Rumble...
The Dark Matter that floated in the air rippled slightly across its surface, almost like it was a living mass of metal.
It appeared calm at the moment, but since it was the substance that created twisted causality, there was no telling what dangerous phenomenon it might unleash next.
Zeke approached slowly, intent on recovering the Dark Matter.
But suddenly, an abnormal reaction erupted from it.
Rumble!
The Dark Matter, which had been rippling gently, abruptly swelled in size and enveloped Raguel's "Light of Annihilation," frozen in time.
Groooar!
It absorbed the Light of Annihilation entirely, transforming into a massive black flame.
Even after taking in the time-stopped Light of Annihilation, the Dark Matter seemed unaffected.
The Dark Matter, now blazing as a black flame, began to change shape.
Rooooar!
What looked like limbs protruded, followed by a face forming and wings of flame sprouting from its back.
The Dark Matter, now resembling an angel, roared toward Zeke.
'It must have been influenced by absorbing Raguel's power and the remnants embedded in the angel's body.'
Zeke pointed Laevatein at the blazing angelic form of the Dark Matter.
In response, the angel-shaped Dark Matter charged at Zeke, spewing flames.
Fwoosh!
Surprisingly, the black flames it unleashed turned white midway through their flight toward him.
Boom boom boom!
It was none other than the Flame of Execution, created by Raguel's authority.
The white flames that consumed everything poured toward Zeke with ferocious momentum.
But then— Slash!
Ascalon, wrapped in the radiant light of the Star-Soul Technique, flew toward the white flames.
Groooar!
The light of the Star-Soul Technique absorbed all the white flames unleashed by the Dark Matter.
Screeech!
The angel-shaped Dark Matter intensified its flames, but it couldn't escape the waves created by the Star-Soul Technique's light.
While Ascalon blocked the Flame of Execution, Zeke sliced through the air with the Gale Technique and surged forward.
Boom boom boom!
He closed the distance to the Dark Matter in an instant, raising Laevatein and invoking the Dark-Soul Technique.
Ziiing—
Laevatein, infused with the Dark-Soul Technique, let out a sharp cry.
The Dark Matter then extended whip-like tentacles of black flame from its body, swinging them toward Zeke as he lifted his sword.
Slash!
The flame whips hurtled toward Zeke and coiled around Laevatein's blade.
Seeing this, Zeke glared at the Dark Matter and murmured.
"Foolish."
As soon as he spoke, Laevatein began absorbing the black flame whips wrapped around its blade.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—
Though the flames were laced with the power of the Dark Matter that warped causality, Laevatein, empowered by the Dark-Soul Technique, had the authority to absorb them effortlessly.
Screeeeech!
As its body—essentially an extension of itself—was sucked into Laevatein, the Dark Matter unleashed a grotesque roar.
Zeke extended his hand toward it.
"Regret won't help you now."
Boom boom boom!
The powerful gravitational pull from Zeke's hand dragged the angel-shaped Dark Matter toward him.
Unable to escape Zeke's domain, it was pulled inexorably into Laevatein and absorbed.
Screeech!
The Dark Matter thrashed in resistance, trying to spew one final burst of flame at Zeke.
But it was futile.
Even that last flame was caught in Zeke's hand.
Crunch!
The black flame in Zeke's grasp soon reverted to the original black substance of the Dark Matter.
The shadow emerging from Zeke's hand devoured the fragments entirely.
Sizzle sizzle—
The Dark Matter, composed of black flames, was completely absorbed into Laevatein and Zeke's shadow.
As the Dark Matter was fully absorbed, white flames ignited in Zeke's hands.
Fwoosh!
It was the same white flame as Raguel's authority, the Flame of Execution.
The white flames slowly wrapped around Zeke's wrists, forming rings.
Just like the white rings that had bound Raguel's wrists, they now appeared on Zeke's.
'So Raguel's authority has been transferred to me through the Dark Matter.'
Zeke gazed at the white ring on his wrist in wonder.
But then, the ring, glowing with holy white light, began to darken, as if black ink were spreading through it.
Fwoosh!
In an instant, the white flame ring enveloping Zeke's hand transformed into a ring of quietly burning black flame.
[You have fully absorbed the authority 'Flame of Execution.']
[Laevatein, the Black Darkness Sword, absorbs the source of twisted causality, 'Dark Matter.']
[Due to the 'Dark Matter' absorbed by Laevatein, the authority 'Flame of Execution' undergoes a qualitative change.]
[The authority 'Flame of Execution' transforms into the authority 'Flame of the Abyss.']
[You acquire one of the Arrogant Savior's lost unique authorities: 'Flame of the Abyss.']
[Abilities and memories related to 'Flame of the Abyss' are unlocked.]
As Zeke read through the messages, memories tied to the Flame of the Abyss flooded his mind clearly.
One of the Arrogant Savior's most crucial memories, buried in his subconscious, had been unsealed.
'One of the Arrogant Savior's lost unique authorities: the Flame of the Abyss.'
The Arrogant Savior had once been one of the most beautiful and powerful constellations.
But after his defeat in the war and fall as a fallen constellation, he lost much of his original authorities.
This Flame of the Abyss was one of those he had forfeited back then.
Only now did Zeke realize the truth.
"The Flame of Execution that Raguel wielded—it was originally based on the Arrogant
Savior's lost authority, the Flame of the Abyss."
