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Chapter 429: Star, Taurus (4)

『Didn’t I tell you that you and I are very similar?』

Bel-Marduk’s grin deepened.

『That means I also used to be Odin.』

Bel-Marduk extended his hand toward the light ray, creating dozens of layers of endlessly expanding barriers to stop the incoming beam.

Craaaash!

Crack, crack, cracck―!

Craaaash!

Half of the barriers shattered like glass hit with a stone, but they weakened the attack enough for the rest to put a complete stop to it. The powerful shockwave unleashed by the collision mixed with Bel-Marduk’s storm and spread throughout the entire divine ground.

『Unlike you, who don’t even have your past reincarnations under your control, I have already devoured mine up long ago. [Gungnir] is nothing to me.』

With a scoff, Bel-Marduk extended his hand forward. The storm blocking the beam of light grew uncontrollably bigger, pushing the attack away little by little.

Creak, creaaak―!

Along with screeches that sounded like fingernails scratching a chalkboard, the force [Gungnir] had gradually diminished.

“I doubt you did it properly, though,” Chang-Sun said.

The Inferno Sight in Chang-Sun’s [Gnostic Eye] burned even stronger.

Wooooosh!

[The Authority ‘Gnostic Eye’ is analyzing the ongoing phenomena!]

[Analyzing.]

[Analyzing.]

...

[Analysis complete. Printing out the result in runes!]

The barriers, storm, and ray of light... Everything that Chang-Sun could see turned into complicated letters. Even Bel-Marduk looked like a giant pack of runes now.

[The absorbed Myth ‘Magical Eye’s Poison’ has been activated!]

Although Chang-Sun had gained a record of all of ‘One-Eyed Magic Giant’ Balor’s <Myths> when he had absorbed him, he had never found any need for them until now. Hence, this was his first time activating one of them using his [Gnostic Eye]. Using Balor’s [Magical Eye], he could dispel a phenomenon he was bearing witness to.

Flash!

Bel-Marduk’s instantly barriers and storm vanished.

『What?』

Bewildered, Bel-Marduk tried to retreat, but his size slowed him down. The beam of light struck him in the forehead.

Paaah!

Chang-Sun flew in so quickly that he seemed to have used Space Folding. Upon retrieving [Gungnir], he immediately swung it down. Following his movements, the Cataclysm Celestial behind him raised its arm and swung downward as well, striking Bel-Marduk’s head with its enormous hand ax.

Smaaaaash!

The sound of a skull being crushed echoed.

『What have you done to—hup!』

Bel-Marduk searched for a means to counterattack, thinking he would be in real trouble at this rate.

[The Signature ‘Avatar\'s Descent’ has been activated, securing the area around the Celestial ‘Taurus’!]

[The Signature ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift’ has been activated, reversing the area around the Celestial ‘Taurus’!]

[The perception of the Celestial ‘Taurus’ has been disrupted!]

[The Celestial ‘Taurus’ has entered the ‘Confused’ state.]

However, the sudden activation of two Signatures disrupted his divine power circulation and physical senses. Although he normally would have caught a breath and quickly regained his composure, Chang-Sun gave him no time to.

[The Authority ‘Dream-Eating Beast’ has been activated! Firing the first claw!]

Slaaaash!

Using its hand ax, the Cataclysm Celestial cut Bel-Marduk from his head to his groin. Unaware of Chang-Sun’s Signatures, the series of attacks made Bel-Marduk feel as if he had just been ambushed. The attacks would never succeed again, but they had caused enough destruction.

“Idiot,” Chang-Sun sneered as he looked inside Bel-Marduk’s halved form. “Did you really think I would use those Signatures without improving them first?”

Chang-Sun looked at where the core of ‘Taurus’ was, finding someone standing.

“How dare you!” the man shouted as he looked up. Although he seemed infuriated, he still looked exactly like Chang-Sun, just like Sean li Arcadia. However, unlike Chang-Sun, who was laughing out loud, his bloodshot eyes were shedding tears of blood, a clear indication of a severe internal injury.

Bel-Marduk would never forgive Chang-Sun for wounding him. As the one who spent a long time orchestrating this whole situation, he should have been the one celebrating a victory, not some pawn in his plan like Chang-Sun!

“I’ll kill you, Twilight!” Bel-Marduk roared.

“Everyone who fought me said the same thing.” Chang-Sun leisurely smiled, fixing his grip on [Gungnir]. “I ended up killing them instead.”

Paah!

The two Chang-Suns collided in the air.

Woosh, woosh, woosh―!

The newly created enormous form of ‘Taurus’ clashed against the Cataclysm Celestial again.

* * *

Sitting on his Argentum Throne, Odin observed what was happening in the outside world. Among the battles he had witnessed until now, Chang-Sun and Bel-Marduk’s had to be the most intense. Many things about it bothered him, however.

Although Odin usually observed the outside world alone, Perkwunos accompanied him right now, leaning against the back of the Argentum Throne.

“This day solidifies it. We’re nothing but cheap imitations now. Hahaha!” Perkwunos’ laughter was as dry as a barren desert.

However, he described the situation as such with good reason. Although they were having trouble maintaining themselves as memories, Odin used to be a respected Celestial King, and Perkwunos used to be an Ancient Celestial.

