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‘They’ve changed,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Although he was unsure what kind of training the two had gone through under Durga’s wing, their levels were far higher than the last time they had been on Earth. Gyeo-Ul’s [Shadow Armor] now seemed to be as advanced as his father\'s, and it looked as if Kali had also returned to the level she had in her prime. Above all, their Classes had both stabilized, which meant they had their powers under perfect control. Nothing could be more important than that.

However, Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul, and Kali only exchanged looks, unable to enjoy their reunion just yet. That was how formidable Richardus was. Even before, Chang-Sun had been unable to guarantee his victory against Richardus, so it was no exaggeration to think that Richardus was stronger than Sangwon after gaining the power of the ‘Tian Shi Yuan’.

On top of that, Richardus had not revealed all his cards yet. As he was the leader of <Purple Star Astrology>, he could not possibly have come to Earth with only the Dragon Monarchs, so Chang-Sun came to the conclusion that there was something more.

‘Nevertheless...’ The Inferno Sights in Chang-Sun’s eyes gleamed. ‘...I’m going to get him right here, today.’

Chang-Sun had already decided what Richardus’ future would be.

* * *

With a scowl, Richardus looked back and forth between Gyeo-Ul and Kali, wondering whether he was watching illusions that Chang-Sun had created in advance. Still, it did not take long for him to realize that was not the case, because they had physical forms.

“Xerxes should be wandering the Imaginary Plane in search of Crom right now… I see. You’re something like his residual personality, not the real Xerxes,” Richardus said with a nod. It had not taken long for him to figure out the two’s identities. He continued, “Kali is… Yes, she was born differently from us, so I guess she went through something like cuttage or grafting.”

That was how well they knew each other.

“Regardless of the reason, all my old friends are back together,” Richardus said with a half-smirk, watching the expressions of those on the battlefield one by one.

Chang-Sun, Kali, Gyeo-Ul who represented Xerxes, the Dragon Monarchs who represented Crom Cruach, and Richardus… It was not perfect, but it was basically a reunion of old comrades.

“Perhaps it\'s destiny, in a sense,” Richardus said as he brought his [Blood Sword] close to his left hand.

Slash.

As he cut his left palm, blood flowed out and was absorbed into the [Blood Sword]. Before becoming the Grain Star, he had come from a family that was known as the ‘Iron-Blooded Sword Family’ or the ‘Lion Sword Family’; thus, he had inherited the ability [Blood Sword]. Its primary characteristic was that it increased in durability and damage as it absorbed more blood.

[Blood Sword]

The hemomancy authority of the Celestial ‘New Tian Shi Yuan’. This Authority is so outstandingly destructive that it is also known as the ‘Lion Claw’. The more blood it absorbs, the more damage it delivers.

“Since it’s turned out this way, it won’t be bad to catch up with my old friends and have the truth game we never got to have!” Richardus yelled in delight.

Oooooong―!

His [Blood Sword], which he had risked anemia to draw, let out an extremely loud howl. In response, Chang-Sun tightened his grip around his [Twilight Spear], knowing that Richardus’ [Blood Sword] was comparable to his four slayer swords.

Booom!

Paaah―!

Richardus was the one who made a move first. After powering up with [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy], he charged forward using [Sea Change] like a great tank that devastated the battlefield. At the same time, dozens of magic circles appeared all across the birdcage’s ceiling, and black light beams poured down.

Ziiinnnng―!

[The five ‘Dragon Monarchs’ have activated the Authority ‘Calculation Share’, restoring the Magic ‘Obliteration Cannon’!]

[Obliteration Cannon]

A Dragontongue magic spell that was created by the old Celestial ‘Thousand-Year Slumbering Dragon’. Artificially attracted antiparticles turn into beams of dark light that annihilate everything in their path

「Gyeo-Ul!」

“Okay!” Gyeo-Ul responded to Kali’s shout with a nod.

After going through Druga’s extreme training together, Gyeo-Ul and Kali could converse perfectly merely through exchanging looks. Holding his Black Dragon Fang in a reverse grip, Gyeo-Ul drove it into the birdcage floor, and his shadow spread across the entire floor of the birdcage like black ink spreading across a lake’s surface.

Paaah―!

[The Player ‘Baek Gyeo-Ul’ has activated the Authority ‘Shadow Wall’!]

As soon as the message appeared, the shadow on the floor undulated and transformed into several barriers large and small, blocking the light beams from [Obliteration Cannon].

Rumble…!

