When Zeke opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was soft fur emitting a golden glow.
"Huh? Whatʼs this?"
He looked up and realized he was buried in the Mountain Lordʼs fur.
At that moment, Michelle approached the awakened Zeke and clung to him, tears streaming down her face.
"Waaah! Sir Knight! Thank you for saving the Mountain Lord! Thank you so much!" Zeke realized he had succeeded in the purification at the last moment.
He grabbed Michelleʼs sobbing shoulders and barely managed to sit up.
Unlike before, the Mountain Lord was now leaning against a tree.
The Mountain Lord gave Zeke a benevolent smile and said,
"I am truly grateful. Thanks to you, I have regained my divinity."
The Mountain Lord, a divine beast who had lived for a long time, bowed his head in thanks to Zeke.
Zeke returned the gesture to the Mountain Lord.
"Iʼm glad the purification succeeded. But what exactly was that demonic energy embedded in your body? It felt different from ordinary demonic energy."
The Mountain Lord nodded at Zekeʼs question.
"At some point, humans began driving stakes infused with demonic energy into various parts of the mountain range. It was to sever the vital energy flowing through the mountains and weaken my power. Then one day, they buried something containing an evil force at the heart of the mountain range, allowing poison to course through my body."
Hearing the Mountain Lordʼs words, Zeke recalled something.
'The Empire bastards. In the Giant Mountain Range, they weakened the Barbarian territories by placing artifacts infused with the power of the Harbinger of Blood and Madness in various spots.ʼ
What had happened in the Barbarian territories had also happened here.
Zeke said to the Mountain Lord,
"The ones trying to summon demonkindʼs power into the Phenomenal World—theyʼre the ones who severed the mountainʼs vital energy and buried that evil force." The Mountain Lord slowly nodded.
"As you say, it seems something is about to happen in the Phenomenal World. Times of such chaos are precisely when the power of sacred relics is needed." The Mountain Lord rose and placed a large hand on Zekeʼs head.
"Stalwart and pure knight. As a token of my gratitude, this is all I can offer. May it aid you, however slightly, on the perilous path you tread." A faint green energy flowed from the Mountain Lordʼs hand.
The energy seeped into Zekeʼs body.
A message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[You have acquired the title "Grace of the Divine Beast."]
[Due to the title "Grace of the Divine Beast," the skill "Taming (B)" has evolved into the skill "Communion (Grade A)."]
[Due to the passive skill "Limit Break," the proficiency of Sacred Flame Technique has increased.]
[Sacred Flame Technique has evolved into Sacred Radiance Technique (S+) due to proficiency increase.]
Receiving the power of the divine beast granted him a title and evolved his skills.
'It was risky, but it worked out well in the end.ʼ
At that moment, the Mountain Lord handed Zeke something he held in his palm.
It was an old box covered in moss.
"What is this?"
"These are treasures offered long ago by those who feared me when I ruled the mountains. They hold little value to me, but they may prove useful to you." Zeke took the box from the Mountain Lord and opened it.
'This is...?ʼ
Surprisingly, it was filled with ancient artifacts.
Zeke examined each artifact one by one with his Dragon Eye, reading their information.
Among them, Zeke found something unexpected.
It was a worn ring that seemed to serve as a signet, with an engraved emblem on its upper part.
Unlike the ornate crests of other families, only a single sword emblem was carved there.
Zeke checked the ringʼs information, just as he had with the others.
―Ring Information―
Description: A signet symbolizing the Draker family
Unique Ability: ???
Special Notes: A ring made by Sword Saint Shattan Draker, founder of the Absolute Sword House Draker family.
Zeke was startled upon confirming the ringʼs information.
'Absolute Sword House Draker family?ʼ
In Zekeʼs mind, the Draker family had always been the Dragon Slayer family.
He had never heard of the Absolute Sword House.
Zeke recalled that Terakan Draker had previously mentioned being half-dead and exiled from the family.
'The Draker family before Terakan. Back then, it might have had entirely different rules and forms from now.ʼ
At that moment, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[Due to discovering the Draker signet, the achievement quest has been updated.]
―Achievement Quest (Linked)―
[Find the secret cave where the insights of Sword Saint Shattan Draker remain.]
