"Elder Dragonʼs heart?"
Zeke asked with a puzzled expression.
"Does that mean the shattered heart of an Elder Dragon is in the Forest of the Forgotten?"
Nabu nodded at Zekeʼs question.
"Yes, itʼs sealed in the deepest part of this forest under the name Black Star."
"What do you mean... I thought this forest was created after the second Demon Kingʼs army invasion, cursed and all that?"
Zeke recalled that when he had met Reyes, the Fisherman Knight, in the hidden stage inside the Inverted Tower, the Forest of the Forgotten hadnʼt existed yet.
That was why he had assumed the forest had grown endlessly due to a curse after the Demon Kingʼs army invasion.
"Itʼs not wrong to say it was cursed. This place changed like this when the Elder
Dragonʼs heart was sealed here."
It meant the Elder Dragonʼs heart was what had turned the forest into this state.
The moment the secret hidden within the Forest of the Forgotten—one of the Central Continentʼs greatest forbidden areas—was revealed, Zeke opened his mouth as if realizing something after hearing Nabuʼs words.
"Could it be that Master stayed here for a thousand years to guard the sealed Elder Dragonʼs heart?"
Manna, who had been listening from the side, nodded with joined palms.
"That is correct, Zeke. The Black Star holds such immense power that it must not emerge into the phenomenal world, so the Custodian sealed it here personally."
Hearing Mannaʼs words, Zeke realized why Narakʼs forces were launching a full assault on this place.
"They plan to use the Elder Dragonʼs heart for the Demon Kingʼs resurrection through the Second Consecration Rite."
Zeke had been able to glimpse the memory of how Solomon had fallen to become the Demon King in Carcosa.
At that moment, something flashed through Zekeʼs mind.
'Solomon made a contract with an Elder Dragon and shared its heart. If Solomon became the Demon King in that state, wouldnʼt it have affected the Elder Dragon that shared the heart with him?ʼ
It didnʼt seem like simply sealing the shattered heart would curse the entire forest like this.
Zeke considered the possibility that the Demon Kingʼs energy sealed in the Black Star might have seeped out.
'In any case, itʼs definitely a dangerous item if it falls into Narakʼs hands.ʼ Zeke looked up at Nabu.
"Is the seal on the Black Star secure?" Nabu nodded.
"As long as itʼs in this forest, the Black Star is safe. With the Hermit of the Forest as its guardian, itʼs unlikely to ever leave."
"You seem awfully relaxed considering Master has been captured by them."
"Only the guardian of this place can unseal the path to the Black Star. Unless Nigel has dementia, she wouldnʼt guide them there."
Zeke shook his head at those words.
"You canʼt be so sure. Among the avatars empowered by fallen constellations, there could be ones with abilities to unseal or deceive."
In fact, Zeke himself had once used Belialʼs authority of deception to break through the Great Sageʼs seal and enter the temple of the Goddess Theia.
Similar authorities might have existed among other fallen constellations.
At Zekeʼs words, both Nabu and Mannaʼs expressions darkened.
"Hmm, that would be troubling."
Nabu pondered for a moment before speaking to Manna.
"Youʼre right; Zekeʼs point has merit. Manna, it would be best if you come with me to defend the heart of the forest."
Manna nodded with joined palms.
"Understood, Nabu. But what about this place?" Nabu nodded.
"Iʼll set up a large-scale tale-binding spell for now, so it should hold for a while. Iʼll leave some Highlanders behind too."
He pointed to the map he had projected.
"Weʼll guard the center, so in the meantime, Zeke, you can raid the energy supply stations to close the gate. There are three in total."
"Understood. Whatʼs the scale of the enemy forces?"
"They seem to have at least legion-level troops stationed. The key isnʼt defeating them individually but striking all three places at once. If they detect an attack on one, theyʼll reinforce the others, making raids impossible."
Zeke pondered Nabuʼs words.
"So I need to cut off their energy supply all at once. Hmm..." Various strategies flashed through his mind.
Zeke quickly organized his thoughts, stood up, and said,
"Iʼll go to the site first and assess the situation before making a plan."
"Alright, Iʼll assign some strong Highlanders to you."
"No need. Iʼll handle the raids alone. Itʼs better if the Highlanders stay to defend this place."
