Woooong!
A message appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[You have successfully completed the main quest linked mission.]
[All three sacred relics have been acquired, automatically activating the coordinates of the primordial temple.]
[As a reward for the linked quest mission, you have obtained the title Blessing of the Archmage.]
[As a reward for the linked quest mission, you have obtained the title Blessing of the Fairies.]
[You have obtained 1,000 karma points as a reward.]
[The senior administrator system functions have been unlocked.]
[The portal travel system has been enhanced, allowing travel with one additional person besides the user. (Traveling with a companion requires double the karma points.)]
[You have obtained one special random skill card as a reward.] Zeke carefully read through the stream of rising messages.
"The portal travel system has been upgraded. I can now bring along one companion."
The portal travel system had been useful, but its high karma point consumption meant he hadn't used it much lately. At that point, it served as a last resort for Zeke.
"If I get more karma points as rewards, I can use it more actively."
This time, Zeke checked the coordinates of the primordial temple he had acquired. To complete the main quest, he needed to take the three sacred relics to the primordial temple.
However, when he tried to confirm the coordinates of the primordial temple, another message appeared.
[Confirming the coordinates of the primordial temple.]
[You do not have the authority to activate the temple coordinates.]
[The title Heir of the Kingdom of Chronos is required.]
[Updating the related linked quest.]
―Main Quest Mission (Linked)―
[Take the sacred relics imbued with primordial power to the forgotten primordial temple. (No time limit / The temple coordinates will automatically activate once all three sacred relics are acquired.)]
[Find and restore the scattered seals of the Kingdom of Chronos to their original form.
(No time limit)]
[Use the restored kingdom seal to activate the coordinates of the treasury of the Kingdom of Chronos.]
[Main Quest Mission Reward: ???]
[Linked Quest Mission Reward: Title Heir of the Kingdom of Chronos] Zeke frowned as he read the main and linked quests.
"To enter the primordial temple, I need the qualification of Heir of the Kingdom of Chronos?"
The seal of the Kingdom of Chronos that Zeke had found was only the one from Uranos's lair.
The remaining ones lay scattered—one in the central continent, one in the southern continent, and one in the northern continent.
According to Uranos, Shattan Draker had entrusted the seals to the lords of each race, so the other seals were likely hidden in dragon lairs as well.
Zeke figured Lord Hades might know the exact locations of the lairs.
Zeke organized his thoughts and stored the sacred relics back in his inventory.
He then checked the special random box from the fairy king and the special random skill card as a reward.
Unlike the skill cards he had received before, the special skill card gleamed with a golden hue.
"With 'special' attached, something good should come out." He opened the random box first, and a golden light burst forth.
Inside lay a gem shining with prismatic radiance.
"What is this?"
―Gem Information―
Description: Fairy stone imbued with the fairy kingʼs blessing
Unique Ability: Undetermined
Special Notes: Imbued with the fairy kingʼs energy, simply carrying it promotes physical health and mental clarity. It repels evil energies.
"A fairy stone imbued with the fairy kingʼs blessing. It's a rare item."
The undetermined unique ability suggested it was a material for item crafting.
"It should have some use, like the sacred relic of the sea god."
Zeke stored the blessed fairy stone in his inventory.
Then he opened the special skill card.
[Opening the special random skill card.]
[Active skill "Lionʼs Roar" (Grade A) has been registered.]
[Active skill "Lionʼs Roar" combines with battle war cry.]
[The proficiency of Lionʼs Roar increases.]
"Lionʼs Roar? What kind of skill is that?"
Zeke tilted his head and read the skill description.
―Lionʼs Roar: Roar to instill fear and confusion in enemies, restore afflicted allies to normal, and boost morale. It repels evil energies.
Zeke nodded in satisfaction after reading the description.
"This will be quite useful against the Narak bastards."
Finally, Zeke opened the special random box from the hero king.
―Necklace Information―
Description: Necklace blessed by the hero king
Unique Ability: Heroic spirit summon (one-time use)
Special Notes: A necklace blessed by the hero king that can summon the heroic spirit of the hero king from the fairy realm for 10 minutes.
Zeke was startled by the necklace information.
"I can summon Master Kaisir for 10 minutes?"
It might seem minor at first glance, but summoning the hero king—a being more powerful than a dragon—for 10 minutes was an incredible ability.
Zeke carefully stored the necklace in his inventory.
"It'll come in handy someday."
*
The next day, Zeke bid farewell to the druids and left the village.
The simple druids had packed him a ton of food to eat on the way down.
The mountain lord also descended from its domain to see Zeke off.
"Take care on your journey."
"You take care of your health too, Mountain Lord."
Michel clung to Zeke's leg, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Waaah! Knight, come visit again! The druids will always welcome you!" Zeke shook off the still-acting Michel and left the village.
Waving goodbye one last time, Zeke descended the mountain, munching on the dried meat the druids had given him.
Zeke glanced at the phoenix dozing on his shoulder and pondered.
"Come to think of it, what should I name this one?"
It was a divine beast, after all, so naming it something casual like Richmond or Bane didn't sit right.
Just then, more ogres appeared before Zeke.
The dozing phoenix snapped awake, sensed the danger, and immediately concealed itself.
Zeke was surprised.
"So it can travel between the phenomenal world and the spirit realm because it's a divine beast."
The spiritualization skill, usable three times a day via the sacred relic scabbard, was something the phoenix could do naturally.
With the phoenix hiding itself well, Zeke used his stealth skill to erase his presence and observed the approaching ogres.
But upon stepping back to assess, he realized the ogres weren't attacking him—they were fleeing from something else.
