Chapter 263

It's not often that one gets a chance to hit the jackpot in life.

And yet, Zeke had had such opportunities several times.

However, all the jackpot opportunities he had created until now were based on information he had brought from his past life.

But this time, it was a result that even Zeke hadn't expected.

In a cave in the Southern Archipelago, a place more barren than barren land that no one had thought to approach, Zeke had, by a complete coincidence, hit the jackpot of all jackpots.

Zeke’s jaw dropped as he looked at the Fairy Stones densely embedded all over the walls.

“Crazy… to think that Fairy Stones, several times more expensive than the highest-grade mana stones, are just out in the open like this.”

If this place was really a vein of Fairy Stone, Zeke could get his hands on several times more wealth than he had accumulated so far.

After examining the Fairy Stones, Zeke realized why not only the shadow spirits but also Richmond couldn't enter this place.

“Since it’s a cave full of minerals that naturally absorb and store mana, a mana field was formed naturally. There was a reason the summons couldn’t approach.”

While he was at it, Zeke decided to mine a few Fairy Stones and try to enhance his Meteoric Iron Sword.

Arataso, who was sealed in the Meteoric Iron Sword, woke up with a start as Zeke was about to do something with the sword.

[What are you doing?]

With Arataso still inside, Zeke placed the Meteoric Iron Sword in the enhancement window and put in the materials he had gathered one by one.

“Alright, and here, the last Fairy Stone…”

[Th-This guy, what is he trying to do now!]

Zeke placed the last ingredient, the Fairy Stone, and pressed enhance.

Woooong!

Just like with Roland, a light flashed from the enhancement window, and a progress bar appeared.

After about ten minutes, the enhancement progress reached 100%.

Ting!

A clear signal tone rang out, and a message appeared indicating that the enhancement was complete.

[Equipment ‘Meteoric Iron Sword’ has been enhanced.]

[This equipment does not have a name yet. Please register a name for the enhanced equipment.]

Zeke thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Green Sword Arataso.”

The enhanced sword had a deeper green hue, and since Arataso was sealed within it, he named it Arataso.

[The equipment name will be registered as ‘Green Sword Arataso’.]

[The stats of ‘Green Sword Arataso’ have been enhanced.]

Zeke gripped the enhanced Green Sword in his hand.

“Oh, this is quite nice.”

The blade of the Meteoric Iron Sword, which had been crude in shape, was now emitting a green luminescence, and its surface was engraved with a geometric pattern.

And in the center of the sword, a large gem that emitted a green glow was embedded.

Zeke checked the information for Green Sword Arataso.

—Green Sword Arataso Information—

Description: A sword created by enhancing the Meteoric Iron Sword, in which the high-ranking demon Arataso is sealed, with Fairy Stone.

Unique Ability: Summon Sealed Entity

Special Characteristics: The more power from other demons it absorbs, the stronger the sword becomes. The stronger the sword becomes, the more of the sealed Arataso’s original power can be drawn out.

“I can summon Arataso?”

Zeke was startled by the unexpected ability. Zeke immediately raised the sword and tried to summon Arataso.

Woooong!

The green gem embedded in the sword glowed, and a greenish spirit form billowed out and materialized.

[Gyaaaaaah!]

Arataso popped out, making a sound as if he were finally stretching after being trapped in a narrow space.

Seeing the emerged Arataso, Zeke tilted his head.

This was because Arataso had appeared not in the wooden body he had seen before, but in the form of a knight wearing green-glowing armor.

His lower body was that of a horse, like a centaur, which was the same, but his entire body was covered in armor.

RUMBLE!

Arataso, who had appeared as a summoned entity, was surprised upon seeing his own form.

[How can this be? To think I can maintain my original form in the physical realm!]

Zeke looked at Arataso and said,

“Arataso. Is that your real form?”

At Zeke’s words, Arataso boasted with an arrogant pose.

[That’s right! How do I look in the gallant form of me, Arataso, the very first retainer of the Clear Green Wish!]

To Zeke, he just looked like a centaur in armor.

In fact, it was almost impossible to see centaurs in the Central Continent.

Only a few tribes merely maintained their lineage on the Western Plains.

He had heard that there was a land of centaurs on the Eastern Continent, but this too was not certain.

Looking at Arataso’s form, he was suddenly reminded of events from his past life.

