Chapter 273
The moment the name Zeke Draker was spoken, the bald mages raised their staves and activated their magic.
Even with chantless magic, it takes time for ordinary mages to cast a spell.
That was why mages never traveled alone or only with other mages, and instead had to form parties with swordsmen or archers.
However, there was an exception to this: black magicians.
Black magicians use magic in a completely different way from ordinary magic.
As such, their spell activation speed was extremely fast.
They could even cast a curse before a swordsman could even draw their sword.
This was precisely why black magicians could command a high price on the battlefield.
The bald mages quickly cast their curses at Zeke.
An ordinary knight would have been caught in those curses and collapsed without ever properly drawing their sword.
But Zeke had the Curse Reflection skill.
WOOOONG—
The curses cast upon Zeke were reflected and flowed back toward the bald mages instead.
“Uwaaaaargh!”
“Kraaaak!”
The mages, struck by each other's curses, screamed and writhed on the floor.
One began to scratch his entire body until it bled, while another drooled and bashed his head against the wall.
They were all utterly vile curses.
Zeke raised his dagger and stepped toward the Apostle and the branded mage.
The branded mage then raised his staff, slammed it on the floor, and a magic circle appeared beneath it.
Soon, lizard-like monsters began to crawl out from within.
HISSSSS!
The lizard monsters approached Zeke, their tongues flickering.
Zeke unleashed his Dragon's Dignity and glared at the lizard monsters.
At his gaze, the monsters flinched and stepped back.
Even for monsters, it seemed the power of Draconic Domination worked on those of draconic lineage.
The branded mage was flustered that the monsters he had summoned were not obeying him.
“You things! Attack him now!”
At the mage's command, the lizard monsters hissed as if they had no choice and charged at Zeke.
SHIIIIIIK!
Zeke, satisfied that his Draconic Domination worked even on these monsters, rushed toward them with Annexie's Dagger in each hand.
SHLASH!
The daggers tore through the monsters' bodies as if they were paper.
The sliced monsters slowly melted into Zeke's shadow.
The branded mage, stunned to see his monsters killed so futilely, raised his staff again.
“Y-You bastard…”
It was then.
The Apostle, who had been behind him, reached out and roughly grabbed the mage's bald head.
At that, the brand on the bald mage's forehead began to glow red.
“A-Apostle! W-Wait!”
KRRR-CRACK!
The sound of bones breaking came from the bald mage's body.
“Kuaaaaargh!”
His body deformed, and soon his skin began to bubble as he transformed into a grotesque figure.
Thick hair sprouted from his bald head, his limbs elongated, and a snout jutted out from his face.
‘[P-Power! Power is surging!]’
The mage, now a monster, glared at Zeke with a crazed look in his eyes, then raised his demonically-charged claws and swung them at Zeke.
KABOOM!
The Sacred Brazier deployed by Zeke created a shield of light, blocking the claws.
However, the mage, whose entire body was now filled with demonic energy, did not fear the shield of light and charged at Zeke.
[Kuhahahaha! Die!]
Zeke extended his hand and caused the shield of light to explode.
An immense light blasted throughout the entire room.
[Kuaaaaargh!]
The monstrous mage, struck by the power of light, couldn't even open his eyes properly and retreated.
Just then, Zeke threw Annexie's Dagger.
THWACK!
The dagger succeeded in piercing its tough body and embedding itself, but demonic energy flared, and the pierced body soon healed.
[That's not nearly enough!]
The monster charged at Zeke again.
Just then, Zeke pulled the chain he was holding in his hand.
Annexie's Dagger, which had seemed to just pass through its body, had been tied to a chain.
With the dagger firmly lodged inside the wound, when Zeke pulled the chain, the monster lost its balance and fell.
[Kuaaaak!]
The monster shrieked and began to push itself up, about to charge at Zeke again.
Zeke took Tyr's Giant God Hunter out from his inventory.
He gripped the Giant God Hunter with one hand, imbuing it with Metal Power, and swung it at the monster lying on the floor.
KRA-KA-KOWHOOM!
The Giant God Hunter, infused with immense power, crushed the monster's body in a single blow.
[Kuheeeok—]
Zeke raised the Giant God Hunter again and brought it down relentlessly.
No matter how the creature tried to recover, it was useless as its entire body was continuously being pulped.
