Chapter 306: Skirmish (1) |
A deserted mountain area.
Crackle—
A tearing sound echoed through the air.
A long crack appeared in the empty space.
It rapidly expanded, accompanied by a continuous crackling noise—.
Crack—!
And then, with a loud ripping sound, a large hole opened in the air.
A pair of hands emerged from the gaping maw, like a bottomless pit, gripping the edges of the torn space and pulling them apart, widening the opening.
“…Finally.”
A strange, androgynous voice, impossible to identify.
“It took longer than I expected.”
The owner of the voice slowly emerged from the spatial rift.
A figure that seemed both a young man and an elderly man, its true form obscured by the distorted space.
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had been struggling to escape the abyss, finally set foot on solid ground.
‘So, this is Auterica.’
He looked around, nodding slowly.
Information he had gathered beforehand flashed through his mind.
A standard fantasy world, its magic system based on mana, a versatile energy source.
And its world manager, the Main God, wasn’t just a passive observer. It occasionally intervened directly, performing miracles.
‘I prefer a more hands-off approach… but the greater the risk, the greater the reward.’
He had already gained something valuable just by arriving here.
It wasn’t as much as he had hoped for, since his trading partner was a fallen god, imprisoned in the abyss… but it was still a divine being, the legitimate deity of this dimension. It had been enough to mitigate most of the restrictions imposed on him by this world.
Without it, he would probably still be trapped in that abyssal prison.
‘I’m grateful for what I’ve received. I’ve also learned how to operate efficiently in this dimension. I’m not happy about making a deal with a god, but it’s a necessary evil.’
He would do anything to achieve his goal.
He had already made countless compromises. There was no point in being picky about his methods now.
“Now then… Hmm…”
He took a large step forward, thinking about his next move, and then suddenly stumbled.
He frowned, clutching his head with one hand, his eyes squeezed shut.
Wooong—
-I will become the great…
Wooong—
-No matter how many times… I will…
Zing—
-Only I can… this world…
A buzzing sound echoed in his ears, accompanied by a disorienting vibration.
A wave of pain, intense enough to shatter his sense of self, assaulted his mind, but he endured it silently, focusing on his mission, his purpose.
After what felt like an eternity,
The turbulent energy subsided, the storm within his mind calming down, and he slowly regained his composure.
“Huu…”
He sighed softly, removing his hand from his head and frowning at the sweat that covered his palm.
It was an unpleasant sensation, even though he was used to it.
‘…How much did I lose this time?’
He calmly assessed his condition.
His personality and sense of self were fading as he acquired more divine power, but he couldn’t afford to lose control yet. He still had much to do.
‘It’s still within acceptable margins. Nothing to worry about. I can still absorb more.’
It was a natural consequence of acquiring divine power.
It would be greedy to expect to maintain his human mind while seeking true godhood.
‘It’s not a problem.’
But he had dedicated his entire existence to this goal, so he wouldn’t be deterred.
He steeled his resolve and—.
…was about to take another step forward when he suddenly stopped.
“…”
His gaze shifted.
His sense of time had been distorted, but he knew he had been out of it for a while.
It couldn’t have been more than an hour, though.
‘They reacted this quickly? Without any prior warning?’
He sensed multiple presences approaching, surrounding him.
Their hostility was unmistakable. They weren’t here by chance.
But there was one thing that bothered him.
The energy emanating from them… it was…
“…What? Why are you here?”
And then, before he could even process the situation, a familiar figure emerged from the group, leading the way.
[“Kkuk kuk— I found you first.”]
“…Hahoe Mask. What are you doing here?”
Hahoe Mask.
The being he had clashed with recently, the one whose potential reappearance had kept him on Earth for a while.
Unlike their previous encounter, where he had worn an intact mask, he now had only a fragment of the mask attached to his face, his skeletal features fully exposed… but it was unmistakably him.
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society’s expression twisted slightly as he faced his unexpected opponent in this unexpected location.
[“Well? Why don’t you take a guess.”]
“…I see. So, you can also travel between dimensions? Have you been operating between Earth and this world?”
[“Khehehe— Do you think so?”]
“I didn't know anyone else besides me could do that. This is… unexpected. I didn't anticipate this at all.”
[“Oh? Still arrogant, I see. It’s good that you’ve finally realized the world is a vast place. Congratulations.”]
“Then… are those vermin your forces in this world?”
As they engaged in their veiled verbal sparring, the undead accompanying Hans, the executives of the Immortal Army, moved with practiced efficiency.
Death Knight Lord Karam, leading the elite Death Knights and forming a defensive line.
Dread Phantom Pagos, hovering in the air with his spectral undead.
Arch-Lich Kellypa, constructing a massive magic circle in the rear with the high-ranking Liches.
Salma, a transcendent awakened, and numerous Abyss Revenants.
And then there were Ghoul Lord Fiona, Doom Knight Drexler, General Spartoi Trev, Death Wizard Malcolm, and more—.