The entire birdcage trembled as if a powerful earthquake had occurred. Kali sprang toward the Dragon Monarchs, who were located on the main pillars of the birdcage, as they needed to be eliminated for the restrictive cage to be destroyed. Kali muttered to herself.

「How dare he disgrace Crom like this…? He should never have dishonored her like this.」

No, even beyond simply shattering the birdcage, Kali wanted to guide the Dragon Monarchs to their eternal rest. She respected Crom more than anyone else, making her unable to tolerate what was going on; she thus made a declaration.

「I, Kali, shall send all of you back to where you belong.」

Her Divine Ranks were massacre and destruction, so it was her duty to destroy the aberrant.

[The Celestial ‘Goddess of Massacre and Destruction’ has activated the Authority ‘Destruction Anchor’!]

Turning her clasped hands backward, she extended her elbows like a battering ram meant to break through a castle gate.

『I successfully found a similar individual in the data stored in our archive. The opponent has been assessed to be Kali, the ‘Goddess of Massacre and Destruction’.』

『The chance of our victory in close combat is below 14%.』

『So…』

『We’ll search for other methods rather than directly engaging in a fight with her.』

『Starting the summoning process.』

[The five ‘Dragon Monarchs’ have activated the Magic \'Perdition Summon’!]

The five Dragon Monarchs began chanting incomprehensible words at the same time; the ground where Kali was standing sank, and a bottomless pit manifested. The swirling darkness within pulled Kali toward it and sent out dozens of mysterious figures at the same time.

They were the Iron-Blooded Sword League, Richardus’ personal bodyguards who had followed him when he had left his family. Every single one of them had always had exceptional sword skills from the beginning, but they had become even more skilled with the blessings of <Purple Star Astrology>.

Kali directed her [Destruction Anchor] toward the Iron-Blooded Sword League. As long as [Perdition Summon] was weighing her down, it would be impossible to break through the league members and strike the Dragon Monarchs. Kali’s [Destruction Anchor] soon struck the league members and exploded.

Booooooom!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!

The impact created an immense earthquake, and the aftershocks shook the entire birdcage again. The bottomless pit created with [Perdition Summon] was destroyed, and several members of the Iron-Blooded Sword League were catapulted away, bleeding profusely. Kali leaped into the midst of the League members and started a hand-to-hand fight.

Swish, swoosh, swish―!

Her energy raged menacingly, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Meanwhile, Chang-Sun was putting on the iron mask he had pulled out from his inner coat pocket while watching Richardus, who was charging toward him.

Click!

[The Authority ‘Demon Face’ has been applied, activating the wearer’s innate <Myths> to enhance all applied blessings, protections, and Authorities.]

[Demon Face] had the ability to draw out an Authority owner’s persona, which led to the enhancement of their <Myths>.

[Your characteristic ‘Cataclysm Celestial’ has been enhanced!]

[The Anomalization of the first chapter ‘Turbas Effĭcere’ is progressing more quickly, transforming the upper body of a fiend into that of a Cataclysm Celestial.]

[Your characteristic ‘Fiend’ has been enhanced!]

[The Effects of the Divine Ground ‘Twilight-Setting Battlefield’ have been enhanced.]

…

Chang-Sun’s Divine Ranks of cataclysmic destruction and fiendishness were enhanced, strengthening his current Appellation.

[Your characteristic ‘Ksitigarbha King’ has been enhanced!]

Chang-Sun used his Appellation, which Thanatos had given him before he arrived here, to the fullest extent.

Oooong, ooong―!

[Khakkhara] and [Maniratna] resonated with Chang-Sun one after another. At the same time, the upper body of a Cataclysm Celestial that had manifested behind Chang-Sun’s back faded, and a giant metal gate appeared in its place.

Thud!

[A Hell Gate has been summoned!]

Various intricate holy icons were imprinted on the thick metal gate, and they all shared one thing in common. They all depicted monsters being thrown into the pits of fire in the Purgatory Plane; the scene almost looked like a warning to Richardus.

[The Hell Gate is opening!]

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!

The gate to hell opened little by little, hellfire pouring out through the gap.

[‘Sanjiva’ has materialized!]

Just like when Thanatos had appeared to capture Sangwon and Heoju, Chang-Sun was able to summon Sanjiva to his location as the Ksitigarbha King. In other words, he had control over hellfire, which could burn up Celestials’ souls.

[The Divine Ground ‘Twilight-Setting Battlefield’ has merged with ‘Sanjiva’, creating the Divine Ground ‘Twilight-Setting Battlefield in Fire‘!]