Zeke then set the monster's crushed body ablaze with the flame of the Sacred Brazier.
FWOOSH!
The mangled body of the monster flared up in the sacred fire.
Zeke tore his gaze from the monster, looked at the Apostle, and said,
“Watch closely. This will be your form soon.”
Hweek! Hweek!
The Apostle let out a ragged breath from behind his mask, then, standing face to face with Zeke, he suddenly flipped the beak part of his mask to the side.
KIIIIING—
A sharp, tearing sound was heard, and then the Apostle opened his mouth wide.
His black teeth were revealed.
[KYAAAAAAAAA—]
The shriek the Apostle let out shook the entire room.
A normal person would have surely collapsed, bleeding from the ears.
But Zeke just watched the screaming Apostle, completely unfazed.
At Zeke's calm appearance, the Apostle glared at him with a look of disbelief.
He shrieked again, but Zeke remained perfectly fine.
“Are you done screaming?”
Curse Reflection had deflected even the Apostle's scream, leaving him completely unaffected.
Realizing his weapon was useless, the Apostle instantly grabbed the fallen test subject and reached out, creating a cloud of smoke.
Just then, as if he had been waiting for it, Zeke pulled out Roland and plunged it into the floor.
He then activated his Mana Sealing Technique.
KRA-JIIIIIIK—
As the Mana Reflection skill unfolded, unlike before when it had only deflected mana, Zeke now adjusted the flow of mana within the room.
Because of this, the Apostle's attempt to escape with the test subject was nullified.
[You baaaastard—]
The Apostle's voice erupted from his mouth as a shockwave.
KRA-KA-BOOM!
This time, Zeke was pushed back by the shockwave, flying back and smashing not only through the wall but also the thick iron door.
Even as he was sent flying, Zeke balanced himself and drew Bahamut.
He then extended his hand toward the test subject next to the Apostle.
“Detonate!”
The Mana Bomb planted inside the test subject's body exploded, triggered by the Soul Relic, 'Will of Detonation'.
KRA-KA-KOWHOOM!
Sharp fragments that had been placed inside beforehand burst out with the explosion.
When the dust cloud settled, the Apostle's revealed form was tattered. His robe was riddled with holes, leaving him looking like a ragpicker.
He tore off the robe and threw away the mask he had been wearing.
His face was hairless, with no eyebrows, his teeth were stained black, and his skin was as pale as a corpse.
He looked at Zeke and once again opened his mouth wide.
[KAAAAAAA—]
This time, small insects poured out from the Apostle's mouth.
The insects, armed with poisonous stingers, rushed toward Zeke.
Zeke deployed the Sacred Brazier, intending to burn the insects all at once.
WHIIIIIR!
The insects dodged the Sacred Brazier and flew off in all directions, then changed course again and rushed toward Zeke.
While Zeke was dealing with the insects, the Apostle took the opportunity to leap to the opposite side.
Just then, the mage who had guided them earlier appeared.
He threw off his robe, and Richmond's face was revealed.
“Dura Dura! Stop him!”
In an instant, a Dullahan burst through the wall.
THUD!
The Dullahan was wearing the Blood Knight's armor that Zeke had brought from the Inverted Tower.
Instantly, a Blood Field unfolded from its body.
WOOOONG!
A red aura rose from its body, and the Apostle, sensing that something was unusual, shrieked at the Dullahan.
[KAAAAAAK—]
A powerful shockwave blasted the Dullahan and the Blood Field away at once.
“Ugh!”
Richmond, who was behind the Dullahan, endured the shockwave from the Apostle and raised his staff.
WOOONG!
As Richmond cast enhancement magic on the Dullahan, a violet power shimmered from its body.
KUUUNG!
The Dullahan walked forward again, toward the Apostle.
At the same time, Richmond took out the Royal Vampire's Dagger and chanted a spell.
A summoning circle then formed on the floor, and from within it, a purple mass crawled out, taking the form of a golem.
The artifact was originally meant to create a Blood Golem using the caster's blood, but since Richmond's blood could not be used as a medium, he had researched and modified it to summon a golem in a different way.
The golem, which was a translucent purple like a slime, slowly approached the Apostle.
Grrrrrrrrr—
The Apostle unleashed another shockwave, but the Slime Golem's body merely split into droplets before merging back together and continuing toward the Apostle in its original form.
