Kudududuk!
As the hammer infused with the Will of Break struck, the aberrant human's body twisted and burst apart.
Zeke began smashing the fallen aberrant humans with his hammer.
Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!
He kept pounding until their bodies shattered into pieces.
How long had he been striking? The corpses of the aberrant humans twitched, but they didn't regenerate easily.
"This should be enough."
Zeke activated his absorption skill on the corpses of the aberrant humans.
His shadow rose and enveloped them, but surprisingly, it returned to normal without absorbing anything.
The absorption skill could devour objects or creatures with demonic energy, but it couldn't consume humans or ordinary creatures.
'Even in this state, they're not eroded by demonic energy—they're just humans?' It was impossible for ordinary humans to self-recover like this.
'Is Salmak backed by Narak or the Siemens bastards? No, that makes it even harder to understand.'
When he had seen the black-robed wizards of the Scorpion clan with Salmak, it seemed highly likely.
They might have been absurd bio-weapons created through forbidden arts experiments by the black mages.
However, most weapons created that way in the past had been eroded by demonic energy, so his doubts remained unresolved.
But with no immediate way to resolve the question, as he pondered how to dispose of the still-twitching, regenerating aberrant humans, someone appeared.
"Zeke Draker."
The Salmak Master revealed himself.
Zeke stood up and raised his hammer.
Then he said to the Salmak Master,
"I thought you'd run away. Unexpected."
"The master of Salmak—where would I go, leaving this place? Insolent fool." The Salmak Master glared at Zeke with eyes full of rage.
"To repay the grace I bestowed upon you in such a manner."
At those words, Zeke smirked and replied,
"Let's get the story straight. I saved your lover, so we made a contract. I even paid money."
Zeke shook his hammer and continued,
"Besides, you broke the contract first. You sent Shadia to assassinate me."
The Salmak Master bit his lip at Zeke's words, unable to continue.
He gathered his thoughts and looked at Zeke.
"Bringing that up now won't help. Withdraw your forces immediately. Then I'll spare your life."
"Do you think that's a valid statement in this situation? Let me make a proposal. Surrender now. At least I'll guarantee a painless death."
Zeke had no intention of letting the root of the problem, the Salmak Master, live.
The Salmak Master scowled at Zeke's words.
"Words won't get through to you."
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Then three more aberrant humans appeared from behind.
Grurrruk!
Massive builds, excessive muscles, and grotesquely bulging tendons. They were just like the ones Zeke had faced moments ago.
As Zeke examined them, he was surprised by the face of one of the aberrant humans.
"You even sacrificed your lover."
The Salmak Master's youngest disciple, whom he cherished like his own life, had become an aberrant human, a mindless monster.
At Zeke's words, the Salmak Master licked his lips and said,
"My disciples threw themselves to protect me! Isn't this true love?"
He had likely injected them with suspicious drugs under the pretext of the godok embedded in their bodies or performed some ritual.
'I should have let him die at his disciples' hands like in my previous life.'
Zeke clicked his tongue and picked up his hammer.
Then he swung it at the charging aberrant humans.
Kwang!
The aberrant humans struck by Zeke's hammer flew into the air.
They were fast and strong, but that was all.
They might have worked against ordinary knights, but they were useless against Zeke, who had reached the black knight realm.
Kwang!
After slamming all three aberrant humans into the wall, Zeke advanced toward the Salmak Master.
"It seems giving you a painless death is out of the question."
But then— Shuk!
Suddenly, Rahim appeared behind Zeke via spatial teleportation.
Beside Rahim stood a girl with her eyes closed and a man with his mouth covered by a mask.
Rahim said to the girl,
"Masa, begin."
At Rahim's command, the girl snapped her eyes open.
Her eyes were unlike ordinary ones, a bizarre mix of red, purple, and gold.
Ziiiiing—
The girl called Masa looked at Zeke with her mystical eyes.
Through them, she delved into Zeke's mind.
Tszutszutszutsu—
Masa tore into Zeke's psyche, trying to suppress his spirit.
No matter how strong a knight, once the spirit was suppressed, resistance was impossible.
In an instant, Masa entered Zeke's deep mental world.
But at some point, Masa sensed something strange.
'What is that?'
Something crouched in Zeke's deep mental world.
It slowly raised its head.
Masa was startled upon recognizing the entity's identity.
'A dragon?'
A massive, pitch-black dragon stared at her with glowing yellow eyes.
The dragon slowly opened its mouth and spewed a massive blaze toward Masa.
Kwakwakwakwa—
Startled by the oncoming flames, Masa fled the deep mental world.
She regained her senses and looked up.
Kung!
But she hadn't fully escaped; it wasn't the outside world. It was an old castle, and a man wrapped in bandages, bound by chains on a throne, looked down at Masa.
Masa couldn't stand under the immense, evil power emanating from the man.
'Ahhh...'
Terrified, she couldn't even speak.
The bandaged man flashed red eyes at Masa.
[To dare enter my domain without permission... I'll bind your soul and enslave you eternally.]
He slowly rose from the throne, approaching Masa.
Masa tried desperately to escape, but the deep mental world was sealed, preventing movement.
Just as the bandaged man reached for Masa—
"Return to your seat when I say so nicely."
Zeke, who had appeared, stood before Masa and commanded him.
At the words of Zeke, the master of the deep mental world, Caligula's shadow trembled in fear and returned to its original throne.
He bowed his head and sat, murmuring endlessly.
Zeke looked down at the collapsed Masa on the floor and said, "You reap what you sow, barging into someone's mind. Now go back." Zeke snapped his fingers.
"Huh!"
In an instant, Masa returned to her original mind.