The Flame of Execution, known as the fire that heralded the apocalypse, was none other than one of the Arrogant Savior's forfeited powers.
Roooooooar!
At that moment, the black flame ring around Zeke's wrist let out an eerie roar, as if acknowledging its new master.
Zeke examined the authority of the Arrogant Savior, once called Lucifel—the strongest of constellations.
The black flames that burned even darkness and shadows in the depths of the abyss coiled around his wrist, exuding a noble beauty.
Zeke stared at the rippling Flame of the Abyss on his wrist before turning his head.
Where he looked, there crouched Hela—the sacred beast summoned by Raguel but unable to return—the Second Beast of the Apocalypse.
Grrrr...
Hela bared her teeth warily as her eyes met Zeke's.
Zeke beckoned to her.
"Come here."
He released the Flame of the Abyss from the black ring on his wrist.
The flames formed a massive ring of fire.
Seeing it, Hela's wary expression shifted.
She slowly approached the black flame ring Zeke had created.
Sniff!
With a leap, she plunged through it.
Astonishingly, her body transformed as she passed.
Her body, once made of pure white flames, turned to black flames upon crossing the ring.
Fwoosh!
Now spewing black flames, Hela approached Zeke without a trace of hostility, unlike before.
"Hela, you've returned to your true master's side at last."
Hela, the Second Beast of the Apocalypse, was originally a magical beast dredged from the abyss by Lucifel, infused with his authority to become a sacred beast.
Having unlocked the Arrogant Savior's memories related to the Flame of the Abyss, Zeke now understood that he was Hela's true master.
Moreover, the crimson dragon with seven heads that Lilith had summoned earlier.
That dragon, which had fallen with the Arrogant Savior and lost its former powers, was in truth the First Beast of the Apocalypse: the red dragon Tiamat.
And among the constellations, the mightiest sacred beasts serving Lucifel—the one who shone brightest—were Tiamat and Hela.
'Tiamat will likely awaken its true power like Hela once I recover another of the Arrogant Savior's unique authorities.'
Hela, delighted to reunite with her true master after so long, rubbed her four lion heads against Zeke's body.
Zeke stroked her mane and said,
"I'll play with you soon enough. For now, enter the shadows."
Hela entered Zeke's shadow reluctantly, dissolving into black flames.
[The Second Beast of the Apocalypse, the abyssal sacred beast Hela, has been registered as a summon.]
Zeke extended his hand, dispelling the blazing domain of purgatory.
Sizzle sizzle—
As the collapsed Babel, ringed by pillars of fire, faded away, Atlas came back into view.
Groooar!
Thanks to the ark floating in the sky and the city walls switched to defense mode, the city had successfully repelled the beasts' assault and regained its stability.
'Good.'
If Zeke had been even a moment later, not just Atlas but the entire Midland would have fallen.
Something flew toward Zeke then.
"Zeke!"
It was Kali, riding Bucephalus.
Clad in her white-silver armor and mounted on the Dragon Horse King Bucephalus, she looked like a Valkyrie from legend.
"Sister."
Zeke flew up to meet Kali.
Her face flushed with emotion, she scanned him over and said,
"Zeke, you always surprise me. To think you'd even become a constellation..."
Kali expressed her genuine astonishment at Zeke, who had transcended realms beyond imagination.
Zeke shook his head at her.
"I'm still just me. Nothing's changed."
Kali shook her head helplessly at his words, but a relieved expression crossed her face.
Looking at him, she said,
"Zeke, I should thank you first, but we don't have time for that. Come down with me for now."
Zeke sensed from her urgent tone that something was wrong.
"What is it?"
With a grave expression, Kali told him,
"Sir Rex has reached his limit."
Rex Thurn, head of the Thurn family, had been ambushed on his way to rescue Atlas and was on the brink of death.
Kali continued quickly,
"He said he has final words for you."
Zeke's eyes widened at her words, his serious expression deepening.
'Final words for me.'
Rex Thurn was the only one who knew of the connection between his supposed father, Arthur Draker, and Laura Agamemnon.
Even Zeke, who knew much about the world's secrets, still had gaps in that story.
He might know why Laura Agamemnon, who hated Arthur so deeply, married him; why he accepted her despite her not bearing his child, Zeke; and why he killed her.
Zeke furrowed his brow and took Kali's hand.
"Hold on tight. It might make you dizzy at first."
"What do you—"
Before Kali could finish, Zeke activated the portal.
Whoooong!
With a burst of light, Zeke and Kali vanished from the spot. *
Whoooong!
In a massive flash of light, Zeke and Kali appeared in the deepest part of the Four Seasons Star, at a secluded spot in Winterkeep.
"Ugh."
Kali, new to portals, staggered dizzily.
Zeke cast full recovery on her to ease the vertigo, then turned slowly.
Having already read Kali's memories to locate Rex Thurn directly, he sensed the man's energy just beyond the nearby door.
Kali said to him,
"Go to him, Zeke."
Zeke left her behind and opened the door, stepping inside.
Surprisingly, Rex Thurn sat cross-legged on the floor, shirtless and exposing his thick muscles.
"You're here."
Contrary to expectations of imminent death, Rex Thurn emanated an aura as clear and strong as ever—perhaps even sharper—as he greeted Zeke.
Rex Thurn rose, picking up the sword before him.
He pointed it at Zeke and said,
"Zeke Draker, let me see your sword. One last time."