Chapter 309: World's Enemy (1) |
The large-scale battle that took place in the northeastern Ion Continent.
The aftermath was impossible to conceal.
Ancient mountain peaks crumbled, picturesque valleys were buried, and nature itself was ravaged, its previous form unrecognizable.
Naturally, in a world where magic was commonplace, such phenomena were easily detected through various means, and the information quickly reached the ruling powers of the continent.
“Evacuate the nearby residents, just in case!”
“Quickly! Observation team! Report!”
“T-the energy levels… The spatial distortions are too strong, we can’t confirm anything!”
It was an unprecedented event, a disaster of epic proportions, but surprisingly, not many of the leaders were truly surprised.
After all, they had been forewarned by a trusted source.
Kaboom—!
And now, a group had approached the epicenter of the chaos.
“So, that’s what the High Lord meant. This energy… An apostle of a foreign god…?”
“Ahem, Lady Briki. I don’t think this is the time to be so relaxed.”
“Ugh, if it weren’t for the High Lord’s blessing… we wouldn’t even be able to stand here.”
They were the elite forces of Hybrid, dispatched on Heinz the Second’s orders.
They had rushed here as soon as they had adapted to the newly bestowed 「Refined Blood Essence」 and were now observing the battlefield from a safe distance.
“The Hero of the Main God Church, the Fighting King of the Southern Barbarians, a High Elf of the Elven Kingdom… Hmm, he’s definitely not an ordinary High Elf. The next Elven King, perhaps? Anyway, they’re all much stronger than I expected. Honestly, I’m not sure even I could handle them.”
“…Lady Briki, I don’t think this is the time…”
“You’re right. We wouldn't be able to do anything without the High Lord’s power!”
“…Well, maybe. But the problem is that monster, which isn’t even fazed by their combined attacks.”
“…”
The other vampires fell silent at Briki’s calm assessment.
The ‘Apostle of the Foreign God’ was that overwhelming.
Even they, fueled by the recent power-up and their newfound loyalty, couldn't retort.
‘Dark magic and death energy… These are definitely traces of the Immortal King. And judging by the hostile remnants, they clashed. It seems he wasn’t completely controlled.’
That was a relief.
If there was some kind of connection between them, the situation would have been much worse. The Immortal King was already a formidable opponent.
‘This is our chance, while they’re separated. Then… What?’
As Briki and the other Hybrid elites were misinterpreting the situation,
Several figures approached the battlefield, their movements swift and determined.
They charged into the fray without hesitation, their faces grim.
“…They’re here. It’s time. Let’s move.”
The tide of the battle began to turn.
____________________
“Kyaaa—!”
A massive, monstrous figure, its mouth agape, charged towards him.
The Master of Heaven’s Turn Society frowned in disgust.
Kaboom—!
Another deafening roar, and then a momentary lull in the chaotic battle.
But he knew it wouldn’t last. His expression remained grim.
“Tsk.”
That chimera’s body, no matter how he attacked it, seemed to possess an unnatural resistance to all forms of energy, both physical and supernatural.
Most attacks couldn’t even slow it down, and even if he managed to inflict a serious wound, it would regenerate in an instant, and then it would charge at him again.
It was incredibly frustrating.
‘And…’
And it wasn’t just the chimera, Harley, who was so troublesome.
The others were just as difficult to deal with.
Heinrich, wielding his holy sword imbued with holy flames, his body radiating a brilliant aura.
Harris, relentlessly sniping him from an unknown location, his attacks imbued with the power of nature.
Heinz the Second, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, disrupting his flow and aiming for his vitals.
And they were all working together seamlessly, as if they were a single, well-oiled machine, their strengths complementing each other’s weaknesses.
He couldn't help but be impressed, even as he was on the receiving end of their coordinated attacks.
‘And now this…’
He wasn't just fighting them anymore.
Swish—
Whoosh—!
Arrows and magic spells, different from the elf’s previous attacks, rained down from the sky.
New combatants had joined the fray.
“Sorry we’re late, Saint! Are you alright?”
“…The spatial coordinates were too distorted, it took longer than expected.”
“And this energy… Harris-nim? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the Enamel Continent…?”
Saintess Liesta, Archmage Isea, and High Elf Lydia, three of the continent’s strongest individuals, had arrived.
“Uhuhu, to think I’d be doing this. I never imagined…”
“The fangs of Hybrid have arrived, by the High Lord’s command!”
“We await your orders!”
And the vampires, who had been waiting for an opportunity, joined the fray, offering their support.
Briki, a Sacred Blood vampire, further strengthened by Heinz, was a significant asset, a powerful variable that could break the stalemate.
‘This is troublesome.’
The Master muttered inwardly, scanning the battlefield.
He quickly assessed the situation.
‘…I have to get out of here. There’s no point in staying.’
