Rrrroar!
Zeke pierced through the thick ice wall using the Authority of Flame, heading toward the spot indicated by the key's light.
The perennial glacier ice was as hard as steel and extremely difficult to work with, so Zeke breathed a sigh of relief that he could use the Authority of Flame.
It was said that in ancient times, there had even been a technique for processing this perennial glacier ice to craft weapons, but that knowledge had been lost, surviving only as legend.
In that manner, Zeke entered deeper into the perennial glacier ice cave with Carmilla and the others.
Sharp icicles protruded from the ceiling and walls, creating a beautiful sight, but one wrong move could have led to being sliced or stabbed.
If injured here, the intense cold would have caused immediate necrosis of the tissue, requiring amputation of the affected body part, making it extremely dangerous.
Nevertheless, the key's light continued to point downward into the cave, so they pressed onward.
As Zeke carefully descended into the ice cave, he soon discovered a long corridor.
'Traces of ancient ruins.'
It was not a naturally formed cave passage but an artificially constructed corridor.
What was unusual was that it had been built using perennial glacier ice instead of stone or wood.
It was an astonishing technique, processing the perennial glacier ice like bricks and stacking it up.
'With this level of skill, it would indeed be possible to craft weapons from perennial glacier ice.'
In hot regions, it was uncertain how long the perennial glacier ice could be maintained, but at least in the north, it seemed it could be used effectively.
As he admired the mysterious sight, Zeke proceeded along the corridor formed by ice walls and floors when suddenly he sensed something ahead.
'A guardian?'
He had anticipated that, being Caligula's tomb created by an Elder Dragon, there would certainly be a guardian to block outsiders.
However, what appeared before Zeke was not a guardian.
Tss tss tss—
White snowflake-like entities began swirling chaotically around Zeke.
Seeing them, Carmilla exclaimed in surprise.
"Snow elementals... They're rare to see these days. How fascinating."
Now knowing they were snow elementals, Zeke observed them closely. The snow elementals seemed particularly drawn to Zeke.
Niki, watching enviously, approached to touch one, but the snow elementals evaded her hand.
Carmilla shook her head at the sight.
"We who handle undead spirits aren't particularly liked by elementals. But Zeke Draker seems especially favored by them. Among humans, those beloved by elementals are quite rare."
Hearing Carmilla's words, Zeke had a hunch.
'It must be because of the elemental sword. Since it allows control over elemental power, the force of nature.'
But Zeke said nothing and continued forward.
As they advanced, snow elementals appeared from various spots in the ruins, and Zeke was welcomed by them wherever he went.
Niki gazed at Zeke with envious eyes, but there was nothing she could do.
Thus, encountering snow elementals along the way, Zeke and his group walked down the corridor until a massive door appeared before them.
Zeke sensed a strong draconic aura from the door.
'Is this the power of an Elder Dragon?'
Carmilla stepped forward, placed her hand on the door, and began murmuring in an ancient eastern tongue while drawing upon her bloodline magic.
But the firmly shut door showed no movement.
Carmilla furrowed her brow and said,
"It seems this door wasn't made by a vampire, but by some other being."
Bacchus looked at Carmilla and asked,
"Even Mother's power can't open it?"
Carmilla nodded.
"Aside from the completely different system... the level of magic itself is different. Even if we brought all the mages of Nirvana, I'm not sure they could decipher the magic on this door."
At her words, Bacchus's expression hardened. "If it's magic of that level, isn't it dragon magic?" Carmilla nodded.
"If it's sealed by an Elder Dragon as Zeke said, then yes, it must be magic cast by him."
While Carmilla and Bacchus seriously discussed the magic at the door, Zeke accessed the system.
'System, open this door for me.'
[The Senior Administrator System detects the Secure Zone "Tomb of Caligula."]
[The Senior Administrator System attempts to connect.]
[The domain recognizes the Senior Administrator.]