‘The few remaining centaurs participated as key members of the Western Revolutionary Army along with the avian folk.’

The avian folk, Song of the Crouching Flame, and the therianthropes, including the centaurs, had gathered to form a revolutionary army for freedom.

This organization had surprisingly survived the Continental War and had performed the remarkable feat of occupying the western territories, including Delfoa.

He remembered the news of their victory being covered extensively in the Northern Continent’s newsletters because it was a victory no one had expected.

While Zeke was lost in thoughts of his past life, brought on by the sight of a centaur for the first time in a long while, Arataso was excited to be out after so long and was running around here and there.

[Huh?]

But Arataso, who had been doing so, didn’t get far before his four legs seemed to lose strength, and he collapsed limply.

And then he went limp.

[Wh-What is happening to me?]

Zeke looked at Arataso with a pitiful expression.

“It seems the air of the physical realm doesn’t agree with you.”

[Th-This can’t be happening?]

“Don’t overdo it, just go back inside and rest.”

Zeke canceled the summon of Arataso, who was trying his best to get up somehow, and called him back into the sword.

Arataso, who had gone back inside the sword, kept speaking in a voice full of disbelief.

[Something is strange. When I was in the Demon World, I led over a thousand Death Knights and ran from one end of a vast domain to the other without ever getting tired…….]

As Arataso’s words, which Zeke was not particularly curious about, continued, he simply blocked out the voice.

It was Zeke, getting more and more used to handling Arataso.

Zeke passed through the cavern and went deeper inside.

At one point, walls and a floor made of hard bricks, not a normal cave, appeared.

It was proof that he had entered the dungeon.

‘It seems the Black Light Stone cave and the ruins were connected.’

As he entered the dungeon, Zeke found the traces of a monster carved into the wall.

‘Three sharp claws. Is it a beast-type monster?’

The creatures at the entrance of the cave earlier were also beast-type monsters similar to gnolls.

Recalling his experience of going on a monster hunt with his master during his Highlander days, Zeke’s expression gradually hardened the further he went inside.

‘Beast-type monsters usually have a leader who leads them.’

Gaguk, whom he had caught with King Fist, was a humanoid-type monster in the form of a cause, rather than a beast-type.

And the most difficult to hunt were humanoid monsters like Gaguk.

This was because they were intelligent and quick-witted, making them hard to catch.

On the other hand, beast-type monsters were the most dangerous.

They were faithful to their instincts and were so aggressive that they would attack first as soon as you entered their territory, even if you were stronger than them.

After launching a preliminary attack like that, once the target’s strength was depleted, the strongest leader would appear and deliver the final blow.

‘If they are beast-type monsters, Lady Arina’s side must have been under constant attack.’

It was highly likely that, since the attacks didn't cease, they had evacuated to somewhere on the island where defense was easier in order to get away.

The problem was regarding the stone statues written in the report Jason had sent.

He hadn't thought of it at the time, but after looking around this place, something came to mind.

‘It’s not a Medusa, but… could that be here? The location where it appears is completely different…’

He explored the inside of the dungeon, filled with questions. In the midst of this, Zeke discovered a space covered in a thick layer of dust.

Sensing something different, Zeke headed that way, and something caught at his feet.

‘What’s this?’

Bending down and looking closely, he saw it was the stone arm of a person.

Zeke picked up the arm and examined it from various angles.

Then, he furrowed his brow.

“This has become a headache. It might really be him.”

It was then.

SWIPE!

Sharp claws flew toward where Zeke was.

SLIDE!

Zeke moved his body with the Phantom Step Technique and narrowly dodged.

WHOOSH!

Having succeeded in evading, Zeke immediately drew Bahamut.

‘A werewolf this time?’

He could see a monster resembling a werewolf slowly approaching him, baring its sharp claws.

It was a creature with muscular strength and biting power incomparable to an ordinary werewolf.

Zeke aimed Bahamut and charged forward.

WHOOSH!

As Zeke took the stance of the Infinite Sword Resolution, the Vibrating Force Resonance automatically spread to the surroundings.

Woooong!

The wave of the Vibrating Force Resonance swept over the monster’s body.

Kreureuk!

The monster, flustered as its demonic energy seethed, retreated backward.

Zeke did not miss that opening.

SLASH!

Zeke, who had cleanly sliced the monster’s neck in a single blow, retracted his sword and unleashed Gluttony.