Nabu asked in surprise at Zekeʼs words.
"Huh? Alone? You have to take out three energy supply stations at the same time—how do you plan to raid them solo?"
"I have a way, so donʼt worry."
Nabu looked at Zeke with disbelief but soon nodded.
"Fine, whatever. After seeing you fight earlier, I figure youʼll manage." Manna, who had been listening, also nodded with joined palms.
As Zeke stood,
"Iʼll keep my summons and guardians deployed, so focus on defense. This place canʼt fall until I close the gate."
"Got it. Weʼll hold here somehow, so come back safe."
After leaving the central command tent, Zeke checked the map for the locations of the gatesʼ energy sources that Nabu had marked.
'With this scale, theyʼve probably fortified it heavily.ʼ
He would need to see it with his own eyes first, so Zeke prepared to move stealthily nearby using the system portal.
Checking his karma points earned from the battle to use the portal, Zekeʼs eyes widened.
"Huh?"
The number was so large he thought it might be a display error.
"Whatʼs this?"
Over 200,000 points were listed in the status window.
He had expected a substantial gain from the large-scale battle, but not this much.
'Now I wonʼt have to worry about points anymore?ʼ
Zeke had always calculated points meticulously to use them most efficiently.
With this influx, he could use system functions more freely now.
With ample karma points, he opened the system portal without hesitation.
Woooong!
With a massive burst of light, his body vanished.
*
Growl—
A magical beast larger than the hound abominations that had attacked the Highlanders, with a massive hook on its tail, prowled the forestʼs perimeter.
It was the abomination the Highlanders called a monstrosity—far superior in speed and strength to the hounds.
Hidden behind a tree, suppressing his presence, Zeke extended his qi sense to scout the surroundings.
'Just one, it seems.ʼ
To move stealthily, he activated his Shadow Armor.
Ssssh—
The shadowy armor wrapping his body completely erased his presence.
In that state, he quietly approached the monstrosity from behind, raised his shadow, shaped it into a massive scythe, and swung it swiftly at the beast.
Slash—
The monstrosity didnʼt sense Zeke until he was right behind it, its neck cleanly severed by the black scythe.
Thud!
The monstrosityʼs body collapsed to the ground without resistance.
Having tested Shadow Armor in real combat, Zeke was stunned by its power beyond expectations.
'I didnʼt realize it was this strong. Itʼs totally a cheat item.ʼ
Quickly composing himself, he raised his shadow to absorb the fallen monstrosity and pressed deeper inside.
He sensed presences beyond the forest.
'That must be it.ʼ
As Nabu had said, he needed to eliminate all three energy supply stations to close the gate.
'That means taking out three fortified fortresses at once.ʼ
The Highlanders were defending the forest from the magical beasts, and the High Table was guarding the Black Starʼs seal.
The moment Zeke heard the situation from Nabu, he proceeded with his planned approach, pulling the Green Sword and the Eastern Sword from his inventory. 'Arataso, Nebilos. I need your help.ʼ
Arataso, who had been with Zeke for so long, accepted it readily, but Nebilos gave no response.
Zeke shook the Eastern Sword containing Nebilos.
'Hey, Nebilos, answer me.ʼ
At that moment, Arataso spoke to Zeke.
[Nebilos is a high-rank demon, inspector of Abaddon. A proud one like him wonʼt obey easily.]
Zeke clicked his tongue at Aratasoʼs words.
'Demons never listen unless you force them.ʼ
Zeke immediately gripped the Eastern Sword and invoked the lightʼs will.
Ssssh—
As the sacred light seeped into the sword, a panicked voice from Nebilos burst out.
[Kwaaaak!]
'Want to die? Answer when I call you.ʼ
Trembling at Zekeʼs harsh tone, Nebilos replied.
[You demon worse than demons!]
'Shut up and listen to my explanation. Itʼs a time-sensitive plan—if it fails, Iʼll hold the holy sword all day.ʼ
Overwhelmed by Zekeʼs cruelty, Nebilos had no choice but to yield. Grinding his teeth, he agreed to hear it out.
Zeke planned to send Arataso and Nebilos to the energy supply stations each, then use the system portal to destroy them simultaneously without delay.