He couldn't afford to be bogged down in a one-on-many fight.
The most effective tactic for a small, powerful force against a larger one was guerilla warfare.
He needed to break free from their trap and force them into smaller, more manageable skirmishes.
But they wouldn't let him escape so easily.
‘I got too greedy. I thought I could finish this quickly and leave.’
He hadn’t expected them to be able to mobilize such a powerful force so quickly.
Hahoe Mask’s provocation… it had all been a trap.
Crackle—
He sensed something, a subtle energy, like a thread, wrapping around him, probing and searching for an opening.
Like a venomous snake, ready to strike.
“Trying to escape?”
A cold voice echoed through the air.
It was the same voice that had been a thorn in his side.
“Vampire.”
He glanced to the side, his arrogant gaze meeting Heinz the Second’s cold stare.
Crackle—!
He had encountered countless vampires in his travels through dimensions, but this was his first time facing a vampire of this caliber.
Even the Duke, a member of the Master’s personal guard, wasn’t this strong.
‘Well, it’s not even a fair comparison. And he’s blocking my escape routes with causality manipulation. This is troublesome.’
Unaware that Heinz had transcended after devouring the Duke, the Master pondered his options.
He seemed to be relatively new to his power, unable to fully utilize his potential… but even so, he was undeniably transcendent.
He could probably break through if it was just the vampire… but with so many enemies surrounding him, it wasn’t that simple.
Of course, he had a trump card… but it was a one-time use ability, so he wanted to save it for a more crucial moment…
‘…No, this is actually a good opportunity. They’re all at the pinnacle of this world. That means…’
…They had left their other important locations vulnerable by coming here.
And it would take them time to return to their original positions.
‘Right. I’ll finish this quickly.’
He decided to use it earlier than he had intended.
His ‘down payment’.
A fragment of karma he had received from his deal with a fallen god, a legitimate deity of this dimension, albeit a weakened and imprisoned one.
“······!”
Heinz the Second, whose senses were constantly analyzing the flow of causality, was the first to react, but all four avatars moved simultaneously, their minds linked.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
“Main God, grant me the power to judge this heretic!”
“Khahaha! Come here!”
Swish—!
Guided by Heinz, the serpent of causality lunged towards the Master, and a brilliant light, erupting from Heinrich, shot forward like a beam. Harley’s body blurred, breaking the sound barrier as he charged like a missile, and Harris’s arrow, imbued with the power of nature, reached its target in an instant, unleashing its energy.
“Attack!”
“Ice Nova!”
“Rip him apart!”
And the others, sensing the urgency, joined the fray, unleashing their attacks.
Rumble—!
But—.
“What a grand welcome.”
It wasn’t enough to stop the Master, who had momentarily transcended the limitations of this world, fueled by a fragment of divine karma.
He deflected most of the attacks from a distance and, calmly blocking the few that reached him, including Heinz’s causality serpent, sighed with satisfaction.
The shackles that had bound him shattered, and an overwhelming power surged through his body.
His gaze shifted towards those who had been bothering him.
‘I’ll have to wait. This won’t last long.’
His head throbbed, and a buzzing sound echoed in his ears, a side effect of the power surge, but he was used to it.
And as the pain subsided,
A set of coordinates appeared in his mind, scattered and fragmented.
‘My priority is the objective. It’s essential for fulfilling the contract.’
What he needed to achieve his goal in this world.
And what his collaborator wanted to return to the surface.
He suppressed his desire for revenge and began to manipulate space, creating a pathway.
Crackle—!
Despite Heinz’s causality manipulation and the others’ attempts to interfere, the spatial rift slowly took shape.
It took longer than expected, but he finally succeeded.
“Huu, persistent, aren't you? Well, I have other matters to attend to. It was… somewhat entertaining.”
“Stop! You’re not escaping…!”
But the Master, with a dismissive chuckle, took a large step forward,
And vanished into the rift.
His destination.
The holy land, the center of the Ion Continent, where the Grand Temple was located.
___________________
As the others struggled to disrupt the Master’s spell,
The avatars’ minds raced, exchanging information at an incredible speed.
Target location confirmed… Southern gate of the Roselia Temple.
Estimated time of arrival… 2 minutes 23 seconds.
‘I’m glad I prepared for this.’
Heinrich, using 「Monarch’s Authority」, relayed the message to the Cardinal.
And as a result,
The Master, upon his arrival, was greeted with a grand welcoming ceremony.
“Activate the holy barrier!”
“In the name of our holy Main God, we shall judge the heretic!”
Tens of thousands of holy warriors, over a thousand priests, hundreds of paladins, and dozens of high-ranking bishops…
…chanted in unison, their voices resonating with divine power, standing upon a massive magic circle.
Ready to face the enemy of the world.