[Find the final legacy of the Absolute Sword House Draker family.]
[Quest Mission Reward: The Sword Saintʼs Final Insight]
[Quest Mission Reward: Special Bloodline Ability] Zeke was surprised by the emerging message.
'The final legacy of the Absolute Sword House? And a special bloodline ability as a reward?ʼ
Seeing that the achievement quest had linked, it seemed the family legacy was in the secret cave where Sword Saint Shattan Drakerʼs insights remained.
'Sword Saint Shattan Drakerʼs secret cave was in the Forest of the Forgotten. The legacy of the Absolute Sword House.ʼ
Zeke had never imagined the Draker family before it became the Dragon Slayer family.
He separately stored the Draker family signet and placed the entire box in his inventory.
The Mountain Lord said to Zeke,
"With my divinity restored, I can now open the path to the Fairy Lake. Will you go immediately?"
Zeke had fully recovered his mental strength, so there was no issue with proceeding right away. Zeke nodded to the Mountain Lord.
"Please do."
At his words, the Mountain Lord opened his mouth wide and exhaled a golden energy.
The golden energy swirled and gathered, soon forming a circular portal.
Zeke felt curiosity toward the mystical energy emanating from the golden portal.
'It feels similar to the power of purification.ʼ
Then, the Mountain Lord pointed to the golden portal and said,
"Enter here, and the path to the Fairy Lake will appear. But remember this well:
If you succumb to the temptations before your eyes, you will never return to the Phenomenal World."
"Understood."
Suppressing his curiosity, Zeke slowly stepped into the golden portal.
Woooong!
As Zeke entered the portal, a vibration rang out, and the portal created by the Mountain
Lord soon scattered into golden mist, vanishing without a trace.
Michelle, watching from behind, asked in surprise,
"Wh-where did Sir Knight go?"
The Mountain Lord, leaning against the tree again, said,
"He has left the Phenomenal World for the boundary of the Fairy Realm. Let us wait in hopes that he returns safely."
*
Woooong!
Zeke, who had frowned at the burst of light while passing through the portal, opened his eyes to see a completely different scenery from before.
'Where is this?ʼ
Looking around, an endless forest stretched out.
But something was off about the forest.
The shapes were indistinct, like paint smeared on a canvas, and the leavesʼ colors shifted constantly.
Zeke found himself staring blankly at the ever-changing trees, losing his awareness for a moment.
He shook his head to snap out of it.
'The feeling is similar to when I was in a spiritualized state at the dimensional boundary.
It doesnʼt seem good for a being of the Phenomenal World to stay here long.ʼ Turning, Zeke saw a path stretching straight through the forest.
He slowly walked upward along the path.
As he advanced, the treesʼ colors grew even more vibrant, shifting in a rainbow of hues as if tempting him to stop.
Laughter even echoed from between the trees.
—Kekekeke!
Joyful, endearing laughter came from various spots among the trees.
—Come here, play with me.
Zeke ignored the sweet voices calling to him and pressed on silently.
Walking up the path between the trees, he soon spotted a large lake.
Zeke approached the lake slowly.
The lakeʼs water also felt mystical, like it had been painted over with oil colors.
Moreover, its hue changed beautifully with every ripple.
It seemed like sitting here, gazing endlessly at the ripples and trees, would be enough.
For a moment, Zeke realized he had nearly lost his awareness again.
'Get a grip.ʼ
He quickly pulled out Agamemnonʼs mask from his inventory.
The mask, on the verge of shattering, was covered in fine cracks.
Zeke pondered while looking at Agamemnonʼs mask.
'How can I repair this?ʼ —Kekekeke!
Laughter echoed from the forest again.
Zeke shouted toward the source,
"I came here to restore this shattered sacred relic! What must I do for this sacred relic to regain its power?"
Despite his shout, only the laughter echoed back, with no answer.
After pondering, Zeke took out the Holy Grail and scabbard, placing all three sacred relics before the lakeside.
At that moment.
Woooong!
The lakeside rippled suddenly, and something rose above the waterʼs surface.
'What is that?ʼ
Zeke warily picked up the sacred relics again.
A being formed of multicolored water.
