As Zeke reached out, shadows enveloped Heracles's heroic spirit.
Tssststst—
Light began to emanate from Heracles's body, wrapped in the shadows.
It was a different reaction from when he had turned other heroic spirits into shadow spirits before.
'What is this?'
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[The heroic spirit of Heracles submitted to the noble will of the constellation .]
[The 'Twelve Labors' embedded within the heroic spirit of Heracles reacted to the constellation's authority.]
[The constellation 's authorities Infinite Breakthrough and Re-Creation empowered the 'Twelve Labors' of Heracles.]
[The heroic spirit Heracles transcended the limits of a guardian.] Kududududu!
Heracles, enveloped in shadows, did not transform into a shadow spirit like the other guardians.
His soul reacted to the power of the constellation Zeke possessed and began to evolve into an entirely different form.
[The heroic spirit Heracles was reconfigured as the guardian star of the constellation .] [The rank of guardian star Heracles rose.]
[The unique authority 'Majesty of the Hero' was generated for guardian star Heracles.] [The guardian star Heracles was registered as the user's guardian.] Wuuuuuung!
Heracles, clad in orichalcum armor, slowly rose into the air, emitting a prismatic glow.
Surprisingly, the heroic spirit Heracles had reacted to Zeke's authority, elevating his rank and granting him the status of a guardian star—a constellation in its own right.
As a guardian star, Heracles exuded an aura and dignity far surpassing that of the other guardians.
The indomitable soul of Heracles, once a hero of ancient Atlantis, had ascended to guardian star status, making it difficult to even estimate the extent of his newfound power.
Gazing at the guardian star Heracles, a thought crossed Zeke's mind.
'If the other guardians raise their ranks, could they become guardian stars like Heracles?'
Zeke had previously confirmed through the system that spirit beasts could accumulate karma points and evolve into divine beasts upon meeting certain conditions.
In the same vein, he speculated that the shadow spirits who had become guardians might also be capable of such evolution.
'I'll need to look into it.'
Having organized his thoughts, Zeke looked up at Heracles, who was radiating prismatic light, and said,
"Heracles, I look forward to working with you."
Heracles descended to the ground, kneeling on one knee in a dignified posture with his right hand over his left chest, and addressed Zeke.
[I pledge my unwavering loyalty to my lord.]
It was the traditional Titan tribe oath of fealty, promising his devotion as a guardian.
The promise of a constellation carried a weight far beyond that of mere human vows.
Well aware of this, Zeke nodded in satisfaction at Heracles's words.
At that moment, Nabu and Nigel approached from behind.
"Huh, what the hell is this?"
Nabu was on the verge of fainting at the sight of the guardian star Heracles.
Nigel looked surprised as well, but she had a more pressing matter and got straight to the point.
"Baron seems to have infiltrated the temple." Zeke furrowed his brow at Nigel's words.
He turned to Heracles and asked,
"Heracles, what are the security measures inside the temple to block intruders?"
In response to Zeke's question, Heracles replied,
[The temple interior is another unique domain created by the power of the Great Sage.
Unauthorized entrants will lose their way within and never emerge.] Nabu sighed in relief at Heracles's words, patting his chest.
"Phew, that's a relief. If the Great Sage prepared it that way, even Baron won't be able to take the Book of the Lion easily." But Zeke shook his head.
"We can't assume it's that simple." Nabu looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"
Nigel, standing beside him, answered on Zeke's behalf. "The voice of the Demon King. You're talking about that, right?" Zeke nodded at Nigel's words.
"Yes, Master. If the voice of the Demon King guides Baron, escaping the maze the Great Sage created isn't impossible."
Nabu's face paled at Zeke and Nigel's explanation.
"D-Damn it. Then we need to hurry and stop him. Let's go in now!"
As Nabu urged them on, Zeke nodded and turned back to Heracles. "Heracles, do you have authority to control the temple's internal security?" Heracles shook his head.
[The Great Sage did not grant me such authority.]
At Heracles's response, Nabu widened his eyes in despair.
"Argh! Then we might end up getting lost in the maze ourselves!"
To avoid the maze, they would have no choice but to listen to the voice of the Demon King and follow its guidance.
But doing so could lead to temptation by the Demon King's power, corrupting their souls.
Zeke, who had been quietly thinking, then spoke to Nabu.
"Hermit, I have one method."
Nabu lifted his head with a surprised expression.
"Huh? You have a way?"
Zeke pulled something from his inventory.
It was none other than the Absolute Compass.
The unique item that pointed the way to a designated destination.
Nabu nodded in understanding upon seeing the Absolute Compass.
"Oh! Right, we have this!"
Unlike the excited Nabu, Zeke shook his head with a serious expression.
"This compass shows the direction, but there's one problem."
"What problem?"
"Once you designate a location, you can't set another until you reach it."
"So what? Just set it to lead to the Book of the Lion." Nigel, standing nearby, interjected.
"You idiot. And you call yourself a sage?"
Nabu tilted his head at her words, then realized and let out a sigh.
"Ah, there's another Book of the Lion somewhere else." Zeke nodded.
"In fact, I've been holding back on using the Absolute Compass to find that final Book of the Lion."
