"Why is this here?"
Siemens Apollyon's sword had clearly been embedded in the floor of Draker's secret chamber alongside the swords of past family heads. Yet now it appeared right before Zeke's eyes.
"No way that's the real one, right? Maybe this is a replica, or that one was. Or is this the replica?"
Zeke set aside his tangled thoughts and approached the sword, slowly extending his hand.
Woooong!
The sword vibrated as if responding to his touch.
He grasped the hilt.
[You have acquired the legendary item '????'.]
[The item is currently in an inactive state.]
"If it's inactive, I can't check its information."
Zeke frowned slightly, realizing he couldn't uncover the sword's true nature.
He had finally obtained a legendary item, only to find it unusable, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
At that moment, a message appeared before him.
[The inactive item has updated an achievement quest.]
—Achievement Quest (Linked)—
[Locate the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia and acquire the authentication code. (No time limit)]
[Use the acquired authentication code to activate the inactive item. (No time limit)]
[Quest Mission Reward: Title: Blessing of Theia]
[Linked Quest Mission Reward: ???]
Zeke gazed at the message, then back at the still-inactive sword.
"A quest to find the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia, and a linked quest too. Does this sword have some connection to the Moon Goddess Theia?"
Siemens Apollyon had received the Moon Goddess Theia's armor from the Hero King and worn it into battle.
It seemed entirely plausible that he might carry a sword tied to the Moon Goddess Theia as well.
"Was it a set item paired with the armor?"
Speculation swirled in his mind, but with the sword inactive, he had no way to confirm.
Zeke stored the sword in his inventory for now.
Doubts lingered, circling endlessly.
"That sword I couldn't draw—what the hell was it?"
It looked exactly like the one he'd seen in Draker's secret chamber during his visit with Arthur Draker.
The Draker Family seemed to believe it belonged to their progenitor, Sword Saint Shattan, but Zeke suspected the truth.
Sword Saint Shattan had adopted a descendant of Siemens Apollyon as his heir to create a godslayer.
In that process, the Draker Family was born, and it appeared Shattan had collected Siemens Apollyon's sword at the same time.
The story had become muddled over generations, leading the family to pass it down as Shattan Draker's own blade.
Yet when Zeke had tried to draw it, the sword showed no reaction whatsoever and wouldn't budge.
Since no past family head could draw it either, he'd assumed some special incantation or spell bound it.
But now, an identical sword had emerged from a random box, stirring up Zeke's thoughts.
In truth, he still didn't fully understand how random boxes granted items or artifacts once wielded by legendary heroes from the past.
In the age of the constellations, the constellations had bestowed these boxes as sponsorships for their avatars and vassals in the phenomenal world.
Zeke, however, received them as system rewards.
He had acquired treasure-grade items and artifacts straight out of myths and legends through these random boxes.
"The random boxes, the shop, the crafting system... How do any of these even work?" Once the question took root, a chain of thoughts followed.
Zeke shook his head, clearing his cluttered mind.
"No point dwelling on it now when answers won't come. I'll ask the Hermit of Stories or Lord Hades when I see them."
From his past life/regression experiences, Zeke knew it was faster to consult those in the know rather than wrestle with mysteries alone.
Many questions remained, but Zeke had broken the Earth God's seal and claimed his reward. He ascended back to the surface.
Salmak had already been thoroughly handled by Shadia.
Using the power of purification, Zeke eradicated the godok from the bodies of those Shadia had selected.
Afterward, with her guidance, he located the Salmak Masterʼs Vault and claimed the hidden treasures and documents inside.
In the process, Zeke uncovered a startling fact from Salmak's classified files.
"A deal with Draker?"
Salmak had maintained transactions with the Draker Family for quite some time.
As Zeke skimmed the records of their dealings, his surprise deepened.
Draker had been using Salmak's assassins to manipulate the power dynamics of the central kingdom.
He recalled what Kali had once told him.
"Sister asked me to rein in Draker's recklessness."
Zeke realized that at the heart of Draker's monstrous power stood the family head, Arthur Draker.
"The dealings with Salmak ramped up once Arthur Draker effectively took the reins as family head."
There had been prior transactions, but they were mere assassination commissions.
After Arthur Draker assumed leadership, the partnership intensified, with Draker actively deploying the assassins.
Through these documents, Zeke glimpsed Arthur Draker's darker side.
He turned to Shadia.
"We should conceal that I dismantled Salmak. You should step forward publicly." "Are you asking me to assume the role of Salmak Master?" Zeke nodded.
"The records show Salmak and the Draker Family have dealt for years. If they learn I killed the Salmak Master, Arthur Draker might restrict my movements." Arthur Draker still showed him great favor.
But knowing the man from his past life/regression, Zeke couldn't trust him fully.
Arthur would extend kindness as long as it benefited him, but if not—even to blood kin— he could discard without mercy.
Shadia bowed to Zeke's command.
"Understood, my lord. I'll handle this as an internal Salmak power struggle and erase all traces of you."
With Shadia's meticulous nature, Zeke trusted her completely.
