Zeke realized what the marking etched into the wall was.
"Third Eye Clan."
It was the emblem of the three-eyed worshipers of the Third Eye Clan.
Zeke sensed where he had arrived.
"The kingdom of the Third Eye Clan, located within the Everwinter Mountain Range."
He recalled the secret kingdom of Tantra that the Third Eye Clan siblings, Titus and Yulina, had mentioned before.
The Kingdom of Tantra, created by the survivors of Shambhala, was said to exist beyond the Everwinter Mountain Range on the Eastern Continent.
Zeke had slipped out through a dimensional rift into the hidden Kingdom of Tantra on the Eastern Continent, not the Central Continent.
"I don't know why the dimensional gate opened here instead of on the Central Continent."
The only thing he could speculate was that the Third Eye Clan had once performed a ritual in these ancient ruins to summon a being from a higher dimension, bringing them close to the dimensional rift and connecting a passage.
"If this really is the Kingdom of Tantra, that's actually for the best. I might as well meet the descendants of the Third Eye Clan while I'm here."
For now, he turned away from the wall marked with the Third Eye Clan emblem to find an exit leading out of the ruins.
But then—
Kugugugugu!
The thick stone door on the opposite side of the altar opened with a resounding noise.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Hundreds of soldiers clad in ancient-style armor entered in perfect formation, spears at the ready.
Boom!
In an instant, the soldiers surrounded Zeke, spears and shields raised.
Zeke looked at the soldiers who had entered the ruins and confirmed that his guess was correct.
"It seems like Tantra after all. No other place would wear such outdated armor except a closed secret kingdom."
Zeke clicked his tongue as he eyed the brass-colored armor the soldiers wore, verifying that this was indeed the Kingdom of Tantra.
But at that moment, a lavishly dressed figure emerged from among the soldiers.
His protruding belly strained against his golden armor, his face hidden behind a mask bearing the Third Eye Clan emblem, and his head adorned with an array of colorful feathers. He carried a staff embedded with jewels.
"That must be their leader."
Zeke recalled what Titus and Yulina had told him about the Kingdom of Tantra.
A rigid society governed solely by the blood-rank caste system.
Those with high blood rank possessed everything.
Zeke assumed the masked man was one of the vested interests in that blood-rank caste system.
The masked man pointed a finger at Zeke and shouted.
"Seize that irreverent intruder at once!"
At his command, the soldiers lowered their spears toward Zeke.
Wooooong!
A red energy rose from the spear tips they held.
The spears they wielded were relics of Shambhala, usable only by the Third Eye Clan bloodline.
The special red energy on the spear tips shot toward Zeke.
Shushushushu!
In an instant, Zeke was enveloped in the red energy.
And then, shadows surged up from beneath his feet.
Kwakwakwakwa!
The shadows wrapped around Zeke, repelling the red energy.
The red energy scattered in all directions, colliding with the ruin walls and causing a massive roar and vibrations.
Kugugugugu!
As the ruins shook, the pot-bellied masked man shouted.
"The irreverent intruder is trying to destroy the traces of our great history! Seize him immediately!"
The soldiers charged at Zeke, who was shrouded in shadows, shields and spears raised.
"Haaaa!"
The soldiers let out battle cries as they thrust their spears at Zeke.
But no matter how ancient the artifacts, they were insufficient to pierce the shadow armor enveloping Zeke's body.
Kududud!
The shadow armor bent the soldiers' spears and devoured them whole.
Kwaddududuk!
The soldiers recoiled in horror as the black shadows devoured their spears, tumbling backward.
"Eek!"
Zeke, seeing the front lines in disarray in an instant, retracted his shadow armor and slowly walked toward the masked man, looking down at the wary soldiers.
The masked man shouted at the soldiers.
"What are you doing? Seize that irreverent one at once!" Despite his words, the soldiers hesitated to rush at Zeke.
At that moment, Zeke snapped his fingers.
Kugugugugu!
Caligula, now a guardian, burst forth from behind him.
The soldiers recoiled in fear at the sight of Caligula, his three eyes flashing as he formed seals with his four arms.
Zeke used his shadows to select a few of Tantra's soldiers and read their memories.
He then understood why they were reacting this way.
Royal guards of the Kingdom of Tantra. As high blood-rank elites confined to the palace, they lacked real combat experience compared to frontline warriors.
Tantra was ruled entirely by the blood-rank caste system.
Those with low blood rank were conscripted as soldiers and stationed on the kingdom's outskirts.
With the kingdom nestled inside the Everwinter Mountain Range, the outer areas teemed with countless magical beasts.
The lowest-rank soldiers, lacking proper equipment, had to fight these beasts, gaining ample combat experience.
In contrast, high blood-rank elites wore ancient artifacts and armor, strutting about or serving in ceremonies, with hardly any true battle experience.
Thus, they cowered and panicked at the slightest strong opponent.
Seeing the terrified royal guards, the masked pot-bellied man shouted in a trembling voice.
"You fools! What are you doing?!"
The masked man gritted his teeth, pointed his jewel-encrusted staff at Zeke, and cried out.
"Irreverent heretic! Behold the power of our great bloodline!" Wooooong!
The jewel on the staff began to emit an eerie light.
Zeke realized the man was attempting to invoke the Third Eye Clan's shamanism using the staff.
Tszutszutszutsu—
Soon, the Third Eye Clan's power resonated with the staff's jewel, and mandalas etched into the floor, ceiling, and walls activated.
Red wooden vines extended from the mandalas.
