Chapter 136: Revealing The True Identity (4)
When he arrived at the office, as he expected, Iriel was there.
Perhaps because of the ongoing war, the office was empty except for the pleasant sunlight streaming in.
Iriel looked at Zik sternly.
Youre awake?
Greetings, Saintess.
Zik knelt on one knee with proper formality, to which Iriel said,
I called you here for a specific reason.
After a brief pause, she continued,
Zik. Leave the battlefield and go to the Saint.
What?
It was disrespectful to question or talk back to a saint.
However, Zik couldnt help but react to Iriels incomprehensible words.
Leave the battlefield?
His absence would significantly weaken their strength.
After all, losing the power of a Sword Master was no small matter.
Quite flustered, Zik asked,
May I ask why?
Seeing his bewildered state, Iriel sighed and said coldly,
You are weak. In this situation, you are just a burden. Do you want the Saint to come and save you again if you are in danger? The three great families and I will take care of this place. You should leave.
Zik felt as though he had been struck on the back of his head by her words.
Weak. A burden.
He had never been addressed with such words before, but now, they didnt seem wrong.
Compared to Iriel and Euclid, he was the weakest among the three.
In duels with Sword Masters, he had only been pushed back, contributing nothing to the battlefield.
His lips trembled as if to say something, but then he fell silent.
I obey your command.
Please leave. Thats all I needed from you.
Dismissed by her, Zik left the office.
He felt as though all strength had drained from his shoulders.
Once he had left, Iriel, alone in the office, sighed softly.
Ah Is this okay, Saint? You always make me play the bad role.
Though she didnt want to say those words, she had no choice since Ray had asked her to.
She didnt understand what he was thinking.
Aaah! Stop it! Just stop!
Despite the Necromancers cries, which were close to screams, Ray ignored him.
The process of forcibly keeping the eyes open, followed by the implantation of the artificial implant, was excruciating.
But the one performing the procedure had once been called a god, so the operation was brief.
His skill was so refined that he intermittently injected tiny droplets of liquid to keep the drying eye moist.
Within just a few minutes, the implant had been inserted into the Necromancers eye.
Finally, he was allowed to close his eyes.
The pain in his eyes remained, enough to prevent him from opening them again.
He whimpered,
Ill talk! Just let me speak, please!
At this, Ray nodded and responded,
Alright, that should be enough.
The Necromancer quickly began to speak.
Even while enduring torture, he was always timing his revelation,
always ready to speak at any given moment.
The true identity of Proxia is the Tower of Magic!
The Tower of Magic?
Surprised by the unexpected answer, Ray frowned.
The Tower of Magic?
Why would it reappear now, after having vanished along with the era of magic?
The Necromancer quickly continued, not wanting to miss his chance to speak.
He knew not when the madman before him might resort to more drastic measures.
While it is widely believed that the Tower of Magic disappeared with the era of magic, the truth is slightly different
Keep talking since Im not hitting you.
Ray, the instigator of the grisly procedure, urged him on.
There were five main towers: Black, Red, Blue, Gold, and Yellow. The rest were merely offshoots without any real significance. We maintained a balance among ourselves, correcting the magical order between nations.
Huh?
Something about the storys progression struck Ray as odd.
From the Necromancers words, it sounded like they were simply doing their jobs and living harmoniously.
Clenching his teeth, the Necromancer said,
But then those bastards! The allied nations of the continent, feeling threatened by our power, attacked the Tower of Magic. We gathered our forces to fight back. The Black Tower raised the undead, and the Red Tower destroyed the buildings of many kingdoms.
So, during that process, the era of magic
Yes. The Black Tower ultimately used magic that should never have been touched. Ever heard of a Bone Dragon? Kekeke
He hadnt just heard of it; he had beaten one.
As a result, both the era of magic and the Tower of Magic were said to have been destroyed but in reality, the Tower of Magic didnt perish. It merely went into hiding, waiting for the day of revenge. And that coalition of towers is what Proxia is.
Ray was at a loss for words.
So, the allied nations of the continent had ended the era of magic and created the super-organization Proxia.
They had unwittingly paved the way for their own demise.
But that didnt mean he would let them bring destruction upon the continent.
After thinking for a moment, Ray asked the old man,
So, why does Proxia target the Holy Nation? Even during the era of magic, the Holy Nation wasnt part of the allied nations, right?
The old man answered easily, as if wondering why he was even asking,
Because its the Holy Nation.
Ray understood the vague answer.
Proxia sought revenge.
Then, it made sense to first eliminate the most threatening source of divine power, right?
Destroying undead and instantly healing the injured.
Sacred magic, almost as disturbing as black magic to Proxia, must have been an eyesore.
Had he been in their position, he would have targeted the Holy Nation first.
Now understanding their motives, Ray nodded.