"Ogres being hunted? That's odd."
Suspecting a connection to the mountain stake affecting the mountain lord, Zeke maintained his stealth and followed the fleeing ogres.
*
"Huff! Huff!"
Over a dozen ogres fled deep into the forest.
Growl!
The leader of the ogre group gestured urgently to his subordinates to hurry.
Then— Swoosh!
An arrow whistled through the air with terrifying speed, piercing the thick thigh of the rearmost ogre.
Kreeee!
The smallest ogre collapsed, clutching its leg.
The other ogres grabbed the fallen one's arms and dragged it along.
The leader ogre stepped forward, gripping a massive battle axe.
At that moment, figures emerged from the forest.
Thud!
They were clad head to toe in thick iron armor, advancing toward the ogres.
The one at the front pointed at the leader ogre and said,
"That's the instigator. Kill him first."
A warrior behind him raised a massive longbow.
The iron bow was so large that the arrow resembled a javelin.
The leader ogre bared its teeth at them and raised its axe.
Kraaa!
As the leader charged, an arrow flew straight at it.
Thunk!
The arrow embedded deep into the ogre's belly.
The frontmost armored figure hefted a heavy halberd and charged at the ogre.
Crunch!
He cleaved the leader ogre's head with the halberd, and the ogre collapsed, its skull split open.
The remaining ogres trembled at the sight of their dead leader.
It was hard to believe these were the ogres once called rulers of the ogre mountains.
Wiping the ogre blood from his halberd, he said to his subordinates,
"I'm swamped as it is, and these pests are wasting my time. Drag them away." His men nodded.
"Understood."
As the armored group moved to seize the fallen ogres— Slash!
The neck of one at the rear fell.
The armored group panicked and drew their weapons.
"It's an enemy!"
A gust of wind blew through their midst.
Whoosh!
An unidentified presence darted among them like a gale, swinging a sword.
With each gust, a head fell.
"Gah!"
One warrior, pierced through his armor by a black sword, thudded to the ground.
With that, Zeke appeared, wielding Bahamut.
Zeke eyed the halberd-wielding armored warrior and said,
"Orks in this era? Hard to believe."
The ork warrior opened his helmet visor at Zeke's words.
These were orks, a race thought long vanished, appearing in the ogre mountains.
The ork warrior raised his halberd toward Zeke.
"A mere human dares touch great warriors. I'll hack you to pieces." Zeke, understanding orkish through the system, retorted.
"No different from two thousand years ago. Is there no word for 'progress' in the ork language?"
The ork, oblivious to Zeke speaking his tongue, roared in fury.
"I'll kill you! Raaargh!"
The enraged ork charged Zeke with a battle cry.
Zeke easily dodged the halberd, sidestepped, and tripped the ork.
Unable to support his weight, the ork tumbled.
In that instant, chains shot from Zeke's hand, wrapping around the fallen ork.
"Urk!"
Zeke infused the chains with his lightning skill.
Crackle!
"Ugh!"
The ork gritted his teeth against the lightning, glaring at Zeke.
"Damn human! Do you think a great ork warrior would writhe in pain like this?" Zeke nodded at the ork.
"I know your hides are tough. Let's see if you can endure this too."
Zeke activated the sacred radiance technique, evolved from the sacred flame technique.
Hum!
The flame-form sacred flame technique rose as a halo of light.
The halo flowed along the chains, enveloping and seeping into the ork.
"Gah!"
The ork spewed black smoke as the sacred radiance engulfed him.
"Kuhargh!"
The tough ork shuddered violently and switched to begging.
"S-Stop!"
"This is just the beginning. Endure it well."
Sizzle—
Zeke drove more sacred radiance into the ork's body.
An hour later, Zeke learned their identity from the ork warrior.
"From the forest of the forgotten?"
As a former highlander who had been in the forest of the forgotten with his master Nigel, Zeke was astonished.
The forest of the forgotten was cursed with endless floods.
Deep within, even Nigel didn't know all the magical beasts lurking there.
So it wasn't impossible for an ancient race like the orks to hide in that vast flooded expanse.
The problem was something else.
"How did they escape the forest of the forgotten?"
Those trapped there couldn't leave due to the curse.
As a highlander, Nigel's role had been regulating the magical beast population to prevent overgrowth.
The beasts couldn't exit the forest.
Yet orks from the forest of the forgotten had emerged, meaning the seal was broken.
"What happened?"
Pondering, Zeke recalled the story the hermit had mentioned about facing hordes of magical beasts.
"Did he mean the beasts that poured out from the forest of the forgotten back then?" He tried asking when they escaped, but the ork was already dead.
Zeke absorbed the dead orks and used shadow domination and dragonʼs senses to read the memories of the others.
"The orks raided an ogre village deep in the forest and took it over." The orks had seized the ogre village and enslaved them.
Zeke was certain the orks' emergence was tied to Narak.
"Orks worship the harbinger of blood and madness too. Narak might have revived them with the demons."
To investigate further, Zeke sped toward the ogre village where the orks were based. *
Thud!
The great ork warrior Tauga felled the ogre king, ruler of the ogre village, with his bare hands.
The ogre king slumped, bleeding out on the ground.
Tauga placed his foot on the dead ogre king's head, striking a victor's pose.
"Kraaargh!"
As he let out the distinctive ork battle cry, the watching orks cheered and praised Tauga.
With this, Tauga controlled three ogre villages.
He tore off the arm of the ogre king he had slain and chewed it with strong teeth, celebrating his victory.
Then, a black-robed mage approached Tauga.
"Tauga. We have a problem."