The being slowly approached Zeke.
Zeke sensed immense power from the entity, whose form wasnʼt even fully defined.
'A high fairy? It feels different from the spirits Nerisa summoned.ʼ The lakeʼs manifestation stood before Zeke.
A voice flowed into Zekeʼs mind.
"Immortal who has turned back time with the irreversible promised power." Zeke was startled by the lakeʼs manifestationʼs words.
'It knows about my regression?ʼ
Until now, aside from Chronos, no one knew of his regression.
Even Chronos knew because he had implanted the power directly into the elder dragon relic.
Zeke said to the lakeʼs manifestation,
"My name is Zeke Draker. As you said, I am one who possesses the Immortal class. I came here to restore the sacred relics."
The lakeʼs manifestation continued,
"Sacred relics are powers beyond the laws. Just as an immortal beyond the laws possessing that power will cause the Phenomenal World to crumble."
"But if we canʼt stop Narak with the power of the sacred relics, the Demon King may revive in the Phenomenal World."
"The more powers beyond the laws arise, the closer the Demon Kingʼs revival becomes."
"Are you saying the power of the sacred relics will hasten the Demon Kingʼs revival?" The lakeʼs manifestation shook its head.
"What hastens the Demon Kingʼs revival is none other than the immortal. It is you." Suddenly, the lakeʼs manifestation swelled greatly and enveloped Zekeʼs body.
Caught off guard by the abrupt attack, Zeke couldnʼt react and was swept into the manifestationʼs body, plunging into the lake.
As he fell into the lake, everything was dyed in multicolored hues.
Zeke wondered if he had ever seen such a beautiful sight in his life.
'Ah...ʼ
Enraptured by the beautiful scenery, Zekeʼs mind grew peaceful, forgetting everything.
Things like the continentʼs strongest, Abel, Narak, Siemens, and the Empire all felt futile.
Just staying here like this seemed like eternal happiness.
The manifestationʼs voice flowed into his ear again.
"The immortalʼs power will sleep here. I do not wish for that power to appear in the Phenomenal World again."
Zeke, lost in the wondrously beautiful sight, snapped back to reality upon hearing the manifestationʼs dreamy voice.
'This is no time for that.ʼ
Feeling a sense of crisis that he might truly lose his mind if he stayed, Zeke tried desperately to escape.
He tried to open his inventory and draw a weapon, but unlike before, the inventory wouldnʼt respond.
'Whatʼs going on?ʼ
Zeke kept trying to access his inventory for a weapon, but it refused to work no matter what.
Then.
[Authority: Fortuity activates.]
The only thing that emerged from the inventory rolled into Zekeʼs hand.
It was the egg of the spirit beast he had obtained from Qiongqiʼs nest.
'Why this suddenly?ʼ
The spirit beast egg in Zekeʼs hand began absorbing the swirling lake water from all directions.
Woooong!
Perhaps drawing in the lakeʼs energy through the water, the eggʼs surface started to take on vibrant colors.
Suddenly, the manifestationʼs voice flowed in again.
"Immortal! What are you doing right now!"
Zeke swung the egg absorbing the lakeʼs power toward where the manifestationʼs voice came from.
Tssst—
The spirit beast egg began emitting an even more brilliant light.
The manifestation cried out.
"Stop that immediately!"
The manifestation created a massive wave to swallow Zeke and the egg.
Thinking it dangerous, Zeke pulled the egg close to his chest. The wave engulfed and shook Zeke and the egg in an instant.
"Urgh."
But then, the egg clutched to Zekeʼs chest reacted with his middle dantian.
It absorbed mana from the middle dantian and began emitting a prismatic glow.
"Immortal! Stop right now!"
Though he didnʼt know exactly what it meant, Zeke poured even more mana into the egg in response to the manifestationʼs cry.
Then, cracks began to form on the surface of the spirit beast egg he held.
Crack!
As the egg shattered, light burst from within.
With the light, something spread its wings and emerged.
A being wrapped in prismatic light rose into the air with Zeke.
Rumble!
Zeke surged back above the lake with the light.
Now above the lakeside, Zeke finally looked at the being that had emerged from the egg he clutched and was astonished.
'What is that?ʼ