So, where is Proxias main base?
The old man chuckled darkly, Even though I acknowledge your strength you probably wont stand a chance.
Huh?
There exists a black sorcerer there who can summon a Bone Dragon. Of course, it requires vast wealth, but we finally managed to gather it. The day when rivers of blood will flow across the continent is not far off. Hehehehe.
At the old mans ominous laughter, Ray laughed darkly as well.
He had indeed gained valuable information.
Then, they wouldnt be able to summon a Bone Dragon now, would they?
The old man had spoken of a Bone Dragon that had been defeated long ago.
To summon it again, they would need to start gathering resources from scratch.
Moreover, the storys flow suggested that the Black Tower was primarily made up of black magicians.
If he could annihilate such a place, the future would be much brighter.
Ray felt pleased with this unexpected boon.
So, where is it? Hehehe.
His laughter caused the Necromancers face to wrinkle slightly as he disclosed the location.
What more could he do after revealing it, except be hunted down and killed?
He believed that Ray was still under the impression that they possessed the Bone Dragon.
Its in the Grensia Mountains.
Grensia?
Ray was familiar with this place.
It was the first mountain range on the continent where dwarves and elves coexisted.
Of course, that didnt mean there was harmony between the residents.
Dwarves, with their love for mining and forging weapons, were seen by the elves as damaging nature for their own desires.
Due to their contentious relationship, conflicts were frequent.
Despite its fertile soil and rich ore veins, no one inhabited the area nearby.
Furthermore, the range was not claimed by any nation.
To be precise, it belonged to none.
It was one of the few neutral territories.
Considering this, a neutral area indeed seemed like the perfect place for Proxia to expand its forces and organize.
The interrogation proceeded.
Proxias forces were impressive in scale, boasting numerous high-level personnel. The origins of their funding for building such a force and the extent of their influence on various nations remained questions until now.
Ray had obtained most of the answers he sought before he left the dungeon where the Necromancer was imprisoned.
He had inquired about nearly everything possible.
He had not anticipated the Necromancer divulging the location of Proxias headquarters.
The information he had gathered was more valuable than he had initially believed.
His next steps were now evident.
He planned to craft a meticulous strategy to completely eliminate them, ensuring not a trace remained.
Considering a meteor strike was one option, but that risked involving innocent elves, dwarves, and the neighboring nations.
Minimizing civilian casualties was his priority.
According to the Necromancer, Proxias confidence lay chiefly in their high-level personnel.
Their strength was not just in numbers; they boasted fifteen Sword Masters and seven 6th circle grand sorcerers.
Such a congregation was logical, given they held books with secrets from the era of magic.
The systematic training of their elite forces was a concern; even the Lecian Empire might falter against them.
Furthermore, there were rumors of a 7th circle grand sorcerer residing there, a first since the era of magic had ended.
Ray knew he had to heighten his alertness.
With the Bone Dragon no longer a threat, a hasty attack from them was unlikely, but caution was still warranted.
He pondered the situation with a sense of foreboding.
This fight is going to be tougher than expected.
The continent faced destruction before his ambitions to revolutionize medicine could be realized.
Without hesitation, Zik mounted his horse.
He sent his knights and guards away, deciding to proceed alone.
He followed the predetermined path into a forest.
Although his destination was Selonia, his route was obscure and uncharted.
Before long, he stumbled upon a band of orcs.
The encounter was hardly surprising.
Delving deep into the forest on a horse that appealed to the palate, attracting monsters was an inevitable consequence for Zik.
Fortunately, Ziks horse was quite exceptional.
It didnt abandon its master and flee just because monsters appeared.
Without a word, Zik drew his sword from his waist and slashed at the orcs necks.
Swoosh
With a clean stroke, an orcs head fell to the ground.
A mere monster that lived in a tribal setting stood no chance against the aura of a Sword Master.
With just one swing of his sword, three or four orcs thudded to the ground.
The overwhelming difference in strength reduced the group from over thirty orcs to fewer than twenty.
Chweeek! Run away!
Human! Chweeek! Strong!
The panicked orcs tried to flee, but they were no match for Zik, who attacked relentlessly.
With an expressionless face devoid of emotion, Zik slaughtered them without getting a single drop of blood on his clothes and only sheathed his sword after all the orcs were dead.
The surrounding area had become a scene of carnage.
Orc blood and bodies, mixed with trampled leaves and trees, turned the forest floor into a sea of red, and the fresh air of the forest was replaced with the smell of blood.
Kneeling amidst the orc blood, Zik murmured to himself,
I am strong
He clutched his chest tightly.
His heart felt unbearably heavy.
Intense feelings of self-loathing pounded in his head.
He was just a guardian who was being protected.
Euhuk
Tears, hot and unexpected from a man who seemed unlikely to ever show them, streamed down his face.
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