"Blood King Caligula?"
Caligula referred to himself not as the king of the vampires, but as the king of Shambhala.
Zeke recalled the name Shambhala.
"Shambhalaʼs Third Eye. Thatʼs what was written on the necklace I obtained from the Inverted Tower."
It seemed the domain ruled by Caligula was none other than that Shambhala.
Caligula addressed Zeke in a voice that was still languid yet arrogant, his posture unchanged.
[For what reason have you, a mere human, come to my resting place?] "Those who covet the kingʼs power have come, and I am here to stop them." At those words, Caligula suddenly burst into mad laughter.
[Kuhahaha!]
Boom boom boom—
His laughter shook the entire consciousness world.
After laughing for a long while, Caligula abruptly stopped and fixed his gaze on Zeke.
[To think a lowly human dares to covet my power. How utterly ridiculous.]
Zeke could sense the terrifying power hidden beneath Caligulaʼs arrogance.
Zeke wondered if the true master of the Third-Eye Clan had some connection to the Blood Eye.
Deciding to learn more about Caligula for now, Zeke took another step forward.
Then, a red glow emanated from Caligulaʼs third eye.
Sizzle sizzle—
Red energy wrapped around Zekeʼs body and pressed down on him.
Boom boom boom—
But Zeke resisted Caligulaʼs power and deployed the Chamber of Metal Power to straighten his posture.
Seeing Zeke stand tall despite his own strength, Caligula looked down at him with cold eyes.
[What an insolent fool. Have you come here with irreverent intentions to claim my power as well?]
Zeke met Caligulaʼs gaze directly and replied.
"Itʼs hard to deny that. If it has to fall into someoneʼs hands, Iʼd rather take that power myself."
Caligula could sense there was no lie in Zekeʼs words.
He peered into Zeke and said.
[You are a strange one. A human who is not quite human, a dragon who is not quite a dragon—standing on the boundary between them.]
Muttering to himself, Caligula extended his hand toward Zeke.
In that moment, Zekeʼs forehead burned hot, as if on fire. "This is...?"
Before he knew it, a Blood Eye had manifested on Zekeʼs forehead.
Caligula peered into the Blood Eye, then pulled one corner of his mouth into a smile.
[How amusing. To think a fragment of my power resides within you, even if just a little. To wield the Blood Kingʼs power in a human body...]
He averted his gaze from the Blood Eye and looked into Zekeʼs two eyes.
[Do you know who I am?]
Zeke shook his head as he regarded Caligula.
"I donʼt know much. I only came here believing you were the king of the vampires. Thatʼs what the progenitors of the Phenomenal World seem to think." Caligula laughed loudly once more at those words.
[King of the White-Face Clan. In truth, thatʼs not entirely wrong.] Caligula rose from his seat.
As he extended his hand, black smoke gathered beneath the throne, forming three shapes that took on solid form.
Caligula looked at the three figures and said.
[The White-Face Clan, the Nightmare Demon Clan, and the Beastman Clan—all are unable to escape my dominion.]
Zeke examined the forms Caligula had created and pondered his words.
"Vampires, Nightmare Demons, and Beastmen?"
He looked at Caligula and asked.
"What manner of being are you, to rule over all of them?" Caligula met Zekeʼs gaze and replied.
[I am the head of the Third-Eye Clan, possessing the greatest power among all fleshly beings, the one and only king who has touched the power of the gods.]
It was the first time Zeke had learned that the Third-Eye Clan was a distinct race.
It seemed like an ancient race from the Age of the Constellations. Zeke thought Caligula might know about the first immortal, the Godslayer.
Zeke asked Caligula.
"Iʼve heard that an Elder Dragon and the Fairy King sealed you here. Why did they imprison you in this place?"
Caligulaʼs expression darkened at those words.
[Who dares say they imprisoned me here!]
His shout sent a powerful energy swirling through the grand hall.
Zeke was slightly startled by the intense reaction, but he thought it might be better to provoke him further to draw out more information.
As he opened his mouth to continue, Caligula spoke while looking at him.
[Do you think an Elder Dragon and the Fairy King could seal me here with their power?