"Now that matters here are settled, it's time to return to Mycenae after so long."
Zeke left the desert region first, heading south to the southern archipelago where Arina waited.
He had originally assigned Shadia the task, but with her handling Salmak, he personally escorted Masa—a former member of the Six—to the academy.
After entrusting her there, he used the expensive portal system he'd installed to return directly to Mycenae.
Yet just as Zeke planned to rest and train the black spirit unit, a message arrived from the Four Seasons Star.
It was an expedition order to Rom.
*
Thud thud thud thud!
A group of knights charged forward through the pouring rain.
The banner borne by their lead rider bore a black sword emblem.
They were the black spirit unit and the barbarian unit, who had been stationed at Agamemnon Castle.
Zeke led them swiftly toward their destination.
As he scanned the surroundings, someone approached from beside him.
"Are you ever going to tell us why we're rushing like this?"
Zeke remained silent to Reina's question, urging his mount onward without a word.
Reina ground her teeth inwardly at his response.
"If he just answered, would it kill him?"
She had joined the black spirit unit at Agamemnon Castle and endured grueling training alongside them.
Zeke had returned, and she hoped for a calm conversation, but instead, he had abruptly led the unit out of Mycenae on an expedition mission from the Four Seasons Star.
Reina had followed with the other black spirit unit members.
Officially, it was an extension of training—a live combat mission. In truth, she had forced her way in to swing her sword at Zeke's side.
Knowing her talent and potential as one of the five-star knights and the Knight of Flash from her past life/regression, Zeke had no reason to refuse.
Thus, Reina was gradually integrating into the black sword knight order.
Zeke pressed the unit onward, arriving at Heli—a city in southern Midland bordering the Rom Empire.
Upon entering Heli, Zeke led the group straight to city hall.
As they passed through the streets, Zeke noted how the city's atmosphere had shifted dramatically from his previous visit.
"It feels like a ghost town."
Heli had once been renowned under Siemens' influence, a financial hub teeming with major corporations and trading houses, rivaling Panstus.
But when Siemens installed Abel and seized Rom, brutally slaughtering the empire's nobles and royals, trust in associated businesses plummeted.
Linked trading houses that dealt with Siemens went unpaid, collapsing one after another.
Banks backed by Siemens capital failed, rippling outward.
Heli's economy crumbled, prices soared endlessly, and residents lost jobs.
Inevitably, public order followed suit.
Only after Zeke deployed the black sword knight order to restore the broken security did the city stabilize somewhat.
Yet Heli still bore no trace of its former glory, steadily becoming a ghost town.
Entering city hall, Duke greeted him.
"Come on in."
Zeke dismounted and bowed to his master.
"How have you been?"
"You're being unusually polite—it's giving me chills."
"There are eyes everywhere."
Duke grinned at Zeke's words.
"If you can't speak plainly. Enough chatter—let's go inside. The city's mood is sour enough without this rain making it gloomier."
Duke led Zeke to the city hall public works office.
Before Heli's collapse, the mayor and councilors had fled with their wealth, paralyzing administration for a time.
Thus, black sword knight order Captain Decker had temporarily assumed the role of acting mayor.
Despite being a knight, Decker's experience as Draker's butler handling administrative tasks made him surprisingly adept at the position.
To stabilize the crumbling city, Decker spent his days buried in paperwork.
Duke leaned back on the sofa, downing a drink.
"We should just make Decker mayor outright. At his age, leading the order is grueling enough."
Decker, long retired from the sword, sometimes seemed overwhelmed by his captain duties.
Zeke nodded at Duke's words.
"I'll ask Decker's opinion. If he wants it, that could work." Decker was trustworthy enough to entrust the city to.
"How's Carus faring?" Duke nodded.
"He's been busy, teaming up with Prince Leo and Julius to retake Rom. Inmagung and Celestial Scorpion Palace have joined, and Julius with that Carlito fellow are convincing imperial nobles. The undercurrents are fierce." Zeke nodded at Duke's report.
"The plan to shake the empire from within seems on track." Duke set down his glass and eyed Zeke.
"So, why the sudden rush to Heli? What did Arthur order?" Duke was sharp as ever.
Zeke nodded and showed him the order from the Four Seasons Star.
It was a top-secret order, but as a former black knight of Draker, Duke held sufficient clearance.
Duke skimmed it, furrowing his brow.
"Enter Rom, negotiate with Azmun Barrios, and retrieve the forbidden tome containing Terakan Draker's secrets?"
Duke glared at the order with a scowl.
"What is this crap? Damn it. Has Arthur lost his mind?"
Only Duke, Arthur Draker's longtime friend, could speak of the family head so bluntly.
He turned to Zeke.
"You're actually going to Rom as ordered?" "Family command—can't disobey as a knight." Duke shook his head at Zeke's words.
"Hah, walking into an obvious trap on all fours? Does that even make sense?" Zeke sent Duke a telepathic message.
—Master, it's a trap, no doubt. But...
He continued the thought.
—It's also the perfect chance to capture Abel.