.
By then, he had also activated Hercyon, wrapping himself in its power.
Wielding Bahamut, he charged the Black Knight head-on.
Boom!
The blow, imbued with Golden light power, sent the Black Knight crashing into the wall.
Screeeeech!
The surface of the Black Knight’s armor began to glow once more.
Zeke immediately followed up, launching another wave of Infinite Sword Art at the knight pinned against the wall.
Infinite Sword Art: Consecutive Strikes – Eightfold Slash
Whooooosh!
Zeke’s blade struck relentlessly at the Black Knight's body, offering no room to breathe.
The armor tried to absorb the blows again with glowing magic circles, but Zeke’s strikes only grew fiercer.
Before long, the once-impenetrable armor began to buckle and dent.
Screeech!
The Black Knight attempted to evade the barrage, but the Eightfold Slash, a relentless sequence within the Infinite Sword Art, left no gaps.
Zeke fully capitalized on his limitless stamina, crafting a flawless, unrelenting assault.
Clang!
Just as the Black Knight’s armor began to collapse...
RUMBLE!
The entire labyrinth shook with a deep, resonating tremor.
Startled by the sudden shift, Zeke stepped back.
At that moment, Yellin approached him.
“Why is the labyrinth... reacting like this? There’s no mention of anything like this in the records.”
Suddenly, the surrounding walls of the labyrinth—previously enclosing them—dissolved into thin air.
The disintegrated walls began reassembling themselves like puzzle pieces, forming an entirely new landscape.
Before they knew it, an enormous cavern spread out before Zeke and Yellin.
As the labyrinth transformed, Yellin mumbled to herself, stunned.
“What is going on…?”
Zeke, on the other hand, calmly surveyed their new surroundings.
And then he remembered a place strikingly similar to this one:
“The lair of Gold Dragon Uranos beneath the Sanctuary of the Skyfolk…”
Zeke realized the layout resembled the lair where he had once found the royal seal of the Chronos Kingdom.
Then, as if it had been a broken doll, the Black Knight—slumped on the ground—suddenly began to rise into the air.
Zeke and Yellin slowly looked up as the figure floated higher and higher.
From what they thought was just a black wall, two violet eyes opened wide.
Grrrrrrr…
The massive eyes exhaled a breath of hot air onto the crumpled Black Knight.
And then, the figure behind the eyes began to emerge.
“Is that...?”
A massive Black Dragon stood before them.
At the same time, a voice thundered inside both of their minds:
『■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■!!!』