As she staggered and fell, Rahim adjusted his glasses and said,
"What are you doing, Masa? You didn't suppress Zeke Draker's mind."
At Rahim's words, Masa looked at Zeke with a pale face and said,
"I-It can't be... Someone with a deep mental world like that..."
Zeke's mental world, bearing both the power of the dragon and the Blood King, was beyond what a human could endure.
Seeing Masa lose her will to fight, Rahim ground his teeth and said to the man beside him, "Najim."
At Rahim's words, the man called Najim nodded and stepped forward.
Suddenly, blades emerged from Najim's hands.
Surprisingly, they weren't held—they protruded from his palms.
Shiiiik!
Najim swung the blades from both arms at Zeke.
Tung!
Zeke blocked the attack with his hammer and deflected it, sending Najim retreating before he leaped into the air.
At that moment, massive blades burst from both his shoulders.
Najim hurled the shoulder blades at Zeke.
Whoooong!
The two massive blades spun rapidly toward Zeke.
'Huh?'
Zeke made an incredulous face at the blades emerging from the human body.
He deflected the incoming blades with his hammer, but they curved back toward him.
'Troublesome.'
Meanwhile, the aberrant humans Zeke had struck recovered and charged at him.
Graaaar!
The aberrant humans roared loudly, swinging fists at Zeke.
Zeke decided to handle them one by one calmly.
Chwararak!
Chains shot from Zeke's left hand.
Zeke tied the chains to his hammer and swung at the charging aberrant humans.
Kwakwakwakwa!
The hammer flew, smashing the aberrant humans' bodies, then the chains wrapped around them.
Chwararak!
Due to the Soul Confinement Technique, the aberrant humans' wounds healed, but they couldn't move.
After restraining them, Zeke swung Bahamut at Najim's incoming blades.
Woooong!
Unleashing the Chamber of Water Power from the elemental sword, Zeke parried Najim's blades and sent them back.
Whiiiik!
The blades, enhanced by the rotational force of the reverse wave sword, flew toward
Najim but suddenly veered under Zeke's control toward the Salmak Master on the throne.
"Kuh!"
The Salmak Master hurriedly extended his hand.
Thin silver threads shot from his sleeve, blocking the incoming blades.
Piiing—
But the blades, infused with power drain, severed even the silver threads.
Chwaak!
The blade grazed the Salmak Master's shoulder and embedded in the wall.
"Kuhuk!"
The Salmak Master clutched his shoulder, staggering back, and shouted at Rahim,
"Damn it! Hurry and kill him!"
The Salmak Master's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
Hearing his shout, Rahim adjusted his glasses and glared at Zeke.
"Time's up. Zeke Draker, stop interfering and die." Finishing his words, Rahim raised his hand.
Tszutszutsu—
A magic circle appeared where Zeke stood.
Seeing it, Zeke realized they had been stalling to activate this trap.
Kugugugu!
But a familiar energy flowed from the magic circle on the floor. 'Huh, this...?'
It was the energy from the bottomless pit Nebilus had opened before.
The energy from the magic circle pulled Zeke in.
Tszutszutszutsu—
Zeke slowly sank into the magic circle. Watching, Rahim smirked faintly.
"It's the bottomless pit beyond the abyss—even demons can't escape once pulled in. No matter you, Zeke Draker, you won't get out from there."
With his knees submerged, Zeke glared at Rahim and said,
"...Those aberrant humans and the magic circle—are they all created by the Nostra Family?"
At Zeke's question, Rahim's expression hardened briefly before he adjusted his glasses and replied,
"Well, as a final courtesy, I'll tell you. The Nostra Family has conducted many secret experiments for a long time. To create undying soldiers, superhumans with powerful bloodline abilities, tactical magic—we've invested vast manpower and capital."
"So these are the results?"
"This is just a part. No one knows the true essence of the Nostra Family."
By now, Zeke was sunk to his waist.
Watching, the Salmak Master ground his teeth and yelled,
"Rahim! What are you doing? Kill him already!"
But then—
The chains on the floor moved, snaring the shouting Salmak Master's leg.
"Krek!"
The Salmak Master was dragged at high speed into the bottomless pit.
"Huh! Huhuk!"
He reached toward Rahim.
"S-Save m..."
Pajijijizik!
Zeke gripped the chains and unleashed lightning of light.
Struck by the lightning, the Salmak Master foamed at the mouth and slowly sank into the bottomless pit.
For the master who ruled the desert, it was a pathetic, insignificant end.
Stunned by the sudden turn, Rahim realized Zeke's body had stopped sinking and was shocked.
"You...!"
Then Zeke donned his Hercion and the Mask of Agamemnon, emitting light of purification.
Woooong!
The golden aura neutralized the impure energy of the bottomless pit binding him.
He emerged from the bottomless pit in one go and hovered in the air, looking down at Rahim.
Grurrruk!
The restrained aberrant humans roared at Zeke.
Their wounds seemed fully healed.
"Perfect timing. Thanks for opening something nice."
Zeke yanked the chains, hurling the bound aberrant humans into the bottomless pit entrance.
"Grurrruk!"
The aberrant humans were sucked into the endless bottomless pit.
Rahim shouted at Zeke,
"Zeke Draker!"
At the same time, the bottomless pit entrance began to close.
Tszutszutszutsu—
Zeke landed on the restored floor, still armored.
He looked at Rahim and said, "You prepared hard, but it's a shame." Zeke approached Rahim.
Najim drew his blades to block and protect him.
Zeke glanced at Rahim, Najim, and Masa, then sheathed his sword and spoke. "Rahim, was it?"
He glared at Rahim and continued,
"Tell me everything you know about the Nostra Family. Then I'll consider your circumstances and give you a painless death."