[Connection denied by Secure Zone "Tomb of Caligula."]
Seeing the connection denial message, Zeke pulled out the key he had stored back in his inventory.
'System, try connecting again using this.'
[The Senior Administrator System attempts reconnection.]
[The Secure Zone "Tomb of Caligula" confirms the authentication key.]
[Access code for "Tomb of Caligula" confirmed.]
[User's title "One Blessed by the Ancient Dragon" confirmed.]
[Seal of the Secure Zone is released.]
[Entry to Secure Zone "Tomb of Caligula" is permitted.]
As the message announced permission, the firmly closed door began to split open to the side.
Kugugugu—
An intense cold emanated from within.
As Zeke approached, Carmilla suddenly gaped in disbelief at the opened door.
"H-How did you open that door...?"
Zeke scratched his head and said,
"It just opened when I touched it."
At his words, Carmilla's eyes widened in shock.
"It just opened when you touched it? What does that... Wait, could it be related to the Blessing of the Fairy King? The door itself recognizes the blessing and automatically opens and closes..."
Fearing that delving deeper would waste time and cause fatigue, Zeke gestured to her.
"For now, since the door is open, it would be best to enter. It might close again right away."
At Zeke's words, the group quickly entered through the door.
The chill inside the ruins was even stronger than outside.
Even the cold-resistant vampires felt a shiver.
Caligula's tomb was constructed using perennial glacier ice, just like the exterior.
The walls were decorated in ancient style, resembling the Golden City Blanca where Hades had been imprisoned.
'This place was built in the Age of the Constellations.'
If it was from the Age of the Constellations, it made sense that they possessed the technology to process perennial glacier ice.
As Zeke and the others admired the beautiful tomb, which seemed carved from crystal, they delved deeper inside.
Then, a cavern appeared, with a massive altar at its center.
The sight, like a beautiful temple, captivated everyone's attention.
Zeke said to Carmilla beside him,
"It might be best if only the two of us go from here." Carmilla nodded at Zeke's words.
Zeke entrusted Icaros to Bacchus and ascended the altar steps with Carmilla.
After climbing hundreds of steps to reach the altar, a coffin bound tightly with chains lay in the center.
Seeing the coffin, Carmilla trembled faintly.
"Caligula's coffin. So the legend was true." Zeke approached the coffin with Carmilla.
She examined the chain-bound coffin and nodded.
"Indeed, I can sense vampire power from here."
Murmuring softly, she drew a dagger from her bosom.
She cut her palm with the dagger and let blood drip onto the coffin.
Closing her eyes and chanting a spell in an ancient eastern tongue, the blood on the coffin began to move on its own, forming a geometric pattern.
It slowly spread, covering the entire coffin.
Kugugugu—
As Carmilla's chant intensified, the coffin suddenly began to vibrate.
Clank, clank—
The chains wrapping the coffin rattled loudly.
But only vibrations occurred; there was no further change from the coffin.
Sweat beaded on Carmilla's forehead as she formed hand seals, concentrating all her power to break the coffin's seal.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Crack!
The hand seals Carmilla was forming shattered, and she was repelled by the rebound force.
Whoosh!
Zeke swiftly leaped up, catching Carmilla as she floated into the air.
He then landed safely on the ground.
Watching this, Bacchus and Niki rushed over.
"Mother!"
Zeke checked her condition and held Carmilla's hand, using his healing factor.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
Carmilla slowly opened her eyes.
In a trembling voice, she said,
"Th-the being inside the coffin... is not the king of vampires or anything like that." Bacchus asked Carmilla in surprise.
"What do you mean, Mother? That Caligula isn't the king of vampires?"
Carmilla struggled to rise and said,
"It was something... beyond vampires, something else entirely. I understand now why it was sealed here. Just looking at the sealed entity felt like my mind would shatter..." Barely finishing her words, Carmilla lost consciousness.
Zeke quickly examined her; it was just fainting from overwhelming mental shock.