'Iʼll send Ghost Troopers to position you in wait. When I signal, wreak havoc and create a portal landing spot for me. The moment I emerge, Iʼll destroy the energy supply station.ʼ
Arataso acknowledged Zekeʼs words, while Nebilos stayed silent until hit with another wave of light.
Having gotten a proper response from Nebilos too, Zeke summoned Ghost Troopers, handed them the Green Sword and Eastern Sword respectively, and sent them to the energy supply stations.
Then, he infiltrated the first energy supply station.
As a key stronghold, besides the hounds and monstrosities, new types of magical beasts and monsters patrolled the area.
Deeper in, there was a sturdy wall built of stacked stones—the construction technique was familiar.
'Orks?ʼ
Zeke realized the main force guarding the supply station was Orks.
'Theyʼre so tenacious; dealing with them one by one would be exhausting, so I need to strike fast and withdraw.ʼ
Wrapped in Shadow Armor, Zeke turned into black miasma and slipped inside the wall, entering their base.
Once inside the camp, Zeke was surprised by the unexpected sight.
'Itʼs not just Orks.ʼ
Besides the legion of Orks in heavy armor wielding steel axes, other races were present.
Satyr race with goat horns and legs, Arachne race with spider bodies and human womenʼs upper torsos, and small but vicious Gremlin race were visible.
'These are all races that vanished from the surface alongside the Orks. Where did Narak find them?ʼ
Siemens Apollyon, who had sought to descend the Demon King into his body to destroy the Kingdom of Chronos, had rallied these races to form the Demon Kingʼs army.
Without the Demon Kingʼs power, even Siemens Apollyon couldnʼt have controlled these savage races with differing natures.
As Zeke frowned at the gathering, a fight broke out on one side.
"You filthy spider bastard! Get lost!"
One of the Arachne and an Ork warrior glared fiercely, radiating killing intent.
The sly Satyr race backed away, watching the fight with interest, while the Gremlins egged them on from the front, baring sharp teeth.
Regardless of the reactions from those two races, the massive Arachne glared down at the Ork warrior with its four eyes gleaming.
"A mere Ork daring to defy the wondrous Arachne race—you must want to die."
"What the hell are you babbling, you bug? Fine, perfect timing. Itʼs been a while since Iʼve had roasted spider."
Zeke watched the clash between the two races and suddenly realized something.
'The Arachne is speaking in the ancient eastern continental tongue?ʼ
The Orks, who had emerged from the Forest of the Forgotten, used the ancient central continental tongue, but the Arachne spoke in the ancient eastern continental tongue.
This suggested the Arachne had likely come from beyond the Everwinter Mountains, like the hounds.
'Did these vanished ancient races maintain their bloodlines beyond the impassable
Everwinter Mountains? There might be more races like them.ʼ
As Zeke pondered, other Orks joined, raising axes to threaten the Arachne, and soon more Arachne crawled out from underground in response.
"The wondrous Arachne race is one."
"The insolent Orks who threaten the tribe shall become food for our newly born young." In response to the Arachneʼs threat, the Orks raised their axes and let out battle cries.
"I donʼt know what youʼre yapping about, you bugs. Come on, then. Today Iʼll roast you and your spiderlings too."
The situation was on the verge of erupting into conflict.
But then, Narakʼs dark mages appeared before them, accompanied by someone.
"What is this commotion!"
The dark mage shouted at the Orks and Arachne.
The watching Gremlins scattered instantly, and the Satyrs claimed it had nothing to do with them.
The Orks and Arachne showed no fear of the dark mages at all.
However, they seemed wary of the hooded figure behind the dark mages.
The dark mages tried to intervene first, but when ignored, the figure stepped forward.
Only then did the Orks and Arachne flinch and retreat.
"Lowly vermin."
It was a strange voice that buzzed in the ears.
Zeke also frowned at the voice, observing the figure closely.
'A new race?ʼ
At that moment, the figure removed their hood.
The Orks and Arachne recoiled in surprise.
Even Zeke, watching from hiding, couldnʼt help but be shocked by the figureʼs identity.
'What is that...?ʼ
A vivid blood eye was embedded in the forehead.
The identity of the hooded one was none other than a member of the Third-Eye Clan, rulers of Shambhala.