"Stairs. Leading underground, I suppose."
He hadn't expected the stairs to lead to an underground dungeon instead of a hidden secure area.
Zeke set aside his curiosity, activated his Dragon Eye, and descended the stairs. Surprisingly, the wooden stairs weren't man-made.
"Branches intertwined to form this naturally. Similar to the world tree I saw in the naga city."
Though withered and twisted, this tree had likely once served as a massive tower.
Following the stairs deep underground, Zeke soon reached the bottom.
The floor and walls consisted of intertwined branches that formed the space.
Zeke scanned his surroundings and ventured further inside.
That was when he spotted the glinting eyes of magical beasts lurking in the darkness.
Grrr...
The other magical beasts, intimidated by Zeke's slaying of the outsider-species magical beast that led this dungeon, only growled threateningly without approaching.
When Zeke summoned the light of the Sacred Radiance Technique, the magical beasts startled and vanished into the shadows.
"Looks like they've taken over this dungeon-like space."
Deeper inside, massive pillars made from thick, intertwined trunks lined the path.
Zeke passed the pillars and pressed on into the depths.
Then, something came into view ahead.
"What's that?"
In one corner of the pillared space stood an entrance. When he entered, it opened into a vast cavern.
The ceiling was so high that it vanished into darkness, and at the center stood a solidly petrified statue.
"Hmm?"
Zeke approached and illuminated the statue with the light of the Sacred Radiance Technique.
It was a form he'd never seen before.
Its body resembled that of a deer, while its face and tail were dragon-like. It had bovine hooves for feet, and two enormous antler-like horns branched from its head like tree limbs.
Zeke tilted his head at the statue.
"Hmm, it kinda looks like Bucephalus the Dragon Horse."
Since the thought had crossed his mind, he decided to summon Bucephalus for comparison.
Neigh!
Having been summoned after a long time, Bucephalus rubbed his cheek affectionately against Zeke's chest.
In his true Dragon Horse form, Bucephalus had a scaled body and two horns, much like the statue—but the differences were clear.
"So, not a Dragon Horse after all."
As if agreeing with Zeke, Bucephalus nodded.
As Zeke circled the statue, he unconsciously placed a hand on it.
And then— Rumble...
Cracks spiderwebbed across the statue, and it began to crumble.
"Oh no...!"
Zeke panicked as the statue unexpectedly shattered.
From within the debris poured a white light.
Whoooong!
The light coalesced and seeped straight into Zeke's body.
Ssssh...
Zeke was taken aback as the warm light from the shattered statue settled within him.
At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.
—Achievement Quest—
[Infuse the Divine Spirit into the sealed Earth God to release the seal.]
[Quest Mission Reward: Blessing of the Earth God / Sacred Relic of the Earth God]
"It wasn't sealed here? And infuse the Divine Spirit to release it... That's different from the seals I've undone before."
From the message, Zeke realized that the Earth God's sealed form was located elsewhere, not in the Forest of the Forgotten.
"The Divine Spirit that just entered my body... So the sealed main body is separate. But where is it?"
As the question arose in his mind, another message appeared.
[The Eye of the Sage has estimated the location of the sealed Earth God through Karma Data access privileges.]
[The location is marked on the map coordinates.]
The Eye of the Sage had automatically searched and pinpointed it using related data.
"The Karma Data access privileges are incredible." Zeke checked the marked location on his map.
He was stunned.
"This is... where Salmak is?"
He'd sensed traces of ancient ruins when he'd visited Salmak's headquarters before.
But he never imagined the Earth God's divine body would be sealed there.
'I was planning to clean up Salmak anyway. This works out perfectly.' Zeke decided to head back to the forest house where Nigel was.
But upon returning, Nigel was nowhere to be seen.
Zeke spotted a note carelessly left on the table.
The Forest of the Forgotten was vast, and even the administrator couldn't know every inhabitant.
It was a cycle of staying at the house, sensing anomalies, resolving them personally, and returning.
Given Nigel's note about it taking time, she'd likely be gone at least a month.
'That's a shame. I wanted to say goodbye to my master.'
Thinking they'd meet again if destined, Zeke pushed aside his regret and left the Forest of the Forgotten.
To release the Earth God's sealed divine body, he needed to go to Salmak in the desert region.
'Going to Mycenae first and then leading troops would take too long. In that case...' A good idea struck Zeke.
Having exited the Forest of the Forgotten, Zeke set his course straight for Ishtar territory.
The Ishtar family worshiped the Earth God and followed its laws.
Zeke planned to join forces with them to deal with Salmak.
'Time to play a little game.'
*
"What did you just say?"
The Salmak Master, who was drinking with his youngest disciple at his side, nearly dropped his cup in shock but managed to catch it just in time.
His subordinate reported, head bowed.
"...Zeke Draker has crossed the Quicksand Field with the traitors and Ishtar's Mystics." The Salmak Master shot to his feet and hurled his cup at the subordinate.
Crash!
With a demonic scowl, he bellowed.
"You damn fool! While Zeke Draker marches right up to our doorstep, what the hell have you idiots been doing?!"
As the Salmak Master raged, his youngest disciple paled in fear.
He reassuringly stroked her face.
"It's fine. Don't worry. They won't make it here."
Grinding his teeth, he shouted at the subordinate.
"Wake the Scorpion Clan members on standby. Good thing I requested reinforcements in advance. Ask the Scorpion Clan for more mages."