Kugugugugu—
The red branches moved like living things, trying to ensnare Zeke's body.
Zeke murmured softly at the sight.
"Caligula."
At his call, Caligula's eyes flashed, and he conveyed his will to the approaching red branches.
Kudududuk!
The red branches, which had been trying to wrap around Zeke, ignored the masked man's command and began moving on their own.
Woodududuk!
The branches thickened, thorns sprouting from them in places.
The masked man was startled.
"H-How is this...?"
The thorny vines slithered like snakes toward the masked man instead.
He recoiled in surprise.
"S-Stay back! Stay away!"
Under Caligula's command, the thorny vines wrapped around the masked man's legs and dragged him toward Zeke.
"Kwaaaak!"
He screamed as if he were about to die.
At Zeke's gesture, Caligula floated in the air and approached the masked man, removing his mask.
A trace of the blood eye remained on his forehead, proving he was of the Third Eye Clan.
He was forced by Caligula's hand to kneel before Zeke.
Even captured, the man glared at Zeke with trembling jowls, indignant.
"I am Saruhan, of the sacred blood of the Kingdom of Tantra! Harm me, and you will incur the wrath of the entire kingdom!"
Zeke could clearly sense the arrogance and ignorance of Tantra's blood-rank caste system elite, isolated in their closed kingdom.
He clicked his tongue inwardly and said to the man.
"Saruhan, was it? You are of the Third Eye Clan, descendants of Shambhala, correct?" Saruhan was startled by Zeke's words.
"H-How do you...?" At that moment.
A vivid blood eye manifested on Zeke's forehead.
Tszutszutszutsu—
The soldiers, including Saruhan, gasped at the strikingly clear blood eye, unlike any they had seen in the sacred blood.
The soldiers knelt before Zeke, whose eyes emitted a blood-red glow, bowing their heads.
"O divine one!"
"Forgive our sins!"
"We beseech you!"
The blood eye combined with the authority of absolute dominion created an overwhelming pressure that surpassed even Blood King Caligula, crushing the surroundings.
Only then did Saruhan realize Zeke was no ordinary human.
"C-Could you be the blood king...?"
Zeke looked down at Saruhan, his blood eye flashing.
"You, with your lowly blood, dare to look straight at me?"
The Third Eye Clan of Tantra were descendants of Shambhala's lower ranks, not even permitted in the same spaces as higher ones.
Saruhan paled at Zeke's words, sweat beading as he trembled under the dominator's aura, bowing his head.
"G-Great blood king, this lowly servant Saruhan greets you!"
Zeke looked down at Saruhan and the kneeling Third Eye Clan soldiers of Tantra.
Then, he slowly spoke.
"Saruhan, are you the king of the Kingdom of Tantra?" At Zeke's question, Saruhan shook his head.
"N-No, I am the captain of the royal guard of Tantra."
It was hard to fathom how such a pot-bellied man became captain of the royal guard, but it was evidence of Tantra's rotten system.
Zeke approached Saruhan, his blood eye glowing red, and said.
"Take me to your king immediately."
The Third Eye Clan could not resist the dominator's voice piercing their ears.
A new ruler had appeared in the Kingdom of Tantra.
*
Boom!
The doors to the grand audience hall of the Tantra royal palace burst open, and a corpulent courtier rushed inside.
The hall, meant for the king and ministers to discuss state affairs, was instead a scene of debauchery.
High sacred blood and true blood nobles lay sprawled, devouring delicacies and wine served by beautiful maids. Dancers performed seductive dances nearby, accompanied by musicians singing.
At the center was a young man in the most ornate attire.
This lavishly dressed man was Notales, king of Tantra, bearer of the noblest blood.
He lounged with a newly acquired concubine in his arms, puffing on a narcotic herb that clouded his mind.
The rushing courtier panted as he approached the king.
"Y-Your Majesty."
Irritated, King Notales waved him off.
"How dare you breathe your lowly breath on me." The courtier covered his mouth with his hand.
He bowed his head, minimizing his breathing, and continued.
"T-The captain of the royal guard, Saruhan, entered the pyramid and has not yet emerged."
King Notales snorted dismissively.
"You dare ruin my mood with such trivial news? Begone. You're spoiling my enjoyment of the dance!"
At the king's words, the surrounding nobles mocked the courtier, hurling food and wine cups.
"Get lost!"
"You've ruined the fun! Take responsibility!" The king chuckled at the nobles' mockery.
But then— Bang!
The doors to the grand hall flew open as someone entered.
"What is this?!"
Surprisingly, Saruhan and the royal guard marched in perfect formation into the hall.
Seeing this, King Notales smirked at the courtier.
"See? He's back. For ruining our mood, you stand in the center on one leg and mimic an elephant..."
Kwakwakwang!
Before the king could finish, something flew in and overturned the table laden with food.
The drugged nobles burst into laughter at the irreverent disruption.
"Kuhahaha!"
"What a mess! Total chaos!"
King Notales laughed heartily as well.
But then he saw what had wrecked the table, and his expression hardened.
"This...!"
It was a severed head.
The head belonged to the king's personal executioner, a brutal figure who tortured and executed anyone—regardless of age or gender—on command.
Realizing this, King Notales rose, face twisted in rage.
"Who dares such insolence!"
Suddenly, Saruhan and the soldiers parted, and one man stepped forward.
Boom!
Zeke entered the grand hall, his vivid blood eye on his forehead flashing.
The overwhelming pressure from him froze King Notales and the nobles alike.
Zeke surveyed them and slowly spoke.
"Kneel."