If he used it here and the designation went wrong, it could become impossible to find the path to the Dark Continent.
"Ugh, nothing's ever straightforward."
Zeke approached Nabu and said,
"That's why, Hermit, I have one request." He whispered something to Nabu.
Nabu listened, his eyes widening slightly in surprise before he fell deep into thought.
"Hmm... It might work, or it might not."
"I beg you, Hermit."
Nabu hesitated at Zeke's plea but soon nodded. "Alright. I can't guarantee it'll work, but we have to try." He summoned several books and opened them.
He searched diligently, then began reading a passage aloud.
"With cheer and solemn dignity, the net of the Fisherman Knight covers the heavens, forming waves of gold! Let the wicked horde of orcs be swept away in those waves!" Nabu recited the incantation to summon Reyes the Fisherman Knight's net.
The sky was soon covered in a golden net.
Zeke extended his hand toward the net Nabu had summoned.
He then invoked the authority of Chronos's treasury to call forth a heroic spirit.
Wuuuuuung!
Chronos's treasury and Reyes's golden net resonated.
Tssststst—
Moments later, the golden net vanished, and a haze rose before Zeke, shimmering.
It began to form a faint human shape.
"Weep! Rise! What shall bar my path! Ah! Beautiful one, wipe away those tears!"
The faint form of Reyes's heroic spirit materialized.
True to his fame as the Knight of Rhythm, he announced his presence with poetry.
Since it wasn't a proper relic but based on the summoned net, the form was imprecise and ethereal, but Zeke was satisfied with this.
Zeke approached Reyes's heroic spirit and said,
"Fisherman Knight Reyes, I have a request for you."
Without waiting for a reply, Zeke held out the Absolute Compass and continued,
"You were the owner of this golden compass in legend. No one else could wield it as masterfully as you."
Looking at the heroic spirit gazing at him, Zeke pressed on.
"To prevent the Demon King's resurrection, I ask you this: Teach me the proper way to use this compass."
At Zeke's words, Reyes's heroic spirit nodded.
"You exude a fine spirit. I sense you are a noble knight of honor."
Zeke had already encountered Reyes in the Inverted Tower, though it was merely a memory of the past.
Even as a faint heroic spirit, Reyes showed his characteristic cheerfulness and said,
"The proper way to use the golden compass! It's not difficult at all!"
He laughed heartily and added,
"Sincerity! A fervent desire to find something! That's all it takes!" Zeke furrowed his brow at Reyes's words.
"...Is there no more precise method?"
The heroic spirit Reyes tilted his head at Zeke's question.
"Hmm? There wasn't anything like that. When I poured in my sincere heart, what I sought would clearly appear in my mind."
Zeke, who had been tense, shrugged at Reyes's somewhat deflating response.
The Fisherman Knight Reyes, who lived with romance in his heart, apparently hadn't used the golden compass with any precise method.
'Well, even back then, it felt like this.'
Zeke had summoned him expecting the former owner to know the exact way, but the answer was unexpected.
At that moment, Nigel, who had been listening to Reyes from behind, approached Zeke.
"Sincerity and fervent desire... Zeke, does anything come to mind?"
Zeke pondered Nigel's words briefly, then suddenly recalled something.
'Full Power Technique?'
Following Nigel's suggestion, Zeke gripped the compass and infused it with the power of the Full Power Technique.
Wuuuuuung!
Surprisingly, the compass reacted to the Full Power Technique, beginning to glow golden.
Reyes's heroic spirit nodded and said,
"Yes! That's it! It's resolved!"
As if his task was complete, Reyes's heroic spirit flashed a dashing smile at Zeke, waved, and then dissipated.
Without a proper relic to anchor it, the time a heroic spirit could remain in the phenomenal world was extremely short.
Wuuuuuung!
Just as Zeke felt a twinge of regret for not bidding farewell properly, the golden light from the compass flowed into his body.
At the same time, a message appeared before his eyes.
[The power of the constellation was unlocked by true aspiration.]
[The authority 'Manrian' imbued with the constellation's power activated.]
[The authority Manrian linked with the Kabbalah system.]
[Through the authority Manrian, you can designate and search for the desired direction.]
The Full Power Technique was composed of the soul's will and aspiration.
As Nigel had predicted, the key to unlocking the compass's power was indeed the Full Power Technique.
Zeke smiled upon seeing the functions of the Manrian authority linked to the Kabbalah system.
Unlike its previous limited functions, it now allowed for detailed designation of targets.
He turned to Nigel and Nabu and said,
"I've unlocked all the compass's functions. With this, we can find the Book of the Lion without the Demon King's voice." Nabu nodded at Zeke's words.
"Good, that's perfect. We need to get there before Baron reaches it. Let's go." As Nabu spoke, Nigel prepared to enter the temple.
They finished preparing quickly, and Zeke turned to Heracles.
"Heracles, lead us into the temple."
Heracles nodded and extended both hands.
Kugugugugu!
Soon, a massive portal opened in front of the temple.
It was the gateway to the temple's unique domain, which had been sealed off.
'Baron, you won't take the Book of the Lion.'
With renewed resolve, Zeke stepped through the portal alongside Nabu and Nigel.