The subordinate hesitated, glancing at the Salmak Master.
"That is..."
"What? Speak clearly."
The subordinate's face hardened as he replied.
"The Scorpion Clan... we can't reach them. It seems... Zeke Draker struck them first." The Salmak Master's jaw dropped at the words.
"The Scorpion Clan's main base fell? Those tenacious bastards who crawl back like roaches even after being killed? How?!"
"We haven't identified the cause yet... but circumstances suggest as much."
Hearing that the Scorpion Clan might have crumbled under Zeke's hand, the Salmak Master realized this wasn't an ordinary situation.
'Damn it... I should have eliminated him before he grew stronger.'
He'd sought an assassination opportunity through Shadia, but he found no opening.
Then, not long before, Shadia and most of the dispatched personnel had betrayed him and defected to Zeke Draker.
Many of the external agents scattered across the continent had chosen Shadia's side.
He'd tried to kill them all using the Godok implanted in their bodies, but for some reason, it hadn't activated.
The traitors must have found a way to remove the Godok.
From that point, sensing something amiss, the Salmak Master had requested mage reinforcements from the Scorpion Clan as a precaution against possible raids.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
'This won't do. I need to call in those guys.'
It was a card he didn't want to play lightly, but the situation left no choice.
The Salmak Master rose and headed to a certain place.
He entered a room at the end of the corridor and found only a crystal orb waiting in the center.
He approached and activated it immediately.
Soon, a black shadow emerged from the crystal orb.
He addressed the shadow.
"I'll join under the terms we discussed then. I need help right now."
The shadow in the orb flickered.
Without a word, the orb went dark, and the shadow vanished.
'What? Why end the communication without response...'
As doubt filled him—
"You must be in a hurry, Salmak Master. Contacting us so suddenly like this." The room had been empty a moment before, but now someone stood behind him.
Turning, the Salmak Master saw a man in a black suit holding a bag.
It was none other than Rahim, the leader of the Nostra Family's The Six.
Rahim, who had barely survived Zeke's Authority: Decay—his face scarred horribly, left eye clouded white in a grotesque sight—approached.
Unlike before, the gaunt Rahim's remaining eye gleamed with madness.
He stepped toward the Salmak Master.
"With Salmak and the Nostra Family united, we'll form an even stronger organization." The Nostra Family had long pushed for a merger with Salmak.
The rival Red Eye's influence had grown, and the beastman gang Crostel had expanded by allying with the Zoin Tribe and the Western Alliance.
In that process, the Nostra Family had weakened after clashing with Zeke Draker, losing key members like Dario and several of The Six.
To rebuild their depleted forces, they'd persistently sought mergers with the Scorpion Clan and Salmak.
For centuries, Salmak had maintained independence and ignored the Nostra Family's proposals. But with the situation deteriorating rapidly, they'd reached out first.
The Salmak Master looked at Rahim. "Zeke Draker wiped out the Scorpion Clan." Rahim's eyes flashed at the words.
"The Knight of Salvation... I have a deep grudge against him too."
Rahim couldn't forget the agony of his flesh and bones melting under the Authority: Decay.
He told the Salmak Master.
"With the Nostra Family's alliance, even Zeke Draker won't be a problem. We'll devise a way to kill him together..."
The Salmak Master cut him off with a shout.
"You don't understand! He's marching on this place right now! With Ishtar's Mystics, no less!"
Rahim's face hardened at the Salmak Master's words.
'Zeke Draker is personally attacking Salmak? In this situation, why?' It made no sense.
From his perspective, there was no reason to assault Salmak's stronghold head-on.
Moreover, Salmak's base was a natural fortress that had repelled invaders for centuries.
Luring the Salmak Master out and eliminating him would be surer. Yet Zeke had chosen the disadvantageous battlefield.
'Confidence that he can crush Salmak easily? No, that cunning bastard wouldn't. Then perhaps there's something here he wants...'
As Rahim pondered, the Salmak Master, sweating profusely, pleaded.
"Bring your Nostra Family forces now! He could storm in here any moment...!" Boom!
A massive tremor shook Salmak's headquarters.
The Salmak Master flung open the door and rushed out in panic.
"What is this?! What's happening?!"
He saw Salmak's assassins moving about in a frenzy.
A subordinate rushed up.
"Zeke Draker! H-he's here!"
The Salmak Master raised his voice in disbelief.
"He already crossed the Quicksand Field?!" Rumble!
Another tremor hit.
The Salmak Master yelled desperately at his subordinate.
"What are you waiting for?! Summon the Scorpion Clan inside and stop him!" He turned to Rahim.
"Hurry and lend your Nostra Family's strength! With The Six, we can hold him off..." That was when it happened.
"This is a message to Salmak's personnel. Those who surrender now will have their
Godok removed and be spared."
Zeke's voice echoed throughout Salmak's headquarters.
The Salmak Master's face drained of color.
'Zeke Draker, that bastard...'
Watching from behind, Rahim adjusted his glasses, set down his bag, and unlocked it.
Click!
Inside were dozens of syringes filled with black liquid.
Rahim spoke to the terrified Salmak Master.
"Do you want to stop Zeke Draker?" The Salmak Master nodded vigorously.
Rahim handed over a syringe.
"I didn't intend to use these, but given the circumstances... This will be your lifeline to capture him and save Salmak. However..." His expression turned cold.
"You'll have to prepare the price for it."