It was then.

Krrrrr—

monsters appeared from all directions.

But surprisingly, the appearances of the monsters were all different.

‘There’s one that looks like a leopard, and one that looks like a lion.’

Each and every one of them was a monster strong enough to act as a leader elsewhere.

‘This isn’t a very good sign. A leader capable of commanding such creatures together. As I thought, it can only be him.’

As Zeke assessed the situation and organized his thoughts, the fierce monsters rushed toward him from all directions.

Zeke held Bahamut and calmly unleashed the Infinite Sword Resolution.

SHIIIIING!

In an instant, the blade of Bahamut split into several, accurately piercing the vital points of the rushing monsters.

It was enough to create the illusion that Zeke’s body had split into several, creating clones.

Grrrk!

The monsters pierced by Zeke’s sword staggered backward unsteadily and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The monsters, with their strong life force, had all had their vital points pierced in a single blow and died instantly.

“They give quite a lot of points since they’re strong. If I hunt monsters here, the points will stack up quickly.”

Zeke unleashed Gluttony with a satisfied face and then followed the tracks left by the monsters.

The bones of animals and monsters were scattered everywhere.

‘It seems this place is their hunting ground.’

monsters devour everything, whether it be people or other magical creatures.

They were even creatures that would eat each other when there was nothing else to eat.

That was why his master had said that monsters were bottomless creatures with only instinct and the desire for destruction left.

Zeke was searching for the tracks of the monsters while recalling his master’s teachings when he discovered something.

“What’s this?”

What Zeke picked up was none other than a doll.

Since there was almost no dust on the doll, Zeke presumed it had been brought by one of the children of Lubern who had come here.

‘Did they evacuate this way?’

It was also possible that the monsters had herded them to their hunting ground.

Zeke opened his Bloodshot Eye and examined where the traces left on the doll led.

The traces were engraved in his eyes.

The moment he confirmed it, Zeke moved quickly.

Only an afterimage remained where Zeke’s body had been, as if mist were scattering.

Fzzz—

It was when Zeke followed the traces and entered deeper into the dungeon.

Krrrrr—

SCRAPE!

Kyaaaaak!

The cries of monsters and the sound of them scratching the walls came from inside.

Zeke drew Bahamut and entered.

Surprisingly, there was a wall blocking the way further in, and in front of it, dozens of monsters were running wild.

The monsters were howling fiercely and scratching the wall wildly with their sharp claws.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The large, bear-like monsters were trying to break down the wall by ramming their bodies against it.

As if they were starving, the monsters bared their sharp fangs, looking as if they were just waiting for the wall to collapse.

‘Was that wall created by Jason?’

If it was a wall created by magic, there would be a limit to how long it could hold.

Zeke calmly raised Bahamut and aimed it at the monsters.

Then, he unleashed the Elemental Sword, Field of Firepower.

FWOOSH!

In an instant, blue flames erupted on Bahamut.

‘Hoo.’

After changing to SS-rank, the Elemental Sword’s power had become so much stronger than before that it was difficult for even Zeke to control its power.

One wrong move, and not only those monsters but also his comrades inside the wall could be swept up in the flames.

Zeke controlled his power as much as possible and swung his sword toward the monsters.

Elemental Sword Technique

Field of Firepower

Blue Flame Wild Dance

Pillars of blue flame shot up from Zeke’s sword.

FWOOSH!

As if snakes made of fire were running wild, the pillars of blue flame squeezed their way through the monsters.

KRAKOOM!

The monsters that were touched by the blue flames couldn't even scream and scattered as ash.

Kyaaaaak!

Although they were monsters with only the instinct to attack left, they were nothing but weak sacrificial lambs before the cruel blue flames.

Before long, the area in front of the wall was filled with blazing blue flames.

Dozens of monsters burned in the flames, and only black ash scattered.

Zeke looked at the horrific sight he had created and recalled the image of the ruined Atlas he had seen in his past life.

He felt as if he himself had just massacred weak creatures.

He shook his head and steeled his heart.

‘My training is still insufficient. I’ll need to continue training until I can properly wield the Elemental Sword.’

Zeke slowly walked through the place where only ash remained and scattered.

Then, he extended his hand toward the wall and deployed a Mana Reflection Field.

Kiiiiing!

The wall that was touched by the reflection field slowly began to crumble.