Born at the beginning of a Worldline’s creation, Ancient Celestials were occasionally compared to Outer Celestials, who stayed outside the Great Universe. That was why Perkwunos never thought of Chang-Sun’s other past reincarnations as his equal even though he was also one of them.

Balor and Tomte often acted as the past reincarnations’ leaders, but Perkwunos didn’t even like being around them, let alone talking to them. He was so prideful that the only person he approved of was Odin. For the first time in his entire life, however, his pride was hurt.

“Are you angry because you found out that you weren’t the only Perkwunos? That’s strange,” Odin tilted his head in confusion. “I thought you knew better than I do that other versions of us are out there.”

Considering Perkwunos’ <Myths> started with his Worldline’s birth, he should be well aware of the Worldlines and all creation’s secrets. Hence, his odd reaction confused Odin.

“I already knew,” Perkwunos answered with a scoff.

“What is it, then?”

“Just because I am already aware of it doesn’t mean I won’t get angry. Witnessing it in person is a different story.”

Dumbfounded, Odin chuckled. “Have you always been that sentimental?”

“Nonsense,” Perkwunos said in slight annoyance as he uncrossed his arms. “I was just concerned that my other versions had disgraced themselves without my permission. Being the only one of my kind or not changes nothing about me.”

Odin smiled. This was why he considered Perkwunos to be his only equal when it came to class. Perkwunos always maintained his dignity as a Celestial. He was often viewed as arrogant as well, but it was a virtue that a ruler of all creation should have. Few Celestials were of a similar caliber as Perkwunos, and Odin hated it.

‘Balor didn’t have what it takes to be a Celestial either,’ Odin thought.

“You’re right.” Odin nodded. Looking away from Perkwunos, he continued, “But the path to finding oneness is the path to reach the higher sky and... the position of an Emperor. There are numerous me out there, and even more are being born through samsara. I should certainly fight them and stand on my own.”

Watching Jin Prezia, who was descending to ‘Babylonia,’ Odin grinned. “I’m going to become a sole being to achieve my dream.”

* * *

[The Subordinate ‘Jin Prezia’ has descended!]

Boom, boom, boooom!

Booooooom―!

With Jin in the center, the Undead Army started descending onto the sky city. However, the sturdy barrier protecting it stopped their advance.

Boooom!Booooom!

Their Undead Wyverns dropped mana bombs, and the resulting explosions, which varied in size, shook the barrier.

「Hurry up! I won’t be able to hold out for long!」

[The Subordinate ‘Simon Magus’ is deactivating the barrier!]

Simon appeared in the air with his arms spread, casting a magic spell. An enormous magic circle formed above the sky city and disintegrated its barrier’s mana particles. With the mana bombs having significantly decreased the barrier’s durability, its recovery speed slowed down enough for Jin and his special unit of ten Changgwis to exploit its weakness and enter the sky city.

“How dare you try to taint this sacred ground!”

[The presence of invaders has made the Subordinate ‘War-Celestial-Protected Gate’ furious!]

Koldewey, [1] Bel-Marduk’s most treasured subordinate and the protector of the middle gate of ‘Babylonia,’ extended his hand toward the special unit, sending tentacle-like vines from the destroyed ground toward them.

「... Hup!」

Realizing that a direct confrontation against Koldewey would plunge them into a dire situation, Jin pulled his Undead Wyvern’s rein to turn in the other direction. Considering Koldewey’s high Divine Class, they would have a low chance of victory if they fought him head-on.

「Leave him to us, sir!」

「We’ll handle him!」

However, the special unit members stood between him and their opponent.

「You guys...!」

「You have to carry out our master’s order! Go!」

「... I’m sorry.」

With a nod, Jin leaped down from his Undead Wyvern, landing above the castle. Koldewey tried to stop Jin when he found him, but the other Changgwis swooped down toward him from his blind spots and left him no choice but to deal with them first.

Taking advantage of the opportunity that his subordinates had opened up for him, Jin quickly ran into the castle. With its countless soldiers out in combat, its interior was left empty, making it easier for Jin to move.

“Please prioritize finding the Nereid Stone, Jin,” Chang-Sun requested. “Ye-Eun’s life depends on this, and you’re the only one I can entrust this job to.”

‘Considering my prideful master even said please, I better not make a mistake now,’ Jin thought.

The Nereid Stone was the hint that <Deus Ex Machina> gave Chang-Sun some time ago toward solving [Gaia’s Curse]. Jin wasn’t sure why it was in Bel-Marduk’s divine ground before, but now that he knew about his true identity, it no longer seemed to be a coincidence.

‘If it came down to it, he was going to use it to blackmail my master. Nasty coward. How can that man be another Lee Chang-Sun?’

Just as Chang-Sun promised, he brought Jin to Arcadia and saved his family from their crisis. Now that Jin had a chance to repay him, he was prepared to give up his life to complete his mission.

‘With the sword that Odin gave me...!’ Jin tightly grabbed onto the [Winter King’s Sword], which Odin had personally carved his runes on, as he ran in search of the Nereid Stone.

Paaah...

Upon detecting something on a lower floor, Jin hung his weapon on his back... missing the faint glow coming from it.

1. One of the archaeologists who excavated Babylon. ?