Ridiculous. I came here of my own will! No one can imprison me!]
"Then why are you sealed in this place, Your Majesty?"
At that, Caligula fell silent and slumped back onto the throne.
With his head bowed in his original posture, he began muttering something.
[I am the strongest being, greater than anyone. A great existence that has touched the divine...]
Zeke realized from watching Caligula that his mind was not in a normal state.
Zeke thought he seemed to have suffered some great shock.
But in an instant, Caligula lifted his head and, unlike before, began clawing at his hair with both hands, trembling in apparent anxiety.
[That damned Godslayer! He might come back again!]
There was no trace of his earlier arrogance in Caligulaʼs cry, which sounded like a scream.
Zeke clearly heard Caligula shout "Godslayer." Zeke realized he did know about the Godslayer.
He asked Caligula.
"Did the Godslayer try to kill you, Your Majesty?"
Caligulaʼs hands trembled as he began muttering again.
[I captured that bastard and tore his body to shreds. Even the Godslayer could not withstand the great power of the Third Eye. But with that cursed immortal power... he would revive no matter how many times I killed him, and come for me again.] A hint of fear flickered in Caligulaʼs eyes as he spoke of the Godslayer.
He described a being who had revived endlessly to kill him, no matter how many times he struck him down.
Zeke began to understand why Caligula was there.
To escape the Godslayer, he must have personally requested the Elder Dragon and the Fairy King to seal him away.
Even the arrogant king Caligula had chosen self-imprisonment out of fear of the Godslayer.
Zeke recalled that the Godslayer had taken up his spear to slay gods who disrupted the balance.
Caligula, with power so immense that even an Elder Dragon and the Fairy King feared him, must have been lost in arrogance, wielding near-omnipotent might and authority.
The Godslayer would never have let such a being go unchecked.
If the Godslayer hadnʼt had his immortality, Caligula would have killed him. His claim of touching divine power wasnʼt entirely boastful.
If this power fell into the hands of the Siemens faction, it would spell disaster.
Zeke decided to exploit Caligulaʼs fear.
"Your Majesty, I understand your feelings. I too am being pursued by those who covet the power of immortality."
Caligula snapped his head up at Zekeʼs words.
[What do you mean by that?]
"My enemies are artificially creating immortals in an attempt to bring back the Godslayer who once threatened you to this world."
Caligula sprang to his feet at Zekeʼs words.
[Is that truly the case?!]
Boom boom boom!
The consciousness world shook violently once more.
Undeterred, Zeke nodded and continued.
"Yes. Because I have inherited even a fragment of your power, Iʼve been chased relentlessly, leading me all the way here."
Using his abilities, Caligula confirmed there was no falsehood in Zekeʼs words.
Since Narakʼs true goal was indeed that, everything Zeke said was factual when taken at face value.
Caligula slowly descended from the throne and placed a hand on Zekeʼs shoulder.
[You who possess a fragment of my power. You are like me.]
His unstable mind made Caligula fall for Zekeʼs words immediately.
Especially since the Blood Eye Zeke possessed was one of the core elements of his power.
As the successor to his strength, even the arrogant Blood King had no choice but to believe.
Whoooong—
Caligulaʼs eyes began to glow red.
He looked at Zeke and said.
[You who possess a fragment of my power. Fear not.]
With those words, the grip of Caligulaʼs hand on Zekeʼs shoulder tightened.
Suddenly, he pulled the corner of his mouth into a grotesque smile.
[If what you say is true, then the Godslayer is not in this world now.]
Boom boom boom—
Red light emanated from Caligulaʼs eyes, connecting to the Blood Eye on Zekeʼs forehead. [Then there is no need for the great king that I remain trapped here. My flesh is long gone, so I shall descend upon the world once more, borrowing your body.]
Sizzle sizzle—
Caligulaʼs red soul began seeping into Zeke.
Zekeʼs Blood Eye burned red-hot.
Caligula was attempting to devour Zekeʼs mind and seize his body.
[On the day I return to the world, all the wicked shall kneel before me, the weak humans shall offer their hearts and blood, and every being with a soul shall tremble in fear of me!] Caligula cried out in a voice laced with madness.