Finally reaching its target, the Slime Golem transformed its body and held the Apostle fast.
[Kuaaaaargh!]
With the sticky slime clinging to his body, his movements were inevitably restricted.
The Apostle ground his teeth and took something out from his robes.
Holding a dagger that radiated a sinister aura, he stabbed his own wrist, drawing blood.
Drip! Drip!
As dark red blood flowed from his wrist, the Apostle began to chant. The flowing blood then turned blue.
In that instant, the Apostle's eyes, including the whites, were dyed completely black.
[Only death will befall you.]
A thick, low, and eerie voice flowed from his mouth, unlike the tearing shriek from before.
In that state, he stretched his arm upward, and a powerful wave shimmered out, blasting the Slime Golem away.
TSUTSUTSU—
The Slime Golem, shattered into pieces, was unsummoned and vanished.
Just then, the Dullahan rushed toward the Apostle.
FWOOOSH!
Dullahan's fierce sword fell upon the Apostle's head, but before it could strike, the sword trembled and stopped.
A formless power had stopped the sword.
Then, Dullahan's body was lifted into the air.
KRRR-CRACK!
The formless power began to constrict the Dullahan's body.
The fallen Richmond felt that power and, in alarm, raised his staff.
“Everyone, stop him!”
Dragoons shot out from his shadow, and ten of them rushed toward the Apostle.
The Apostle then extended his other hand and used his power on the Dragoons.
RUMBLE!
The charging Dragoons were also stopped in their tracks by the formless power.
The Apostle looked down at Richmond with his pitch-black eyes and said,
[Only death will befall those who interfere with the great work.]
It was then.
SHUNK!
A sword pierced through the Apostle's back.
TSUTSUTSU—
Black smoke billowed from the spot where the sword was embedded.
The Jewel Sword, Roland, with its sacred aura, had pierced through the Apostle's power and lodged itself in his body.
He tried to pull out the sword stuck in his body, but it was impossible for the Apostle, with his evil power, to directly pull out Roland, who possessed the sacred power of Orichalcum and jewels.
KRRR-CRACK!
With an unpleasant sound, the Apostle's neck twisted 180 degrees.
He looked at Zeke, who was now holding Bahamut, and blue blood trickled from his mouth.
[I'll rip you to shreds and kill you!]
At that moment, Richmond's eyes met Zeke's. He unsummoned his undead and rolled toward the hole in the wall.
The instant the captured Dullahan and the undead vanished, a golden aura erupted from Zeke's body.
CHIIIIIIK—
Black smoke rose from the Apostle's body where the aura touched it.
The Apostle, feeling the power of purification, was startled and drew back.
[Th-This power is!]
His body levitated into the air.
Then, he suddenly tore off his own arm and threw it at Zeke. The severed arm swelled up and turned into a pulsating mass of flesh.
As Zeke tried to catch the fleeing Apostle, something shot out from the swollen mass of flesh.
‘What is that?’
KAGAGAGAK—
Dozens of snake-like monsters burst out from the mass of flesh.
They were grotesque monsters with sharp teeth and hideous eyes all over their bodies.
Zeke sensed a sinister power contained within the monsters' eyes.
He immediately activated his Blood Eye and met the monsters' gaze, overwhelming them instead.
KIEEEEEEEK—
Normally, anyone who met the monsters' eyes should have been frozen, unable to move.
However, the monsters that met his Blood Eye, on the contrary, couldn't get any closer to Zeke and froze stiff.
Zeke raised Bahamut and activated the Blade of Purification.
He then unleashed his Infinite Sword Art at the monsters that had burst from the mass of flesh.
SWOOOOSH!
As the golden aura swept over them, the monsters melted away, turning into black smoke.
Zeke immediately gave chase to the Apostle.
WHOOSH!
The place the Apostle had fled to was none other than the altar where the baptism ceremony was performed.
Zeke smashed through the door and entered the place of ritual.
With Roland still embedded in him, the Apostle stood on the altar, bleeding blue blood as he glared at Zeke.
He raised a dagger and shouted, consumed by malice.
[An unavoidable death will come for you!]
He stabbed himself in the neck with the dagger.
Gushing blue blood dripped onto the altar.
Simultaneously, a black light erupted from the magic circle.