Bacchus and Niki's already pale faces turned even whiter.
Zeke glanced at them briefly, then slowly stood.
Bacchus said in alarm to Zeke,
"You're not thinking of breaking Caligula's seal, are you?"
"We've come this far; we can't just turn back." Bacchus jumped to his feet.
"Even our progenitor Mother couldn't withstand Caligula's power! How could a human like you hope to handle that power?"
Zeke turned to Bacchus and said,
"If this power falls into the hands of Siemens or Arthur, what do you think will happen?"
Carmilla had already seen in her dreams what would occur if another obtained Caligula's power.
The scene she witnessed in her dream was horrific.
Cain, having seized Caligula's power, openly massacred the humans of the central continent.
Since his identity was concealed, Zeke was unaware, but the numerous massacres from his previous life undoubtedly stemmed from him.
Bacchus could not respond to Zeke's words.
Zeke took that as another form of answer and turned back to ascend the altar again.
The coffin lay quietly, as before.
'Something beyond vampires.'
Zeke slowly approached the coffin.
He then invoked the power of the blood eye.
Tss tss tss—
A third eye, formed in crimson, appeared on his forehead.
Zeke attempted to break the coffin's seal using the power of the blood eye.
Drdrdrdr—
The coffin began to vibrate strongly, just as when Carmilla's consciousness had extended.
Zeke forcibly unraveled the coffin's seal using the power of the blood eye.
Clank! Clank!
The chains thrashed even more violently than before.
Realizing the chains were reinforcing the seal around the coffin, Zeke drew Bahamut.
He infused it with the power of his full-power technique and swung at the chains binding the coffin.
Kwadududuk—
The chains tightened around the coffin, resisting Zeke's full-power technique, but they could not withstand Zeke's sword imbued with the aura of severance.
Ultimately, Bahamut severed the chains binding the coffin.
Clatter!
The cut chains were all sucked into the coffin.
Moments later, the coffin vibrated even more intensely.
Drdrdrdrdr—
At the same time, not only the altar but the entire tomb began to shake.
Zeke drew even more on the power of the blood eye.
But then.
Ssss ssss—
Black smoke billowed from within the coffin.
The smoke enveloped Zeke in an instant.
His vision went dark, and he could see nothing.
'It feels similar to the barrier used by the knights of the abyss.' His sight was obscured, and all senses were blocked.
Zeke activated the blood eye to find a gap in the barrier.
Kugugugu—
As Zeke's consciousness, guided by the blood eye, pierced into the barrier's interior, the surroundings changed.
'Where is this?'
A grand audience hall decorated in an unfamiliar style.
But it was terribly dilapidated, with ruins everywhere.
It resembled the palace of a fallen kingdom.
Clank.
Turning toward the sound that had momentarily distracted him, Zeke saw someone seated on a massive throne.
A man bound by chains on his hands and feet.
An extremely dangerous aura emanated from the man.
Zeke slowly approached the throne.
The man sat on the throne with long hair cascading down, head bowed, showing no reaction even as Zeke drew near.
Instinctively, Zeke knew who this man was.
'Caligula.'
Zeke had entered the consciousness of the sealed vampire king directly.
Zeke said to Caligula, "King of the vampires." Clank!
The sound of chains clashing rang out again.
Caligula, who had been bowing his head, slowly lifted it.
Zeke was startled upon facing Caligula's face.
'What is that on his forehead...?'
On Caligula's raised forehead was another eye.
Caligula looked down at Zeke with a languid yet arrogant expression.
Then, he slowly opened his mouth.
[You dare call Us, the king of filthy white-faced rabble?]
Just opening his mouth brought an overwhelming pressure that crushed his entire body.
He slowly spoke.
[We are the great king of Shambhala, the ruler of all errant things.] Caligula's eyes, gazing at Zeke, glowed red.
[The true master of the Third-Eye Clan, the Blood King Caligula.]