But at that moment—
"What bullshit."
Caligula stared at Zeke with a dazed expression.
His mind should have been suppressed by now, yet Zeke looked back at him with clear, unharmed eyes. Caligulaʼs face twisted in disbelief.
[You mere human, how dare you! Offer your body to me willingly!]
"Cut the crap and hand over your power. I was going to take it nicely, but... letting a lunatic like you out into the world would just make my headaches even worse."
Sizzle sizzle—
In that instant, Caligula felt his power being drawn into Zeke.
[Y-You damned human! Stop this at once!]
"Why should I?"
Through the Blood Eye, Zeke continued to absorb Caligulaʼs power.
He hadnʼt even known this was possible, but thanks to Caligula, it had been easy to subdue him.
The absorption had already begun, and Caligula could not sever the soul connection he himself had created.
[N-No! This canʼt be!]
Zeke swiftly drained all of Caligulaʼs power and pulled out the Holy Spear from his inventory.
"I wonder if you remember this."
Seeing the Holy Spear in Zekeʼs hand, Caligulaʼs face paled.
[H-How do you have that?!]
"Ah, itʼs true theyʼre trying to revive the Godslayer on the other side, but I inherited the Holy Spear. Iʼm an immortal too."
Whoooong—
The Holy Spear vibrated strongly in response to Zekeʼs power.
Trembling in fear, Caligula backed away.
Before he knew it, he had retreated all the way to his original throne.
[N-No!]
"Yes. You seem to have many sins to atone for, so die quietly."
Zeke thrust the Holy Spear toward Caligula, who had stumbled back onto the throne.
Stab—
The Holy Spear pierced Caligulaʼs heart.
[Kuhk!]
Caligula spat blood, his hands shaking.
[I am... the great Third-Eye Clanʼs...]
Ignoring his words, Zeke activated his absorption ability.
Caligulaʼs fading consciousness, impaled by the spear, was sucked into Zekeʼs shadow.
At the same time, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[You have absorbed "Caligula," the king of the fallen ancient race, the Third-Eye Clan.]
[Your expended stamina, mental strength, and mana are being restored.]
[You have absorbed the bloodline ability of Caligula, gaining the Unique Authority "Third Eye."]
[The active skill "Blood Eye" is now subordinate to the Unique Authority "Third Eye."]
[You have acquired the title "Blood King."]
[The White-Face Clan, Nightmare Demon Clan, and Beastman Clan will submit to the bearer of the Blood King title.]
[As a reward, 3,000 Karma Points have been granted.]
[As a reward, one special random box has been granted.]
Having absorbed Caligula and gained his Third-Eye Clan Unique Authority and the Blood
King title, Zeke first checked the information on the Unique Authority "Third Eye."
―Unique Authority Information―
Third Eye: The third eye possessed by the king of the Third-Eye Clan, an ancient race and ruler of Shambhala. It is the origin of bloodline magic and spirit arts, holding the power to dominate all wicked things.
As soon as he confirmed the Unique Authorityʼs information, the scenery that unfolded before Zeke changed.
Boom boom boom—
The grand hall shattered like cracked glass, revealing the original altar.
Crumble crumble—
In that moment, the coffin containing Caligula before Zeke completely crumbled to dust.
With Caligulaʼs soul absorbed by Zeke, the seal itself had vanished.
Zeke felt his spiritual power more abundant than before.
Spiritual power was notoriously hard to improve, but by absorbing the power of Caligula— a high-ranking race with an elevated soul rank, even if corrupted—Zekeʼs own soul had risen in rank as well.
Zeke took a deep breath and slowly descended the altar, approaching Bacchus and the others.
But something felt off about the atmosphere.
Bacchus and Niki trembled, unable to even look at the approaching Zeke.
At that moment, Carmilla, who had awakened, rose and knelt before Zeke in a reverent posture.
Seeing her action, Bacchus and Niki followed suit, kneeling and bowing their heads before Zeke.
In a trembling voice, Carmilla said.
"Vile servant Carmilla greets the great king."