Their dark auras, amplified by their connection to ‘death’, spread outwards, rapidly contaminating the surrounding space.
[“Koooo—!”]
[“Kyaaa—!”]
And above them, circling in the sky, their predatory gazes fixed on the ground below, were the Bone Dragons, Entracio and Heratos.
He had only brought a few hundred of the Immortal Army’s elite forces, but their combined power, amplified by Hans’s deathly aura, was formidable.
‘…I felt a sense of familiarity when I was in the abyss. So, Hahoe Mask wields the same power.’
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society frowned, sensing the familiar energy emanating from the undead.
He hadn't paid much attention to it back then, dismissing it as just another form of abyssal energy…
“I’m surprised, Hahoe Mask. To think you were hiding here, in this dimension, after escaping Earth. And you’ve appeared before me… Does that mean you’re confident you can defeat me now?”
His mocking words were followed by a surge of energy, an oppressive aura that pressed down on the surroundings.
Goooo—
A presence befitting his reputation.
That alone was enough to make the undead executives falter, their connection to each other wavering as they instinctively took a step back.
[“Kkuk kuk— You talk too much. You’ll find out soon enough.”]
Hans, who had been silently observing, unleashed his own power, a mixture of dark magic and abyssal death, engulfing the space around him.
It clashed with the Master’s presence, a chaotic storm of opposing energies, and then seeped into the bodies of the undead executives, awakening their dormant power.
‘The synergy between abyssal death and undead is undeniable. I’m not sure how helpful these executives will be, but any additional support is welcome.’
Hans focused his mind, preparing for battle amidst the escalating tension.
He had faced the Master before, so he knew his abilities.
He wasn't confident he could win in a one-on-one fight, even now.
‘But the situation is different here.’
He hadn't been able to fully utilize the abyss’s power on Earth, due to the dimensional barrier… but here, in Auterica, there were no such restrictions.
And not only the high-ranking executives of the Immortal Army, but also the Abyss Revenants, created from the bodies of Earthling awakened ones, could benefit from the amplified power.
And conversely, the Master’s divine power, borrowed from a foreign god, wouldn’t function properly in Auterica.
It might have been a non-issue on Earth, where he could draw upon his own power… but here, in a world with its own god, wielding the power of a foreign deity was a different matter.
‘This is… my domain.’
Crack—
A faint cracking sound echoed from his bony knuckles, but it was quickly swallowed by the surrounding noise, the roar of the wind and the crackling of energy.
‘…You think you can take this from me?’
Hans’s eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, a chilling aura emanating from him as he faced the intruder who had dared to invade his territory.
He no longer cared about the Home Theater or the scenario.
He just wanted to crush his enemy, unleash his full power.
‘It doesn’t matter if I can’t defeat him here. I can’t let him roam free, who knows what he’ll do.’
He suppressed the urge to use 「Avatar Assembly」.
He needed to prepare his other avatars and their factions for any contingency.
His objective was to buy time until they were ready.
‘All that vigilance paid off.’
The reason he had been the first to find the Master was simple.
He was in the Northern Mountains, in the territory of the Zepia Republic.
Not only was it a location where he could quickly acquire information, but it was also a high-security zone, constantly monitored by hundreds of his undead.
Banshee Queen Olivia, the head of his intelligence network, had been working tirelessly, but she didn't need sleep anyway.
“…Right, I should take care of you first.”
And then, the Master of Heaven's Turn Society, who had been calmly surveying the surroundings, spoke, his voice heavy with intent.
Flutter—
A brilliant, sunset-colored light erupted from his body, engulfing the area.
Even though its power was weakened, it was still far stronger than Heinrich’s holy power.
The surrounding death energy began to dissipate, holes appearing in its dense fog.
“It’s actually more convenient to deal with you here. Now, let’s see what you’ve got.”
[“Khahaha! Yes! Let’s play!”]
And so, in that remote and deserted mountain,
Kaboom—!
The rematch between an otherworldly angel and a local Demon King began.
____________________
“Briki.”
“Ah— Heinz, it’s been a while… Huh?”
Briki, who had turned around with her usual nonchalant expression at the familiar voice, suddenly froze.
Gulp—
A small gulp.
But her hesitation was only momentary.
She quickly regained her composure, subtly lowering her gaze, and spoke again.
“Um… H-High Lord? You seem to have been… somewhere. Did you… eat something good? Your face is… glowing.”
“Prepare for battle.”
But Heinz, with no time for pleasantries, cut her off with a curt order.
He sent a telepathic message to the True Blood executives, the high-ranking combat personnel.
“Yes, High Lord!”
“And one more thing.”
His voice followed Briki’s instinctive reply.
“Before that.”
A drop of blood, shimmering like a ruby, materialized from Heinz the Second’s fingertip, a Divine Blood’s 「Refined Blood Essence」.
Gulp—
Her gaze was fixed on the alluring liquid, another small gulp escaping her lips.
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