The ability to change terrain however one wished was very advantageous in battles; that was also why Chang-Sun had been able to subdue so many monster and demonic Celestials from <Purple Star Astrology> using the [Execution Sword].

The restricting birdcage and repelling battlefield soon collided and began their own battle. At that moment, Chang-Sun swung the [Twilight Spear] upward.

Clannngg!

The [Blood Sword] and [Twilight Spear] clashed intensely, and Chang-Sun and Richardus were simultaneously pushed backward. However, Richardus regained his balance and initiated his attack first.

Slash!

Richardus narrowly missed Chang-Sun’s left arm, but he was still able to leave a cut. Despite the blood splattering in the air, Chang-Sun seemed completely unsurprised, however. Instead, he turned inward and slashed Richardus’ upper body with his spear.

Pzzzzzzz!

White lightning sparks flew up from Chang-Sun’s spearhead as he tore through space with the spear; hellfire circled up through the spear handle, heating up the spearhead. Although Chang-Sun was handling two kinds of power—lightning and fire—at the same time, he remained focused on the battle.

Booom! Booom! Boooom….!

The sword clashed with the spear. Whenever the weapons collided, the sound that rang out was that of an explosion, not of clanging metal. Pillars of fire soared into the air, and shockwaves spread outward.

Also using [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy], Chang-Sun strengthened himself and continued fighting. Although his mastery of the Authority was lower than that of Richardus, he could close the gap using the Four Steps of Abyss and fight on the same level.

Next came the clash of [Sea Change]. When Richardus found that he was unable to gain the upper hand in terms of physical strength, he tried to ruin Sanjiva to turn the tide of the battle in his favor, but Chang-Sun had no intention of letting that happen. Every time Richardus slammed his foot into the ground, Chang-Sun did the same to change the terrain even further. Thus, new hills were created, lava burst out from the sunken ground, and the terrain changed constantly. At that point, ‘Earth-Shattering Change’ seemed as if it would be a more apt name than [Sea Change].

[The Divine Ground ‘Twilight-Setting Battlefield in Fire’ is turning upside down!]

Perhaps for that reason, Chang-Sun and Richardus stopped conversing and exhaling more than necessary at one point, because one tiny mistake could cost them their heads. That was how focused they had to be in delivering each attack.

Rumble, rumble, rumble―!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

[00:32:56:95]

…

[The Authority ‘Kalokagathia’ has been applied to the fullest extent!]

[You have entered the ‘Hyperfocused’ state, creating a significant difference between your perception and the flow of time in the real world!]

‘It won’t be easy for this fight to end at this rate,’ Chang-Sun thought, trying to evaluate the situation.

Richardus was more skilled than Sangwon, and there were also many other obstacles to defeating him at present. The shrinking birdcage was the biggest problem; if Chang-Sun wasted any more time, he would end up being defeated. All Richardus had to do was go back to <Purple Star Astrology>, but Chang-Sun had to make sure Earth was not swept into a black hole. Thus, Chang-Sun needed a new method that would instantly turn the tide of the battle and baffle Richardus.

That was when Chang-Sun thought of the subject of ‘omnipotence’. During the time he had unlocked [Machina’s Clockwork], he had felt uplifted in every aspect; if he could replicate that even a little bit, perhaps he would be able to defeat Richardus instantly.

‘There is a way,’ Chang-Sun thought.

As he was in the middle of a menacing battle, he had no time to insert his golden key into the bracelet, but he remembered what it had felt like when he unlocked the level of omnipotence, and what kind of afterglow the experience left. It was similar to the rapture he had felt when he had gone up against Sangwon and Odin had taken control. In other words, it was also close to the state of Nirvana, which one could attain after surpassing one’s limits.

In that case, Chang-Sun could artificially induce such a state. He had already experienced opening the ‘door’ of the subconscious realm that separated the main consciousness named Lee Chang-Sun from his numerous past reincarnations using the golden key. As the lock had already been undone, opening the door was easy, because all he had to do was push it forward.

Creak―!

Just as expected, he heard the sound of rusted hinges coming from deep inside his head—no, heart. And then…

Whooosh!

[Your ‘Gnostic Eye’ has been activated!]

Forcibly controlling his 665 past reincarnations who were trying to submerge his ego, Chang-Sun opened his [Gnostic Eye] and… immersed himself in Nirvana, the rapture that the state of omnipotence granted/